An Inside Look at… Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover A New Release By Kelli A. Wilkins! @KWilkinsauthor

www.KelliWilkins.com

Hi everyone,

Not all romances are the same, and not all romance authors are the same. Although I write in several romance genres (contemporary, gay, historical, fantasy), I also like to write horror stories. Many people think that’s an odd combination, but I like to say that one half of my brain writes the horror, and the other half writes the romance. So naturally, it was only a matter of time before I combined the two and started writing paranormal romances.

My latest contemporary paranormal, Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover, is a different type of romance. For starters, the novella is told in the first person from the hero’s point of view. The story also makes use of a setting where you don’t normally find vampires—the beach! 

I got the idea for the story while sitting on a nearly deserted beach at the end of the summer season. (I’m not a beach person, but I was there with my husband, a surfer.) As I sat there watching the few people milling around, I wondered: “What if a vampire went to the beach? And what if she fell in love with a surfer?”

I liked the idea of contrasting typical sun worshipping beachgoers and surfers with a darkness-loving elusive vampire. Besides, what could be more mismatched than a die-hard surfer falling in love with a nocturnal blood-drinker?

I started toying with ideas and knew that although the book is about a vampire, I wanted to keep the central focus on Brian and Anya’s relationship and not on the ‘bloodier’ aspects of vampirism (show her feeding, etc.) There’s a fine line when blending horror and romance into paranormal romance. Too much gore or a “too terrifying” creature can snap the readers (and the characters) out of the romance and into a full-on horror story. 

When I wrote the book I made sure that the love scenes were highly sensual and almost surreal. Aside from being a vampire, Anya is a woman with needs, and she makes sure Brian satisfies them. I don’t remember how I was inspired to have the story told by Brian, but it worked. Readers and reviewers like the first-person aspect—it pulls you into a story that would seem unbelievable.

Several people have asked me if it’s hard to write horror and romance. Not really. I enjoy it. Writing horror allows me to change up my writing style, use different settings, and create characters you wouldn’t find in a romance. My horror stories are more psychological/spooky/creepy than gory, and I like to explore darker plots and not always give the characters a happy ending (as I do in my romances).

Here’s the summary and an excerpt from Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover:

Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover

The moment Brian spotted Anya sitting on the moonlit beach, he was hooked. Beautiful, smart, and sexy, Anya was the girl of his dreams. She didn’t mind that he spent the hot summer days riding the ocean waves, because once the sun set, he belonged to her—all night long!

Everything is perfect between them—until Brian discovers Anya’s shocking secret. Can Brian give up the sun, sand, and surf to be with the woman he loves?

Read Brian’s first-hand account of their unusual love story in… Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover.

And a steamy excerpt:

Anya draped her arms around my neck and pulled me close, as if she were hungry for my touch. Her wet lips met mine, and a shock coursed through my body. Anya’s lips were soft and supple, but ice cold. It was the strangest kiss I’d ever experienced, and it stirred something primal in me.

Anya kissed me deeper and twisted her tongue around mine. The world seemed to spin, and once again I felt myself falling under her spell. I was hers, willing to do whatever she wanted. After a moment, she released me.

“Wait for me on the beach. I’ll let you take me any way you want,” she whispered, then dove back into the water.

I made my way to shore as quietly as possible and flopped onto the sand. I closed my eyes and tried to think rationally. What was Anya doing out there? Nobody could see in the ocean at night or safely swim with sharks after dark. Maybe Anya was a mermaid. I chuckled at my own stupidity. Mermaids weren’t cold, they couldn’t vanish into thin air, and they didn’t hide from the sun. That was a vamp—

“Look what I found.”

I opened my eyes. Anya stood over me, holding something shiny in her hand. The gold ring gleamed in the moonlight. I took it from her and studied it. The stone was dark, almost blood red. I handed it back to her and she slipped it on her ring finger.

“You really should let me explore. There are a lot of interesting things down there,” she said.

I scowled. “How did you find that in the water? It’s pitch black.”

            “Don’t ask, Brian.” Anya straddled my hips and kissed me. She bent close, offering me her breast. I drew it into my mouth and sucked eagerly. To my surprise, she felt flushed and warm, and tasted salty, like the ocean.

            Anya gasped and arched her head back. “Make love to me, Brian. I want to feel alive,” she said as she unzipped my jeans….

Order your copy of Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Vampires-Lover-Paranormal-Romance-ebook/dp/B01IBYWYCI

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1135216230

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/confessions-of-a-vampires-lover-kelli-a-wilkins/1017484568  

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/confessions-of-a-vampire-s-lover

Page Foundry: http://www.inktera.com/store/title/a3d290b2-9c32-4a40-92ec-aac57fd0fcd7

24 Symbols: https://www.24symbols.com/book/x/x/x?id=1565223

* * *

If you’re looking for a summer romance, I hope you’ll check out Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover. If vampire love stories aren’t your thing, visit my Amazon author page or website to catch up on all of my romances in other genres.

Happy Reading,

Kelli

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 95 short stories, 19 romance novels, and 5 non-fiction books. Her romances span many genres and heat levels.

In 2016 Kelli began re-releasing her romances previously published by Amber Quill Press. Visit her website and blog for a full title list, book summaries, and other information as it becomes available. Look for her Medallion Press historical western romance, Lies, Love & Redemption, coming in September.

Her writing book, You Can Write—Really! A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Fiction is a fun and informative non-fiction guide based on her 15 years of experience as a writer. It’s filled with writing exercises and helpful tips all authors can use.

If you like to be scared, check out Kelli’s horror ebooks: Dead Til Dawn and Kropsy’s Curse.

Kelli posts on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and Twitter: www.Twitter.com/KWilkinsauthor. She also writes a weekly blog: http://kelliwilkinsauthor.blogspot.com/.

Visit her website, www.KelliWilkins.com to learn more about all of her writings, read book excerpts, reviews, and more. Readers can sign up for her newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/HVQqb.

CATCH UP WITH KELLI

Here are a few links to find Kelli & her writings on the web

Website: www.KelliWilkins.com

Blog: http://kelliwilkinsauthor.blogspot.com/

Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/kelliwilkins

Newsletter sign-up: http://eepurl.com/HVQqb

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/KWilkinsauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1123678.Kelli_A_Wilkins

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/KWilkinsAuthor/

Medallion Press: http://medallionpress.com/author/kelli-wilkins/

Errors of Evaluation by Paola Pica Spotlight!

Francesca’s presence pervades the lives of those she meets. She leaves an indelible mark, the true nature of her personality revealed through other people’s encounters with her. Her boldness as a spoilt child. Her temporary (and just) suffering as the victim of a shrink - an ambiguous and even more unscrupulous person than her in grasping anything graspable. And the more than explicit revelation of her blind egocentrism, because of which she ignores the one person who has tried tirelessly to help her.

Three very different characters tell the same story about the enigmatic woman who has entered their lives, each one illuminating who Francesca really is, from their own point of view. Each character has made an error of evaluation which they realize has prejudiced their lives and their relationships. An omniscient narrator will have the final say.

The Author

Living just outside Rome, Italy, Paola Pica has studied and worked extensively in England and her homeland as a translator and interpreter.

Today she works for various embassies in Rome, as well as focusing on her writing. 

She is the author of five novels and one short story collection. 

The Reporter's Story by Joyce T. Strand Review! @joycetstrand

Historical Setting Heightens Mystery

By

Joyce T. Strand, Author

The Reporter’s Story

“The thing that most attracts me to historical fiction is taking the factual record as far as it is known, using that as scaffolding, and then letting imagination build the structure that fills in those things we can never find out for sure.” -Geraldine Brooks

We readers of mysteries enjoy the challenge of solving the whodunit puzzle along with—or even before—the amateur sleuth or professional detective. We thrive on sorting out the red herrings. We relish the suspense to identify and capture the villain. We might even appreciate a little romance.

So, why set a mystery in the past?

Simply because the historical setting can add a unique perspective that compounds the puzzle, enhances the characters, intensifies the villains, and foments suspense.

For me, however, first comes the protagonist. I was convinced that a female reporter in the early 20th century would make a compelling sleuth.

So I looked to history to offer me a real live example and discovered Marjorie C. Driscoll, who originally worked as a reporter for publisher William Randolph Hearst and then in 1921 for Hearst’s competitor, the San Francisco Chronicle. She eventually moved south to the Los Angeles Times where she became a well-known front-page contributor.

What was most valuable about Driscoll’s life to me was that she documented her approach to reporting, giving me the perspective I needed for my protagonist as a female reporter in this time period. A graduate of Stanford University in 1913, Driscoll wrote an article in The Stanford Illustrated Review in 1920, titled “In the Newspaper Field” that describes the features of a successful reporter, including the mantra “know a little of everything.”

Emma Matheson, my protagonist in The Reporter’s Story, follows Driscoll’s values and recommendations of a reporter as she solves a mystery on her quest to become a world-class front-page reporter (Driscoll’s article is available on-line at: http://bit.ly/1Rw0VCv p. 194)

I drew additional information about the life of a female reporter in the early twentieth century from Ladies of the Press: The Story of Women in Journalism by an Insider by Ishbel Ross, published in 1936. The author is particularly helpful at describing the trends, expectations, and noteworthy female reporters of the era.

Once I had developed my protagonist’s biography, I looked to the most intriguing city and most galvanizing year to produce the mystery. I wanted a time and place where Emma’s strengths and weaknesses would best be portrayed in a likely manner as she solved the mystery on her way to achieving her goals.

I settled on 1912 in San Francisco—a time of accomplishment following the rebuilding of the city after the devastating 1906 earthquake and fire.  It provided a backdrop of intrigue and murder with the infamous tongs and a reputation for the unruly days of the Barbary Coast that accompanied the Gold Rush. It was a time of transition as the automobile was beginning to replace the horse and buggy, planes were in the air when they weren’t crashing, and electricity and phones were starting to be common.

Even more relevant was that San Francisco is the city where one of the most famous newspaper men of all times helped to re-make the world of reporting: William Randolph Hearst.

There just wasn’t a more perfect city to tell The Reporter’s Story.

“San Francisco is a breathtakingly beautiful city, with lots of great contrasts between dark and light, often overlapping each other.

“It’s a great setting for a horror story.”

-Christopher Moore

About The Reporter’s Story

A house burglary in 1912 San Francisco that the victim denies happening piques Emma Matheson’s reporter instincts. Why would a not-so-wealthy businessman deny that recovered loot was his and forego collecting his $8,000 worth of stolen jewelry? Why did he fire his maid and butler who originally reported the theft? The more she pursues the burglary that wasn’t a burglary, the more she sees it as a major story, involving murder, intrigue, and smuggling. Can she solve it and write the story that could project her to become the world-famous reporter she so covets? Or will she become one of its victims?

Additional info about Emma:  Emma Matheson is a young woman determined to be a star front-page reporter despite the bias against women in her day.Her mother died when she was born. She was reared by her father who runs a newspaper in Sacramento. She grew up learning about the newspaper business. Her father valued education and insisted she attend university before starting her career. She is bright, determined, a great writer — but a bit naive.

To Purchase

Kindle

Paperback

About Joyce Strand:

Joyce T. Strand is the author of who-done-it contemporary and historical mysteries set in California. All of her published six novels are inspired by actual events and/or real people, although they are definitely fictionalized.

Her first three contemporary mysteries feature protagonist Jillian Hillcrest, a public relations executive who encounters murder and mayhem at her Silicon Valley company. Jillian’s boss, Brynn Bancroft, solves the next two mysteries when she leaves her position as Chief Financial Officer to run a winery in Sonoma. 

In Strand’s first historical mystery, a Superior Court Judge strives to discover the truth behind the mystery of a robbery-murder in a small California town in 1939. In her newest mystery, THE REPORTER’S STORY, a house burglary in 1912 San Francisco piques a young reporter’s instincts that leads to intrigue and murder.

Strand headed corporate communications at several biotech and high-tech companies in California's Silicon Valley for more than 25 years. Unlike Jillian, however, she did not encounter murder in her career. Strand lives with her two cats and collection of cow statuary in Southern California, and enjoys exploring and writing about the growing wine region in the Ramona Valley near San Diego.

Social Links:

Webpage:        

Blog:                

Facebook:        

Goodreads:      

Twitter:  @joycetstrand

My Thoughts

Emma Matheson is a reporter for the San Francisco Gazette in 1912, when it is rare that a woman is a reporter in the first place. Emma's role in the newspaper to write pieces that pertain to women's interests. She loves what she does but would love to do more than write fluff stories. She wants to be a reporter who not only writes articles but also investigates them.

Emma usually goes to the police station to find cases to write about. One in particular is a burglary of a house where $8,000 worth of jewelry and other items has been stolen. Emma interviews the mistress of the house who is the sister of Alfred Whitecraft and her maid Marjorie regarding the robbery. The maid eventually is to blame for the robbery and when Emma interviews Marjorie's mother and Marjorie again, she realizes something is not right and there is more to investigate.Trying to figure out why Alfred says that there was no robbery is what spurs Emma on.

Emma is told not to investigate further for her own safety but Emma is very tenacious and persistent so she goes against the police orders and continues to investigate. What she finds is corruption, drugs and people who she thought she could trust but can't. Trying to get past the women belong in the home way of thinking she must prove what she thinks happened and try to stay alive at the same time.

Joyce Strand's books are always a pleasure to read and this is another to add to the TBR pile is you like a good mystery and strong female characters, this one is for you!

I received a copy of this book for review purposes.

Snow in July by Kim Iverson! @KimHeadlee @MoBPromos

SNOW IN JULY

by

Kim Iverson Headlee

QMT KROMATIX Colors of Awareness Giveaway! @BillElliott2006

QMT KROMATIX Colors of Awareness Giveaway

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Holiday Contest and Sweeps

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Tom’s Take On Things

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Beautiful Touches

My Devotional Thoughts

Everyday Southwest

Peanut Butter and Whine

My Silly Little Gang

Finding Sanity In Our Crazy Life

Devoted Mommy of 3

Romania and Missions

Mama’s Blessed Blurbs

Central Bargains and Giveaway

Presents The

QMT KROMATIX Colors of Awareness Giveaway

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Holiday Contest and Sweeps along with a amazing group of blogs is honored

to work with QMT Windchimes to present their newest line of chimes named

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Their Kromtix Windchimes come in colors that are known to show awareness

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We all need to stand together in the fight to find a cure for all the diseases that

effect the lives of each and every one of us. To learn more about Breast Cancer, Lupus

and Cerebral Palsy, simply click on their names for more information.

Three lucky readers will each receive a Kromatix Windchime in one of the

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Kromatix 27″ Funky Fusia Windchime

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available from their Kromatix brand and check out the vast selection of chimes they have

to offer from Corinthian Bells, Aries, Aries Elite and much much more…..

Let the wind run wild this summer with KROMATIX. Their newest release, KROMATIX boasts four ultra-bright colors for vibrant, backyard fun. KROMATIX are hand tuned, providing the excellent sounds with long lasting vibes. These bold colors will brighten your spirit and will add style to your décor.

Enter Giveaway Here

Lakota Honor (Branded Trilogy, Book 1) by Kat Flannery Book Blast! #KatFlanneryBookBlast

Publication Date: May 26, 2013 Publisher: Imajin Books eBook & Paperback; 182 Pages Genre: Historical Romance/Paranormal/Western

     

  Fate has brought them together, but will a promise tear them apart? In the small town of Willow Creek, Colorado, Nora Rushton spends most of her days locked up in her home with a father who resents her and fighting off unwanted marriage proposals from the wealthy Elwood Calhoun. Marked as a witch, Nora must hide her healing powers from those who wish to destroy all the witkowin—crazy women. What she doesn't know is that a bounty hunter is hot on her trail. Lakota native Otakatay has an obligation to fulfill. He has been hired to kill the witkowin. In a time when race and difference are a threat and innocence holds no ground, courage, love and honor will bring Nora and Otakatay together as they fight for their freedom. Will the desire to fulfill his promise drive Otakatay to kill Nora? Or will the kindness he sees in her blue eyes push him to be the man he once was?

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Chapters | Createspace

Blood Curse (Branded Trilogy, Book 2) by Kat Flannery

Publication Date: September 14, 2014 Publisher: Imajin Books eBook & Paperback; 214 Pages Genre: Historical Romance/Paranormal/Western     “Upon mine death for the blood ye have shed, Every daughter born to ye shall die before it draws breath, to which ye will know pain and worse, I cast unto ye mine blood curse.” ~ Vadoma Four years after the Blood Curse, Pril of the Peddlers vows to protect her child against the evil men who hunt her. With her clan unaware of the branded girl among them, Pril has to keep the identity of her daughter a secret. When her child is kidnapped, she is forced to ask Merchant runner, Kade Walker, for his help. Kade Walker needs to find the gypsy child. Blackmailed and pushed beyond his own moral code, he is determined to do whatever it takes. When he comes across the Peddler clan, he is sure the girl is there, however all hope is lost when the gypsies capture him. Time is running out—until Pril makes him an offer he cannot refuse. Amidst greed, lust, revenge and love, Pril will need to trust Kade. But as the evil nears and doubt creeps in, will she discover that the enemy has been standing next to her all along?

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Chapters | Createspace

About the Author

Kat Flannery's love of history shows in her novels. She is an avid reader of historical, suspense, paranormal, and romance. When not researching for her next book, Kat can be found running her three sons to hockey and lacrosse. She has her Certificate in Freelance and Business Writing. A member of many writing groups, Kat enjoys promoting other authors on her blog. She's been published in numerous periodicals. Her debut novel CHASING CLOVERS has been on Amazon's Bestsellers list many times and was #62 over all their titles. LAKOTA HONOR and BLOOD CURSE (Branded Trilogy) are Kat’s two award-winning novels and HAZARDOUS UNIONS is Kat’s first novella. Kat is currently hard at work on her next book. For more information please visit Kat Flannery's website. You can find Kat on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Book Blast Schedule

Tuesday, July 5
Passages to the Past
  Wednesday, July 6
Lampshade Reader
Let Them Read Books
  Thursday, July 7
A Holland Reads
The Never-Ending Book
  Friday, July 8
Book Nerd
  Monday, July 11
The Reading Queen
  Tuesday, July 12
Cafinated Reads
  Wednesday, July 13
Broken Teepee
  Thursday, July 14
Brooke Blogs
  Friday, July 15
Eclectic Ramblings of Author Heather Osborne
Monday, July 18
The Silver Dagger Scriptorium
  Thursday, July 21
Oh, for the Hook of a Book!
  Monday, July 25
One Book Shy of a Full Shelf
  Thursday, July 28
CelticLady's Reviews
  Saturday, July 30
Carole's Ramblings

Giveaway

Author Kat Flannery is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card during the book blast! To enter, please see the GLEAM form below. Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on July 30th. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Giveaway is open Internationally. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. –
Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

 Kat Flannery Book Blast