Kelli A. Wilkins is
an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 19
romance novels, 5 nonfiction books, and 2 online writing courses. Her romances
span many genres and heat levels, and she’s also been known to scare readers
with her horror stories. With her newest release, she turns her attention to
science fiction. Learn more about Kelli and her books at her website.
Today I’m sharing a look at my newest release, Extraterrestrial Encounters: A Collection of
Sci-Fi Stories. Right now you might be asking yourself, “Wait… What?
Sci-fi? Don’t you write romances and horror stories?”
Well, yes. I’m mainly known for writing sensual romances and
spooky horror fiction, but every so often I like to surprise myself – and
readers.
I’ve always been attracted to the unusual, peculiar, and
“weird” that exists in the sci-fi and horror genres. I grew up watching Tales from the Dark Side, Amazing Stories,
Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Outer Limits, and of course, The Twilight Zone.
I read every sci-fi and horror short story I could find, and
I believed in the Ancient Astronaut Theory long before Ancient Aliens ever aired. So I guess it’s no surprise that when I
started writing, I wrote what I loved reading: sci-fi and horror.
For me, science fiction is imaginative fiction, and it’s fun
to make up all sorts of strange things. Sci-fi stories explore anything
possible (or that may be possible one day), such as time travel, parallel
universes, aliens, lost civilizations, artificial intelligence, robots,
cloning, repressed societies, UFOs, mind control, futuristic societies, and
more.
Sci-fi authors are free to dream up anything and use it in a
story without having to do too much explaining about how or why these unusual
or fantastic things are possible. In general, readers of sci-fi/fantasy are
more open-minded about different plotlines, characters, and settings than
readers of a romance novel, for example. Readers know the story isn’t “real”
and most likely couldn’t happen, but they’re fine with that. They enjoy
escaping into the world of the fantastic.
I like writing in multiple genres because I get to explore
different plots, characters, and styles of writing in a horror or a sci-fi
story that I couldn’t do in a romance – and vice versa. After writing a few
romances I like to switch up and focus on horror or sci-fi for a while. My
horror stories tend to be more psychological and creepy than bloody, and my
sci-fi stories are about strange things that happen to ordinary people.
Authors are always asked, “Where do you get your ideas?” so when
I wrote Extraterrestrial Encounters, I
decided to share a peek at my writing process. I’ve included a brief note at
the end of each story in the collection, explaining what inspired me to write
it, where I got the idea, or general comments about the plot or characters.
I hope you enjoy these stories. Some are humorous, some will
make you think, and others might scare you a bit, but they will all take you on
a journey into the realm of the unknown for a little while.
Extraterrestrial
Encounters: A Collection of Sci-Fi Stories
Are you ready to step
into the unknown?
In these 18 sci-fi stories, you’ll encounter aliens of all
shapes and sizes, curious (and sometimes unlucky) space explorers, and ordinary
Earthlings having otherworldly experiences.
Some of the out-of-this-world tales in this short fiction
anthology include:
“The Hoax” - A reporter learns that a creature from another
planet is a dangerous thing to fool with.
“It Grows on You” - A strange kind of mold has invaded an
office, and it’s the perfect tool for revenge.
“What Lurks
Below” - Everyone knows there’s no life on
Mars, but nobody thought about what might be lurking under the surface…
“The Con” - An alien becomes an unlikely ally to a
down-on-his-luck petty crook.
“Space Cowboy” - When a second-rate rodeo star is abducted
by aliens, he makes the most of the situation.
“They Just Keep
Eating” - A Nebraska farmer encounters a menace from space… and it’s hungry.
This collection of speculative fiction will stimulate your
imagination, unnerve you just a little, and make you wonder… “What if we’re not
alone?”
I welcome questions and comments from readers. Let me know
which story you loved best, which one made you laugh, or why you love reading sci-fi.
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