Behind the Scenes: Dangerous Indenture (A Historical Mystery-Romance)
By Kelli A. Wilkins
This “Behind the Scenes” blog is part of a
series examining my romance novels. In each blog, I’ll talk about why I wrote
the book, share my thoughts on the plot and/or characters, and reveal what I
loved most (or least) about writing the book. Warning: Blogs may contain
spoilers.
Hi everyone,
Imagine this scenario: a young woman moves to a new
town to work for a family. She is on her own and has to adjust to her
employer’s rules while adapting to life in a new environment. After she arrives,
she discovers the job isn’t exactly what she thought it would be and realizes
she has gotten herself into a troubling situation. All seems lost until she
meets a handsome young man…
This premise could be the basis of any number of
romances: a Victorian-era story about a governess moving to a remote estate, a
contemporary tale about a physical therapist or teacher relocating across the
country, or, in the case of my historical romance, Dangerous Indenture, an
Irish indentured servant leaving everything behind to start a new life.
Dangerous
Indenture is set in Pennsylvania Colony
and blends a sensual romance with mystery and suspense.
Right from the start, readers (and the heroine, Shauna) are warned about Stewart
House: “It’s got more haunts than the Tower of London.”
Here’s the book summary and links:
DANGEROUS INDENTURE
Indentured for five years… how long can Shauna resist her
master’s son?
Desperate to escape her past in Ireland, Shauna Farrow
signs on to become an indentured servant to Joshua Stewart, a wealthy man in
Pennsylvania Colony. But a life of servitude quickly turns to drudgery, and
Shauna’s hopes for starting over and creating a better life for herself are
waning—until she meets her master’s roguish son, Ashton.
Ashton needs to redeem himself in his
father’s eyes and earn the respect he has always longed for. Meeting Shauna
turns his life around, and he sets out to win her heart. Torn between propriety
and passion, Shauna struggles against her growing attraction to Ashton as long
as she can.
But amidst their flirting, something
dark stirs. Shauna soon discovers why no other servants wanted to work for the
strange Stewart family.
Stewart House has an unsavory
reputation: a previous servant died there under mysterious circumstances. When
another servant goes missing in the middle of the night, Shauna is convinced
that a member of the family is responsible.
Shauna’s investigation leads her close to the truth, and
yet, she’s not sure who she can trust. Events take a deadly turn when she confronts
the murderer and discovers the mystery of the Stewart family.
Will Shauna be rescued
before time runs out, or will she meet with the same fate as the other
servants?
Available here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PJVQ7XJ
All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/3JyROP
Read reviews here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/dangerous-indenture
***
When I wrote the book, I wanted to evoke a sense of
danger and mystery around every corner. This wasn’t going to be a typical
romance with the hero and heroine from different classes falling in love and
having a forbidden affair. Nope.
The romance is almost a sub-plot of the book, and when
the story begins, finding love is the last thing on Shauna’s mind. She’s more
concerned about doing a good job than getting involved with Ashton (even if he
is handsome).
I liked creating the incredibly dysfunctional members
of the Stewart family. They all have secrets and practically have dual personalities.
Joshua (the patriarch) is a big bear of a man who comes across as gruff and
insensitive, yet at times can be caring. Colin (Joshua’s son) appears to be a respectable
married businessman, but underneath his proper exterior lurks a dark and
dangerous manipulator (among other things).
Colin’s beleaguered wife, Minerva, is mentally
unstable and trapped in a terrible marriage. Readers and the other characters in
the story aren’t sure if she’s truly mad or not. And she might be a murderess…
Our hero, Ashton Bailey, is flawed and has a lot of
problems to overcome. For starters, he’s the black sheep of the family and has
been sent home in disgrace. He drinks too much, womanizes too much, and has
nearly given up on life. He’s a failure in his father’s eyes and wants to
redeem himself, but isn’t sure how. Ashton knows that Stewart House is a
terrible place and vows to protect Shauna while she’s working there.
This cast of characters and their interactions (fighting,
name-calling, secrets, and lies) carry the plot. Everyone has an agenda, and
readers learn that not everyone is telling the truth… or is exactly what they
seem. Ashton wants to become respectable, Colin wants him disowned, Minerva
wants Shauna gone, Shauna wants to stay out of trouble, and Joshua just wants
some peace.
Writing the twists and turns of the mystery was a lot
of fun. When the new servant, Lila, goes missing in the middle of the night,
Shauna is convinced someone in the house killed her. But who? Shauna is a
clever amateur sleuth, and when she starts to solve the mystery, she realizes
that she’s in danger.
The book has a “Dark
Shadows” feel to it. A mysterious house, a strange family, everyone has
secrets… In fact, several of the character names in the book (Colin, Joshua,
and Minerva) appeared in the original “Dark Shadows” series.
I hope you enjoyed this look at the making of Dangerous Indenture. I welcome comments and questions from
readers. Be sure to follow my blog for the latest updates and visit me on
social media. I also made a Facebook page for my historical romances: https://www.facebook.com/Historical-Romances-by-Kelli-A-Wilkins-1703805359922371/
Happy
Reading,
Kelli A. Wilkins
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has
published more than 100 short stories, 20+ romance novels, and 6 mystery/horror
ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare
readers with her horror and mystery stories.
She released The Route 9 Killer, a
mystery/thriller set in Central NJ, in early 2023.
Her paranormal/mystery romance, In
Another World, was published in 2022.
Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and visit her
website/blog www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list and social media links.
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