July 3, 2015 · 12:04 pm

July 4th…

This uniquely American day of celebration is filled with fireworks, grilled food, patriotic home-town parades, and pride.

It’s a day in which we remember the reasons for our freedom, the battle for our country’s independence, and the history we made as a fledgling nation.

We sing our National Anthem-although half the population doesn’t even know or understand the words; we show the world how proud we are to be Americans; and we enjoy a day free from working at jobs most of us complain about.

We attend baseball games, backyard barbecues, and pool parties. Our children wave handheld flags, sit in lawn chairs along  parade routes to see firetrucks, hear home town bands, and wave at local dignitaries reveling in their one small hour of the public spotlight.

Most of us- but not all- have the day off from our jobs, employers understanding the need for their workers to have a day to celebrate this holiday.

How many of us remember – really remember – the reason we celebrate the fourth of July? We all learned it in school, taught to us at a very young age.  In its simplest form, today was the official day our nation declared independence from a sovereign nation. Today was the date in history the leaders of our young t0-be nation all signed their names in blood to the Declaration of Independence. Today again, simply, we told the world we demand to be free. To have the rights God instilled in all men allowed to us.

Today, we became what we were meant to be. As a nation; as a people; as a symbol for all humanity.

Ad we’ve been fighting to protect that freedom ever since.

So, today when you’re having a ‘burger, or waving the flag as the parade marches by,  and watching the spectacle of another outstanding fireworks show, take a moment and remember the AMERICANS who risk their lives daily – every hour of every day – to keep us free. Our men and women in uniform don’t have today off to celebrate our freedom. They are working to guarantee it.

God bless you all and God Bless the United States of America. Happy July 4th.

Leave a comment

Filed under Life challenges

Tagged as , , , , ,

July 1, 2015 · 9:09 am

J.L. Sheppard

                              Heavenly Desire, Elemental Sisters III

HeavenlyDesire_550.400

Will he sacrifice his wings for a woman he loves but can never keep?

Today, I have fellow WILD ROSE PRESS author J.L.SHEPPARD on my blog, giving me a literary tease and a present. The tease is an excerpt from her Paranormal Romance HEAVENLY DESIRE, ( keep reading, below) and the present is for me and all of you, because it’s  on sale from June 26 thru July 10th! Follow the links after you read a little of this “heavenly” book.

ON SALE – $.99 Cents June 26 thru July 10th

By: J.L. Sheppard

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Length/Pages: 324

Blurb:

Clyde, an angel, battles the one thing he believes will lead to his fall from heaven—his new found emotions, forbidden among his kind. Nonetheless, the Angel Lords promise to promote him to warrior when he completes his last assignment—to find Jade. When he does, emotions he never knew possible arise. For the first time in two thousand years, he cursed his existence. Knowing she can never be his, will he sacrifice his wings for a woman he loves but can’t keep?

HD-2

Excerpt:

He bent toward her, wrapped one arm around her waist, the other around her back, then buried his face in the crook of her neck and inhaled.

Relishing the feel of her body melded against his, he forgot the worries consuming him. She soothed his ache with a mere touch, with a mere embrace.

Exactly what he’d wanted, exactly what he needed.

She then pressed her full lips against his cheek, kissing him lightly.

An innocent kiss. There was no passion behind it, but an unconscious consuming need, one he’d never felt, swelled inside him—desire. It was exciting, overwhelming and terrifying, blocking logic and reason.

All he wanted now was a single kiss. All he could think about was how her soft lips would feel pressed against his.

Marvelous, he concluded.

It was absurd to want what he did and feel what he felt, for he was an angel. Carnal desires even as insignificant as kisses were for others, for all others except his breed, and yet he felt it so deeply it seared him.

The desire that gripped him didn’t release him even after she unhooked her arms from around his neck, and the warmth of her body melted away.

There he stood, immobile, battling the desire she’d sparked. He didn’t want to leave yet knew he had to before he’d acted out his longing.

He willed his body to move. Finally, he placed one foot behind the other, stepped back and strode away praying the yearning he had no right to feel for a woman who would never be his would soon subside.

HD-6

“The author brings the story to life with well written scenes that capture the imagination while the suspense and drama draw the reader into the story and the characters are strong, bewitching and ensnare the readers from the very beginning.”
– Night Owl Reviews, 5 Stars
 
“…Love this series… [Heavenly Desire] is full of romance, surprises and secrets… If you love paranormal romance, do not miss this series.”
 BIO:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

J.L. Sheppard was born and raised in Miami, Florida where she still lives with her husband and son.

As a child, her greatest aspiration was to become a writer. She read often, kept a journal and wrote countless poems. She attended Florida International University and graduated in 2008 with a Bachelors in Communications. During her senior year, she interned at NBC Miami, WTVJ. Following the internship, she was hired and worked in the News Department for three years.

It wasn’t until 2011 that she set her heart and mind into writing her first completed novel, Demon King’s Desire, which was published in January of 2013.

Besides reading and writing, she enjoys traveling and spending quality time with family and friends.

Other Works:

Demon King’s Desire, Elemental Sisters I: January 2013

Burdened by Desire, Elemental Sisters II: January 2014

Awaiting Fate, Fated Immortals I: March 2015

Contact:

http://www.JLSheppard.com
http://www.facebook.com/JLSheppardAuthor

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6894176.J_L_Sheppard

J.L. Sheppard
Demon King’s Desire, Available Now

Burdened By Desire, Available Now
Heavenly Desire, Available Now
Awaiting Fate. Available Now
Website  Facebook  Twitter TSU Pinterest  Tumblr Triberr
Amazon GoodReads Shelfari

 

 

3 Comments

Filed under Alpha Hero, Author, Romance, Romance Books

Tagged as , , , ,

June 30, 2015 · 1:08 pm

What fictional character would you like most to be stuck in an elevator with?

I don’t even have to think about this one. As soon as I saw the question, Elizabeth Bennett’s name popped into my head faster than you could say…well…anyone else!

So here’s the set up. I’m on the elevator and by some time warp bend, Elizabeth Bennett gets on with me. I’m me, she’s…her. Because she was written over 200 years before I came on the scene, we’re a little differently dressed. I’m in jeans and an old Dartmouth hoodie, she’s in the typical garb of her day, parasol and reticule in hand. She nods and smiles pleasantly at me, then turns to face the elevator door forgetting I exist.

No way, Liz.

First and foremost, we need to have a little discussion about Wickham. For someone drawn as the “smart” one in the family, how come you were so blind to his narcissism? I read Pride and Prejudice for the first time at age 12 and even then I could tell he was a loser. You were a whole lot older than me when you first met him. You should have been able to see through his pretty-boy looks and brown-nosing ways. Think of all the heartache you could have saved your family if you’d told them all what a creep he really was.

Second, why oh why didn’t you tell Charlotte Lucas what a humongous mistake she was making by marrying Mr. Collins? You told the world she was your best friend, a compadre for life, and yet you let her lower herself by hooking up with one of the most unlikable, stupid –and by stupid I mean REALLY not smart – characters ever penned. Yes, I understand she felt he was the best she could do in life given her “advanced age and inadequate social status.” But Lizzy, a REAL friend would have told her to stand fast and never settle. Ever. Was it really so horrible she remain unmarried for the rest of her life? I know she didn’t want to be a burden to her parents, but really, Liz, you should have tried hard to convince her to reject his proposal.

Third. Okay, here we’re going to go a little deep. I have always wondered since the first time I read the book, did you fall in love with Darcy because you saw him for the man he really was, or because you wanted Pemberley? I know that’s a mean question because it puts into doubt your feelings for the man, but I really have been in a quandary about your motives. Seeing Pemberely for the first time, and Lydia’s defection, happened pretty much simultaneously. Can you separate the two occurrences? Did you ultimately fall for the man because he truly was the kind of man you wanted? Ask yourself, if Pemberely had been falling into ruin, would you still have wanted Darcy? If you had never seen Pemberely, would you still have wanted Darcy? If Pemberely were say, half the size, would you still have wanted Darcy? If Darcy had been the village cobbler, would you have wanted him? I know these questions are harsh, but I seriously have always doubted you truly loved him for just him and not all that he possessed.

Last, but surely not least. Your mother. Really? Did it never occur to any of you Bennetts to simply slap the s**t out her when she got into one of her ( daily) tizzies? I know medication was sparse back then, but I’d have been slipping laudanum into her morning tea every day and then in a toddy at night. How your poor father didn’t go insane with this woman is beyond me. Divorce was never an option back in your day, I get that. But seriously, she could have been sent away to Bath or anywhere where she could be hidden from public view.

Those are my questions to Lizzy.

What do you think she’d say?

7 Comments

Filed under Author, Characters, Family Saga, First Impressions, Friends, Literary characters, love, Romance, RWA, Strong Women

Tagged as , , , ,

June 24, 2015 · 10:27 am

So, who was your first FICTIONAL crush?

With the advent of boy bands, teen heart throbs, and movie bigger than life superheros, do any young girls-commonly called TWEENS- read nowadays? Other than the Twilight series, I mean? I remember vividly, long summer days spent on my bed or on a blanket at the beach, reading book after book. Summer was my favorite time as a tween because it meant no reading list from school. I could read what I wanted, when I wanted. I binged read Nancy Drew Mysteries like people binge watch on-demand television shows these days.

My first ever fictional school girl crush was Brian Beldon from the Trixie Beldon books. Trixie, a pre teen  like me, had two brothers, the oldest of who was Brian. Jet black hair and a winning grin, Brian wanted to be a **sigh** doctor. He was frequently the voice of almost-grown-up reason when Trixie got caught in her hair-brained snooping mysteries and I just thought he was “it” for me. I had no real-life boyfriends until I graduated from college, ( I know: late bloomer!) so I had to live vicariously through my fictional one.

And of course, this got me to thinking: Who are some of the most popular and beloved boyfriends in fiction. This could potentially be a hot button issue because true fans are devoted to the boys they feel are the absolute best, so here goes. In no best-to-least-best order

All these  boyfriends are good guys, do-gooders, love their girls, and treat them well. They love their girls so much they put up with mood shifts, dangerous jobs, evil warlocks and vampires, societal restrictions, financial setbacks, and even terminal cancer.

But through all the foibles and follies of dating, the end result is they simply love, support, and respect their girls.

What more could you ask for from a boyfriend?

So. Who was your first fictional crush?

 

6 Comments

Filed under Alpha Hero, Alpha Male, Author, Characters, Contemporary Romance, Friends, Literary characters, Romance

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 23, 2015 · 10:05 am

My Heroine needs a job…Help!

Back in the day…like Jane Austen’s day…women rarely had to worry about earning money. Oh, sure, they were tutors, governesses, cooks and such in major households, but those were pretty much the limits to a female’s job expectations other than as a prostitute, mistress, or some other such unsavory occupation.

If you’re book is an historical, a Regency era tome, or set anywhere before or in the 19th century, your heroine is limited in what she can do to earn her keep.

Not so much anymore, thankfully.

Your girl can do anything nowadays. I’ve read books where the heroine is a jockey, an astrophysicist, a newspaper owner, a racecar driver, a spy, a pilot…the list goes on. We are not limited to giving our fictional girls fabulous, exciting jobs, just like they are not limited in real life to having the job of their dreams.

In a former life I was a nurse. I know nursing. I walk the walk, talk the talk. None of my heroine’s have been a nurse. I’ve had a doctor, a concert pianist, an artist, an Olympic figure skater, a professional chef, a photographer, and a television producer, just to name a few. But no nurses.

Why not?

Well, I’ll tell you. I could write about a nurse, sure. It would be an accurate depiction of the job. I have the background to make it a realistic depiction and wouldn’t have to do any “research” into the role. But I wouldn’t want to write a nurse as a heroine because it’s too close to home, namely, to me. For anyone who knows me who would read the book, I would consistently wonder if they were equating the character with me. Plus, if I had to write a love scene with my heroine…forget it…don’t even want to go there!

I’d much rather give my girls fabulous jobs that I have to research, and by research, I mean actually DO them. I’d love to be a racecar driver. Not so sure my hubby would like the idea of me driving at 100+ miles per hour – oh, wait. I do that already! Being a pilot would be cool, don’t you think? And I would love to be a professional chef with my own tv show. How about the owner of a tech company? You’d need to be really smart and computer savvy for that one.

There are so many options for occupations for our heroine’s these days. The list is almost limit-less, something, as a writer, I am thrilled about.

I’m also thrilled because I’m the mom of a girl and I just love the fact she has options galore and can do anything she wants to do for an occupation.

So. What are some of the jobs your heroines have, or you would like them to have?

10 Comments

Filed under Author, Contemporary Romance, Life challenges, research, Romance, Strong Women

Tagged as , , ,

June 21, 2015 · 1:01 pm

Here’s to Dads…everywhere. Real and fictional

We live in a society that for some reason values LISTS. My Google search this lovely father’s day morning was for the BEST DADS IN LITERARY FICTION. I had upward of 20,000 links I could have clicked on to. I chose a random 1o, and from those I whittled the names down to the dads who showed up on each list. I must admit, I was impressed – but not really surprised.

1. Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockinbird. I’ll admit this even though it’s embarrassing, but I don’t know a great deal about Harper Lee’s background. I don’t know if this fictional father was based on her own, someone she knew, or a total compilation of her imagination of what she wanted in a father, but Atticus Finch, for me, is it. If I could have personally ordered a dad from God, this is the man I would have selected. Calm, patient, kind, smart, fair…the descriptors could go on and on, but the aspect  of Atticus Finch that I took away from the book was his incredible sense of morality and Godliness. He not only believes all men are equal, he lives and breathes it. He walks the walk, talks the talk, and backs up when he says with his every action. This, this, is the man I would have gladly thanked God for daily, if he were my father.

2. Mr. Bennett, Pride and Prejudice. Some people describe him as a sad-sack, a man married to a harpy who disappears from the world to his solitary library whenever the pressures of his wife, daughters, and life in general get too hard for him. Well, maybe that’s true. But it can not be denied Mr. Bennett loves his daughters and simply adores his second girl Lizzy. My favorite line- hands down-he delivers to Lizzy is this, and it shows how much he truly values her not only as a daughter, but as a woman as well: “I can not believe that anyone can deserve you.”  Call him what you will, but the man loves his daughter to no end.

3. Matthew Cuthbert, Anne Of Green Gables. While not exactly, biologically her father, Matthew is the first male during Anne’s formative young life who shows her kindness, acceptance, and ultimately the unconditional love of a “father.” It’s not often you read or hear of a confirmed, lifelong bachelor, set in his ways, who has an orphan thrust upon him and learns how to be a better person for it.  As Anne tells him, they are kindred spirits who found each other among all the people in the world.

After writing this, I realized the men listed above all had daughters. (Atticus had a son as well, but the book is Scout’s.)Maybe the reason why I am not surprised these three are top rated is because I am a daughter as well, and what daughter wouldn’t want a father with all the qualities of character these men possess. To be loved unconditionally; to be valued as a person; to be treated with respect and love in equal parts; to be guided through and into life; and to know there is always, always, someone right there who will protect, love and support you, is tantamount to my thought of the perfect person.

On this day we celebrate our fathers, the men who would be dads, and the special men who are as close to being fathers as can get, take a moment and think about what your dad means or meant to you. What qualities made him the man he is(or was) and for what kind of man do you think he would like to be remembered.

And then…call him, talk to him, give him a physical or spiritual hug. But most of all, acknowledge all he has done for you, simply because you are his little girl.

4 Comments

Filed under Alpha Hero, Author, Characters, Literary characters, Romance Books, Strong Women

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

June 18, 2015 · 11:27 am

An interview with Pretty-Hot.com…

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been many things in my life but the number one favorite is being an author. I’ve written 27 books from children’s tales, middle school stories, mystery to romance. Currently I’m focusing just on contemporary romance novels. I had my first romance published this year by The Wild Rose Press, titled SKATER’S WALTZ

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
There’s No Place Like Home is the second release in my series The MacQuire Women. It tells the story of Moira Cleary and Quentin Stapleton, lifelong friends, who realize they are nothing without the other.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Actually, no.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My biggest influences are Nora Roberts, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jill Shalvis and Lisa Kleypas.
When I was a kid I was fascinated with The Nancy Drew books and Agatha Christie.

What are you working on now?
Books 4-6 in the MacQuire women ( book 3 is in copy edits)

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Twitter and my facebook author page the most.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing no matter how hard that first sale is. If you have something to say, say it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Put your butt in the chair and write. No excuses – Nora Roberts

What are you reading now?
Sherryl Wood’s “Vows” Series

What’s next for you as a writer?
Book 3 First Impressions comes out this summer. I’m going to the RWA conference in July and I’m trying to find an agent.

What is your favorite book of all time?
The Little Engine that Could because it’s the best book about self actualization and motivation ever written.

Author Websites and Profiles
Peggy Jaeger Website
Peggy Jaeger Amazon Profile

Peggy Jaeger’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Leave a comment

Filed under Alpha Male, Author, Contemporary Romance, Family Saga, love, MacQuire Women, Romance, Romance Books, Strong Women, There's No Place Like Home

Tagged as , , ,

June 16, 2015 · 5:56 pm

The things I love about my favorite book(s)…

I have 3 favorite books.  They are all different genres, cater to different age groups, and I’ve read each one at least 5 times ( one waaaaaaay more than that- you’ll see why in a minute.) I tend to reread them because they are such central, integral  parts of the themes of my life and of what I write about.

As a child, I read The  Little Engine That Could probably close to 500 times. When my daughter was born I read it to her an equal number. This is truly -in my humble opinion- the best book EVER about self actualization. Whenever I think I can’t do something in life, whether it be get a book published, or learn a new tech savvy maneuver, I remember that little train, the mountainside, and the end result of his journey, and I KNOW I can do whatever I put my mind to.

The Wizard of Oz was quite simply the perfect book for me to read as a child because I had the same wanderlust and wishes to find my heart’s desire Dorothy had. I never appreciated what I had, and I was frequently on the look out for something better. It was only when I was married with a child of my own did I realize the truth of this statement: there’s  no place like home.

So, Gone With The Wind was the first complete romance novel I ever read – and I don’t think it was marketed as such when it was published. But it has everything a true romance reader loves: an amazingly strong, conflicted, beautiful heroine; a rakish, devilish and debonair hero who truly loves the girl; a sweeping cast of characters who live to show the H/H why they should be together, and a plot that continually pulls our main characters apart. Couple that with the heightened emotions of war, poverty and death and you have  an historic epic of love and loss. Now, the H/H don’t end with their HEA, but like the last line says, while putting hope in the mind of the reader that they will, “Tomorrow is another day.”

So, each book has the same facets and themes that I love: a strong, central character; an internal need coupled with a struggle for acceptance; a journey or task that needs to be accomplished; a lesson ( or many) learned about self; and an ending where the main character is a better person(or  in one case, a better engine!)

Why are your book YOUR favorites? Let’s discuss….

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Alpha Hero, Characters, Contemporary Romance, Family Saga, Life challenges, love, Romance, Romance Books, Strong Women, There's No Place Like Home

Tagged as , , , , , ,

June 15, 2015 · 1:50 pm

Who’s your audience?

This past weekend my darling daughter helped me with a marketing and promotion plan for my current books and the ones being released soon. I will admit, my head was spinning when we were all said and done, but we got a great deal of work finalized and many things updated and changed.

One very vital question she asked me -among the hundreds she did – was “Who is your target audience? Who are you trying to reach to sell your books to?”

My first thought was “Romance readers,” but she quickly convinced me that was too broad an audience for what I write. And she’s correct. There are so many sub-genres of romance fiction that I know I don’t appeal  to all of them. I don’t, for instance, write paranormal, werewolf sagas, erotica, or Y.A. I write contemporary romance stories about strong women. Most of the ages of my heroines fall between the 23 and 45 year old age group.  I try to write heartfelt, funny, and emotionally wrenching stories that lead to the ultimate H.E.A. that every person wants and desires.

Her response to that was, “That’s your target audience.”

I swear, the best gift God ever blessed me with was this child.

Leave a comment

Filed under Author, Contemporary Romance, Life challenges, Romance, Romance Books, Strong Women

Tagged as , , ,

June 14, 2015 · 11:45 am

When the student IS the Master…

Yesterday, my lovely daughter spent over 5 hours with me developing a marketing plan for my new career and in helping me clean up all my social media sites to make them ( her words): cohesive and consistent.

I am so not cohesive and consistent…in any part of my life!

This wonderful young woman has more knowledge in her left pinky finger about marketing and computers than I will ever be able to retain. And she still has more “stuff” to do today to help me be the best writer/self promotor I can. Seriously, I can’t wait to learn what she teachers me today.

I come to this new career a little later in life than the norm. Okay…WAY later… and there is an entire field and world of things I never dreamed I needed to do to promote myself and my work. I can’t be the only one in my age group who feels this way, at least I hope I’m not. I truly think when kids are born these days they have all this techno know-how wired into their DNA. And as far as the marketing, my daughter throws words and phrases like “SEO” and “Pinpoint Target base” around like I know what they mean. I didn’t, but NOW I do, thanks to her!

She forced me – really forced me- to think of a new brand for my writing. In her words, she felt “Writing about families and everlasting love” was too generic and sounded like a Disney movie. Ego deflation, much? Here’s the new one:

Peggy Jaeger writes about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them.

Yeah, I know. Genius in a sentence.

Take a look at my new Twitter feed @peggy_jaeger and click around this site for all the improvements she helped with. More updates and changes are to follow today.

I thank God everyday he gave me the child of my heart and dreams. And I am so happy she is the woman she is…although she will always be my baby.

 

1 Comment

Filed under Author

Tagged as , ,