Like Feisty Irish
Heroines?
Don’t miss Dangerous Indenture - A Historical Mystery-Romance
By Kelli A. Wilkins
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 a 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.”
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 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 she’s in danger.
I won’t give away any secrets. See if you
can solve the mystery along with Shauna. 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?
Order your copy here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PJVQ7XJ
All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/3JyROP
Read some excellent reviews
here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/dangerous-indenture
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 8 mystery/horror
ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare
readers with her horror and mystery stories.
Her latest release, For Love’s Sake, an epic
historical/fantasy romantic adventure, was published in January 2025.
In August 2024, she released Surreal
Escapes, a collection of 7 speculative/spooky stories. Anything can—and
does—happen in this anthology.
Kelli released her fourth gay romance, A
Thousand Summer Secrets, in April 2024. This tender contemporary
romance takes place over a summer weekend, where two friends reconnect while
seeking love and acceptance.
She published The Route 9 Killer, a
mystery/thriller set in Central NJ, in May 2023.
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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