Monday Mentions Welcomes Jennifer Wilck

Chatting today with author Jennifer Wilck about writing, pets, history, A Reckless Heart, and her upcoming release. 

Welcome to the blog today, Jennifer! Let's get right to the questions because I know lots of people are looking forward to getting to know you. 

About writing...are you a plotter? Pantser? 

Up until recently, I was a pantser. I’ve never been able to write from an outline, and when I sat in front of my computer, the words flowed and I’d write 1,000-2,000 words a day easily. But then the pandemic hit, lockdown began, and anxiety flourished. And I lost my ability to drown out the world and write. I might get 200 words a week, which scared me to death. I tried a variety of things and ultimately, took a crash course in plotting. Lo and behold, I can do it! I can plot, and write, and the words flow! So for now, I’m a plotter.

Do you have any pets? 

Yes, we have a rescue dog named Midnight. She’s a black dog that is supposedly a mix of a Border Collie and a Lab, but there’s obviously something small in there, too, because she’s only twenty-five pounds. At around twelve years old, she’s slowed down, and  sleeps a lot, but she still loves taking walks with me in the mornings, and still gets the zoomies afterwards. She’s a people pleaser, so she listens really well. She hates being photographed, and she will do almost anything for cheese.

Do you have any works in progress you'd care to chat about? 

Yes! A Reckless Heart is the first book in my Scarred Hearts series, and I’m just about to release the second book, Unlock My Heart. I’m still waiting on an official release date, but I expect it will be sometime in December. Here’s the blurb: Abby Marlow, computer security expert, lands a job at the best IT security firm in the country. Her sole focus is financial independence so she never has to rely on others again, especially a man. But why does her boss make her wires short circuit? Ted Endicott, CEO and founder of the IT security firm, is hard of hearing. Although an expert in his field, he’s still uncomfortable admitting his difficulty hearing to his clients or employees. So why is he willing to accept Abby’s help?

As Ted and Abby work together, barriers fall away, and soon the lines blur between colleagues and lovers. But a security glitch in a client's system indicates one of his employees is the hacker, and all signs point to Abby. Can they get past the suspicion and find a future together? 

If money were no object and time was unlimited, is there something you would like to do or someplace you'd like to go?  

I love this question! I would tour castles in Europe, study their history, and explore their ruins. I’d also go on archaeological digs in Israel, because the ancient history is fascinating.

A Reckless Heart sounds wonderful. Let's give readers a peek at the blurb: 

Meg Thurgood, former society girl, took the blame for her friend and paid a steep price. Now all she wants is solitude and a chance to rebuild her life. She thinks she's found that in an isolated house she rents from a mysterious stranger.

Simon McAlter has hidden in his house on the coast of Maine since a fire left him scarred. A successful landscape architect who conducts his business and teaches his classes remotely, he's lost his inspiration and is trying to pretend he's not lonely. 

Simon's new neighbor is more than he bargained for. When he learns Meg's secret, will he retreat into the shadows or will he learn to see past the surface and trust in Meg's love? 

Thank you so much for visiting today, Jennifer. Loved having you on Monday Mentions! 

Readers, find Jennifer's A Reckless Heart at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.