Tag Archives: #DickensHoliday

May 9, 2022 · 2:17 am

A #Monday mea culpa and a request…

So, when I started this journey of being a published author I thought I’d ride the traditional train for the life of my career. Well, we know how sometimes our thoughts don’t match our reality, don’t we, peeps. I’ve been a hybrid ( traditional and indie) for three years now and this weekend the indie part bit me in the keister big time.

I had a new book release all scheduled for 6.7.22 and had uploaded the print version to Amazon for approval. Now, before it can be offered, the amazon Gods-that-be review it. For what, I have no idea. But I received an email on Saturday telling me the book was being BLOCKED and would not be offered for sale and I was told to take it down. I questioned whether this included the ecopy as well and rec’d another email telling me yes, it did.

Panic set in immediately because I’d already put it up on Booksprout for reviews and had been advertising the preorder all over my social media sites. I went and did as instructed, canceling the print book and the preorder. Within seconds I got an email telling me that I was going to incur a penalty from Amazon for canceling a preorder and wouldn’t be allowed to put up any preorders for a year.

When the panic eased a bit I got angry.

Really angry. LIke mama-bear-pissed-you’re-touching-her-cub angry.

I emailed my Amazon representative back and questioned why I was getting a penalty for doing what they said to do. It made absolutely no sense.

Another email later and the representative stated amazon had been wrong to get me to cancel the preorder but if I wanted to re-instate it I had to start all over again and submit a new book, have it go through an approval and they would give me a new ISBN number.

Geez.

Well, of course I did it.

Here’s the kicker. After I was told I couldn’t put the book for sale in print, Amazon sent me yet another email telling me that the book was now available IN PRINT. Like available top buy in print TODAY! My e-version is also back to preorder status but the books can’t be linked for some weird reason- which is ridiculous.

So after all that, the preorder is live again and you can actually purchase the book now.

This blog post has been a long-winded way of asking EVERYONE who preordered ANGEL KISSES AND HOLIDAY wishes before yesterday’s date, that you will need to preorder it again under the new order number ( ASIN). You will not be sent two books because the old ISBN number is now defunct.

Here are the new links;

Kindle Version Preorder -Goes live 6.7.2022 Kindle

Print version – live now. Print

You’ll probably notice the slight difference in the cover backgrounds when you order, too.

Also, if you downloaded the book on BOOKSPROUTS you will notice the campaign has been removed. I’m trying to get it reinstated, but it doesn’t look promising. If you already have the book and want to do a girl a solid, please review it and post your review when you do to either/or all Goodreads, Bookub or amazon

Thanks.

I’m gonna go quietly have a nervous breakdown now. ~ peg

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October 31, 2021 · 12:00 am

Return to the wonderful town of Dickens this season, featuring Lucinda Race.

Another wonderful writer I had the pleasure of working with on last Christmas’s Dickens Anthology was Lucinda Race. This season, Lucinda has not one new story to share from Dickens, but 2! The first. HOLIDAY HEART WISHES has already been released and is a novella. Here’s a little about the book:

Holiday Heart Wishes

Can a Christmas wish come true…

When social media director Vera Davis loses her job in the city, she takes her adorable, goofy rescue pup and heads home for the holidays, to her sweet hometown of Dickens. She’s hoping to move in with her mom and start a new business. But her drive is interrupted when she rescues a handsome, snowbound stranger stranded by side of the road.  

Newspaper reporter Tony Barbee may be a stranger to Vera, but Dickens is his hometown, too. He’s come to spend Christmas with the uncle who raised him. But Vera and Tony are in for a surprise when they find her mother and his uncle living together. Aren’t they moving too fast? 

Tony and Vera share something besides relatives in a blossoming romance: a tradition that when they see the Christmas tree in the gazebo on the village green—a scene right out of a Norman Rockwell painting—they should make a Christmas wish. Though they resist their own growing attraction to one another, Christmas is a time of surprises and gifts, and the unexpected answer to a heartfelt holiday wish may bring Vera and Tony the greatest gift of all… 

Get your copy here, right now! https://books2read.com/HolidayHeartWishes

The second book Lucida has is being released on 11.15 and it HOLLY BERRIES and HOCKEY PUCKS

Get your copy here: https://books2read.com/HollyBerriesandHockeyPucks

Love can hit you like a slap shot

Jillian Morgan, single mom and flower shop owner, once had a promising career as a women’s hockey player. Instead, she now has a precocious six-year-old daughter who loves hockey as much as she did. Jillian’s focus is her daughter and the busy upcoming holiday season in the small town of Dickens. Then a newcomer stops in for flowers. He might be good-looking—no, great looking—but Jillian doesn’t need a complication of the male variety. 

Brett Parsons hasn’t held a hockey stick in ten years, not since an injury ended his dreams of being an NHL star. He’s moved to Dickens to help his newly widowed mother. With a recently broken engagement, and still unpacking while looking for a job as a physical therapist, he doesn’t have any interest in dating. But he might make an exception for the pretty blue-eyed florist.

Brett’s delighted when he takes a job coaching the local youth hockey group and finds Jillian’s daughter on his team. Jillian’s not the average hockey mom, and Brett’s looking forward to discovering her secrets. In spite of the attraction, Jill’s wary. It’s easier to stay single than to have her heartbroken again. But both of them know life rarely turns out as planned. In a town that cherishes Christmas, hockey pucks and holly berries might just lead to kisses under the mistletoe. 

Preorder your copy today here: https://books2read.com/HollyBerriesandHockeyPucks

Award-winning and best-selling author Lucinda Race …

is a lifelong fan of romantic fiction. As a young girl, she spent hours reading romance novels and getting lost in the hope they represent. While her friends dreamed of becoming doctors and engineers, her dreams were to become a writer—a romance novelist.

As life twisted and turned, she found herself writing nonfiction but longed to turn to her true passion. After developing the storyline for The Loudon Series, it was time to start living her dream. Her fingers practically fly over computer keys as she weaves stories about strong women and the men who love them.

Lucinda lives with her husband and their two little dogs, a miniature longhair dachshund and a shitzu mix rescue, in the rolling hills of western Massachusetts. When she’s not at her day job, she’s immersed in her fictional worlds. And if she’s not writing romance novels, she’s reading everything she can get her hands on. It’s too bad her husband doesn’t cook, but a very good thing he loves takeout.

Social Media Links

FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/LucindaRaceAuthor/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lucindaraceauthor/

Goodreads – Lucinda Race- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10174985.Lucinda_Race

Youtube Lucinda Race https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lucinda+race+author

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lucindaraceauthor/

Bookbub Lucinda Race https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lucinda-race

Amazon Author Page  https://www.amazon.com/Lucinda-Race/e/B00Q0MMNUM

Lucinda’s Heart Racers Reader Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/118597305361578

Website https://lucindarace.com

Linked In

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucinda-race-947099140/

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October 30, 2021 · 12:00 am

Return to the wonderful town of DICKENS this holiday season

I had the amazing opportunity to join a group of writers last year to pen a Christmas Anthology titled CHRISTMAS COMES TO DICKENS.

Several of the writers – including myself – are back again this year with more stories about the heartwarming little town during the holiday season.

The first up is Nancy Fraser’s CHRISMAS CAROLE, available now.

When divorced mother of two, Carole Kelley, moves herself and her children to Dickens, she figures the most difficult thing she’ll have to face is providing a perfect Christmas for her 7-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son.

What she doesn’t count on is Jaxon Matthews, Wil-Bar Toy’s attorney and quite possibly the most infuriating man she’s ever met.

Jax wants nothing more than to finish up his current workload within the next few weeks so he can pack his bags and leave for his usual solitary Christmas on Grand Cayman Island. His plans are quickly derailed when a big contract falls through, forcing him back to the negotiating table less than a month before the holiday.

His plans are further delayed when he meets Carole Kelley. Despite his best intentions to steer clear of any romantic entanglements, he can’t help but be drawn to the beautiful woman and her infectious holiday spirit… something he hasn’t felt in years.

Once he realizes getting to know Carole means competing with her two children for her attention, he’s ready to give up on furthering their relationship. What he doesn’t count on is the power of family, and the magic of the wish stick.

Downtown Dickens

November 24th

“Momma, are we there yet? Will Millie be there? Are we going to have Thanksgiving at their house?” Lila’s questions came in rapid-fire succession. “Will I get to sleep in the tent in her room like last time?”

Carole Kelley shifted in the front seat of her minivan and glanced in her rearview mirror. Her daughter was fighting sleep with the stubbornness of a seven-year-old diva.

Her four-year-old son Jake, on the other hand, was sound asleep in his car seat, not a care in the world.

“Yes, sweetie, we’re finally here. At least in Dickens proper. It’ll take a few more minutes before we reach Barrett House. As for where you’ll sleep, that will be up to Rick and Cassidy.”

“And Uncle William?”

“Yes, dear, him too.”

“Are we going to live at Barrett House? I want to ride the horses like last time.”

Carole released a long, weary sigh, then pulled in a much-needed breath. “No, dear, we won’t be living at Barrett House, as much as I’m sure you’d love to.”

“They have lotsa bedrooms,” Lila pointed out.

“Yes, they do. However, we don’t want to impose any longer than necessary. We have a nice apartment waiting for us in the same building where Cassidy and Millie used to live.”

“Is that where the lady lives who’s going to watch me and Jake when you’re at work?”

Gripping the steering wheel, Carole stretched her back and craned her neck, working out the kinks from the eight-hour drive, before responding. “Yes. Miss Frances comes highly recommended. Millie says she’s the bestest babysitter ever.”

“Are you excited about your new job? Will it be like the job you had back in Chester?”

“It’s not exactly the same as my last job, but I’m sure I’ll love it. Who wouldn’t love working in toy factory, even if it is in the office?”

“Will Jake and me get to see where the toys are made?”

Where was that blasted Sandman when you needed him?

“I suppose, but not right away. They’re way too busy to host tours, even for family.”

“Do you think Uncle William will give me another Princess doll for Christmas?”

“I guess it will depend on how good you’ve been this year.”

“I’ve been really good,” Lila insisted. “Really, really, good.”

“Yes, Lila dear, you have been very good, and very helpful with your little brother.”

Carole negotiated the last of the three turns in the road leading from town to the outskirts, finally pulling into the driveway at Barrett House.

Once she’d parked at the front door to unload her children and their overnight bags, she pushed the button to slide the rear door open only to find her daughter had finally fallen asleep. Just when she didn’t want her to be.

Purchase Links:

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09DWPCK87

Available on Kindle Unlimited

Trailer Link:

NANCY FRASER is an Amazon Top 100 and Award-Winning author who can’t seem to decide which romance genre suits her best. So, she writes them all.

Nancy published her first book in 1996 and hasn’t stopped since. Her 100th book will be released on her birthday in April of 2022.

When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her five wonderful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when time permits. Nancy lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace and colorful people.

Read reviews of Christmas Carole here: reviews

Add Christmas Carole to your Goodreads WANT TO READ LIST

Join the DICKENS facebook page for all updates about the DICKENS STORIES: CHRISTMAS COMES TO DICKENS

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October 15, 2021 · 5:23 am

A Christmas Goodreads Giveaway!

Hey kids ~ delighted to tell you that FIXING CHRISTMAS – A Dickens Holiday Romance ( Dorrit’s Diner) is a GOODREADS GIVEAWAY for the next few weeks.

You can enter to win 1 of 5 PRINT copies here: FIXING CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY.

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?

GOOD LUCK!

Don’t forget to add FIXING CHRISTMAS to your GOODREADS WANT TO READ LIST!

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June 21, 2021 · 3:00 am

Making Christmas, a Dickens Holiday Romance Prequel from Nancy Fraser

SO if you’ve been following my blog posts for the past week, you know I’ve been on a book blast tour for my new holiday novella SANTA BABY. And you know I’ve been on tour with one of my favorite people on the planet, not to mention one of my one-click authors. I’m delighted to not only call Nancy Fraser a writing friend, but a friend-friend, too, and today I’m spotlighting her Dickens Holiday Romance Prequel – MAKING CHRISTMAS. I was lucky enough to read this book when it was in the ARC stage and it’s a lovely, charming prequel to the full length story she’ll be releasing later this year in the Dickens world.

For now, here’s a sneak peek at MAKING CHRISTMAS from this uber-talented and prolific writer.

MAKING CHRISTMAS

A 1980s Vintage Romance …

It’s been five years since William Barrett returned to Dickens to take over as CEO of Wil-Bar Toys. He’s spent these past years helping build Wil-Bar into a leader in creative, handmade toys. His work ethic and drive has left him little time for a personal life. Or, perhaps he’s still pining for the one who got away.

Catherine Gates moved away from Dickens six years earlier. Now a staff reporter for a woman’s magazine, she’s returning to Dickens to do a story on Wil-Bar Toys new production methods and get the scoop on their upcoming holiday line.

When Will and Cat meet up again for the first time in years, it’s as if they’ve never been apart. Rekindling their friendship, and attraction, becomes more important than Cat’s article, or even the secrecy of the new toy lines.

Can these two childhood friends make up for lost time and pursue the romance they missed out on years earlier? Or, will Cat’s story expose too much and put them at odds with one another?

Tagline: Will their first meeting in six years be all business? Or, can they make up for lost time?

Excerpt

Catherine made her way through the front doors of Wil-Bar Toys and toward the reception desk. “I’m here to see Mr. Barrett. I have a ten o’clock appointment.”

“I’ll buzz Margaret and she’ll come to get you,” the young woman said.

Catherine waited for Margaret, obviously a new edition to the staff since she didn’t recognize the name.

Moments later, a woman who looked to be in her late twenties entered the lobby. “Hello, I’m Margaret Weatherby. If you’ll follow me, please.”

She fell in step behind the woman, going through the heavy oak double doors she remembered from her childhood. They continued down the hallway leading to the main offices, coming to a stop in front of the desk outside the large corner suite.

“How long have you worked at Wil-Bar?” Catherine asked.

“Two years now. I was originally hired to work for Mr. Wilfred Barrett but when the younger Mr. Barrett’s secretary left to get married, I took over for her as well.”

“That must keep you very busy.”

The woman nodded. “It does, especially this time of year. However, it’s such a wonderful place to work, I couldn’t see myself going anywhere else.” She paused, then added, “I’ll let Mr. Barrett know you’re here.”

“I’d appreciate—”

Her words of appreciation were interrupted by a man’s booming voice. “Margaret, do you have the report I left for photocopying earlier?” The voice was followed by the man’s appearance outside the office door, his footsteps coming to a halt when he saw her standing there.

She lifted her head, meeting Will Barrett’s intense gaze head-on.

“Cat? Cat Gates. I’ll be dam…darned.”

“Hello, Will.”

“You two know each other?” Margaret asked. When they both nodded at the same time, Margaret added, “Well, that certainly saves time on introductions.”

Will motioned for her to follow him into the office. “You’re the journalist they’ve sent to write a story on Wil-Bar?”

“Yes,” she said, taking the seat he offered. “I assume they thought I’d have an inside track on the place since I’m from Dickens.”

His chuckle sent a flurry of butterflies rushing her stomach.

“Inside track. I’d say so. You know every nook and cranny of this place—or at least you did before we remodeled.”

“Some I knew all too well, given I spent more time hiding than you and Tommy did seeking.”

“Sorry about that,” he said with a broad grin. “We were pretty mean to you back then.”

Buy Link:

Universal: https://books2read.com/u/3ye0ae

Add MAKING CHRISTMAS to your “MUST READ” list, here:

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/making-christmas-a-dickens-holiday-romance-prequel-by-nancy-fraser

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57984424-making-christmas

A little about NANCY FRASER

—Jumping Across Romance Genres with Gleeful Abandon—is an Amazon Top 100 and Award-Winning author who can’t seem to decide which romance genre suits her best. So, she writes them all.

When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her five wonderful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when time permits. Nancy lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace and colorful people.

You can connect with Nancy, here:

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Bookbub

Amazon Author Page ~ Goodreads ~ YouTube ~ Newsletter

Trailer for MAKING CHRISTMAS:  https://youtu.be/PzzY7komw-I

Jigsaw Puzzle Link: https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=04ed82a4367f

Peggy here: I know you’ll love this charming, heartwarming story, and I can’t recommend it enough!

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June 15, 2021 · 3:34 am

Goddess Fish Book Blast, day 2

Day 2 of Nancy Fraser and my book blast tour is bring us to to following tour stops. Check them. Enter the rafflecopter. But the books. ( LOL)

June 15:
1: Andi’s Book Reviews review
2: Candrel’s Crafts, Cooks, and Characters
3: Straight From the Library
4: The Pen and Muse Book Reviews
5: Natural Bri
6: The Faerie Review
7: Travel the Ages

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June 14, 2021 · 3:13 am

A Dickens Holiday Prequel Goddess Fish Book Blast!

I am uber-excited to be partnered with amazeballs writer, and very good friend NANCY FRASER for the next week as we travel around in cyberworld on a Goddess Fish Book Blast tour for our Dickens Holiday Romance Prequels.

In SANTA BABY, the lives of one couple are changed forever when an abandoned baby is found on Christmas Eve…

It’s Christmas Eve morning in the tiny New England town of Dickens.

Santa’s arrival is imminent, and a hint of snow is in the air.

Amy Dorrit is just about to open her popular diner for the breakfast rush when she discovers an abandoned baby on her back doorstep.

Amy knows she should call the authorities and turn the infant over to them, but she just can’t. Thoughts of her own abandonment as a baby flood through her and she wants to keep the little one out of the hands of the authorities until the mother – hopefully –returns.

But will the mom come back? And if she doesn’t, what is Amy prepared to do about the baby who has, already, claimed her heart?

MAKING CHRISTMAS – A 1980s Vintage Romance …

It’s been five years since William Barrett returned to Dickens to take over as CEO of Wil-Bar Toys. He’s spent these past years helping build Wil-Bar into a leader in creative, handmade toys. His work ethic and drive has left him little time for a personal life. Or, perhaps he’s still pining for the one who got away.

Catherine Gates moved away from Dickens six years earlier. Now a staff reporter for a woman’s magazine, she’s returning to Dickens to do a story on Wil-Bar Toys new production methods and get the scoop on their upcoming holiday line.

When Will and Cat meet up again for the first time in years, it’s as if they’ve never been apart. Rekindling their friendship, and attraction, becomes more important than Cat’s article, or even the secrecy of the new toy lines.

Can these two childhood friends make up for lost time and pursue the romance they missed out on years earlier? Or, will Cat’s story expose too much and put them at odds with one another?

Come check us out on tour:

June 14:
1: Lisa’s Reading
2: The Book Connection
3: Lynn’s Romance Enthusiasm
4: Sandra’s Book Club
5: Splashes of Joy
6: Christine Young

June 15:
1: Andi’s Book Reviews review
2: Candrel’s Crafts, Cooks, and Characters
3: Straight From the Library
4: The Pen and Muse Book Reviews
5: Natural Bri
6: The Faerie Review
7: Travel the Ages

June 16:
1: Welcome to My World of Dreams
2: Iron Canuck Reviews & More
3: So Many Books
4: underneath the covers
5: Westveil Publishing
6: The Salty Nomad
7: Sea’s Nod
8: underneath the covers

June 17
1: Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess
2: Aubrey Wynne: Timeless Love
3: Fabulous and Brunette review
4: Harlie’s Books review
5: It’s Raining Books
6: Our Town Book Reviews review

June 18:
1: Long and Short Reviews
2: Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin’
3: Girl with Pen
4: Hope. Dreams. Life… Love
5: Literary Gold review
6: The Avid Reader
7: The Key Of Love
8: All Things Romance

A big shout out to GODDESS FISH for arranging this tour.

Happy reading, peeps. And remember : the way to an author’s heart is to read their book and then leave a review!

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June 8, 2021 · 6:00 am

Women’s Fiction Day Author Giveaway tour!

Welcome to Women’s Fiction Day! It’s our day to celebrate the authors, the stories, the craft, and the community that make Women’s Fiction vibrant, essential, and, one of the best genres on the literary scene.

First established by WFWA (Women’s Fiction Writers Association) in 2019, this day celebrates the authors, readers, bookstores, and fans of the women’s fiction genre.

WFWA describes women’s fiction as “layered stories in which the plot is driven by the main character’s emotional journey. The driving force of women’s fiction is the protagonist’s journey toward a more fulfilled self.”

As a gift for stopping by the giveaway tour, I’m offering 2 kindle copies of my just-yesterday published Holiday Novella SANTA BABY to two readers/authors who comment below and tell me their favorite Women’s Fiction author!

Good luck!!!

SANTA BABY

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June 7, 2021 · 12:00 am

Christmas in July came a month early!!!

Santa Baby releases into the novella-reading world today via all digital markets.

This little story was a joy to write and it sets up the full length FIXING CHRISTMAS that comes out on 11.9.2021.

As part of the Dickens Holiday world, SANTA BABY is set 38 years in the past on a snowy Christmas Eve in the tiny town of Dickens – somewhere in New England. Amy Dorrit, owner of Dorrit’s Diner, discovers an abandoned baby -literally – on her doorstep before opening her eatery for the day. What happens next sets up the rest of Amy’s life – and the future Dorrit’s Diner books.

It’s Christmas Eve morning in the tiny New England town of Dickens.

Santa’s arrival is imminent, and a hint of snow is in the air.

Amy Dorrit is just about to open her popular diner for the breakfast rush when she discovers an abandoned baby on her back doorstep.

Amy knows she should call the authorities and turn the infant over to them, but she just can’t. Thoughts of her own abandonment as a baby flood through her and she wants to keep the little one out of the hands of the authorities until the mother – hopefully –returns.

But will the mom come back? And if she doesn’t, what is Amy prepared to do about the baby who has, already, claimed her heart?

Here’s a little peek inside the covers….

“What in the name of all that’s holy are you holding, Amy Dorrit?”

Willie Jackson stood at her office door, a lit cigarette dangling from a corner of his mouth, his leather jacket hanging open and his eyes as big and round as his county-famous blueberry pancakes.

“What does it look like?” Amy dug around in the carrier searching for a bottle, pacifier, something, to soothe the baby’s cries. “Lose the cigarette. It’s a baby and I’m pretty sure it’s hungry.”

He lifted those shocked eyes to Amy’s face. “Girl, you been keeping secrets from ol’ Willie?”

“Oh for Pete’s sake. Are you nuts, William Jefferson Jackson? It’s not my baby. I found it at the back door when I came downstairs.”

“Whose is it?”


“No idea.”

“What is it?”
Holding the small bundle like a football in one arm, she shoved the piece of paper she’d found at him. “Same answer. I haven’t looked yet. Here, read this. I found it tucked inside the blanket.” Once he had it, Amy placed her pinky finger over the baby’s lips. It immediately rooted, then latched on to suck.

 “I knew it. It’s starving.”

“ ‘I’m sorry,” he read aloud, ‘but I can’t take care of her—’ well, we know it’s a girl –‘I have no job and no way to hold on to one with a baby. Please forgive me for leaving her like this, but I saw how kind you were yesterday and I know you’ll take care of her like I can’t.’” Willie scratched his head. “Well, shit. We got us a real abandoned baby, here, Ames ol’ girl.”

“Don’t curse in front of her.” She shot him an annoyed glare, her left eyebrow inching up her forehead to her hairline.

“It ain’t like she can understand me. She’s a baby, fer Chri-” Her other eyebrow followed its twin. “Er, pity’s sake.”

“I need something to feed her with.” She glanced around her office. “Can you get me one of the cake decorating bottles? The ones with the plastic tip? I think that’ll work.”

“What’a’ya gonna feed her? Frosting? You ain’t got no mother’s milk and you can’t feed her coffee creamer.”

“Dam-I mean, drat. You’re right. I can give her a little water to hold her over until I can run out and get her some formula.”

“Shouldn’t you call the police? I mean, she’s been abandoned, ain’t she? You can’t just keep her.”

Fellow Sistah-Dickens author Nancy Fraser has a Dickens prequel releasing, too, on June 14th – Making Christmas, that’s available for preorder now.

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May 18, 2021 · 1:01 am

Pinterest, Santa Baby, and Movie Stars, oh my!

That’s some post title, isn’t it? Anyone else channeling Dorothy Gayle right about now? LOL

So, let me ‘esplain the title.

I love Pinterest. I truly think whoever came up with the idea had me in mind. I usually construct boards for every book I pen while I am plotting. I am such a visual person. I really should be working in film, but…maybe in my next life. Seeing how I want my characters to look, getting a feel for what the setting will look like, and any other little visual item that I can construct in my mind, helps me write better, faster, and with more accuracy.

For my upcoming June 7 release of SANTA BABY ( A Dickens Holiday Romance prequel – Dorrit’s Diner) I went old school in my characterizations. Here’s the page devoted to the book: Pinterest/Santa Baby board. As you can see, if you click onto the board, I chose two of my all time favorite actors to portray the main peeps, Amy Dorrit and Andy Charles. Katherine Hepburn is absolutely the embodiment of free spirit and independent Amy, while Cary Grant is the perfect Andy. Luckily, these two worked together many times during their careers, so I had no difficulty finding pictures of them together to pin.

You may notice a craggy Kris Kristopherson in there, too. He’s the perfect embodiment of cook, WIllie Jackson.

Small town New England is, IMHO, a perfect place to live, evidenced by the scenery pictures on the board. And every small town has a local diner, considered to the beating heart of gossip in the community. In SANTA BABY, that diner belongs to Amy and is called, obviously, DORRIT’S DINER ( I bet you guessed that from the title of the book, Hee Hee)

Pinterest is a gold mine for authors, it truly is. And I have to think it’s made me a better writer, too, because I can flesh out every aspect of the book and use descriptions to enable the reader to actually “see” the words on the page as I envision them.

Pretty cool.

So, SANTA BABY is up for preorder right now across all digital media, here: UNIVERSAL LINK.

If you’re on Booksprouts, you can also read and review a copy before publication here: BOOKSPROUT

If you read the novella ( it’s short, only 57 pages) I hope you enjoy it and you’ll want to come back and read the full length sequel, FIXING CHRISTMAS, on 11.9.2021. But don’t worry – SANTA BABY is a standalone book – no cliffhangers, no unanswered questions at the end, and a total HEA.

And remember I said maybe I should be working in film because I’m such a visual person? My good friend, Nancy Fraser, produced the book trailer ( kinda like a movie trailer) for SANTA BABY and I think it’s just perfect. Check it out:

Happy reading, peeps. Until next time ~ Peg

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