Settle in with Summer Romance Reading

As a reader I am always on the look out for new romances to read and as a fiction and non-fiction writer I always enjoy discovering different authors and learning their personal stories. Today's guest in My Writing Corner is Jennifer Wilck, who has a new book out and another one coming soon.

Jennifer, when did you realize you wanted to become a writer?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer—I have several in my family, so it was always demonstrated as a viable dream—but I never felt confident enough to pursue it, at least, not for a long time. When I was little, my mom used to encourage me to make up stories in order to help me fall asleep. We were always big readers and as a teen, I was given journals to record my thoughts. Ultimately, I started writing “for real” when my oldest was about six.

Please tell us about your road to publication or how you got published.

My first book was published in 2011. I wrote while my kids were sleeping and when my manuscript was finished, I joined RWA, submitted to contests and queried publishers. Eventually, I found a small publisher who was interested in my work and published two books with them. Since then, I’ve worked with multiple publishers and an agent, but I’ve always had my eye on The Wild Rose Press, having heard great things about them from a variety of writer friends. After working with some fabulous critique partners and honing my craft—a never-ending process—I submitted to TWRP and was lucky enough to have them accept my manuscripts. My first book with them, Addicted to Love, was published on July 21 and my second, In the Moment, will be released on September 1.

Where do you get your story ideas?

I usually get characters that pop into my head and annoy me with conversations until I can write them down. At that point, I let the words sit unless I’m inspired to keep going. If I am, I see how far I can go, how much I can flesh out, and what other ideas come to me. If I can get 5,000-10,000 words going, I suspect I have a story and then I buckle down and put it together. Plus, I have an excellent critique partner who is amazing at helping me with the plot.

Tell us about your latest book. Where did you get the idea for it?

Well, for Addicted to Love, I was actually watching House of Cards, which doesn’t really seem like it’s a good inspiration for a romance, since it’s a dark, political drama. But there was one secondary character who intrigued me and got my mind spinning—what would happen if he did this, if he fell in love, if he that happened? He became the inspiration for the hero in my story, Dan, a former painkiller addict who is a widower raising his daughter and exerts control on all aspects of his life so he doesn’t make any mistakes. Then I came up with Hannah, the heroine, who lives with her grandmother and has a brother who was addicted to hard drugs and wants nothing to do with anyone like that—hello conflict! The two characters have great chemistry together and a teenaged daughter and a meddlesome grandmother provide a lot of comic relief.

What do you like best about your characters in this book?

I love the banter. Hannah is able to find the humor in most situations, which helps Dan to lighten up and enjoy spending time with her, even if he is nervous about her finding out his secret. As the mom of two teenaged girls, I was able to use a lot of my girls’ reactions and outlook to make the teenaged daughter in the story realistic yet fun, especially when it comes to her opinions of her dad dating. And the grandma is a great combination of matchmaker, love and great cooking. So even though there is a serious thread in the book, the majority of the story showcases the humor and hot chemistry between the characters, with a little awkwardness thrown in to make life interesting.

Do you always know how your story is going to end when you start writing?

I usually know the black moment because that’s often one of the scenes that pop into my head initially. And since it’s a romance, I know they’re going to live happily ever after. So then it’s just a question of figuring out how to get them to and out of the black moment.

What would you tell writers who are just starting out that you wish you had known?

Write what you’re passionate about, don’t be afraid of criticism, but don’t automatically assume that every critic is absolutely right. Be objective. Step away from your writing for a while and then come back to it. Remove the “personal offense” from what others say and see if their changes make your story better. And never give up!

Let's get more on Addicted to Love. Here's the blurb:

Dan Rothberg struggled after an accident killed his wife and he nearly lost custody of his daughter. He can no longer allow himself to get attached to anything or anyone. Until he meets Hannah.

Hannah Cohen is a young executive with a meddlesome grandmother and a troubled brother. She’d like nothing better than to find her own Mr. Right, after too many Mr. Wrongs. A sexy older man with a teenage daughter was never in her plans.

As they navigate their relationship through adolescent attitudes and grandmotherly interference, they realize age is just a number and love can be right in front of them. But when the terrible truth of Dan’s former struggles is exposed, Hannah must decide if she can get past his deception and allow love to conquer all.

Buy Links:
The Wild Rose Press: https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/5133-addicted-to-love.html?search_query=jennifer+wilck&results=2
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Addicted-Love-Serendipity-Book-1-ebook/dp/B071HZQS4S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499096714&sr=8-1&keywords=jennifer+wilck
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/addicted-to-love-jennifer-wilck/1126454796?ean=2940157486310

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/addicted-to-love-13

How can readers reach you or find you online?

I love talking to readers! Here are my social media sites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jennifer-Wilck-201342863240160/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JWilck

Website: http://www.jenniferwilck.com

Blog: http://jenniferwilck.blogspot.com

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jenniferwilck/

Thank you, Jennifer, for being my guest. Any comments or questions for Jennifer?