Welcome to my weekly feature where authors share about the hobbies, careers, or passions of their characters.
I’m pleased to introduce today’s guest, Jennifer Wilck…
Food Is My Love Language
The one comment I frequently get about my books, and that always makes me laugh, is, “Wow, you have a lot of food in your books.” I laugh because it’s true. My characters are always eating or cooking. Alright, maybe not always, but quite frequently.
There’s a reason for that. In my mind, food is about more than nutrition, it’s emotion, too. I don’t mean downing an entire gallon of ice cream after a bad breakup, although if it helps, you do you. Food is part of so many emotional rituals—milestone events like birthdays and anniversaries, weddings, funerals, reunions, and holidays. When I think about anything I’ve done with people I love, it always involves some sort of food.
When I cook for my family, I feel love and joy in being able to do something so basic yet necessary for them. Nothing makes me happier than cooking a favorite meal for one of my kids when they come home from school after being away for months. I enjoy preparing birthday treats probably more than my family does choosing them. And the surest way to know you’re a good friend is if I cook you dinner. Yes, even large holiday meals—time consuming and stressful—are ways that I show my feelings for my family and friends alike.
So, it makes perfect sense to me that my characters eat. Whether it’s going clamming on a first date and watching the sunset (A Heart Restrained), enjoying dessert at the best bakery in New York City (Five Minutes to Love) or enjoying a Fourth of July BBQ with good friends (In the Moment), my characters demonstrate their feelings with food.
As for me, if I have spare time, I cook or bake, much to the delight of my husband. My favorite things to bake are challah every Friday and chocolate chip cookies. I’m always looking for new recipes to try for meals, and I’ll eat almost anything once. I love trying to improve on things, whether it learning to bake a better bread or coming up with a new way to make chicken. In addition to feeding others and showing them how much I love them, it makes me feel good, too. And that’s the best part, isn’t it?
She refuses to sell him her company; will she give him her heart?
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?
Buy links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS56R4LH
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-heart-restrained-jennifer-wilck/1142971831?ean=9781509248186
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-heart-restrained/id6445422670
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/3k2G5n
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.
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.
Author Links:
Website: https://www.jenniferwilck.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/879114386079365
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
Author Alicia Dean 