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