February 15, 2019 · 12:30 am

#1stLineFriday Cooking with Kandy

“Hold on to your forks, folks, because today I’m making one of Grandma Sophie’s to-die-for layer cakes, guaranteed to make your sweet tooth tingle.” Kandy Laine aimed a wide, dimpled grin at the television camera.

 

Buy links: Amazon //Apple // Google // Kobo // Nook//

Walmart // Books-a-Million

Reviews for COOKING WITH KANDY

Read a preview of Cooking With Kandy

Sugar and spice and everything sexy make the perfect recipe for romance in this brand-new series by Peggy Jaeger. Look for exclusive recipes in each book

Kandy Laine built her wildly popular food empire the old-fashioned way-starting with the basic ingredients of her grandmother’s recipes and flavoring it all with her particular brand of sweet spice. From her cookbooks to her hit TV show, Kandy is a kitchen queen-and suddenly someone is determined to poison her cup. With odd accidents and threatening messages piling up, strong-willed Kandy can’t protest when her team hires someone to keep her safe-but she can’t deny that the man for the job looks delicious…

Josh Keane is a private investigator, not a bodyguard. But with one eyeful of Kandy’s ebony curls and dimpled smile, he’s signing on to uncover who’s cooking up trouble for the gorgeous chef. As the attraction between them starts to simmer, it’s not easy to keep his mind on the job, but when the strange distractions turn to true danger, he’ll stop at nothing to keep Kandy safe-and show her that a future together is on the menu…

 

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February 14, 2019 · 12:30 am

#ValentinesDay2019 What every #RomanceWriter knows….

Valentine’s day is the one day of the year the rest of the world realizes what we, as writers of romance, know every day: Love makes the world go around.

Wasn’t that a song? (Yup – and here it is : http://bit.ly/2GqHhdW )

I loved when I was in grade school and we were compelled by the teacher to give out little boxed Valentine cards to one another. Every kid in your class received one, that was the rule. No one was left out, not even the teacher. I remember thinking back then, wouldn’t it be a nicer world if everyone received a Valentine’s Day card every day of the year? If everyone was remembered and no one was left out? Wouldn’t the world just be a better place if everyone got to feel valued? Cared about? Thought of? I know I certainly felt that way when I opened my cards.

 

When I got older and the giving of cards was no longer required, I was sad. Not because I wasn’t receiving any cards (BTW, I wasn’t!) but more because that lesson of showing kindness and inclusion and love to everyone around you was no longer practiced. We were deemed old enough now to make our own decisions on whom to show our love to. I wasn’t the only girl – or boy – who wasn’t given a card or a rose or a chocolate bar on Valentine’s Day. While others found cards and letters shoved into their lockers, or stuffed animals with balloons delivered to their homerooms, those of us who received nothing would be sniggered at and whispered about because we stood out. I can remember what it felt like to feel unworthy; unliked; unloveable. A day devoted to love would morph into the polar opposite of its intended meaning for me.

I really think this was the impetus for me to write romance. I wanted to give people a Valentine card in the form of stories about love. I wanted to make people feel optimistic that one day they would get their own HEA; that everlasting love would find them; that there was someone, somewhere in the world who had their name stamped on a heart. Someone just for them.

 

As writers of romance we know the intricacies, the ins and outs, the torments and the ultimate elations of finding love. In its purest form, we write about hope. And I truly believe our readers feel hopeful when they read our books. Hopeful that if lasting love hasn’t found them yet, it will. Hopeful that if two characters can put side their differences and problems and realize they are better together than apart, than the reality of that happening to the reader is possible. Hopeful that love truly does make the a world better place. Some may think that’s a little schmaltzy, and maybe it is. But think of the alternative. Which would you like to believe? I know my choice.

Now, I can look back on those lonely Valentine Days of my teenaged years and be thankful because experiencing what it was like to be on the sidelines of feeling loved made me determined to instill in others a feeling of optimism. It forged in me a resolve to show everyone they are valued, worthy of love, and that they are seen. It proved to me that love truly does make the work go around. ( Cue the YOU-TUBE video again! Hee Hee)

 

So this Valentine’s Day I have a request. Don’t send a card or give candy only to that one person – or more – you love. Show someone who may be feeling unloved the same kindness and thought. Maybe you have an elderly neighbor who has no family, or whose family lives far away, and he/she is all alone on Valentine’s Day. Send them – or better yet, deliver to them – homemade cookies and a card. Maybe you have a food kitchen in your community that serves the homeless, or low-income residents. Have your kids make Valentine’s cards to be passed out with the daily meal. (I still love and recommend those boxed cards because they are so adorable!) Address a card to your mailperson and leave it in your mailbox for them to pickup when they make your delivery. Do the same with your garbage men, or any service industry people you come in contact with. Nursing home residents are members of a community that many times get overlooked and forgotten on Valentine’s Day. Again, a little boxed card and a Hershey’s kiss candy can go a long way in making someone’s day happier.

Everyone deserves to feel special and loved, and not just on the one day we collectively devote to it, but everyday. If we all start with that premise and then practice it, think about how happier people would be; how much nicer we would all be to one another; how much brighter our days would turn. How our world would be a better place.

Just something to think about….

Happy Valentine’s Day from me to you every day of the year! ~ Peg

(PS. This blog was also posted on the CRW blogsite today)

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February 13, 2019 · 4:08 am

#L&SR #WednesdayBloggingChallenge 2.13.19 Memories, light the corners of my mind…

Okay, so today the topic REALLY is: Most romantic memory. I’ve blogged about this one before, but it always bears repeating because the story is sososo typical of hubby and me. 

First, a little backstory is called for:

I don’t get a lot of gifts. I didn’t as a child and I haven’t as an adult. I tell you that so you’ll know how precious the gift I’m going to tell you about really is to me.

Obviously, I’m a girl. Duh. I was a child in the 1960’s a time when stereotypical gender roles were still very much in place. Boys got baseball cards, BBguns, and sports equipment for Christmas and birthday gifts.

Girls got Barbies, Easy Bake Ovens, and board games like Mystery Date.

I hated all those girly-girly toys. Still do, to be truthful. Even back then I knew they were designed to keep girls in their places, hoping and dreaming of the perfect boy/man to come along and take care of us for eternity.

Gag me now.

I so did not buy into that dream. But that’s a blog for another day.

When I was eight I asked Santa ( that’s right. I still believed in Santa at 8. Still do, in fact.) for a toy I’d seen advertised on Saturday mornings during the cartoon hours. It was aimed at the boy buying market but I didn’t care. I asked Santa that year for ROCK’EM SOCK’EM ROBOTS.

Lordy, I wanted that toy!!! I said a prayer every night that Santa would leave it for me. I was extra good around the house, doing my chores and even doing things I wasn’t asked to do just to score some brownie points with Old St. Nick.

Christmas morning came and….no robots. I think I opened a new outfit or two for the Barbie doll he’d brought me the year before – the one I NEVER played with, and some Barbie coloring books.

Devastated is too tame for how I felt. My mother asked me why I was so pissed ( and yes, she did say it like that to an 8 year old. Is it any wonder I am the way I am today?) I told her I’d asked Santa for Rock’em Sock’em Robots and couldn’t understand why I didn’t get it. I’d been good, did well in school, went to church. Did everything I was told and supposed to do.

Her explanation was very telling. She shrugged, took a puff of her cigarette and said, “‘Cause you’re a girl, not a boy. Santa doesn’t give boy toys to girls or girl toys to boys. That’s not right.”

See? Telling.

Now, you’re probably wondering why I told you that story. Stick with me and you’ll understand why.

Flash forward 48 years. I’m sitting at dinner with my entire in-law family a few days before Christmas and we go around the table telling stories about Christmas’s of the past. My father-in-law asks me what the best gift I ever got was. I told him, instead, about the Rock’em Sock’em Robots debacle and how much I’d really wanted that toy and how upset I’d been when I didn’t get it. On to the next person for another story.

Christmas morning comes and we are spending it with my in-laws. I wake up and we all start to unwrap gifts. My husband hands me a huge box wrapped with a big red bow and a tag that said, “to Peg, from Santa”.

Since I hadn’t asked for anything that year, I was in a quandary about what it could be. When I opened it I started bawling my eyes out. Yup – you guessed it. He’d given me the toy I’d always wanted. Apparently, after hearing the story I’d told a few nights before, he’d sent my brother-in-law to Toys R Us with instructions to get it for me.

Is it any wonder I love this man and have for over 30+ years? As far as romantic memories go, this one does it for me first, last, and always!

Since this is an author blog hop, let’s see what some of the other writers in this challenge find romantic. Click on this link to read their entires: L&SRWednesdayBloggingChallenge

And if you’r looking for me, you can always find me here:

Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triber// BookMe // Monkey me //Watch me

and here’s the link to my TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAMN BOOK podcast interview, just in case you missed it: TMAYDB

 

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February 13, 2019 · 12:15 am

#DeerbourneInn #bookrelease SPIRITED QUEST by Julie Howard

 

For the second tine this week I’m thrilled to announce another addition to the Wild Rose Press’s DEEBOURNE INN SERIES. Today, author and WRP sistah JULIE HOWARD‘S book SPIRITED QUEST releases. I find it fascinating how each author came to their own story for this series, and when I asked Julie to tell me how she decided what to write about, she was gracious enough to share her thoughts on the process. Her book SPIRITED QUEST is billed as a Mystery, Thrilled, Suspense, and Ghost story all rolled into one! Yowza. I can’t wait to read this one. Come and read about Julie’s process with her story and then stick around for an excerpt.

Julie…you’ve got the floor!

I never planned on writing a ghost story. But when I heard about a series my publisher, The Wild Rose Press, was planning, I took a close look at what was involved. I’ve written two books in my own series, but never participated in one that had numerous authors writing about the same small town. Was I up to the task?

First, an explanation on how this series works. Authors are given some guidelines. All stories take place in the same fictional town of Willow Springs, Vermont. Their characters are a mix of set townspeople who can appear in any of the books and “new” people who visit the historic Deerbourne Inn. From there, the world is pretty much wide open. Stories range from romance to paranormal to historical. Well over a dozen books are in the works, and my Spirited Quest was the fifth book to be released last week.

You don’t need to read them in order; each book stands alone as a complete story. The fun of a series is you can immerse yourself in the world of Willow Springs and get to know various characters and more about the town by following each release.

I call my story “sweet, short and spooky.” There’s a sweet price of $2.99, all books are novellas, and mine includes a ghost who flits along the historical floorboards of the inn.

This is my first novella and first paranormal mystery too. I found it such a joy to write this story and love my ghost and the connection she forges with one of my main characters. Who knew a ghost would be such fun? I’ve now started a paranormal series and hope to pitch it to my publisher later this year. Fingers crossed!

 

 

               She’s chasing a ghost, but who is chasing her?

Paige Norman believes in a tangible, explainable world. When her ghost-hunting niece comes for a visit, she tries not to scoff. But someone, or something, is stirring up trouble at the Deerbourne Inn and her niece, Jillian, is at the center of the mystery.

Paige is certain the handsome Aussie photographer is behind the unexplained disturbances, and she warns her niece to stay clear. Meanwhile, Jillian gets to know the otherworldly Lady of the Deerbourne, who foretells an encounter with “two men.” Then the pranks turn dangerous. Has her niece attracted a stalker or has she conjured an evil presence? Can the culprit be the man who has captured her heart? 

Excerpt:

He nodded a friendly greeting to her, his gaze grazing past to include others on the porch. “G’day, ma’am. G’day all.”

An Australian. Her heart skipped a beat. Oh, to be twenty-five, even thirty-five, again. His gaze settled on her niece, and as always happened to men where this girl was concerned, his jaw slackened, then tightened.

Next to her, Jillian grew still, lifting wide blue eyes to the newcomer. The moment passed. He was through the front door and into the lobby, and the door closed behind him.

“You’re in for some nice company this week,” Paige commented with a smile.

A frown flickered across her niece’s face. “I’ve seen him before.”

“You’ve met?”

“Not exactly. He appeared to me in a dream.” Jillian’s blue eyes were troubled as she gazed at the Inn’s front door. She lifted one hand and rubbed the back of her head, then gave a shiver. “There was blood and I was afraid.”

You can purchase SPIRITED QUEST here:

amazon //ibooks //B&N // WRP 

// Kobo // Google Play

 

A little about Julie Howard

Julie Howard is the author of Wild Crime, a series of domestic suspense novels.

The novels follow an abused woman figuring out her life after her husband moves them to an isolated valley in Idaho. After he is murdered, all the evidence points to her. She finds that not is all it seems in this remote stretch in the wilds of Idaho.

Julie is also the author of a number of short stories and organizer of the Boise chapter of Shut Up & Write, part of an international writing organization. She blogs here about writing and life in Idaho.

Julie Howard grew up in California’s Central Valley and started writing stories in grade school. Creating other lives and places was intoxicating, and she hasn’t stopped writing since then.Today, she writes only fiction, focusing on stories about women seeking strength, meaning, and renewal in their lives.She gained her degree in journalism from Fresno State University, California and went on to write for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, The Sacramento Bee and numerous other publications.

You can connect with Julie here:

Website // FB // Goodreads // Amazon //

 

By Reservation Only   Hope’s Dream  Freedom’s Path    Lyrical Embrace

                     

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February 11, 2019 · 2:00 am

#DeerbourneInn #bookrelease; Lyrical Embrace by Amber Daulton

 

The fourth addition in the Wild Rose Press series the DEERBOURNE INN releases today. LYRICAL EMBRACE from WRP sistah and multipublished author AMBER DAULTON. 

Because we’re also Deerbourne author/sistah’s, I recently asked Amber where her inspiration for Lyrical Embrace came from. She was kind enough to share with me – and you – just what made this a story she had to tell. Amber take it away….

  What Inspired Lyrical Embrace

Early in 2018, The Wild Rose Press sent out a submission call for in-house authors to write for the Deerbourne Inn, a new multi-author series that spans several sub-genres and heat levels of romance. I’d already published one novel with them and was pleased with both my editor’s and the publisher’s professionalism, so I was happy to submit a second manuscript.

The series takes place in the fictional town of Willow Springs, Vermont, but Lyrical Embrace is definitely not your typical small town romance. There’s intrigue, spicy love scenes, and a bit of danger mixed in.

When I first outlined the plot, I envisioned a woman fearing for her life. Erica, the heroine, flees the big city to escape her abusive, manipulative boyfriend and winds up stranded during a rainstorm. I’m sure a lot of readers could relate to her and sympathize with such a situation, especially those who have experienced neglect from someone claiming to care for them.

I love books and movies about rock stars, music, and partying, but I’m picky about the rock star romances I read since I just don’t like the drugs and cheating that make up the lifestyle. For Lyrical Embrace, I decided to feature a retired musician as the hero. Dylan has returned home to his roots and is getting his life back together after five years of drinking and jumping from groupie to groupie. He and Erica have an instant connection.

I wasn’t able to bring in any of my real-life experiences into this story, so I pulled ideas straight from my imagination, which is a pretty wild place to be most of the time. Stories about down-on-their-luck people or those who have experienced some kind of traumatic event has always spoken to me, so I tend to write that kind of story in order to give the hero and heroine a well-deserved happy ending.

Even though Erica is on the run, the story is still upbeat and fun. The characters are genuine and flawed. I enjoyed writing the novella, and I hope readers will love it.

LYRICAL EMBRACE

 

Out-of-work violinist Erica Timberly decides enough is enough. She leaves her abusive boyfriend and flees the big city, but then her car breaks down in the middle of the night. Though wary of men, she accepts help from Dylan Haynes, a stranger driving by on the road, and soon recognizes him as the sexy former drummer of her favorite indie rock band. Maybe, just maybe, her run of bad luck is finally turning around.

Music teacher Dylan Haynes knows Erica is in trouble, and her black eye is only the first clue. The stubborn yet vulnerable woman needs a friend, but he’s determined to give her everything she deserves.

Will Erica listen to the music in her heart and trust Dylan, or will her past always threaten her future?

Excerpt:

Erica leaned up and combed her fingers through her hair. “I’ve never made love outside before. It’s a surreal experience.”

“We can do it wherever you want. In an elevator, in an alley, in my car. I’m game anywhere and everywhere for as long as you want me.”

“I want you so much it hurts.”

Dylan thumbed her knuckles and hoped she meant that. “I don’t know how you feel about labels, but I haven’t had a girlfriend in years. I’ve just had flings, but I want more than that with you. I want us to be with each other and no one else. I want a relationship with you.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “I feel divided in two. A part of me thinks we’re moving too fast, but another part says to jump in with both feet. I want something real with you too. I don’t want to feel dirty after we fool around. Just make me happy. Will you do that, Dylan?”

Her soft, pain-filled words struck Dylan like a dagger in his gut, and he bit the insides of his cheeks to steady his features.

Her ex-boyfriend had probably called her names and degraded her after they would find release in each other’s body, and the bastard likely never cared if she reached climax at all.

“I understand, Erica. I promise to treat you with nothing but respect, and I will do my very best to make you happy. I swear you will always scream your head off in pleasure every time I touch you. I’m not the sort of man to get my jollies off and leave my girl hanging.”

Her lips twitched up in a grin. “That’s good to hear.”

“So are you my girl?”

“Yeah, I’m your girl.” Erica giggled and tapped her fingers on his chest. “How could I not be? You make a very compelling argument, but I will have to hold you to it. I’m definitely looking forward to screaming every time you touch me.”

“Let’s rest, and then we’ll play again. The night’s early, and I’ve only just begun.”

You can get your copy of Lyrical Embrace at these fine on-line retailers:

Amazon //B&N // iTunes // Kobo // Googleplay //WRP // Books2read

 

A little about Amber Daulton

Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through The Wild Rose Press and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.

Amber lives in North Carolina with her husband and four demanding cats. Feel free to visit her at http://www.amberdaultonauthor.blogspot.com.

 

You can connect with Amber here:

Facebook // Twitter // Pinterest // Goodreads // Amazon // Instagram //Book Bub // Book Gorilla // Smashwords // LinkedIn // Google Plus // WRP

 

Peggy here ~ Amber, thanks so much for joining me today!

And don’t forget – you can get the other books already released in the Deerbourne series here:

By Reservation Only   Hope’s Dream  Freedom’s Path

                        

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February 10, 2019 · 12:15 am

#SundaySnippet 2.10.19 PASSION’S PALETTE

Book 5 in the MacQuire Women series is PASSION’s PALETTE, the story of Serena MacQuire and Seamus Cleary. These are two fiery personalities and it’s not unusual they fall hard and fast for one another.  In this snippet, their mutual attraction isn’t exactly what Serena is looking for.

Seamus’s pulse galloped the moment her arms went around him. Her smooth skin against his was too much. Before he could stop himself, his hand came up to her shoulder, and encircling her neck with his palm, he pulled her closer. Their lips were a whisper away from one another. When her tongue nervously flicked across her bottom lip, an explosion ripped through his core.

Was she really as sweet tasting as he remembered? He needed to know, needed the silky smoothness of her lips pressed to his again to be sure.

With a swift, firm tug on her neck, he pulled her closer and claimed her mouth.

And she was as wonderful as he remembered. She hadn’t stiffened or pulled away as he’d thought she would. Instead, she leaned into him, a willing participant showing him her own desire.

He needed no further encouragement. A gentle yank at the waistband of her pants, and she was down on his lap. Her hands settled on his shoulders, touching so softly he barely felt them.

Taking her lower lip between his teeth in the lightest of nips, he then ran his tongue gently along the seam of her mouth. When she opened, allowing him entry, he explored and tasted every nook and cranny of her mouth. The notion he could sit here consuming her all day and that it would never be enough to satisfy his growling hunger for her swam through him.

Serena broke from the kiss and tried to pull back, but the firm grip of his hands on her waist pinioned her in place.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, averting her eyes.

“I’m not.”

“It must be the champagne. I’m not usually so…forward.” She shook her head as if clearing it.

Seamus studied her in silence, knowing the way she’d reacted to the kiss had nothing to do with the wine.

“Well, I’m glad this happened. I’ve been trying for hours to figure a way to kiss you again without making you mad at me. I wish you’d have asked me about this modeling business when you first arrived. If I’d known it was going to bring out this kind of response, I’d have volunteered myself before being asked.”

Her head shot up at his words. Why was the irritation drenching her eyes as intoxicating as her taste had been?
“It’s no secret I’m attracted to you, Serena,” he said before she could rail at him. “I have been since that first morning in the barn. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you feel the same.”

“You certainly make your presence known,” she told him after a few beats. “I don’t usually kiss a man within the first five minutes of meeting him.”

“Good. I’ll take that as a yes.” He dropped a light kiss in the hollow behind her ear. “Where do we go from here with this?”

“Oh, Seamus. Don’t do that. Please.”

“Here’s a start.” He pulled back and regarded her. “Why don’t you call me Jim like everyone else does?”

Serena’s gaze flitted across his lips and landed at the scar. “No, I don’t think I can do that. Your name is too unusual. Too…I don’t know,” she said with a delicate shrug. “Too you. I like your name. It fits you. Like this house does.”

Charmed, he said, “Okay. Forget the name. How about having dinner with me tomorrow? I promise this time I’ll go grocery shopping.”

“You just want me to cook for you again.” She broke into a wide grin.

“Well, you could. Or we could go out on a real date.”

After a second, the humor dancing in her eyes faded. She bit down on the corner of her bottom lip. “Seamus, maybe this isn’t a good idea. I mean, I’ve been so busy lately with everything in my life, I don’t know if I really want to add a…relationship…to it now. I don’t think I could do it justice.”

His hand came up and tenderly smoothed the burgeoning furrow between her eyes. “I’m not asking you to free the known world, Serena. Just out to dinner. The answer is simple. Yes or no. No heavy thought involved.”

“A real restaurant?” she asked after a few moments.

“You get to pick it.”

“Whatever kind of food I want?”

He squinted down at her. “Why does that question terrify me?”

“The answer is simple,” she mocked. “Yes or no?”

“Smart aleck. Okay, you pick.”

“Good.”

Intrigued? Here’s where you can order the book to read more:

Amazon // B&N // KOBO // i-tunes // Google Play // Books-a-million // Walmart

and you can find all the MacQuire women books, 1-5 at the same on-line retail sites.

                     

Peggy Jaeger ~ Strong Women. Loving Men

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February 8, 2019 · 12:14 am

#1stLineFriday 2.8.19

Serena MacQuire twined her long fingers together, stretched her arms, just grazing her bed’s headboard, and smiled.

Talented and witty portrait artist Serena MacQuire is successful in everything but love. Her gift for capturing people on canvas is rivaled only by her fiery and legendary temper. A tragedy from the past keeps her heart securely locked away, preventing any man from getting close enough to claim it.

But Seamus Cleary isn’t just any man. After he left his professional football career to become a veterinarian, his bitter wife ended their marriage. Now, as he starts his life over in a new town, love is the last thing he’s looking for. The more he tends to Serena’s horses, though, the more he realizes her own heart needs tender care and healing as well.

Will he be the man who finally unlocks and claims her heart?

Buy Links:

Amazon // B&N // KOBO // i-tunes // Google Play // Books-a-million // Walmart

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February 6, 2019 · 4:45 am

#L&SR #WednesdayBlogging Challenge. At The Movies!

I have to admit this: I don’t go to the movies as much as I used to. There are dozens of reasons, but the main ones are I like watching a movie from the comfort of my own, silent home in my own comfortable reclining chair; I hate movie food; and the prices per movie ( 15.00 where I live) are – simply put – ridiculous and not worth the expense. I wasn’t always this way. Up until about 10 years ago I went to the movie theater every weekend. But that’s a topic for another day and blog.

Today’s prompt – Favorite Movies of all time and why – is a cinemaholics dream and nightmare rolled into one. How is it possible to choose from the thousands of flicks I’ve adored and watched over and over again? Well, I’ll try to whittle it down.

You may assume, because I write romance novels for a living, my favorite genre of movie would be RomComs or tearjerkers. Your assumption would be wrong. So wrong. I’m an action girl and I love a good shoot-em-up-bang-bang movie! I also  love a toe-tapping singalong musical and I’m a sucker for the fast paced Preston Sturgis-type black and white movies of the 1930’s and early 1040’s.

First, shoot-em-up-bang-bang favorites:

PREDATOR

– made when the former governor of California was at his action packed height. The reason I lovelovelove this movie is because it has one of the best lines ever written. Jesse – the Body – Ventura is shot and is bleeding. One of team says “you’re bleeding, man.” Jesse’s comeback? He spits and says, “I ain’t got time to bleed.”

DIE HARD ( the first movie) the movie that made Bruce Willis a household name in the action field.

The reason this movie is so near and dear to me is because it features one of my favorite tropes: the everyday man caught in an extraordinary circumstance. Some may argue that Willis’s character, John McClane, wasn’t an everyman, but a cop who knew how to fight his way out of a hairy situation. While that may be true, in reality, McClane was just a guy trying to get home for Christmas, not a cop who stumbled upon a nefarious plot that made his exwife a hostage. Alan Rickman was at his absolute villain best in this movie!

THE EQUALIZER

– while not an everyman, ex-CIA operative Denzel Washington is no longer in the business. What’s that old saying? You can take the man out of the CIA but you can’t take the CIA out of the man? This movies’s a favorite because DENZEL!!!

 

Second favorite genre of movies: Musicals

HIGH SOCIETY –

the musical version of the 1939 movie The Philadelphia Story which is one of my all time fav RomComs. (Remember those 1930-s fast paced ROMCOMS in black and white I said I loved?) HIGH SOCETY stars Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly, Louis Armstrong and Celeste Holm in a mad romp about a divorced couple, the heroines’ attempt to remarry, her father’s infidelity, an ex husband still in love, and the Newport Jazz festival all mixed together in one weekend of flirty fun and shenanigans. The reason this is one of my favorites? Well, show don’t tell applies to blogging, too, so gave a gander at this: HIGH SOCIETY

Next, we’ve got HolidayMovies and there really is only one that does it for me:
LOVE ACTUALLY.

 

Told from multiple viewpoints that all converge in the ending, this movie is simply put, perfect in every way. The main reason it’s one of my favorites is easy to see in this clip: To me you are perfect

ROBIN HOOD, PRINCE OF THIEVES 

– don’t judge me for this one because I’ve heard a gazillion times why this movie is so bad since Kevin Coster is the star. But it has one of the best lines ever written in a movie as a declaration of love and that’s the reason it’s one of my favorites. When Robin rescues Marion from the Sheriff ( Another fabulous role for Alan Rickman) she tells him she can’t believe he came back for her. His response? “I would die for you.” OOoooooooh. I die from delight every time I hear that line!

 

MY COUSIN VINNY

While I don’t like Joe Pesce as a rule, this was a role he was born to play. And it also starred Fred Gwynne  (Herman Munster!) and Marisa Tomei, who is the reason this is one of my fav movies. The scene where her biological clock is ticking is pure comedic genius! Tick Tock

Maybe Long and Short should have another Wednesday blog challenge so I can add more of my favs! 7 is a bit much for now but doesn’t begin to cover them all!!!!

And because this is a blog challenge, clear here to see the favorite movies of the other writers participating. L&SR Wednesday Blog Challenge.

Tune in next week to see what the prompt. And if you’re looking for me, here I am:

Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triber// BookMe // Monkey me //Watch me

and here’s the link to my TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAMN BOOK podcast interview, just in case you missed it: TMAYDB

 

 

 

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February 4, 2019 · 5:22 am

You gotta be in it to Win it!

I know I made a New Year’s resolution to blog only 3-4 times per week because last year it got to be waaaaaay too much to do it more often. Well, I’ve already broken that resolution. Last week I blogged 7 times. There’s a pattern here somewhere and I’m gonna figure out why I am so compelled to do this, but that’s a blog for another day.

The reason I’m blogging today is because I have a number of things going on right now in the Romance reading universe and I wanted to let you all know about them at the same time to save myself a hours of Hootsuiting. I don’t think that’s a verb, but whatever. You all know marketing isn’t my strongest point in this publishing arena.

Right now, I’m participating in 3 Rafflecopter giveaways for the month of February. The prizes vary in each from a Kindle fire to free romance books and book bundles, so you’ll want to click on each link below to see what’s being given away. And you should enter each of them. The prizes are fab and in all honesty you gotta be in it to win it!
In no particular order, here are the links:

NN Lights Love and Romance Book Festival : Link to enter 

The grand opening of the new ROMANCE GEMS blog: Link to enter

Author Constance Bretes Love Forever Romance Ebook giveaway : Link to enter.

And….. don’t forget that 3 WISHES ebook is on sale for 99cents until Feb. 15. Links to buy

 

and last but not least, 3 WISHES is also a BARGAIN BOOKSY deal today!

 

I need a nap! ~ Peg

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February 3, 2019 · 12:15 am

#SundaySnippet 2.3.19

My very first San Valentino romance was part of the Candy Hearts Romance series for Wild Rose Press. This is the book that introduced those crazy San Valentinos to the reading world and is a personal favorite of mine!

Valentine’s Day is chocolatier Chloe San Valentino’s favorite day of the year. Not only is it the busiest day in her candy shop, Caramelle de Chloe, but it’s also her birthday. 

Chloe’s got a birthday wish list for the perfect man she pulls out every year: he’d fall in love with her in a heartbeat, he’d be someone who cares about people, and he’d have one blue eye and one green eye, just like her. 

So far, Chloe’s fantasy man hasn’t materialized, despite the matchmaking efforts of her big, close-knit Italian family. But this year for her big 30th birthday, she just might get her three wishes.

As he moved closer to the table, something deep and primal swirled inside me. He smelled like heaven laced with sin. Spicy, subtle, and with a hint of musk. Whether it was cologne, body soap, or just plain man, he smelled good enough to eat.

And Dio mio, I was starving.

He lifted one of the boxes and read the contents card attached to it. Various nuts coated with caramel and encased in milk chocolate; truffles, their centers filled with the thick, gooey delicacy; even a few bonbons with caramel swirled around the outside in haphazard patterns of pure deliciousness.

He pulled his gaze to mine, a wide, heart-stopping smile on his face. For the first time I got a good look at his eyes, and almost fell to the floor when I did. Like me, he had one blue eye and one green. They were mirror opposites of mine, though, the blue on my right side, his left. My mouth fell open, and I realized I must have looked like an idiot, so I shut it fast enough to make my teeth shudder together, and swallowed.

Hard.

“Heterochromia Iridis,” he said. The heat in his gaze shot an arrow laced with lust straight to my girlie parts.

“Excuse me?” It surprised me I could get that much out of my mouth; I was so overcome by his hotness.

His lips pulled into a sheepish grin. “You have one blue eye and one green,” he said. He tapped the outer corner of one of his own eyes. “Same as me. It’s called Heterochromia Iridis.”

“Good to know.” Dio mio, this was the best I could do? Lame, thy name is Chloe.

I cleared my throat and tried for professional shopkeeper again. “You can try a candy,” I said, “to see if it’s the taste you’re looking for.”

“Really?” His smile turned into a boyish grin, showing all white perfect teeth and deepening the utterly irresistible and kissable cleft. “I live for free samples.”

I couldn’t help myself; I grinned back at him.

“The bane of a shop owner’s existence,” I said. I lifted out a walnut-encased dark chocolate morsel with a caramel-filled center. “Freebies.” I held it out to him and almost fainted when he dipped his head and, instead of taking the candy in his hand, let me drop it into his mouth. For a nanosecond I felt his hot breath slide across my skin as my hand came close to his lips. The tips of my fingers actually felt as if they’d been singed.

He pulled back once he had the candy, sucked it into his mouth, and devoured it.

My mind stopped functioning when I saw his Adam’s apple bobble as the morsel slipped down the back of his throat.

He rolled his eyes and licked his fabulous lips. “Amazing.”

My ego shot up a few degrees.

“She’ll love it. The baby’s been driving her crazy. This is exactly what she needs.”

And then it fell back to earth again.

Intrigued? Here’s where you can read more – and just FYI, 3 WISHES is on sale for 99cents until February 15, so get your copy today!!

Buy Links:

Amazon // Wild Rose Press //  B&n  //i-books //

also available in audio

Audible // i-tunes

and you can find me here:

Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triber// BookMe // Monkey me //Watch me

and here’s the link to my TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAMN BOOK podcast interview, just in case you missed it: TMAYDB

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