Spotlight & Giveaway: Deadlines, Donuts & Dreidels by Jennifer Wilck

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Jennifer Wilck to HJ!

Hi Jennifer and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Deadlines, Donuts & Dreidels!

Hi, everybody! I’m so happy to be here, and thanks to Sara for the opportunity.
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

Deadlines, Donuts & Dreidels is a second-chance holiday romance between two neighbors who grew up together and are now forced to work together, despite their secrets. Thomas Carville is a firefighter who is about to win an award he doesn’t believe he deserves. Jessica Sacks’ career depends on her landing an interview with the hero firefighter–and secret childhood crush. As they get to know each other over the holidays, their walls come down, but will publishing her story destroy their second chance at love?
 

Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:

“Ugh!” She shouldn’t think of Thomas that way… He was the forbidden older crush from her childhood. He wasn’t Jewish. And she wasn’t staying here. Their lives were too different. She needed to remember they were having fun, which meant enjoying herself when they were together but not thinking about him when they were apart.
No matter how amazing his kisses were.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

I had so much fun developing the different holiday activities, Obviously, there are a ton of things to do to prepare for Christmas, but Hanukkah tends to be a lower-key, indoor holiday. So an outdoor decorating contest was something new and different. Plus, I got to get creative in turning the outside of one house into a menorah, and the outside of another house into a Christmas dreamland.

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

Thomas and Jessica have been next-door neighbors their whole lives, but he is older than she is by about 4 years. As a kid, she always wanted to be included in his activities, but she was too young. As she got older, she developed a crush on him. He always saw her as his annoying next-door neighbor. But when she returns home as an adult, he’s suddenly conscious of how pretty she is, which draws him to her, even as he tries to avoid her.

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

I loved writing this scene–it’s early in the book and one of the first times Thomas and Jessica are together for more than a couple of minutes. He starts to show his playful side, and it was a chance to soften him a bit, especially because so far, he’s refused all her overtures.

She walked around the room, ran her hands across the counters, and nodded. “This could be in a magazine.”
Her hands on things he’d built created an unexpected intimacy, and he didn’t know what to do with the thoughts in his brain. Clearing his throat, he searched for something to distract her. And himself. “You sure I can’t get you anything? Water, beetroot juice, carrot juice, green tea—”
“Beetroot juice?” She raised her eyebrows in surprise.
His hand itched to trace the arched line, and he made a fist at his side. “You’d be surprised how good it is. Add a little apple juice, celery, cucumber and fresh mint…” He kissed the tips of his fingers. “Delicious. And healthy.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
Shaking his head in mock disappointment, he folded his arms and pinned her with his stare. “Too bad. The Jessica I remember wasn’t afraid of anything.”
She bristled. “I’m not afraid of beetroot juice. I don’t get the appeal.”
“Sure, sure. If you tried it, you’d understand. But, you’re chicken.”
Another flush crept across her high cheekbones. “Chicken? You think I’m a chicken because I won’t try some crazy juice from God knows where?”
“It’s juice from a beetroot,” he said. “I thought it was self-evident.”
She rubbed her temples, as if she had a headache. He remembered the migraines he’d gotten when first sober. Thank God, he didn’t get those anymore.
“I know the juice is from a beetroot,” she said through gritted teeth. “I meant…I don’t know!” She threw up her hands and groaned.
Thomas hid a smile. He liked to goad her. He remembered doing it when they were younger, but always having to be careful not to upset her too much. His parents wouldn’t have allowed him to be mean to her. Since she was an adult, he didn’t have to worry about that any longer. She could take care of herself. Although, he still didn’t want to be mean. He kind of liked the new Jessica.
“I made it myself,” he said, trying to coax her to taste it.
She stared at him and he wondered what was going through her mind. Heck, he wondered what was going through his mind. He’d intended to apologize and be done. Instead, he’d invited her to stay and try his homemade juice.
“Is that supposed to reassure me?”
The sparkle in her eye made him think she enjoyed their banter too.
“Yes. I’m good in the kitchen.” He extended his arms around the room. “It’s why I redid this room first.”
“I assumed it was because you like to eat.”
He chuckled. “I do, but I also like to cook.”
“And you consider making beetroot juice cooking?”
“No, there’s no cooking involved. It’s mixing. I told you so you’d know it wasn’t weird or poisonous.”
“Except it has beets,” she said.
“Beets aren’t poisonous.”
“But they’re weird for a drink.”
“So that’s a no?”
She nodded.
“Too bad.” He reached into the refrigerator and pulled out the pitcher. He poured himself a glass and took a long drink. “It’s delicious.”
He didn’t know why he egged her on, or flirted with her, except that this was the most fun he’d had with another person in months.

Readers should read this book….

if they love holiday romances, second-chance/wounded hero/girl-next-door tropes, witty banter, and spice.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

I’m currently working on a Fortunes of Texas continuity book for Harlequin, another three-book series that I want to pitch to Harlequin Special Edition, and a Cyrano-but-with Tinder romance that my agent is pitching to publishers.

My next release is Fortunes Holiday Surprise that releases on November 26.
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: One winner will receive a holiday candle and T-shirt. Open internationally.

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Excerpt from Deadlines, Donuts & Dreidels:

“Thanks for your help. It was nice of you to take care of it, so my dad didn’t have to be on the ladder for long.”
Thomas nodded. “You’re welcome. And thanks for not holding my rude behavior earlier against me.”
Once again, she stared at him, and he wondered what was going through her mind. Part of him wanted to ask. Another part said to leave. But that was the part that had gotten him into trouble with her before. He waited and tried not to fidget.
“You didn’t used to snap at me as often,” she said. “Of course, you didn’t talk to me, either, so what do I know.” She shrugged.
He couldn’t tell if she was letting him off the hook or not.
“We’ve all changed,” he said. “Although I’m more of a work in progress.” He blew out a breath and looked once again at her decorations. “I don’t recall you ever hanging lights outside for Hanukkah.”
Jessica’s eyes lit up. In fact, he’d swear she swallowed one of the lights he’d strung. Her skin glowed. Her lips stretched in a smile. Whoa.
“There’s a first time for everything. Have you entered?”
He barely heard what she said; her pure happiness transfixed him. What must it be like to be carefree?
“Entered?” He couldn’t stop staring at her. He needed to say something to not look like a dummy. Her joy inspired him and the old Thomas wished he could get some of it. This new Thomas? He wasn’t sure. But he wasn’t against it.
“The Browerville Annual Holiday Decorating Contest?” She stuck her phone in front of him and he looked at the photo of a flyer. Of course, he knew about the contest. The firehouse competed against the police station and public library. Last year, the library had won with an unbelievable book display, but the year before, the firehouse had won with an electric light display of Happy Holidays pouring out of the firehose from the top of an engine. This year?
“Guess I forgot.”
“You should enter,” she said. “In fact, I challenge you to a contest between our houses. Loser has to give the winner a holiday present.”
“A present?” Geez, how could one smile from her make him forget how to string complex sentences together?
“Whichever of our houses places higher in the contest wins.”
“But I helped you hang your lights,” he said.
“You provided additional labor,” she said. “We came up with the design. Plus,” she added, moving closer to him, “you’re the one who volunteered.”
She stood in front of him, their toes touching. Narrower and shorter than he was, her wool hat tickled his chin.. What would she do if he slung her over his shoulder? Forget her reaction, what would he do? Or, better yet, what would happen if he kissed her?
Kissed her? What was wrong with him?
He took a deep breath and her flowery scent overwhelmed his senses. It didn’t help. He cleared his throat and retreated a step.
She wanted a contest. Was she insane? “Okay, you’re on.”
Whoa, how did that happen? He’d wanted—intended—to say no. To turn around and storm into his house and finish the renovations necessary to complete before his family arrived for Christmas.
At her look of satisfaction, he tried to convince himself it would be okay. Hell, his family would love the house festive for Christmas. Even he would probably like it. He’d always liked the decorations his mom had used when he was a child.
“If you give me your phone number, I’ll text you the flyer photo I have,” Jessica said. “That way you know all the information.”
Before he could convince himself of all the reasons giving her his number was a bad idea, he rattled off the ten digits.
His phone buzzed with a text and he opened the photo. “Got it,” he said.
With another one of her megawatt smiles, Jessica spun around and walked to her house with her dad.
“Oh, Thomas?” she called. “I like dark chocolate, the color red, and Agatha Christie. You know, for when I win.”

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Her childhood crush may be her best story yet.

Journalist Jessica Sacks’s career is on the line if she doesn’t ace this next assignment. She must interview firefighter Thomas Carville, Browerville’s celebrated hero—and her forever crush since childhood. When Jessica returns home for Hanukkah, handsome Thomas takes her breath away. And rudely shuts her down when she asks for an interview.

Thomas knows he and the man he saved are both lucky to be alive, regardless of his actions. And now Jessica is poking into his business. Thomas would rather kiss her under the mistletoe than answer her questions. But his priority is protecting his sobriety and his secret. They’re as far apart as Christmas and Hanukkah, but even their differences can’t trump the power of love.

From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

A Holidays, Heart and Chutzpah Novel
Book Links:  Amazon | B&N | iTunes | kobo | Google |
 
 

Meet the Author:

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.

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.
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