OKRWA International Digital Awards Winner’s trailer
Check out whose book is the first to be shown on this impressive list!!! hee hee
and if you’re looking for me anyplace else, look here:
Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me// Triber// BookMe // Monkey me //Watch me
Here’s the link to my TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAMN BOOK podcast interview, just in case you missed it: TMAYDB
and the link to my recent interview on NewHampshirePublicRadio
Filed under Uncategorized
Today’s prompt are your favorite Websites/Podcasts/Blogs.
I’ll admit this straight up: I don’t listen to podcasts. In all reality, I don’t know how. Do you listen on a computer? Your phone? Never mind- don’t tell me. I don’t have the spare time anyway.
I do follow a lot of blogs, though, and read the posts that are put up.
My favs include:
Joanne Guidoccio’s blog , On the Road to Reinvention
Katie O’Sullivan’s Blog: Read, Write, Repeat
The Romance Gems Blog ( which I write for once a month) : Talking, Laughing, Writing, Reading
Websites in which I can get lost in include:
One Stop for Writers : Onestopforwriters.com ~these are the fabulous folks behind The Emotional Thesaurus, et al, books.
All the Kissing. Allthekissing.com
Love Romance reads : LoveRomaceReads.com
Long and Short Reviews : L&SR.com
And NNLights Bookheaven : A husband and wife book blogging, book writing, book promotions team that does it all!
As a writer my surfing time is limited, so I seek refuge in the sites and people I love and know best!
Since this is a blog challenge, let’s see what the other authors blogging today have to say. Long and Short Reviews WednesdayBloggingChallenge.
Filed under Uncategorized
Today, another wonderful Deerbourne Inn book releases. This one is titled LION DANCING FOR LOVE and it’s by WRP sistah, Laura Boon.
When I knew the book was going to be released into the romance reading world, I asked Laura to write up a little sumthin’ sumthin. on research she did for the book because she’s not a native Vermonter ( the book’s locale). In fact, she lives outside the U.S. so I knew her research story was going to be a goodie! Allow me to let her tell it in her own words. Here’s Laura…
When The Wild Rose Press put out a call for submissions for their Deerbourne Inn series, I was intrigued. I liked the collaborative nature of the series which meant I would be working with other writers (such as the wonderful Peggy Jaeger who is hosting me today) as well as the team at WRP. In the story bible, I read about Corey Duncan, third generation business owner and a man widowed too early in life. I had found my hero. I just needed a heroine to pull him out of the bubble he had withdrawn into. Up popped Caitlin and Lion Dancing for Love was born. Time to get to work! There was just one problem. I live in Australia and have never been to Vermont. (Peggy here: yes, that would be a problem, hee hee!)
Fortunately, I was lucky enough to study in Kansas many years ago, courtesy of a tennis scholarship. The team travelled around a good bit, but mostly in the Midwest and South. I never got to New England. So, I knew something about America and Americans but nothing specific about Vermont.
Thank goodness for Google!
I started by researching the geography of Vermont. What was the weather like in February and March (the time period covering my story)? What drives the economy? What is its history? Is a particular architectural style favored? What transport is favored? Who are its people? What sports do they play? What do they do for fun? What are their values? One of my characters is half Chinese, so I wanted to know how people in Vermont would treat her.
I approached the Vermont travel board, who were extremely helpful and mailed me a package, which reminded me that Vermont is a foodie state, committed to local produce and so I disappeared down another, mouthwatering, rabbit hole, exploring the menus of Vermont restaurants. I downloaded images to create an electronic pin board so I could look at visuals and maps for when I need to imagine the Inn, Main Street and Town Square in Willow Springs. And I read books like Peggy’s Hope’s Dream to see how she portrayed Willow Springs.
Fingers crossed, readers will enjoy my interpretation of Willow Springs. My editor, who doubles as my first American reader, seemed to (more finger crossing). However, for me, the most important thing to remember is that people are people. We may differ on the surface in terms of accent, cultural backgrounds, education and ethnicity – all of which provide wonderful color and diversity to our world – but on the inside, we have the same hopes, fears and passions, the same conflicted relationships with our mothers, and the same appreciation for loyalty, kindness, strength – and a good-looking man in a pair of blue jeans. 😉
Peggy here, again: OMG! I love how you did your research. I live next door to Vermont in New Hampshire and I didn’t know they were considered a foodie state. I’m gonna have to spend more time in Vermont, for sure! Thanks so much for joining me today, Laura. Now, let’s hear about LION DANCING FOR LOVE and your wonderful characters!
Licking her wounds after a bad relationship, San Diego accountant Caitlyn Summers travels to Willow Springs to help her friend gear up for the annual Maple Sugar Ball. She isn’t planning on staying long, but one encounter with the delicious Corey Duncan has her re-evaluating her plans.
Corey swore off love when his wife Annie died from breast cancer. Caitlyn is too young, too citified, and vibrates with a passion and energy that will upend the safe, comfortable rhythm of his life. Corey has to choose between playing it safe and taking a risk on love. Caitlyn needs to find the patience to let Corey lead. If not, the Maple Sugar Ball might end in a sticky mess, instead of a slow dance with the man who has captured her heart.
Will their fire burn hot enough to erase doubts and past hurts?
Excerpt:
“You don’t have to be good at it. You have to be able to follow and count to three.”
She put her hands on her hips. It was his turn to raise a brow. “I can follow—if I choose to.”
He chuckled. “Such sass. Prove it.”
He held out his left hand, and she moved forward and placed her right inside it. He twined their fingers and pulled her into position. A heady combination of scents rose from her, vanilla and pheromones and something uniquely Caitlin. Her skin was slick against his. “Rest your head against my chest,” he murmured.
“I don’t recall that as an official position.”
“It’s the one I favor. Stand on my feet. That’s it.” He adjusted her arm, so she had a good hold around his neck and drew her even closer. “Step with your right foot first…back across, together. Forward, across, together. Back, across, together. Forward, across, together.”
Halfway through the song, he let her feet slip to the ground. At the end he kept a firm grip on her waist while he hit replay, then led her through a series of fast twirls, their bodies so close they were almost one. When the song ended, they collapsed in a heap against the wall. She was giggling.
“What?”
“I get why it was considered scandalous when it was first introduced.”
He smiled and tipped her chin toward him with a finger. “It’s only scandalous if you do it properly.” He brushed his lips softly across hers, then claimed her mouth as she breathed into him.
You can purchase LION DANCING FOR LOVE here:
Amazon // i tunes // Kobo // GooglePlay // Deerbourne Series ( WRP)
A little about Laura Boon….
Laura Boon stole her first romance from her father’s bookshelves as a teenager, The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss, and was immediately captivated. After holding a variety of positions in publishing, from bookseller to sales rep and publicist, she eventually found the courage to write her own stories. She was born in Zambia, grew up in South Africa, and went to university in America. She now lives in Australia with her husband and their fur babies Beau and Arro. When she is not reading or writing, she enjoys sleuthing for artisan chocolate and beautiful stationery, watching tennis, and walking alongside Sydney’s beautiful harbor. You can find Laura online via her blog or Facebook page and on Twitter, Instagram, GoodReads, Bookbub and Amazon.
Peggy here: click here to read my review of LION DANCING FOR LOVE.
Be sure to discover the other, already released books of the Deerbourne Inn series – and watch for more releases in 2019 and 2010!
By Reservation Only Hope’s Dream Freedom’s Path
Lyrical Embrace Spirited Quest Soul of the Storm
Filed under Deerbourne Inn, WIld Rose Press AUthor
I know we’ve all heard that saying, and most have us have probably quoted it a time or three. But the underlying meaning is true: I’ve been really struggling for some time and am finally able to give voice to it.
It started last year when I had a bit of mini-breakdown. Several personal things were happening to me all at once and in the span of one week I was responsible for so many things that I simply couldn’t function, so I stopped; functioning. I didn’t talk, I didn’t sleep, I didn’t write. ( I did eat, tho, so once again losing weight wasn’t something I was struggling with – because I wasn’t!! Losing weight, I mean!)
Any hoo.
The situations, slowly, resolved, and I thought I was back on top of my game again.
Yeah, not so much as it turns out.
For the past two months I’ve been struggling with wanting to continue on my writing journey. Despite several efforts and the best intentions on my part, I still haven’t been able to find an agent who would want to take me on as a client. You’d think 15 books published traditionally would count for something. Apparently, not.
One of my publishers dropped me, and the editor I thought I had a really good relationship with won’t return my emails. Any of them. I even emailed her assistant who assured me she’d let the editor know I wanted to “speak” to her. Nothing.
I write in such a glutted market – contemporary romance – and trying to garner any kind of attention means I spend hours daily on social media, talking up my books and trying to make connections with readers. It’s exhausting – mentally, physically, spiritually. And let’s not forget financially. All my marketing, despite being traditionally published, is arranged for and paid by me. And as my mother used to tell me, money doesn’t grow on trees. I know that saying is true because I live in the woods and my diminishing funds aren’t being replaced by leaf currency.
The kicker came when the RITA finalists were announced last week. I submitted three books from last year that I wrote, one of which I really thought I had a shot at finaling with because it’s gotten nothing but 5 star reviews – most from people who don’t know me personally, either. Alas, March 21 came and went and I received no phone call. Now I know what everyone says when you don’t get the call: it doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer or the book wasn’t good. It simply means 5 judges thought other books were better.
Yeah, you know what? That doesn’t make me feel any better.
At all.
I’ve always surmised the RITAS were a bit of a popularity contest, and this year I KNOW they are. Combined with the utter lack of diversity in the finalists – an egregious act – and I’m seriously considering whether the award really means anything at all anymore. I read two absolutely wonderful books that featured h/h as people of color (POC). I graded them sososososo high, too. Know what? Neither of them finaled. I rated one truly horrible book ( so many misplaced modifiers, spelling and tense mistakes) low and know what? It finaled. After finding out about how un-diverse the awards are, I stopped feeling sorry for myself about not finaling. Some amazeballs POC writers have never been given the honor of finaling or winner either, so who am I to have a pity party??!!
But as far as entering in the future, I give up. Truly.
I’m trying to chalk up this feeling of inadequacy and apathy to a passing funk, seasonal affect disorder, and not having a vacation away in years. I’m trying really hard, as it happens.
Maybe I’ll come out of this stronger and more determined than ever.
That’s the hope anyway.
I didn’t write this as a subtle means of begging for positive reinforcement, or a way of garnering sympathy in the hopes people will buy my books. I may craft for a hobby, but believe me, I’m not crafty that way.
I simply wanted to put my thoughts and feelings down on paper and try and make some sense of why I’m feeling down in the dumps, writing-wise when so many other wonderful things ARE happening for me in my new career. I’ve finaled and even won other contests this year; I’m about to sign with a new publishing company ( more on that later!) and I recently was offered contracts for two books I’ve submitted to my first publisher.
So, life really is good, career-wise for me. I have to chalk this feeling of worthlessness and crabbiness up to winter.
I blame everything else that happens to me on the weather, so why not this, too? heehee
Any hoo…thanks for listening.
~ Peg
Filed under Uncategorized
Great teaser title, right?! Hee Hee
So here’s what you didn’t know about me: Before I wrote romantic fiction, I wrote more…morbid…stuff. I had a slew of short stories published in the suspense genre. You can see them listed if you scroll down to the FICTION part of my Publications page.
Any hoo. Let’s move to the present.
I recently re-energized a short story I’d written almost 2o years ago and submitted it to Long and Short Reviews. They have a short story submissions page, so I entered the re-tooled story to their contest a few weeks. And guess what? I won!!!
THE HOUSE ON CRIMSON STREET is a creepy ( to me, anyway) story of an elderly lady who rents out rooms. And since I like cooking so much, there’s an underlying cooking theme threaded throughout the story. It’s fairly short, so if you want to take a few minutes and read it, here’s the link: THOCS
And, because this is L&SR and they never do anything NOT well, they also made a cover for the story: 
Can I tell you how in love I am with this depiction of the house?? It’s beyond perfect.
So, if you want to get a glimpse into the less romantic, more unsavory part of my brain, this is a good place to start.
Just sayin’ ~Peg
And when I’m not writing scary stuff, you can find me writing romance here :
Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me// Triber// BookMe // Monkey me //Watch me
Here’s the link to my TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAMN BOOK podcast interview, just in case you missed it: TMAYDB
and the link to my recent interview on NewHampshirePublicRadio
Filed under Uncategorized
Today’s first kiss is between Moira Cleary and her lifetime best friend Quentin Stapleton from THERE’S NO PLACE LIFE HOME, the second book in my MacQuire Women series. Q has been in love with Moira since they were kids, but she’s been clueless. When he finally tells her how he feels, and kisses her UNLIKE a best friend, well, their love story really takes off.
Moira felt an intense overwhelming emptiness engulf her when he left. She started to open the front door but stopped when Quentin abruptly turned back and started up the porch steps again.
“I forgot something,” he told her.
“What?”
When he came up the last step and crossed to her, he said, “this,” and without another word pulled her into his arms.
Her first and last coherent thought was her best friend was going to kiss her goodnight. After a heartbeat, she forgot the best friend part and knew down to her toes friendship had nothing to do with this.
His lips slid across her mouth, soft and gentle, testing, tasting. Moira’s mind went blank as she succumbed to the sensation of them, hot and hard, pressing against hers in a kiss like none he’d ever given her before. Slowly, he traced her bottom lip with the tip of his tongue, silently asking her to open for him. When she did, he entered her mouth and began to explore, each movement becoming more demanding, more insistent. Moira fell against him, fisting his jacket lapels to steady herself. When she felt his heartbeat pounding under her hands, she grew lightheaded with need. Quentin framed her face with his fingertips, softly tugging down on her chin, changing the angle of the kiss.
She’d been kissed before, but never, never with such all consuming need and longing. She heard a deep moan and was shocked to realize the sound had escaped from her. One of Quentin’s hands left her face to slide down her back. When he pushed against her backside and molded her body to his, Moira’s stomach jumped. This time, though, it wasn’t with the painful contractions she’d come to expect, but with a heart- stopping craving.
A craving for him.
She unfurled her hands from his jacket and, without thought, wound them upwards, weaving them over his shirt collar and up through his hair. She grabbed onto the ends, pulled his head down closer, and held on fast.
All aspect of time was lost. Nothing mattered but the delicious feel of his strong hands caressing her back and the taste of him as his tongue mated with hers.
This couldn’t be happening. It had to be a dream.
But no dream had ever made her want like this, feel like this. When he skimmed his lips across her jaw and down her throat, stopping to take her lobe into his mouth, Moira knew this wasn’t a dream. That same feeling she’d had when she looked at him in the movie steeped through her again, tickling her stomach muscles. With a jolt, she realized the sensation was desire. Pure and simple.
Quentin pulled back and stared down into her face. With a heavy sigh, he laid his forehead against hers, a small grin tugging at the corners of his lips.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you for so long. So damn long.”
“Q—?”
He traced one finger lazily down her jaw and across the lips he’d just caressed, silencing her. “Remember when your cousin Tiffany got married in the backyard here?”
Confused, Moira nodded. She licked her lips, running her tongue across his caressing finger. The hiss that blew from him made her thighs shake.
Quentin rubbed her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “When the Reverend told Cole ‘you may now kiss your bride,’ and he swooped her off the ground, spun her around, and kissed her silly? Remember what you said?”
Moira tried to conjure the scene. “I think I said it was the most romantic thing I’d ever seen.”
He nodded. “The exact quote was ‘I hope someone kisses me like that some day.’”
Her grin was quick at the memory. “Pat snorted and said I’d better be satisfied with licks from the horses and Rob Roy because no guy was ever going to kiss me like that.”
“He wasn’t known for tact back then,” he said, rubbing a hand down her back as he held her next to him in the soft lamplight from the porch. The soothing, rhythmic smoothing of his hand made every nerve on Moira’s body stand at attention.
“Later on that day, behind the barn, remember what happened then?”
Because she did, she couldn’t stop the heat from spreading up her face like wildfire.
When she merely nodded, he traced a kiss across the area he’d just caressed, and said, “You wanted to know what it felt like to be kissed like that and since I was your best friend, you thought I should be the one to do it, because you—quote—felt safe with me—unquote.”
“What was I? Eleven?” she said, finally finding her voice, and unnerved to hear it whining.
“Thirteen. We both were, and I was more than willing to do it. Almost broke my heart in two when you said afterward, ‘I don’t see what all the fuss is about.’”
His lips twitched at the corners when he said it, and Moira felt the warmth of her blush intensify.
“Q—”
“Hush.” He kissed her forehead. “Ever since that day, all I’ve wanted is a second chance. Now,” he pulled her body closer, wrapped both arms around her small waist, his hand resting just above the dent in her spine. “We’re both a little older, a little more mature. Some of us are much more experienced—”
“And conceited.”
“Experienced,” he said, the laugh in his voice quiet and seductive, “and things can be so much better.”
Moira stared up into his eyes, warm and moist, shimmering under the subtle porch light. “Where is this coming from? You’ve never said anything like this, never acted like this, before. Ever.”
He took a breath and tucked her head against his shoulder, rubbing her back with both of his hands. His chest was made of granite, hard and solid and Moira felt so secure in his embrace. So comforted and so safe. If he never let go of her, she knew she wouldn’t mind in the least.
He didn’t speak for a few moments. Then, he pulled back, gazed down into her face and Moira didn’t need verbal answers to her questions. The look of blatant need and craving was so strongly etched in his eyes as he peered right through her, and for a moment, all she could do was stare, motionless. It was the same expression she’d seen on his face the night of her welcome home dinner. Then, she hadn’t known what to make of it. She couldn’t put a name to what she was seeing etched in his chiseled features.
Now, she knew.
He brought his lips to hers again in the gentlest of touches.
“I want you, Moira. More than I’ve ever wanted anyone or anything, in my entire life. I’ve always wanted you, from the time I knew what it meant.” He chuckled and added, “probably even before then. I haven’t gone a day in too long to count when I didn’t think of you and want you with me. There have been so many times the past few years when I’ve wanted to take an extended leave from the practice and go fly to wherever you were performing, just to see you. Obligations, though necessary, can be a bitch, and the time never allowed it. When Pat told me you were coming home, I thought, good. Finally. Home court advantage.” His lazy grin spread with the words.
“I never knew,” she said, tears springing up. “You never gave me any indication. All these years, you’ve never hinted at this. In any way. Why not?”
He shook his head. “I know. I didn’t know how you’d feel about it. We’ve been friends forever. I don’t have a childhood memory that doesn’t include you. We’re everything friends should be. But this is a different feeling, Moira, from friendship. So different.”
His voice broke on the last word as he claimed her mouth again, deepening the kiss instantly, and knocking her back emotionally.
“I won’t push you,” he said into her hair, kissing her temple. “You need to get used to the idea, I know. I don’t want anything to change between us.”
“How can it not?” she asked, the tears spilling over. “It changes everything, Quentin. You know it does.”
His thumb swiped softly at the drop of moisture cascading down her cheek.
“It doesn’t have to. We’re still us. We’re still the same. I won’t ever lose you as a friend, Moira. I can’t. You’re as much a part of my life as I am of yours. Our friendship will never change. It hasn’t in all these years you’ve been gone.”
Want to read more? Here’s where you can get your own copy of THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Buy Links: Amazon // Apple // Google // Kobo // Nook//
Read a preview of THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Filed under MacQuire Women, Romance, Romance Books, Strong Women, The Wild Rose Press
Today’s prompt is Characters I want to meet.
Have ya got a couple of days, ’cause this blog could take a while.
In the interest of hoping people actually read this, I’ll edit it down before I start and only pick a couple!
I’ve talked about this first one before on other blogs, but I’d really like to meet Elizabeth Bennet.
I need to know the answer to this question: did you marry Darcy because you truly loved him, like over-the-moon loved him, or because you loved Pemberley? I think it’s a legit question because I’ve always found her motivation in falling in love with him after she sees his home, suspect.
I’m a huge JD Robb IN DEATH series fan. I’d lovelovelove to meet Eve Dallas and follow her around for a day. OF course, part of that following around would be to her home where I could also meet her ubersexy man, Roarke. Can you tell I’m drooling right now just thinking about that encounter? About how his hand, all warm and big and..Roarke-y, would feel against mine? How his angelic smile would be intent on me and me alone? How his “poet’s” mouth would form my name…okay, gotta stop and move on to the next one because this is getting a little out of hand.
I’d love to meet Aibileen from The Help and talk about where she gets her strength from. She is one of the best-drawn females I have ever read. Complex and simple, wise and still naive. I think I could learn a great deal from her.
Stephanie Plum and Lula from the Janet Evanovich Numbers mysteries are two gals who I’d like to take to lunch and chat up. I want to know why Steph can’t make a decision on the man she wants in her life when it’s so bloody obvious to me she needs to pick Ranger!! Really. What is her problem?? And as far as Lula is concerned, I’d like to know how she started out in the ‘ho business.
I’ll stop it at those 6 characters, because, really…I could go on all day.
Let’s see who the other authors in this challenge want to meet, shall we? Click here: Long and Short WednesdayBlog Challenge.
And when I’m not drooling over fictional Irishman ( ROARKE!!!) you can find me here:
Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me// Triber// BookMe // Monkey me //Watch me
Here’s the link to my TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAMN BOOK podcast interview, just in case you missed it: TMAYDB
and the link to my recent interview on NewHampshirePublicRadio
Filed under Characters, Romance
The next installment in the DEERBOURNE INN series, SOUL OF THE STORM releases today!!! And I’ve got its author, Wild Rose Press sistah JEAN GRANT with me, discussing the book, why novellas are the hot thing to read and she’s even sharing some of the research she did while writing the book. Sit back and join me in sharing how this great new addition to the series came to be.
Why read a novella in a series?
Fun.
Really. I have soft spot for reading novellas. I adore Diana Gabaldon’s big tomes, but I must admit that some of my favorites are her “bulges” as she calls them. Sweet, shorter side stories that flesh out the Outlander world.
Stories are meant to pull us in, make us think, provide entertainment, nurture whatever needs to be nurtured. So why not give the Deerbourne Inn books a whirl? I know I’ve already read a few beside my own and plan to read a few more…
What did I learn while writing Soul of the Storm?
5. A gleaned a lot of fascinating information about civil air patrol, search and rescue procedures, search and rescue dogs/canine units, and Vermont State Police jurisdiction and procedures. I spoke to authorities in all these areas to get my facts straight. Imagine those emails to VSP: Hey, I’m an author and I have some questions…
6. Ohh… I learned lots of cool New Zealand slang words. And a few corrected Maori phrases. (A big thank you to the New Zealanders and sensitivity readers for helping me with this!)
(Jean in Queenstown, New Zealand)
7. Patagonia, Chile has moved up higher on my must hike/see list.
8. Novellas are amazingly fun to write AND read. I’m enjoying all the books in the Deerbourne Inn series.
9. Cabot Creamery is THE place to go if you adore cheese the way I do. Ben and Jerry’s has delish ice cream.
10. I learned about a new hike: the Long Trail, that spans 273 miles and runs north-south through the State. The part we hiked was muddy and fun with a fantastic view of the valley.
SOUL OF THE STORM (Deerbourne Inn)
Will love help her summit one more peak?
Charlotte MacGregor lost the thrill of conquering mountains five years ago when her sister disappeared on a hiking adventure without her. Still guilt-ridden, Charlotte heads for a vacation to rustic Vermont with a friend—where she’s surrounded by reminders of her devastating loss and plagued with unanswered questions.
Matiu Christiansen is an outdoors buff. He works multiple jobs to save for his dream of owning an outfitter in New Zealand. He’s never quite felt at home in the United States and he yearns for his Maori roots, but his attraction to Charlotte puts a kink in his plans to move home later this year.
Thrown together by coincidence, Charlotte and Matiu form a kindred bond through their shared love of the outdoors. Can Charlotte surmount her demons to assist Matiu on a rescue when a late-season snowstorm hits? And can Matiu help Charlotte heal from the pain of the past?
Excerpt
Charlotte sat on the top porch step instead of in a rocker. Her breath puffed in a misty cloud before her as she waited. Again, the scent of a fire from the back pit infused the air. She traced the knots in the planks of the porch with the toe of her shoe, ignoring her thudding pulse. Matiu shuffled through the side door. She rose to help him with the cups.
“Hi.”
“Kia ora,” he said, smile deep and teeth bright beneath the lamps. “It’s colder tonight.”
“You need a jacket,” she said with a nod to his thinner long-sleeved top that clung nicely to his muscles.
“I’ll sit closer to you. Nice quilt.”
“I’m always cold. I won’t have much heat to share.”
“Logging in my assessment file.” He tapped his temple.
She shivered from nerves as he settled beside her on the top step.
“Ya know, we could have tea inside,” he suggested.
“What about consorting? Besides, I like the clear sky and fresh air. Night is my time.”
He nodded. “Ah, clear skies are amazing. I prefer morning. Not sure about tomorrow. Neil’s sick with the flu, and so is Kelly. They work on the search and rescue team, and Kelly also does mucking with us for the US Forest Service. Seems like the germs haven’t left for the season.”
“Nor the cold temps. Both tend to bite us in the ass in April.”
“I was serious. You going to share that quilt with me?” He inched closer.
“Nope. Get your own.”
He pressed a hand to his heart. “Shot down!” Tea splashed as his laugh vibrated.
Her pulse quickened with the idea of sharing warmth with him.
He said, “I’m knackered. That paddle got me sore. Bit more wind today than I’d expected.”
“You’re not the only one.”
He was so close. She subtly inhaled his natural scent. She couldn’t place it. Probably his shampoo… combined with sweat and cooking oils. They sat quietly, unsure what to say next. His nearness upset her equilibrium. She drank the tea.
You can get your copy of SOUL OF THE STORM here:
Amazon // B&N // Apple // Kobo // Googleplay
A little about JEAN GRANT
Jean’s background is in science and she draws from her interests in history, nature, and her family for inspiration. She writes historical and contemporary romances and women’s fiction. She also writes articles for family-oriented travel magazines. When she’s not writing or chasing children, she enjoys tending to her flower gardens, hiking, and doing just about anything in the outdoors.
You can follow Jean here”
Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Bookbub ~ Amazon Author Page ~ The Wild Rose Press
And please enjoy the other books in the DEERBOURNE INN series that have already been released ( with more to come in 2019 and 2020!)
By Reservation Only Hope’s Dream Freedom’s Path Lyrical Embrace Spirited Quest
YOu can read my review of SOUL OF THE STORM here.
Filed under Deerbourne Inn, Hope's Dream, Romance Books, The Wild Rose Press
Yesterday, my writing friend, author Holland Rae, wrote a blog post titled Why I DNF. I highly recommend you click on that link and read it.
Now, for those of you who don’t now what DNF means, it stands for DID NOT FINISH. Anyone who has judged the RITA awards has seen these 3 letters mentioned over and over again the past year in the judging instructions and online. To the regular world, the letters are for readers who have failed to finish a book. Not because of time constraints, but for reasons that run the gamut from not being on board with the subject matter, to hating the mealy mouthed, weak heroine. I’ve picked up books after reading the back blurb, thinking I was getting one story, and when I started reading, was given an entirely different one. This kind of publishing bait and switch isn’t common, but does happen. I think I’m getting a romantic comedy about a run away heiress and the private eye sent after her to bring her back, and once I get into the story it’s really about a spoiled bitch who doesn’t deserve to live, or the hero is a misogynistic bore.
I stop reading. Really, I’ll never get that hour I wasted back now and don’t feel I want to invest any more of the little time I have left to finish the dopey story.
I picked up a book recently by an author that I’ve read before and enjoyed and that was touted as romantic suspense and there was – literally – nothing suspenseful or romantic about the plot. The story crammed as much sex into the pages as the author could while the h/h were being followed by a stalker. Sex in a tiny car, in a public bathroom ( yuk! Just…yuk), under a desk, in a closet. If the book had been marketed properly and not labeled a romantic suspense, I might have passed on it at the get-go. I have a large list of one-click authors, though, and she was among them, so I never really delved into the blurb.
I’ve stopped reading books and tossed them into the recycling pile, not even the donate to the public library pile because I didn’t think anyone deserved to waste their time on poorly written, boring stories.
Judgmental, thy name is Peggy, I know.
In Holland’s well written article, she states,
That is such a valid point, and I agree with it 100%…in principle. When I was first starting out in my fiction writing career, I did commit to finishing all the books I read, even though some of them were awful. Learning what not to do is as important as learning what to do, and this was my validation. Nowadays, though, I simply don’t have the time to devote more to a book that just hasn’t captured me in the first 3 or four chapters.
The deal breakers for me about whether to DNF a book or carry on til the end to see if it gets any better ( and really, haven’t we all done that?) are as follows:
The characters curse a lot.
I know this is kind of dumb, but I hate watching a movie where every other word is the f-bomb. Use our beautiful language to paint a picture, writers, and not depend on expletives to do it for you!!
The sex is all Insert A into Slot B, lather, rinse, repeat.
I was a Registered Nurse in my before-writing life. I know how sex works. I don’t need an anatomy or a causal lesson in how to do it. What I do need – what I crave – is reading about the emotions the people involved in the act are going through while they are…acting.
Cruelty as a plot point. We’ve all read the redeemed hero. I happen to love a redeemed hero. What I don’t love – and what no one should – is a hero who starts out sadistic, mean, verbally or physically abusive, caustic, or nasty and then magically – through the love of the heroine, someone who comes along to show him how to love for the very first time – changes into a sloppy puppy without ever finding out why he is the way he is. Dumb, just…dumb and lazy writing. I’m tossing that one down in chapter one.
Vapid, walk on secondary characters.
(Holland and I agree on this one.)My real-life friends are fully formed human beings with working minds, opinions, and thoughts. They have jobs, families, hobbies, things they love and things they hate. They were not put on this earth to walk into my life, act as a sounding board for my choices, and then walk out again. Another toss in the recycle pile if I find this in a book.
Voice.
(this is another point I have in common with Holland). I like to read books written in all points of view. First, third, revolving, omniscient. If the story is solid and the characters are well formed, the voice (or POV) the story is told in shouldn’t be a negative factor. I know someone who says he/she never reads anything that is written in first person. Suffice it to say she isn’t reading anything of mine, then. But back to my point. If a writer has decided on telling his/her story in first person, that characters’s voice better be the best one for the job. I don’t want to read an historical romance in first person where the heroine states, Lord Suchanass was a total tool last night at Lady Fatass’s shindig. Um…no. Just…no. That’s a DNF straight into the garbage, never mind recycling. Having said that, if an author is going to use revolving first or third person, she/he better make sure the person speaking is immediately identifiable and doesn’t sound like every other person in the book. I’ve truthfully had to start a chapter over because I thought I was in the heroine’s POV when I was actually in the hero’s. There was no distinction between the two voices. That’s just poor writing at its core, peeps.
I need to own up to this: my DNF pile has grown exponentially as I’ve had more of my own books published. As stated, I simply don’t have the time to waste on a book if it doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do on page one or in the first chapter: capture the reader’s ( ME!) attention. I hope I’ve learned to write that way. I’d hate to be on anyone’s DNF list/pile.
If I have been on yours…have pity on my fragile ego and don’t ever tell me! I’m better off not knowing.
~Peg
When I’m not reading you can find me here:
Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me// Triber// BookMe // Monkey me //Watch me
Here’s the link to my TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAMN BOOK podcast interview, just in case you missed it: TMAYDB
and the link to my recent interview on NewHampshirePublicRadio
Filed under Uncategorized
Procrastinate: delay or postpone action; put off doing something.
When you open a dictionary and look up the meaning of this word, you will see my picture as the illustration of what a procrastinator looks like.
Truly. This is what you’ll see.
Just sayin’.
Over the weekend I was all alone. Hubby was away and I had the house all to myself. I’d planned on doing my usual daily stuff – gym, laundry, book reviews – and write all I wanted to. I wouldn’t have to stop to cook a meal or take a shower. I could stay in my jammies all day and eat cereal if I wanted to for dinner.
I had such wonderful ideas about how much I was going to be able to write, since I’m working on three projects right now. I could devote all the time I wanted to to each of them, even writing in bed if I wanted to.
You’ve heard these two expressions, I’m sure: delusions of grandeur and the best laid plans?
That about sums up the amount of writing I got done over this alone-time weekend.
What did I do instead, you ask? Well, I’ll tell ya… I binge watched Hollywood Medium and the new season of Queer Eye ( Tan France is my favorite! @tanfrance)
And the term BINGE WATCHED is an accurate one. One right after the other without a pause or a thought that I should be working.
Not even an ounce of regret, either.
Hope your weekend was more productive. ~ Peg
OH – I almost forgot. This happened: 
Yeah, I’m pretty stoked right now. It’s for the first book in my Match Made in Heaven series DEARLY BELOVED.
Life is good – even though I didn’t get any writing done over the weekend…..
When I’m not procrastinating you can usually find me working, here:
Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me// Triber// BookMe // Monkey me //Watch me
Here’s the link to my TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAMN BOOK podcast interview, just in case you missed it: TMAYDB
and the link to my recent interview on NewHampshirePublicRadio
Filed under Author
Peggy Jaeger, Author 