Kelli A Wilkins

The Royal Desires Trilogy - Three Fun Fantasy Reads!
 By Kelli A. Wilkins, Amber Quill Press author

Someone recently asked me how I plotted my “Royal Desires” trilogy: A Most Unusual Princess, http://www.amberquill.com/AmberHeat/MostUnusualPrincess.html Dalton’s Temptation, http://amberquill.com/AmberHeat/DaltonsTemptation.html and The Pauper Prince http://amberquill.com/AmberHeat/PauperPrince.html. Did I use note cards to keep track of each character’s description? Did I make an overall outline of the whole trilogy, and then write each book?

Nope. The truth is… I just wrote the story that was in my head. I didn’t intend to write a trilogy – it kinda happened on its own. (With a lot of typing on my part, of course!) I wrote each book by itself, with its own setting and theme, apart from the book that came before. So, although they make up a series, each book can stand alone as an individual read.

I specifically wrote A Most Unusual Princess  http://www.amberquill.com/AmberHeat/MostUnusualPrincess.html for the Amber Quill Press “Amber Heat” contest. The book won (along with two others, The Dark Lord & The Sexy Stranger). Although the Fantasy genre wasn’t something I had written in before, I liked the idea of following a very headstrong and spoiled Princess Elara as she looked for a suitable husband.

The story was fun to write and I enjoyed contrasting Elara’s moodiness with her sensual feelings for Dalton. And poor Dalton! By the end of A Most Unusual Princess, I knew he had to have his own story, so I followed up with Dalton’s Temptation.

In Dalton’s Temptation, http://amberquill.com/AmberHeat/DaltonsTemptation.htmlI deliberately focused on the theme of fidelity. Elara wants to test Dalton’s loyalty, so she masquerades as a sultry girl in a pleasure palace. Naturally, she gets in over her head and into trouble. I enjoyed taking Elara out of her element and giving her new challenges and experiences. We also got to see a different side to Dalton’s character and learned about his weaknesses and desires.

Dalton’s Temptation also introduced us to Elara’s brother, Prince Allan. What a pip! He’s a perfect example of a secondary character who tries to run away with the story.

While writing Dalton’s Temptation, I knew Allan needed his own book, and The Pauper Prince was born.

In The Pauper Prince, http://amberquill.com/AmberHeat/PauperPrince.html Allan is banished to live the life of a commoner. His life has been turned upside down. He’s broke, miserable, and forced to endure abuse at his job in the shipyard.

Allan’s character undergoes a complete transformation between Dalton’s Temptation and The Pauper Prince. Once a carefree womanizer, Allan discovers a secret side to himself and through his relationship with Claudette, he learns a lesson about what is truly important in life. A more settled Elara and Dalton also appear in the book and help wind up the trilogy.

I enjoyed writing each of these books. It was fun to create the characters, give them unique adventures, and complicate their lives – all in the name of love. Although these are spicy romances, there’s enough drama, sadness, and humor to keep readers entertained and enthralled. But don’t just take my word for it. Here’s what a few reviewers had to say:

“A Most Unusual Princess is an amusing book that will seize your attention from the first word. Elara is a woman who wants to get married on her own terms, not those set by her father. The growing attraction and love between Elara and Dalton carry this sweet story. Ms. Wilkins has created appealing characters that will touch your heart.” - Tewanda, Fallen Angel Reviews

“I thought the first book [A Most Unusual Princess] was hot, but Dalton’s Temptation is worth reading. Kelli A. Wilkins did a superb job in this one and introduces us to a new side of Dalton. The beginning was just about Princess Elara, and this time we learn more of Dalton. I loved this story and it’s hard for me to give a Historical Erotica a 5 for the first part and a sequel but Kelli Wilkins did a beautiful job in showing us a princess with stubborn heart to love and a man who completes her in every way.

Lena, Reviewer, Mybookcravings.com

“Kelli A. Wilkins finishes her trilogy of books, which started with A Most Unusual Princess and Dalton’s Temptation, with a bang. The Pauper Prince is a riveting tale, and it is a must read for anyone who enjoys fantasy Romance. It is stuffed full of action, love, excitement, sedition, and scurvy characters that are set to make our prince’s life miserable if he lets them. Skillful crafting allows the reader to slip under the spell of Allan and live his every ache, pain, and triumph. The Pauper Prince is a real must read, and in case you haven’t read the others, I would suggest you get A Most Unusual Princess and Dalton’s Temptation, too. Kelli has definitely written a trio of must buys for Amber Quill!!!"

- Rose, Reviewer, Romance at Heart

Happy Reading!

Kelli

Kelli A. Wilkins

Four Days with Jack

Hot new romance release from Amber Quill Press author Kelli A. Wilkins

(www.KelliWilkins.com)

 Hi everyone,

I’m pleased to announce the release of my new book, Four Days with Jack. Although this is my 13^th Amber Quill Press romance, it’s my first gay romance for Amber Allure.  Today I’m sharing some background about the book.

 Since this is my first gay romance, readers may be wondering – why a gay romance now? What sparked the change in genres?

 Up until now, I’ve written straight contemporaries, historical/fantasies, and paranormals of varying heat levels. Some books are scorching-hot and include storylines with multiple partners (A Midsummer Night’s Delights), while some are focused exclusively on a M/F relationship (Trust with Hearts). When I write, I let the story and characters take me wherever the plot leads. In the case of Four Days with Jack, it led to a tropical resort!

I always knew that one day I’d write a gay romance, and I’ve been batting ideas around in my head for a while. I was in between books and had just finished editing A Perfect Match when I heard about the Amber Allure “Postcards from Paradise” line, and I knew I had my next project.

 At first, I didn’t know what the story would be. All I had was a basic plot (straight guy comes out to his gay best friend), a title, and one pivotal scene that takes place in a bathroom. (For those of you who have read the book, you know which scene I’m talking about – but I won’t give it away here.) From there, I let my imagination wander and came up with the resort, the rest of the plot, and the unusual cast of characters that Jack and David encounter.

 Four Days with Jack is one of the very few books I wrote without an outline. I think not having an outline let the characters write their own story (so to speak), and took the book in new directions. Over four days, David and Jack learn a lot about themselves, each other, and what sacrifices they’ll make to stay together.

 I like the story, and I hope readers will, too. It’s got a good blend of humor, drama, and plenty of sizzling love scenes that will heat up your summer! 

 Here’s a short summary and the book link:

 FOUR DAYS WITH JACK

 When David invited his best friend along on vacation, he never expected them to fall in love…

 Spending four days in a tropical paradise with Jack is a dream come true. For years, David lived a lie and denied his attraction to Jack. Now that they’re together in an isolated Caribbean resort, he finally sheds his denial and admits what he really wants—to be Jack’s lover.

 Jack is more than willing to introduce David to the life he has always fantasized about. Their sizzling nighttime encounters confirm David’s long-hidden desires. But what will happen when they leave the resort? Will David sacrifice everything to start a new life with Jack? Or will he go back to his old ways and risk losing the best friend he ever had?

***

The book link is:  http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/FourDaysWithJack.html

The link to A Perfect Match is: http://amberquill.com/AmberHeat/PerfectMatch.html

The link to Trust with Hearts is: http://amberquill.com/AmberHeat/TrustWithHearts.html

The link to A Midsummer Night Delights  is: http://www.amberquill.com/AmberHeat/MidsummerNightsDelights.html

I hope you’ll check them out!

Happy Reading!
Kelli