Today’s FF are the five reasons you should join us over on the DICKENS HOLIDAY ROMANCE page on FB for our weekend-long cover reveal party:
Come join us starting today. Juday Kentrus and I kick it off this morning!
Filed under #fridayfive
This upcoming Labor Day weekend, the authors of the 2024 additions to the DICKENS HOLIDAY ROMANCE series are having a weekend-long cover reveal.
My cover for A CHEF’S KISS CHRISTMAS is going to be revealed on Friday, August 30 over on the public site. This is the link to the site for you to join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/christmasindickens
On the the 30th, join me and fellow Dickens author Judy Kentrus for a fun day of games, insights into the series, and all things fun and Christmas-y!
And you’ll finally get to see the cover of A CHEF’S KISS CHRISTMAS!!
Successful Chef Anton Saparosa had the perfect life. Great marriage; beautiful and adoring wife; trendy, SoCal restaurant frequented by celebrities – many of them his friends.
Then Covid hit.
Anton’s perfect life dissolved before his eyes. With nothing left to keep him in California he starts an itinerant cross-country journey searching for something to give his life meaning again.
Happenstance lands him in the tiny town of Dickens just as Dorrit’s Diner is thrown into chaos.
Literary Agent Portia Avon needs a rest. A messy divorce has her craving quiet and the company of her friend and client A.B. Cards, nee Abra Bree. She comes from the western heat of California to the eastern cold of Dickens and plans to do nothing but rest, relax, and read during her holiday stay.
When Portia spots a familiar face in Dorrit’s, she’s confused. Why is Anton Saparosa, one of the most recognizable chefs in California, working as a fry cook in Abra’s mom’s diner, and going by the name Tony Smith?
A question Portia wants an answer to, but one Tony isn’t willing to share, especially with a woman he can’t stop thinking about.
Join us for the weekend. You won’t regret it!
Filed under #tuesdaytease
Another little peek at A CHEF’S KISS CHRISTMAS cover.
Filed under #tuesdaytease
Today, it’s a book cover tease, lol…
From the upcoming ( 11.11.24 release) of A CHEF’S KISS CHRISTMAS _A DICKENS HOLIDAY ROMANCE Book 26)
Successful Chef Anton Saparosa had the perfect life. Great marriage; beautiful and adoring wife; trendy, SoCal restaurant frequented by celebrities – many of them his friends.
Then Covid hit.
Anton’s perfect life dissolved before his eyes. With nothing left to keep him in California he starts an itinerant cross-country journey searching for something to give his life meaning again.
Happenstance lands him in the tiny town of Dickens just as Dorrit’s Diner is thrown into chaos.
Literary Agent Portia Avon needs a rest. A messy divorce has her craving quiet and the company of her friend and client A.B. Cards, nee Abra Bree. She comes from the western heat of California to the eastern cold of Dickens and plans to do nothing but rest, relax, and read during her holiday stay.
When Portia spots a familiar face in Dorrit’s, she’s confused. Why is Anton Saparosa, one of the most recognizable chefs in California, working as a fry cook in Abra’s mom’s diner, and going by the name Tony Smith?
A question Portia wants an answer to, but one Tony isn’t willing to share, especially with a woman he can’t stop thinking about.
Filed under #tuesdaytease
So today’s #fridayfive is 5 things about my newest Dickens Holiday Romance book, A CHEF’S KISS CHRISTMAS which will be released on 11.11.24
Here’s the blurb:
Successful Chef Anton Saparosa had the perfect life. Great marriage; beautiful and adoring wife; trendy, SoCal restaurant frequented by celebrities – many of them his friends.
Then Covid hit.
Anton’s perfect life dissolved before his eyes. With nothing left to keep him in California, he starts an itinerant cross-country journey searching for something to give his life meaning again.
Happenstance lands him in the tiny town of Dickens just as Dorrit’s Diner is thrown into chaos.
Literary Agent Portia Avon needs a rest. A messy divorce has her craving quiet and the company of her friend and client A.B. Cards, nee Abra Bree. She comes from the western heat of California to the eastern cold of Dickens and plans to do nothing but rest, relax, and read during her holiday stay.
When Portia spots a familiar face in Dorrit’s, she’s confused. Why is Anton Saparosa, one of the most recognizable chefs in California, working as a fry cook in Abra’s mom’s diner, and going by the name Tony Smith?
A question Portia wants an answer to, but one Tony isn’t willing to share, especially with a woman he can’t stop thinking about.
Filed under #fridayfive
YOu get a two-fer today!! LOL
Ready? Here’s my cover to my next addition to the DICKENS HOLIDAY ROMANCE series, DON’T MESS WITH THE MISTLETOE….
It’s the holiday season in the tiny town of Dickens and pilot Michael Charles is home for his annual visit. His wanderlust has him itching to get back up in the skies as soon as possible, especially since he’s got a full schedule of rich and famous clients waiting to be transported to warm, exotic locales for the winter.
When his heavily pregnant sisters present him with a plan to give their workaholic mother some time off from managing the family diner, he balks. But one look at how tired the woman who took him into her home and heart is, and Michael agrees to run Dorrit’s Diner for a month so Amy Charles can get some well-deserved rest.
He’ll be back in the skies by the New Year.
The diner staff functions like a well-oiled machine, most of them long-term employees. The exception is new waitress Julia Maryland. The beautiful blonde has a past filled with heartache, a charming six-year-old daughter, and a smile Michael could spend the day getting lost in. But starting a relationship with her wouldn’t be wise because his visit is temporary and Julia seems like a permanent kind of girl.
When a family emergency requires him to rethink and reassess his life, Michael wonders if it’s time he becomes a permanent kind of man.
“Blake asleep?” he asked, shucking his hands in his pockets while she went about preparing her tea.
“Finally. She conned me into reading three stories tonight instead of our typical two.” Shaking her head, she placed the teakettle on the stove and turned on the burner. “She’s always trying to go to sleep later than she should. If I allowed it every night, she’d be a bear the next day.”
“I used to do that to Amy and Andy. One more story and I swear I’ll go to sleep. Then, oh, but wait, how about a glass of water? Then the inevitable, now I’ve got to go to the bathroom move. All just so I wouldn’t have to go to sleep before my sisters.”
“I can see you were a little manipulator like Blake.”
He shook his head. “I prefer to think of it as honing my negotiation skills at a young age.”
His heart sure was getting a workout tonight because when she laughed, free and girlishly, his stuttered again.
“In reality it was because I was afraid I’d wake up the next morning and they’d be gone.”
Why the hell had he told her that?
Michael had never shared with anyone, least of all his parents, how much going to sleep every night terrified him. Up until the time he’d overheard Andy tell Amy they’d caught the man who’d murdered his mother, he’d lived in fear the mean man would come after him and kill his adoptive parents, too.
Irrational? Of course it was. But to a small boy whose world had been changed forever in a second, it was all too real.
Julia’s face softened as she stared across at him. Moisture formed in the outer corner of her eyes as she dropped her gaze.
“Don’t do that,” he said, pushing off the wall and coming to her. “I didn’t say that to make you feel sorry for me or anything, I really didn’t.”
“Of course not,” she said immediately. “I didn’t think you had. And I can feel sorry for the little boy you were, you know. It’s a natural reaction.”
His sigh was long and tired. “Still. I don’t know why I told you that.” He raked his hands down his face. “Let’s forget I did, okay? I just got off the phone with Sasha,” he said, changing the subject and hoping she wouldn’t press him. “They’re coming back tomorrow, so I need to get going on the present shopping.”
He held his breath, waiting for her reply. When she nodded, then poured the heated water into her mug, his anxiety eased.
Intrigued? You can preorder the ecopy here: AMAZON
And you can watch book trailer here: DMWTM
ANNNNNNNNNNNNDDDD…… just because I can, I’ve put FIXING CHRISTMAS and SASHA’S SECRET SANTA on sale for 99cents in anticipation of DON’T MESS WITH THE MISTLETOE going live. SO if you haven’t read those two yet ( you really should!!LOL), now is your chance because once DMWTM goes live, the price on these two goes back to normal.
Christmas has never filled writer Abra Charles with undiluted pleasure. If you’d been left on a doorstep on Christmas Eve morning, you might have a few issues with the holiday as well.
Abra’s avoided her hometown of Dickens for the past twenty Christmas seasons, but now she’s returned in an attempt to get her writing mojo back. Twice-divorced and with her third engagement ending in heartbreak, anger, and blackmail, Abra is now six months behind on submitting her current book. She hopes renting Copperfield House and immersing herself in solitude will cure her writer’s block and get her life back on track. The house she rents isn’t helping her achieve her goal, though, as one thing after another breaks, collapses, or floods.
Colton Bree, Dickens’ very own Mr. FixIt, can’t help but wonder if the new resident of Copperfield House is cursed. After being called to repair a broken window, he’s then needed to fix an exploding coffeepot, an overrunning toilet, and a washing machine that has a mind of its own. Bree doesn’t mind all the unexpected repair jobs, though, because the sexy renter is something to look at despite being a little neurotic and a whole lot of snarky.
Can Abra get her book done with all the distractions and craziness of her life, the biggest distraction being the flannelled hunk with the bedroom eyes and scowling yet oh-so-kissable mouth? Or will Dickens’ Mr FixIt have to step in and save the day and in so doing, fix Christmas for Abra forever?
After a terrifying incident derails Sasha Charles’ career and confidence, she moves back to her hometown of Dickens to heal, reorganize, and start over.
The only problem? The paralyzing panic attacks that plague her whenever she thinks about going back to nursing. Sasha is mentally, and emotionally stuck, and has no idea how to move forward.
Steve Caldwell is the new Director of Services at Dickens Memorial Hospital. After witnessing her save the life of a local resident in Dorrit’s Diner, he knows Sasha would be perfect for the new trauma center he’s planning. When she refuses his job offer outright, he sets out to change her mind.
But Sasha has thick, protective walls erected around her so Steve must first break through them. With patience and kindness, he does. As the two grow closer, each begin to have second thoughts on what their futures should look like, until idle, small town gossip threatens to derail their budding relationship.
With the imminent arrival of Christmas, will Steve be able to convince Sasha he has her best interests at heart?
Filed under Dickens Holiday Romance
On Sunday, 10.1.2023., the whole cover for DON’T MESS WITH THE MISTLETOE will be revealed, including the preorder link!!
For now, here’s a little teaser from the book…
Humbled was something he could truthfully say he’d never felt before. But he was. Added to it was his hyperawareness of her and the fact she’d referred to him by his Christian name. The sound of it on those perfect lips, in that voice handmade for seduction by the god of temptation, had things happening to his body he was worried she’d notice. Things, specifically, south of his belt.
He didn’t want to scare her; have her think he was just another guy on the make, out to use her; hurt her. He certainly didn’t want her to think he’d ever take advantage of the power situation they were in with him as her de facto boss while his mother was gone. That was a whole world of worry he didn’t sign up for.
Why, then, did she have to feel so good in his arms? Smell so alluring? Be so naturally appealing? And why did he want to do everything in his power to make her life manageable again?
It didn’t take a genius to decipher how attracted he was to her. Even his sisters had seen something going on with him that morning. Try though he did not to, his gaze tracked her wherever she was in the diner. He knew when she entered the kitchen even if his back was to the swing door. He wanted to protect her, erase all the bad things going on in her life, and at the same time take her to bed where he could show her what a man who truly desired her could do for her.
If ever there was time to not tempt fate and act on his feelings, it was right now.
Michael took a giant mental breath. Nodding, he slid his hands from around her waist and stepped back until he was certain he couldn’t reach her again if he stretched out his arms.
And Lord, did he want to touch her again. For as long as she’d let him.
“My mother raised us with the philosophy that kindness and caring are what truly make the world a better place,” he said when he could trust himself to keep the lust from weaving into his voice. He took another step backward. “I’ll let you go on up now. Thanks again for Saturday. You saved me a huge scheduling headache and I’m grateful.”
It was her turn to nod. “I’m the one who’s grateful,” she said, with a lopsided grin as she swiped at her wet cheeks. “Good night. I’ll see you in the morning. I’ve got opening shift.”
Want to know what happens next?? You’ll need to…read the book, LOL!!
Filed under Writing
It’s that time of year: holiday book release season. I’m part of the Dickens Holiday Romance series once again and this year my contribution is DON’T MESS WITH THE MISTLETOE, Michael Charles’ story.
It’s the holiday season in the tiny town of Dickens and pilot Michael Charles is home for his annual visit. His wanderlust has him itching to get back up in the skies as soon as possible, especially since he’s got a full schedule of rich and famous clients waiting to be transported to warm, exotic locales for the winter.
When his heavily pregnant sisters present him with a plan to give their workaholic mother some time off from managing the family diner, he balks. But one look at how tired the woman who took him into her home and heart is, and Michael agrees to run Dorrit’s Diner for a month so Amy Charles can get some well-deserved rest.
He’ll be back in the skies by the New Year.
The diner staff functions like a well-oiled machine, most of them long-term employees. The exception is new waitress Julia Maryland. The beautiful blonde has a past filled with heartache, a charming six-year-old daughter, and a smile Michael could spend the day getting lost in. But starting a relationship with her wouldn’t be wise because his visit is temporary and Julia seems like a permanent kind of girl.
When a family emergency requires him to rethink and reassess his life, Michael wonders if it’s time he becomes a permanent kind of man.
The complete cover will be revealed – along with the preorder link – on October 1st.
7 new stories will be added to the DICKENS HOLIDAY ROMANCE series this year, starting with mine on 11.2.2023.
DON’T MESS WITH THE MISTLETOE by Peggy Jaeger
Pilot Michael Charles is more comfortable up in the skies than on the ground. Waitress Julia Maryland has her feet planted firmly in Dickens.
Will a family emergency make Michael trade his vagabond lifestyle for a permanent one…with Julia?
KRINGLE ALL THE WAY by Judy Kentrus
Freja Sorensen is content baking prize-winning Kringle…until Axel Frost opens a hobby shop in Dickens.
Once a loving couple, they’d both suffered the pain of betrayal and heartbreak.
Is it possible Christmas is a time for forgiveness and maybe a second chance at love?
A SONG FOR CHRISTMAS by Lori DiAnni
Music teacher, Noelle Daniels, needs the perfect song for the annual Christmas fundraiser.
Rising country star, Matthew Carter, needs inspiration to write his next big hit and finds it in the small town of Dickens.
As they co-chair the school’s Christmas play, will they realize they make perfect music together?
A VERY MERRY MONDAY by Gracie Guy
What happens when you force together two competitive co-workers from the metro-New York area by assigning them to an offsite location in a charming New England town just weeks before Christmas? Bets get made, skiing accidents happen, sparks fly, and walls crumble. Is it coincidence or the magic of Dickens?
GAMES OF LOVE by Morgan Malone
It’s been a year of change.
Ruth adopted her best friend’s little girl and moved from Chicago to Dickens needing her family’s support. Bo’s job brought him from Texas, with hope for a new beginning to ease his grief. They’re not looking for love, but Hanukkah is all about miracles.
CHRISTMAS AT NORTH HILL by Jan Scarbrough
Sparks flew from the moment they met, but Joni’s independence has Chris wondering if he’s enough for her. Joni knows God loves her, but is she ready for a different kind of love? Can Joni and Chris discover that, just like Christmas presents, love comes wrapped in many packages?
STAGING CHRISTMAS by Kathryn Hills
A comeback queen with a tarnished tiara. A computer nerd in over his head. All it takes is a car crash, a rescue dog, and a century-old ski lodge to make them believe in holiday magic.
Filed under Dickens Holiday Romance
I don’t usually do recap blogs because I’m always moving forward and looking in my rearview, but July 2022 was a BIG Month for me, so I decided to take a quick look back just so I could bask again in everything wonderful that happened to me, career-wise.
Indulge me, please, lol.
ROMANTICON 2022 was held on July 15th and I had the best time. It’s been a Covid-minute since I was able to attend a book signing and this one was fabulous, so fab, I’m already signed up for next year’s event!
July saw the publication of my first KISS romance book. A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: RICK & AIDEN became KISSapp-worthy, opening my work up to a whole new subculture of romance readers.
Another wonderful honor for A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: RICK was to have it be turned into an interactive romance game under the Chapters App – and again, I now have an entire new fan/reading audience who are romance gamers. Who cool is that??? They changed the title to UNDER HIS PROTECTION and I’ve had a ball playing the game so far. New chapters are uploaded every Sunday morning.
I had a Cover reveal for my upcoming Dickens Holiday romance, SASHA’S SECRET SANTA with NN Light’s Bookheaven this month. It was so exciting introducing this cover because I lovelovelove it so much! Preorder links will go up soon!
And finally, I’ve got a Goodreads Giveaway for THE HAUNTING OF WILTON JUNE that will end tonight at midnight, so if you haven’t entered yet to win one of 5 print copies, here’s your last chance: Goodreads Givaway
Goodness! I can’t even imagine what August will bring. LOL
Filed under Uncategorized
Peggy Jaeger, Author 