Today I am speaking with Multi-Published Author Kelli Wilkins. Good morning, Kelli, it is very good to have you join us today. I hope that you are doing well.

Thanks for the interview. I love sharing my ideas and information about the writing life with readers!

Kelli, why don’t you tell your readers what a typical day is like for you?

I’d love to say that I get up at nine in the morning and write romances all day, but I work a full-time job, so I do most of my writing when I get home from work. For the most part, I’m always working on something, whether it’s outlining a new romance (or a short story), writing a manuscript, editing/revising a story, or submitting a polished book.

I write everything in longhand, so when the weather’s nice, I go outside and write. It’s a nice change of pace. I try to keep a balance between my writing life and my home life – and every so often I break away from the books and writing and go out and have fun! When I’m not writing, I like to garden, go to flea markets, or just relax with a book.

We are anxious to hear about your latest Trust with Hearts that was set in rural West Virginia. I understand it won Honorable Mention in the 2009 Reading Writers “Romantic Encounter” writing contest. Why not tell us about this delightful book?

Trust with Hearts is my tenth romance published with Amber Quill Press. It’s a full-length contemporary novel that takes place in rural West Virginia. The premise is: after a bitter breakup, the heroine, Sherrie Parker seeks refuge at her cousin Dave’s house. She meets Dave’s other houseguest, a sexy country singer named Curtis Taylor. They’re thrown together by circumstances and start a sizzling summer romance.

Trust with Hearts is longer than some of my more recent releases, but the story gives Sherrie and Curtis time to get to know each other and develop their relationship one step at a time. I’m happy to say that Trust with Hearts has received several great reviews.

Although Trust with Hearts is my tenth romance, it’s only my second contemporary romance. (The other one is The Sexy Stranger.) I write in several romance genres including historical, fantasy, and paranormal.

My romances with Amber Quill Press not only run the gamut of different genre categories, they also have different heat levels from 1 to 3. For example, A Most Unusual Princess is a heat level of 1, (relatively mild), and A Midsummer Night’s Delights is a scorching hot level 3. Trust with Hearts is in the middle, and has a heat level of 2.

Was there a particular reason you chose the setting in West Virginia? I know the countryside is lovely there.

The character of Sherrie comes from Philadelphia, and her life was recently turned upside down. I wanted to uproot her even more by throwing her into a rural/isolated West Virginia setting that she was unfamiliar with. It was a great way to push Sherrie and Curtis closer together, and it gives her a chance to make a fresh start in her life.

Curtis is a country boy, so the two characters had the “city vs. country” mentalities to play off of. There’s also another reason the story is set in the south, but I don’t want to give it away in case some readers haven’t finished the book yet!

Do you have some other upcoming projects planned that you wish to share?

Right now, I’m editing a new erotic romance titled A Midwinter Night’s Delights. This novella is the sequel to A Midsummer Night’s Delights and continues the erotic adventures of young newlyweds, Annabelle and Julian. This novella is just as spicy as the first story, and I hope to finish the editing/revisions in the next month, so it can be a 2010 release.

I’m also mulling over ideas for a few new romances (a paranormal, a contemporary, and a futuristic fantasy).

After you've written your book and it's been published, do you ever pull it from the shelf and read it over again?

I occasionally will read a few scenes here and there, but for the most part, I don’t read anything after it’s published. By the time the book comes out, I’ve read it at least three or four times, so I practically know every word by heart! And in most cases, I’m already hard at work on a new book that takes up most of my time.

What is the hardest part of writing and the easiest for you?

The easiest (and best) part of being a writer is having the freedom to invent whatever I want. I love the process of writing the story. Creating characters, worlds for the characters to live in, and telling the story of their adventures is a lot of fun. It’s interesting to see what the characters do, watch them fall in love, and learn how they overcome their troubles to have a happy ending.

I think one of the more difficult things about writing romance (aside from creating the story in general) is to write the love scenes. The intensity, details, and descriptions have to be tailored to the genre and heat level of a story. Plus, you have to make the scene develop naturally and fit the personalities of the characters.

If you’re writing a tender historical romance, love scenes are handled quite differently than if you are writing a super sizzling erotic romance. The heat levels and intensities vary among all my books, so I’m able to experiment with different scenarios in the love scenes. Sometimes you have to set aside your “internal editor” and write the scene that’s appropriate for the book and the characters, regardless of what other people think you “should” write.

And once the “fun” part of writing the story is over, the real “work” begins. Revising, editing, and proofreading the story is necessary, but it’s not terribly creative. I think it’s the hardest part of writing. You have to pull yourself out of the story and focus on wording, the plot, and other details that make the story “work” as a whole. This painstaking and not-so-favorite part of the process has its rewards in the end, though. I have a phrase I use when I’ve finished a story: “I love having written.” This means I love having it all finished, polished, and done!

Have you experienced writer's block? If so, how did you work through it?

Thankfully, no! I generally go from project to project, and sometimes I’ll be halfway through writing one story (or book) when another idea starts brewing in the back of my mind. I’m always thinking of new ideas, plots, and characters, and I have more ideas for stories than I have the time to write them!

What do you find is the most rewarding thing about being a writer?

For me, one of the most rewarding things about being a writer is being able to share my characters and stories with readers. Ideally, I’d like my readers to become involved in the characters’ lives and fully engrossed in the plots.

I’ve had some great reviews and interesting reader feedback about my books. People were surprised at the twists and turns in The Pauper Prince, and wondered how (or even if) Claudette and Allan would end up together. One person confessed to tearing up during parts of Dalton’s Temptation. Other people asked me if I was planning to write a sequel – or a prequel – to A Midsummer Night’s Delights. Those are great things for a writer to hear. It tells me that I’ve created believable characters that readers care about.

Do you have any encouraging words for up-and-coming writers?

The best advice I can give to any writer (regardless if he or she is writing horror, romance, erotica, or mystery) is the same – keep writing. Writing is a tough and solitary business. Everyone gets rejected and discouraged when stories aren’t working out, but that’s part of the process.

It takes a lot of dedication and determination to sit down every day and write something. You have to push through the times when you don’t want to write or revise a story; you have to pick yourself up and keep going when you get a rejection; you have to make time to write daily, and you have to put in the hard work to create the best plot, characters, and stories that you can. But the more you write, the easier it gets.

Writing classes are a great way to learn the basics and meet other writers. If possible, join a writer’s group or a critique group to get feedback on your stories. When you’ve written the best story you can, submit it! You can’t get published if you never submit, and you never know when your first acceptance will arrive.

It’s rewarding to see something you’ve written get published and land in the hands of readers. And writing isn’t about getting rich or famous – it’s about writing your stories and sharing them with readers.

Please share with us your website or Myspace, Facebook or any blogs.

My website, www.KelliWilkins.com is the best place to find all of my writings. My short stories and books are grouped together on the site by genre. So if a reader was interested in horror, he could visit the horror section. If someone wanted to read about my romances, she’d go to the romance section. My website contains summaries, reviews, and excerpts from my Amber Quill Press romances; descriptions of my non-fiction books; and teasers from my short stories. Readers can purchase all of my writings from links directly on my site.

Every other month, I send out my newsletter, Kelli’s Quill. Each issue contains news and reviews, as well as a special “For Writers” blog/advice column where I offer writing tips, prompts, and suggestions. Its fun to write and I enjoy sharing my writing advice with readers. (My website has a sign-up page in the “News” section.

I created pages for my books and myself on Facebook: www.facebook.com/kelli.wilkins1
and Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/profile/KelliWilkins
I also have author pages on Shelfari, ManicReaders, RomanceWiki, LinkedIn, and Authors Den. I’ve started posting my newsletters on Facebook and Goodreads so readers can catch up on back issues.
At least once a month I blog on the Amber Quill Press author blog site: http://aqpauthors.blogspot.com I also belong to several Yahoo romance group, where I post excerpts from my books And somehow, when I’m not doing all that, I write!

Just for Fun: What is your favorite candy?

That’s a hard one. It’s a tie between Snickers, peppermint patties, and peanut butter cups.

Is there a special pair of shoes or outfit in your closet that you just cannot part with?

Yes! I’ve been known to cling to outfits and shoes that were way past their prime! I have a few old t-shirts that are antiques!

What city in the U.S would you love to visit?

I don’t have a particular city in mind, but I would love to spend more time exploring the southwestern states.

What country would you love to visit?

I love to travel, so I’ve been to a lot of my top vacation locations already. (I’ve been to Egypt, Scotland, and most recently, Hawaii.) I’m not sure where my next trip will be, but I would love to visit Wales (and tour the castles) and go to Easter Island to see the Moai.

Is there anything else you would like to share with your readers?

I enjoy hearing from readers and would love to know what their favorite books were, and why. It’s nice to hear which stories and characters have touched the readers’ hearts. My website (www.KelliWilkins.com) has a contact the author page in the News section, so readers can ask me questions about my books or the characters.

Kelli, thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to spend with us today. We look forward to reading your excellent books.

Thanks! It was fun chatting with everyone!

Interviewed by: Linda L.