Peggy Jaeger's Blog, page 237

#FacebookParty tonight!

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Please join me and a few of my friends as we celebrate my uber-talented and wonderful writer and friend, Kari Lemor, tonight at her Book Birthday Party. One year ago Kari’s book WILD CARD UNDERCOVER released into the romantic suspense reading world and Kari’s never looked back, so we’re gonna celebrate her and her book birthday with a whole bunch of fun, prizes, games and giveaways tonight from 6pm-9pm EST.  Here’s the link to attend: Party

Hope to see you all there! Put on your party hat and dancing shoes!

#ARCS for the asking!

Hey kids! My Publisher has given me ecopy arcs of my upcoming release CAN’T STAND THE HEAT that I’m allowed to give out to readers/bloggers/reviewers if they’ll read the book and post a review of it to Amazon and/or Goodreads. If you’d like to receive a free ecopy  ARC so you can read and review it,  you need to let me know, so I can tell you how to upload the copy to the ereader of your choice ( or even your phone). Just comment below if you want to do this!

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It’s #Menopause Tuesday….

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Another Tuesday, another posting about Menopause. This one’s a …trip. Stop by. See why. Here’s the link: menopause

 

Is it Narcissism, or something else? Why I blog…

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I had a random acquaintance ask me the other why I bother to blog. The way she phrased it was “does anybody really want to read about your daily life? I mean, all you do is write, right? That’s kinda boring.”

Those of you who know me probably think you know how swift, cutting, and murderous my reply to her was. You would be wrong. I actually stayed silent and just stared at her. She was probably thinking, “well she can’t even come up with a creative reply, so she mustn’t be that good a writer.” In reality, I was thinking something else.

And it wasn’t 75 ways to verbally vivisect her.

Her question got me thinking: “was she right? Would anyone who doesn’t know me, and even those who do, want to read a blog about my life as a writer? Why would they?” And the fact that I think people would, well, does that make me a little narcissistic in some way?

Heady stuff.

I had to take a step back and consider the reasons why I started writing a blog to see if I could truthfully answer that question.

The moment I signed my first book contract, the marketing instructions I was sent stated that I needed to begin an online presence so I’d have a platform to inform the public ( the people I didn’t know personally) about my soon to be released book. I joined Twitter, developed a Facebook author page, and then this blog. In the beginning, it really was just a venue to promote my book. It quickly turned into something more, though. I started writing about my life as a writer, my struggles, creative ideas to break through writer’s block that I’d learned from other industry professionals. It became a place to recap conferences for writers who couldn’t attend them, a place to promote good books I’d read, and new authors I’d found whose work I wanted to share.

And through all of this, I kept getting more readers and subscribers, to the blog- the majority of whom I’ve never met!

There’s a way on WordPress you can get your daily analytics to garner info on how many people are reading your blog, clicking it through it and when ( like, what time of the day). Every day when I check those analytics I see a lot of data and it’s all good, so that means people really do want to read what I have to say, receive what I want to share, get to know the authors I’m introducing. And that makes me feel good. Really good.

So, to the fringe acquaintance, if you’re reading this ( and who am I kidding because you’re probably not!) take that!

Oh, and those 75 ways to verbally vivisect you? Yeah, I came up with 143. In less than 10 minutes…just saying. So the next time we meet…[image error]

When I’m not being narcissistic, I mean, WRITING, you can find me here: Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triber// Book Me

I'm a Calendar Girl!

My interview on http://affairedecoeur.com/AuthorInter...

When did you start writing?

I’ve always been a journal-er, what most people call a diarist, ever since I was a kid. And I wrote stories in my journals all the time about girls who weren’t like me, who led amazing lives, and had adventures. I still write in my diary every day, but now I actually get to publish the fiction stories!


What have you learned about writing since you started?

That it’s my oxygen. My drug of choice. The thing I need to do every day in order to feel total joy and remain happy.



Tell us about your new book or series.

CAN’T STAND THE HEAT is the third book in my Will Cook for Love series from Lyrical Shine. CSTH tells Stacy Peter’s story. She’s a television producer who’s developed a show she thinks will be perfect for her network. Before the programming chief will give her the green light for the show though, he asks her to do one more programming favor for him and executive produce an upcoming cooking competition called Beef Battles for the network. She’ll need to deal with famed director Dominick Stamp who is no fan of producers, or anyone else who interferes with his directing style. Dominick and Stacy are about as opposite as opposite can get in every way – physically, emotionally, the way the treat the staff, you name it. But you know what they say about opposites and attraction!



What is your idea of a perfect writing day?

Basically, I have the perfect writing day everyday! I write for 3-4 hours in the morning, then go to the gym and do all the adult stuff I need to do like laundry, grocery shop, etc. Then after lunch I write for another 4-5 hours until my hubby comes home from work, I cook dinner, and then we relax for the rest of the evening. Yup, that’s my life. Don’t hate me!



How/where do you get your plot ideas?

I am a world-class people watcher. And eavesdropper. All my plots start out with the characters. I see a person in a restaurant, or the bank, or even on line at the movies, and I start to imagine their backstory. My first character is usually my heroine, so I give her a life, a career, and a problem. Then I think of a hero who will be integral in either resolving her problem, or adding to it. From that, a plot develops.



What is the most difficult thing about creating and developing characters?

Making them real to the reader. I’ve read books where there is no way on God’s green earth the main character could survive in the real world. Either too stupid, too arrogant, too just plain dumb to be real. I try – and I try hard – to make my characters seem like you’d meet them as neighbors, or at work, or even standing behind you in line at the grocery store. I give them faults, real emotions, issues. See? Real people! When I get it right, and a reader tells me that they could see, hear, and relate to my characters, I do a happy dance, because that’s the highest praise you can give me.



What is your favorite thing about being an author?

Knowing I touched a reader’s life, or made their day when they read something I wrote.



How many books do you currently have out on the market and what genres do they fall into?

With CANT STAND THE HEAT it’ll be eleven and they all fall into the contemporary romance genre. If there was a genre called small town, family oriented, humorous contemporary, that’s where my books would fit.



Will you be attending any book signings or conventions?

A couple coming up:

April 15, the 2018 Author’s Night by the Sea, sponsored by the New England Author’s Expo. http://www.newenglandauthorsexpo.com/...

April 27, The New England Chapter of RWA LET YOUR IMAGINATION TAKE FLIGHT Book signing https://www.eventsinusa.net/event-rom...

RWA2018 – Denver Nora Roberts Readers for Life Literacy Book Signing: https://www.rwa.org/literacy

I will also be part of a panel of authors (I’m the only romance writer!) at the Toadstool Bookstore in Keene, NH on April 21, 2018

I will be speaking at the Maine Romance Writers retreat in May 2018 http://www.maineromancewriters.com/p/...



Pass on some words of wisdom, please, to aspiring authors.

Simply, don’t worry about writing to trends, or anything else. Today’s teen vampire love story will be taken over by tomorrow’s billionaire baby series. Just write the story of your heart. That’s what I did. I knew my story was a little unusual for a contemporary market, but it only takes one editor to say YES for you to be published. So just write the best story you can and make it the story you would want to read if you weren’t the author!



Purchase Can't Stand the Heat by Peggy Jaeger

Contact information:

Personal web page : https://peggyjaeger.com/

Twitter https://twitter.com/peggy_jaeger

#LASR #SaturdaySeven

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Romance tropes are fun to read. Truly. I mean, who doesn’t love a secret baby, or a Women in jeapodary story? Things are tired and true for a reason, folks!

So, in no order, here are my seven favorite romance tropes to read:

Second Chances. There’s really something so powerful about giving someone a second chance at anything: life; health; love. These stories take a relationship that failed – for whatever reason – and then allows that relationship to bloom anew. The h/h don’t have to start where they left off – and really, shouldn’t. A new day and a new depth to their love evolves. Truly, Madly, Yours by Rachel Gibson is a good example of this trope. [image error]
A marriage of Convenience. Even though this trope gets used a bunch in historicals, it can also be used in contemporary’s if written the right way. The Weekday Brides series by Catherine Bybee and The Marriage Bargain by Jennifer Probst are good modern day depictions of this trope.  [image error]
Friends to Lovers. The first book I read with this trope was Emma by Jane Austen. Emma and Mr. Knightly are social friends, having known each other for years. When their friendship takes a wrong turn and then a right one to love, well, all I can say is that Austen was a master of romance writing for a reason.  In my own book. There’s No Place Like Home, I have two friends, Moira and Quentin,  use this trope. There’s something so wonderful about falling in love with your best friend! you share a lifetime of past memories, being with the other person is comfortable, and the love that blossoms is familiar. Love that! [image error]
Opposites Attract. Who doesn’t love when two people who on paper seem so wrong for one another are in reality so perfect! Prime examples of this trope that are really good depictions are Bet Me, by Jennifer Cruise and Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas  [image error]
Fake relationship. Lovelovelove this one! A good explanation of this trope ( but not the only one!) a girl’s been recently dumped by her boyfriend ( or she dumped him) and now needs a date to a wedding so she doesn’t look like the only girl in her crowd without a significant other. Good examples of this trope are Julie James’  A Lot like Love and Slow Heat by Jill Shalvis
Enemies to lovers. A prime example of this trope is both the h/h want the same thing, say a job. They are each vying for it, trying to outdo the other, hating that the other exists. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne is perfect for this trope. [image error]
On-the-Run ( aka Women in Jeopardy) Anytime a guy has to protect the girl and take her on the run to do so well, that story is just rife with lots of sexual tension and intrigue. I used this trope with my Will Cook For Love novel, book 2 A Shot At Love. [image error]

I’m not Inventor-y…

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This week’s topic is a hard one for me because I’m not an inventor-y-type girl. I don’t even like to go to the beach, much less an island. If I got stuck on a deserted island, I’d probably be the first one the cannibals ate, anyway because, you know…I’m chubby! Lots of protein and fat.

But…..

So survival being the name of the game I’d need some kind of device that would be able to turn the water surrounding the island into water suitable to drink. It takes 3 minutes to die without air, 3 weeks without food and three days without water, so the water is a necessity. I know there are currently machines called desalinization thingies, but I’d need to be able to make this on the island from the raw materials around.

Don’t know how I’d do this, don’t have a clue where to being, but….that’s what I’d make. A thingie machine to make clean, drinkable water.

And then once that was off the drawing board and put into practice, I’d find a way to invent a pizza oven. Just saying. Food, you know?

Heehee.

Well, it’s uber obvious I’m not inventor-y, but maybe some of the other authors on this challenge are. Hop on over to their sites to see what they’ve come up with. And if it’s good, I’ll probably make arrangements to be deserted with them so I could survive.

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1.
Island Girl? Not a Chance.




2.
Let’s Hope This Never Happens






3.
Stranded




4.
I Won’t Survive






5.
Necessity breeds invention – Holly Bargo #MFRW




6.
On the Rocks






7.
If I Was Stuck on An Island I’d be Doomed




8.
Whither thou goest






9.
Catching Up. . . .




10.
Water, Water, Everywhere, Nor Any Drop to Drink






11.
I’d Invent. . .




12.
Stranded in a Desert Island – Natalia Prats






13.
I’m not Inventor-y. . .

Research is spelled P-I-N-T-E-R-E-S-T!

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This is a funfunfun topic for me. I sincerely don’t know what writers did before PINTEREST came along. The first time I was ever told about the site and then visited it, I was addicted. For Life. Seriously.

You all know I’m a huge plotter when it comes to my books. I have everything lined up, plotted out, and squared off before I ever start writing because I’m so anal. It’s that damn scientific background – I always need to know where I’m going. In the past I’d look for pictures of my characters or places or settings in magazines. Being able to visibly “see” how I wanted someone to look made it waaaaay easier for me to write about them. With the advent of Google, I tossed the mags and started trolling celebrity sites – because back in the day they were the only pictures you could really find.

It’s a new day, people. We don’t need google images anymore -we’ve got PINTEREST. Anyone can upload a picture of pretty much anything ( legal, that is!) From the moment I used Pinterest to categorize and help me plot/storyboard my books, my life got sosososos much easier. I had more time to write because I didn’t need to troll endlessly looking for images thru mags anymore. I simply plugged in something like “guys, 30’s black hair, green eyes” and 9,000,000 PINS instantly popped up for me to choose from.

Score!

So, for the first time, I’m giving you a little glimpse into how I storyboard my characters on Pinterest. The links below are to my Will Cook For Love Series books. These Pins/pictures are how I “saw” the books when I was writing them. (A few of the books haven’t been published yet so this is like a little teaser!)  Let me know your thoughts.

Will Cook for Love

A shot at Love/Gemma

Melora and Riley

Abby and Rick

Ellie and Sloan

And I even have an alternative, breakout, spinoff series to Cooking with Kandy called Bros, Inc.

You’re welcome for that last one!

When I’m not doing RESEARCH ( wink wink) you can find me here: Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triber// Book Me

 

If it’s #Tuesday it’s time to talk about #Menopause

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And here we are again on another Menopause Tuesday! Click on the link to my other blog to see what’s up this week

Sweating to the oldies and feeling….old.

When I’m not hanging out on my blogs you can find me here:Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me// Triber// Book Me

Dear Diary….

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Not too hard to figure out today’s topic, is it? Many of you know – because I’ve mentioned it ad nauseum – that I’m a lifelong diarist. It’s what first spurned me on to be a fiction writer. My childhood was so rife with strife that I used my diary to invent stories about girls who had adventures, loving families, who were smart and pretty and liked. Stories and characters that were so different from me. Mixed into the pages of those stories were actual diary entries about my life at the time.

I’m 57 years old and I still write in my diary most days.

I was about 6 when I got my first diary as a birthday gift.

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I can’t remember who gifted it to me but it was one of those old girly-girl kinds with the lock and key. Of course, the lock broke within a week and I lost the key ( hey – I was  6!) so everything I wrote was open to viewing if my mother ever found it. She probably did because she was a world-class snoop. Anyway. The diary had about 120 pages and at 6 I filled those up within a few months. At 6 my penmanship was huge and one, brief entry could take up most of a page.

Fast forward to the teen years.

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I’d evolved from the cutsie diary to a more angst-filled one. I’d doodle for hours about things that happened to me and in the world, about how I felt at the time (fat and lonely, mostly), and I still wrote stories about other girls who were not fat, lonely and unhappy; who had friends and boyfriends and were popular in school. The entires were pages upon pages, and since my penmanship was now indicative of a teenager, I was able to write more on the page. Emotions ran rampant throughout these diaries. Negative self-worth, anxiety about weight, feeling as if I didn’t belong anywhere because I was so different. I also started chronically the major events of the day that were unfolding during this time as a footprint of history. Events like Kent State, the Pentagon Papers, President Nixon and impeachment, the bicentennial, the first test tube baby. Emotions ran high across the pages. I was a girl who felt adrift in a world that was changing so rapidly I couldn’t keep up. I didn’t even know how to.

I left home for college and the diaries from those years are full of ramblings about crazy diets, all night study sessions, my flirtations with alcohol and unhealthy life choices, and my desire to make a difference in the world as a nurse. I devoted ten pages to when President Reagan was shot, detailing where I was ( in clinical) and what I was doing when the news broke (washing a comatose patient). My writing voice was getting stronger with every entry, more individualized, more…me,  and I could see a real progression in the fictional stories I added. I could also see the change in me as a person. From introverted and shy, the kind who never spoke her truth or gave a voice to her feelings, to strong and capable. An activist for change. A young woman who wanted better in all aspects of her life. ( I am woman, hear me Roar!)[image error]

When I was engaged in the process of getting married (at 27 ) my diary writing entries from that year are full of anticipation, expectation, and a unease. Would I be a good wife? Mother? Would I lose myself in the process of joining with another? There were no stable marriages/relationships in my family history. Everyone divorced, cheated on one another, drank and was generally miserable. Would I be able to break that mold? Would I know how to?

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Then, when I had my daughter, I stopped writing in my own diary and now devoted journals to her. I documented every aspect, every hour, every milestone of her growing years.

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She laughs to this day when she sees that I have a scrapbook and coincidal diary for every year of her life from birth until she graduated from college.

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This is the time in my life I started putting all that lifelong storytelling to use. I began writing for magazines about motherhood and the nursing profession. It wasn’t fiction, it was real life, but the storytelling lessons I’d utilized since that very first diary came to full fruition and served me well.

I still write in my diary most days, only now that term has changed, like the times, and it’s called a journal. It even has a verb attached to it, as in “I’m journaling today.” Gone are the plain lock and key diary varieties, now replaced with inspirational covers and daily motivational saying on the pages.[image error]

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I could use my computer to journal. There are about a thousand apps for journaling and diary entries, but I don’t. I’m old school when it comes to recording my thoughts, desires, dreams. I like the feel of a pen scratching across the pages of a book of my own. I like seeing how my thoughts, ideas, hell, even my penmanship (!) has changed over the decades.

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I’d like to think that someday my grandchildren and their children will read what I’ve documented, get a feel for the person I was from a child to an adult. I like to think that my diary entries, the chronicling of a space in time, was relevant…interesting…worthwhile.

I’d like to believe that everything I’ve archived and recorded could – and will – in some way, give a greater understanding of the life I’ve lead.

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