I am happy to host fellow Wild Rose Press author Jennifer Wilck, here today so that she can share with you her newest book release!
Thank you, Jan, for offering up your blog space today so that I can talk about my new book! I deeply appreciate it.
Sometimes It’s Like Herding Goats
As a young mother, I used to compare grocery shopping with toddlers to herding goats (not that I’ve ever herded goats or really done more than gingerly feed them at our local farm). Colors, sounds, food, where to sit in the cart, whether to sit in the cart—all choices that create havoc in toddler’s brains and require management and fine-tuning.
Well, I’m no longer a young mother, but I am a published hybrid romance author, and let me tell you, sometimes I feel like I’m shepherding hungry toddlers through a grocery store at nap time. My latest book release was a perfect example.
The third book in my Scarred Hearts series, A Heart Restrained, released from The Wild Rose Press on March 27. I love this book. I love the hero and heroine, I love the opposites-attract trope, I love their backstories, and I love the struggle they endured to achieve their happily ever after. What I did not love was the timing.
The Wild Rose Press is a wonderful publisher. My editor is fantastic. And a great, yet quirky, thing about them is that unless you’re writing for a specific series they put out on submission, they don’t give a deadline for anything in the publishing process. The longer you take to make your editor’s edits, the longer it will be until you progress to the next step. And you don’t get a release date until the book is ready. I love that because it means I can move on my own time. It gives me the illusion that I have some freedom in how fast or slow I move.
This time, however, I was trying to fit the publication of A Heart Restrained around my upcoming publication schedule from Harlequin. Harlequin gives specific deadlines for everything. My goal was to publish A Heart Restrained in January, so I’d have plenty of time to complete deadlines for Harlequin and market A Heart Restrained without much overlap. Ha!
Due to my own issues, that release date couldn’t happen. So, A Heart Restrained released on March 27. Right before Passover. A month before my Harlequin deadline. So, I juggled books and matzah, and marketing at the same time. Add in an upcoming college graduation (of one of those aforementioned toddlers), and my level of crazy reached new levels.
I did what I always did when I have too much to do and not enough time to do it. I created a task list and a timeline, figuring out exactly what I needed to do when in order to make all my deadlines. I marketed first thing in the morning. I cleaned and prepared, and shopped for Passover in the late morning/early afternoon. And I edited in the afternoon. I planned for book-release activities on certain days at specific times. And I left myself two completely free days to cook for the Passover seder.
Was it complicated? Yes. But I did it!
BOOK BLURB:
Caleb Zeno, a wealthy and successful media mogul, refuses to allow emotions into any aspect of his life, especially his entertainment corporation. When his company’s lifestyle website runs into competition from a small boutique company, the most logical solution is to buy out his rival.
Fiona Hamilton’s lifestyle website succeeds due to her loving and caring treatment of her clients, who have become like family to her. She has no desire to sell to anyone, much less a tattooed, muscled, automaton.
At odds professionally, Caleb and Fiona come together as a favor for Caleb’s sister. Sparks fly, and sexual chemistry abounds. But Caleb can’t let go of his abusive past and be the man Fiona needs, and she is unwilling to risk independence and financial security for anything less than a perfect happily ever after. Can they put their differences aside to find a viral kind of love?
EXCERPT:
“Wouldn’t you enjoy this more if it were in English?”
She paused and shifted so she faced him, one leg bent under her, the other dangling off the edge. “Absolutely not! Telenovelas are so much more emotional than American TV.”
“Why don’t you at least research online to find a plot summary?”
“I’m happy with the way things are,” she said. “I don’t need to hear the words to feel the story.”
“But…you’re crying.”
She smiled through her tears and wiped her cheeks. “I know.”
Staring at her, his heart rate increased, and he tamped the panic her tears caused. At first, he thought pain caused her tears, but her rapt attention to the screen made him realize otherwise.
Why would she want to do this to herself? And how could she enjoy a show she couldn’t understand?
He should leave, before she recognized his complete lack of comprehension. But her rapt attention to the screen fascinated him. She was smart—his business dealings with her had proven it. Yet she focused as if she understood her show.
She stared at the TV screen, but he couldn’t take his gaze off her. Her skin, despite its bruising, was luminous. Her lips were parted, and she gripped the edges of the sofa cushions until her knuckles turned white. This close to her, heat radiated from her body. He could hear a faint sigh.
If she were this passionate about a television show, how passionate would she be if he kissed her?
PURCHASE OPTIONS:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jennifer Wilck is an award-winning contemporary romance author for readers who are passionate about love, laughter, and happily ever after. Known for writing both Jewish and non-Jewish romances, her books feature damaged heroes, sassy and independent heroines, witty banter and hot chemistry. Jennifer’s ability to transport the reader into the scene, create characters the reader will fall in love with, and evoke a roller coaster of emotions, will hook you from the first page. You can find her books at all major online retailers in a variety of formats.
Jennifer started telling herself stories as a little girl when she couldn’t fall asleep at night. Pretty soon, her head was filled with these stories and the characters that populated them. Even as an adult, she thinks about the characters and stories at night before she falls asleep or walking the dog. Eventually, she started writing them down. Her favorite stories to write are those with smart, sassy, independent heroines; handsome, strong, and slightly vulnerable heroes; and her stories always end with happily ever after.
In the real world, she’s the mother of two amazing daughters and wife of one of the smartest men she knows. She believes humor is the only way to get through the day and does not believe in sharing her chocolate.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Website: https://www.jenniferwilck.com
Facebook Readers Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/879114386079365
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063739892318
Newsletter: https://www.jenniferwilck.com/contact.html#newsletter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjenniferwilck/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jennifer-wilck
Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/JenniferWilck
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5032661.Jennifer_Wilck
