Unlock my Heart by Jennifer Wilck

Thank you, Jean, for hosting me on your blog today.

I’m a visual person, and when I write my books, I see the characters and settings in my head. I also hear the characters’ voices, which can be a little disconcerting. But back to visuals. When I wrote this book, several years ago, I had very specific images of what Ted, the hero, and Abby, the heroine, looked like.

Ted was tall with light brown hair, piercing eyes, and a wiry body, more like a baseball player than a football player. He dressed casually, often wearing the typical tech outfit of khakis and a polo. And of course, his hearing aids. Abby was short with long, straight, dark hair and gray eyes. She dressed to fit in with her co-workers, so jeans, basically. She favored the color pink. While I saw them both in my head, I never expected to find photos of them anywhere because they weren’t based on anyone in real life.

But some readers like to see what is going on in the author’s head, even if they also like to use their own imagination when picturing characters. So on days when I was procrastinating writing, I’d go on the Internet and look for photos that I thought embodied my characters. I found them and created a Pinterest board for them.

The setting was easy. The story takes place outside of San Francisco, so I could access plenty of city photos and make up the town on my own. The other part of the story takes place in New York City, a place I’m very familiar with. I was able to use my own photos to describe the kissing in the New York Public Library scene, as well as the scene of them skating at Rockefeller Center.

It was fun using photos I’ve taken in the past—it brought back memories of visiting there with friends and family. And when I knew I needed a specific location, I could either go back in person, or once again, check the Internet.

So I’m curious. When you read, do you picture the characters and places in your head? What about when you write? And do you like seeing the visuals from the author, or do you prefer to make them up yourself?

Can love break through their firewalls?

Abby Marlow, computer security expert, lands a job at the best IT security firm in the country. Her sole focus is financial independence so she never has to rely on others again, especially a man. But why does her boss make her wires short circuit?
Ted Endicott, CEO and founder of the IT security firm, is hard of hearing. Although an expert in his field, he’s still uncomfortable admitting his difficulty hearing to his clients or employees. So why is he willing to accept Abby’s help?
As Ted and Abby work together, barriers fall away, and soon the lines blur between colleagues and lovers. But a security glitch in a client's system indicates one of his employees is the hacker, and all signs point to Abby. Can they get past the suspicion and find a future together?

Find Unlock My Heart, now, available online!

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ iBooks ~ Kobo

Here’s an excerpt…

“You always run alone?”
She pointed to a nearby jogger. “I’m not alone.”
“But you’re not with anyone.”
Standing this close to him, she wished for things she shouldn’t. “No, I’m not.”
“How far are you going?”
“The end of the trail and back.” Or however long it
took to get him out of her mind.
He put his helmet on. “Come on, I’ll keep you company.”
“It’s not necessary.” Clearing her mind would be impossible with him next to her.
“It’s safer this way.” He looked down the trail.
His desire to protect her sent warmth curling up and down her spine. It had been a long time since anyone was concerned about her. All of a sudden, the idea of company appealed to her. Touching his arm— and trying not to squeeze his bicep like you would if you tested the ripeness of a peach—she waited for him to turn. “You’re welcome to join me if you want. If you can keep up.” She winked and raced away, his bark of laughter a brief punch in the silence behind her.
She no longer kept an easy pace, easing into the morning. This time, she sprinted hard. The slight whir of his bike wheels warned her as he reached her a few moments later.
“You’re pretty fast, but I’d suggest you slow down.”
She turned toward him. “Out of pity for you?”
His lips twitched, and his nostrils flared, but he kept his humor reined tight. Instead, he cycled next to her, his head turned slightly toward her. “The only pity I ask for is please don’t make me carry you home when you’re too tired to continue.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, sir.” She made sure he could read her lips.
He grinned, and the last of her tension disappeared. He accepted her teasing.
“Oh, you’ll pay,” he said.
He rode ahead, and she thought for sure he would leave her in the dust. But he turned around, a gleam in his eye, and returned to her side. When they reached a part of the trail farther on, he pulled ahead a little and skidded in a puddle, splashing her legs.
She gasped and looked at her mud-spattered shins and ignored the twinkle in his eye. “You play dirty—literally.”
Ted stopped while she paused to clean her legs off. Given the opportunity—two could play this game—she took her mud-streaked hands and wiped them on his chest. She drew in a breath and realized her mistake. Sure, she’d repaid him for splattering her with mud, but a sudden awareness of his body overrode her satisfaction. His muscles were hard, and she wondered what the rest of him felt like. Her pulse pounded in her ears, and her gaze shifted to his lips. What would it be like to kiss them?
She jerked and pulled her hand away. No. She jumped at the strangled sound from the mouth she’d considered kissing and raised her glance to his eyes. His surprise mirrored her own.
Mistake, mistake, mistake! An internal voice blared a warning. She’d intended for it to be like when she and Max, her best friend from childhood, challenged each other as kids. In fact, when he teased her, Ted reminded her of Max—something about the glint in his eye and the “need to win” coupled with concern. But she hadn’t counted on the sexual component.
She closed her eyes. She was not like her mother. She wasn’t.
“Abby?”
She stilled. Maybe he couldn’t see her. Right, and maybe unicorns are real.
“Yes?”
“Open your eyes.” She opened them.
“Let’s get breakfast.”

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.

She writes contemporary romance, many of which feature Jewish characters in non-religious settings (#ownvoices). She’s published with The Wild Rose Press and all her books are available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.