A few weeks ago I posted that I was having shoulder surgery and I wouldn’t be able to blog/tweet/fb respond, etc. for a while. For the next few weeks you’ll be seeing old posts ( Oldies but goodies) from me that I’m reposting just to keep myself active in the back of your minds.
yeah…it’s a little conceited, I know. But…the current world of marketing, you know? Here today and….gone tonight.
Hee hee.
Enjoy. I’ll be back as soon as the god’s of healing allow.
Be well.
Until next time ~Peg
Filed under Uncategorized
SO today is the last day to order the e-version of DEARLY BELOVED for just 99cents. I put the book up for sale in anticipation of book 2 in the Match Made in Heaven series, TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS releasing soon. The books are part of a series, yes, but are stand-alones as well, so you don’t necessarily have to read book 1 to understand what is going on in book 2 – BUT WHY WOULDN’T YOU??? hee hee
Anyhoo…
Here’s a little about DEARLY BELOVED. I’ve included the buy links below.
Colleen O’Dowd manages a thriving bridal business with her sisters in Heaven, New Hampshire. After fleeing Manhattan and her cheating ex-fiancé, Colleen still believes in happily ever afters. But with a demanding business to run, her sisters to look after, and their 93-year-old grandmother to keep out of trouble, she’s worried she’ll never find Mr. Right.
Playboy Slade Harrington doesn’t believe in marriage. His father’s six weddings have taught him life is better as an unencumbered single guy. But Slade loves his little sister. He’ll do anything for her, including footing the bill for her dream wedding. He doesn’t plan on losing his heart to a smart-mouthed, gorgeous wedding planner, though.
When her ex-fiancé comes back into the picture, Colleen must choose between Mr. Right and Mr. Right Now.
“Peggy Jaegar has done it again with what I sincerely hope is the start of a fresh new series. The setting is small town New Hampshire, lovingly portrayed with all its natural beauty and inevitable small town quirkiness. The story centers around a wedding planner, her two sisters and their firecracker of a grandmother (my favorite sidekick character, hands down!)
The main character, Colleen O’Dowd, narrates in first person as she navigates professional and personal challenges including the unprofessional feelings she’s having for one of her clients, Slade Harrington. He’s not one of her grooms-to-be (thank goodness) but rather her client’s older brother, a Titan of New York finance and the one signing the checks for his baby sister’s wedding.
Sparks fly from the first meeting, but Colleen’s insecurities keep her over thinking every interaction, which makes for lots of amusing internal monologue as well as witty banter between Colleen and Slade.
The dialogue is fast and fresh, the situational humor keeps the pages turning, and the characters are endearing. Family and forgiveness are huge themes here, and the author draws in the reader with humor and heart. A great read from one of my favorite authors. 5 sparkling stars and totally recommend for a fun, fast totally enjoyable read.” ~ Katie O’Sullivan
This is not going to be an explanation of KU, sorry. I’m still as stupid and in the dark about the whole process, myself, and I really think I need an instruction workshop to have it make any sense to me.
No, this posting is part of that never ending branding and marketing portion of my life. You see, two of my books have recently been put into KU – not by me! I’m traditionally published and had no say in the matter when the publishers decided to go this route.
The two books are
COOKING WITH KANDY, book 1 in my WIll Cook for Love series from Kensington/Lyrical
and DIRTY DAMSELS, DotComGirls, bk1 from Limitless Publishing
So, if you are a KU subscriber, do a little romance author a favor and read a few pages ( or download the entire book! – even better! hee hee)
Until next time ~ Peg
Filed under Author Branding, author promotion
Now here’s an unusual topic. I don’t think I’ve ever given consideration to this before. What do I read when I’m not feeling well.
If I use a little literary ( hahah PUN!) license, I can say that feeling well doesn’t necessarily have to mean sick, like I have the flu or a bad stomach cramps from overeating Milano cookies. In fact, the reason I ate the Milanos – because I was feeling depressed and sad – could be construed as feeling unwell.
I know…sometimes I surprise myself as well. ( hee hee)
Anyhoo…
When I’m feeling down, dejected, sad, or depressed, sometimes I don’t reach for the Milanos, I re-read a book instead. I really do, I just never realized it could be blog topic before!
In no order – either the depth of my “illness” or the love of the book, I re-read and have re-read these books several times during my lifetime.
There are a few more, but I think I’ll leave it at these top three for now. Let’s see what the other authors in this challenge use as book-medicine. L&SR.
You can follow me here:Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me// Triber// BookMe // Monkey me //Watch me
and don’t forget – DEARLY BELOVED is still on sale until 8.23. For just #99cents!
get your copy here:
Filed under Long and SHort Reviews
Today, I have a fun surprise I’d like to share with you.
I’ve teamed up with 30 fantastic authors to give away a huge collection of Steamy Contemporary Romances to 2 lucky winners, PLUS a brand new eReader to the Grand Prize winner!
You can win my novel DIRTY DAMSELS, plus books from authors like Piper Rayne. Zoe York, Kacey Shea, and more — just by following me and other great Steamy Contemporary Romance authors on BookBub!
Enter the giveaway by clicking here 👉 bit.ly/SteamyRomance-August2019
And you can follow me on Bookbub or any of my other Social Media sites, as well, here:Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me// Triber// BookMe // Monkey me //Watch me
and watch the trailer for DIRTY DAMSELS my good friend Nancy Fraser made for me:
Good luck and enjoy!
Until next time ~ Peg
This month on N.N. Light’s Book Heaven, it’s a celebration of Bingeworthy Books
I’m lucky enough to have my current Limitless Release DIRTY DAMSELS as one of those books being celebrated as bingeworthy – an honor, believe me!!!
I’m thrilled to have any book of mine thought of as one that has to be finished in one sitting! I have several favorite authors, who, when they release a new book, I devour immediately, unable to put it down until I know how everything resolves. And even though I read mainly romance, with the ending a guarantee of an HEA, an ending I KNOW is coming, I still can’t wait to finish the book.
SO, this got to me to thinking ( you knew that was coming, didn’t you? Hee hee): what, exactly, must a book have in it to make it a bingeworthy read for me?
Each of the writers I mentioned above is a binge read author for me. The moment they release new books I stop whatever it is I am doing, whether it’s cleaning the house or writing my own books, and readreadread until I am done.
My greatest, secret wish is that I am a bingeworthy author for a reader!!
Hey – did you know I’ve got a sale going on? DEARLY BELOVED, book 1 in my Match Match in Heaven series is on sale ( ebook only) for just 99cents until 8.23.
The sale is in anticipation of book 2, TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS being released soon! Get your copy now – if you haven’t already – and get all caught up before book 2 comes out into the book reading world.
get your copy here:
Hopefully, it will be a bingeworthy read for you!
Until next time ~ Peg
Last week I brought you a little sumthin’ from my upcoming WRP release of TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS. This week, I have another new WRP release coming out SOON from a new series called PRIDE OF BROTHERS. The first book is Rick’s Story.
Rick Bannerman’s job is to protect. An elite bodyguard and P.I., he’s used to denying his emotions and ignoring his feelings in order to keep those in his care safe, at all costs. When lawyer Abigail Laine becomes the target of a vengeful client, Rick slips in to protection mode even though Abby refuses his help.
Four years ago Rick left Abby standing on a balcony alone, after walking away from a kiss that sent them both reeling. His refusal stung, and Abby’s sworn to forget it so she can protect her heart and move on with her life. But now she needs Rick’s professional help and her reluctance to accept it could just cost her her life.
Can these two stubborn and independent people put their troubled past behind them and learn to trust one another?
Excerpt:
Rick was seated on the couch, his laptop on the table in front of him, an open bag of potato chips next to it.
“Where did those come from?”
“They were in the bag from Kandy,” he told her never looking up from his typing. “Josh took pity on me and sneaked them in.”
She pulled a bottle of water from the fridge. “Why would Josh need to take pity on you?”
If shamefaced had a proper name, it would be Rick, because that’s exactly the expression he wore on his face at her question. His shoulders curled forward a little, his neck almost disappearing into them. The tips of his ears turned ruddy, and he cleared his throat a few times before reaching for his own water bottle and taking a good chug.
He wouldn’t meet her eyes.
“Answer me,” she commanded when he put the bottle back down on the table.
She watched his neck work and couldn’t decide which emotion was stronger: the need to hear the answer to her question, or the desire to crawl into his lap and lick his neck—and every other part of him.
It was a testament to her analytical training that she opted for an answer.
“Maybe pity was the wrong word.”
Abby waited.
Rick scrubbed his hands through his hair and cupped the back of his neck. “Fine, but don’t get all pissy when I tell you, okay?”
For an answer, she cocked one of her eyebrows and dropped her chin.
“When we were over there, I happened to mention to Josh you don’t keep any junk food in the house. No cake, no chips, pretzels. Nothing to snack on.”
“Not true. I always have cut fruit in the fridge.”
The breath he blew between his lips told her what he thought of fruit as a snack. “Like I said, nothing to snack on. I kind of told him I was, you know, going through withdrawal, from the lack.”
She couldn’t help it: she laughed.
Rick straightened up in his seat, his eyes squinting at her. “You don’t have to laugh at me. You did ask.”
“How old are you?”
“What does my age have to do with anything?”
“You just said you were going through withdrawal because you haven’t had crappy snacks to munch on. Don’t—” She held a hand up to him to silence what he’d been about to say. “The stuff you like is crappy from a nutrition standpoint. The last time I heard someone complain like you was my nephew Declan when were all at the beach last month. He’s nine. Which is the age I’d expect a kid to be who’s made a statement like you just did.”
Rick shook his head. “I knew you were gonna get pissy.”
“I’m not being pissy because I eat food that’s actually good for me. You don’t live here, Rick. I do. You can fill your apartment to the ceiling with junk food and I won’t care, but this is my home, my space, and I don’t stock it full of bad food choices.”
“Why are you so hyper-vigilant and OCD about snacky stuff? It’s not gonna kill you to have a cupcake or some cheese puffs, you know.”
“Spoken like a man who can eat whatever he wants.”
“The hell does that mean?”
“It means you don’t need to worry about your weight. Ever. You’ve never struggled with an extra ounce of body fat in your life, Rick. I know that for fact. You have no idea what it’s like to count every calorie and watch every single thing that goes into your mouth because of the inevitability it’s going to wind up on your ass. I do. I wasn’t blessed with my grandmother’s metabolism like Kandy and most of my sisters. Ellie and I take after our dad’s side. We’re the only ones who do. One more thing to despise about him,” she added, pursing her lips. “I’ve had to deny myself food everyone else can eat with abandon since my teens. And it’s a struggle. A monumental one. I’m strong-willed, but sometimes willpower can only go so far, which is why I keep healthy foods around me so if I do snack, at least it’s on something I won’t obsess over about the calorie count.”
She took a long pull from her water bottle.
Rick’s gaze stayed on her while she drank. He didn’t seem embarrassed any more. In truth, she couldn’t tell what was behind that penetrating stare of his. She placed the bottle down on the counter next to her broken shoe.
“Come here,” he said, holding out his hand.
“Why?”
He wiggled his fingers. “Just, come here.” When she didn’t move he added, “Please.”
He took her hand when she got close and yanked her down onto his lap with her legs resting on the couch.
“For the record,” he said, winding one hand around her waist, the other across her thighs, “I love your ass. I love every part of your body. And whether you weighed fifty pounds or three fifty, you’d still be the sexiest woman I’ve ever known, Abigail.”
The words seeped into her soul. She wanted to believe them.
“And I’m sorry I dissed you to Josh. You’re right, I don’t live here, and I have no right to complain about anything. So, I’m sorry.”
Abby sat, quietly, staring up at him.
“What?” he asked when she tilted her head to one side.
“Contrition looks good on you.”
Intrigued? Stay tuned for more announcements on cover reveal, preorder links and release date!
And don’t forget, DEARLY BELOVED is still on sale until 8.23.19 Get your copy before book 2 comes out so you’ll be all caught up!
get your copy here:
Until next time ~ Peg
So. Next week I’m having surgery.
I’m not looking forward to it because I won’t be able to use my right arm or hand for an indefinite period of time.
Long story, short: I fell 2 years ago and tore my rotator cuff, bicep tendon, and something called a labrum ( sounds kinda dirty, but since it’s in my upper arm, it’s really not.) In the beginning the docs told me all I had was something called a “frozen shoulder.” After 3 months of PT, multiple pain killers, rest and no exercise, the pain never went away and they threw up their hands, and I really think they thought I was malingering or faking. When the pain proceeded to get worse they gave me cortisol injection. Didn’t work. I finally convinced someone to order an MRI.
Yeah…when someone says they are in pain, believe them first before you question if they’re faking it.
The MRI showed the above mentioned results.
And now I have to have surgery to repair all the damage. I can’t imagine it’s going to be easy on the orthopedic surgeon to correct the problems because they are – as mentioned above ( again!) 2 years old, not recent. There has to be some kind of scarring or something going on in there that will make this worse than I’ve been led to believe.
This has been ( despite my saying Long story, short) a long winded way of saying I won’t be typing anything for a few weeks. This week and next, before the surgery, I’m doing everything in my power to front load all my blogs, tweets, announcements, etc.
Can you spell stressed?
Yeah…my middle name.
While I’m recovering, I still have a sale going on and two books in edits – one in galleys! Yikes. Pray for me peeps. Pray for me.
Until next time, when I hope all is cured and my pain is gone ( just throwing that out there into the universe to see if it sticks!) ~ Peg
Filed under Uncategorized
There are so many days I wish I’d started writing fiction for publication in my 20’s. That would have been the height of the 1980’s where writers lived like kings, publishing houses hired publicists for their talented authors and book tours really involved actually touring to different places and not all over the internet.
I peaked too late, it seems.
In a time where major, traditional book publishers are dwindling as fast as an anorexic’s weight, book sales can mean the difference between a royalty check and getting bounced by your publisher for lackluster – or nonexistent – sales. Here’s my cautionary tale and lament.
You all know I’ve had a long standing publishing relationship with the WILD ROSE PRESS, who I love beyond all else!!! I’ve also had three books published by Kensington/Lyrical and recently, a new series contracted by Limitless Publishing. The series for Lyrical was originally seven books, but they dropped me after the third was published. Why, you ask? I was told at the time is was because the line was moving in a different direction away from romance and more toward cozy mysteries. And yet I still see new authors being promoted monthly with Lyrical romance releases.
Hmmmm.
After the recent publication of DIRTY DAMSELS, book 1 in the DotComGirls series ( 3 books planned), I submitted the second book in the series, HELPFUL HUNKS, only to be told the company was not going to be publishing any more of my titles due to lackluster sales. When I submitted book 2, book one had been out in the world for a total of 3 weeks.
3 friggin’ weeks!
How many sales were they hoping I’d get in that time frame? I didn’t even have a book promotion planned until august when I got back from RWA so I could devote time to it. I did a ton of preorder promotion and hoped my opening day sales reflected all that work. I was in London during the release and tracked my ranking the entire time I was there. According to my amazon results, I had the best release week of my life, with the second week even better. And this is my first book in Kindle Unlimited, which you don’t even see included in your ranking.
How can that possibly mean lackluster sales?
I think the major mistake I made was in submitting the second book so soon. I should have waited at least three months to do so. I don’t even get a royalty check until the end of this month, so that’s going to be interesting to see. The publisher was obviously basing contracting book 2 based on book 1 sales, which, at that time, weren’t even in.
Lesson learned.
I used to wonder why so many authors self published. I’m starting to get it, now.
And…because the promo never ends, don’t forget I’ve got a 99cent sale on for DEARLY BELOVED until August 23rd. If you haven’t read it yet, do so soon because book 2, TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS releases soon and you’ll want to know what’s going on in the lovely town of HEAVEN, NH before it does!
get your copy here:
Until next time ~ Peg
I love these weekly challenges because the topics SPEAK to me sososo much! Today, it’s Books I had to read in school and didn’t like.
Kids, there were hundreds! Hundreds, I tell you!
The number one book I hated was CATCHER IN THE RYE. I hated Holden, I hated the premise of the book, I hated the theme that was supposed to be universal and was sososo not! I struggled to read it and when we had to write a thematic opinion book report on it, I was scathing with my words. Got an A+, BTW, on it!
Didn’t like the GRAPES OF WRATH because it was sosososo depressing. And yes, I get that it was written in the depression, but still…just sayin’.
1984 seemed a little farfetched in 1972 to my 12 year old mind, and I couldn’t get into it.
Great Expectations was too sad and lugubrious a read for me. I struggled to finish it and write my book report.
War and Peace was a month of my life I will never get back. Plus, it was boring!
The Picture of Dorian Gray. I really wanted to slap somebody silly when I read this one. Again, a scathing book report and another A+.
Maybe I should have been a book critic instead of an author….
Nah!
Let’s see what books the other writers in this challenge struggled through in school. L&SR
Hey, don’t forget I’ve got a book sale going on. Before book 2 in my MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN series releases, book 1 DEARLY BELOVED is on sale for just 99cents until 8.23. If you need one more book to complete your summer reading list, this is the one for you!
Until next time ~Peg
Filed under Long and SHort Reviews, Romance, Romance Books
Colleen O’Dowd manages a thriving bridal business with her sisters in Heaven, New Hampshire. After fleeing Manhattan and her cheating ex-fiancé, Colleen still believes in happily ever afters. But with a demanding business to run, her sisters to look after, and their 93-year-old grandmother to keep out of trouble, she’s worried she’ll never find Mr. Right.
Peggy Jaeger, Author 