Dina Jacobs is a single librarian who has never fit in due to her off-the-charts intelligence, frizzy hair and rounder-than-socially-acceptable figure. She left her past behind until she receives an invitation to her ten-year high school reunion, and all her insecurities return.

Adam Mandel is a single corporate attorney who just missed his third deadline at his father’s law firm, the law firm where he is up for junior partner. With his reputation on the line, Adam needs all the help he can get to convince his father that he deserves the promotion.

When Dina and Adam run into each other on a deserted road, Dina thinks Mr. Flashypants can’t possibly be interested in someone like her. Adam thinks Dina is just the person to help him improve his reputation. Lies and insecurities force them to take a look at themselves. Can they trust each other to look beyond the surface?

Learning to Love is on sale for $0.99. Available at Amazon Barnes & Noble Apple iBooks

I’m so excited to host fellow Wild Rose Press author, Jennifer Wilck. Welcome!

• Tell us three things we’d find if we looked under your heroine’s bed? How about the hero’s? Great question! Dina space beneath her bed would be filled with books—carefully stacked so they don’t get damaged, of course, because she’s a librarian. She’s desperate to find space for all of them! There would be a pair of pink fluffy slippers, and probably a stray dust bunny because it’s really hard to vacuum around all those books. Adam uses that space to hide things—a box of photos of his mom, who left when he was little; a stack of comic books that were his favorite as a child; and an extra box of condoms, because until he meets Dina, he’s a player.

• What is the theme of this book? If it’s part of a series, how does this book fit into the series? The theme is hiding who you are from others, and how love allows that secret part of you to shine. Both Dina and Adam are afraid to show their true selves, but they’re easily able to recognize the hidden part in each other. And they like what they see. Learning to Love is the third book in my Serendipity Series. However, you don’t have to read the other two books first—the series can be read in any order.

• Why do you write this genre? What inspired this story? Do you write any other genres? I love writing contemporary romance and Jewish characters is my niche. I think diversity adds texture and helps to mirror the real world. Adam was the “bad boy” in the other books, and I wanted to give him a chance to redeem himself. Dina is his complete opposite and the one he can’t get out of his head, so she’s perfect for him. Plus, she makes him grow and change.

• Any tips to share with fellow authors/aspiring authors? What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard. The best advice I’ve heard is never stop writing. Don’t worry about if it’s bad or uninspired. Just write. It’s a muscle. The more you use it, the better it will get.

An excerpt from Learning to Love:

What the hell just happened? She wanted to be friends. The only kind of “friend” he wanted to be with her had “boy” attached to it. No, that wasn’t true. He enjoyed her friendship because he loved talking to her, hearing her opinions, sharing himself with her.

But he was becoming more attracted to her. So far, they’d only kissed, but that one kiss, that unbelievable kiss, haunted him. His lips still burned where they’d touched hers, his insides still turned to jelly when he thought about it. In fact, he’d been hoping there would have been more kissing in her apartment once he’d apologized for his gaffe.

But she’d focused on their arrangement and her overreaction, and here he was pulling away from the curb into rush hour traffic.

She thought he was dating her only to impress his father. If he were one hundred percent honest with himself, he’d acknowledge the partial truth in that statement. But the more time he spent time with her, when he wasn’t royally screwing things up with her, the more he wanted to move beyond their arrangement.

His head was another matter. It was still focused on not making a fool of himself, on maintaining the right reputation, on spinning the right message.

But listening to his head was probably what had gotten him into this mess in the first place. As unbelievable as it might sound, it was time to follow his heart.

From Shirley: I’m so thrilled to show off my new cover for Eat Your Heart Out, the second book in the series Starting Over.

Two foodies, Dana and Alex, banter, sauté and tiptoe around each other. Except for the occasional smooch. What’s with that? 

I’m sharing more of Eat Your Heart Out’s details on my blog. Read the blurb and click this link https://midagedating.com/ to read an excerpt. Too soon for links, but I’m looking for ARC readers, so please keep in touch. Publication date coming soon!

Thanks to Debbie Taylor for her cover and the team at The Wild Rose Press for all their hard work!

Blurb for Eat Your Heart Out

When a tyrant in stilettos replaces her beloved boss, and her ex snags her coveted job, teacher Dana Narvana discovers there are worse things than getting dumped on Facebook. Time for the BFF advice squad, starting with Dana’s staunchest ally, Alex—hunky colleague, quipster, and cooking pal extraordinaire. But when the after-hours smooching goes nowhere, she wonders why this grown man won’t make up his mind. 

Alex Bethany’s new lifestyle gives him the confidence to try online dating. What he craves is a family of his own until a life-altering surprise rocks his world. He knows he’s sending Dana mixed messages. Alex panics when he thinks he’s blown his chance with his special person. From appetizers to the main course will these two cooking buddies make it to dessert? 

Funny and bittersweet, Dana and Alex’s story will have you rooting for them.

When I write out what I’ve accomplished, I’m proud. 2020 has been a year for everyone, and I definitely haven’t been immune. The year started and ended with health concerns for several of my dearest family members (not related to the pandemic). With my immediate family home since March (yep, still on virtual school and no end in sight), I was more distracted than ever.

But I worked really hard and achieved my goals for the year.

I’m so happy about the books I released this year. Thanks to my wonderful editor at The Wild Rose Press, Leanne Morgena, I shared two stories that have touched my heart. When you read Love Overboard and Holidays, Inc., I hope you feel the same!

I don’t know what the new year will bring. I’ve stop planning so far in advance (except the one vacation rescheduled…again…). I’m focused on what I can do and stopped putting off work for another day. I doubt I’m cured of procrastination forever, but in the short-term I’m giving every day my all.

More books are coming in the New Hope series (and a fun collection of deleted scenes). I’ve signed on for a total of three books. I haven’t written a trilogy in a while. I’ve loved re-visiting some of my favorite characters in the quirky, fictional Wisconsin town and re-evaluating some of the key moments from another perspective. We are all the heroes of our own story. True even for the one novel’s antagonist.

I’m also delighted to share a brand-new series in a different genre launches in the Fall of 2021. Starting with Her Hometown Dream, my Christian romance series set in a small-town will be published with the fabulous Anaiah Press. If you haven’t read Christian romance in a while (or ever), I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. The genre isn’t preachy. Instead, faith is wrapped around the core of each story (the unshakeable heart). Each book in my series follows a different hero and heroine in the special town of Harmony, Illinois and centers on forgiveness.

Thank you for following along with me. I so appreciate your support on my ever evolving writing path!