Jennifer Wilck's Blog, page 30

The Romance Reviews Summer Party

Happy Summer everyone!
I'm helping The Romance Reviews celebrate summer. Stop by their site, login/register (it's easy, I promise), play the games and win prizes! Summer is a great time to stock on books to read, and this party will introduce you to lots of them! 
Hope to see you there!
https://www.theromancereviews.com/event.php

Sale!

Donna Simonetta's second book in the series is also on sale, so it's a great time to continue your reading of the series!
Love is Lovelier Blurb: Heather and Mick have a long history together, and Heather wants to leave it in the past where it belongs. Yet, here Mick is, very much in her present, thanks to her brother Jeff, who hired Mick to be her boss at the Retreat at Rivers Bend.
It wouldn’t be so bad, except Heather and Mick are still attracted to each other like metal to a magnet. Oh, and her brother is considering offering Mick a partnership in the Retreat, which by rights should be hers. And even if they act on their attraction, Heather is a small-town, country girl, and proud of it, whereas Mick can’t get far enough from his West Virginia coal-mining roots.[image error]
Will they be able to get a second chance at their first love and find their happy ending together in Rivers Bend?

Excerpt: “Stick close. I’ll get you out of here.”He used his broad shoulders as a wedge to propel himself though the crowd; Heather scurried to keep up with him so she could take advantage of the gap he created, not wanting to be so close that she could feel the warmth of his body through his elegant suit, but because she needed somehow to beat this crush of people to the Retreat to make sure that everything was in place for the post-christening party she’d planned for Bethanne – only perfection would do for her BFF.She watched Mick’s back as she stuck close to him; he looked so strong and fit – it was hard to imagine him the way he was ten years ago, when he’d suffered his NFL career-ending injury, but the same business acumen that kept him with the Portland Pintos organization back then was the reason Jeff and Cisco hired him at the Retreat. He’d be good for business – she’d just have to keep chanting those words in her head like a mantra, or else she’d do one of two things she’d regret – kill Mick, or kiss him, and she’d gone the kissing route with him before. It did not end well. And tempting as the killing option was at the moment, it probably wouldn’t end any better.
Buy Links :
Amazon: http://a.co/evyW3O3
Barnes & Noble:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-is-lovelier-donna-simonetta/1127826062?ean=2940158723117
The Wild Rose Press:https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/5637-love-is-lovelier.html
Amazon UK:http://amzn.eu/avKGJZq



Author Bio: My career has been a winding road. I worked in the business world for years, got my MLS and worked in a school library, and am now living my dream as an author. I love to read and write contemporary and fantasy romance. I live in Maryland, with my husband, who is my real-life romance hero. We both enjoy traveling to visit our far-flung family and friends, and spending time on the beach with an umbrella drink and a good book.
Author Links: https://www.facebook.com/donnasimonettaauthor
https://twitter.com/donna_simonetta
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15422407.Donna_Simonetta
https://www.amazon.com/Donna-Simonetta/e/B06X415TWW/
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-simonetta

I'm A Finalist!

I received some exciting book news over the weekend: In the Moment is one of five finalists in the Published Mid-Length Novel category of the Stiletto Contest, sponsored by the Contemporary Romance Writers, an online specialty chapter of the Romance Writers of America.
I never do well in contests. Ever. So I was incredibly surprised to find out that I am a finalist. I was also surprised that of the three books I entered, In the Moment was the one they liked. It happens to be my favorite book, but it gets my worst reviews. Whatever, reading is subjective, you can’t please everyone and at least one person liked it enough to make it a finalist, so whomever you are, thank you!
The other finalists in the contest—both in my category and in others—are an incredible group of writers. I know several of them and am honored to be in their company. I don’t expect to win, and for me, being a finalist is enough, so I’m pretty happy. The winners will be announced at an awards show toward the end of July in Denver at the RWA conference. I won’t be in attendance, but I’ll be paying attention and cheering my fellow author friends on.
Also, a big thank you to everyone at The Wild Rose Press who helped publish the book. I really appreciate all of you!
And can I just tell you how appropriate the finalist graphic is for me???? I mean, look at those shoes!
In case you’re curious about the book, here’s some info:


Cassie Edwards, a former foster child, purchases an 1870s Victorian mansion, the one home from her childhood where she felt like part of a family. She’s spending her summer lovingly restoring it, with dreams of one day raising a family of her own here. 

Rayne Tucket, a photojournalist, is haunted by the death of his best friend in Afghanistan, a death he thinks is his fault. He survives day to day. Forever is not in his vocabulary. Swearing off photography, he answers an ad for a handyman—mindless, no emotion involved.

As the two of them renovate her house, can Cassie show Rayne that love is strong enough to heal all wounds?
Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Moment-Jennifer-Wilck-ebook/dp/B073XYRMG7/Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-moment-jennifer-wilck/1126972509?ean=2940158847929The Wild Rose Press: https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/5219-in-the-moment.html?search_query=jennifer+wilck&results=6SaveSave

I Hate Faith By Deborah Garland

Wait…what?To start, thanks for having me again Jennifer. You were so nice to give me a guest post last summer for my debut release, Must Love Fashion. On June 4th, the second book in the Darling Cove family drama series, Must Have Faithwas released.So, I bet you’re scratching your head at that post title. Sadly, it came from a critique from an early draft for Must Have Faith. Faith is the heroine. The runaway bride who comes back to make amends with her jilted groom, Gregory Mallory. Readers met Greg (and Faith briefly) in Must Love Fashion. He is Gwen’s older and smoldering brother. He made quite an impact in a book that wasn’t even about him. Here are some quotes about Greg from reviews: “I am wondering if Greg gets his story or happily ever after. Hopefully so!”“I really hope there is another book about Gwen’s brother’s life because I see some drama there.”“I’m anxiously waiting for the second book in this series, which I hope is about Gwen’s brother, Gregory. That poor man is in desperate need of some loving!”I created a monster without even trying!Faith didn’t get pounced on because she left Greg at the altar. It came from the scene where she gets her chance to explain why she left and what she wanted from Greg. (Tease) Of course I was devastated to hear the take away made my critique reader, hateher. I made the suggested changes so readers won’t hate Faith. Please don’t hate Faith. Note- No early reviews for Must Have Faith have said this- whew! In fact, here’s one review on Goodreads that made me swoon:“Omg!! I love Faith and Gregory!!”Faith even got top billing!But it speaks to how romance readers go into a book and the sides they immediately take. What is wonderful about romance is that readers get both angles of the story. Usually. There are exceptions, of course. Through dual POV (point of view), a reader gets into the minds of both characters. But I think so often readers (and I’m included) start on the side of the hero. After all, don’t women read romance for the heroes? I assume that’s what all the bare-chested book covers are about. If mostly men read romance, every cover would look like a cover of Playboy. We expect the heroine to be worthy of our hero—the man we’ve fallen in love with. Hopefully. The man maybe we secretly want for ourselves. If the writer did her or hisjob. What’s interesting from my own experience, I’d gotten several men to read Must Love Fashionand heard…I’ll call them comments, about Andrew. About his height (He’s 6’4”). About his looks (He’s ‘nauseatingly handsome’). Since the majority of romance readers are women, opinions tend to swing in the other direction. The likeability factor for a heroine seems to be a target the size of a pin head. A writer can’t maker her too weak, that’snauseating. If she’s too strong, perhaps she’s not relatable. Readers love wounded heroes, but wounded heroines come off as ‘having baggage’. While plotting Must Have Faith, there was one thing about Faith I kept coming back to. I wanted her to have gone into a war zone. On purpose:“Wow. You are probably the only woman on the planet who would rather have been in Iraq than marry the most beautiful man in the Tri-State area.”
Give Faith a chance. Don’t hate her. In the end, Gregory doesn’t hate her, so you shouldn’t either. He wanted her back. One way or another, he must have Faith back.

Details on Must Have Faith:

Title:Must Have Faith, Book 2 in the Darling Cove Family Drama SeriesGenre:Contemporary Romance/Small Town RomancePage Count:264 PagesBlurb:Forgiving isn’t easy. Forgetting may be impossible.Greg Mallory isn’t the kind of man to wallow just because he was left at the altar. Not when there are plenty of women to help him forget his heartbreak. But as the only Mallory son he has an obligation to carry on the family name. When Greg’s runaway bride returns, his head tells him to keep his distance, but his body and heart are both begging for a second chance.Faith Copeland bolted out of Darling Cove with a shameful secret and stayed away for ten years thinking Greg Mallory would never forgive her. Coming home means facing her past and Greg. She just didn’t think he still had the power to make her melt after all this time.One moment alone proves their attraction is stronger than ever. Are they brave enough to start fresh? Or will past secrets destroy their second chance at happy-ever-after once and for all?Book 3, Must Be Crazy goes live October 22nd
Must Have Faith Purchase Links:Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2kunFJxAmazon UK: https://amzn.to/2xtdNJAAmazon CA: https://amzn.to/2JbNpsnBarnes & Noble:  http://bit.ly/2IIh7SgiBooks: https://apple.co/2sa2RuxKobo: http://bit.ly/2KRLzKh
Deborah Garland 
Bio: Deborah Garland is a versatile author of women's fiction, contemporary and paranormal romances. Her books are about love and the struggles of complicated relationships. The heroines are strong and witty and the heroes fall hard for them. She lives on the North Shore of Long Island with her husband and two pugs, Zoe and Harley. They like to vacation up and down the East Coast, but her favorite place is on a bar stool on a Friday night with a Grey Goose cosmopolitan, listening to her husband tell her the same stories over and over. 
Follow Deborah on:Goodreads:  http://bit.ly/2w6a4kbAmazon: http://amzn.to/2xoqXDkBookBub: http://bit.ly/2jmpasE
Contact Links:Website: http://www.deborahgarlandauthor.com/blog/Facebook Author Page:https://www.facebook.com/DeborahGarlandAuthor/Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/142294566356203/Twitter: https://twitter.com/deborah_garlandNewsletter Sign up: http://bit.ly/2HI3Mgc

Stepping Back In Time

Each year around this time, my household prepares for sleep away camp. The Princess and Banana Girl have been going to camp since their summers before third grade. At this point, we pretty much have packing down to a science and they have perfected the art of waiting as long as possible—each year waiting slightly longer—before shopping, labeling and packing. I’ve given up complaining or stressing because a) I know it will get done and b) they’re the ones who will be naked if they wait too long.
One of the best parts of summer camp is the no electronics policy. No phones or phone-like technology is allowed. This means that my girls learned to write letters, adjusted to the foreign notion that a letter written and mailed will NOT get an instant reply, and have been forced to solve their own problems (like how to avoid bears), since even if they ask me what to do I’m unable to give them an immediate solution.
They’ve also learned to entertain themselves the old fashioned way—reading, making string bracelets, paper crafts, and MadLibs. Basically, while my husband declares a childfree summer is like going back to 1998, for them, it’s like going back to the 1970s.
The lack of electronics teaches them to be present and to live in the moment. Their conversations aren’t constantly interrupted by texts and SnapChats. They don’t multitask and converse with camp friends and home friends, while picking the perfect filter for their Instagram. They focus on the person in front of them. They are free to be themselves without worrying that what they say or do, or how they look, will be memorialized forever in cyberspace.
And they love it.
Stepping back in time this way allows all of us to look back fondly at a more innocent time and transport some of those lessons from the past into the present or even the future. And this year, the time slip is even more bittersweet, as The Princess will be a counselor and Banana Girl a CIT. For the first time, they can take their love of camp—and their power-down habits that they’ve cultivated and grown to love—and teach them to their campers. 
Buying stamps at the post office (the new scratch-and-sniff ones, of course!) and picking out stationery takes on an added meaning when I consider the piles of letters I’ve saved since their first days of camp. Now they’ll be writing as staff, looking at their campers and passing on their knowledge of how to write a letter (you’d be surprised how tough this is).
The journals they keep during the summer connect feelings from one year to the next and provide a written record of how they’ve grown and changed—of course, I’m making an assumption, since I’ve never read them and for all I know they write about things I really don’t want hear about (like boys!!!), but I’m going to stay in my bubble and imagine my own story here.
Even the photos they take get printed and hung in their rooms. And while I often wish for them to experience boredom, which is impossible at camp when you’re running nonstop from breakfast to bedtime, the basic lessons they’re learning about who they are and what they want are invaluable.
And maybe this year, they’ll be able to pass some of them along to their own campers.

The Primaries

Ninety-nine years ago, women in America won the right to vote. Tomorrow in New Jersey is primary day. We’re choosing candidates for the Senate, the US House of Representatives, and county and local officials.
Other states have held primaries within the past few weeks, and there are more to come leading up to midterm elections in November.
The Princess is now old enough to vote and she asked me whom she should vote for. That choice is up to her. It’s an important choice—one that our grandmothers and great-grandmothers fought for—and I’m not going to tell her what to do. I’ve talked about important issues and where candidates stand on them. We’ve discussed campaign practices, such positive and negative ad campaigns. But ultimately, the choice is hers.
Every election is important and has long-lasting effects. Voting is a right and a privilege. While I might have very specific opinions on who or what to vote for, ultimately, the most important thing is that our elected officials represent us. That’s not possible unless we actually get out there and vote.
So tomorrow, or next week or in November, get out there and vote. I don’t care who you vote for, just do it. Because losing that right is too horrible to contemplate.

Available Now!

Today’s the day! A Heart of Little Faith, the very first book I ever wrote, has been re-released. After getting my rights back from a previous publisher, I’ve self-published it as an e-book. It’s been extensively edited, has a brand new cover and is available for $2.99 on Amazon.


Once burned…
Lily Livingston is a widow raising her six-year-old daughter, Claire, in New York City. Devastated by her husband’s death three years ago, she’s in no hurry to fall in love again. Besides, trying to balance her career with motherhood leaves her little time for romance. 
Twice shy…
With a wheelchair instead of a white horse, and a vow against falling in love again as his armor, Gideon Stone is the last person Lily expects to sweep her off her feet. But when a business agreement forces the two of them together, that is exactly what happens. 
Will she see the man inside?
As they navigate the minefield that fast represents their relationship, can either of them overcome the obstacles to find true happiness in each other’s arms? 
https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Little-Faith-Jennifer-Wilck-ebook/dp/B07D3BNZG9
Don’t miss out!

Sale!

Donna Simonetta's book is on sale. Now is a great time to buy it!


Buy Links: Amazon:https://www.amzn.com/dp/B01N1S1K06/
TWRP:http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/4862-a-sweeter-spot.html
Barnes & Noble:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-sweeter-spot-donna-simonetta/1125338511?ean=2940157374921
Amazon UK:http://amzn.eu/14pwrnP
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-sweeter-spot-1

Blurb: Magda knows a 28-year-old shouldn’t run away from home, but Rivers Bend is the ideal escape. Helping out her best friend will get her away from her uber-wealthy, controlling grandmother and duplicitous ex. She doesn’t expect the quirky little town to feel so much like home. Add in hotter-than-the-sun Jeff and his daughter, and leaving seems as unthinkable as it is inevitable.
Raising Sam alone, Jeff knew he wanted her to grow up in his supportive hometown. The arrival of a feisty new tenant sends Jeff's world spinning. Magda fills a void in his life that he’d like to make permanent.
Will love triumph over the most powerful woman in the country, and can they figure out how to make this happy-for-now in Rivers Bend into their happy-ever-after?
Excerpt: “Being cheated on is no fun. It happened to me once. Up here,” he tapped his forehead. “You know it’s not your fault. But here,” he tapped his chest over his heart. “You feel like it has to be your fault – like you could’ve done something to prevent it. But you couldn’t have. It’s all on him, Maggie. Not you.”She picked a dandelion, whose flower had turned into a puffball, and blew on it, scattering the fluff to the wind. “Maybe. Maybe not. But thanks for the support.”She pushed to her feet and took a couple of steps toward the river. Jeff rose and followed.  How could he be so angry at a man he didn’t even know? How could this Pierce jerk have slept around on a woman like Maggie? And the prick had even made her doubt herself in the process. It was written all over her anguished face.He stood behind her and gently kneaded her shoulders. He turned her to face him and cupped her face in his big hands.“This Pierce guy is the biggest fool on earth to go to someone else when he had you at home, Maggie.”She blinked away tears, and he felt his heart constrict. Before he could think it through and decide it was a really bad idea, Jeff dipped his head and captured Magda’s lips in a gentle kiss.

Author Bio: My career has been a winding road. I worked in the business world for years, got my MLS and worked in a school library, and am now living my dream as an author. I love to read and write contemporary and fantasy romance. I live in Maryland, with my husband, who is my real-life romance hero. We both enjoy traveling to visit our far-flung family and friends, and spending time on the beach with an umbrella drink and a good book.
Author Links: https://www.facebook.com/donnasimonettaauthor
https://twitter.com/donna_simonetta
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15422407.Donna_Simonetta
https://www.amazon.com/Donna-Simonetta/e/B06X415TWW/
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-simonetta

Homebody

I’ve become a homebody. I spend most of my days in my house writing or editing or working on something having to do with my books. While I venture out for errands or the occasional lunch with friends, in general, the confines of my house have become my world. It’s comforting and quiet, interspersed with the occasional spouting of noise from the teenager.
This summer, though, it will be even quieter. Both girls will be away for the entirety. That hasn’t happened in a couple of years, so needless to say, my husband and I are looking forward to it. Usually, he announces to the world that he and I are going “to party like it’s 1998”—as in, do all the fun kinds of things we did before we had kids.
Well, if you take a look at the planner calendar he created for us to fill up with all of the “fun, 1998 things” we’re going to do...I think it might be more like 2038. Because while we have a few “dinners with friends” on there, for the most part, it’s chores and organizing and things that no pre-kid couple would ever want to do.
In other words, I think we’re doing it wrong. 
Now, when he reads this, he’s going to come rushing over and argue that I’m the one who put most of those boring things on the calendar, so to preempt that—HE’S RIGHT*. I DID. But it had to be done and we’ve been trying to get to some of these things forever. And hey, the couple that cleans the garage together stays together, right?
I’m hoping we find plenty of time to get out and do fun things. And if not, I suspect that by the time summer is over, I’ll be dying to get out of my house and maybe I’ll even venture to Starbucks for the day. 


*This admittance that he’s right is a one-time only aberration. It should not be mistaken to mean that he’s “always” right. And while things put up on the Internet are there forever, I now never have to make any other public admittance of this, since I’ve done so already. J

Author: Casi McLeanNarrators: Amy DeuchlerLength: 8 hours...

Author: Casi McLeanNarrators: Amy DeuchlerLength: 8 hours 10 minutesSeries: Lake Lanier Mysteries, Book 2Publisher: The Wild Rose PressReleased: Mar. 26, 2017Genre: Time Travel Romance

Piper Taylor concedes she’ll never fall in love, until a treacherous storm spirals her into the arms of the handsome Nick Cramer. Unrelenting remorse over a past relationship haunts Nick, but he can’t deny the mysterious connection and hot desire Piper evokes. The allure of a secret portal hidden beneath Atlanta’s Lake Lanier tempts him into seizing the opportunity to change his mistakes. But his time slip triggers consequences beyond his wildest dreams. Can Piper avoid the international espionage and terrorism of 2001 New York, find Nick, and bring him home before he alters the fabric of time, or will the lovers drift forever Beyond the Mist?

Award winning author, Casi McLean, pens novels to stir the soul with romance, suspense, and a sprinkle of magic. Her writing crosses genres from ethereal, captivating shorts with eerie twist endings to believable time slips, mystical plots, and sensual romantic suspense, like Beneath The Lake, WINNER: 2016 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence for BEST Romantic Suspense. Casi's powerful memoir, Wingless Butterfly: Healing The Broken Child Within, shares an inspirational message of courage, tenacity, and hope, and displays her unique ability to excel in nonfiction and self-help as well as fiction. Known for enchanting stories with magical description, McLean entices readers in nonfiction as well with fascinating hooks to hold them captive in storylines they can't put down. Her romance entwines strong, believable heroines with delicious hot heroes to tempt the deepest desires then fans the flames, sweeping readers into their innermost romantic fantasies. Ms. McLean weaves exceptional romantic mystery with suspenseful settings and lovable characters you'll devour. You'll see, hear, and feel the magical eeriness of one fateful night. You'll swear her time travel could happen, be mystified by her other worldly images, and feel heat of romantic suspense, but most of all you'll want more.
Website ⎮ Twitter ⎮ Facebook ⎮ Goodreads ⎮ Instagram Amy is a Chicago-based voice artist and actor specializing in audiobook narration, e-learning, and radio or TV commercials. Amy is professionally trained in commercial and narration voiceover and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre from Marquette University and a Master's degree in Library and Information Science from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In her spare time, Amy also enjoys reading, painting, designing lights and scenery for theatre, and biking. She lives with her boyfriend and their two cats and a dog just north of Chicago.
Website ⎮ Twitter ⎮ Facebook    
How did you select your narrator? I compare the search to looking through a ton of oysters to find a pearl. I’m super picky about narrators. I want them to feel the passion and pain in my story and put emphisis where I have it in my mind. The narrator has to fit the tone of the book and know what makes the characters react the way they do. Not an easy task, but I know when I hear the clips.Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing? All of my writing has a piece of me written between the lines, especially my Lake Lanier Mysteries Series. The first time I heard the eerie lore, strange occurances and supernatural sitings, my muse danced. The tales told me what to write, and the pages flowed like water. Now that I live on the lake, I’m inspired every day.Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you? I don’t know what I’d do without audiiobooks. After a long day of sitting at my computer, reading, writing, research, promo, and marketing, my eyes blur. I love to read, but my eyes just say enough is enough. Audiobooks take me into the stories I love, while my eyes rest. I listen in my car, shopping, walking, or sitting on my porch. Anytime I need a break I have my stories. I love audiobooks! Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format? Amy nails the tense moments. She reads with the passion and intensity that those scenes need and makes the words jump off the pages with emotion. People can’t always read what the author feels but a good narrator helps translate those feelings. If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go? Obviously, as a romantic suspense time travel author, I love the concept! I would use the power in a heartbeat. I’m not sure what I’d choose as my first destination…and yet, in a sense, I’ve already experienced a time slip with each of my novels. I hope everyone feels that way when they listen to or read my books…after all, that’s the point.In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of writing a stand-alone novel vs. writing a series? I love a series. They give me a chance to revisit characters and places I already love and, as an author, a series reconnects me to readers who loved my stories. A stand-alone is easier. One and done. In a series, you have to find a way to bring your readers up to speed without dumping too much backstory on them. But a series, to me, is more rewarding. I try to make all of my series stories stand-alone, but I make sure some of the previous characters visit in smaller roles.What's your favorite:Food: Lobster Song: Everlasting Love Book: Knight In Shining Armor by Jude DeverauxTelevision: show OutlanderMovie: Déjà Vu Band: Anything Motown Sports: team Atlanta Braves [pro] Georgia Bulldogs [college] City: Ashville N.C. or Charleston S.C.Are any of those things referenced in appearance in your work? I was inspired by Outlander and Déjà Vu but they aren’t refrenced in my writing.What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors? Learn from those who have walked the path before you, and never give up on your dreams.What’s next for you? My current WIP is a romantic political thriller, Reign Of Fire, which is the first in my Deep State Mysteries series, and I’m also working on a new supernatural romance series, Ghosts Of Lake Lanier.
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