Peggy Jaeger, Author

Can you tell I’m excited?!

This is a dream come true for me. I will be signing my updated version of DIRTY DAMSELS at the RWA booth during BOOKCON. It takes palce at the Javits Center in NYC. I am signing on SATURDAY, 4/19 from 12:30 until 2:30 at the RWA booth # 559 in Hall 3. I fyou have tickets or are planning to come, please come visit me. Buy a book. Get some swag and take a picture. This is gonna be a top 5 day for me, kids, as a writer.

Again….can you tell I’m excited??!!!

old. Yikes!

This past Sunday, hubby and I were in church and prayers of intention were sent up for a woman who had died recently, whom we knew. She was, in fact, my daughter’s fourth grade teacher and a lovely, amazing, loving woman and educator. I hadn’t known she’d died. Since I don’t read the newspaper anymore I never see the obituaries. I used to read through them religiously when I worked to see if my patients had died, but since retiring…not so much.

Anyway. I was really sad to hear of her passing and it got me thinking.

Hubby and I are at that age now when our parents, aunts, uncles, and even our friends, are starting to die. Whether from old age ( parents) or illnesses ( friends), it has made me pause and reevaluate my life as it is right now.

I’ve never been in a place where I have people getting ill and dying on both side of my age group before. When I was a kid, all the people I knew who died were old old, like in their 80s and 90s. Great aunts and great uncles. Elderly neighbors. No one younger that 80. Certainly no one in their 40s, 50s or 60.

That’s changed, radically, in the past 2 decades.

Now, I know people in their 40s who have been afflicted with life threatening illnesses. I know people in their 50s who have succumbed to heart attacks.

It’s enough to give you a few moments of pause and make you reflect.

I had a bone density scan the other day as part of my routine care and it showed I have osteopenia. Not osteoporosis – not yet – but inching that way if I don’t take measures now to prevent it. The upper limit to slip into osteoporosis is 2.4. I scored a 2. I need more calcium, more water, a diet rich in green leafy veggies, no soda ( this one will be the hardest). Calcium supplements with Vitamin D, which I have been religiously taking since my mother broke her first hip 7 years ago have been a staple of my life. But since I have thyroid issues, that calcium doesn’t seem to be gaining any leeway. Strength training, which I already do. All things to prevent the possibility of fractures as I age. And believe me, after seeing what my mother and stepfather went through with two broken hips each, I never want to go through what they did. But that’s only one concern of my aging process.

Cancer, melanoma ( which I’ve battled for years), kidney disease, heart disease, stomach issues, bowel issues. All these things increase as we age. Now, I could just as easily be involved in a car crash and die as from any one of these disease states, but still. The end result is death.

I have friends who, like me, take care of themselves. But that doesn’t rule out something occuring to strip us of the life we have left.

Aside from the physical implications of disease states is the mental toll illness takes on not only the person suffering through it, but the people surrounding them as well. I know from my own experience how depression gripped me in its hold after my mother’s sudden death, when everything, all the responsibility, all the care, all the followthrough was placed on me to care for stepfather, and to manage my mother’s financial affairs. At 63 I had to grow up fast. And believe me, it was hard.

Death makes you grieve. It makes you think. It makes you reevaluate relationships. It makes you take stock of your own, present life.

If something were to happen to me and I would die tomorrow, I would do so with so much still lef tto do in my life. When that osteopenia result came in, the first thing I thought about was my grandkids. I want to live to see them grown, get through school, start careers, find life-partners. I want to be a part of that as a fully functional ( mind, body, spirit) Grandma. And I am going to do everything in my power to ensure that happens.

Take care of yourself, people. If you don’t want to do it for yourself, do it for those you love.

and why I’ve scaled back doing them.

Yesterday I did a post about book arcs and the expense they incur for the author. I stated why I don’t really do book arcs to too many people (only ones I trust) because of the price to order the book and then send it out to people. You can read that post here for context: 3.10.26

Today I want to explain why I have decided to forgo many of the booksignings I have done in the past to meet readers and, hopefully, sell some books.

The main reason, and you could probably guess this, is the money involved. I don’t know if readers know what the expense sheet looks like for authors when they attend these massive booksignings with multiple authors, but let me give you a little rundown.

First, you have to pay for your table. Table fees run anywhere from $150 to $500 ( yes, that’s true!). So right away, if you are the author, you are thinking about how many books you have to sell to break even on that fee.

Next, if the signing is somewhere a distance from where you live – as most are – you have either gas money for the car, or airfare for travel to get there.

If you must travel to the booksiging, you then have lodging fees. And you have to eat, so add food to the sum as well.

Next, most readers like freebies, as do we all, so you have to offer book swag. Chapsticks with your name on them. Book marks, drink cozzies, pens, anything and everything you can think of that you can give away – for FREE – to readers to entice them to remember your name and read your book, I always have candy at my tables, too, so…another expense.

Most authors now have banners with their names/books/social sites on them. These run anywhere from $120 to $ 250. Table runners with your names emboldened on them are another expense. All of this is to get name recognition for readers.

If you live in another state and need air travel to get where you are going, shipping your books to the venue is the way to go to avoid over-poundage luggage fees. I don’t know about you, but have you seen the postal delivery rates recently???

So, factoring in everything above, you can spend anywhere from $500 to $2000 on a booksigning event. If your book costs $15 that means you need to sell anywhere from 33 to 133 just to break even. The most books I have ever sold at an event was 20.

Yeah, I’m not getting rich from doing this.

That isn’t the point, of course, for writing, But I also don’t want to go into massive debt just to sell a book or two, so I have decided to drastically reduce the number of sales events I am going to in the future, In 2026, I am only doing 2 big ones, and 1 library one so far. In 2027, I have 1 big one scheduled.

Do I hate missing out on meeting readers face to face? Of course. That connection between the reader and the author is so important. But I can’t go into debt just to satisfy the wish of meeting people in the flesh.

If I ever become a big name in the industry or get a bestseller attached to my name where I am actually making money and not just spending it, this may change. For the foreseeable future, though, I’m scaling back.

And I hate doing it…

and why I am stingy with them.

So I was watching a tiktok video the other day from a book creator who said she is disgusted with her arc readers because they haven’t been keeping up their end of the bargain.

What bargain, you ask? Well, this one: When you make an arc signup list, send it out into the cyber ether and people sign up to read your book prior to publication, there is an unwritten rule ( shall we say) that you will read the book in a timely fashion and post a review to any of the review sites. Now, Goodreads, Bookbub and a few others will let you post a review of an advanced reader copy ( ARC) prior to publication while amazon will not until after the publication date and then a verified purchase of the said book, in most cases.

This author was disgusted because she approved and sent out 200 arcs of her newest book and only 2 people have posted reviews.

Let’s unpack that…

First: 200 arcs???!!! I don’t even sell a quarter of that amount of books when I publish a new book, much less give that many away, because that is what an arc book is: a gift. You will make no money from it as an author. In fact, you lose money because you have to pay for the physical copy ( an author’s proof), then pay for shipping. Now some places and people only do e-copies as arcs, Netgalley comes to mind and some indie authors. But the majority do physical copies. So…loss, loss, loss. I am not in this business to lose money, kids.

Second: Unless stated in the sign- up form explicitly stating that the arc reader MUST post to certain sites on such and such a date, the author can’t complain that things weren’t done in a timely manner.

Third: If such dates and sites were listed as a requirement to getting the arc copy, and again, it’s FREE to the reader, the only recourse the author has is to never give another book to that reader again. You can’t sue them, or publicly out them for not doing what they agreed to because that’s slander and could open you up to a litigious situation. Having said that I’ve seen tiktoks where authors have done this and they have been censured, vilified, and canceled for “outing” their arc readers in a poor light.

This is why I choose not to give out public arcs. I barely have time to do my media marketing, much less chase down people who aren’t posting reviews for my books.

I use Booksprout exclusively for my arcs from people I don’t know because Booksprout has a verified and true system for making sure their readers do what they are supposed to, namely, read and review in a timely fashion. I have a selected few readers of my own whom I will always send a new book to for review prior to publication because I trust them to be honest ( even if they don’t like the book) and post their reviews in the time frame I ask. I trust them which is more than I can say for stangers. I will continue to use these readers as long as they want to read my words, which, hopefully, is forever.

I have been told by other authors that I am missing out on reviews by not sending out multiple arcs to people, especially book influencers. To that I say, bologne! First of all, I don’t have a big name in the industry (yet!) and big name book influencers don’t have reputations for reading authors who aren’t big names. They want to get traction for their videos and reviews and big name authors give them that. Second, I don’t have the money to be sending out books to people all over the world. Paying for author copies and then postage is cost prohibitive to me. I had one author say to me, well, that is a way for you to get your work seen. Sure, but at what cost? I am paying for the book, then the cost to mail it, and with no real guarantee spending that money will get me anywhere, career and publicity-wise. The response I got to that was “it pays to take a chance.” Not when you don’t have the money to begin with and I am not putting myself in debt on the odd chance I’ll get a 5 star review that will not garner me any new real organic readers.

Do I sound bitter? I don’t mean to. It’s just that with the advent of AI – where people are shoving out books by the ton daily that are computer written – and tiktok influencers, it is harder than ever for an author to gain any traction and find new readers.

Okay, so maybe I do sound a little bitter….

Now, more than any time in recent memory, we as women need to stand up, fight, protest, be heard and be our own advocates because it’s obvious there are powers that are trying to silence us, strip us of our freedoms, and tell us what we can do with our bodies.

Today is International Women’s Day. D something today to celebrate the day with your daughters, nieces, gal friends, mothers and co-horts. Call your local representatives and make sure they are supporting women’s rights. If not, vote them out.

We need to lift one another up, back each other up, and show up for one another in every way possible so that we can protect our rights as human beings. We are half the population of this earth. We deserve a place at the table – a prominent place – and it is our right as human beings to be seen, respected, revered, and heard.

Support International Women’s Day. Support Women.

Today’s #Firstlinefriday comes from my addition to the ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID series, SABLE.

Sable groaned as she spotted her oldest aunt, Teresa, moving like a heat-seeking missile across the ballroom straight for her.

ALWAYS BEING A BRIDESMAID IS GETTING OLD…

Pediatrician Sable Miller is sick and tired of being the go-to, dependable bridesmaid in all her family and friends’ weddings. But her demanding job, the ridiculous hours, and endless family commitments keep her from finding the perfect man. A matchmaking service? Sounds like too much work. Swipe right dating? Not her thing. The bar scene? When was the last time she even had an evening free to go to a bar?

And forget about dating the myriad of on-the-make doctors and residents in her hospital. Besides, workplace romances never work out.

Sable’s options to meet the man of her dreams and start a family are dwindling and time is running out, because she promised herself the next wedding she would attend would be her own.

Kristopher Lee, the Physician’s Assistant assigned to Sable has a crush on his new mentor. But she’s got a hands-off rule when it comes to dating someone she works with. Kris is nothing if not persistent, though. After all, he didn’t survive three tours in the Army without focusing on a goal. And making Sable Miller fall in love with him is his best goal yet.

releasing on 3.31.26

By now you’ve guessed I’m in the middle of a media marketing blitz to make sure I can let as many people as possible know about my upcoming crime drama, Vendetta.

Today, I want to tell you 5 things about the book to hopefully whet your appetite and get you to preorder it.

1. It’s a revenge plot – something I love to read and write!
2. It has a backstory of grooming. Nothing is actually shown on the page with this, but the implication is all in the backstory, so if this is a mental issue for you, you shouldn’t be triggered.
3. It concerns a family annihilator and the aftereffects on the people involved in his life.
4. There’s a high-speed car crash, a car bombing, and another dramatic car chase, all resulting in injuries to the protagonists.
5. The book is told in 3 time capsules: before, now, and the in-between.

Book Blurb:

A high-speed car accident and the bombing of his wife’s car convince FBI SSA Tucker Petrie that he is the target of a killer. Discovering who the person is before another attempt is made becomes the focus of Tucker’s life. With his former partner and best friend, Kella Calloway, by his side, Tucker and his team form a shadow investigation into a series of FBI agent killings no one in power has connected the dots to yet.

With the clock ticking and another agent killed, Tucker, Kella, and the team do everything in their power to put an end to the killer’s plan of revenge.

Amazon preorder link: Vendetta

Universal preorder link: Vendetta

I hope I’ve convinced you to preorder the book. It’s available in print ( hardback and paperback) and ecopy and the ecopy is only #99cents now and for the first week after the publication. On April 7, 2026, the price returns to its regular sum of 3.99 for ecopy.

If you like CSI, Criminal Minds, and SVU and are a true crime netflix junkie, this book is for you.

Reviews:

Goodreads:

5 stars “I was hooked from page one until the end.”

5 stars: “Reading this story is like being in an episode of Criminal Minds, which is one of my favorite shows.”

5 stars: “The tension is brilliantly built and with everything happening in the story, I kept turning page after page!”

Add it to you GOODREADS WANT TO READ LIST: VENDETTA

today’s first line comes from my addition to the LAST MAN STANDING series, CHANCE.

“I swear, if one more aunt corners me and says she’s got the perfect girl for me, I’m gonna pull a Usain and Bolt outta here,” Chance Miller said as he plopped into his assigned seat at his cousin’s wedding reception.

Chance ( Last Man Standing)

Chance Miller, divorce lawyer extraordinaire, knows the whole happily ever after dream is an urban myth. He deals with miserable and wedded warring couples every day and swears staying single keeps him sane and happy. His friends and family consider him the last single man standing and fear he’ll never find someone and settle down. But Chance relishes his carefree status and unencumbered lifestyle and has no plans to change anything.

If only his relatives would stop trying to set him up with their version of the perfect woman.

Fredrika Poole already experienced her one great love, and the widow can’t read any future romance in her tea leaves. She’s content to bake, run her business, and care for her daughter.

When Chance meets Freddie and discovers her marriage thoughts run on the same road his do, he realizes she’s the answer to his prayer for keeping the relatives at bay. But the pixie barista has a way of making Chance question everything he’s always thought about love, marriage, and wedded bliss.

Will his last man standing status go unchallenged? Or will Freddie be the one woman he wants…but can never have?

do you have your tickets?

2026 is a scaled down personal event year for me for several reasons, not the least of which is financial.

But I am doing a few, and in April this one has me so excited I can’t stand it! The New England Book Ball is a debut event at the top of one of New Hampshire’s premier vacation spots!

2 days of communing with authors, a book signing, a ball! An actual get dressed up ball! That one has me on pins and needles with excitement. I’ve got to get a dress!!!

There’s a book cover contest where the readers present will vote on their favorite author book covers.

This is a great way to get new to me readers to engage with my books and me!

On the instagram page, you have to scroll all the way down to the very first post to see this picture:

because I jumped on the bandwagon EARLY when this event was announced. I love a debut event and this one promises to be fabulous.

There are also going to be author panels with reader discussions and I’m a few of those as well, so yay!

I hope you can make it. I will surely be posting and filming from this event to let everyone know how it goes.

VENDETTA (The Fbi Profilers)

A high-speed car accident and the bombing of his wife’s car convince FBI SSA Tucker Petrie that he is the target of a killer. Discovering who the person is before another attempt is made becomes the focus of Tucker’s life. With his former partner and best friend, Kella Calloway, by his side, Tucker and his team form a shadow investigation into a series of FBI agent killings no one in power has connected the dots to yet.

With the clock ticking and another agent killed, Tucker, Kella, and the team do everything in their power to put an end to the killer’s plan of revenge.

But are they too late already?

Preorder: VENDETTA (Amazon)

Everywhere else

Barnes and Noble ( because they have to be difficult!)

how it begins….