#mondaymusings 5.13.2024
I would take anything other than the cold – which if ridiculous when you consider the cold climate I live in!!!!
Give me a beach.
Give me temperate winds.
Give me trees with leaves.
DO NOT give me snow, ice, chilblains, and hail!!
Filed under #mondayMusings
Mother’s Day 2024…
So I laughed when I found this graphic because…right??!!
We always roll our eyes at Mom’s wisdom, and swear we are never going to do/say/act like her.
And you know what? In the end…we do. More times than not.
I miss my Mom. Every single day. Every single hour of every single day.
But I am content that she is looking down on me from Heaven, shaking her head at some of the things I do and say, and still loving me with everything in her soul.
Happy Mother’s Day, Mommie. I love you. I miss you. I know I will see you again.
And when I do, please don’t say, I told you so!
LOL.
Filed under Writing
#fridayfive 5.10.2024
Today, I give you my five favorite RomCom movies.
- When Harry Met Sally. EVERYONE knows about the deli scene, but for me, the best scene is the last one at the New Year’s party.
- 4 weddings and a funeral. My first introduction to Hugh Grant. Swoon.
- My best friend’s wedding. Classic Julia Roberts.
- Life as we know it. A little movie but such a heartwarming story on what makes a family.
- The Philadelphia story/ HIGH Society. Best musical of all time ( for me!) Best movie of 1939 ( for me, other than GWTW)
Filed under #fridayfive
#TBT #TBThursday 5.9.2024
This post appeared in ROMANCING THE GENRES on July 24, 2020 and is still one of my favorite pieces ( and characters!)
So in deciding who my favorite villain is in literature, the only name that consistently showed up in my head really isn’t a villain, according to the book reading world. It’s a person whose actions are so wonderfully vile and self-serving, though, that she really must be declared a villain.
If you know anything about me you’ve probably already guessed I’m talking about Scarlett O’Hara.
She of the original resting bitch face, Scarlett O’Hara, is supposed to be the heroine of Gone With The Wind, but in my mind she holds a dichotomous role as pure villain.
According to Webster’s Dictionary, a villain is: a character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot.
Everything Scarlett does in GWTW is crucial to moving the plot line of the book forward. And everything she does can be interpreted as evil.
Cases in point:
She agrees to marry one man just to make Ashley Wilkes jealous.
Then she marries another just to spite her sister ( because the sister loves him)
Then she goes after Ashley again and lets everybody knows it.
She tries to trick Rhett into giving her money while he is in jail.
She runs a business using convicts as cheap labor and doesn’t care about them just so she can never be poor again.
She blames Rhett for the death of their daughter and once again goes after Ashley after his wife dies.
Everything she does is self-serving. She tries to convince herself it’s because she wants to protect her home, Tara, and her family, but, in reality, she is a narcissistic, egomaniacal, conniving, blatant manipulator who has been spoiled since birth and wants everyone to dance a jig at her feet.
If that isn’t the offshoot definition of a villain, I don’t know what is.
Yes, her life is tragic. Yes, she suffers loss in the most grievous of ways. And yes, she is a victim of circumstances.
But…it’s how she handles and deals with all those events that make her a villain in my eyes.
And she is such a delicious one, too.
Filed under #throwbackthursday
#wednesdayWisdom 5.8.2024
YOu need to love yourself first, last, and always!
And you definitely need to remind yourself of that love, and show it by taking care of yourself, physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Filed under #wednesdaywisdom
#mondaymusings 5.6.2024
A Netgalley arc of BAD LIAR by TAMI HOAG
Small-town labels are hard to shake. Hometown hero. Fallen angel. Can anyone ever escape their past?
A murder victim dumped at the dead end of a lonely country road, face and hands obliterated by a shotgun blast, is not the way sheriff’s detective Nick Fourcade wants to start his week. His only lead takes him to the family of a hometown hero suddenly gone missing. Marc Mercier left his home for a weekend hunting trip and hasn’t been seen since.
Meanwhile, sheriff’s detective Annie Broussard begins her first day back on the job after suffering a brutal attack by taking on the case of B’Lynn Fontenot, a mother desperate to find her grown son, a recovering drug addict. Robbie Fontenot has been missing for eight days, but the local police have no interest in the case, telling B’Lynn that an adult has the right to disappear, and a missing addict is no big surprise. But B’Lynn swears her son was turning his life around. Sympathetic to a mother’s anguish, Annie agrees to help B’Lynn, knowing she’s about to start a turf war with the city police.
As Annie searches for Robbie Fontenot and Nick investigates the disappearance of Marc Mercier, it quickly becomes apparent that nothing is as it seems in the lives of either man. And it’s still not clear whether either—or neither—of them might be the unidentified murder victim. Old jealousies and fresh deceits, family loyalties gone wrong and love turned sour all lay a twisting trail that leads deep into the Louisiana swamp, endangering all who cross the path of a bad liar.
Now…what are you reading?? Share, because I’m always looking for new author and book recommendations. ~ Peg
Filed under #mondayMusings
Turning a bad day into a great one!
I was having a particularly bad day, emotionally, yesterday. No details, but believe me…I wasn’t in the best mood.
Then, I got an email from the Virginia Romance Writers group telling me my book INFLUENCE was a finalist in the mid-length contemporary category for the HOLD MEDALLION.
Kids…this is a PRESTIGIOUS award! I’ve had honorable mention twice for the award and was a finalist one other time with other books, so I am really, really stoked about this!!
I’ll let you now if I make it all the way sometime after June 1.
Wish me luck, and if you haven’t read INFLUENCE, now is a good time to! It’s available in print, Kindle, and KU, all through Amazon and from me ( autographed copies) here, from my webstore
10 years…and still counting!
To celebrate my upcoming 10 years in the biz, I give you… my life in a timeline. My writing life, that is, lol.
It’s been a heck of a ride so far. 4 publishers; indie publishing; professional speaking gigs on writing.
Sometimes my head whirls.
Sometimes I pinch myself.
Sometimes I’m tired ( who am I kidding? I’m tired all the time!)
Would I do things differently? A few
Would I change one moment of the feeling I get when a new book is in my hands after publication? Not even a little bit.
I chose this life and I embrace it wholeheartedly.
here’s to the next 10 years…20…(gulp) 30.
And thank you for all the love and support and words of encouragement along the way… ~Peg
#fridayfive 5.3.2024
Today, I’m going to talk about 5 authors who inspire me.
Inspire me to read. Inspire me to be a better writer. Inspire me to use my talent.
- Nora Roberts/JD Robb. You had to know this would be the first one, lol. From the moment I read my first SIhoulette Nora in the early 1990’s until this very day, she is the author I love most to read, emulate, and wish I knew personally. I’ve met her at a signing event, but I’d really just like to spend one day with her and watch her writing process. She is my ultimate inspiration for writing, career, and just plain talent.
- Lisa Kleypas. Everything she writes, from lusty historicals to modern-day steamy love stories makes me want to be a better writer. She is so talented at conveying emotions through her words. Love that.
- Lorraine Heath. From the moment I read her first book I was hooked as a reader. And as a writer. The way she weaves backstory without ever making it boring or dull is more than a talent – it is a miracle!
- Lauren Layne. A modern-day writer, she takes contemporary topics and women and makes them so relatable. I love her sassy, quirky and always positive heroines. She was the one who made me think I could write series romances.
- Janet Evanovich. I know some people say this 30+ book series about Stephanie Plum and the two men in her life is getting stale- and that she needs to make a choice between them. What these people don’t realize is that it takes true, true talent as a storyteller to keep that amount and quality emotion and WANT up for 30+ books and have the reader keep coming back. Truly, inspiring talent.
Filed under #fridayfive
#throwbackthursday 5.2.24
The second blog I ever wrote from February 4, 2014
The Origin of TAWK TO ME…
Those of you who know me personally and have heard me speak, know there is little doubt that I grew up in Brooklyn, NY. My diction, the way I can’t pronounce the letters “er ” at the end of words ( I say “mutha” for “mother”) and my oftentimes nasal twang all give my birthplace a shout-out. So instead of calling part of this site “Talk to Me,” I wanted you to really hear my voice when I said it, so “Tawk to me” is how it would sound if we were face to face.
This got me to thinking about my writing and writing in general when you want to bring your characters to life. The United States language is a huge mix of accents, colloquialisms, and cliched metaphors all melded together to form our wonderful country. No one speaks the same way as someone else, and neither should your characters. They can share phrases, accents, and even diction, but each character should “sound” different even if they are from the same place.
I lived in Wisconsin for seven years and the natives called a water fountain a “bubbler,” and soda, “pop.” In Brooklyn, my aunt called “Oil”, “Earl,” as in “They delivered some earl to the burna ( Burner!) yesterday and now I’ve got to pay for it.”
Wouldn’t you recognize someone who was from Ireland, if they said, “aye” and ‘Tis?” Or our neighbors to the north when they end every sentence with “eh?” Valley girls in California spew “Oh, m’Gawd! and “Fer sures!” to this day. In the U.K. the words “Brilliant” and “bloody” are descriptive staples. Australians call each other “Sheila” and “Mate.”
Southerners say “Hey,” while Northerners say “Hi.” Highly educated people wouldn’t think of saying “Gotta” or “lotta,” and my cousins would never end a sentence with “Don’t you agree?” They’d be more likely to say, “ya know?”
I live in New Hampshire now. Wicked weather, eh? (Get it?!)
So, “TAWK TO ME.” Tell me something, ask me a question, give me some needed guidance. Just “TAWK TO ME.”
Filed under Uncategorized
#mondaymusing 4.29.24
I actually have several. I paint, sew, crochet and repair old steamer trunks. What’s yours??
Filed under #mondayMusings
#sundayshare
Last year I did 9 full events/book signings.
And it almost did me in.
So this year, I cut that to half – 2 big events and 2 smaller, more intimate ones. If you’re in the area, check these out…
Filed under Writing
#fridayfive
Today’s five are a little self-reveling about my writing career. I’m gonna have to bite the bullet and realize I could embarrass myself here, but hey: it wouldn’t be the first time, LOL!
Okay, here we go.
- My first book was published when I was 55 years old, not the typical age. Most published writers are published waaay before this age and are hitting their pinnacles before it. I’m a late bloomer. Like, a Christmas cactus, lol.
- I enjoy writing sex scenes. For me it’s all about the emotion of the scene not what goes into where and who touches which body part. Although, for full disclosure, there’s some of that, too!
- I do the majority of my new writing between the hours of 2 and 7 a.m. because I still suffer from menopause-induced insomnia. Yeah, it’s a thing.
- I talk out loud when I am writing, especially when I write dialogue. Which is why I don’t go anywhere like cafes, Starbucks, or even the library when I write. People would call the police if I did and report a crazy, talking to-herself woman was disturbing the peace.
- When I start a new book it takes me about 2-3 weeks to write the first 10,000 words.I go slow at the beginning because I am getting to know my characters and get the feels for what they would do, how they would talk, and where I want to take them, emotionally. After that, I kinda hit my stride and can do anywhere between 2k and 5k daily if I put my mind to it and have the energy.
- I’m adding a 6th because I want to – I like to write in bed and can do up to 1000 words an hour when I decide to stay in bed for a morning session after my hubby goes to work. With Maple by side, snoring, I find my creative energy is high because my body is so relaxed.
Filed under #fridayfive
#throwbackthursday
This little ditty is from June, 2020 and describes my life perfectly at the time!
TITLE: When you’ve got nothing, do you punt or…go home?
I’m chockful of weird and wacky blog titles this week, eh?? Hee Hee
What it boils down to is that I’ve been living a very boring life of late, self-isolating and writing/editing my next indie book, and reading other books for review on Netgalley. In addition to taking care of home and hearth and my parents. And their home and hearth.
I have no new news, no witty stories, no personal revelations with which to fill this blog up. I even missed the last two Long and Short Reviews Wednesday Blogging challenges because I was immersed in writing.
If you open the dictionary and find the definition of “pathetic lifestyle” you will see my picture.
Not kidding. Not even a little.
So…do I try and make something up that will delight and titillate you? Do I – once again – try to get you to buy any of my books by putting up snippets to intrigue you? Do I comment on current events? I am truly at a loss for what to write today.
I could tell you about the DIY wasp traps my husband discovered on the Internet to fight our growing wasp problem, and which he made all by himself. I’m truly happy all my empty liter Diet Mountain Dew bottles didn’t die in vain. Nothing in the traps yet, though.
I could tell you about my wonderful summer vacation plans….but I don’t have any.
I could share how I’ve started yet another diet in the attempt to fit into my dress for my daughter’s wedding – the one she has had to postpone twice now due to the pandemic – and how I’m literally starving most of the day. I might even admit that I bought two boxes of Girl Scout cookies in the grocery store yesterday and WHAM!!! Gained 6 pounds by the time I got home. But that seems too…depressing and self-revelatory.
I could share how happy I was when I finally – after 12 weeks – got my hair colored last week. But then I wonder: did you know I color my hair? Did I just ruin your opinion of me??
Truthfully, when I read all of those things back they are really pretty pathetic and boring….
Kinda like me.
So, I guess I’ll go do some more editing and then maybe take a walk…on the treadmill of course, because…you know….social distancing and the pandemic.
Le sigh…
Until next time, peeps, when I sincerely hope I have something to write about ~ Peg
Filed under #throwbackthursday
Release day for RETRIBUTION
Release, or launch days, never get old. That is the absolute truth I’ve experienced as a published author, and today is another one of those fabulous day.
RETRIBUTION holds a very special place in my heart since it was the first complete, full-length adult book I ever wrote. It sat on my desk top for thirty years until I finally decided it was time…
The early pre-launch reviews have been heart-stopping for me – the best reviews of anything I’ve ever written. I am humbled and a little awestruck by that, to be truthful.
If you’d like to read it, if you haven’t preordered it yet to show up on your Kindle today, there are a few ways to do so. You can either get a print, autographed copy from me, here: PRINT or you can order a Kindle copy on Amazon, here: Kindle. The book will also be in KU for a while.
Other ways you can show your support if you like the book is to add it to your Goodreads want to read list, write a book review, and recommend the book to your family and friends. Word of mouth is a great way for an author to garner new readers.
Thank you – and now, I get to celebrate another book launch- hopefully, a successful one!
Filed under #retribution
TOMORROW is the day of…RETRIBUTION
Book launches either sneak up on me or they drag out forever, just waiting for release day.
With Retribution, it felt like it was going to take forever, and now, tomorrow is book release day and I can’t believe i haven’t done more to promote the launch.
Some day, I will have a PR team to help with all this.
Some day, I will have the time to do an effective launch, one that truly sells more than 5 or ten books.
Some day, the 1000 book preorder goal I keep setting myself up for ( and failing, horribly!! lol) will actually manifest.
Doesn’t look like tomorrow is any of those above days, but it is release day, and that just never gets old in my book!
Read it in print of Kindle or KU here: AMAZON
Order an autographed print copy directly from me, here: RETRIBUTION
Add it to your GOODREADS Want to read list, here: GOODREADS
And as always, kids, happy reading. ~Peg
Filed under #retribution
#mondaymusings #Musingsonamonday
It’s gonna have to be chapstick, moisturizer, and baby powder for me!!
Filed under #mondayMusings
#Fridayfive – what NOT to say to a writer!
This one’s been ruminating in my brain for years!! Years, I tell ya.
Okay. None of us like unsolicited advice. I don’t, especially. I never listen to it and I rarely accept it. But over the years, when I’ve told people I write for a living, these are just some of the things I’ve been told or that have been said to me in the guise of being good advice I should listen to – and my mental, unspoken, responses.
I’ll let you decide if they are snarky. ( I think they are!)
- No one reads books. ( I beg to differ since…BOOKTOK!)
- No one can afford a book. ( Um, that Starbucks grande in your hand costs more than an ecopy of my books. WAaaaaaaay more.)
- You’ll never be able to support yourself writing. (Want to see my tax returns?)
- Romance books are only for single women who can’t get a man. They probably have cats, too. ( My hand to God, I almost punched this guy in the mouth. I had to seriously think, “get behind me, Satan” before I did!)
- Aren’t you embarrassed to have people know you write that smut? ( This one still makes me laugh. I mean…have you read me??? Smut?? Me?? Some of my books don’t even have a hand-holding scene, LOL!!!)
Believe it or not, there are waaaaaaaay more of these I could share. But I’m not going to give them breath.
Filed under #fridayfive
#wednesdaywisdom
I tend to think we don’t do this enough.
Being kind to yourself can take many forms, all of them soul-lifting.
- don’t talk s**t about yourself. To yourself or anyone else!
- don’t put yourself down, especially in front of others. Not even for a joke.
- get enough sleep. And if you can’t, take a nap during the day.
- drink lots of water and cut out the caffeine and sugary drinks. They are doing you and your hips no good!
- check in with your mental health: how are you feeling? Are you upset or sad about…whatever?
- Limit your alcohol consumption. Drinking to excess doesn’t kill the pain, make the bad thoughts go away, or take you out of a situation you’d rather not be in. It simply makes you drunk, sloppy, unattractive, and sick
- take a walk. 5 minutes, ten. Just get outside and get some fresh air.
- take deep breaths before speaking and responding in anger. ( I need to practice this one more often!)
- say goodbye to the negative people in your life no matter how much it hurts to. Kick them to the curb and then don’t look back.
- get a massage/facial/manicure, whatever, to make you FEEL fresh.
There are a million more ways to take care of yourself – write some down of your own and then….do them!
Filed under #wednesdaywisdom
#Mondaymusings #musingsonamonday
“Do what you love, what gives you joy, what brings you the most pleasure imaginable. It will never be a job, but always be a constant source of happiness.”
Filed under #mondayMusings
#SaturdayShare
Meet my cast of characters from RETRIBUTION. This is how I pictured them when I was writing the book…
6 teenage girls have been kidnapped, brutalized, and murdered in the Washington DC area and the FBI’s SPCD Unit – the Sexual Predators of Children Profilers – are nowhere close to finding the monster responsible. How are the victims chosen? How does the killer find them, contact them, lure them into his sick web? Questions the team has no answers for.
When a high-ranking US Senator’s daughter is the next victim, SPCD team leader, Tucker Petrie, is forced to call upon retired profiler — and his last partner — Kella O’Brien for help. Kella’s been out of the game for 10 years, but her expertise and insights into a serial killer’s mind are unparalleled. If anyone can discover who this madman is, it’s Kella.
But as the team rushes to prevent another young girl’s death, clues the killer leaves behind have Kella wondering if his endgame is all about…her.
Purchase it from my website: Retribution
Amazon links + KU: RETRIBUTION
Add it to your GOODREADS WANT TO READ PAGE: Goodreads
Filed under Writing
#fridayfive 4.12.24
RETRIBUTION releases in just 11 days, so, today I want to share with you five tropes in the book
- The ANTAGONIST trope -in this book, the SERIAL KILLER is the antagonist. This person is the bane of the SPCD’s existence. I had such a good time writing the killer – their backstory, their road to what led them to kill.
- The KINDNAPPED trope – 6 girls have been kidnapped in the Washington DC Area – one every 21 days for 6 months. This also leads to the RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK trope in order to save them.
- The WOMAN IN PERIL trope. Not only the 6 girls, but the other two women in the story fall into this category as well. No spoilers here as to how, why, or even when, lol!
- The ORPHAN trope – if I told you why this one is in the book you would know too much before you read it. So…read it!
- The LOVE TRIANGLE trope. Again, this one will play itself out in the book, but if I told you about it now, it would spoil some of the discovery.
There are a few more I’ve added, such as the SCAR ( physical or emotion) trope, best friends, the protector trope, the red herring trope, and the hidden identity one as well.
It’ll be fun when you read the book to see if you can find any more!
You can order your copy from me, directly, here: RETRIBUTION
Or preorder it through Amazon, here: Retribution
Release date is APRIL 23 but if you order directly from me, you’ll get an autographed copy earlier than that!
Filed under #fridayfive
#WednesdayWisdom 4.10.24
Don’t be an emotional hoarder ( or a physical one, if we’re going to be serious about it! LOL)
We all hang on to things; emotions; grudges. Those are toxic to your ability to move forward and really serve no purpose but to keep you stuck.
We also hang on to ideas or ideologies that prevent us from becoming who we are meant to be and from propelling us into the future we want. SELF DOUBT is the major one, in my opinion.
Just like you should let go of negative things, you should do the same with people. People are either for you or against you. Don’t stick with the against-you ones in the hope they will change.
Here’s a horrible but true fact: they won’t.
One of my favorite mantras is let go and let God. Leave those negative Nellies to God to deal with as you move forward to be the best you, you can be.
I believe in you. Now…learn to believe in yourself.
Filed under #wednesdaywisdom
Cover Reveal and a whole lotta puppies!
I am so excited to finally be able to reveal that I have joined in with a fabulous cast of writers to benefit a more-than-worthy cause! And today is the cover reveal for the anthology.
Ta-da….
Wednesday, Coffee, & Books presents:
Love, Lattes, & Holiday Tales a collection of brand-new unique short stories for the festive season. Snuggle up with some sweet and spicy romance from multi-genre authors, including New York Times and USA Today Bestselling.
These amazing multi-genre holiday stories featuring Hounds & Grounds and a loving pet will leave you believing in love and a happily ever after.
All the proceeds go toward 4 Paws for Ability, a non-for-profit organization matching service dogs with Veterans.
Featuring authors:
CJ Warrant & Rochelle Bradley CJ Barlowe Rochelle K Bradley Sharon Hamilton NYT & USAT Bestselling
Phoebe Alexander USAT Bestselling Monica DiSmone USAT Bestselling Marie Hall USAT Bestselling
LC Taylor USAT Bestselling Miranda Lynn USAT Bestselling Faith Alexander C.J. Baty Sutton Bishop Cynthia Carver C. J. Corbin Aliya DalRae Hope Daniels Anna Hague Miski Harris
Sara Hurst Juliette Hyland Peggy Jaeger ( THAT’S ME!!) Margaret Kay Tessa McFionn Sharon Michalove Charli Rahe AJ Renee Tori Ross Aurelia Yates
My little story is called MY PUPPY MATCHMAKER. Here’s the cover:
Dog Trainer Celia Mills has better relationships with dogs than men. She’s got a track record of dating self-centered, narcissistic, alphaholes and her therapist thinks it’s because she’s got a fix’em complex. Celia’s methods for changing behavior works with errant dogs, so why shouldn’t it with men?
Is it any wonder she’s still single?
When new client Ben Masters hires her to train his aunt’s dog, Celia’s lust-ometer goes into hyperdrive. But there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with him that needs fixing.
Could that be a sign she’s finally found her for-a-lifetime guy?
Preorders are up now!!!
Filed under Writing
#mondaymusing #Questionoftheday 4.8.24
We all have at least 1. Mine is that I can make the sound of a horse whinnying.
So, what’s yours?
Filed under #mondayMusings
Have you entered the NHRWA BLURB CONTEST YET?
My local RWA chapter, the New Hampshire group, is sponsoring a ROMANCE BLURB contest this month. Here are all the details for you romance writers out there. First, you don’t have to have a finished manuscript – this is for the blurb only! So don’t panic if you aren’t finished with your book.
Okay, here are the deets:
NHRWA’s 2024 Romance Novel Blurb* Contest
Win a Consultation with a Professional Editor
—and Attract Your Ideal Readers—
in 200 words or less!
HAVE AN UNPUBLISHED ROMANCE NOVEL?
IS YOUR BOOK BLURB STRONG ENOUGH TO HOOK READERS TO BUY?
* What’s a blurb? It’s “…a short description of a book that is usually found on its back cover. Its purpose is to entice readers into buying the book by revealing details about its plot, setting, or subject. Blurbs are often 150-200 words long, though this may vary between genres and publishers.” (Reedsy.com)
A select group of romance readers will score your blurb on characters, intrigue, goal, motivation, conflict, and grammar. The top 10 scored blurbs will be reviewed and scored by three industry professionals – a book publisher, a librarian, and an indie Romance bookstore owner.
The three highest-scoring entrants (from a maximum of 100 entries) will win a short copy review and follow-up consultation ($100 value) with one of these renowned editors:
· Anna J. Stewart Services for Writers – Anna J. Stewart (authorannastewart.com)
· Robin Baskerville robin.baskerville.23104 – Editorial Freelancers Association (the-efa.org)
· Rona Gofstein Certified Book Coach & Manuscript Muse (ronagofstein.com)
Winners also receive a digital certificate plus a digital contest sticker/badge advertising their accomplishment that can be featured on websites, Facebook, emails, etc.
How and When to Enter:
On or after March 15, 2024, submit an application that includes a PDF of your blurb and a fee of $20 per contest submission (maximum of two; fee is $15 for New Hampshire Romance Writers of America members) See https://nhrwa.wordpress.com/special-events/2024-blurb-contest/
1. Submissions will close on April 30 or earlier if 100 qualified submissions have been received. If submissions close, it will be clearly stated on the contest webpage.
Don’t delay! Polish your blurb and submit your contest application before our submission maximum is reached!
For more information, see https://nhrwa.wordpress.com/special-events/2024-blurb-contest/
Filed under Writing
Reminder: My Goodreads Giveaway is live.
Just hopping in today to make sure you all know that I’ve got a GOODREADS GIVEAWAY running for book 1 in the HEAVEN’S MATCHMAKER series, MIX & MATCH (Jasmine & Donovan). It’s live right now and goes until April 15.
The reason I’m doing a giveaway on a book that released a while ago is in anticipation of book 2’s release on May 21. LOVE MATCH (Layla & Cody) is currently up for preorder, but I wanted to give everyone a chance who hadn’t read book 1 to do so now so that they’d be caught up when book 2 releases.
Just as an FYI – you don’t have to read the books in order. They are standalone books with similar characters in each. If you’re anything like me, though, you like to start a series at the beginning! That’s the Taurus in me, I guess.
I lovelovelove my tiny New England town of Heaven, and Olivia Joyner, the local matchmaker, is the featured “star” of each book.
Here are the blurbs for each:
MIX & MATCH (JASMINE & DONOVAN)
Divorced and lonely, nurse Jasmine Green retains the services of Heaven, NH’s very own successful matchmaker, Olivia Joyner. The bar scene and dating apps give Jasmine hives and Liv’s reputation is stellar. If anyone can help guide her through the quagmire that dating has become, Olivia can.
Architect Donovan Boyd is ready to settle down. He wants the kind of marriage his parents have; long -lasting, filled with love, children, and joy. But even after a year of living and working in Heaven, he’s still considered an outsider by many. Finding the type of woman he’s looking for is hard in the tight-knit community. Retaining Olivia Joyner to help him find his forever love is one of the smartest things he’s done, especially after she sets him up with Jasmine Green.
But the red-haired, green-eyed beauty wants a different kind of marriage from the one Donovan considers ideal.
Can these two strong-willed people learn to compromise so they can both find their happily ever after? Or will their relationship forever be relegated to the friend zone?
Running away from a public scandal may be cowardly, but to Layla Warton, it’s her best option.
After her politically connected fiancé is indicted for a laundry list of crimes, Layla wants to put the public ridicule and shame of her guilty-by-association status behind her. Not easy to do when all her supposed friends and supporters lose her number and the taint of scandal-adjacent destroys the successful design business and life she’s built for herself.
Happy childhood memories and the blessing of a local friend push her toward the tiny New England town of Heaven where she spent summers with her loving grandparents. Hiding out in the town until the scandal dies down is the perfect plan.
With the paparazzi hot on her tail, an ancient family home she needs to get livable, and a contractor too hot for her sanity, Layla worries she’ll never be able to get her old life back.
But would that really be such a bad thing?
Good luck if you enter!! ~ Peg
Filed under Heaven's Matchmaker
#fridayFive 4.5.24
Today’s five are a few more things about RETRIBUTION that I hope enthrall you and make you want to read it. These are all little pieces of info about and concerning the book,
- this was the first full-length book I’d ever written. I penned it 20 years ago, stuck it on a file on my desktop and then forgot about it. When VELLA became a thing I published it to that venue and had a great deal of positivity come back to me, so I decided to update it and publish it for real.
- I was serial killer obsessed back in the day. I’m that girl NETFLIX documentaries about them was invented, (LOL) and still am, to this day.
- there is no real-life team called the SPCD ( Sexual Predators of Children DIvision) at the FBI, but there should be. I know there are a few dedicated to child trafficking and plain ol’ serial killers, tho.
- shouting a gun ambidextrously ( as Kella and Anna can) is more common than you’d think.
- The psychology of studying the serial killer mind is relatively recent in history, starting in the past 1880’s. With the advancement of criminalists and forensics, it has become much easier to target a serial killer’s crimes, if not the actual killer.
Filed under #fridayfive
The sun, cancer, and a warning…
Yesterday I had my 9th skin cancer surgery.
Yeah, I know. Le sigh.
A decent-sized protuberance was removed using Moh’s surgery by my dermatologist on my right temple. I’ve had removals now on my thighs, back, shoulder and face (multiple ones here). I’m starting to look like one of those dolls in a cartoon that’s stitched together. The scars are horrible and because I am so fair, they are prominent.
Thank goodness for makeup.
The types of cancer I’ve had removed have ranged from basel cell to squamous to melanoma. I’m not going to go into detail about why they are so different, but they all suck, let’s just say that, with the melanoma being the worst for me.
The reason I have all this skin cancer is because in my younger years, I was a sun worshipper. I didn’t come by it naturally. My mother would routinely rub baby oil and iodine on me as a child and tell me to go outside and get “some color” because I was so naturally pale. Being of 100% Irish heritage will do that to a person. So I did. Typically, at the start of every summer, I would burn to a crisp, first thing, then after a few weeks my skin would turn into a healthy-looking deep tan. I had tan lines that were almost comical in the difference between my covered-up skin and my exposed.
This was the norm for the first 25 years of my life. Although, as an adult, I switched from the baby oil to a sun-tanning solution. Always with an SPF that was a 2 or 4 because I wanted those rays absorbed.
I stopped tanning regularly at the age of 30 ( because I was too busy) and then in my forties I went on a few cruises and used tanning beds to start a tan so I wouldn’t burn on the trip and have it ruined.
Yeah…I know. Le sigh.
Now, I am paying for all of that ridiculousness.
So, here’s my PSA for today, garnered from a lifetime of experience: Don’t sun worship. Cover up when you are out in the sun. Wear a high SPF block ( NOT a 2!) but a 45+. And don’t listen to those people who say anything higher than a 30 isn’t worth it. If I wear a 30, within 10 minutes I am burning. The only number that keeps the sun from penetrating my skin is 100. Maybe you don’t have to go that high, but the higher you can go, the better. Wear a hat. ALWAYS! I love my hats and use them, as fashion statements. Don’t bake in the sun, even when you are on vacay. Repeat the sunblock solution often if you are swimming or doing something where you will sweat.
Here’s my truth: I hate my scars.
I hate the fact that I did this to myself and could have prevented it.
I hate that I now need to wear makeup on my face whenever I am doing a public event because I don’t want to scare people with my scars.
And I hate that, despite all the warnings against sun exposure we now have, people still don’t listen and just bake in the sun like cookies in an oven, all for the sake of beauty.
Take care of your skin, peeps. It’s your biggest organ and the first thing anyone sees.
~ Peg
Filed under Writing
A lot going on….
Just hopping in here today for an extra blog about a few new things ( and some old ones, too!)
First, the preorder link for my May 21st release of LOVE MATCH: Heaven’s Matchmaker ( Book 2) is livelivelive over on Amazon. You can go there, click, and preorder it so you’ll have it on your Kindle on release day. It’s also going to be in KU for the 90-day first period.
Now that you know that, do me a favor and go on over to Goodreads and hit the WANT TO READ BUTTON for me. The more people who do that, the more the book gets visibility.
Now, in anticipation of book 2 being released, I’ve got a GOODREADS GIVEAWAY going on for Book 1, Mix and Match.
You don’t need to read book 1 to know what’s going on in book 2. The stories are stand-alones with some of the same characters revolving in and out of Heaven, NH. But, having said that, I’m the type of reader who likes to read series in order, so….
If you don’t want to enter the giveaway you can simply order MIX & MATCH using this Universal link. It’s in wide distribution ( Kobo, Nook, Smashwords, etc) so you have lots of different venues to purchase it.
Last, I’ve also got RETRIBUTION releasing on April 23 on Amazon. I set myself a goal of 1000 preorders for this book and right now I stand at…..18. YIKES!! 2o days left to get 982 readers. Can you help a sistah out? LOL
I’m also selling autographed print copies here, on my website. Just click on this link: RETRIBUTION and I’ll send you one. Shipping and handling are included in the price ( Which is cheaper than amazon’s!)
Okay, I think that’s everything. PHEW!
Filed under Writing
#wednesdayWisdom 4.3.24
I wish more people realized, understood, and believed this.
Filed under #wednesdaywisdom
A #Goodreads Giveaway!
So, in anticipation of book 2 in my Heaven’s Matchmaker series, LOVE MATCH, releasing on 5.21.24, I’ve decided to do a Goodreads giveaway for book 1, MIX & MATCH, to get people up to speed before the new book drops.
This series is comprised of standalone books – you don’t need to read them in order to understand what is going on. But, of course, because I’m a Taurus and very linear-thinking ( LOL ) I always want to read a series in order, standalone or not.
SO.
The giveaway is for 100 kindlecopies and runs from April 1 – April 15. If you haven’t read book 1 yet and have been meaning to, now would be a good time to enter.
Here’s the link to the giveaway again: M&M
Good luck and Happy reading!!! ~ Peg
Filed under Heaven's Matchmaker
#mondaymusings 34.1.2024
For me, I am grateful that the year is progressing so far without any major life catastrophes! Lol
Filed under #mondayMusings
#Fridayfive 3.29.24
Today, I’m going to share 5 reasons I think you will love my newest release, RETRIBUTION. (I’m not too conceited, lol)
- Two kick-ass heroines. Kella O’Brien Calloway and FBI Agent Anna Langdon are two very dissimilar women, but they both are strong, smart, and articulate. And both shoot ambidextrously. ( A fact you need to know when you read the book!)
- A really good backstory about the serial killer. No spoilers here, but there’s a lot of depth to the killer’s character arc.
- Two Swoon-worthy heroes – Sean Calloway and Ticker Petrie. Two men who couldn’t be more unalike, but they both love Kella in their own way and would die for her.
- A fast-paced story ala Criminal Minds. The SPCD ( Sexual Predators of Children) Division of the FBI are a group of dedicated G-men who fight for kids every day of their lives.
- It’s like nothing else I’ve ever written. If you aren’t a fan of romance ( shame on you!) but like gritty, psychological crime dramas, this book has your name on it!
YOu can preorder an autographed print copy from me, here PRINT
or get the ecopy from Amazon, here. KINDLE
The book will also be available in KU for a limited time.
Filed under #fridayfive, #retribution
#TBT
All year long I’m taking a look back on some of the blogs I wrote when I first started this writing project. It’s fun to see how far I’ve come in my writing and in my philosophizing, lol! This one is from September 2017
I’ve mentioned before that I’m blessed and lucky to be retired so I can write whenever I want, for how ever long at a stretch I want. This usually adds up to 5-9 hours daily, depending on everything else in life that needs to be taken care of: laundry, grocery shopping, exercise.
But….there was a time not too long ago when that wasn’t the case. I worked outside my home at a job I detested, so writing was relegated to the back burner. During that time I’d sneak a few minutes before getting ready for the day to jot down a few lines of dialogue. Or I’d bring my laptop to work with me and take a solitary lunch so I could finish a scene. My menopause insomnia ( don’t laugh. It’s a real thing!) was good for one thing and one thing only: I used my inability to sleep to write in the middle of the night when everyone else was dreaming. My first book, SKATER’S WALTZ, was completely written between the hours of 1 and 3 am.
My husband worked, my daughter was out of the house, so it should have been easy to eek time out of the day to write. But it wasn’t because, you know….life.
Balance is a hard job for some people and for me it’s one of the most difficult concepts to accomplish. I never felt like I was giving my all to anyone or anything when I was working and writing. I am in awe of writers who have small children, volunteer at their school, plus work and have husbands/wives they need to care, in addition to homes that need to be tended. And by tended, I mean cleaned! Those writers truly have superpowers that I do not possess. They can write a book, bake cookies for the school fundraiser, prepare nutritious meals for dinner, and everyone has clothes to wear, even on laundry day.
These writers have found their inner balance between writing and life.
I never did. It was only when I retired from that despised job that I was able to finally devote the time necessary to each part of my day and not feel as if I was cheating some aspect of it along the way.
So the title of this piece is Managing my writing time. I’m doing pretty well now that I don’t have any place to be during the daylight hours – and by that I mean I don’t have to go to a job location. All my friends still work, so there is no one I can get into Thelma and Louise trouble with during the day and the last time I went out to lunch on a weekday was way back in the beginning of the summer. I have no life, really, and I think I’m doing just fine!
Filed under #throwbackthursday
#WednesdayWIsdom 3.27.24
THink about this for a moment.
You have a roof over your head, food on your table, the bills are paid, you have luxuries like a cellphone, vacations, a laptop. You drive a car you own. You can buy clothes whenever you want; go out to dinner at a nice restaurant. Go to the movies.
Do you ever think you’re blessed because you have all that? Or do you just accept it? Take it for granted because it’s always been that way?
Here are some statistics that might surprise you – or may not.
9.2% of the global population live in extreme poverty with half the world’s poor children under the age of 18.
In this country, 37 million Americans with 1 in 6 being children, live below the poverty line, don’t have enough to eat, don’t have adequate access to health care, clean water, even a roof over their heads.
Now, tell me: are you still taking the things you do have for granted?
Filed under #wednesdaywisdom
#mondaymusings #musings on a Monday 3.25.24
Filed under #mondayMusings
Peggy Jaeger, Author 