Category Archives: Strong Women

Inspiration is close by….

So, after missing last week because I had nothing to contribute to the topic, I thought long and hard about this week’s prompt. Originally, I had an entirely different posting planned. Then the terrorist attack in NYC happened. I tell you this because of the person I’m going to highlight as my inspiration.

My beautiful daughter lives in Manhattan. Now, she lives nowhere near where the attack took place. But she was four blocks from it at a conference during the time it occurred. Sitting in my little cocoon of an office in New Hampshire, writing away, I knew nothing about the event until she texted. Once she did, I was all over the news wires like white on rice.

The text said If you hear about a shooting on the West Side, just know that *** ( her boyfriend’s name) and I are okay. Can you just imagine the ice water that sluiced through my veins when I read that? As I said, I immediately turned the news on and watched the entire event unfold — as most of America did — in real time. What in the world did we ever do before we had cell phone cameras?

My instinctual reaction was to tell my daughter to come home. Move from her apartment, give up her job, come home where it’s safe and sound and I know you are okay.

That, as I said, was my first reaction. I did no such thing, of course, because we’re talking about my daughter here. She’d already lived through the Boston Marathon bombings when she resided in that town. She’d sheltered in place with one of my nieces who was attending MIT at the same time,  and survived the ordeal a stronger, more determined person.

When I’d asked her to move home then so I could be assured she’d be safe, her response had been, “Then that lets the terrorists win because I’d be running away from my lifestyle and the life I’ve made.  Their goal is to instill terror so we bow down to them. I’m not moving. I’m not giving in. Aren’t you the one who taught me the Tao of NGU NGI?” ( Never Give Up Never Give In).

Well, yes. I was. It’s very humbling having your words tossed back at you, especially when they’re used to prove a point.

So.

This time, when terror struck, I knew better than to state my case for her coming home again. My daughter, who was born in a tiny town in Wisconsin, is a true New Yorker. She’s got the grit, the determination, the steadfastness I so admire in anyone. She will go about her living her life — as all New Yorkers do — more determined, more focused, more kick-ass.

Oh, and just to walk the walk and talk the talk? She’s running the NYC marathon this weekend. No crazed lunatic of a terrorist is going to make her change her life.

I guess it’s pretty obvious now that my lovely daughter is the person who inspires me the most. She inspires me to be strong, determined, steadfast, daring. She’s encouraged me to live outside my little box, explore the beautiful world we live in, and to make each day a testament to freedom and love. By living her life as she does, she’s setting an example to people everywhere, especially her mother.

Now, the other authors in this blog hop all have people who inspire them that they want you to know about, too. Click on the links below and visit them. Leave some love and pass it on. And be an inspiration to someone if you can.

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#Goodreads #giveaway

T’is the season. Well, the shopping season. If you want to get a quick jump start on your holiday gift getting and you feel lucky, enter my GOODREADS GIVEAWAY for my Holiday book A  KISS UNDER THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS. From 11.1-11.10 You can enter to win one of 5 signed copies ( USA residents only because, you know…shipping!) of the printed book and I’m including some special Holiday presents along with the books. SHHHHHH! only the winners will know what those are.

Think you might want to enter for a chance? Well, here’s a little sumthin’ sumthin’ to whet your appetites:

With Christmas just a few weeks away, Gia San Valentino, the baby in her large, loud, and loving Italian family, yearns for a life and home of her own with a husband and bambini she can love and spoil. The single scene doesn’t interest her, and the men her well-meaning family introduce her to aren’t exactly the happily-ever-after kind.

Tim Santini believes he’s finally found the woman for him, but Gia will take some convincing she’s that girl. A misunderstanding has her thinking he’s something he’s not.

Can a kiss stolen under the Christmas lights persuade her to spend the rest of her life with him?

Excerpt:

He came toward me and I could see every ripple of muscle, every action and reaction of his gait, every blink of his eyes, as it happened. Detailed, distinct, delicious.

The bright sun shone low due to the hour, but it haloed around his form, bathing him in light.

He looked like an angel.

A dressed-all-in-black angel, but an angel, nonetheless.

“Need some help?” he asked when he was within a foot of me.

I still hadn’t moved, my fingers cemented around the ladder rungs. I couldn’t feel them anymore. Merda, I couldn’t feel anything I was so numb from just looking at him.

But I could hear. My blood, as it river rafted crazily through my temples; my heart drumming like a heavy metal band in my chest.

And his voice. Mio Dio, his voice.

When I was six I had a terrible chest cold. Wheezing, choking on phlegm, unable to cough anything up. The doctor told mama to keep me warm and hydrated and the cold would ride itself out in time. Nonna Constanza, ancient even when I was a kid, scoffed and prescribed her own old world remedy. She sat me in her lap, cooing to me with her singsong voice and held a tiny shot glass up to my lips coaxing, “Tu bevi, Gia bambina. Tu Bevi.”

Drink, Gia baby. Drink.

She tilted the glass back into my mouth and I did. I drank every drop.

I don’t remember much after. Daddy told me later I slipped into a mini-coma for about sixty-two hours, bombed out of my head from the anisette nonna had dosed me with.

But this is what I do remember. The amber colored liquor slipped down the inside of my mouth to the back of my throat and onward into my belly, tasting of melted marshmallows and warming each place it touched like a million little hits of heat popping everywhere inside me. When it reached my tummy it settled and dug in, filling my senses with the sweet flavor of mama’s Sunday morning caramel rolls and sugar.

That’s what his voice sounded like: warm and sweet, thick, delicious, and soothing.

My entire body relaxed when I heard it. My paralysis flew and my frozen-in-place digits melted.

He’d held my stare the entire time, never wavering, never becoming distracted by something else. He looked straight at me; just me. Like a missile dead-eye-aimed for a target.

“Here,” he said, moving in closer, so close I could make out the actual color of his eyes now. I’d thought they were dark and from far away and they were. But seeing them now, face-to-face, I spotted little flecks of yellow and slivery shards of gold mixed into the center and surrounded by a ring of deep, rich, mink.

If his voice was warm and soothing, his eyes were hot enough to singe, and mama mia, I wanted to be burned.

Or if you don’t want to enter the giveaway but would like the book to gift to yourself, a friend, SEVERAL FRIENDS (HeeHee), here are the buy links for the places you can find the book:

Amazon // Wild Rose Press // Kobo // Nook //

And if you need to find me, I’m usually here:  Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triber// Book Me

 

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How just a few words can make all the difference in your psyche!

It’s Friday and around here that usually means an entry in the #MFRWauthor 52 week blog challenge. This week’s topic was Meet my Pets. Since I have no pets, I didn’t see the need to write anything. So that left me with a bit of a blog hole.

Until…..

You all know my newest Lyrical Shine release, A SHOT AT LOVE, dropped on 10.3.17. I’ve been involved in a busy blog tour for the past month promoting it. Well, the reviews have started to shower in an I can’t believe how amazing they’ve been. Truly. Hearing readers I DON’T PERSONALLY KNOW praise the book has been so ego inflating at a time when my fragile little psyche has been battered and bruised.

Let me ‘esplain.

I have one more book for Lyrical, CAN’T STAND THE HEAT, due to release on 4.3.18 (available for preorder right now — shameless plug).

After that….I have no more book contracts. I’ve been writing up a storm and trying to get the next book sold, but so far, nada. Since I started this journey in 2015 I have never NOT had a book contract coming down the pike. This is a new experience for me and one, I will admit, that has me terrified. I retired so I could write and PUBLISH full time. I’ve been doing my end of the bargain….now I need a publisher to help me along that track. The added insult is that I still haven’t been able to get an agent. If I had one, I feel, navigating this publishing quagmire would be easier. But… what can you do? This is me, shrugging with acceptance.

Now, during this soul sucking time, my reviews have been coming in. Truly, peeps, these kind words have inspired me, strenghtened my resolve to keep writing, and put a smile in my heart. This one came in yesterday and I’m still tickled pink about it:

“Thank you for writing another great story, Peggy Jaeger!

Who remembers Alias, the TV show starring Jennifer Garner? Well, I was such a HUGE fan of Alias and Sydney Bristow.

Gemma, the heroine, in this story reminded me of her. Gemma was so kick-ass, feisty, and strong. And Ky. Ky. Sigh. So dreamy and hot!

I loved the fast pace of the story. I loved the chemistry between Gemma and Ky. Each scene was so vividly described that reading felt like watching an incredible good action-themed tv show/movie.

I couldn’t put this book down. So, so, so, so good.

If you like your romance books with action/suspense/FBI-related arcs like I do, I would definitely recommend this book.”

Warms the cockles of my fragile little ego’s soul, it does!!!

So, enough bellyaching. Back to my WIP. Maybe I’ll have a Christmas miracle this year and be offered a 5 book deal from the publisher of my dreams…. maybe.

When I’m not being depressed ( not really, heehee!) you can connect with me here: Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triber// Book Me

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Filed under Alpha Male, Author, Contemporary Romance, Cooking, Food lover, Foodie, Kensington Publishers, Life challenges, love, Lyrical Author, Romance, Romance Books, romantic suspense, Strong Women, The Laine Women

An interview with a Vampire…and it’s not the one you think!


It’s always a fun day on my blog when Wild Rose Press sistah Tena Stetler comes for a visit. Hey, girl!

“Good Morning Peggy. Thanks for having me on your blog today talking about my upcoming release “A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance.”

“Glad to have you, Tena my friend. Let’s start with what inspired A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance?”

“Several years ago I took a creative writing class to brush up my skills. Vampires had always intrigued me. Dark Shadows a 1966 TV show was a favorite of mine and Barnabas Collins was my dream. Yeah, I was a strange kid. Anyway, the assignment was to write about anything you wanted. Stefan, assassin to the Vampire Council was born. That summer we vacationed in Glacier National Park, I was struck by its beauty and possibilities as a setting for my vampire tale. I completed two-thirds of his story before I discovered another’s story, A Demon’s Witch, had to be told before I could finish Stefan’s. As it turned out there would be one more tale, A Warlock’s Secrets, before Stefan’s tale would be told. He became a secondary character in two of my paranormal romances before I finished his story. But it had to be an extraordinary vampire tale, so my vampire assassin transitioned to a midnight DJ in the small town of Whitefish, Montana.”

A solid knock on the door took me by surprise. “I’m not expecting anyone,”

“I invited Stefan to join us – I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course not, I’ve always wanted to meet a tall, dark and dangerous vampire – up close.” Absently rubbing my neck, I sucked in a breath and swallowed hard. “Come in Stefan.”

He sticks his head in the door. “I’m not intruding, am I? Tena asked that I come by if I had a couple minutes. As luck would have it, I’ve got a bit of time before I meet Brandy for lunch.”

I  blew out a breath drinking the tall, handsome vampire standing before me. “Of Course not. Stefan, have a seat and tell us about yourself.”

He eased down into the chair between us. “I became a vampire because I fell in love with the wrong woman. She was only toying with me, turned me and left on me on own. Unable to control my blood lust, I was a danger to myself and my tribe. My grandfather who raised me was the tribe’s shaman. Though it broke his heart, he asked me to leave the tribe, but not before he conjured a gold chain around my neck that allowed me to walk in the sunlight.”

“That’s powerful magic.”

“Yes, it was but didn’t keep me out of trouble. I was alone, rogue vampire who wandered into Lady Rose’s territory. Without a responsible sire, I was lucky Lady Rose didn’t terminate me immediately. After hearing my tale of being turned, she arranged for me to be mentored by one of her vampires, who happened to be the Vampire Council’s assassin.”

“So she offered you a vocation.”

“I guess so. I learned to live within the vampire rules and became proficient at my craft. When the kill orders became political, I was caught in the middle. To survive, I had to play both sides, but my allegiance remained with Lady Rose. A faction of the vampires broke off and tried a coup. Lady Rose quashed it and terminated those responsible. At that point I asked to be released from her service, something that a vampire rarely survives, but she allowed me to leave.”

“So what did you do next?”

I drifted around a while, careful not to interlope into another vampire’s territory. Settled in Whitefish, Montana, a little town located outside Glacier National Park. As it turned out the man I rented a cabin from was the manager of a local radio station. One of those over-friendly sorts. You know that type?

“I do.”

“He offered me the midnight DJ position and from there things got interesting. I met Brandy who had secrets of her own. A fated trip to Ireland reveals more than a family reunion at Christmas.” He glances at his watch. “Unfortunately, that’s all the time I have.” He stood bowed slightly, reached out and brought my hand to his lips. “It was a pleasure talking with you.”

I  fan my face with the useless interview script. “The pleasure was all mine.” In a whisper of movement, he was gone – the door closed quietly. It took a couple of beats for me to gather my thoughts.

“Tell us a little more about A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance.”

Stefan is a Native American vampire, former assassin for the Vampire Council. In a twist of fate, he now DJ’s the midnight shift for a small radio station in Whitefish, Montana, on the edge of Glacier National Park where his secret is safe until…

Born in Ireland, Brandy now works as a park ranger and trail guide in the park. During a full moon, Stefan and Brandy’s paths cross in a near physical collision on a trail. Their attraction is immediate and undeniable, almost as if fate demanded it.

Their union was foretold long ago in Irish folk tales where vampires and gryphons, warlocks and demons, witches and faeries must work together for the good of man and magic kind. Is a trip to Ireland the key to unraveling secrets and returning the magic? And even more importantly, will their love survive the trip?

A sneak peek between the pages of A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance.

It was nearly midnight when he cut across the Sun Road to another trailhead, so intent on his goal that he nearly collided with an attractive young woman. He skidded to a stop, spraying gravel, rocks, and small twigs down the road in front of him. A pinecone dislodged and bounced along the road past her. Tall and slender, she had miles of fiery-red hair that hung down her back in a cascade of curls. Intense emerald eyes stared back at him as he attempted to regain his composure, not to mention balance. What the hell was she doing here at this time of night?

“Whoa.” She stepped lightly to the side to avoid the flying debris. “You really should watch where you’re going, especially at that speed.” Her voice scolded, but the smile on her lips teased. “Someone could get hurt.”

A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance is available for pre-order at Amazon itunes and Barnes & Noble. Release date November 29, 2017. Just in time for Christmas.  Reserve your copy today!

About the Author:

Tena Stetler is a best-selling paranormal romance author with an over-active imagination. Colorado is home; shared with her husband, a brilliant Chow Chow, a spoiled parrot and a forty-five-year-old box turtle. Her books spin the adventures of magical kick-ass women and the mystical alpha males that dare to love them.

Contact Information:

Website //Authors’ Secrets Blog // My Say What Blog //Facebook // Twitter // Goodreads // The Wild Rose Press // Amazon // Newletter // Pinerest // Tribber // Book Bub

 

 

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In my own words….

So, this is the first new blog piece of mine since the start of my Goddess Fish tour in October. An entire month of blog posts that were written a month before the tour. Can I just tell you how exhausted I was after that?!!

Lots has happened lately that I haven’t had a chance to talk about. I was at the Fall In Love with New England conference a few weeks ago; I had another book signing for my newest release A SHOT AT LOVE from Lyrical Shine Books; I’m currently gearing up for NaNoWriMo for next month. I’ve been entering oodles of writing contests. Just lots of stuff to keep me busy and involved.

I’ve been storing a few topics in the back of my mind and I’ll be releasing them the next few weeks before NaNo, so make sure you check back here or follow my tweets and social media posts. For now, I’ve gotta go work on my new bridal series….more to come about that in the future.

BUT…. the most important thing right now is that I am a finalist in the NH State Library book Notes. Here is the link. A KISS UNDER THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS is a finalist so if you have a moment and feel the need, I would REALLY appreciate your vote.Thanks in advance!
If you need to find me I can usually be spotted here:  Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triber// BookBub

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#GoodessFishBlogtour…..El Fine!

Good Lord! What a month. And it ends today with a post at Long and Short Reviews. Stop by for a final chance at an Amazon GC and for a little more about my journey to publication at the age of 55!

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The end is in sight, #GoddessFishBlogTour

Today’s virtual tour brings me to the Mixed Book Bag. Drop by and see the five places I’d love to travel to learn about the native cuisine.

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October 18, #GoddessFishBlog tour…Today’s Stop

Only 3 more days! Today I’m over at Pen and Muse Book Reviews. Stop by and see what today’s topic is!

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Today’s #blogstop….

Happy Tuesday! I’m over on Readeropolis today with another Q&A. Stop by, Leave love!

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A good book, a fab recipe, and a great author…..

I’m so pleased to be hosting one of my favorite authors today, Joanne Guidoccio. Joanne and I share something other than just a love of cozy mysteries and romance books. We both lovelovelove to cook! And swapping recipes with this great cook/author/lady is one of my new favorite things to do.

In her new book, TOO MANY WOMEN IN THE ROOM, Gilda Greco is embroiled in the death of her new business partner in a restaurant venture. After all her guests stormed out of the restaurant, Gilda Greco took refuge in the steaming goodness of Chef  David Korba’s Avgolemeno, a Greek lemon chicken soup that warms up body and soul while releasing endorphins. Packed with protein and Vitamin C, this comforting soup is a staple in many Greek homes throughout the winter months.

But you don’t have to limit yourself to one season. Avgolemono is a great go-to dish whenever you are feeling under the weather and need a quick pick-me-upper.

Here’s a tried-and-true recipe from Joanne’s mother’s kitchen: ( you’ll want to add this to your “save” files!)

Ingredients

5 cups chicken broth

2/3 cup Italian arborio rice*

1 lemon, juiced

2 large eggs

Salt and pepper, to taste

* Feel free to substitute orzo or any small shaped pasta.

Directions

  • Pour the chicken broth into a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
  • Add the rice and cook until chewy, but soft. Italian arborio rice will take about 20 minutes.
  • Take the pan off the heat and set aside. Let it sit for five minutes. If the rice mixture is too hot, it will curdle the eggs.
  • In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until frothy and then add the lemon juice.
  • Add the rice mixture, a spoonful at a time, to the egg mixture. Stir well.
  • Season with salt and pepper.

Servings: 3-4

Note: Six more easy-to-prepare recipes are featured in Too Many Women in the Room.

Blurb

When Gilda Greco invites her closest friends to a VIP dinner, she plans to share David Korba’s signature dishes and launch their joint venture— Xenia, an innovative Greek restaurant near Sudbury, Ontario. Unknown to Gilda, David has also invited Michael Taylor, a lecherous photographer who has throughout the past three decades managed to annoy all the women in the room. One woman follows Michael to a deserted field for his midnight run and stabs him in the jugular.

Gilda’s life is awash with complications as she wrestles with a certain detective’s commitment issues and growing doubts about her risky investment in Xenia. Frustrated, Gilda launches her own investigation and uncovers decades-old secrets and resentments that have festered until they explode into an untimely death. Can Gilda outwit a killer bent on killing again?

A little about Joanne:

In 2008, Joanne took advantage of early retirement and decided to launch a second career that would tap into her creative side and utilize her well-honed organizational skills. Slowly, a writing practice emerged. Her articles and book reviews were published in newspapers, magazines, and online. When she tried her hand at fiction, she made reinvention a recurring theme in her novels and short stories. A member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and Romance Writers of America, Joanne writes paranormal romance, cozy mysteries, and inspirational literature from her home base of Guelph, Ontario.

Connect with Joanne here:Website:  // Twitter:  //Facebook: //LinkedIn: // Pinterest: //  Goodreads:

I love a good book and TOO MANY WOMEN IN THE ROOM was a goodie. Here’s my review: My review

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