Yes, it’s going to be a special month for me, and I’d love you to join me.

The second book in my Melting series will release on October 10. Between now and then I’m going to post a excerpt a day here for you to check out. The first five days will be from Book 1 – The Infection, the second five days from Book 2 – The Progression.

Book 3 – The Cohesion is with my publisher now for editing.

I hope you enjoy the excerpts!

Excerpt 1 – Book 1

Dr. Amanda Sutton checked her coat at the door and took a quick glance in the mirror near the entrance. She hated these stupid cocktail parties. Okay, she was affiliated with the medical school at Georgetown University, but she had graduated some time ago. She was already making a name for herself in the field of pathology, at least around here. It wasn’t a big deal, but she found herself annoyed anyway. Mostly with herself. Once again, the males in the pathology department had managed to get her to attend a thank you reception. This one was for the gift of an endowed chair in the medical school. So what if the donor was some former congressman? She hadn’t voted for him.

She only needed to put in an appearance tonight, which didn’t quite explain the care she had taken with her makeup. She had her blonde hair down for a change, her regular ponytail a little too casual for this occasion. Maybe no one would recognize her.

She stood five foot seven and in heels, like tonight, touched five nine. The royal blue dress she wore emphasized her blue eyes and slim body and hopefully didn’t show too much leg. She never dressed like this. She was much more comfortable in her scrubs or jeans, but Scott, her supervisor, had stressed this was a dress-up night. Of course, he wasn’t here to put up with it.

She didn’t really blame Scott. He had a family he worked hard to spend time with, and she didn’t. That shouldn’t make her time off less valuable. It was his supervisor who held title of the biggest pain. Dr. Anton Guilford demanded such off-hour duties and as the solo woman in the group, she was expected to handle these things. At least she’d finally put a stop to getting the coffee for everyone. Baby steps.

Amanda was quite sure the esteemed Dr. Guilford didn’t believe women should be allowed to attend medical school even in this day and age. One of these days she would drag her knuckles on the floor to see if he noticed. She had thought in the twenty-first century all of those cretins would have died off. Unfortunately not.

Recently I’ve read some spanking fiction – what I read had a lot of humor and love in it and I enjoyed it mostly. Where I stumbled was the discipline. Hubby and I don’t mind a swat on the bum when one of us is walking by, though I prefer a cupping, and small squeeze followed by a caress. That’s my preference but I’m for whatever floats your boat. What I had to learn was the difference between abuse and discipline – I’ve got it now, it’s consensual and arousing for that couple.

What kept causing me to stumble? I had to go back and really think about it. That’s when I realized that I give no one the authority to discipline me. I’m an adult and a strong one – now. There was a lot of discipline when I was younger, not that much physical, but psychologically, oh yeah.

So what happened? How did I become me? I have to give 97% of the credit to Hubby. The stars aligned one day and he saw me in a rare flash of strength and he was attracted to it. !?!?! I had strength? Man, was it undernourished and starving until Hubby. He fed it, hell he held banquets for it and it grew and flourished. I definitely would not be the woman I am today without his loving sustainment of that strength. We’re equal partners and he wants it that way as much as I do.

I’m the type of wife who, when I spot someone in the grocery aisle in full hooker attire, I nudge him to check it out, then two or three aisles over we’ll laugh together. I remember having an episode of Baywatch Nights on years ago and a woman was watching the roof of her car with her assets pressed against the driver’s side window of the car. I yelled for him to get in there and see, because that was not a view he’d ever get at home. I trust him. I’ve never been jealous of him. That came with strength. Yes, I have watched *itches throw themselves at him (you can decide on a b or a w for the above, either fits) and I have gotten angry at them, but not him. And he’s given me no reason to. It’s one of the first things I noticed in our relationship – in previous relationships when I was apart from whoever, I was anxious and uncertain about what was going on. That’s never happened with Hubby – that’s when I realized I had an adult and equal partner.

Another component of that is we don’t keep secrets from each other. In a book I read recently, the female protagonist tried to hide that an X-rated movie was in the house. Before it had ever been discovered, I would have been telling Hubby about it and what had happened. And we would have laughed together about it. He would never have thought I needed to be disciplined about it. It wouldn’t make as good a story or be as funny, but it would be the reality around here.

Obviously some people crave being told what to do and how to do it. I’m not one of them and if you want to raise my ire, you tell me that someone is “above” me for the simple reason that that person can pee standing up and I will go ballistic on your ass (metaphorically only). Explains a lot about why I write such strong women who usually have to pull their partner’s ass out of the fire.

I’m so glad I’ve learned the difference now between abuse and discipline. It makes it a lot easier to understand and appreciate a new genre with some really good stories. And again, whatever floats your boat is what’s right for you. For me it’s equality and strength. Okay, back to your reading material…

Buy Links – Amazon,   Barnes & Noble

  Thanks so much, Donna, for hosting me today and helping me to promote my newest release, Miriam’s Surrender. I’m very excited to announce the second book in my Women of Valor series, but want to reassure you that it can easily be read on its own. I hope you enjoy it and welcome comments!

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.

Exercpt —

Josh sat in the cab and looked out the window. Lights and people and cars and buildings rushed by in a blur. His eyes glazed over and in their place Miriam appeared. Miriam touching his arm and reassuring him, Miriam smiling, Miriam’s hair shining, Miriam looking at him as he bent to kiss her.

Whatever made him do it? When they’d stood outside her apartment in the cold night air, her cheeks had turned pink from the cold. He smiled. She controlled so many of her outward reactions to things, but she couldn’t control that one.

From his height and angle, he’d watched the light from the street lamps shine on her hair, making it appear to glow. Their breath, a white fog, had intermingled as they stood facing each other.

Her lips were soft and plump. He’d spent the evening watching them mold words, stretch into a smile, surround her food as she chewed. He couldn’t help himself; he’d wanted to kiss her. It was the briefest wish. He’d made the slightest move toward her. But in the one too-brief second, he’d glimpsed much more. Her pupils had dilated, she’d raised her face to his and she’d parted her lips. He’d discovered Miriam’s desire.

And now he knew she wanted him, it would take all of his control not to give in to his own need.

Bio  

Jennifer started telling herself stories as a little girl when she couldn’t fall asleep at night. As an adult, she started writing them down and after several years of writing, editing and querying publishers, she’s a multi-published author. Her favorite stories to write are those with smart, sassy, independent heroines; handsome, strong and slightly vulnerable heroes; and always end with happily ever after.

When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family and friends, reading, traveling and watching TV. She volunteers with her Temple and is also a freelance writer for magazines, newspapers and newsletters.

A Heart of Little Faith and Skin Deep were published by Whiskey Creek Press in 2011. The Seduction of Esther, the first in the Women of Valor series, was published in June 2013 by Rebel Ink Press. The next book in that series, Miriam’s Surrender, will be published September 10, 2014. All books can be purchased through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

She can be reached at www.jenniferwilck.com or http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-Wilck/201342863240160. She tweets at @JWilck. Her blog (Fried Oreos) is www.jenniferwilck.blogspot.com and she contributes to Heroine With Hearts blog on Tuesdays http://www.heroineswithhearts.blogspot.com and Front Porch Saturdays at Sandra Sookoo’s Believing is Seeing blog http://sandrasookoo.wordpress.com.

Coming October 10, 2014 –  The sequel to The Infection – The Melting, Book 1

Change is never easy. Civilization is gone except for small widely dispersed groups. None of this is what anyone had ever thought global warming would bring, those that had thought about it at all. But the Powers That Be are making the CDC into their own little fiefdom.  Connor Nash wants control in Atlanta, he wants a theocracy where women are less than second class and therefore fair game. Meg Adams has to get her people out of there before it degenerates even more.  And when the hell did she get put in charge?

Their escape isn’t as difficult as they thought it would be. The us vs. them dynamic is finally on their side because who would want to leave all that “safety.” No need to keep an eye on the lowly workers, right? But Meg knows that surviving afterward is going to be hard–food, shelter, all the things everyone counted on will have to come from them alone. And who is this Jim Stephens who has tagged along at the last minute? He may seem legit, but is he “us” or “them”?

Now that cold weather is here how are the people they’ve left behind at the CDC faring. It’s winter and even in Atlanta it can get cold. They’re not prepared, who is? The factions that they left behind–men vs. women–are farther apart than ever. And they have no idea where David, Amanda and Joe ended up. It’s hard enough sleeping alone without all these responsibilities in Meg’s head.

 The Melting, Book 1, The Infection available at Amazon,  Barnes & Nobles, and AllRomance