Title: The Seduction of Esther
Author: Jennifer Wilck
Release date:
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Samara Goldberg has a problem even the most beautiful singing voice can’t fix. She’s a walking disaster, especially when she’s around handsome men. To make matters worse, she’s in desperate need of someone to play the character of Mordecai for the Purim spiel she’s producing and the new congregant, Nathaniel Abramson, is a perfect fit. Nathaniel is a divorced dad who’s recovering from the biggest public scandal of his life. The last thing he needs is a relationship with the choir director at his new synagogue, who also happens to be playing the lead female role of Esther in the very play he’s been coerced into joining.Woven around the Jewish holiday of Purim, The Seduction of Esther is a story of two people whose lives mirror the plot of the Purim story. Like Esther, who had to hide her Jewish identity from the King of Persia, Samara and Nathaniel are hiding key pieces of themselves. Evil Haman wanted to destroy the Jews, and the nasty Josh will do anything to keep Samara and Nathaniel apart. Will their love survive, like the Jewish people in Shushan, Persia, or will their fear keep them apart?
Goodreads
Book Excerpt
“I did it again,” she muttered to her best friend. She smoothed the tie in her lap and stared at the rain spattering her bedroom window.
“What did you do?”
“You have to ask? Made a fool of myself. In public.”
“Come on, Sam, it couldn’t have been too bad.”
Samara recounted what had happened at the grocery store and waited for Rachel’s reaction. Silence stretched on the other end of the phone and the anticipation built up in Samara’s chest.
“Weeeellll, it could have been worse.”
Rachel’s response didn’t help ease the pressure and Samara pinched the bridge of her nose. “Really, how?”
“He could have tripped on the potatoes and threatened to sue you!”
“Ha!” The sound burst from her lips like air from a popped balloon and the pressure in her chest eased. This was why she confided her thoughts and fears to Rachel. No matter what happened, her best friend always made her feel better.
“You’re right, that would have been worse.”
“See? Besides, it’s not like you’ll ever see him again. So you embarrassed yourself a bit in front of a stranger.”
“A good-looking stranger.”
“Okay, a good-looking stranger. Still, it’s not the end of the world.”
“You’re right, as usual. Will I see you at services Friday?”
“Of course, Sam.”
Samara hung up the phone, still entertained by the image of the guy who’d slipped on the potatoes; a tap dancer gone awry with arms waving in the air like propellers. Muscular propellers. Muscular warm propellers with a firm, yet gentle grip. The grip sent tingles of...something...racing up her arm. She shook her head to clear it, but his voice echoed in her ears. Smooth, like honey, but not too smooth. A tenor. Warm, rich, with a hint of humor. Could he sing? She groaned in frustration. Why am I thinking about him? He’s just some overbearing man who felt the need to take over the situation and made things a thousand times worse. If he’d left her alone, she’d have been fine.
Who was she kidding? She was a klutz and all he’d done was help her. And she’d fled the scene and left him to clean up her mess.
Uck! She covered her eyes. Luckily, she’d never see him again.
About the Author:
When I was a little girl and couldn’t fall asleep, my mother would tell me to make up a story. Pretty soon, my head was filled with these stories and the characters that populated them. Each character had a specific personality, a list of likes and dislikes, and sometimes, even a specific accent or dialect. Even as an adult, I think about the characters and stories at night before I fall asleep, or in the car on my way to or from one of my daughters’ numerous activities (hey, anything that will drown out their music is a good thing).
One day, I started writing them down (it was either that or checking into the local mental hospital—the computer was way less scary) and five years later, I’ve gotten two book contracts from Whiskey Creek Press. A Heart of Little Faith came out in June; Skin Deep is coming out in November.
In the real world, I’m the mother of two amazing daughters and wife of one of the smartest men I know. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, reading, traveling and watching TV. In between chauffeuring my daughters to after-school activities that require an Excel spreadsheet to be kept straight, I serve on our Temple Board, train the dog we adopted from a local shelter, and cook dinners that fit the needs of four very different appetites. I also write freelance articles for magazines, newspapers, and edit newsletters.
When all of that gets overwhelming, I retreat to my computer, where I write stories that let me escape from reality. In my made-up world, the heroines are always smart, sassy and independent. The heroes are handsome and strong with just a touch of vulnerability. If I don’t like a character, I can delete him or her; if something doesn’t work, I can rewrite it. It’s very satisfying to be in control of at least one part of my life. My inspiration comes from watching the people around me and fantasizing about how I’d do things differently.
Official Website: http://www.jenniferwilck.com/
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