Kinky Vanilla Romance is pleased to share
Miriam's Surrender by Jennifer Wilck, a contemporary romance published on September 10, 2014 from Rebel Ink Press.
This post is part of a virtual tour hosted by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jennifer will be awarding a $10 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $10 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn host.
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Miriam's Surrender by Jennifer Wilck
Josh Lowenstein is a successful architect, hired to redesign the alumni club of a posh, private school in New York. He is strong, capable and knows the best way to do everything. Except let another woman in.
Miriam Goldberg is the Assistant Director of Outreach, and is Josh’s day-to-day contact for the redesign. She’s taken care of everyone around her, and forgotten how to let someone else take care of her.
With a tumultuous history, neither one is prepared to work together. As they get to know each other, the animosity disappears, but Josh is hiding something from Miriam and its discovery has the possibility of destroying their relationship. Only when they are both able to let the other in, and release some of the control they exert over everything, will they be able to see if their love can survive.
EXCERPT
“I’m glad you agreed to have dinner with me. Maybe we’ll do it again?”
“I’d like that.” She looked at Josh and smiled.
He tipped his head and Miriam could feel his breath warm her face. Mere inches apart, she could see silver and black flecks in his irises, stubble on his cheeks, the arch of his eyebrow. Shivers zinged up her spine. Like a magnetic pull, she wanted to lean into him, to feel his body against hers, to press her lips against his. But they worked together, and a kiss would change everything. As if he read her mind, he pulled back, said goodbye and got into the cab and drove away. Miriam covered her lips with her fingers.
What in the world was she supposed to do now? He’d come close to kissing her. She could still feel the electric charge between them; still catch a slight scent of his musky aftershave in the air. His hand had held her arm with enough pressure to keep her against him. Although she’d watched him leave, she could still feel the imprint of his touch. She stroked her hand up and down her arm.
Did she give away how much she wanted to kiss him too? It was so quick, so unexpected, she couldn’t be sure. Her mind shot off in all directions as she entered her building and took the elevator to her fifth floor apartment.
They worked together! How in the world was she supposed to look at him when they next met? Should she acknowledge the kiss that almost happened? Should she pretend it never did? He didn’t plan on discussing it at their next meeting, did he?
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
How much of a story did you have in mind before you started writing Miriam's Surrender?
Actually, for this story, I didn’t have a lot. I knew how they met and I knew that at the point where I was starting, they hated each other—this is book #2 in my
Women of Valor series. Readers don’t have to read book #1 to get into the story, though, because it can stand alone. So I knew they had to start off hating each other and end up falling in love. The rest? That was the fun part.
What about your characters surprised you while writing?
On the surface, they seem very similar—they’re both take-charge, control freaks. But they have very different reasons for being that way and they express it differently. I was surprised that two characters with similar traits could be so different. And, Josh, the hero, is the villain from the first book. He’s now one of my favorite characters.
What was your favorite chapter (or part) of Miriam's Surrender to write and why?
Okay, I’m actually changing my mind, here, because I’ve answered this question before differently. It used to be when Josh reveals his secret to Miriam—I can’t tell you what that is because of spoilers, though. But I think it’s when they go out to dinner together for the first time. Josh has the whole thing planned perfectly, but nothing goes like he expected and Miriam gets to know a different side of him, while trying to make him see that perfection isn’t necessary.
Who would you cast in the role of your main characters if your book were to be optioned for a movie?
Oh, good question! I’m not sure about current actors and actresses, but I think a young Pierce Brosnan and a young Bebe Neuwirth. Like, very young!
Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
I’ve loved the response from my family and friends. They’ve been so supportive.
How did you celebrate the sale of your first book?
My husband gave me flowers and took me out to dinner. My parents and in-laws told everyone they’d ever met.
What’s your biggest challenge as a writer? How did you overcome it, or how are you working to overcome it?
My biggest challenge as a writer is promotion. I’m terrible at talking about myself and telling people about my book. So I try to put myself in situations where I have to do it to try to get better at it.
Finish the sentence:
One book I wish I had written is…Harry Potter. I’d love to have that kind of imagination!
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
You mean other than that I write romance (everyone who meets me is surprised by that)? I’m an only child and always wished I had an older brother.
What project are you working on now?
I’m going to start book #3 in the Women of Valor series and I’m almost finished with a standalone contemporary romance inspired by an old Victorian mansion I fell in love with.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
When I was a little girl and couldn’t fall asleep, my mother would tell me to make up a story. Pretty soon, my head was filled with these stories and the characters that populated them. Each character had a specific personality, a list of likes and dislikes, and sometimes, even a specific accent or dialect. Even as an adult, I think about the characters and stories at night before I fall asleep, or in the car on my way to or from one of my daughters’ numerous activities (hey, anything that will drown out their music is a good thing).
One day, I started writing them down (it was either that or checking into the local mental hospital—the computer was way less scary). Since then, I’ve published two contemporary romances with Whiskey Creek Press. The Seduction of Esther is my first book with Rebel Ink Press, and I’m excited to be part of their team.
In the real world, I’m the mother of two amazing daughters and wife of one of the smartest men I know. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, reading, traveling and watching TV. In between chauffeuring my daughters to after-school activities that require an Excel spreadsheet to be kept straight, I serve on our Temple Board and volunteer for way more things than I have time to do. I also write freelance articles for magazines and newspapers, and edit newsletters.
When all of that gets overwhelming, I retreat to my computer, where I write stories that let me escape from reality. In my made-up world, the heroines are always smart, sassy and independent. The heroes are handsome and strong with just a touch of vulnerability. If I don’t like a character, I can delete him or her; if something doesn’t work, I can rewrite it. It’s very satisfying to be in control of at least one part of my life.
I can be reached at
http://www.jenniferwilck.com/ or
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-Wilck/201342863240160.
I tweet at @JWilck. My blog (Fried Oreos) is
http://jenniferwilck.blogspot.com/ and I contribute to Heroines With Hearts at
http://www.heroineswithhearts.blogspot.com/ and to Front Porch Saturdays at
http://sandrasookoo.wordpress.com/.
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