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 out in his house on the coast of Maryland 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?
JENNIFER WILCK
Give us the one to two sentence tagline for your book.
When her secret is revealed, will her love survive?
What is your favorite scene/moment in your book?
One of my favorite scenes is when the hero and heroine flirt over the Scrabble board, spelling out words based on how they’re feeling and what they want to know about each other.
Does your heroine prefer a real or artificial tree for Christmas?
Real
What’s the one present your hero least wants to open Christmas morning?
A mirror
Would your hero hang mistletoe?
Yes, as long as Meg was under it.
What scene did you adore writing in this book?
The first time Meg kissed Simon.
What is your heroine’s favorite Christmas tradition?
Singing Christmas carols (off key)
Does your hero love or hate snow?
Loves it.
For Christmas, will you be having turkey, goose, ham, prime rib, or something else?
Well, we celebrate Hanukkah, so we will be eating latkes (potato pancakes).
What’s the strangest Christmas tradition your family does to celebrate?
For Hanukkah, I make fried Oreos. Everyone loves them.
EXCERPT
A RECKLESS HEART
Meg walked with Simon on the rocky beach, waves on her right, cliffs on her left, and seagulls overhead. This time, her lungs expanded, her respiration slowed, and she became hyper aware of him. He took longer strides than she did, but after they’d gone a few feet, he shortened his.
She appreciated the consideration. It only made her more aware of his muscular thighs. Their arms brushed as they walked, and tingles shot up her neck. It was an accident, wasn’t it? He stepped away, but a few strides later the uneven ground pushed them together, and their bodies brushed against each other. She listened to his breath hitch at the contact, and he didn’t move away.
Nervous laughter bubbled in her chest. They’d been close before and held hands. Granted, he’d covered hers on the ladder, but still. It wasn’t the first time they touched. Why was this different? She remembered the sensations when he’d covered her hand on the roof—warmth and roughness and safety. And she wanted it. She bumped her hand against his, on purpose, to feel his skin. It wasn’t smooth like hers. Its texture, unique to him, fascinated her. A moment later, he rubbed his arm against her.
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.
She is an award-winning contemporary romance author. Many of her stories feature Jewish characters in non-religious settings (#ownvoices). She’s published with The Wild Rose Press, as well as indie published, and all her books are available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
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Ellen Mint 