Like Feisty Irish
Heroines? Don’t Miss Dangerous Indenture
A Historical/Mystery-Romance
By Kelli A. Wilkins
This premise could be the basis of any number of
romances: a Victorian-era story about a governess moving to a remote estate, a
contemporary tale about a physical therapist or teacher relocating across the
country, or, in the case of my historical romance, Dangerous Indenture, an
Irish indentured servant leaving everything behind to start a new life.
Dangerous
Indenture is set in Pennsylvania Colony
and blends a sensual romance with mystery and suspense.
Right from the start, readers (and the heroine, Shauna) are warned about Stewart
House: “It’s got more haunts than the Tower of London.”
Here’s the book summary and links:
DANGEROUS INDENTURE
Indentured for five years… how long can Shauna resist her
master’s son?
Desperate to escape her past in Ireland, Shauna Farrow
signs on to become an indentured servant to Joshua Stewart, a wealthy man in
Pennsylvania Colony. But a life of servitude quickly turns to drudgery, and
Shauna’s hopes for starting over and creating a better life for herself are
waning—until she meets her master’s roguish son, Ashton.
Ashton needs to redeem himself in his
father’s eyes and earn the respect he has always longed for. Meeting Shauna
turns his life around, and he sets out to win her heart. Torn between propriety
and passion, Shauna struggles against her growing attraction to Ashton as long
as she can.
But amidst their flirting, something
dark stirs. Shauna soon discovers why no other servants wanted to work for the
strange Stewart family.
Stewart House has an unsavory
reputation: a previous servant died there under mysterious circumstances. When
another servant goes missing in the middle of the night, Shauna is convinced
that a member of the family is responsible.
Shauna’s investigation leads her close to the truth, and
yet, she’s not sure who she can trust. Events take a deadly turn when she confronts
the murderer and discovers the mystery of the Stewart family.
Will Shauna be rescued
before time runs out, or will she meet with the same fate as the other
servants?
Order your copy here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PJVQ7XJ
All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/3JyROP
Read 5-star reviews here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/dangerous-indenture
***
When I wrote the book, I wanted to evoke a sense of
danger and mystery around every corner. This wasn’t going to be a typical
romance with the hero and heroine from different classes falling in love and
having a forbidden affair. Nope.
The romance is almost a sub-plot of the book, and when
the story begins, finding love is the last thing on Shauna’s mind. She’s more
concerned about doing a good job than getting involved with Ashton (even if he
is handsome).
I liked creating the incredibly dysfunctional members
of the Stewart family. They all have secrets and practically have dual personalities.
Joshua (the patriarch) is a big bear of a man who comes across as gruff and
insensitive, yet at times can be caring. Colin (Joshua’s son) appears to be a respectable
married businessman, but underneath his proper exterior lurks a dark and
dangerous manipulator (among other things).
Colin’s beleaguered wife,Minerva, is mentally unstable
and trapped ina terrible marriage. Readers and the other characters in the
story aren’t sure if she’s truly mad or not. And she might be a murderess…
Our hero, Ashton Bailey, is flawed and has
a lot of problems to overcome. For starters, he’s the black sheep of the family
and has been sent home in disgrace. He drinks too much, womanizes too much, and
has nearly given up on life. He’s a failure in his father’s eyes and wants to
redeem himself, but isn’t sure how. Ashton knows that Stewart House is a
terrible place and vows to protect Shauna while she’s working there.
This cast of characters and their interactions (fighting,
name-calling, secrets, and lies)carry the plot. Everyone has an agenda, and
readers learn that not everyone is telling the truth… or is exactly what they
seem. Ashton wants to become respectable, Colin wants him disowned, Minerva
wants Shauna gone, Shauna wants to stay out of trouble, and Joshua just wants
some peace.
Writing the twists and turns of the mystery was a lot
of fun. When the new servant, Lila, goes missing in the middle of the night,
Shauna is convinced someone in the house killed her. But who?Shauna is a clever
amateur sleuth, and when she starts to solve the mystery, she realizes that
she’s in danger.
The book has a“Dark Shadows” feel to it. A mysterious
house, a strange family, everyone has secrets… In fact, several of the
character names in the book (Colin, Joshua, and Minerva) appeared inthe
original “Dark Shadows”series.
I hope you enjoyed this look at the making of Dangerous Indenture.I
welcome comments and questions from readers. Be sure to follow my blog for the
latest updates and visit me on social media.
Happy
Reading,
Kelli A. Wilkins
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Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 24 romance novels, and 9 mystery/thriller/horror ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare readers with her horror, mystery, and thriller fiction.
Her latest book, The Route 9 Stalker, was
published in January 2026. This mystery/thriller is set in Central NJ and
follows Detective Jim Rourke on a disturbing new case. Meet him for the first
time in The Route 9 Killer.
Kelli’s 24th
romance, For Love’s Sake, an epic historical/fantasy
romantic adventure, was published in 2025.
In 2024, she
released Surreal Escapes, a collection of 7
speculative/spooky stories. Anything can—and does—happen in this anthology.
Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and visit her website/blog www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list, social media links, and more.
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