Do You Have Hope? #newyear #goals

Last year was a bad year for me, and I noticed it was for lots of my friends. I can honestly say I am glad to see 2019 go. To start off the new year I invited some guests to share with us their opinions on resolutions and goals for 2020. Our first guest is Jennifer Wilck.

Jennifer: It’s January, and that means everyone is making resolutions. Everyone. Personal, professional or otherwise, you can’t scroll through social media without seeing someone resolve to do better, be better, or try harder. It’s tough on the psyche to see how many people are dissatisfied with their current selves. Yet at the same time, it fills me with hope because no matter how bad life might be in the moment, people everywhere are using this time to try to improve.

I’m not personally much of a resolution maker. I’m always trying to do better, but most of what I’m trying to improve is not what I want to announce to the world. I prefer to tell a specific person I’ll try to be nicer to them, or tell myself I want to lose the extra five pounds. I don’t need or want to announce it to the world, because I don’t want the world to see me fail.

However, I do set goals, and I do have a word for the year.

My word is “hope.” Because quite honestly, the only thing getting me through the dumpster fire of the world right now is a tiny sliver of hope that someday things will get better. And therefore, while I’m nourishing that little sliver, and taking care to make sure I don’t lose it completely, here are my goals for the year:

1. To be kinder and more thoughtful.
2. To be healthier—in all ways.
3. To dedicate more time to writing, editing and critiquing.
4. To further my career and to not be too discouraged when my plan doesn’t work quite the way I intend.
5. To be grateful for the help I’ve received and to pass it along to others.

Those are my top five. What are yours?

Title: Waiting for a Miracle

Author: Jennifer Wilck

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Dec. 2, 2019

Cover Artist: RJ Morris

Benjamin Cohen, widowed father of six-year-old Jessie, is doing his best to hold it together through order and routine. The last thing he needs is his matchmaker mother to set him up with her next door neighbor, no matter how attractive she is.

Rachel Schaecter’s dream of becoming a foster mother is right within her grasp, until her meddlesome neighbor tries to set her up with her handsome son. What’s worse? He’s the father of her favorite kindergarten student! She can’t afford to let anything come between her and her dream, no matter how gorgeous he may be.

Can these two determined people trust in the miracle of Hanukkah to let love and light into their lives?

Excerpt

Six-year-old bodies were good at many things— bouncing, hugging, and racing. Rachel was thankful they were also good at hiding her surprise. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine her favorite student, and her student’s father, would be at her neighbor’s house the same night she was invited to celebrate Hanukkah.

She met the hard gaze of Jessie’s father across the room. Eyes narrowed as if he suspected her reasons for being here. His broad shoulders were stiff. His jean-clad muscular legs were spread apart in a solid stance. Square hands fisted at his sides, and one of them held a menorah. Did he plan to throw it or club someone with it?

Giving Jessie a last pat, she rose. With an arm around Jessie, she extended her other hand to her father. “Happy Hanukkah.”

“Ms. Schaecter.”


“Mr. Cohen.”


“Oh, please,” Harriet said, “Such formality between you two. Rachel, this is my son Benny. I mean Benjamin.”

Benny. Rachel filed the information away for later, along with his flushed skin at the nickname. Interesting.

“And Benjamin, this is my neighbor, Rachel. We’re not at a school event. You can call each other by your first names.” Harriet pointed at Jessie, who gripped Rachel’s hand so hard, Rachel’s fingers lost their circulation. “Except for you,” Harriet added. “You have to call her Ms. Schaecter.”

Jessie giggled. “Yes, Grandma.”

You can buy it here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZMQ2BWZ

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/waiting-for-a-miracle-jennifer-wilck/1134117349?ean=2940161018385

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/waiting-for-a-miracle/id1484912207

Meet Jennifer:

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, 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.

You can stalk Jennifer here:

Website: http://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

Backlist: A Heart of Little Faith, Addicted to Love, Five Minutes to Love, Learning to Love, In the Moment