In just 7 more days, book 3 in the Heaven’s Matchmaker series, PERFECT MATCH, releases into the romance reading world and I can not wait.
I’m interested to see what you all think of Olivia and Hunter’s story. They were both a joy to write, Hunter especially. There’s just something so heartwarming and wonderful about a man who’s devoted himself to caring for the elderly population. He is compassionate, kind, smart, and empathetic – everything you’d want in a physician no matter what the age of the patient!
When I was working as a nurse I met many doctors who were candidates for asshole of the year. Luckily, I met an equal number who were devoted clinicians who believed in the practice of medicine and the healing arts. Those are the characteristics I gave to Hunter Reinhart, my male main character in Perfect Match.
Divorced, he still believes in the institution of marriage and wants to find his forever partner and love. He’s hired Olivia Joyner to help him find that person. Little did he know, his soulmate was as close as she was.
Have you preordered your copy? You can do so, here on ‘Zon. PM
Or, if you want a signed print copy, you can order it directly from me and I’ve got copies available right now – so you’d have it before it actually releases, lol! PM
In a little over 1 week (10 days to be exact but I’m the only one counting, lol!) PERFECT MATCH, book 3 in the HEAVEN’S MATCHMAKER series releases into the book reading world.
You don’t have to have read books 1 and 2 to understand what is going on in book 3. The same people roam in and out of the books, but this one centers on the actual town matchmaker, OLIVIA JOYNER.
But….if you’d like to know about the people in the town before reading Liv’s love story, books 1 and 2 are available now. MIX AND MATCH is only 99 cents on Kindle, so it’s an inexpensive way to start the series. Then LOVE MATCH follows. Both are slow burn, sweet with heat, small town, and later in life ( 35+) romance stories about people who are looking for that everlasting love and the bumps, starts, and stops that occur along the way to their HEA.
Today is the last day you can enter my Goodreads Giveaway for a chance at an ecopy of Perfect Match, which will be released on 4.7.25. I’m giving away 100 Kindle copies to 100 lucky winners – the Goodreads Gods choose the winners. I have found that doing a giveaway like this for past books has garnered me a vast amount of new-to-me-writers, so the cost has been worth it.
Today’s tease for the book is the first time Olivia and Hunter kiss. It’s an awkward kiss, neither of them thinking it was going to be on the lips – much less as mindblowing as it was for both of them…
“I need to go back,” he said, returning.
“Problem?”
“My Arms patient has taken a turn and the staff is worried.” He tucked his phone back into the holder on his belt, and slipped the pager into his pocket.
“Well, I’m glad you at least had something to eat.” She followed behind him to the front door as he slid his suit jacket back on. “Especially if you’re going to be at the hospital for a while.”
As he shot the cuffs he peered down at her, his brows kissing as his mouth quirked. Once done, he buttoned the jacket and exhaled. “Olivia.”
Nervously, her lips twitched. “Hunter,” she said in the same serious tone he’d just used. “One of these days we’re going to have a discussion about why you don’t call me Liv like everyone else does. Olivia is so formal and stuffy.”
“It’s not formal or stuffy at all. It’s beautiful, just like you are and it suits you.”
Her nose squinched and wriggled. “Makes me sound like a maiden aunt with fifteen cats.”
He shook his head and then bent down to kiss her cheek. For some reason, though – and she was seriously going to have to think about why once he was gone – Liv turned into the kiss and his mouth landed on hers.
Shock paralyzed her. She knew she should back away or at least turn her head again, but simply…couldn’t.
Truth? Didn’t want to.
His mouth, Lord, his mouth!
How was it possible for such a masculine man, a man with a body that hinted at strength and solidity, to have the softest lips she’d ever felt?
Soft and silky and…succulent. Like ripe peaches, juicy and just begging to be…eaten?
It was as if she hadn’t just had dinner – hadn’t had anything to eat in days. Like a woman starved of sustenance, Liv simply devoured him.
Before she could understand what was happening, her hands lifted to his cheeks, cupping them, the subtle scratch of his evening scruff prickling against her fingers and driving her…insane.
Insane with a need she couldn’t have guessed she’d possessed.
Her own shock was nothing compared to the swift hiss she heard him expel right before he shifted, drawing her closer as he wound his arms around her waist. With her next breath, she was plastered against him, every long line of his body pressed against her. Had he pulled her to him, or had she simply cleaved?
She wasn’t sure, but the descriptions she’d had of him being strong and solid were proven truthful. She could add one more word to the list as her body molded to his, liquifying into every ridge and muscle and valley of his form: hard.
All over.
His tongue swiped at her mouth, insistently; firmly; commanding she open for him.
It was never a thought or consideration not to.
Liv’s lips parted and she inhaled him as if his very breath gave her life.
As he deepened the kiss, Liv’s head dropped back giving him full access. To her mouth…her body…her very soul.
Her career, her business, her reputation be damned. All that mattered was right here, right now, with this man.
She slid her fingers through the opening of his jacket to glide up and down his back, every curve of muscle she skimmed over harder than the one before it.
The man was a mountain of defined sinew under his clothing, begging the image of what he must look like without it to surface in her mind. A tiny gasp escaped her when his hands slid down to the dip in her spine, his fingers spreading the expanse of the space, flirting with the top of her ass.
Her blood zipped through her veins, heating her in places she hadn’t felt warmth in quite some time.
Too long.
The shriek of his pager abruptly screeched around them, shocking them apart. Liv had no idea what she looked like, but Hunter’s face told a story she thought might mimic hers. Confusion creased his brow while desire still danced in his eyes. His mouth was a swollen mass of perfection, his lips wet and plump, his face flushed from chin to temple in a rosy glow of lust.
Without a word, their gazes locked, he reached down to his belt and pulled the annoying device from its holder.
A quick eye flick at it then he said, “I have to…go…” his voice jagged and, to her ears, thick with emotion.
Nodding, she wrapped her arms around her chest and moved around him to open the door.
“Olivia—”
“You’d better go, Hunter,” she said, shocking herself at the calmness in her voice, when her insides were swirling like wind galloping down Tornado Alley. “Don’t keep them waiting.”
He winced, his eyes almost closing.
Don’t forget to enter the contest. And if you’re not on GoodReads, or just want to get the book on your own, the pre-order is available now on Amazon at the link above. It’ll go into KU for 90 days, then go wide.
Or just one musing, really. Is that a proper phrase? One musing? Or should it be one thought?
These are the things that drive me insane some days.
Who am I kidding- MOST days! LOL
Anyway. Today’s musing ( singular) is this…I was thinking yesterday while writing that I haven’t done much of anything aside from write for almost three weeks. Granted, I’m on a deadline and have to finish my current WIP in order for it to be out this year, but I’ve been pretty much chained to my desk and my bed ( my favorite place to write) for 21 solid days.
That can’t be healthy, right?
I need an outlet other than writing for my mental health and physical well-being.
Sure, I cook for hubby, do laundry, iron, clean the house, grocery shop, do all my social media marketing daily, but those are more chores than things that give me true pleasure and take my mind away from the business of writing.
I need an outlet. Something I do just for me. Something that will give me a respite from the stress and angst my writing causes me some days.
I need a hobby.
I used to repair and refurbish old steamer trunks and then give them as gifts to people for storage or as faux coffee tables, but I haven’t done one in a few years.
I used to scrapbook. Haven’t touched the one I started for my daughter when she got married – almost 5 years ago.
Back in the day, I was a gym rat. Back when I had good knees and no arthritis, that is.
I studied karate for 10 years. Daily. 7 days a week. Again… back before my body decided it hated me and rebelled.
There was a time I embroidered. I made blankets, wall hangings, lots of things for Christmas presents and baby showers. That was back when I could actually sit down and watch TV or a movie for more than a half hour at a clip. And when my eyesight was oodles better than it is now. And my hands could hold both the needle and the circular frame without screaming in cramping pain.
Same with knitting and crocheting. I loved doing those things back when my hands cooperated, that is.
Le sigh….
I was painting last year. I needed some new swag to give out to readers at book signings, so I spent a few weeks increasing my stock of painted note cards. But my brushes haven’t touched any paints in a while now.
Basically, all I do now is read – books I want to and those that need reviews for Netgalley.
And I write.
Every single day.
8-12 hours a day most days.
You really can’t call what I do a hobby, like my hubby tries to classify it. It’s more like a full-time job.
No. It is a full-time job.
I need a hobby.
Any ideas? They’d be appreciated, for sure.
It can’t be anything physical, though, because…arthritis. Or that requires me to leave the house because…it’s frigging frigid here and I hibernate in the winter. And it can’t be anything that requires close up vision because…double vision and prism glasses rule my life.
And it shouldn’t be anything that needs to be done with a partner or other people because…well, I’m an introvert.
So with the new year, I’ve made some decisions regarding this blog.
When, I started it in 2014 ( YIKES! 10 years!) I did so as a means to garner new readers for my upcoming writing career. I’d planned on blogging snippets of my current works, trying to help people and novice writers like myself finagle through the publishing business, and generally engaging readers who might want to read my stuff.
In the pasts decade, this blog has become so much more.
At times ( more than I’d like to admit) it has been a diary of sorts for me to write about what’s been going on in my life and try to help me compartmentalize and even move through bouts of depression by getting it all out of my head and down on the page.
Other times, I’ve used this blog as a call to action to show a mirror to the people reading it about things that were going on in the world that I thought were just plain wrong and needed correction. They say if you want a successful writing career you shouldn’t be political in your writings. To that I say “Bullshit.” If I’ve lost readers because of my stances on certain topics, so be it. They were never going to be long term supporters anyway and I’d rather they not read my words but concentrate on writers who fulfill for them the enjoyment they are seeking and who think like they do.
I’ve used this blog to bring some comic relief to my readers through funny memes and gifs. If I can brighten someone’s day with a piece of funny business, then I am happy.
I’ve used it to show off some of my collections ( hordes?) like my Mug Monday posts.
It’s been used to promote and get the word out on any and all new books I’m releasing. And I know those posts get a little obnoxious because I do so many of them in a row!! Sorry about that.
I’ve used it as a way to deal with my mother’s sudden death. Helping to journal everything that was going on in my life post-her-death helped me move through the grieving process to where I can function normally again and not be mired in grief and depression every single day.
I’ve even used it for its original intended purpose.
Moving forward, with my book writing, writer workshop appearances and book signing appearances all scheduled for 2025, I’ve come to the conclusion that you can not burn candles at both ends and expect not to get burned. And by this I mean, I am tired. Writing full-time and doing a daily blog is exhausting at times.
I’m still going to blog, don’t get me wrong. I just may not be on here every single day, discussing every single daily topic like #tuesdaytease and #wednesdaywisdom.
Or I may.
It depends on what kind of mood I am in that day, week, month. Writing deadlines tend to focus me more on the book writing, so I let the blog writing relax for a bit, and will continue to do so.
This past decade has taught me many things but this blog has taught me to be a better writer, a more focused writer, and has made me some new and dear friends along the way.
Here’s to 2025, kids. I am going to try and make it a good year.
As you can see by the above graphic, I’ve been busy. I’ve got 10 releases coming this year – 7 full length novels and 3 novellas. The first drops on Monday.
Love is the last thing Carly Lennox is looking for when she sets out on her new book tour. The independent, widowed author is content with a life spent writing and raising her daughter. When newscaster Mike Woodard suggests they work on a television profile based on her book, Carly’s thrilled, but guarded. His obvious desire to turn their relationship into something other than just a working one is more than she bargained for.
Mike Woodard is ambitious, and not only in his chosen profession. He wants Carly, maybe more than he’s ever wanted anything or anyone else. And, as he tells her, he’s a patient man and can wait until she’s ready to be involved with a man again.
But the more they’re together, Mike realizes it isn’t simply desire beating within him. Carly Lennox is the missing piece in his life. Getting her to accept it-and him-may just be the toughest assignment he’s ever taken on.
Preorders are up for the entire series and I’m releasing one new book per month from January to May, so go ahead and check them out. They’ll be available in print, Kindle, and KU ( for the first time!)
This one is from February 2017 – that’s a long time ago, lol!
I’m sure this is an easy feat for most writers, but not for me. I agonize over book titles. Are they too long? Too short? Do they convey the correct theme of the book? Do they even convey the theme of the book? Will it be a memorable title, or one that is easily forgotten in the myriad of published books these days?
Titles can, in all truth, make or break a book. Would you have read any of these books if these were the titles?:
The High-Bouncing Lover
The Last man in Europe
The Dead Un-Dead
Mistress Mary
Nothing New in the West
Wacking Off
The Don’t Build Statues to Businessmen
The Kingdon By The Sea
At this point In time
Private Fleming, His Various Battles
I was a bit surprised at a few of them, and I can in all truthfulness say I wouldn’t have read any one of them except for the Dead Un-Dead, because I think it was a cool, really out-there title. To see the titles these books were actually published as, scroll down when you’re done reading.
You can’t, apparently, trademark a title. I found this out when I wrote my third book, FIRST IMPRESSIONS ( which, BTW was the original working title of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice) and did a search to see how many books with the same title there were (423). My second book I called THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME. 366 other authors also called their works of fiction that. SO, how the heck can I can up with a title that (1) hasn’t been used before, and (2) will make the random reader interested in it enough to pick up the book and check it out? Again, no easy feat.
I used to make lists, pages of lists, with book titles. Even then, choosing just one was torture.
I’m so lame at coming up with my book titles I left the naming of my second book in the Will Cook For Love Series from Lyrical/Shine to the editors. They came up with A SHOT AT LOVE. When you read the book you’ll know it’s the perfect title, but I didn’t have anything even close to that I was working with! Thank God for the people in the know who really really really know what they are doing.
Naming your book is an awful lot like naming your child. You want to give it something with character, essence, personification, and beauty. And your book, to the writer, is your baby, your child, your creation, so you don’t want to let it down by giving it a crummy moniker; one that will inspire ridicule and laughter. Honestly, I pity the poor children of celebrities who have been named after fruits, compass directions, and astrological projections. Sad.
See? You probably thought the title was the easiest thing to come up with. I bet you didn’t know how hard it really was to name a book? Well…at least it is for me!
Here’s what the above titles were actually published as, and thank goodness they were!!!
Since this is a 52 week blog hop challenge, here are some other authors who are also taking about how they name their books today. Stop by and check out their blogs.
Today’s five is a continuation on a theme from last week – things you should do/know when attending a booksigning as an author.
Here we go:
Always wear comfortable shoes and clothes. You will be standing for hours and if you are wearing stilettos, or shoes that pinch, you are going to be miserable.
Make your display table sing! Have bright colors and nothing drab. Display your books lovingly – don’t just throw them on the table,willy-nilly.
Clearly state your prices and how to pay. Either a pop-up ad on the table telling people the cost, or something written attached to the books.
Have swag!!! useful things, not just paper postcards. Pens; Chaptsticks, hand sanitizer, bookmarks. People love free stuff with your branding on them.
Post about the event on social media, on your blog and wherever you can, before, during and then after the event. Take pictures and tag people and the event organizers.
I did a tiktok about last week’s five and this week’s, too. They are a little bit more in-depth than the written blogs, so hop on over to my tiktok account and check them out:
Peggy Jaeger, Author 