Jennifer Wilck talks about A RECKLESS HEART and her research.

 

Title: A Reckless Heart 
Series Name: Scarred Hearts 
Theme(s): Small Town, Scarred Hero/Heroine 
SubGenre(s): Contemporary 
Keywords: Beach setting; Billionaire; Broken Reputation; Brooding Hero; Celebrity; Charity; Close Proximity; Contemporary; Damaged Hero; Fairy Tale; Fear of int 
Page Count: 296 
Word Count: 72351 

Digital Price: 4.99 

Print Price (if applicable): 16.99 

Release Date: 2021-03-29

ISBN(s):
978-1-5092-3517-9 Paperback 
978-1-5092-3518-6 Digital 

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? 

                                                                                                              

Buy Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08X429BMX

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-reckless-heart-jennifer-wilck/1138858163?ean=2940162335382

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-reckless-heart/id1554790505

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57176551-a-reckless-heart

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/a-reckless-heart-scarred-hearts-book-1-by-jennifer-wilck

Thanks so much to my friend, Sandy, for hosting me today! My book, A Reckless Heart, released March 29, and my hero, Simon, is a renowned landscape architect. What the heck is a landscape architect, you might ask. Well, before I did my research, I wondered the same thing.

You see, Simon has been badly scarred in a fire. And I wanted him to be surrounded by beauty, preferably of his own making. I immediately thought of flowers. However, he’s also basically a billionaire. I hesitate to actually use that word, because this book is not a billionaire romance in the true sense of the trope. But he’s ridiculously wealthy, as are all the heroes in the series (psst, the hero in book 2 is a computer security genius), and I needed something more powerful than “gardener.”

Well, guess what? Landscape architects, truly renowned ones, fit my parameters! Or they can. According to the American Society of Landscape Architects, landscape architecture involves the planning, design, management, and nurturing of the built and natural environments. They improve human and environmental health in communities. They plan and design parks, campuses, streetscapes, trails, plazas, and residences. 

As soon as I found out that information, I knew this was perfect for both Simon as a character, and me as the author. Imagine surrounding yourself with beauty when you think you’ve lost yours. Imagine restoring the grounds of your destroyed estate. Imagine the therapy of creating beauty from a nightmare. Simon faces all those things. As the author, I was able to take him, and his profession, and weave in a therapy garden, a town’s desire to save open space from developers, and my own love of flowers. 

I hope you enjoy the results. In the meantime, here are a few photos that you can find on the ASLA site that depict some of the amazing work landscape architects do. And feel free to check out their site for more: https://www.asla.org

Portland Japanese Garden.

American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial.

Native American Garden, NY Botanical Garden.

Naval Cemetary, Brooklyn, NY

Excerpt:

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.

Was it accidental, too? She snuck a glance at his profile. Although his hair blocked most of his face, she’d swear when the wind blew it, a ghost of a smile hovered, like they shared a private joke. Her belly warmed, and the air between their knuckles, where they almost touched, crackled with electricity.

The next time their bodies touched, she slipped her hand through his elbow. His body jolted before he pressed her arm against his side, and they walked to the curve of the shore connected.

When they stopped, they watched the waves lap over the rocks, their froth sputtering into the cracks.

“This is the only place I’ve ever not felt alone,” he whispered.

“How long have you been alone?”


“Too long,” he replied.
“This is the only place I’ve ever felt seen.”


“I can’t imagine you invisible,” he said.


“When “It Girls” and camera bulbs surround you, it’s easy to fade into the background.”


The sky and water darkened as the light faded, and she shivered in the chill air. Her hand grew icy as he pulled away from her. As she was about to complain, a weight landed on her shoulders. His arm drew her close. He remained still, as if he waited to see if she’d object. Instead, she leaned against his side. Heat emanated from him, and tingles ran through her body. A desire to turn into him, to press her body against his, to kiss him, overwhelmed her. He positioned her in front of him and rested his chin on the top of her head. His heart beat against her back. A soft moan escaped her lips, and they both froze. All of a sudden, she was aware of how close she was. His jacket was warm from his body and smelled like him.

Bio:

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. When she’s not writing, she loves to laugh with her family and friends, is a pro at finding whatever her kids lost in plain sight, and spends way too much time closing doors that should never have been left open in the first place. She believes humor is the only way to get through the day and does not believe in sharing her chocolate. 

She writes contemporary romance, some of which are mainstream and some of which involve Jewish characters. She’s published with The Wild Rose Press and all her books are available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Author Links:

 

Website: https://www.jenniferwilck.com

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

Newsletter: https://www.jenniferwilck.com/contact.html#newsletter

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JWilck

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjenniferwilck/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jennifer-wilck