Wild Women Focus on In The Moment

. . . Cassie Edwards, a former foster child, purchases an 1870s Victorian mansion, the one home from her childhood where she felt like part of a family. She’s spending her summer lovingly restoring it, with dreams of one day raising a family of her own here.
. . . Rayne Tucket, a photojournalist, is haunted by the death of his best friend in Afghanistan, a death he thinks is his fault. He survives day to day. Forever is not in his vocabulary. Swearing off photography, he answers an ad for a handyman—mindless, no emotion involved.
. . . As the two of them renovate her house, can Cassie show Rayne that love is strong enough to heal all wounds?


Wild Women Authors is pleased to welcome Jennifer Wilck and Rayne Tucker from her latest release from Wild Rose Press, In The Moment.
Where are you from, Rayne? I’m originally from Vermont.
Tell us a bit about In the Moment. I’m on a mission to deliver something to the parents of one of my best friends. He and I met when I was embedded with him and his buddies in Iraq. On my way to his parents, I met Cassie and despite all my attempts to keep away from her, I couldn’t.
What did you think the first time you saw Cassie? I thought she was a spitfire. She was trying to start this old lawn mower and she was yelling at it and kicking it. It was hilarious. 
Yelling and kicking is always a good ice breaker. What was your second thought? That there was no way I was good enough for her and I was an idiot for offering to help her fix her place up.
Was it love at first sight? I don’t know, because I fought really hard against feeling anything for her. I was convinced I’d end up hurting her, so I pushed all those feelings away.
What do you like most about Cassie? She sees who I am, deep down, and it doesn’t scare her. She seems to understand exactly what I need and is generous enough to give it to me.
How would you describe her? She’s braver and more independent than anyone I’ve ever met. She grew up without a family and that would make some people wary of forming attachments. But not her. She takes what you can give and gives it back tenfold. And she’s beautiful—both inside and out. Her love just glows from her eyes.
That is so lovely; most guys would get into the physical attributes but you didn't. So, then, how would Cassie describe you? Ha! I’m not sure I want to know. I hope she’d describe me as honorable and trustworthy. I’ve tried doing what’s best for her, although I’m not sure I succeeded.
What made you choose photography for a career? I’ve always loved photography and the stories photos could tell. I wanted to go to Afghanistan and show people back home who was fighting and why. I got a lot more than I bargained for, though.
What is your biggest fear? Hurting the people I love. Because of me, the unit I was embedded with died. I came back changed, and hurt my family with the way I was acting. I don’t want to hurt Cassie too.
How do you relax? I fix things. That’s one of the reasons why I offered to work for Cassie—she had a ton of equipment that came with her house and it needed repairs. Plus her yard was a mess. That kind of labor lets me relax and get out of my head.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received? The best advice came from the parents of my best friend. I delivered photos I took of their son in Afghanistan and I told them how guilty I felt for surviving. His dad told me not to waste my life consumed by mistakes I think I made. He said doing that doesn’t honor his son’s life. It took me a while to let that sink in, but he was right.
Can't follow that one, so we won't try. Let's talk with Jennifer for a moment. Thanks, Rayne, for showing us the type of man you are.
Jen, what movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? I love reading Lynn Kurland. She writes Scottish time travel and they are filled with so much emotion. Her characters just leap off the page, and I want my characters and my books to give that emotional satisfaction to my readers. I also love the Gilmore Girls, and the snappy dialogue.
What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? There was this big Victorian mansion for sale in the town next to mine and my daughters and I went to the open house. I fell in love with this house and the history that just seemed to ooze from its walls. Since I couldn’t buy the house, I decided to make it the setting of my book. It’s the perfect house to raise a family, and for Cassie, a foster child who is longing for a place to call home, it was the best place to have her live.
Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? I have a number of writer friends who are published with The Wild Rose Press and they all had positive experiences with everyone involved there. I knew I wanted to be a part of their team and I was lucky enough to have them say yes to my query. It’s been a fantastic experience and one I hope will continue for a long time.
What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? I’m currently reading Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somay Gowda for my book club. Fantastic story! And I have a variety of romances in my TBR pile that were written by author friends, which I can’t wait to get to.
Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? I’m working on the sequel to Addicted to Love, which was published in July by The Wild Rose Press. It was recently contracted and we’ll be starting edits soon. Hopefully it will be available in the spring. Titled Five Minutes to Love, it’s a contemporary romance with a hero and heroine who fail at speed dating, but meet anyway.


Here's an excerpt from In The Moment:

     “Cassie?” He let go of her hand.

     His voice startled her. She turned to him. If she hadn’t witnessed his reaction to the storm, she’d never know it now. Well, maybe she would. There were fine lines between his brows and shadows beneath his eyes. But otherwise, he looked no different than usual. They sat next to each other, legs touching.

     “Stop talking.”

     He took her face between his hands. They were rough and calloused against her skin. He ran his fingers over her cheeks and pushed her hair behind her ears. She stared into his eyes. In the dark of the porch, she couldn’t see their color, only their glimmer as he traced her jawline. The heat from his body warmed her; the pressure of his fingers anchored her to this spot, with him, right now. They were close enough for his breath to feather on her cheek. Each inhalation and exhalation sent shivers down her spine. For the first time, she remembered she wore a threadbare T-shirt beneath her cotton robe.

     His thumbs brushed her lips, and she opened her mouth. His nose bumped hers. He bent to kiss her. Their lips touched. She sighed as he dragged them back and forth across her mouth.

     Finally.

To purchase In The Moment, go to:


The Wild Rose Press: https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/5219-in-the-moment.html?search_query=jennifer+wilck&results=4


Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Moment-Jennifer-Wilck-ebook/dp/B073XYRMG7/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1503063949&sr=8-2&keywords=jennifer+wilck


Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-moment-jennifer-wilck/1126972509?ean=2940158847929


To learn more about Jennifer and the stories she creates, go to:


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


Twitter: https://twitter.com/JWilck


Website: http://www.jenniferwilck.com


Blog: http://jenniferwilck.blogspot.com


Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jenniferwilck/

Meet Rory McElroy

     Award winning photo-journalist Dru Horvath travels the world, documenting human rights abuses, a vocation which helps in avoidance of risking her heart. Everyday working stiff Rory McElroy, a two-time loser when it comes to women, wants nothing to do with another relationship, thank you very much.

     But when Dru comes back into his life, Rory’s not sure which poses the greater threat: protecting her from third world thugs who want to silence her permanently—or allowing the one woman who captured his heart years ago to embrace him forever.

This week Wild Women Authors has featured the men who play a large role in our latest release, Vengeance Is Mine. We've left the best for last, sort of, and introduce Rory McElroy [no, not the golfer] from Embraceable You.

Tell us how you came to attend the 25th reunion of the Class of 1990 at Summerville High. The County Manager called the office and ordered me to provide one-on-one security for the person who would receive this year's Eastman Award who also happened to be a member of the Class of '90. A smart man does not say no to the man who appointed you to your current position.

Always a smart move to keep the big bosses happy. Amen, sister. I may not have voted for him, but he does sign my paychecks. With a kid going off to college next year, I appreciate having money deposited into my checking account on a regular basis.

You have a child? Yep. Molly. Seventeen going on thirty. She's the cause of the premature gray in my hair. Looking at schools in New York City. Wouldn't consider staying home and commuting to the U. Nuh uh not my girl.

You are the Sheriff of Bison County. What made you choose law enforcement for a career? It gave me the opportunity to wear a gun legally and keep the peace. Plus, I like all the paraphernalia we cops have to wear on our belts. Lets us strut our stuff.

Hah! What movies have had an impact on your life? Major League and Bull Durham because I like baseball and I like watching films that make me laugh out loud. While I was waiting for Druzilla to come back to me, I watched The Official Story, a foreign film about the consequences of Argentina's Dirty War. It helped me understand why Dru is so driven to do some of the things she does.

What did you take away from it? Parts of it focused on Las Madres de la Plaza, the mothers and wives of los desaparicidos, ordinary citizens who were taken from their homes or businesses in the middle of the night by a bunch of thugs acting under the direction of the military junta. We're talking religious sisters and priests, activist students, university educators, journalists. Their survivors, women now in their seventies and eighties, still march through the streets of Buenos Aires each week, wearing white scarves and carrying posters with pictures of the missing. The movie shows the power of perseverance, a reminder to those in power that what was done to innocents in the name of political oppression will never be forgotten. Powerful stuff.

What's the best piece of advice you ever received? I was raised in a violent home. After my grandparents rescued me and my sister and brought us to Summerville, they drilled into me the need to stand up for myself and others no matter the personal consequences. Right is might and all that stuff. I guess that's why I became a cop.

What's up next for you? Convincing Dru Horvath to settle down with me in Summerville and keep me from turning into a Helicopter Dad after Molly goes off to college.

Good luck. Thanks. Dru fills that empty spot in my heart.

To purchase Vengeance Is Mine, go to:

www.CreateSpace.com/6269528

www.Amazon.com/dp/1533214514

www.Amazon.ca/dp/1533214514

www.Amazon.co.uk/dp/1533214514

www.Amazon.de/dp/1533214514

www.Amazon.es/dp/1533214514

www.Amazon.fr/dp/1533214514

www.Amazon.it/dp/1533214514

Rafael Archangeli, con man turned mogul

This week Wild Women Authors is featuring the men who play a large role in our latest release, Vengeance Is Mine. We decided to honor them because they support the strong women in their lives while working to improve the quality of life for the disenfranchised.

We now meet Rafe Archangeli from Mad Dog and Archangel.

Tell us how you came to attend the 25th reunion of the Class of 1990 at Summerville High. The reunion was the last place on earth I wanted to be . . . but as it happened, several months before the invitation arrived in the mail, I found myself falling in love with the coordinator of the Eastman Awards banquet. Grace Dunavan promised she'd marry me only if I escorted her to the banquet. Plus, one of my former classmates, Dru Horvath, was the recipient of the Award. I felt the need to be there for her when she accepted the award, stand for her in case a few of the bigots from the class decided to take a few pot shots at her.

You were a con man for many years. I was. It paid the bills and I was able to help a lot of people with the money I fleeced from the rich and shameless.

How did you go from bilking rich society women to heading up a multi-million dollar trust? It was not something I would have chosen for a career change. I only returned to Summerville to attend the funeral of my best friend, Deege Thurgood. Turns out, he left me the Thurgood Trust in his will. I felt totally inadequate but Grace helped me see it as a way to make living amends to him. I took the post, over the objections of many in the community, and I'm very glad I did.

If you were given an opportunity for a 'do-over' would you take it? Certainly I wouldn't have drank and drugged for almost twenty years so yes, I'd do that over. Would I have turned from running scams? I don't know.

What movies have had an impact on your life? “Veronica Guerin” is based on a true story about an investigative reporter who was murdered after digging into a Dublin mobster. That was a pisser. I liked “Miracle” very much for the theme of team building, then again I like almost everything Kurt Russell makes. And “The Stoning of Soraya M.” was very powerful. Goes to show I've been hanging with Dru Horvath; she's rubbing off on me.

What are you reading right now? The Best of Mad Magazine, Volumes 1 through 5. Grace gave it to me for my birthday. Next to Roberto Clemente, Alfred E. Neuman was my hero back in the day.

Other than the drugs and alcohol, do you have any other regrets? I would take back my first reaction to discovering Grace was a nun in a former life. I found out the morning after, if you get my drift. My response was less than. . . mature. I would change the things I said if I could.

What's the best piece of advice you ever received? One day at a time.

What's up next for you? Grace and I are taking a delayed honeymoon to the west of Ireland. She went to school in Galway and has promised to show me the Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula. I can't wait.

To purchase Vengeance Is Mine, go to:

www.CreateSpace.com/6269528

www.Amazon.com/dp/1533214514

www.Amazon.ca/dp/1533214514

www.Amazon.co.uk/dp/1533214514

www.Amazon.de/dp/1533214514

www.Amazon.es/dp/1533214514

www.Amazon.fr/dp/1533214514

www.Amazon.it/dp/1533214514

Later this week: Rory McElroy from Embraceable You

Meet Attorney Mick Dineen

This week Wild Women Authors is featuring the men who play a large role in our latest release, Vengeance Is Mine. We decided to honor them because they support the strong women in their lives while working to improve the quality of life for the disenfranchised.

First up: Mick Dineen from The List.

Tell us how you came to attend the 25th reunion of the Class of 1990 at Summerville High. I had no intention of spending the evening with balding, old, fat people who are still locked into all the adolescent crap from back in the day. Plus, I was ass deep in alligators with a medical malpractice trial and was falling over the edge into crispy fried territory. Part of the hoopla involving the reunion included presenting the Eastman, an award given annually to that person whose work exemplifies the best in the human spirit. I was last year's winner so the organizer put the arm on me to attend. Trust me, no one turns down a former nun named Mad Dog.

How did the trial turn out? We won.

Congratulations. Tell that to the husband and kids of a woman who died because her obstetrician who was too obsessed in making a tee time to pay attention to her symptoms of peritonitis. Sorry. My mood is not the best right now. Anyway, the defense elected to settle before the case went to the jury. They returned with a settlement of three times what we demanded. The head of my firm ordered me to take a month off and start by attending the awards banquet. When it was all said and done, I'm glad I attended because I met Fiona Thorpe again.

You are an attorney. What made you choose working for the underdogs of this world? In a former life, meaning high school, I was a bully, part of a gang known as the Pittsford Road Posse. We, I, hurt a lot of people because it made us feel better. I feel the need to make amends.

If you were given an opportunity for a 'do-over' would you take it? About being a twerp and a jerk? What do you think? About standing up for dead mothers and bullied middle-schoolers? What do you think?

What movies have had an impact on your life? I very much liked “Defiance” with Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber. Most recently, “Spotlight” knocked my socks off.

What are you reading right now? At the awards banquet, Dru Horvath put me on to Samantha Power's A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide.

A little light reading to fill up those pesky down times. If you're in the mood for getting pissed off at politicians, it works real well.

What's the best piece of advice you ever received? My mother told me this, right after she kicked my old man out of the house for the last time: “Whatever you give a woman, she's going to multiply. If you give her a house, she'll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her. But, if you give her crap, you will receive more shit than any one human being can handle.”

Great advice, Mick. What's up next for you? Convincing Fiona Thorpe to make me an honest man.

Good luck. Thanks. She's the best thing in my life.

Here's a blurb from Vengeance Is Mine:

Ever think about going back to study hall to face down the school bully?

The mean girls?

The brainless jocks who made your life a pure misery?

For Dru Horvath, gypsy orphan turned Pulitzer Prize winning photo-journalist; Rafe Archangeli, Scourge of Summerville who now heads a multi-million dollar trust; and Fiona “Fat Aggie” Thorpe who recreated herself into an A-list model with her own A-list agency, the opportunity to exact revenge is too good to pass up.

Will they find the vengeance they crave?

Or something more valuable?

And an excerpt from The List, featuring Mick and Fiona Thorpe:

Frustrated with the holdup, Fee glanced around for points of entry, hoping she'd be able to spot Dru the second she entered the ballroom.

A hand on her arm claimed her attention; Rafe Archangeli leaned close. “Here comes someone you should meet.”

Without taking her eyes off the entry door, she murmured, “Who?”

“Last year's Eastman winner and a helluva of a nice guy.”

“Where?”

“There. Coming toward us.”

One nano-second later all thoughts of revenge left Fee's mind like steam escaping a kettle.

The weathered appearance of his face announced he'd lived ten times over. Thick gold hair flecked with gray grazed the collar of his suit jacket. Broad through the shoulders and chest, narrow at the waist and hips, he had the long legged grace of a broken field runner.

Moving across the parquet floor as if born to a runway, he carried himself with an innate confidence. Without disrupting that fluid stride, he undid his tie before shrugging out of the suit jacket which he slung over one shoulder with the tip of his index finger.

She'd almost given up finding a man so perfect.

This one had The Look.

To purchase Vengeance Is Mine, go to:

www.CreateSpace.com/6269528

www.Amazon.com/dp/1533214514

www.Amazon.ca/dp/1533214514

www.Amazon.co.uk/dp/1533214514

www.Amazon.de/dp/1533214514

www.Amazon.es/dp/1533214514

www.Amazon.fr/dp/1533214514

www.Amazon.it/dp/1533214514

Later this week: Rafe Archangeli from Mad Dog and Archangel

To My Andy

A week ago today we buried my nephew Andrew James Doran.
Many many people came to the wake and funeral to honor him: members of the high school football team he loved to coach; his students and their parents; classmates from high school and college.
And of course his immediate family, my brother Pete and sister-in-law Alice, his sister Suzanne and her husband Kasey, and a raft of cousins. 

Through it all the love Andy had for his family, children, students and the community shown like a beacon of the way a good and honorable man conducts his life.

The world is a better place for having had Andy in it. Our family is infinitely better for Andy's humor and imagination.

Hope you're having a blast wherever you are now, pal. Look down on us once in awhile and give us one of your grins.

Love you,
Aunt Kathy 

Introducing Nick Forrester and Nunie Doyle of Caper Magic

     Nick Forrester comes to Cape Brendan ostensibly to assist with Caper Madness, a month long celebration of everything Halloween. In reality he is tracking a woman on the run. Within days he is confronted by Annunciata Doyle, a vivid reminder of a pain-filled past.

     After retreating to Cape Brendan in defeat and humiliation, Nunie Doyle's only hope was to make the best of forced retirement. There, in this quaint tourist town on the shores of Lake Ontario, she earned the love and respect of new friends and neighbors—and put her talent for helping women to good use.

     With the mutual goal of making Caper Madness the best ever, Nick and Nunie fight tooth and nail on the personal level, each discovering a new side to the other, sides that make them consider making drastic changes for the rest of their lives.

     This attraction: complete madness—or sheer magic?

We had an open spot on the calendar this week so Nick agreed to fill in at the last minute. We're always in the mood to spend time with a hunky older man ala Tony Denison from The Closer and Major Crimes. 
Good morning, Nick, tell us a bit about Caper Magic. As you can see by the blurb, I came to Cape Brendan to help my Uncle Hank run this annual lunacy called Caper Madness. He's not been feeling well and I needed to spend some time with him before . . . you know.
Yep. Been there, done that. What did you think the first time you saw Nunie Doyle? That she had the longest legs in the known universe.
Not bad, kid. And your second thought? I wondered how that velvet fall of hair would feel as it brushed against my skin.
Did you think it was love at first sight? Hell no. Once she opened her mouth and that Irish brogue sang out, a nasty tingle ran up my back. Then Hank said her name. Never in a million years did I think I'd run into the Crone of Crozier College in the middle of Cape Brendan. Believe me, her legs could stretch from here to Long Island; her hair could burn me live with its fire. Love is the last emotion I'd ever feel for this . . . dame.
What do you like most about her? As it turns out, she's got more guts than most guys I know, and more integrity. She's a wonder, my Nunie.
How would you describe her? Caring, tireless, gutsy, loyal. Forgiving.
How would she describe you? A skeeving git.
What made you choose legal investigations as a second career? I retired from the Syracuse Police Department a few years ago but boredom set in real soon. One of the biggest law firms in town hired me as Chief Investigator. The pay is good; it keeps me off the streets and out of the bars; plus, it pays the rent. And I'm rarely bored.
What is your biggest fear? That I'll lose my uncle before I have the opportunity to tell him how much I respect, admire and revere him for all he did for me and my sister when we were abandoned by our parents.
How do you relax? When I figure that one out, I'll let you know.
Who's your favorite fictional character and why? Mitch Rapp, the CIA operative in the political thriller series conceived by the late Vince Flynn. The man has an ego as big as all outdoors with a heart to match. I'm so sorry there won't be any new adventures for old Mitch.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received? On the day I graduated from the police academy Uncle Hank told me to listen to my gut, then my heart and make a decision. Don't drag your ass, boy, he said. If it's not the best decision you'll always have the opportunity to go back and make things right.
Thanks, Nick. Can't wait to show you what we've got in store for you in the next Cape Brendan story. Unh oh. Do I get antsy now or wait?
We'll let you know.
To purchase Caper Magic or other stories by Kat or Veronica, go to:
www.thewildrosepress.com and click on author search. That will bring up all the titles.