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#tbt #tbThursday
This one is from 2017 and still holds true for me to this day…
Title: WORDS THAT MAKE ME SAY “ICK”
I could write a dictionary here, folks. Truly.
Okay. Words have power.
Anyone who’s ever been bullied or taunted as a child ( or even as an adult) knows this in their soul. Words can spear you straight through the heart, cut you off at the knees, and slice into your gut.
Late comic George Carlin made a million bucks doing a routine called the 7 Dirty Words. In 1972, he said these 7 words in a comedy club, forever immortalizing them:
Shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, and tits.
It is now 2017. 45 years later than when Carlin first spoke those words in public. Since that time, society has shifted in what it deems inappropriate language use. Even just a few years ago you wouldn’t hear commercial television characters uttering anything worse than an occasional “Crap!” as an invective or a curse. In a recent show on NBC, I heard two characters say the second and last words above before the first commercial break. Cable television has no such restrictions on language and I can tell you truthfully, I have heard every one of the above words – and a few more I hate – said without a flinch by the actors.
In America, we live by the law of freedom of speech. It’s a good freedom. We can share opinions that differ, dialogues that intrigue us, and books that elevate and entertain us. And while that basic freedom is challenged every single day, it still stands strong.
But…
There are some words, expressions, and phrases that shouldn’t be said aloud. Remember, words have power to hurt, maim, and incite. As a writer of romantic fiction, there are some words I would never use in a book. You probably think those words are slang ones for things related to the sex act. You would be wrong. I have no problem using words – slang or otherwise – to describe anatomy. What I do have is trouble using words that are mainly pejoratives. Words that do not belong in public speech or on the pages of books.
So…words that make me go “ick.” In no particular order, here they are:
twat, cunt, retard, any variation of the “N” word ( I can’t even write it, it’s so hateful). Any word that is derogatory to an ethnic group ( kike, wop, etc. You know the words I mean) I truly hatehatehate the word MOIST. I shudder when I write it.
Every word mentioned above ( except for moist, because that’s just my own particular hatefest word) is a pejorative. A word that makes me quiver and quake with anger, because tit is used in a totally negative way. I see no positive translations in any of those words.
Words that DON’T make me go ick? Any word that falls into this category:
‘Nuff said.
Filed under #throwbackthursday
#tbT #tbThursday 6.6.24
From 9.13.2027
Title: FACEBOOK…turns out, it’s a good thing.
Yesterday I extolled some of the wisdom Jane Friedman imparted last weekend at Fiction Fest 2017 in her master class. One of the biggest takeaways from the workshop, for me, was how powerful Facebook can be for an author.
When I first began my journey as a published author in 2015 I had the typical Facebook page where I trolled the news feed for posted info on family and friends. It was my then-editor who suggested I make myself a professional FB page for my author career. The thought of now having to manage and keep track of 2 things on FB, not to mention Twitter, Pinterest, my website, my Amazon page, yada yada yada was a little daunting and a whole lot of nauseating.
But I heeded her advice and did it. The one thing I was adamant about though, was that the professional author page was going to be for anybody who wanted to follow me as an author. I was going to keep my personal page just that – private. The reason was an easy one for me because I have small children in my family and friends circle and their parents post pictures of them frequently. I didn’t want some wackjob creepy person to see those pictures. There are a lot of undesirables on the Internet, hunting for innocent prey. And I know that sounds dramatic, but have you read the news lately??? Not dramatic at all.. simply proactive.
So. Two pages. Two separate entities. Double the work. More to keep track of. But you know what? it was a good thing. I have waaaaaaay more “friends” on my professional page than my personal one. I don’t post anything on the professional page I wouldn’t want everyone in the cyber world to see, but I’m able to keep private what needs to be kept private on the personal page. One of the good things about Facebook is that you can set up protection and privacy settings on posts.
Jane is a big proponent of reader and follower engagement on her FB page. She uses her page as a tool to interact with readers, answer questions, make announcements, show her blog postings. She feels authors should use the Professional page as their number one tool for marketing and acquiring new followers who then become readers. I always felt that Twitter gave me my biggest bang for engagement, and in reality, I have more twitter followers than I do FB followers (not many more, but a few). One of the drawbacks, Jane says about Twitter, is that it is very much a right here- right now thing. In other words, once you post something you have about 17 minutes or so for people to see it. After that, it gets lost in the quagmire of a hundred billion other tweets and the scroll shoves you waaaaaaay down low. Makes sense. On Facebook, your postings get added to the newsfeed, your followers get notified you’ve posted something, and if you come back to the post a few hours later and simply “like” it, it brings it back up in the current scroll. That’s genius in my mind. Plus, everytime someone likes or comments on your post you get a notification and respond in kind.
Facebook parties are a fabulous marketing tool for new readers and engagement as well. Facebook ads can be a tool to drive people to your page, but be careful. Don’t go crazy and spend more than you think you really need on an ad.
So. Facebook. I will now be using it a great deal more than Twitter. Still love to tweet though!
When I’m not Facebook-ing or Tweeting, you can find me here:Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triberr
Filed under #throwbackthursday
#throwbackthursday 5.30.24
from 2019…
THE WORK NEVER ENDS…AND I’M HAPPY IT DOESN’T
I am currently editing the final galley copy of the above book for Wild Rose Press. It’s the first in a three book series called A PRIDE OF BROTHERS. For those of you who read my WILL COOK FOR LOVE SERIES, this is the story of Abigail Laine and Rick Bannerman. These two are both alphas and boy do they annoy each other. And by annoy I mean – YOWZA!
As soon as I have a release date and a cover, you’ll see it. Promise!
Until then, only 6 more sleeps until IT’S A TRUST THING releases exclusively in Kindle and KU. Have you reordered your copy yet???
Nell Newbery has trust issues. It’s hard to trust when you’re the daughter of a fallen financial scion who bilked people out of billions. Nell’s done everything in her power to keep away from men who see her as their ticket to fortune and fame. All she wants to do is run her ultra-successful business, HELPFUL HUNKS, in peace.
But it wouldn’t hurt to find a guy who doesn’t know a thing about her father’s felonious past; one she can give her heart to and trust it won’t come back to her battered, bruised, and broken.
Is Charlie Churchill that guy? On the surface he seems perfect, all polished manners and quiet mirth. Nell’s convinced he knows nothing about her, other than she likes superhero movies and views junk food as a food group.
Can she trust him to be what he appears to be? Or is he just pretending?
For Nell, trust is everything in life…and in love.
Filed under #throwbackthursday
#Tuesdayteaser
Love Match has been out for a week now and the reviews are so wonderful I thought I’d give you another insight into the storyline.
Cody’s divorce hit him hard because he thought, erroneously, everything was fine with his marriage. He had no idea what was really going on with his wife, Cassidy. Once she left him, his entire life changed and with it, he lost some of his confidence and became a bit of a cynic. In this scene, he is talking with his mom and you can tell she is the person he can reveal his true self to without fear or worry.
“Shit. I knew something happened. Layla pulled a complete one-eighty by the time she came home.”
Sally’s eyebrow lifted. “And Cass was, obviously, the cause. Layla believes what she said.”
“How could she?” he cried. “It’s not true. I never sle—” he stopped short. It was one thing for your mother to suspect you had sex, quite another to talk about it, openly.
Sally sat next to him at the table and slid a hand on top of his fisted one. “I know you, Cody Angus Fonda. You’d never sleep with a woman just to gain an advantage. It’s not you. It’s simply not. Your head, not to mention your heart, would never let you do something so wrong.”
The tips of his ears felt like they were on fire.
“Apparently Layla doesn’t share your high opinion of me.”
Jane laid her head down on his lap, her eyes tracking his face. Absently, he petted her.
“Did you ever tell her you were interested in buying the house?” Sally asked.
After another gulp of coffee, Cody shook his head. “I kept meaning to. I should have from the very beginning. I know that.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “But after working on the house, spending time with her and then, well.” His mother didn’t need details about their sleeping together. “I was more focused on getting her to stay. I thought she was going to, I really did. But yesterday,” he shook his head, “she told me she’s considering leaving. That the house is too big for one person. Too much upkeep.”
“Did you tell her you wanted to buy it, then?”
“No.”
Sally tilted her head and regarded him for a long while with that all-knowing look inherent in every mother he’d ever known. She was so focused on him, in fact, he started to fidget.
“What?”
“You are one of the smartest men I have ever known, and every day I’m thankful you’re my son.”
“Okay, there’s a but screaming in that sentence, loud, clear, and terrifying.”
Sally reached over and ticked him on the head.
“Hey! OW!”
“Respect your mother, Cody.”
He shook his head, closed his eyes and mumbled something that he knew she couldn’t hear. Then, “What were you going to say?”
She took a breath. “For someone so smart you can be dense at times. Did it ever occur to you that Layla was hurt by what Cassidy said not because of the words but because of the truth that you didn’t tell her, up front, you wanted the house? I’ve got a feeling trust is hard for Layla, with her mother being the way she is, and everything that happened with the loser fiancé. How do you think she must have felt when Cassidy screamed the only reason you were with Layla was because you wanted her house when you never mentioned a thing to her.”
“I would have hoped she’d ask me directly, not just assume Cass was right. I thought she knew me better than that.”
Sally’s phone chimed just then and she tugged it out of her purse.
“Grandma,” she told him. “Hey, Ma. What’s up?”
Cody tuned her out, considering what she’d told him, instead. How many times had he berated himself for not telling Layla his feelings about the house? How many excuses had he given himself why he hadn’t shared his desire to buy it, fix it, flip it? And now look; his silence on the subject had caused her to pull away from him just when things were heating up between them. And now she was considering leaving town.
What a mess.
He had to figure out a way to get her to understand what he’d done, why he’d been silent, and get her to forgive him.
He needed to come clean, but how? She wasn’t exactly speaking to him and the texts had been so chilly his hand had gotten cold holding his phone when he read them. He supposed he could drive over to her house, take the chance she’d be home and – even more of a chance – she’d let him in.
Cody closed his eyes after finishing his coffee.
“Okay, well, wait until you hear this.” Sally disconnected the call. “It wasn’t only Cassidy who told Layla about you wanting the house. Gran did, too.”
“When?”
“She must have driven over to the Arms right after seeing Cass yesterday. Effie and mom were together, and she asked Effie if you’d ever approached her about selling the house.”
“I never have.”
Nodding, Sally said, “That’s what she told Layla. But then Gran told her about the times you mentioned how much you’d like the house and wished you could buy it so you could fix it and resell it for a profit.”
“Oh, Jesus.” He swiped his hands through his hair again. “No wonder she thinks I’m such a douchebag—”
“Language, young man.”
Cody’s face heated like he’d placed it in a hot oven. At forty years old he shouldn’t feel chastised like a toddler when his mother scolded him.
“This is a nightmare.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, shook his head, and cast his eyes downward.
After a few moments, Sally cleared her throat. “Can I ask you a question?”
He shrugged.
“Promise you won’t brush me off, but really answer it? Truthfully?”
“Okay, now I’m getting scared.”
Sally shifted and ran her hand across his forearm. “I know you better than you think I do, son. I gave birth to you, wiped your tears when you skinned your knees, watched you with pride when your sisters came along and you vowed to be their protectors. It’s been a pleasure and an honor to witness you grow into the amazing man you are today.”
“Still hearing that but.”
She squeezed his arm, then patted it, a small smile tugging at the corner so of her mouth. “I remember the day you told me and your dad you were gonna marry Cassidy. Even though we knew you were too young and had reservations about her, we never said anything, just supported you, loved you, and welcomed her into our family.”
Touched, Cody placed his own hand over the one she still had across his arm.
“I know, mom. And I love you both for it.”
“That’s what family is for.”
“So what’s your question?”
Her eyes, twins to his own in color and shape, ping-ponged between his. She tugged her lips inward and pressed down on them, then, after releasing them again, asked, “You’re in love with Layla, aren’t you?”
The full weight of emotions seeped through his voice when he responded, “More than I ever thought I could love a woman again.”
“Oh, baby.” Sally shifted and pulled him into a hug.
All the sadness, rejection, even the feelings of loss and disappointment he’d been holding in for over three years, pretending didn’t exist, leached from deep down in his soul. He buried his face in her neck as she simply held and rocked him like she had when he was a boy.
“I didn’t think I’d ever feel this way again,” he said against her shoulder. “But somehow, somewhere along the way, she kinda…snuck in.”
“That’s how love works,” Sally said. “When you least expect to find it, wham, there it is.”
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Filed under #tuesdaytease
10 years…and still counting!
To celebrate my upcoming 10 years in the biz, I give you… my life in a timeline. My writing life, that is, lol.
It’s been a heck of a ride so far. 4 publishers; indie publishing; professional speaking gigs on writing.
Sometimes my head whirls.
Sometimes I pinch myself.
Sometimes I’m tired ( who am I kidding? I’m tired all the time!)
Would I do things differently? A few
Would I change one moment of the feeling I get when a new book is in my hands after publication? Not even a little bit.
I chose this life and I embrace it wholeheartedly.
here’s to the next 10 years…20…(gulp) 30.
And thank you for all the love and support and words of encouragement along the way… ~Peg
#fridayfive
Today’s five are a little self-reveling about my writing career. I’m gonna have to bite the bullet and realize I could embarrass myself here, but hey: it wouldn’t be the first time, LOL!
Okay, here we go.
- My first book was published when I was 55 years old, not the typical age. Most published writers are published waaay before this age and are hitting their pinnacles before it. I’m a late bloomer. Like, a Christmas cactus, lol.
- I enjoy writing sex scenes. For me it’s all about the emotion of the scene not what goes into where and who touches which body part. Although, for full disclosure, there’s some of that, too!
- I do the majority of my new writing between the hours of 2 and 7 a.m. because I still suffer from menopause-induced insomnia. Yeah, it’s a thing.
- I talk out loud when I am writing, especially when I write dialogue. Which is why I don’t go anywhere like cafes, Starbucks, or even the library when I write. People would call the police if I did and report a crazy, talking to-herself woman was disturbing the peace.
- When I start a new book it takes me about 2-3 weeks to write the first 10,000 words.I go slow at the beginning because I am getting to know my characters and get the feels for what they would do, how they would talk, and where I want to take them, emotionally. After that, I kinda hit my stride and can do anywhere between 2k and 5k daily if I put my mind to it and have the energy.
- I’m adding a 6th because I want to – I like to write in bed and can do up to 1000 words an hour when I decide to stay in bed for a morning session after my hubby goes to work. With Maple by side, snoring, I find my creative energy is high because my body is so relaxed.
Filed under #fridayfive
#throwbackthursday
This little ditty is from June, 2020 and describes my life perfectly at the time!
TITLE: When you’ve got nothing, do you punt or…go home?
I’m chockful of weird and wacky blog titles this week, eh?? Hee Hee
What it boils down to is that I’ve been living a very boring life of late, self-isolating and writing/editing my next indie book, and reading other books for review on Netgalley. In addition to taking care of home and hearth and my parents. And their home and hearth.
I have no new news, no witty stories, no personal revelations with which to fill this blog up. I even missed the last two Long and Short Reviews Wednesday Blogging challenges because I was immersed in writing.
If you open the dictionary and find the definition of “pathetic lifestyle” you will see my picture.
Not kidding. Not even a little.
So…do I try and make something up that will delight and titillate you? Do I – once again – try to get you to buy any of my books by putting up snippets to intrigue you? Do I comment on current events? I am truly at a loss for what to write today.
I could tell you about the DIY wasp traps my husband discovered on the Internet to fight our growing wasp problem, and which he made all by himself. I’m truly happy all my empty liter Diet Mountain Dew bottles didn’t die in vain. Nothing in the traps yet, though.
I could tell you about my wonderful summer vacation plans….but I don’t have any.
I could share how I’ve started yet another diet in the attempt to fit into my dress for my daughter’s wedding – the one she has had to postpone twice now due to the pandemic – and how I’m literally starving most of the day. I might even admit that I bought two boxes of Girl Scout cookies in the grocery store yesterday and WHAM!!! Gained 6 pounds by the time I got home. But that seems too…depressing and self-revelatory.
I could share how happy I was when I finally – after 12 weeks – got my hair colored last week. But then I wonder: did you know I color my hair? Did I just ruin your opinion of me??
Truthfully, when I read all of those things back they are really pretty pathetic and boring….
Kinda like me.
So, I guess I’ll go do some more editing and then maybe take a walk…on the treadmill of course, because…you know….social distancing and the pandemic.
Le sigh…
Until next time, peeps, when I sincerely hope I have something to write about ~ Peg
Filed under #throwbackthursday
#Fridayfive – what NOT to say to a writer!
This one’s been ruminating in my brain for years!! Years, I tell ya.
Okay. None of us like unsolicited advice. I don’t, especially. I never listen to it and I rarely accept it. But over the years, when I’ve told people I write for a living, these are just some of the things I’ve been told or that have been said to me in the guise of being good advice I should listen to – and my mental, unspoken, responses.
I’ll let you decide if they are snarky. ( I think they are!)
- No one reads books. ( I beg to differ since…BOOKTOK!)
- No one can afford a book. ( Um, that Starbucks grande in your hand costs more than an ecopy of my books. WAaaaaaaay more.)
- You’ll never be able to support yourself writing. (Want to see my tax returns?)
- Romance books are only for single women who can’t get a man. They probably have cats, too. ( My hand to God, I almost punched this guy in the mouth. I had to seriously think, “get behind me, Satan” before I did!)
- Aren’t you embarrassed to have people know you write that smut? ( This one still makes me laugh. I mean…have you read me??? Smut?? Me?? Some of my books don’t even have a hand-holding scene, LOL!!!)
Believe it or not, there are waaaaaaaay more of these I could share. But I’m not going to give them breath.
Filed under #fridayfive
#WednesdayWisdom 4.10.24
Don’t be an emotional hoarder ( or a physical one, if we’re going to be serious about it! LOL)
We all hang on to things; emotions; grudges. Those are toxic to your ability to move forward and really serve no purpose but to keep you stuck.
We also hang on to ideas or ideologies that prevent us from becoming who we are meant to be and from propelling us into the future we want. SELF DOUBT is the major one, in my opinion.
Just like you should let go of negative things, you should do the same with people. People are either for you or against you. Don’t stick with the against-you ones in the hope they will change.
Here’s a horrible but true fact: they won’t.
One of my favorite mantras is let go and let God. Leave those negative Nellies to God to deal with as you move forward to be the best you, you can be.
I believe in you. Now…learn to believe in yourself.
Filed under #wednesdaywisdom
Peggy Jaeger, Author 