Have you ever read a Bigfoot romance?
Beauty
& the Bigfoot – a quirky paranormal
comedy
By Kelli A. Wilkins
Hi folks,
My latest release, Beauty
& the Bigfoot (Yes, it’s a Bigfoot romance!) offers readers a
quirky look at the legend of Bigfoot. When I told people I was writing a
Bigfoot romance, they said, “You’re kidding, right?”
Nope! Maybe I watched too much In Search Of… as a child, but for as
long as I can remember, I’ve always been interested in “unexplained phenomena”
(aka: the strange and unusual).
I started out writing horror short
stories and romances, so it was only a matter of time before I went down the
paranormal romance road. Beauty & the Bigfoot is my third
paranormal romance. My first, Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover, is
a more serious love story, and Killer in Wolf’s Clothing
takes the concept of werewolves in a very different direction.
Beauty & the Bigfoot started out with the premise: “What if a cryptozoologist’s
daughter fell in love with a captured Bigfoot?” I liked the idea, but I wasn’t
sure where I could take it.
Later, when I was doing research
for the book, (Yes, there was a lot of research involved!), I came across
several historical accounts dating back to the 1500s of huge, hairy “wild men”
living in the woods. Native American tribes had several names for Bigfoot and
they took the subject seriously. After reading these stories, my imagination
took over. (Once you read the book, you’ll see how it all ties in together. If
you think you know how the story ends, think again!)
Beauty & the Bigfoot was a lot of fun to write and I had a great time creating
the characters. Through Tara and her eccentric father, Charlie, I was able to
turn up the camp level and add in many wacky references and asides. They don’t
exactly take the situation seriously, and neither should readers. It’s called a
paranormal comedy for a reason.
So, is Bigfoot real? Is the
Patterson film a hoax? Are there Sasquatches roaming the forests of the Pacific
Northwest? I don’t know for sure, but I do know that the legend continues on –
with a happy ending – in Beauty & the Bigfoot.
Here’s the synopsis:
Beauty & the Bigfoot
Can true love exist between
the species?
Tara’s
world is anything but normal. Her father is known as the resident crackpot –
just because he’s on a personal mission to catch a Sasquatch. Despite all of
the “Bigfoot evidence” cluttering their house, Tara never really believed in
Bigfoot – until the day her father brought him home.
She
affectionately names her father’s prized catch ‘Joe’ and discovers there’s
something oddly familiar – and erotic – about him. With a media circus
descending on her father’s ranch and a showdown brewing with the local sheriff,
Tara risks her life to save Joe.
When
Tara finally succumbs to her animalistic urges, she learns that Joe is not
exactly who – or what – he seems. Joe is more than a Sasquatch – he’s her soul
mate!
A mild excerpt:
Tara shook her head and
sighed as she entered the cluttered den. She adjusted the framed certificate
from the Cryptozoological Society recognizing her father as a “Certified
Bigfoot Investigator.” It hung on the wall in a place of esteemed honor—next to
an 8-by-10 enlargement of frame 352 from the Patterson film. The infamous shot
showed a female Bigfoot in mid-stride looking over her shoulder at the camera.
As much as she loved her
dad, she had never understood his obsession with Bigfoot.
“Charlie MacAllister’s
Bigfoot Museum” was her father’s pride and joy. Floor-to-ceiling bookcases were
crammed with dusty paperbacks titled It Lurks in the Woods and Some
Call it Sasquatch! Notebooks detailing his expeditions, sightings,
and other “evidence” were stacked next to the loveseat. Scrapbooks filled with
tabloid articles proclaiming I WAS BIGFOOT’S BRIDE and BIGFOOT
SIGHTED IN UFO were strewn on the coffee table. Her mother’s antique china
closet held plaster casts of Bigfoot tracks.
She opened the back
door, letting in the fresh July air. The den needed to be aired out and
cleaned, and she could only do that when her father went on a “field
excursion.” If she was lucky, she would be able to vacuum and dust before—
“Tara! Where are you?”
Her father raced into the den, then scowled as he spotted her. “What are you doing
in here? Are you trying to clean again? What did I tell you about that?”
She stared at her father
like he was from another planet. His medium-brown hair stuck up all over his
head like horns, he hadn’t shaved in days, and his clothes were covered with
dirt and brambles. It was no wonder why the whole town considered him a raving
kook—among other things.
“Come on, come on!
You’ve gotta come out and see it! I did it. I did it.”
“Now what?” she forced
herself to ask. How many times had Dad rushed in with the “biggest discovery of
the year” only to show her a photo of another Bigfoot track? She hated to
dampen his enthusiasm, but she had been surrounded by Bigfoot paraphernalia for
her entire life and she just wasn’t interested in it anymore.
“I got him. The big
male. You know the one.” He gestured at a framed, grainy photo of something
running through the woods. “Him.”
She rolled her eyes. Her
father wasn’t like other Bigfoot researchers who wanted to catch any old
Bigfoot—No, Charlie MacAllister was on a personal mission to catch one particular Bigfoot. One he claimed had
been living within five miles of their house for years.
“Dad, if this is a bear
cub, or a—”
“No. You’ll see. Now
I’ll finally be able to prove that I’m not the nutcase everyone in town thinks
I am.”
She let her father drag
her into the backyard. “Oh my God! What is
that?”
She ran to the flatbed
trailer and stared at the unconscious creature. It lay stretched out on its
back with its hairy arms and legs shackled to the metal trailer frame. Dad had
captured something, all right. There was no mistaking what it was. She had seen
enough photos of Bigfoot to know him anywhere.
“You did catch him.” She looked at her
father. “But, but…” For once in her life, she was speechless.
Her father grinned and
folded his arms across his chest. “Well, now do you believe me? I told you I
caught Bigfoot. You should listen to your old man. He knows what he’s talking
about.”
Her mind whirled. How
was it possible? After twenty years of searching, her father had done it. He
had actually captured Bigfoot.
***
Order your
copy of Beauty & the Bigfoot
here:
I hope you have as much fun reading the story as I
did writing it! I welcome comments and questions from readers, so feel free to
contact me via my website, blog, or social media.
Happy Reading,
Kelli A.
Wilkins
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelli A.
Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short
stories, 19 romance novels, and 5 non-fiction books. Her romances span many
genres and heat levels.
Her
paranormal-comedy, Beauty & the Bigfoot, was published in September 2017.
Kelli
released Trust with Hearts, a contemporary romance, in July 2017. Her
third gay romance, Four Days with Jack, was released in June 2017. Kelli’s trilogy
of erotic romance novellas, Midsummer Night’s Delights, Midwinter
Night’s Delights, and Ultimate Night’s Delights was
published in spring 2017.
Loving
a Wild Stranger was published in January 2017. This historical/pioneer
romance is set in the wilds of the Michigan Territory and blends tender romance
with adventure.
Kelli's
third Medallion Press romance, Lies, Love & Redemption was
released in September 2016. This spicy historical western is set on the
Nebraska prairie in 1877.
Her writing
book, You Can Write—Really! A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Fiction is
a fun and informative guide filled with writing exercises and helpful tips all
authors can use.
Here are a few links to find Kelli & her writings on
the web
