Join Long and Short Reviews for their 8th anniversary party. Click on the link and you could…win a prize…find your next favorite author…just answer a question on the link about my debut novel SKATER’S WALTZ, which, btw, in on sale now for #99cents until 9/3. So if you haven’t read it, now’s your chance to for less than a dollar!
Filed under Author, Contemporary Romance, love, MacQuire Women, Romance, Romance Books, Skater's Waltz, Strong Women
Ok – here’s a scene from my soon-to-be-released 3rd book in MacQuire Women, FIRST IMPRESSIONS.
Since it’s a #mysexysaturday feature, this one’s rated pg-13 ( and maybe even R!), so no kiddies in the room when you read it!
He bent and, while she slept, traced his tongue around one nipple until it hardened and beaded in his mouth. He felt her start to stir, watched as her legs pulled upwards and her back arched. Even in sleep she stirred his blood.
His hand dipped down, trailed over her abdomen, over her pelvis, to rest on the core of her heat. He slipped one finger between her beautiful, plump lips to find her hot and ready.
“Pat?”
He smiled at the surprise in her sexy sleepy voice. “Right here, sweetheart.” He bent and kissed her, slow and unhurried, as if he had all the time in the world to take with her. She shifted under him, wound her hands up along his shoulders to settle at the nape of his neck. “You smiled in your sleep,” he said against her mouth, his tongue outlining her bottom lip. “What were you dreaming about?” He pulled back to look down at her.
Her hands clenched in his hair. With a determined tug, she brought his mouth to within a breath of hers. Her nose slid along his, back, then forth, as her eyes, no longer slumberous, but wide awake and wanting, bore right through him. “You,” she whispered. “I was dreaming of you.” She moved so their mouths joined again.
“I want you,” he told her, his lips tracing her jaw. “Right now. And then again.”
She pulled her head back so she could look at him. With a lazy smile he found both charming and wickedly seductive, she gave him back his words. “I’m right here. Right here with you. And I want you, too. Right now. And then again.”
Whew! Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m off to the shower after reading that one, and I wrote it!
Comments? Thoughts? Let’s discuss….
Filed under Author, Contemporary Romance, First Impressions, love, MacQuire Women, Romance, Romance Books, Strong Women
Filed under Author, Contemporary Romance, MacQuire Women, Romance, Skater's Waltz
Filed under Author, Contemporary Romance, Family Saga, First Impressions, love, MacQuire Women, Romance, Strong Women
Okay, so book 3 in the MacQuire Women, FIRST IMPRESSIONS, is in final production right now and I’m hoping it will be released in September, since it’s a fall themed book. This is the cover.
I know!
Gorgeous, isn’t it? I love my artist at the Wild Rose Press, Rae Monet. She’s done all three covers for me so far and – please, Jesus – she will do the rest.
But I digress.
It isn’t enough just to write the story any longer. Along with the story a writer must also pen the dreaded SYNOPSIS and (gulp!) the official BOOK BLURB. The synopsis is a detailed (or not) outline of the plot of the book. For most authors, writing a synopsis is tantamount to being tossed into the ninth circle of hell for all eternity. And that’s not an exaggeration. The blurb is that little mini description the publisher places on the back of the book or for hardcover books, on the inside jacket cover. It’s supposed to be the tease that lures the reader into wanting to purchase and read your book.
Until I had my first book published I never knew the author was responsible for writing this. You’d think it would be easy. Just sum-up the book’s main theme, right?
Ha!
It’s about as easy as putting together a car from scratch without directions, diagrams, or pictures. Or any outside help, mechanical or human.
Not kidding.
First of all there are word count restrictions of between 100 and 150, maximum. I am a verbose writer. And by verbose I mean I write A LOT of words. The task of paring down the storyline into what amounts to about 10-15 sentences is torture. Add that you must hit the high points of the story, identify the hero and heroine, describe them and the conflict resounding around their relationship ever coming to fruition, PLUS make it sound exciting and buy-worthy, well…this is why I’m sweating right now as I write this piece. Writing a blurb gives me more indigestion than Crispy Crème donuts – and I had to have my gall bladder removed after eating just one of those suckers. I really did.
But I digress. Again.
Back to the blurb. I have been told by manymanymany people in the publishing realm that a blurb can make or break a sale. Pressure, much? When I wrote my first one for SKATER’S WALTZ I thought I really did a great job. I was proud of it and the hours it took to do, so I sent it in and just knew it was perfect.
Not so much.
It took three back and forth trials between me and the burb committee (yes, there is one, and it is made up of WONDERFUL and SMART PEOPLE!) before the blurb was deemed publishing-worthy.
For THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME, I took everything I learned from the first blurb debacle and did my best not to make the same mistakes. I must have done something right this time because it only came back to me once.
For book 3, FIRST IMPRESSIONS, I let myself get cocky and knew – knew! – there was no way the blurb I wrote was coming back this time.
Yeah, no.
It took two tries, but I think they did a fabulous job guiding me in the right direction. Read for yourselves, this is the official blurb:
Family Practice Doctor Clarissa Rogers’ first impression of Padric Cleary is biased and based on gossip. The handsome, charming veterinarian is considered a serial dater and commitment-phobic by his family and most of the town. Relationship shy, Clarissa refuses to lose her heart to a man who can’t pledge himself to her forever.
Pat Cleary, despite his reputation, is actually looking for The One. When he does give his heart away, he wants it to be for life. With his parent’s marriage as his guidebook, he wants a woman who will be his equal and soul mate in every way.
Can Pat convince everyone – including Clarissa – she’s the only woman for him?
I truly can not wait until the book is released. It’s my favorite so far – and I know every writer says that when they’ve got something new coming out, but this one really is. Pat and Clarissa’s story was an absolute pleasure to write and I’m thrilled I get to share it.
I’m currently editing the 4th book, The Voices of Angels, and I am putting off the blurb until I absolutely need to submit it. Trying to come up with something that will wow the reader is much too exhausting right now. Better I write the story down and get that good and right. Then and only then will I tackle the blurb.
I’ll also have to make sure I have a couple bottles of Rolaids handy as well when I do.
Think about your favorite fictional first kiss. That’s right – not your own, but two characters in a book you were reading, where you just thought this was the best kiss ever. EVER. It had passion, tenderness, desire; it made your heart beat faster, your hands shake a little and your insides get all swirly, and boy-oh-boy did you wish you could be kissed like that in real life.
Okay, so you’ve got the image of the kiss in your mind. How did the author make you feel so good about that kiss? What language did she use? What words? Where they descriptive? Sexy? Raunchy? Was the emotion of the kiss put on display? What about the characters who were kissing- did the author show you their feelings, emotions, internal thoughts when it was happening?
Was there a buildup to the kiss? Tension and suspense around it happening – or not? Anticipation isn’t only a Carly Simon song; it’s a tried and true way of a writer getting you sucked into the characters and what’s going to happen to them.
Personally, I’ve always liked fictional kisses that took a long time coming. The buildup, the expectation, the hope for it to come about is what makes a first kiss so special to me.
Here’s the first kiss between Moira and Quentin from my new book There’s No Place Like Home, Book 2 in the MacQuire women. It uses the buildup and the expectation I mentioned, but the added bonus is the surprise that fills Moira’s mind about the kiss:
Her first and last coherent thought was her best friend was going to kiss her goodnight. After a heartbeat, she forgot the best friend part and knew down to her toes friendship had nothing to do with this.
His lips slid across her mouth, soft and gentle, testing, tasting. Moira’s mind went blank as she succumbed to the sensation of them, hot and hard, pressing against hers in a kiss like none he’d ever given her before. Slowly, he traced her bottom lip with the tip of his tongue, silently asking her to open for him. When she did, he entered her mouth and began to explore, each movement becoming more demanding, more insistent. Moira fell against him, fisting his jacket lapels to steady herself. When she felt his heartbeat pounding under her hands, she grew lightheaded with need. Quentin framed her face with his fingertips, softly tugging down on her chin, changing the angle of the kiss.
She’d been kissed before, but never, never with such all consuming need and longing. She heard a deep moan and was shocked to realize the sound had escaped from her. One of Quentin’s hands left her face to slide down her back. When he pushed against her backside and molded her body to his, Moira’s stomach jumped. This time, though, it wasn’t with the painful contractions she’d come to expect, but with a heart-stopping craving.
A craving for him.
She unfurled her hands from his jacket and, without thought, wound them upwards, weaving them over his shirt collar and up through his hair. She grabbed onto the ends, pulled his head down closer, and held on fast.
All aspect of time was lost. Nothing mattered but the delicious feel of his strong hands caressing her back and the taste of him as his tongue mated with hers.
This couldn’t be happening. It had to be a dream.
But no dream had ever made her want like this, feel like this. When he skimmed his lips across her jaw and down her throat, stopping to take her lobe into his mouth, Moira knew this wasn’t a dream.
They’ve been best friends forever, but everything changes the moment Quentin makes his true feelings known to her in that kiss.
I’ve got a new novella coming out for Valentine’s Day 2016 and the first kiss in this one – 3 Wishes – is told from the first person’s viewpoint of the heroine, Chloe. Here’s a little of what’s going on in her head when she’s kissed for the first time by the hero – a guy she knows nothing about – including his name.
…And, holy Mother of God, what a kiss. My toes curled, my thighs wobbled, and my girlie parts went zing. If I was never kissed by another man for the rest of my life, I would have died a happy little Italian girl right then and there.
You can read all about Chloe next year ( Now, that’s an anticipation tease isn’t it?)
So, back to your favorite fictional kiss. What book was it, who were the characters, and why was it your fav? Let’s discuss…
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
You all know I loathe self-promotion and marketing. I like the end results of it, but I’m still very uncomfortable trying to convince people to buy my books. Because of that basic insecurity, I’ve tried to find other ways to engage readers to purchase my work.
One of those ways is a giveaway on Goodreads. So, from May 19 ( my birthday!) until June 3, if you click on the following link you can enter to win a signed copy of my newest book THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME. It doesn’t cost anything to enter and hey, you may win!!
Please support this humble writer!
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/138470-there-s-no-place-like-home
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME< book 2 in The MacQuire Women Series
Blurb:
Symphony pianist Moira Cleary comes home after four years of touring, exhausted, sick, and spiritually broken. Emotional and psychological abuse at the hands of someone she trusted has left her gaunt, anxious, and at a crossroads both professionally and personally.
Moira’s best friend, veterinarian Quentin Stapleton, wants nothing more than to help Moira get well. Can his natural healing skills make it possible for her to open her heart again? And can he convince her she’s meant to stay home now with the family that loves her – and with him – forever?
Excerpt:
“Remember when your cousin Tiffany got married in the backyard here?”
Confused, Moira nodded.
Quentin rubbed her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “When the Reverend told Cole ‘you can kiss your bride,’ and he swooped her off the ground, spun her around and kissed her silly? Remember what you said?”
“I think I said it was the most romantic thing I’d ever seen.”
He nodded. “The exact quote was, ‘I hope someone kisses me like that some day.’”
Her grin was quick at the memory. “Pat snorted and said I’d better be satisfied with licks from the horses and Rob Roy because no guy was ever gonna kiss me.”
“He wasn’t known for tact back then.” He rubbed a hand down her back as he held her. “Remember what happened later on behind the barn?”
Because she did, she couldn’t stop the heat from spreading up her face like wildfire. When she nodded again, he said, “You wanted to know what it felt like to be kissed like that and since I was your best friend, you thought I should be the one to do it, because you – quote – felt safe with me – unquote.”
“What was I? Eleven?”
“Thirteen. And I was more than willing. Almost broke my heart in two when you said afterward, ‘I don’t see what all the fuss is about.’”
“Q—”
“Hush.” He kissed her forehead. “Ever since that day, all I’ve wanted is a second chance. Now,” he pulled her body closer, wrapped both arms around her small waist, his hands resting just above the dent in her spine. “We’re both a little older, a little more mature. Some of us are much more experienced—”
“And conceited.”
“Experienced,” he said, the laugh in his voice quiet and seductive, “and things can be so much better.”
Barnes and Noble ;http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/theres-no-place-like-home-peggy-jaeger/1121798145?ean=2940151238489
The WIld Rose Press:http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191&products_id=6237
So, tomorrow my newest addition to the MacQuire Women Series, THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME is released. It is a scant two months since book 1, SKATER’S WALTZ went out into the book reading universe and you might think I am still basking in the wonderful-ness of the first release and that this new one is sort of taking a back burner to it.
Yeah, NO!
I feel as excited and giddy today as I did on March 3. ANY book, any work, any story I have sent into the world for public consumption has thrilled me. To know that tomorrow people will be reading about Quentin and Moira and how they fell in love is beyond exciting for me. The personal responses I have received from people who have read the first book is humbling and mind blowing. Even my father in law read it and I know he did because he was able to discuss things that happened in the book!!!
I remember my mother in law once told me she loved my husband ( her firstborn) so much she didn’t know if she had any love left over for another child. But when her first daughter was born, she realized a mother’s love knows no bounds or limits. She loved each child equally and thoroughly.
That’s the way I feel about my new release. I love the story and the people in it as much as I loved the first one.
So, I hope if you read There’s No Place like Home you will feel the same way I do.
Here’s a snippet to whet your appetite:
“Remember when your cousin Tiffany got married in the backyard here?”
Confused, Moira nodded.
Quentin rubbed her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “When the Reverend told Cole ‘you can kiss your bride,’ and he swooped her off the ground, spun her around and kissed her silly? Remember what you said?”
“I think I said it was the most romantic thing I’d ever seen.”
He nodded. “The exact quote was, ‘I hope someone kisses me like that some day.’”
Her grin was quick at the memory. “Pat snorted and said I’d better be satisfied with licks from the horses and Rob Roy because no guy was ever gonna kiss me.”
“He wasn’t known for tact back then.” He rubbed a hand down her back as he held her. “Remember what happened later on behind the barn?”
Because she did, she couldn’t stop the heat from spreading up her face like wildfire. When she nodded again, he said, “You wanted to know what it felt like to be kissed like that and since I was your best friend, you thought I should be the one to do it, because you – quote – felt safe with me – unquote.”
“What was I? Eleven?”
“Thirteen. And I was more than willing. Almost broke my heart in two when you said afterward, ‘I don’t see what all the fuss is about.’”
“Q—”
“Hush.” He kissed her forehead. “Ever since that day, all I’ve wanted is a second chance. Now,” he pulled her body closer, wrapped both arms around her small waist, his hands resting just above the dent in her spine. “We’re both a little older, a little more mature. Some of us are much more experienced—”
“And conceited.”
“Experienced,” he said, the laugh in his voice quiet and seductive, “and things can be so much better.”
Get your copy here or order it at your local bookstore:
Buy Links for THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1J1f3OZ
The Wild Rose Press: http://bit.ly/1GmM1Je
Barnes and Noble Nook : http://bit.ly/1JjMUG7
Just a reminder: I’ve doing a GOODREADS giveaway this month of paperback copies of SKATER’S WALTZ in celebration of my May 6 release of THERE’S NO PLAC LIKE HOME, Here’s the link and remember: you gotta be in it to win it! Good luck. More on There’s no Place Like home to come!’
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24872836-skater-s-waltz-the-macquire-women-1
Peggy Jaeger, Author 