Peggy Jaeger's Blog - Posts Tagged "lyrical-press"
Introducing: Sara Walter Ellwood
I’ve met so many wonderful authors this past year and I’m so happy when I can introduce you to one. Today, I have Sara Walter Ellwood with me and she’s giving you a little sneak peak at her newest book HEARTLAND. It sounds fab! And check out her bio pic at the bottom here: she has amazing eyes!
Heartland_500x750
Blurb:
Sex, drugs, and country music. That was the lifestyle for Emily Kendall, a Texas girl who hit it big on the country music charts—until she found herself pregnant and battling addiction. Now out of rehab and seeking a new life for herself and her unborn child, Emily returns to her hometown of McAllister. The last thing she’s looking for is trouble, no matter how good it looks in uniform…
A widower, single father, and former Army Ranger struggling with PTSD, Sheriff EJ Cowley has his own demons to battle while keeping folks safe. The last thing he needs is a troubled celebrity speeding through town in her bright red Maserati. But when someone from Emily’s past threatens her safety and the peace of McAllister, EJ has no choice but to protect her. And soon both will learn there’s more to the other than meets the eye. And that wounded hearts can love again…
Excerpt:
Emily refolded the two pairs and headed out to the display of jeans. As she put the pants back into their slots, she glanced around to see if anyone was close enough to see her. Her heart pounded in time with the fast beat of the song playing over the sound system as she reached the cubbyholes marked maternity. With another discreet look around, she picked out three pairs in her size and headed back to the tiny dressing room.
The jeans fit perfectly, but how the hell was she going to buy them? She refolded the pants, tucked them under her arm, and went to the shoe section. While she looked for a pair of boots, she devised a plan. If she was lucky, maybe no one would notice she’d bought maternity jeans.
“I personally like Justin boots, but I work in mine.”
She sucked in a breath at the low timbre of EJ’s voice behind her. Was he everywhere in this town? Turning with a box of boots, she smiled. “It would seem that we have something in common then. I’ve always like them, too.”
He raised a brow and a side of his mouth quirked up when he noticed the boots she’d chosen. A basic pair used mostly for riding and work. “You taking up cowboying now?”
She set the clothes she’d chosen on the bench beside her and sat to try on the boots. As she slipped off her flip-flops, she dug a pair of socks out of her purse. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I need a pair of boots to ride in.” She looked up at him with a smug smile. “Now that you know why I’m here.” She looked over his uniform. Tan polyester blend shouldn’t fit a man that sinfully well. “You’re obviously working. I want to know why you’re following me.”
He rubbed a hand over his chin and averted his gaze. “I…eh… Saw you come into the store and wanted to ask if you’d join me for coffee.”
Was he asking her out on a date? Trying hard and failing to stop her heart from speeding up at the possibility, she pulled on her socks. “I don’t drink coffee.”
“Well, then I guess you’ll have to join me for lunch.”
As she tugged on one of the boots, she looked up at him. His pewter eyes held a challenge in them. She pulled on the other one and stood. Damn, they were too tight. Ignoring the pinching of the boots, she put her hands on her hips. “Tell you what. You can drink coffee and I’ll drink tea, how does that sound? I had breakfast not too long ago.”
He glanced at her feet, then knelt down in front of her.
“What are you doing?” She took a step back, but he caught her foot.
“You look like you’re trying to stuff your feet into a shoe three sizes too small.” He squeezed around her booted foot, then glanced up at her. “Boots are supposed to fit like a glove not a vise.”
Holy hell, he looked hot down there. She couldn’t get enough air in her lungs.
EJ stood and pulled the next size off the self. “Try these.”
He was close enough that every breath she took filled her senses with his clean outdoorsy scent. How could a man smell this good?
“Are you a boot salesman as well as the sheriff?” Did that husky voice belong to her?
“I know something about boots.” He grinned, showing off straight white teeth and full kissable lips.
Stepping back, she bumped into her pile of clothes on the bench, knocking them to the floor in front of him. Before she could bend to pick them up, he knelt and gathered up a pair of the jeans. When he shifted his surprised gaze to hers, she trembled as icy fear replaced the heat of attraction in her gut.
She knelt next to him and took a deep breath. In a low tone, she said, “Yes, I’m pregnant, but I’m not ready to let it be common knowledge.”
He refolded the jeans and set them on the bench. “Then your secret is safe with me. How were you planning to buy these? The clerk would see what they are.”
She set a folded pair on top of the one he’d placed on the bench and shifted to sit beside them. “I know. I was hoping I could distract her enough that she wouldn’t notice what she was ringing through.”
He leaned against the shelf of boots behind him. “Not a half-bad plan.”
Needing to do something besides stare at him, she lifted one of the boots out of the box he’d given her and pulled it on. A much better fit. She slipped into the other boot.
“You could let me buy them.”
If you’d like to see more excerpts check them out here: https://sarawalterellwood.wordpress.c...
Buy Links:
Kensington:// Amazon: // Barnes and Noble:// iTunes:// Google: // Kobo:
Bio:
Sara Walter Ellwood (8)
Although Sara Walter Ellwood has long ago left the farm for the glamour of the big town, she draws on her experiences growing up on a small hobby farm in West Central Pennsylvania to write her contemporary westerns. She’s been married to her college sweetheart for over 20 years, and they have two teenagers and one very spoiled rescue cat named Penny. She longs to visit the places she writes about and jokes she’s a cowgirl at heart stuck in Pennsylvania suburbia. Sara Walter Ellwood is a multi-published and international Amazon bestselling author of the anthology set Cowboy Up. She also dabbles in the paranormal genre with her The Hunter’s Dagger Series, which was previously published under the pen name Cera duBois.
Author Links:
Website// Blog:// Facebook:// Twitter:// Goodreads:
The other books in Singing to the Heart…
Heartstrings_250x375Heartsong_250x375Heartland_500x750
Heartstrings, Book 1 and Heartsong, Book 2 are also available in ebook and print
Heartstrings: Amazon:
Heartsong: Amazon:
For other vendor links and book information check out my website page: https://sarawalterellwood.wordpress.c...
go to http://peggyjaeger.com to see images
Heartland_500x750
Blurb:
Sex, drugs, and country music. That was the lifestyle for Emily Kendall, a Texas girl who hit it big on the country music charts—until she found herself pregnant and battling addiction. Now out of rehab and seeking a new life for herself and her unborn child, Emily returns to her hometown of McAllister. The last thing she’s looking for is trouble, no matter how good it looks in uniform…
A widower, single father, and former Army Ranger struggling with PTSD, Sheriff EJ Cowley has his own demons to battle while keeping folks safe. The last thing he needs is a troubled celebrity speeding through town in her bright red Maserati. But when someone from Emily’s past threatens her safety and the peace of McAllister, EJ has no choice but to protect her. And soon both will learn there’s more to the other than meets the eye. And that wounded hearts can love again…
Excerpt:
Emily refolded the two pairs and headed out to the display of jeans. As she put the pants back into their slots, she glanced around to see if anyone was close enough to see her. Her heart pounded in time with the fast beat of the song playing over the sound system as she reached the cubbyholes marked maternity. With another discreet look around, she picked out three pairs in her size and headed back to the tiny dressing room.
The jeans fit perfectly, but how the hell was she going to buy them? She refolded the pants, tucked them under her arm, and went to the shoe section. While she looked for a pair of boots, she devised a plan. If she was lucky, maybe no one would notice she’d bought maternity jeans.
“I personally like Justin boots, but I work in mine.”
She sucked in a breath at the low timbre of EJ’s voice behind her. Was he everywhere in this town? Turning with a box of boots, she smiled. “It would seem that we have something in common then. I’ve always like them, too.”
He raised a brow and a side of his mouth quirked up when he noticed the boots she’d chosen. A basic pair used mostly for riding and work. “You taking up cowboying now?”
She set the clothes she’d chosen on the bench beside her and sat to try on the boots. As she slipped off her flip-flops, she dug a pair of socks out of her purse. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I need a pair of boots to ride in.” She looked up at him with a smug smile. “Now that you know why I’m here.” She looked over his uniform. Tan polyester blend shouldn’t fit a man that sinfully well. “You’re obviously working. I want to know why you’re following me.”
He rubbed a hand over his chin and averted his gaze. “I…eh… Saw you come into the store and wanted to ask if you’d join me for coffee.”
Was he asking her out on a date? Trying hard and failing to stop her heart from speeding up at the possibility, she pulled on her socks. “I don’t drink coffee.”
“Well, then I guess you’ll have to join me for lunch.”
As she tugged on one of the boots, she looked up at him. His pewter eyes held a challenge in them. She pulled on the other one and stood. Damn, they were too tight. Ignoring the pinching of the boots, she put her hands on her hips. “Tell you what. You can drink coffee and I’ll drink tea, how does that sound? I had breakfast not too long ago.”
He glanced at her feet, then knelt down in front of her.
“What are you doing?” She took a step back, but he caught her foot.
“You look like you’re trying to stuff your feet into a shoe three sizes too small.” He squeezed around her booted foot, then glanced up at her. “Boots are supposed to fit like a glove not a vise.”
Holy hell, he looked hot down there. She couldn’t get enough air in her lungs.
EJ stood and pulled the next size off the self. “Try these.”
He was close enough that every breath she took filled her senses with his clean outdoorsy scent. How could a man smell this good?
“Are you a boot salesman as well as the sheriff?” Did that husky voice belong to her?
“I know something about boots.” He grinned, showing off straight white teeth and full kissable lips.
Stepping back, she bumped into her pile of clothes on the bench, knocking them to the floor in front of him. Before she could bend to pick them up, he knelt and gathered up a pair of the jeans. When he shifted his surprised gaze to hers, she trembled as icy fear replaced the heat of attraction in her gut.
She knelt next to him and took a deep breath. In a low tone, she said, “Yes, I’m pregnant, but I’m not ready to let it be common knowledge.”
He refolded the jeans and set them on the bench. “Then your secret is safe with me. How were you planning to buy these? The clerk would see what they are.”
She set a folded pair on top of the one he’d placed on the bench and shifted to sit beside them. “I know. I was hoping I could distract her enough that she wouldn’t notice what she was ringing through.”
He leaned against the shelf of boots behind him. “Not a half-bad plan.”
Needing to do something besides stare at him, she lifted one of the boots out of the box he’d given her and pulled it on. A much better fit. She slipped into the other boot.
“You could let me buy them.”
If you’d like to see more excerpts check them out here: https://sarawalterellwood.wordpress.c...
Buy Links:
Kensington:// Amazon: // Barnes and Noble:// iTunes:// Google: // Kobo:
Bio:
Sara Walter Ellwood (8)
Although Sara Walter Ellwood has long ago left the farm for the glamour of the big town, she draws on her experiences growing up on a small hobby farm in West Central Pennsylvania to write her contemporary westerns. She’s been married to her college sweetheart for over 20 years, and they have two teenagers and one very spoiled rescue cat named Penny. She longs to visit the places she writes about and jokes she’s a cowgirl at heart stuck in Pennsylvania suburbia. Sara Walter Ellwood is a multi-published and international Amazon bestselling author of the anthology set Cowboy Up. She also dabbles in the paranormal genre with her The Hunter’s Dagger Series, which was previously published under the pen name Cera duBois.
Author Links:
Website// Blog:// Facebook:// Twitter:// Goodreads:
The other books in Singing to the Heart…
Heartstrings_250x375Heartsong_250x375Heartland_500x750
Heartstrings, Book 1 and Heartsong, Book 2 are also available in ebook and print
Heartstrings: Amazon:
Heartsong: Amazon:
For other vendor links and book information check out my website page: https://sarawalterellwood.wordpress.c...
go to http://peggyjaeger.com to see images
#RWA16, Day 2 wrapup…kinda
I’m literally dropping in my heels. What a busy day, but what an exciting one, too!
First things first, I attended the RWA Leadership meeting. Very informative.
I volunteered at my very first workshop today as a moderator. I really wanted to get the experience – the whole RWA – and volunteering seemed like the best way. The one thing I forgot is that I hate the sound of my voice and I had to ANNOUNCE things over a microphone. Not fun. But… the speakers were Jill Shalvis (fangirl moment to the max!), SarahMorgan, and RaeAnn Thayne. They were sweet, funny and kind and made the whole experience great.
rwa4
Then it was on to the Kensington Publishers book signing, where I took the lovely pic of Jill ( above) and another gracious writer, Sylvia Day – whose line was out the door. Literally!
rwa5
This was my book haul just from Kensington:
rwa12
I’m so glad I brought a spare suitcase this year!
I stopped by the general meeting to hear what’s going on with the organization and then time for a quick freshening up and outfit change before the Kensington Authors Reception at the San Diego Wine and Culinary Center. Since I am a new author with this wonderful group I wanted to meet and greet a few of my fellow writers and get to know the publishers. The food was amazeballs and the owner, Steven Zacharius, is a funny, lovely, and supportive man. I am so glad I have found a new publishing family.
Off to bed with me now..oh, I did want to share one more thing. Yesterday was the first official RWA luncheon with speaker Beverly Johnson. I didn’t go because I don’t do well in crowds, so I wandered around the bay area for a while. This was my lunch:rwa11
I love that you can find a little taste of home wherever you go!!
While I’m in San Diego, here’s where you can reach me: Tweet Me// Read Me//Visit Me// Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me//
*** TO see images click on to http://peggyjaeger.com
First things first, I attended the RWA Leadership meeting. Very informative.
I volunteered at my very first workshop today as a moderator. I really wanted to get the experience – the whole RWA – and volunteering seemed like the best way. The one thing I forgot is that I hate the sound of my voice and I had to ANNOUNCE things over a microphone. Not fun. But… the speakers were Jill Shalvis (fangirl moment to the max!), SarahMorgan, and RaeAnn Thayne. They were sweet, funny and kind and made the whole experience great.
rwa4
Then it was on to the Kensington Publishers book signing, where I took the lovely pic of Jill ( above) and another gracious writer, Sylvia Day – whose line was out the door. Literally!
rwa5
This was my book haul just from Kensington:
rwa12
I’m so glad I brought a spare suitcase this year!
I stopped by the general meeting to hear what’s going on with the organization and then time for a quick freshening up and outfit change before the Kensington Authors Reception at the San Diego Wine and Culinary Center. Since I am a new author with this wonderful group I wanted to meet and greet a few of my fellow writers and get to know the publishers. The food was amazeballs and the owner, Steven Zacharius, is a funny, lovely, and supportive man. I am so glad I have found a new publishing family.
Off to bed with me now..oh, I did want to share one more thing. Yesterday was the first official RWA luncheon with speaker Beverly Johnson. I didn’t go because I don’t do well in crowds, so I wandered around the bay area for a while. This was my lunch:rwa11
I love that you can find a little taste of home wherever you go!!
While I’m in San Diego, here’s where you can reach me: Tweet Me// Read Me//Visit Me// Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me//
*** TO see images click on to http://peggyjaeger.com
Netgalley Request and Review
My new release COOKING WITH KANDY is up on Netgalley for Request, Read and Review.
Here's the link just in case you'd like to read it and leave a review:
https://s2.netgalley.com/catalog/book...
And thanks for any kind words...they are always appreciated.
Here's the link just in case you'd like to read it and leave a review:
https://s2.netgalley.com/catalog/book...
And thanks for any kind words...they are always appreciated.
Why I need to see my characters before I write them
this is one of those cases where you need to see the images and I just don't have the skills ( yet) to upload them here, so click on this link to really see them:
https://peggyjaeger.com/2017/03/29/wh...
I love a good vision board – especially for one of my own books. Since my writing tends to fall out of a visual tendency, I make vision -or story- boards for each of my books. Knowing what the characters actually look like while I am writing about them helps me “see” the story as it unfolds from their eyes and viewpoints. For instance, here’s the board I worked with for my October 2017 release, A SHOT AT LOVE:
You can see how I envisioned Gemma Laine and Ky Pappandreos, plus how I categorized aspects of their lives, such as photography info for Gemma and law enforcement stuff for Ky. I sent their pictures to Lyrical when I was asked how I “SAW” my hero and heroine looking. I think they did a great job with portraying my vision on the cover:
This is my working vision board for the third book in the series, tentatively titled CAN’T STAND THE HEAT”
This book has few more integral characters, but the H/H look like Grace Kelly ( Stacy Peters) and Pierce Brosnan ( Nikko Stamp)
I’m currently working on 2 more books in this series. and the first one, (working title: IT STARTED WITH HIS KISS) looks like this:
You can see I don’t have too much filled in yet, but I will….no worries.
More about vision boards and how they help writers in tomorrow’s edition of PEGGYJAEGER.COM
In the meantime, did you know that COOKING WITH KANDY, book 1 in the WILL COOK FOR LOVE SERIES releases next week on April 4?? Here’s a little sumthin’ to whet your romance-reading appetites.
Sugar and spice and everything sexy make the perfect recipe for romance in this brand-new series by Peggy Jaeger. Look for exclusive recipes in each book!
Kandy Laine built her wildly popular food empire the old-fashioned way—starting with the basic ingredients of her grandmother’s recipes and flavoring it all with her particular brand of sweet spice. From her cookbooks to her hit TV show, Kandy is a kitchen queen—and suddenly someone is determined to poison her cup. With odd accidents and threatening messages piling up, strong-willed Kandy can’t protest when her team hires someone to keep her safe—but she can’t deny that the man for the job looks delicious. . .
Josh Keane is a private investigator, not a bodyguard. But with one eyeful of Kandy’s ebony curls and dimpled smile, he’s signing on to uncover who’s cooking up trouble for the gorgeous chef. As the attraction between them starts to simmer, it’s not easy to keep his mind on the job, but when the strange distractions turn to true danger, he’ll stop at nothing to keep Kandy safe—and show her that a future together is on the menu. . .
Excerpt:
“Clock stops at five-thirty,” she told him, spying the way he glanced at the empty desks. “That’s a rule I never break. No matter how busy we are, or what our deadline is, I make sure everyone up here is out by then.”
“Why? I would think in this business long hours are the norm.”
“Everyone deserves free time, time with family, time to wind down. I won’t have people working for me when they’re exhausted, or thinking about the soccer game they’re missing for their kid. No one’s productive then. I like everyone to be rested, fresh and on the ball. I realized early on it was the way to bring out the creative, productive best in people.”
“But you don’t adhere to your own rules.”
She leveled a gaze at him. “That’s because I’m the boss. I thrive on deadlines and do some of my finest work when I’m exhausted.”
The slow grin that spread across his face made her stomach muscles giddy-up again.
“I bet you give great holiday bonuses,” he said, rocking back on his heels.
Because it was true, she smiled.
“My office is in here.”
She pushed through another set of doors and preceded him in.
While he took in the surroundings Kandy wondered if he saw the room the same way she did. She’d chosen this space simply because of the windows. A corner office, it had full-length, floor to ceiling matted glass surrounding the outer perimeter of the office on three sides. Her view was of downtown Manhattan, an unobstructed visage of Battery Park and the Statue of Liberty.
The interior design was her own and she’d gone for comfort and ease in the furnishings. Three couches circled one another in the center of the room, and in the middle sat an impressive glass table, currently covered with files, paper, magazines, and a few fabric swatches. A grandfather clock sat, unwound, on the far wall, the hour hand stuck at nine, the minute hand at twelve.
A large, cherry wood desk faced the windows, not the inner room, complete with two computers, a laptop, and two printers on a pull-out stand next to the desk.
“Interesting.” Josh gazed around the room. “I assume the reason your desk faces this way is for the great view?”
She lifted her shoulders to her ears and then brought them down again. “Why waste it by having my back to it?”
“Good thought. What’s up with the clock?”
She glanced over at it. “That’s the exact time my first book went on sale.”
“So, what? Time stopped for you then?”
“No. The way I see it my life started precisely at that moment.”
His eyebrows rose. “Says a lot about what you expect and want out of life.”
“Don’t read too much into it,” she said, unaccustomed embarrassment washing through her. Without even knowing her he’d hit her personality right on the head. “The clock also has sentimental value. It was Grandma’s.”
Kandy moved to the couches. “Come on, have a seat. Let’s talk specifics.”
Josh sat opposite her, leaned back into the couch, crossing one long leg over the other.
“I’m going to say this once because I feel we should get it out of the way,” she started. “I don’t think I need a body guard, and I don’t think anything that’s happened recently can’t be explained away. I find this whole situation of having someone follow every move I make unnerving. I’m not used to it. Not used to working this way. I don’t want to have to stop every five minutes to explain where I’m going, who I’m going to be meeting with. I just go. I have too much to do in a day to worry about someone keeping up with me.”
When he nodded, she continued. “I’m willing to go along with the entire scheme until you prove there’s really no reason for it, which I think you’ll discover pretty quickly. But I won’t be hampered in going about my day in any way. Understand?”
Buy Links: Amazon //Nook // Kensington/Lyrical // Kobo // Apple // Google
available in e-copy and Print on Demand ( POD) fro Amazon and Kensington.
https://peggyjaeger.com/2017/03/29/wh...
I love a good vision board – especially for one of my own books. Since my writing tends to fall out of a visual tendency, I make vision -or story- boards for each of my books. Knowing what the characters actually look like while I am writing about them helps me “see” the story as it unfolds from their eyes and viewpoints. For instance, here’s the board I worked with for my October 2017 release, A SHOT AT LOVE:
You can see how I envisioned Gemma Laine and Ky Pappandreos, plus how I categorized aspects of their lives, such as photography info for Gemma and law enforcement stuff for Ky. I sent their pictures to Lyrical when I was asked how I “SAW” my hero and heroine looking. I think they did a great job with portraying my vision on the cover:
This is my working vision board for the third book in the series, tentatively titled CAN’T STAND THE HEAT”
This book has few more integral characters, but the H/H look like Grace Kelly ( Stacy Peters) and Pierce Brosnan ( Nikko Stamp)
I’m currently working on 2 more books in this series. and the first one, (working title: IT STARTED WITH HIS KISS) looks like this:
You can see I don’t have too much filled in yet, but I will….no worries.
More about vision boards and how they help writers in tomorrow’s edition of PEGGYJAEGER.COM
In the meantime, did you know that COOKING WITH KANDY, book 1 in the WILL COOK FOR LOVE SERIES releases next week on April 4?? Here’s a little sumthin’ to whet your romance-reading appetites.
Sugar and spice and everything sexy make the perfect recipe for romance in this brand-new series by Peggy Jaeger. Look for exclusive recipes in each book!
Kandy Laine built her wildly popular food empire the old-fashioned way—starting with the basic ingredients of her grandmother’s recipes and flavoring it all with her particular brand of sweet spice. From her cookbooks to her hit TV show, Kandy is a kitchen queen—and suddenly someone is determined to poison her cup. With odd accidents and threatening messages piling up, strong-willed Kandy can’t protest when her team hires someone to keep her safe—but she can’t deny that the man for the job looks delicious. . .
Josh Keane is a private investigator, not a bodyguard. But with one eyeful of Kandy’s ebony curls and dimpled smile, he’s signing on to uncover who’s cooking up trouble for the gorgeous chef. As the attraction between them starts to simmer, it’s not easy to keep his mind on the job, but when the strange distractions turn to true danger, he’ll stop at nothing to keep Kandy safe—and show her that a future together is on the menu. . .
Excerpt:
“Clock stops at five-thirty,” she told him, spying the way he glanced at the empty desks. “That’s a rule I never break. No matter how busy we are, or what our deadline is, I make sure everyone up here is out by then.”
“Why? I would think in this business long hours are the norm.”
“Everyone deserves free time, time with family, time to wind down. I won’t have people working for me when they’re exhausted, or thinking about the soccer game they’re missing for their kid. No one’s productive then. I like everyone to be rested, fresh and on the ball. I realized early on it was the way to bring out the creative, productive best in people.”
“But you don’t adhere to your own rules.”
She leveled a gaze at him. “That’s because I’m the boss. I thrive on deadlines and do some of my finest work when I’m exhausted.”
The slow grin that spread across his face made her stomach muscles giddy-up again.
“I bet you give great holiday bonuses,” he said, rocking back on his heels.
Because it was true, she smiled.
“My office is in here.”
She pushed through another set of doors and preceded him in.
While he took in the surroundings Kandy wondered if he saw the room the same way she did. She’d chosen this space simply because of the windows. A corner office, it had full-length, floor to ceiling matted glass surrounding the outer perimeter of the office on three sides. Her view was of downtown Manhattan, an unobstructed visage of Battery Park and the Statue of Liberty.
The interior design was her own and she’d gone for comfort and ease in the furnishings. Three couches circled one another in the center of the room, and in the middle sat an impressive glass table, currently covered with files, paper, magazines, and a few fabric swatches. A grandfather clock sat, unwound, on the far wall, the hour hand stuck at nine, the minute hand at twelve.
A large, cherry wood desk faced the windows, not the inner room, complete with two computers, a laptop, and two printers on a pull-out stand next to the desk.
“Interesting.” Josh gazed around the room. “I assume the reason your desk faces this way is for the great view?”
She lifted her shoulders to her ears and then brought them down again. “Why waste it by having my back to it?”
“Good thought. What’s up with the clock?”
She glanced over at it. “That’s the exact time my first book went on sale.”
“So, what? Time stopped for you then?”
“No. The way I see it my life started precisely at that moment.”
His eyebrows rose. “Says a lot about what you expect and want out of life.”
“Don’t read too much into it,” she said, unaccustomed embarrassment washing through her. Without even knowing her he’d hit her personality right on the head. “The clock also has sentimental value. It was Grandma’s.”
Kandy moved to the couches. “Come on, have a seat. Let’s talk specifics.”
Josh sat opposite her, leaned back into the couch, crossing one long leg over the other.
“I’m going to say this once because I feel we should get it out of the way,” she started. “I don’t think I need a body guard, and I don’t think anything that’s happened recently can’t be explained away. I find this whole situation of having someone follow every move I make unnerving. I’m not used to it. Not used to working this way. I don’t want to have to stop every five minutes to explain where I’m going, who I’m going to be meeting with. I just go. I have too much to do in a day to worry about someone keeping up with me.”
When he nodded, she continued. “I’m willing to go along with the entire scheme until you prove there’s really no reason for it, which I think you’ll discover pretty quickly. But I won’t be hampered in going about my day in any way. Understand?”
Buy Links: Amazon //Nook // Kensington/Lyrical // Kobo // Apple // Google
available in e-copy and Print on Demand ( POD) fro Amazon and Kensington.
I’m so Excited! #newrelease, #coming soon to @KensingtonBooks
to see the images, click the link:
https://peggyjaeger.com/2017/04/01/im...
I’m so excited. In just a few more days ( April 4th) COOKING WITH KANDY releases.
This is the first of my new Kensington/Lyrical book series WILL COOK FOR LOVE about the lives, loves, and recipes of the Laine Family. Kandy Laine is the first, with her sister Gemma coming later in A SHOT AT LOVE and then cousin Stacy makes an appearance in 2018 in CAN’T STAND THE HEAT? I’ve got two more books lined up after that, as well. More on them in the future.
But back to being SO EXCITED!! And yes, I feel like an honorary Pointer Sister. And if you don’t get that reference it means you were born after the 1980’s!
This will be my first book for Kensington/Lyrical and I am over the moon. I join a very well established stable of writers of all genres in the country’s oldest family owned book empire – and I don’t use that term loosely!
I am truly blessed at this point in my career to be writing for such a well-respected house.
Yippie!
So, if you see me in the next few days and I look a little dazed and unfocused, you’ll know why: the excitement is getting to me and I am just silly with it.
I’ll be hanging out at all my Social media sites, esp. on 4.4.17, so if you want to find me, look here:Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triberr
https://peggyjaeger.com/2017/04/01/im...
I’m so excited. In just a few more days ( April 4th) COOKING WITH KANDY releases.
This is the first of my new Kensington/Lyrical book series WILL COOK FOR LOVE about the lives, loves, and recipes of the Laine Family. Kandy Laine is the first, with her sister Gemma coming later in A SHOT AT LOVE and then cousin Stacy makes an appearance in 2018 in CAN’T STAND THE HEAT? I’ve got two more books lined up after that, as well. More on them in the future.
But back to being SO EXCITED!! And yes, I feel like an honorary Pointer Sister. And if you don’t get that reference it means you were born after the 1980’s!
This will be my first book for Kensington/Lyrical and I am over the moon. I join a very well established stable of writers of all genres in the country’s oldest family owned book empire – and I don’t use that term loosely!
I am truly blessed at this point in my career to be writing for such a well-respected house.
Yippie!
So, if you see me in the next few days and I look a little dazed and unfocused, you’ll know why: the excitement is getting to me and I am just silly with it.
I’ll be hanging out at all my Social media sites, esp. on 4.4.17, so if you want to find me, look here:Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triberr
RT 2017 Bound
As I sit in the airport and wait – patiently, which is not my strong point! – for my plane to whisk me away to Atlanta, GA and my very first RT Convention, I am struck by several thoughts.
It took forever to get to the airport from my house!!! I don’t remember it taking so long before, but it was probably because the main road I have to travel on is one lane and it was “rush hour” traffic this morning. Which, in all honesty, is a ridiculous moniker for New Hampshire, but…. By the time I got to the airport, during a ride my GPS told me would take 75 minutes, it actually took over 2 hours and I had to pee sosososososososo bad!!! Plus I had to walk from long term parking because the bus had just left when I arrived and the schedule said it wouldn’t be back for 20 minutes. WE all know how much I hate to wait, so…
It is so much HARDER to travel via plane now than it used to be in the pre-911 world. I know we are almost 16 years past that horrible time, but I’m one of the lucky ones who can remember when you didn’t have to get undressed to get thru security, when you could carry a filled water bottle through the viewing machine and not have to spend $5.00 to get a new one on the other side of the security line. I remember what it was like before the lines to go through the security check took about 5 minutes instead of 50. I also remember what it was like before I needed to have an invasive xray prior to getting through the line. And since I’m ranting, I remember what it was like to not have to throw away $60.00 face cream at the beginning of the line because I forgot to pack it in my stowed luggage and it was now over the ounces limit to bring on board the plane. Seriously, was anyone every subdued in the air by Estee Lauder Renewal cream???
I remember what it was like to be able to stretch my legs out in the plane and not feel as if I wasn’t going to be able to stand due to lower leg blood loss when I finally stood at my destination. Or get a blood clot from immobility.
I remember when we got food- edible food – on flights. Now I consider myself lucky if I get a pack of five peanuts.
I remember what it was like for me to go to my very first romance writing conference, RWA in San Antonio, 2014. I was sososososo excited, even with all the above bulls**t at the airport. I was going to a conference of my tribe, my peeps. Women ( and a few men) who loved reading and writing the same kinds of books as me. I can’t tell you how accepted I felt. Probably for the first time in my life.
Now, as I embark on my very first RT, I’m remembering how excited I was at the 2014 time and I can truly say I feel the same way now as I did then! New experience, new writers to meet, new fans to develop, new bloggers to – hopefully – make a favorable impression on.
So, despite all the complaining in numbers 1-4, I am really happy I’m going on this trip. It’s a long ass haul from where I live to Atlanta, and I’m doing it solo, no hubby-wingman with me, no members of my RWA chapter to sit on the plane and commiserate with. Just me and my laptopn\…my ipad….my cell phone… and the dozens of books I uploaded to my kindle.
Follow me as I blog and tweet about my RT experience here: Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triberr
It took forever to get to the airport from my house!!! I don’t remember it taking so long before, but it was probably because the main road I have to travel on is one lane and it was “rush hour” traffic this morning. Which, in all honesty, is a ridiculous moniker for New Hampshire, but…. By the time I got to the airport, during a ride my GPS told me would take 75 minutes, it actually took over 2 hours and I had to pee sosososososososo bad!!! Plus I had to walk from long term parking because the bus had just left when I arrived and the schedule said it wouldn’t be back for 20 minutes. WE all know how much I hate to wait, so…
It is so much HARDER to travel via plane now than it used to be in the pre-911 world. I know we are almost 16 years past that horrible time, but I’m one of the lucky ones who can remember when you didn’t have to get undressed to get thru security, when you could carry a filled water bottle through the viewing machine and not have to spend $5.00 to get a new one on the other side of the security line. I remember what it was like before the lines to go through the security check took about 5 minutes instead of 50. I also remember what it was like before I needed to have an invasive xray prior to getting through the line. And since I’m ranting, I remember what it was like to not have to throw away $60.00 face cream at the beginning of the line because I forgot to pack it in my stowed luggage and it was now over the ounces limit to bring on board the plane. Seriously, was anyone every subdued in the air by Estee Lauder Renewal cream???
I remember what it was like to be able to stretch my legs out in the plane and not feel as if I wasn’t going to be able to stand due to lower leg blood loss when I finally stood at my destination. Or get a blood clot from immobility.
I remember when we got food- edible food – on flights. Now I consider myself lucky if I get a pack of five peanuts.
I remember what it was like for me to go to my very first romance writing conference, RWA in San Antonio, 2014. I was sososososo excited, even with all the above bulls**t at the airport. I was going to a conference of my tribe, my peeps. Women ( and a few men) who loved reading and writing the same kinds of books as me. I can’t tell you how accepted I felt. Probably for the first time in my life.
Now, as I embark on my very first RT, I’m remembering how excited I was at the 2014 time and I can truly say I feel the same way now as I did then! New experience, new writers to meet, new fans to develop, new bloggers to – hopefully – make a favorable impression on.
So, despite all the complaining in numbers 1-4, I am really happy I’m going on this trip. It’s a long ass haul from where I live to Atlanta, and I’m doing it solo, no hubby-wingman with me, no members of my RWA chapter to sit on the plane and commiserate with. Just me and my laptopn\…my ipad….my cell phone… and the dozens of books I uploaded to my kindle.
Follow me as I blog and tweet about my RT experience here: Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triberr
Coming soon....
Cooking with Kandy, the first in my Will Cook For Love Series, released on 4.4.17. I’ve got the next two to tell you about and I’m wicked excited.
Book 2, A SHOT AT LOVE releases on 10.3 17. Here’s a little sumthin’ sumthin’ about it:
Nothing’s impossible when love is on the menu. In Peggy Jaeger’s luscious series, the only thing more tempting than a delicious meal is a truly delectable romance . . .
Look for exclusive recipes in each book!
Photographer Gemma Laine is looking for arresting faces on the streets of Manhattan when her camera captures something shocking—a triple murder. In that moment, she becomes a target for the mob—and a top priority for a very determined, breathtakingly handsome, FBI special agent. With deadlines to meet and photo shoots on her calendar, Gemma chafes at the idea of protection, but every moment she spends under his watchful eye is a temptation to lose herself in his muscular arms . . .
With two of his men and one crucial witness dead, Special Agent Kyros Pappandreos can’t afford to be distracted. But Gemma is dazzling—and her connection to Kandy Laine’s high-profile cooking empire makes her an especially easy mark for some very bad people. Keeping her safe is much more pleasure than business, but as the heat between them starts to sizzle, Ky is set to investigate whether they have a shot at love . . .
Excerpt:
His St. Michael medallion dangled between the cavern of his pecs, swaying as he moved closer to her, so close she cold smell the clean, fresh scent of the soap he’d used in the shower. So close, she could see his eyes darken as he looked at her, those gorgeous seafoam orbs roaming over her face and turning stormy. So close, she did what she’d been dreaming of doing since she first saw him without a shirt, drenched in sweat and looking like a warrior: she leaned in and trailed her tongue along the angle of his jaw. He didn’t move, but did hiss in a breath, his abdominal muscles contracting inward.
A fine line of spikey stubble tickled her tongue and made her want to explore more.
Ky choked. “Did you just…lick me?”
When she pulled back there was surprised mirth crinkling in the corners of his widened eyes, his lips twisting up at the corners.
“Yeah.” She sighed. “I’ve been wanting to do that for days.”
Ky’s mouth straightened. “You’ve been wanting to…lick me…for days?”
She nodded, feeling her cheeks burn like wildfire. Oh well, here goes nothing…
She kept her gaze steady, and said, “Well, yeah. Ever since that morning in the basement when we worked out together.”
Something in his eyes loosened; eased.
“You were all sweaty and…hot.”
And then they darkened again, but this time not in anger. No. This time the heat in his eyes wasn’t to be laid at fury’s door, but at something deeper, more primal. Sensual.
“And to be honest,” she added, “I want to do more than just lick you. But, yeah. Days.”
Buy link: COOKING WITH KANDY
PreOrder link: A SHOT A LOVE
I’ll be blogging about book 3, CAN’T STAND THE HEAT? next time!!!
When I’m taking a break from writing about romance, you can usually find me hanging out here: Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triberr
Book 2, A SHOT AT LOVE releases on 10.3 17. Here’s a little sumthin’ sumthin’ about it:
Nothing’s impossible when love is on the menu. In Peggy Jaeger’s luscious series, the only thing more tempting than a delicious meal is a truly delectable romance . . .
Look for exclusive recipes in each book!
Photographer Gemma Laine is looking for arresting faces on the streets of Manhattan when her camera captures something shocking—a triple murder. In that moment, she becomes a target for the mob—and a top priority for a very determined, breathtakingly handsome, FBI special agent. With deadlines to meet and photo shoots on her calendar, Gemma chafes at the idea of protection, but every moment she spends under his watchful eye is a temptation to lose herself in his muscular arms . . .
With two of his men and one crucial witness dead, Special Agent Kyros Pappandreos can’t afford to be distracted. But Gemma is dazzling—and her connection to Kandy Laine’s high-profile cooking empire makes her an especially easy mark for some very bad people. Keeping her safe is much more pleasure than business, but as the heat between them starts to sizzle, Ky is set to investigate whether they have a shot at love . . .
Excerpt:
His St. Michael medallion dangled between the cavern of his pecs, swaying as he moved closer to her, so close she cold smell the clean, fresh scent of the soap he’d used in the shower. So close, she could see his eyes darken as he looked at her, those gorgeous seafoam orbs roaming over her face and turning stormy. So close, she did what she’d been dreaming of doing since she first saw him without a shirt, drenched in sweat and looking like a warrior: she leaned in and trailed her tongue along the angle of his jaw. He didn’t move, but did hiss in a breath, his abdominal muscles contracting inward.
A fine line of spikey stubble tickled her tongue and made her want to explore more.
Ky choked. “Did you just…lick me?”
When she pulled back there was surprised mirth crinkling in the corners of his widened eyes, his lips twisting up at the corners.
“Yeah.” She sighed. “I’ve been wanting to do that for days.”
Ky’s mouth straightened. “You’ve been wanting to…lick me…for days?”
She nodded, feeling her cheeks burn like wildfire. Oh well, here goes nothing…
She kept her gaze steady, and said, “Well, yeah. Ever since that morning in the basement when we worked out together.”
Something in his eyes loosened; eased.
“You were all sweaty and…hot.”
And then they darkened again, but this time not in anger. No. This time the heat in his eyes wasn’t to be laid at fury’s door, but at something deeper, more primal. Sensual.
“And to be honest,” she added, “I want to do more than just lick you. But, yeah. Days.”
Buy link: COOKING WITH KANDY
PreOrder link: A SHOT A LOVE
I’ll be blogging about book 3, CAN’T STAND THE HEAT? next time!!!
When I’m taking a break from writing about romance, you can usually find me hanging out here: Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triberr
2027...
Because I have a scientific background, I’m a planner. That’s why I classify myself as a plotter for writing. But I digress….
I plan. For everything, Disasters, worst case scenarios, major illnesses, disease, pestilence, and plague. I have enough non-perishable food to last through the next zombie apocalypse, and if we get hit with a nucelar warhead, we’ll have clean water to drink..and douse ourselves in (!) So it’s no secret I’ve got a plan for the next ten years of my career.
Originally, when I started writing full time in 2015, I had a 5 year plan. I exceeded all the goals on that plan by 2017, so I broadened and increased it to 10 more years at the beginning of 2017.
Here are a few things on that new career plan:
Get an agent
Have at least 1 NYTimes and USA Bestseller, if not more.
Have a movie made out of one of my books – a good movie, at that, None of this wrecking the story by putting it on film crap!
Have at least 2 books per year, if not 3, published every year
Make enough money to hire a personal assistant who will do all my web media. ( since you all know how much I hatehatehate self marketing!)
Win a RITA ( or 2)
There are more things, but I didn’t feel I needed to share everything.
So…check back in 2027. Until then, I’ll be working on my plan.
Check out the other authors in this blog challenge and see where they see themselves in 10 years. This should be fun!’
1.
A Glimpse Into The Future
2.
My Predictions for 2027 – Robin Michaela
3.
Ten Years Down the Road
4.
“Magic 8 Ball, Please Tell Me. . . . . “
5.
Making a Ten Year Plan
6.
Ten Years And I’m Living The Dream
7.
In Ten Years
8.
Who the Heck Knows?
9.
Looking Forward, But Not All That Eagerly
10.
Life Happens – Linda McLaughlin
11.
Predicting the Future – Valerie Ullmer
12.
2027. . .
13.
10 years–A Lifetime
I plan. For everything, Disasters, worst case scenarios, major illnesses, disease, pestilence, and plague. I have enough non-perishable food to last through the next zombie apocalypse, and if we get hit with a nucelar warhead, we’ll have clean water to drink..and douse ourselves in (!) So it’s no secret I’ve got a plan for the next ten years of my career.
Originally, when I started writing full time in 2015, I had a 5 year plan. I exceeded all the goals on that plan by 2017, so I broadened and increased it to 10 more years at the beginning of 2017.
Here are a few things on that new career plan:
Get an agent
Have at least 1 NYTimes and USA Bestseller, if not more.
Have a movie made out of one of my books – a good movie, at that, None of this wrecking the story by putting it on film crap!
Have at least 2 books per year, if not 3, published every year
Make enough money to hire a personal assistant who will do all my web media. ( since you all know how much I hatehatehate self marketing!)
Win a RITA ( or 2)
There are more things, but I didn’t feel I needed to share everything.
So…check back in 2027. Until then, I’ll be working on my plan.
Check out the other authors in this blog challenge and see where they see themselves in 10 years. This should be fun!’
1.
A Glimpse Into The Future
2.
My Predictions for 2027 – Robin Michaela
3.
Ten Years Down the Road
4.
“Magic 8 Ball, Please Tell Me. . . . . “
5.
Making a Ten Year Plan
6.
Ten Years And I’m Living The Dream
7.
In Ten Years
8.
Who the Heck Knows?
9.
Looking Forward, But Not All That Eagerly
10.
Life Happens – Linda McLaughlin
11.
Predicting the Future – Valerie Ullmer
12.
2027. . .
13.
10 years–A Lifetime
https://peggyjaeger.com/2017/08/18/di...
you'll need to click on this link to see the great craft pictures:
https://peggyjaeger.com/2017/08/18/di...
and that I bake? A lot? More about those things in a bit….
Today’s topic is what I do to recharge. By definition, recharge means: to regain one’s strength and energy by resting and relaxing for a time; or return to a normal state of mind or strength after a period of physical or mental exertion.
By virtue of those definitions, something must be done for a person to need to break away from to rest and regain their momentum.
yeah…not me. I’ve said this multiple, ad nauseum times: Writing is my oxygen. Without doing it, like without breathing, I would die. So I really have never come to a place in my life where I felt the need or desire to walk away from it for a while to reenergize my brain.
What I do, in essence, though, is take breaks during the day for the other things that I love to do: cooking is one. Making things is another. Let me ‘splain.
I love to bake. Thankfully, my husband likes to eat the things I bake. Most days, items like this sit under domed glass on my kitchen counter, waiting for him to snack on:
Those are my banana walnut muffins. The picture doesn’t do them justice about how big they are. Trust me: for the normal person they would not be a snack but a meal. For hubby though, who likes to graze, they are a snack. When I get stuck on dialogue or a plot point isn’t moving along the way I want it to, I go from my office to the kitchen and bake for an hour or so. Usually, that time away from the laptop, consciously writing, commands my unconscious brain to deal with the problem. Problem gets solved and I’ve got baked goods as the outcome.
Win-Win!
The other things I do are along the crafty spectrum. I love to decoupage and restore old “things.” The things I love to restore the most are old trunks and steamer trunks. Here’s a project I did last year:
If you look super close you will see the cover of my first book SKATER’s WALTZ on there! Yeah, I”m not too conceited! ( sarcasm added). I also have my second and third book covers There’s No Place like Home, First Impressions )on the other side of the trunk! Yeah… I know.
I also paint. I’m not great at it, but it is very relaxing. One of the newest things I’ve been painting are those canvass produce bags you are now required to bring to most supermarkets to cut down on the throwaway plastic bags filling our landfills for the next 10,000 years. Since I’ve been writing a new food series — WILL COOK FOR LOVE — it seemed appropriate to give these away at book signings to people who want the books. Clever marketing tool meets relaxing hobby.
Win-Win, again!
Now, I realize that my way of de-stressing isn’t exactly what other authors do. Let’s be honest, what I do sounds more like work to some people!!! Visit some of these authors to find out what they do to re-charge, energize, and how they cope with the stressors of life when they aren’t writing.
1.
Recharge? What is That? – Robin Michaela
2.
Rejuvenating My Weary Soul
3.
Taking Time to Recharge
4.
Struggling to Decompress with the Overwhelm
5.
Batteries On Low
6.
Karaoke, Anyone?
7.
Not the Energizer Bunny
8.
Jumper Cables for the Mind
9.
Conquering Burnout: Napping is Nice
10.
Relaxing. . . or Trying To – Valerie Ullmer
11.
You Can’t Pour From an Empty Jar
12.
Batteries Dead-Recharge Needed Henderson
13.
Did you know I’m crafty. . . . #MFRWAuthors
https://peggyjaeger.com/2017/08/18/di...
and that I bake? A lot? More about those things in a bit….
Today’s topic is what I do to recharge. By definition, recharge means: to regain one’s strength and energy by resting and relaxing for a time; or return to a normal state of mind or strength after a period of physical or mental exertion.
By virtue of those definitions, something must be done for a person to need to break away from to rest and regain their momentum.
yeah…not me. I’ve said this multiple, ad nauseum times: Writing is my oxygen. Without doing it, like without breathing, I would die. So I really have never come to a place in my life where I felt the need or desire to walk away from it for a while to reenergize my brain.
What I do, in essence, though, is take breaks during the day for the other things that I love to do: cooking is one. Making things is another. Let me ‘splain.
I love to bake. Thankfully, my husband likes to eat the things I bake. Most days, items like this sit under domed glass on my kitchen counter, waiting for him to snack on:
Those are my banana walnut muffins. The picture doesn’t do them justice about how big they are. Trust me: for the normal person they would not be a snack but a meal. For hubby though, who likes to graze, they are a snack. When I get stuck on dialogue or a plot point isn’t moving along the way I want it to, I go from my office to the kitchen and bake for an hour or so. Usually, that time away from the laptop, consciously writing, commands my unconscious brain to deal with the problem. Problem gets solved and I’ve got baked goods as the outcome.
Win-Win!
The other things I do are along the crafty spectrum. I love to decoupage and restore old “things.” The things I love to restore the most are old trunks and steamer trunks. Here’s a project I did last year:
If you look super close you will see the cover of my first book SKATER’s WALTZ on there! Yeah, I”m not too conceited! ( sarcasm added). I also have my second and third book covers There’s No Place like Home, First Impressions )on the other side of the trunk! Yeah… I know.
I also paint. I’m not great at it, but it is very relaxing. One of the newest things I’ve been painting are those canvass produce bags you are now required to bring to most supermarkets to cut down on the throwaway plastic bags filling our landfills for the next 10,000 years. Since I’ve been writing a new food series — WILL COOK FOR LOVE — it seemed appropriate to give these away at book signings to people who want the books. Clever marketing tool meets relaxing hobby.
Win-Win, again!
Now, I realize that my way of de-stressing isn’t exactly what other authors do. Let’s be honest, what I do sounds more like work to some people!!! Visit some of these authors to find out what they do to re-charge, energize, and how they cope with the stressors of life when they aren’t writing.
1.
Recharge? What is That? – Robin Michaela
2.
Rejuvenating My Weary Soul
3.
Taking Time to Recharge
4.
Struggling to Decompress with the Overwhelm
5.
Batteries On Low
6.
Karaoke, Anyone?
7.
Not the Energizer Bunny
8.
Jumper Cables for the Mind
9.
Conquering Burnout: Napping is Nice
10.
Relaxing. . . or Trying To – Valerie Ullmer
11.
You Can’t Pour From an Empty Jar
12.
Batteries Dead-Recharge Needed Henderson
13.
Did you know I’m crafty. . . . #MFRWAuthors
