Category Archives: Strong Women

July 16, 2015 · 9:41 am

First Kisses…

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…

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Filed under 3 Wishes, Alpha Hero, Author, Contemporary Romance, love, MacQuire Women, Romance, Romance Books, Strong Women, There's No Place Like Home

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July 11, 2015 · 10:00 am

Conference time again…

In less than 2 weeks I will be going to the National Romance Writers of America 2015 conference. For those of you who were here with me in the blogosphere last year, it was my very first time attending Nationals and I blogged about the experience while I was in San Antonio. This year it’s in NYC – my hometown – and I go a very different person and writer than I was in 2014.

Some of you may recall that at last year’s conference I found out from the person who would soon be my editor, my first book SKATER’S WALTZ was going to be published by the Wild Rose Press. I was speechless, terrified and excited all at the same time. I couldn’t tell anyone I knew at the conference because I hadn’t signed the contract yet and I didn’t want to jinx myself. Let’s face it, try as I might I can’t get away from my Irish Catholic mysticism thoughts. I had to hold that enormous news inside me until the contract was signed, sealed and delivered and it was a legally done deal. Then and only then did I let my crazed exuberance free!

This year, when I attend, I am no longer an RWA conference virgin, nor am I another unpublished author dying to network and get someone to read my work. I go this year as a published author with two books currently in release (Skater’s Waltz and There’s No Place Like Home ) with a third (First Impressions) coming out this Fall.  I’ve also contracted for a Valentine’s Day novella  3 Wishes releasing early in 2016. I know vastly more than I did last year about the process and business of writing, publishing, and marketing. Plus, I’ve now got street cred because I’ve walked the walk of the published romance writer.

Having said that, I still have oodles left to learn, which is why this conference is so wonderful for any romance writer to attend. There are dozens upon dozens of workshops with topics that cover the craft of romance writing, to marketing, to independent publishing, and even how to write great sex scenes ( a personal fav of mine.)

In addition, RWA hosts the Readers for Life Literacy Autographing session where over 400 romance authors are available for a meet and greet and book signing. This year, I am a volunteer at this event and I can’t wait to meet all my fav authors and snap a couple of selfies with them.

The week culminates in the Rita and Golden Hearts awards ceremony on Saturday night and this year is extra special for me because one of my NHRWA chapter sistahs is up for a Golden Heart award. I’m so happy I’ll be there when she wins – nothing like a little cocky self assurance, eh?! LOL

So stay tuned and I’ll be blogging from NYC come July 21. And if you’re in NYC on July 22, drop on down to the Marriott Marquis from 5:30 until 7:30 for the author signing.

If you see me, give me a shout out!

 

 

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Filed under 3 Wishes, Author, Contemporary Romance, NHRWA, Romance, RWA, Strong Women, There's No Place Like Home

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July 10, 2015 · 9:20 am

What was the worst line you ever heard on a date–first or last…date, that is!

Writing date scenes takes patience, perseverance, and let’s face it: humor. First dates can quickly turn to seconds, thirds, and marriage; or they can end at the door…or in a restaurant with say, the heroine tossing a drink over the not-so-hero’s head.

A great deal about first dates is communication. How the two potential love interests speak to one another can be a key factor in how the story-and their romance-moves forward…or dies a gristly death.

A lot of what I write is made up from my imagination. But not all. I’ve had a few (read A LOT!) pretty horrible first-and subsequently last -dates. One of the worst ended right in the restaurant when the guy I was sitting across from asked me – after we’d ordered, mind you – “So, my friend told me nurses put out ‘cause they’re horny from seeing naked people all day long. True?” The jerk actually wiggled his eyebrows up and down like Groucho Marx when he said it. Speechless is something I almost never am, but I couldn’t put a sentence scathing enough together at that moment, so I just grabbed my purse from the chair next to me, stood, and stormed out. Damn. I really wanted the steak I’d ordered, too.

Second worst line from a first date came a few months later. The guy was fairly nice, if not a little boring as he droned on and on about the Yankees. I was a die-hard Mets fan back then…but anyway. At my apartment door he leaned in and gave me the most disgusting kiss I’d ever received. Truly. His breath smelled like the pepper and sausage pizza he’d just had, mixed with beer. Stale and overpowering. I was so surprised, I opened my mouth in dismay and his snake-like tongue forged right in, dancing a serpentine tarantella in every corner of my mouth.

Yuk.

My eyes were watering from gagging, and I felt a ball of intense nausea undulate up from my stomach. Fearful I was going to vomit on my front door step I pushed against his chest and broke the contact between us. Ever so suavely – not! – he leaned against the doorjamb, grinned smarmily and said, “So, let’s together for breakfast.” Before I could tell him I had to work; have a root canal; or even an appendectomy (all of which would have been preferable to seeing him again), he grinned and added, “what time should I roll over and kiss you awake?”

Holy Mother of God, I never knew I could move so fast. I bolted into my apartment, slammed the door in in his astonished face, ran to the bathroom and gargled with Listerine for an hour.

Double yuk.

From girlfriends, I’ve heard some of the worst first date lines ever. They include:

“Don’t worry, it’s not infectious anymore.”

“My real hair is brown.”

“Do you know a good tax lawyer?”

“Wow, your cousin described you as much hotter. And way thinner.”

“I’ll be right back. It’s my check-in time with my PO, and he’s a dick if I miss a call.”

“I’ve got a two-for-one coupon, so don’t order anything it doesn’t cover.”

“The anti-depressants have really been working.”

I can safely say none of these lines earned a second date. I think one even lead to a punch in the face from the girl it was spoken to. I’ll let you figure out which one.

So…worst lines you’ve ever heard on a date. Let’s discuss…

 

 

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Filed under Alpha Hero, Author, Characters, Contemporary Romance, Dialogue, love, Romance, Strong Women

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July 6, 2015 · 12:52 pm

If you could define yourself in a song, what would it be?

Many of the writers I know personally are big into play lists. They have their favorite music streaming while they write; they even come up with individual play lists for each book they pen.

Not me. Not so much. I NEED peace and quiet when I write. The one noise I love to listen to while I’m at the laptop is the sound of the rain as it comes down outside my attic loft writing room. Rain in the ultimate white noise for me. If I’ve got music on in the background, I tend to sing along and never get anything written. I envy those writers who can compose written lines while listening to background noise. Their brains work so much better at compartmentalizing than mine does.

Having said all that, I love music – of any kind. Classical to rock; rap to hip-hop; Elvis to Eminem. When I’m not writing, I listen to my playlists on my i-Pad. My favorite song of all time is Secret Agent Man by Johnny Rivers. I just got distracted and listened to it 3 times while I uploaded it to this post. See? This is why I can’t listen to music while I write.

So, that’s my favorite song. But to answer the question in the title of this blog, the song that defines me is Survivor by Destiny’s Child. Although, the Gloria Gaynor I will Survive is a pretty close second. The fact I have survived many horrible things in my life and have come out in the light instead of turning to the dark side, is a testament to my faith, my determination, and  that I believe like Eleanor Roosevelt: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” 

Now, the things I’ve survived in my life may not be as horrible or as life changing as many others have lived through. But they’ve been pretty brutal to me. I survived a fall out an apartment window when I was 18 months that all the doctors said should have killed me. It left with a face full of scars and a terrifying fear of heights. I lived through a childhood rife with functional poverty, ( for those not acquainted with this term, it simply means we lived a hair above the poverty line but could never qualify for any “assistance”),  a horrible adolescence filled with bullying, an eating disorder that still plagues me sometimes to the day, profound emotional abuse from someone I loved and trusted, family psych issues. I almost lost my daughter – twice!- and I’ve fought  melanoma. Again, others have gone through and come through much, much worse than all this. But this is what defines me.

So, Survivor is my  musical anthem…what’s yours?

 

 

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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?

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

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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?

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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.

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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

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

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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….

 

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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.

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