An Inside Look at… Killer in Wolf’s Clothing
By Kelli A. Wilkins
Hi everyone,
Today I’m sharing an inside look at (and two excerpts from) my latest release, Killer in Wolf's Clothing. This super-hot gay paranormal/shifter romance is a fun look at the werewolf legend and blends mystery, danger, humor, and sizzling love scenes.
Here’s the book summary:
Killer in Wolf’s Clothing
A super aggressive Alpha male, a serial killer, and a visit to a kinky sex club… What has Larry gotten himself into?
When
Larry learns that his boyfriend Greg changes into another man during
the full moon, he has a hard time accepting it—until he meets Deke,
Greg’s alternate Alpha personality.
Deke
doesn’t play nice and has no time for games. He only wants two
things—to get laid and to get revenge against the arsonist who murdered
his friends. Finally free from Greg’s restraints, Deke is ready for
action, and Larry is more than willing to submit to Deke’s needs.
Together,
Larry and Deke set out to find the killer. Their hunt takes them to an
all-night Alpha sex club where things heat up for the two of them. But
when Larry unwittingly falls into the clutches of the murderer, it’s up
to Deke—and Greg—to save him before it’s too late.
As
readers may know, I write in nearly every romance genre (historical,
fantasy, gay, paranormal, and contemporary) and my books vary in heat
level from mild to super-sizzling hot. Killer in Wolf’s Clothing is a blend of several genres (gay, contemporary, and paranormal) and readers might be wondering how this unusual story came about.
Although
I write horror and romance, I’m a traditionalist when it comes to my
“monsters” and I didn’t think I ever would (or could) write a “werewolf in love” story. In my book, werewolves are ferocious, snarling animals who closely resemble the creatures from the movie Dog Soldiers.
In
some werewolf lore, the cursed human doesn’t physically grow a tail and
pointed ears, but rather takes on wolf-like characteristics and becomes
more aggressive and violent. I decided to use this as the basis for my
“werewolf” and instead of having Deke turn into an actual wolf, he becomes an Alpha male. As Larry says in the book, “It’s more Incredible Hulk than American Werewolf in London.”
But
the uniqueness of this romance doesn’t end there. Not only is Deke and
Alpha male, he’s out for revenge against a fellow Alpha who murdered
several of his friends.
Although the book is a paranormal romance involving a serial killer, right from the start, I knew I had to balance the dark subject matter with a light tone; otherwise the story would get too heavy. (After all, this is a romance!) So I decided to have a little fun with the story and the characters.
What would be your first reaction if someone you loved told you they changed into a werewolf? Disbelief? Shock? Send that person to the psych ward?
It’s a little hard to take such things seriously, so I gave Larry a
smart-ass sense of humor when it came to dealing with Greg’s affliction.
The jokes and his sarcastic wit added a comedic element and eased the
tension when things got very… hairy. (Sorry!)
Spoiler Alert!
When the book was originally published
by Amber Quill Press, I left the ending open, so readers could decide
for themselves how things would turn out for our threesome. Would Greg
be cured of his “werewolf” disease and not turn during the next full
moon? If so, what would happen to Deke? Would Larry turn into an Alpha
or remain human?
Personally, I wasn’t sure how I wanted it to end. Over the course of the story, Deke and Larry develop a bond and get along great. (Larry even tells Deke that he and Greg can share him.) Deke opens up a bit as he comes to terms with his past and realizes what truly matters in life. Greg relaxes his hold on Deke, and appreciates the fact that sometimes it’s good to have a brute like Deke around.
A few readers told me that they wished the book had a clear-cut ending. This time around, it does. I thought about the different ways I could take the story and came up with a satisfying conclusion that leaves everyone in a good place.
Here are two mild excerpts from Killer in Wolf’s Clothing:
“I
don’t know how it happens, but during the phase of the full moon
there’s a physical transformation. I get aggressive and bigger—”
“Bigger how exactly?” Larry teased.
He smiled. “Get your mind out of the gutter. I change, physically change.”
“Into what? A wolf with a tail and pointy ears?”
“No, it’s not like in the movies. I don’t turn into a monster. I become someone else.”
Larry
dismissed him with a wave of his hand. “That’s impossible. Maybe you
have an undiagnosed personality disorder. Have you seen a psychiatrist?”
“Three
of them. They all told me I suffered from delusions.” Greg drank down
more of his beer. “One woman said my Alpha persona was a manifestation
of my true male sexuality fighting against the gay side of me.” He
laughed. “I didn’t tell her that my Alpha self is gay, too.”
Larry sat up. “He is?”
“Oh yeah, definitely.”
“Wow, that’s good. I mean… Wait... you’re acting way too serious about this.”
“I am?” He arched an eyebrow and stared into Larry’s blue eyes. “Would you like to see the video?”
***
Larry
lay down on his side, facing Deke. Up close, the musky, manly scent was
stronger, and his heart beat faster. What did Deke have in mind? “Now
what?”
“This.”
Deke leaned forward and kissed him hard on the mouth. Deke’s rough,
stubbled chin grazed his cheek, and he tensed for a second. Deke kissed
him again, hot, needy and insistent. Larry felt himself giving in. He
wanted this; he wanted Deke to take charge. He smelled so good he’d let
Deke do whatever he wanted.
Deke’s
tongue plunged into his mouth and Larry kissed him back, desperately
craving more. They kissed for a few minutes, teasing each other with
their tongues. Just when things were heating up, Deke pulled away.
“I knew you’d like it. You act like you don’t want to be my love slave, but you do, I can tell.”
Larry
pursed his lips. How did Deke know? When he and Greg played their
games, he wanted Greg to take charge, but he never did. Deke wouldn’t
hesitate about taking over—and he was more than willing to let him.
***
Order your copy of Killer in Wolf’s Clothing here:
If you’re a fan of gay paranormal romances, I hope you’ll check it out and let me know what you think. If gay love stories aren’t your thing, visit my Amazon author page to catch up on all of my romances.
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
