Peggy Jaeger's Blog, page 280
October 19, 2016
Introducing author Kathryn Hills
You all know I lovelovelove finding and introducing you to fabulous authors. Author Kathryn Hills is such a find!!! I met her through our mutual RWA chapter and the moment she introduced herself to me I knew we were going to be writing friends forever. Her warmth, humor, and love of writing shine through in her work. Kathryn’s debut novel, HAUNTING HIGHLAND HOUSE releases tomorrow and she’s letting me give you a little taste of what’s to come, today. I’m so excited for her. I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this book and let me just tell you – it’s fabulous. When you read it, you’ll agree!
Here’s Kathryn:
Blurb- Haunting Highland House
Take one lone woman from Manhattan. Add a sexy ghost and a secluded Victorian mansion. Stir often. Heat thoroughly. Enjoy! Fun Fact… Haunting Highland House was inspired by a real place.
Excerpt
Summoning all her strength, she stepped into the light before him. Her heart pounded as if it would explode right out of her chest. “Why are you haunting me?” she demanded in her bravest ghost hunter voice.
“Haunting?” He gave a bitter laugh though he still did not look at her. “Is that what I am doing? I believed you to be the spirit, sent to torment me.” Vacant eyes traveled up her body and then widened. “Samantha!” He jumped to his feet and snared her wrist. “Dear God, where have you been?”
“Let me go,” she cried, twisting in his grasp.
“But Samantha, it’s me.” He pulled her close.
“Help!” She yelled, though no one would hear.
“I’ll not harm you, I swear.” His arms encircled her. “How could I hurt the woman I love?”
“No,” she cried fighting with renewed strength. “I don’t know you.”
“You do, Samantha, remember. Remember me,” he commanded. He captured her face, forcing her to look at him. His voice dropped to a pleading whisper. “It’s just the doorway working its evil. You know me. You must.”
Sam went still. She dared to meet his gaze. He was sinfully gorgeous, like some dark fallen angel. Golden firelight flickered across his features. It was madness. She was alone in a far off mansion with a stranger, and yet… Sanity fought for a toehold.
“I’m not who you think I am,” she rasped barely able to speak.
He caressed her cheek. “I know everything about you.”
“Don’t,” she warned, looking away. She squirmed against him until he released her with a tortured groan.
“Then all is lost. There is nothing more.” Wavering as if about to collapse, he sank to the couch. “You are only a dream then, another hallucination. Fool doctors with their laudanum.” He shook his head as if to clear it. “I’ve longed for you, night after night, alone in the darkness. Prayed you would come back to me.” His gaze roamed over her. “I remember everything. Your hair falling over me, the smell of your skin, your sweet lips parting. How can you not?”
Mesmerized, Sam was powerless against the dark magic he wove. Solid ground crumbled beneath her feet. Her body pulsed where they had touched. The very air around them seemed electrified. With a low growl, he pulled her down into the space between his legs and wrapped his arms around her again. This time, she didn’t fight.
“You knew me once, took me deep into your body. Let me love you. If only we could travel back in time.”
Bio:
The rich history and many mysteries of New England are the perfect backdrop for Kathryn’s books. Winding roads lined by old stone walls, forgotten cemeteries, grand homes with shadowy pasts…all sparks for her imagination. Whether it’s a quaint seaside town or the vibrant city of Boston, it’s easy for this “hauntingly romantic” author to envision the past mingling with the present. Taking it further – to have characters experience the past and present, opposite to “when” they belong – is the fun part. No surprise, some of Kathryn’s favorite stories involve time travel. And ghosts! Sprinkle in some magic, and you’re off on a great adventure! When not writing, she’s taking photographs of the beautiful landscape that surrounds her. Kathryn shares her colonial home with those she loves most…her wonderful husband and daughter, and three crazy dogs.
When Kathryn isn’t writing or ghost-hunting, you can find her here:
Website // Facebook: // Twitter: // The Wild Rose Press Author Page: // Amazon Author Page: // Goodreads
My review of HAUNTING HIGHLAND HOUSE. Here’s a hint: I LOVEDLOVEDLOVED it! Click here – review
Here’s Kathryn:
Blurb- Haunting Highland House
Take one lone woman from Manhattan. Add a sexy ghost and a secluded Victorian mansion. Stir often. Heat thoroughly. Enjoy! Fun Fact… Haunting Highland House was inspired by a real place.
Excerpt
Summoning all her strength, she stepped into the light before him. Her heart pounded as if it would explode right out of her chest. “Why are you haunting me?” she demanded in her bravest ghost hunter voice.
“Haunting?” He gave a bitter laugh though he still did not look at her. “Is that what I am doing? I believed you to be the spirit, sent to torment me.” Vacant eyes traveled up her body and then widened. “Samantha!” He jumped to his feet and snared her wrist. “Dear God, where have you been?”
“Let me go,” she cried, twisting in his grasp.
“But Samantha, it’s me.” He pulled her close.
“Help!” She yelled, though no one would hear.
“I’ll not harm you, I swear.” His arms encircled her. “How could I hurt the woman I love?”
“No,” she cried fighting with renewed strength. “I don’t know you.”
“You do, Samantha, remember. Remember me,” he commanded. He captured her face, forcing her to look at him. His voice dropped to a pleading whisper. “It’s just the doorway working its evil. You know me. You must.”
Sam went still. She dared to meet his gaze. He was sinfully gorgeous, like some dark fallen angel. Golden firelight flickered across his features. It was madness. She was alone in a far off mansion with a stranger, and yet… Sanity fought for a toehold.
“I’m not who you think I am,” she rasped barely able to speak.
He caressed her cheek. “I know everything about you.”
“Don’t,” she warned, looking away. She squirmed against him until he released her with a tortured groan.
“Then all is lost. There is nothing more.” Wavering as if about to collapse, he sank to the couch. “You are only a dream then, another hallucination. Fool doctors with their laudanum.” He shook his head as if to clear it. “I’ve longed for you, night after night, alone in the darkness. Prayed you would come back to me.” His gaze roamed over her. “I remember everything. Your hair falling over me, the smell of your skin, your sweet lips parting. How can you not?”
Mesmerized, Sam was powerless against the dark magic he wove. Solid ground crumbled beneath her feet. Her body pulsed where they had touched. The very air around them seemed electrified. With a low growl, he pulled her down into the space between his legs and wrapped his arms around her again. This time, she didn’t fight.
“You knew me once, took me deep into your body. Let me love you. If only we could travel back in time.”
Bio:
The rich history and many mysteries of New England are the perfect backdrop for Kathryn’s books. Winding roads lined by old stone walls, forgotten cemeteries, grand homes with shadowy pasts…all sparks for her imagination. Whether it’s a quaint seaside town or the vibrant city of Boston, it’s easy for this “hauntingly romantic” author to envision the past mingling with the present. Taking it further – to have characters experience the past and present, opposite to “when” they belong – is the fun part. No surprise, some of Kathryn’s favorite stories involve time travel. And ghosts! Sprinkle in some magic, and you’re off on a great adventure! When not writing, she’s taking photographs of the beautiful landscape that surrounds her. Kathryn shares her colonial home with those she loves most…her wonderful husband and daughter, and three crazy dogs.
When Kathryn isn’t writing or ghost-hunting, you can find her here:
Website // Facebook: // Twitter: // The Wild Rose Press Author Page: // Amazon Author Page: // Goodreads
My review of HAUNTING HIGHLAND HOUSE. Here’s a hint: I LOVEDLOVEDLOVED it! Click here – review
October 17, 2016
An Interview with Author Lorelei Confer
I love a good interview with a great author; getting to know them better, finding out what makes their writing come to life. This is like nectar of the Gods for me! Recently, I did an interview with one of my all time favorite authors AND PEOPLE(!) Lorelei Confer.
If you haven’t met her yet or read her books, you have no idea what you are missing. This woman is a powerhouse – in person and on the page! She writes romantic suspense ( one of my favorite sub-genres to enjoy by a blazing fire at midnight!). Read all about her first, then enjoy a little snippet of her newest release, SECRETS AND DECEPTIONS
Donna, The Writer:
What drives you to write? The stories in my head I just need to get out.
What genre(s) of Romance do your write, and why? I write romantic suspense. It is the genre I prefer to read along with some thrillers from Harlan Coben and Andrew Gross. I love the sweet love story but like the conflict to be suspenseful and use fear as a real emotion; live or die situations.
What genre(s) of Romance do you read, and why? See above
What’s your writing schedule? I usually write everyday but not on a daily schedule. Sometimes its early in the morning, and other times late afternoon. My stories, plot and characters mull around in my head for days, weeks or months sometimes before I actually take the time to put them down on paper. Once a week I skip a day to mentor other writers who need help with plotting or characterization.
Give us a glimpse of the surroundings where you write. I write in the living room sitting on the end of the couch, which automatically reclines. To the left is a wall of windows with a fantastic view. Sometimes, while writing I find myself daydreaming about my story and it helps me get into the scene, into the characters head and into the environment. Makes it so much more realistic.
Are you the kind of writer who needs total quiet to compose, or are you able to filter out the typical sounds of the day and use your tunnelvision? I do like it quiet when I write at home but have no problem writing at Panera Bread or Crispers or Starbucks. I’ve even taken advantage of the opportunity to glance around and use some of the body language and facial expressions from others around me.
Do you listen to music while you write? Not at home but I do enjoy music when I’m out writing at a different place, i.e. Panera Bread. I prefer country music and enjoy the lyrics of a love gone wrong or a how much a broken heart hurts, and what one does to forget a bad relationship.
How did you come up with the plotline/idea for your current work? I began this series, Saddle Creek, with the idea of four young men graduating high school together and going off on their own; each going their own way but remaining loyal to one another regardless of which direction they are led. This book, Secrets and Deceptions, is the third in the series and this young man can’t keep or find a job he likes so decides to enlist in the military. He leaves the love of his life, his high school sweetheart, and ends up being gone over four years. When he returns, of course, his friends’ lives have changed and his high school sweetheart is with another man. The story unfolds with plot twists and turns and sexy, speechless confrontations. As they both try to determine if there have been too many years apart, two many secrets, and too many deceptions.
Which comes first for you – character or plot? And why? Plot comes first, then character development. Once that happens they, the characters, drive by them.
What 3 words describes you, the writer? Sincere. Caring. Loyal.
Donna, The Lovely Person:
Tell us one unusual thing about yourself – not related to writing! I love scrapbooking. I get to tell many stories through pictures and I love genealogy. I like to know the history behind the story of my ancestors.
Who was your first love and what age were you? My husband, knight in shining armor, my high school sweetheart, and my first love. We met at school and I asked him to my eighth grade dance, (not sure how old I was) my dad dropped me off and we danced and held hands. He kissed my cheek before the last dance was over and I never forgot. Summer arrived and he worked, bought a car and we lost touch. In eleventh grade I asked his sister how he was doing and that night he called and we talked for hours. He asked me out on a date. I wasn’t sure about going since it had been a couple years but he was persistent and picked me up after school the next day. We’ve been together ever since, made it through the Viet Nam war, raised two boys, have grandchildren, and have traveled many highways together,
If you could relive one day, which one would it be? ….Our wedding day. We eloped in between his two tours of duty in Viet Nam and it was like it ‘could be our last time together’ and extremely emotional and memorable.
Do you like a guy in boxers, briefs, or commando? Commando, of course!
What three words describes you, the person? Loving, sympathetic, truthful
Bonus round
I love the Actor’s Studio show on Bravo, so this is my version of it:
Favorite sound Doorbell
Least favorite sound car horn
Best song every written Lay, Lady, Lay by Bob Dylan
Worst song ever written Don’t Worry, Be Happy (too monotonous)
Favorite actor and actress Antonio Banderas and Ann Margaret
What turns you on? Great visits and talks with friends
What turns you off? Loud crowds
What’s your version of a perfect day? Sleeping late, morning sex, lazy breakfast, reading and quiet time.
Read that last answer again, folks. Le sigh!.
Here’s a sneak peak at her newest release, SECRETS and DECEPTIONS
When Avri Lawrence’s high school sweetheart leaves her to enlist in the military, she nurses a broken heart. When Dillon returns four years later, their attraction to each other is stronger than ever, but life’s experiences has changed them. When her life is threatened she’s not sure he’ll come to her rescue or like what he finds. She has secrets and she’s not ready to share.
Dillon Davidson wants to advance in his military career but didn’t plan on having to kill so many people to do so. On a Special Opps mission he’s captured and tortured for eighteen long months. After his escape, he ends his four-year career in deception. He wants to start over with his soul mate, Avri in Saddle Creek, Wyoming.
But are there too many years of separation, too many secrets, and too many memories between them for them to overcome?
Excerpt:
Dillon skimmed his fingers lazily over the soft supple skin of Avri’s naked thigh. The lingering fragrance of sex filled his nostrils. They only had tonight, he’d be leaving in the morning, and he couldn’t get enough of her. His heart still pounded with desire, he wanted, needed to make love to her over and over again. He wanted to run his fingers over every inch of her, all night long, wanted to fill his memory with the scent of her, remember every smooth curve, every sweet hollow of her body.
Her body quivered against his, her breath hitched and she gulped back a sob. He pulled her against his chest, whispering in her ear, “It’s going to be all right,” before kissing her neck. His throat constricted. “We’ve talked about this…remember? We’ve planned this for six months.” His voice cracked slightly. “W-we need to look forward now. When I come back, I’ll be able to get a job, a good one doing something I like. Everything will be fine.”
He blinked the dampness in his eyes away several times as he ran his fingers through her hair memorizing the softness of her wavy auburn curls, the contours of her body, and the way she fit so perfectly against him. For a moment overcome with emotion, he couldn’t speak, couldn’t console her, hell…he couldn’t console himself.
The neon light from Rosie’s Diner downstairs cast a reddish glow in her small apartment. He’d always remember this time with her–the overwhelming pleasure, the contentment–and then the painful realization hit him again, like a bomb. He had to leave her in the morning. They had tonight, a few more precious hours together that he’d never forget, before he had to leave her. Her sob split the silence; he cupped her head and caressed her cheeks and jawline, wiping away the tears with his thumbs.
She was special to him, always had been. It was as if she’d been made just for him, fulfilling all his wants and needs. She was his closest confidante, his best friend, the woman he loved, would always love…his soul mate.
“How am I going to go on without you?” Avri whispered, her voice trembling. “You mean so much to me. You’re important to my life. You are my life.”
“You won’t have time to miss me.” Dillon tried to smile. “You’re going to finish law school and study your ass off to pass the bar.” His heart dropped in his chest and his throat burned with the thought. Not being at her side for those major events in her life…well, the thought broke his heart. Leaving her was killing him. It was harder than he ever imagined it would be when he enlisted in the military.
“I’ll wait for you, I swear. And I’ll write to you every day, but you have to promise me one thing, Dillon.” She sputtered and hiccupped trying to speak. Her sadness echoed in the small space.
He hesitated. “What’s that?” Apprehension rolled through him sticking in his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. “Promise you’ll come back to me. Promise?” she pleaded.
How could he make such a promise when he didn’t know if he would come back dead or alive or damaged? “I’m not sure where I’m going or how long I’ll be gone. You know how I feel about you. I will if I can. You know that, don’t you?”
He searched for her bright green eyes in the dimness, but she’d glanced away. Pulling her closer, he left no space between their two bodies. Placing a finger beneath her chin, he turned her face toward his and bent to brush her lips. As soon as their lips touched, the kiss went from gentle to desperate. He plundered her mouth, sucking on her lips, invading her mouth with his tongue. He couldn’t get enough of her, her taste, her touch, her feel, or her scent. He ingrained them in his memory. A lasting memory; one he’d never forget.
As soon as he ended the kiss she clutched at his chest, sobbing hysterically. He held her in his arms until she fell asleep, shuddering occasionally. Finally, she quieted.
He lay beside her, too anxious to sleep. Savoring the warmth and soft skin against his, he listened to her breathing, waiting for it to even out, an indication she’d fallen asleep.
An hour or so later, he glanced at the lighted dial of his watch. It was time to go. Time to leave her.
He’d miss the Wyoming way of life, the ranch, his buddies, the horses, the small town of Saddle Creek…mostly though he’d miss her. She was the love of his life. The reason he’d enlisted in the military in the first place—to make something of himself, learn a trade and be able to hold down a job, and make her proud of him. Now he had to let her go or he wouldn’t be strong enough to walk away later. He’d signed up, and he had to honor his commitment.
Dillon carefully moved away from her, slipped out of her bed, allowed himself one last, loving look at her, but had to stifle a gasp. Moonlight blanketed Avri in an ethereal light streaming over her auburn tresses splayed across her pillow, enhancing the light freckles on her tiny tipped-up nose. The moistness of her plump lips gave him an irresistible urge to kiss her good-bye, just once more. But he didn’t dare.
Grabbing a scrap of paper and an envelope from her small desk, he wrote a note, stuffed it into the envelope and placed it on his pillow where she’d be sure to find it.
Avri rolled onto her side, but didn’t wake. He took a step toward her, longing to rob her lips the way he had most of the night. He sought control and stopped. Together their uninhibited sex was the best he’d ever had, but then perhaps it was because of how he felt about her.
Bio:
Lorelei lives on a peninsula on the mid west coast of Florida with her husband, 1 cat, and AJ, a long haired Chihuahua.
She wrote her first story in the fourth grade in the form of a play, which actually was produced by the teacher for parents and students. She continued writing and majored in English in College. She practices everyday to improve her craft.
She loves reading almost as much as writing and has filled her book shelves with her favorites, i.e. Harlan Colban, Eliza March, Johanna Lindsey, Roxanne St. Claire, Terri Garey, B.H. Daniels, and Bobbi Smith just to mention a few, as well as all the classics.
She is a member of RWA (Romance Writers of America), TARA (Tampa Area Romance Authors), PRO, Kiss of Death, Lethal Ladies, and CSI (Crime Scene Investigations), just to mention a few.
Visit Lorelei here: www.loreleiconfer.com
If you haven’t met her yet or read her books, you have no idea what you are missing. This woman is a powerhouse – in person and on the page! She writes romantic suspense ( one of my favorite sub-genres to enjoy by a blazing fire at midnight!). Read all about her first, then enjoy a little snippet of her newest release, SECRETS AND DECEPTIONS
Donna, The Writer:
What drives you to write? The stories in my head I just need to get out.
What genre(s) of Romance do your write, and why? I write romantic suspense. It is the genre I prefer to read along with some thrillers from Harlan Coben and Andrew Gross. I love the sweet love story but like the conflict to be suspenseful and use fear as a real emotion; live or die situations.
What genre(s) of Romance do you read, and why? See above
What’s your writing schedule? I usually write everyday but not on a daily schedule. Sometimes its early in the morning, and other times late afternoon. My stories, plot and characters mull around in my head for days, weeks or months sometimes before I actually take the time to put them down on paper. Once a week I skip a day to mentor other writers who need help with plotting or characterization.
Give us a glimpse of the surroundings where you write. I write in the living room sitting on the end of the couch, which automatically reclines. To the left is a wall of windows with a fantastic view. Sometimes, while writing I find myself daydreaming about my story and it helps me get into the scene, into the characters head and into the environment. Makes it so much more realistic.
Are you the kind of writer who needs total quiet to compose, or are you able to filter out the typical sounds of the day and use your tunnelvision? I do like it quiet when I write at home but have no problem writing at Panera Bread or Crispers or Starbucks. I’ve even taken advantage of the opportunity to glance around and use some of the body language and facial expressions from others around me.
Do you listen to music while you write? Not at home but I do enjoy music when I’m out writing at a different place, i.e. Panera Bread. I prefer country music and enjoy the lyrics of a love gone wrong or a how much a broken heart hurts, and what one does to forget a bad relationship.
How did you come up with the plotline/idea for your current work? I began this series, Saddle Creek, with the idea of four young men graduating high school together and going off on their own; each going their own way but remaining loyal to one another regardless of which direction they are led. This book, Secrets and Deceptions, is the third in the series and this young man can’t keep or find a job he likes so decides to enlist in the military. He leaves the love of his life, his high school sweetheart, and ends up being gone over four years. When he returns, of course, his friends’ lives have changed and his high school sweetheart is with another man. The story unfolds with plot twists and turns and sexy, speechless confrontations. As they both try to determine if there have been too many years apart, two many secrets, and too many deceptions.
Which comes first for you – character or plot? And why? Plot comes first, then character development. Once that happens they, the characters, drive by them.
What 3 words describes you, the writer? Sincere. Caring. Loyal.
Donna, The Lovely Person:
Tell us one unusual thing about yourself – not related to writing! I love scrapbooking. I get to tell many stories through pictures and I love genealogy. I like to know the history behind the story of my ancestors.
Who was your first love and what age were you? My husband, knight in shining armor, my high school sweetheart, and my first love. We met at school and I asked him to my eighth grade dance, (not sure how old I was) my dad dropped me off and we danced and held hands. He kissed my cheek before the last dance was over and I never forgot. Summer arrived and he worked, bought a car and we lost touch. In eleventh grade I asked his sister how he was doing and that night he called and we talked for hours. He asked me out on a date. I wasn’t sure about going since it had been a couple years but he was persistent and picked me up after school the next day. We’ve been together ever since, made it through the Viet Nam war, raised two boys, have grandchildren, and have traveled many highways together,
If you could relive one day, which one would it be? ….Our wedding day. We eloped in between his two tours of duty in Viet Nam and it was like it ‘could be our last time together’ and extremely emotional and memorable.
Do you like a guy in boxers, briefs, or commando? Commando, of course!
What three words describes you, the person? Loving, sympathetic, truthful
Bonus round
I love the Actor’s Studio show on Bravo, so this is my version of it:
Favorite sound Doorbell
Least favorite sound car horn
Best song every written Lay, Lady, Lay by Bob Dylan
Worst song ever written Don’t Worry, Be Happy (too monotonous)
Favorite actor and actress Antonio Banderas and Ann Margaret
What turns you on? Great visits and talks with friends
What turns you off? Loud crowds
What’s your version of a perfect day? Sleeping late, morning sex, lazy breakfast, reading and quiet time.
Read that last answer again, folks. Le sigh!.
Here’s a sneak peak at her newest release, SECRETS and DECEPTIONS
When Avri Lawrence’s high school sweetheart leaves her to enlist in the military, she nurses a broken heart. When Dillon returns four years later, their attraction to each other is stronger than ever, but life’s experiences has changed them. When her life is threatened she’s not sure he’ll come to her rescue or like what he finds. She has secrets and she’s not ready to share.
Dillon Davidson wants to advance in his military career but didn’t plan on having to kill so many people to do so. On a Special Opps mission he’s captured and tortured for eighteen long months. After his escape, he ends his four-year career in deception. He wants to start over with his soul mate, Avri in Saddle Creek, Wyoming.
But are there too many years of separation, too many secrets, and too many memories between them for them to overcome?
Excerpt:
Dillon skimmed his fingers lazily over the soft supple skin of Avri’s naked thigh. The lingering fragrance of sex filled his nostrils. They only had tonight, he’d be leaving in the morning, and he couldn’t get enough of her. His heart still pounded with desire, he wanted, needed to make love to her over and over again. He wanted to run his fingers over every inch of her, all night long, wanted to fill his memory with the scent of her, remember every smooth curve, every sweet hollow of her body.
Her body quivered against his, her breath hitched and she gulped back a sob. He pulled her against his chest, whispering in her ear, “It’s going to be all right,” before kissing her neck. His throat constricted. “We’ve talked about this…remember? We’ve planned this for six months.” His voice cracked slightly. “W-we need to look forward now. When I come back, I’ll be able to get a job, a good one doing something I like. Everything will be fine.”
He blinked the dampness in his eyes away several times as he ran his fingers through her hair memorizing the softness of her wavy auburn curls, the contours of her body, and the way she fit so perfectly against him. For a moment overcome with emotion, he couldn’t speak, couldn’t console her, hell…he couldn’t console himself.
The neon light from Rosie’s Diner downstairs cast a reddish glow in her small apartment. He’d always remember this time with her–the overwhelming pleasure, the contentment–and then the painful realization hit him again, like a bomb. He had to leave her in the morning. They had tonight, a few more precious hours together that he’d never forget, before he had to leave her. Her sob split the silence; he cupped her head and caressed her cheeks and jawline, wiping away the tears with his thumbs.
She was special to him, always had been. It was as if she’d been made just for him, fulfilling all his wants and needs. She was his closest confidante, his best friend, the woman he loved, would always love…his soul mate.
“How am I going to go on without you?” Avri whispered, her voice trembling. “You mean so much to me. You’re important to my life. You are my life.”
“You won’t have time to miss me.” Dillon tried to smile. “You’re going to finish law school and study your ass off to pass the bar.” His heart dropped in his chest and his throat burned with the thought. Not being at her side for those major events in her life…well, the thought broke his heart. Leaving her was killing him. It was harder than he ever imagined it would be when he enlisted in the military.
“I’ll wait for you, I swear. And I’ll write to you every day, but you have to promise me one thing, Dillon.” She sputtered and hiccupped trying to speak. Her sadness echoed in the small space.
He hesitated. “What’s that?” Apprehension rolled through him sticking in his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. “Promise you’ll come back to me. Promise?” she pleaded.
How could he make such a promise when he didn’t know if he would come back dead or alive or damaged? “I’m not sure where I’m going or how long I’ll be gone. You know how I feel about you. I will if I can. You know that, don’t you?”
He searched for her bright green eyes in the dimness, but she’d glanced away. Pulling her closer, he left no space between their two bodies. Placing a finger beneath her chin, he turned her face toward his and bent to brush her lips. As soon as their lips touched, the kiss went from gentle to desperate. He plundered her mouth, sucking on her lips, invading her mouth with his tongue. He couldn’t get enough of her, her taste, her touch, her feel, or her scent. He ingrained them in his memory. A lasting memory; one he’d never forget.
As soon as he ended the kiss she clutched at his chest, sobbing hysterically. He held her in his arms until she fell asleep, shuddering occasionally. Finally, she quieted.
He lay beside her, too anxious to sleep. Savoring the warmth and soft skin against his, he listened to her breathing, waiting for it to even out, an indication she’d fallen asleep.
An hour or so later, he glanced at the lighted dial of his watch. It was time to go. Time to leave her.
He’d miss the Wyoming way of life, the ranch, his buddies, the horses, the small town of Saddle Creek…mostly though he’d miss her. She was the love of his life. The reason he’d enlisted in the military in the first place—to make something of himself, learn a trade and be able to hold down a job, and make her proud of him. Now he had to let her go or he wouldn’t be strong enough to walk away later. He’d signed up, and he had to honor his commitment.
Dillon carefully moved away from her, slipped out of her bed, allowed himself one last, loving look at her, but had to stifle a gasp. Moonlight blanketed Avri in an ethereal light streaming over her auburn tresses splayed across her pillow, enhancing the light freckles on her tiny tipped-up nose. The moistness of her plump lips gave him an irresistible urge to kiss her good-bye, just once more. But he didn’t dare.
Grabbing a scrap of paper and an envelope from her small desk, he wrote a note, stuffed it into the envelope and placed it on his pillow where she’d be sure to find it.
Avri rolled onto her side, but didn’t wake. He took a step toward her, longing to rob her lips the way he had most of the night. He sought control and stopped. Together their uninhibited sex was the best he’d ever had, but then perhaps it was because of how he felt about her.
Bio:
Lorelei lives on a peninsula on the mid west coast of Florida with her husband, 1 cat, and AJ, a long haired Chihuahua.
She wrote her first story in the fourth grade in the form of a play, which actually was produced by the teacher for parents and students. She continued writing and majored in English in College. She practices everyday to improve her craft.
She loves reading almost as much as writing and has filled her book shelves with her favorites, i.e. Harlan Colban, Eliza March, Johanna Lindsey, Roxanne St. Claire, Terri Garey, B.H. Daniels, and Bobbi Smith just to mention a few, as well as all the classics.
She is a member of RWA (Romance Writers of America), TARA (Tampa Area Romance Authors), PRO, Kiss of Death, Lethal Ladies, and CSI (Crime Scene Investigations), just to mention a few.
Visit Lorelei here: www.loreleiconfer.com
October 16, 2016
Home, hoarse, happy and inspired....
This past weekend I was thrilled and delighted to attend the first ever Fall In Love With New England Readers and Writers conference in Manchester, NH. and from the moment I arrived until I got back in the car to head for home I had a non-stop moving, talking, chatting and party-ing few days of fun, laughter, and friendship ( new and old!)
I’m planning a bigger blog post about the events of the weekend itself set for later this week, but for now I just wanted to say the following stuff. Please bear with me..or not; up to you!
I’ve said many times how I’m like a hermit when I’m in writing zen mode. There are actually days that I won’t leave the house, so intent on whatever it is I am working on – be it a first draft, editing, or making sure galleys and edits are correct. During the winter it’s almost as if hibernate, like a new species of bear: Ursus Americanas Writerus. (Grammarly won’t let me BOLD the last two words because they are made up!!) But you get the picture – I don’t leave the house and I don’t talk to anyone, at all, all day long. A quick goodbye to hubby in the a.m. and then nothing until a How was your day? in the evening. This is my life, peeps. And I’m happy – not complaining.
But attending a reader/writer event such as FILNE is such a soul-empowering and enriching occurrence, I have to admit it out loud ( or on the laptop, as it were!) Meeting other romance writers who are at the peak of their careers or just starting the climb, speaking with them, learning from them, giving advice and imparting wisdom to them is such a rewarding and worthwhile experience. Every conference I go to I learn something or make a new writing friend. At this conference, I learned a few new things, but I made DOZENS of new writing friends and readers of romance, too!! And they liked me! They really, really liked me. I’m starting to channel Sally Field, here, so I’ll make this short and sweet…
For a writer – of any genre – getting out and meeting others who are as passionate about writing as you are, or readers who are passionate as you are about what you write (!) is something I would never deny myself. SO for all the hibernators out there, here’s a little tidbit of advice: get out of the house! Go to a conference! Interact with other humans who like what you like to read and write what you like to write.
This has been a Public Service Announcement from your friendly romance writer, Peggy Jaeger. (HeeHee)
Thank you, and good night!
I’m planning a bigger blog post about the events of the weekend itself set for later this week, but for now I just wanted to say the following stuff. Please bear with me..or not; up to you!
I’ve said many times how I’m like a hermit when I’m in writing zen mode. There are actually days that I won’t leave the house, so intent on whatever it is I am working on – be it a first draft, editing, or making sure galleys and edits are correct. During the winter it’s almost as if hibernate, like a new species of bear: Ursus Americanas Writerus. (Grammarly won’t let me BOLD the last two words because they are made up!!) But you get the picture – I don’t leave the house and I don’t talk to anyone, at all, all day long. A quick goodbye to hubby in the a.m. and then nothing until a How was your day? in the evening. This is my life, peeps. And I’m happy – not complaining.
But attending a reader/writer event such as FILNE is such a soul-empowering and enriching occurrence, I have to admit it out loud ( or on the laptop, as it were!) Meeting other romance writers who are at the peak of their careers or just starting the climb, speaking with them, learning from them, giving advice and imparting wisdom to them is such a rewarding and worthwhile experience. Every conference I go to I learn something or make a new writing friend. At this conference, I learned a few new things, but I made DOZENS of new writing friends and readers of romance, too!! And they liked me! They really, really liked me. I’m starting to channel Sally Field, here, so I’ll make this short and sweet…
For a writer – of any genre – getting out and meeting others who are as passionate about writing as you are, or readers who are passionate as you are about what you write (!) is something I would never deny myself. SO for all the hibernators out there, here’s a little tidbit of advice: get out of the house! Go to a conference! Interact with other humans who like what you like to read and write what you like to write.
This has been a Public Service Announcement from your friendly romance writer, Peggy Jaeger. (HeeHee)
Thank you, and good night!
October 5, 2016
A really good interview
Here's the link to my recent interview with author ANA ROSS: click on it for images
http://www.anaeross.com/indulge-in-ro...
Welcome to another installment of my blog, Indulge in Romance. My guest today is, Peggy Jaeger, author of 3 Wishes.
So Peggy, where do you get your story ideas? I’m a true people watcher. A non-creepy voyeur, if you will. I love to watch people wherever I am. Many times I’ll see a couple and invent an entire plotline for them in my head. Twins fascinate me, so I decided to write a couple books about siblings who are alike in almost every way except they were fraternals – a boy and a girl. Right there you have a plethora of plot twists and character motivations to choose from for the two. People, in general, fascinate me, so I’m always on the lookout for quirky, outside-the-box thinkers and do-ers to write about. So, to answer this question succinctly, I get my ideas from everyday life.
What was your favorite book as a child? THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD by Watty Piper. Hands down, the best book about self-motivation ever written. That little engine KNEW he could get up that hill, told himself he could, and then…did! It’s a lesson to children and adults to never sell yourself short in life. You can do anything you set your heart, mind and soul to.
What’s your favorite literary genre? Romance. First, last and always. I like contemporary (which is what I write!), Regency, and Romantic Suspense.
If there were one writer (alive or deceased) who you would love to meet, who would it be? Well, my real wish come true came in July 2014 when I met Nora Roberts. I cried like a baby needing a bottle when I was introduced to her. Of course she was her gracious, funny self, but I needed a nap from emotional exhaustion after that. The other author I’ve always longed to chat with is Jane Austen. I want to nitpick her brain and find out if Elizabeth Bennett really loved Darcy, or fell in love with Pemberley and wanted to live there when she set eyes on it, and knowing the only way to do that was marry Darcy, did she then decide she “loved him?” Cynical, much? Well, yeah, I am.
If you were stranded, what three books would you wish you had with you? THIS IS A FABULOUS QUESTION!! Pride and Prejudice, Gone with the Wind and the first IN DEATH book by JDRobb ( aka Nora Roberts ), NAKED IN DEATH. This is the book where Eve Dallas and Roarke meet and the way she writes these two, you just know they are going to find their own happily ever after no matter what happens to them and between them. The emotional growth she writes them with is like a master class for learning how to develop character. 40 IN DEATH books later, and you know she did something right!
How long does it take you to finish a book? I try to write 2000 words, 5 days a week. Some days I come in under and some days over. Most of my books have ranged from 70,000-95,000 words. So, if you go with basic math here (something I’m lousy at) it can take me anywhere from 10-15 weeks to get a new book down in first draft. Second draft takes about 1 month and then it gets shipped to my editor. I’ve had 6 books come out since March 2015. Not too bad, I think!
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received as a writer? It was actually from Nora Roberts. She said the only way to write and be successful at it is to sit your butt down in that chair, put your hands on the keyboard and write! No one is going to do it for you. They are your words, your blood, sweat, and tears going down on the paper. Your ideas and plotlines and characters. She has such amazing focus when she writes. That’s what I aspire to have – total writing focus. I’m still aspiring!
Tell us about your current release. The 4th book in my MacQuire Women series, THE VOICES OF ANGELS, came out this year and it is actually a prequel to my debut novel, Skater’s Waltz. In VOICES, I tell the story of Tiffany’s mother, Carly Lennox. She’s a mystery writer and widow. At 31, she lives for her family and her writing. She’s on a current book tour when she meets a TV interviewer named Mike Woodard. These two have heat to spare between them and the attraction is instantaneous, but Carly is fearful of starting anything with him of a personal nature. On the side, Carly’s been receiving weird mail since her book came out. Threatening letters about angels and death. She chalks them up to crazy fan mail, but when certain events start to unfold that threaten her and her daughter, she realizes she needs to take action. Interwoven through this is Mike and Carly’s love story.
Other than the fact that these are beautifully written, wonderfully hot reads, why do you think they are so popular? Look, the world is a scary, painful, and terrifying place right now. But despite all the hard times, tragedy and war, I truly believe LOVE wins out in the end, each and every time. I think as writers of romance it is our duty to bring some happiness, light, and love into a sometimes dark world and to our readers. I know I always feel better when I come to the end of a romance book. I’m more hopeful about life, and I’m happy two normal people were able to surmount obstacles and problems to find their own happily ever after. When you believe that love is the major force guiding the world – and not hate – you can’t go wrong! Romance readers do believe this…as do I.
What’s next for you as a writer? I just signed on with Kensington/Lyrical for a three book deal in a new series I’m calling WILL COOK FOR LOVE. It’s about a large family of –you guessed it! – cooks, and their lives and loves. I’m very excited about it and I’ve already got 3 more books trolling about in my head about secondary characters I’ve written in the present books. I want to give everyone their own happily ever after.
Before I go, Ana, you are a delight to know as a fellow NHRWA sistah and romance writer! Thank you so much for including me on your blog today. I’m looking forward to the Fall In Love With New England Conference, where we’ll both be speakers.
Thank you for visiting, Peggy. It was an honor having you as my guest. I hope you will visit again, perhaps to talk more about your upcoming releases.
Blessings to all, and see you the next time we meet to Indulge in Romance with Ana E Ross…
http://www.anaeross.com/indulge-in-ro...
Welcome to another installment of my blog, Indulge in Romance. My guest today is, Peggy Jaeger, author of 3 Wishes.
So Peggy, where do you get your story ideas? I’m a true people watcher. A non-creepy voyeur, if you will. I love to watch people wherever I am. Many times I’ll see a couple and invent an entire plotline for them in my head. Twins fascinate me, so I decided to write a couple books about siblings who are alike in almost every way except they were fraternals – a boy and a girl. Right there you have a plethora of plot twists and character motivations to choose from for the two. People, in general, fascinate me, so I’m always on the lookout for quirky, outside-the-box thinkers and do-ers to write about. So, to answer this question succinctly, I get my ideas from everyday life.
What was your favorite book as a child? THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD by Watty Piper. Hands down, the best book about self-motivation ever written. That little engine KNEW he could get up that hill, told himself he could, and then…did! It’s a lesson to children and adults to never sell yourself short in life. You can do anything you set your heart, mind and soul to.
What’s your favorite literary genre? Romance. First, last and always. I like contemporary (which is what I write!), Regency, and Romantic Suspense.
If there were one writer (alive or deceased) who you would love to meet, who would it be? Well, my real wish come true came in July 2014 when I met Nora Roberts. I cried like a baby needing a bottle when I was introduced to her. Of course she was her gracious, funny self, but I needed a nap from emotional exhaustion after that. The other author I’ve always longed to chat with is Jane Austen. I want to nitpick her brain and find out if Elizabeth Bennett really loved Darcy, or fell in love with Pemberley and wanted to live there when she set eyes on it, and knowing the only way to do that was marry Darcy, did she then decide she “loved him?” Cynical, much? Well, yeah, I am.
If you were stranded, what three books would you wish you had with you? THIS IS A FABULOUS QUESTION!! Pride and Prejudice, Gone with the Wind and the first IN DEATH book by JDRobb ( aka Nora Roberts ), NAKED IN DEATH. This is the book where Eve Dallas and Roarke meet and the way she writes these two, you just know they are going to find their own happily ever after no matter what happens to them and between them. The emotional growth she writes them with is like a master class for learning how to develop character. 40 IN DEATH books later, and you know she did something right!
How long does it take you to finish a book? I try to write 2000 words, 5 days a week. Some days I come in under and some days over. Most of my books have ranged from 70,000-95,000 words. So, if you go with basic math here (something I’m lousy at) it can take me anywhere from 10-15 weeks to get a new book down in first draft. Second draft takes about 1 month and then it gets shipped to my editor. I’ve had 6 books come out since March 2015. Not too bad, I think!
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received as a writer? It was actually from Nora Roberts. She said the only way to write and be successful at it is to sit your butt down in that chair, put your hands on the keyboard and write! No one is going to do it for you. They are your words, your blood, sweat, and tears going down on the paper. Your ideas and plotlines and characters. She has such amazing focus when she writes. That’s what I aspire to have – total writing focus. I’m still aspiring!
Tell us about your current release. The 4th book in my MacQuire Women series, THE VOICES OF ANGELS, came out this year and it is actually a prequel to my debut novel, Skater’s Waltz. In VOICES, I tell the story of Tiffany’s mother, Carly Lennox. She’s a mystery writer and widow. At 31, she lives for her family and her writing. She’s on a current book tour when she meets a TV interviewer named Mike Woodard. These two have heat to spare between them and the attraction is instantaneous, but Carly is fearful of starting anything with him of a personal nature. On the side, Carly’s been receiving weird mail since her book came out. Threatening letters about angels and death. She chalks them up to crazy fan mail, but when certain events start to unfold that threaten her and her daughter, she realizes she needs to take action. Interwoven through this is Mike and Carly’s love story.
Other than the fact that these are beautifully written, wonderfully hot reads, why do you think they are so popular? Look, the world is a scary, painful, and terrifying place right now. But despite all the hard times, tragedy and war, I truly believe LOVE wins out in the end, each and every time. I think as writers of romance it is our duty to bring some happiness, light, and love into a sometimes dark world and to our readers. I know I always feel better when I come to the end of a romance book. I’m more hopeful about life, and I’m happy two normal people were able to surmount obstacles and problems to find their own happily ever after. When you believe that love is the major force guiding the world – and not hate – you can’t go wrong! Romance readers do believe this…as do I.
What’s next for you as a writer? I just signed on with Kensington/Lyrical for a three book deal in a new series I’m calling WILL COOK FOR LOVE. It’s about a large family of –you guessed it! – cooks, and their lives and loves. I’m very excited about it and I’ve already got 3 more books trolling about in my head about secondary characters I’ve written in the present books. I want to give everyone their own happily ever after.
Before I go, Ana, you are a delight to know as a fellow NHRWA sistah and romance writer! Thank you so much for including me on your blog today. I’m looking forward to the Fall In Love With New England Conference, where we’ll both be speakers.
Thank you for visiting, Peggy. It was an honor having you as my guest. I hope you will visit again, perhaps to talk more about your upcoming releases.
Blessings to all, and see you the next time we meet to Indulge in Romance with Ana E Ross…
September 30, 2016
Public Speaking...part 2
If you want to see the images, click here:https://peggyjaeger.com/2016/09/30/pu...
So I promised you I’d give you a little insight into the 2 sessions I taught ( very loose use of that word!) at last week’s Womens’ Weekend Retreat.
These were my notes for the two programs:
One talk was called DREAM BIG, the other HOW TO WRITE A BOOK. That second one sounds a little pretentious, but it really wasn’t!
The Dream Big session was about how we, as women of a certain age ( read: menopausal and above) have tended to place our hopes and dreams on the back burners so our families, spouses, and everyone else can see fit to fulfill their hearts’ desires. I gave reasons why we do this, why we put ourselves last, why we never reach for the brass ring when we get to a certain age.
Then I told the group why they were all wrong to do that.
Yeah, that went over big.
Using myself and many other much more well-known women as examples, I showed how it didn’t matter what age you’d reached in life, you could still fulfill the dream of your heart. You just had to believe you could make it come true and start figuring out ways you could, right away. Then I showed them what those ways were.
That went over a little better.
The second talk was basically an overview of how to get from idea to published. This talk was packed and it did my little heart so good to see so many women had a story to tell. And what stories they were!!
I could have used two or more hours on this session because the women had sosososos many great questions.
Now, the point of this blog was to talk about public speaking and how much I abhor it. I know people always smirk and lift their eyebrows in wonder when I say that because, well, I talk all the time. A lot. I’ll talk to a rock if no one else is around. But talking one-on-one with someone is sososososos much easier than having to get up in a group and deliver an erudite message.
And the last word anyone can associate me with is erudite. Look it up if you don’t know what it means.
But…
I sucked up my nerves and luckily there were a few women I knew personally in the groups, so that made my whole speaking to strangers anxiety abate a tad. What I truly did was just have a conversation with the women. Not a talk, well, not a classroom-like one, anyway, Just a basic back and forth interchange of ideas and questions.
This I could do. Easily.
And– yowza– I did! It was…fun. Much more so than I’d originally thought. In truth, anytime you get a group of women of a certain age in a room together, the exchange of thoughts, ideas, information, and laughs is soul-elevating.
So, if they ask me to come back again next year I….might. I’ll certainly reboot my “talks” and make some changes, but I think I might be okay doing it again. I didn’t fall flat on my face, cry, or speak in tongues from nerves, so those are all positives, right??
When I’m not having anxiety attacks about public speaking you can find me here:
Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me// Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me//
So I promised you I’d give you a little insight into the 2 sessions I taught ( very loose use of that word!) at last week’s Womens’ Weekend Retreat.
These were my notes for the two programs:
One talk was called DREAM BIG, the other HOW TO WRITE A BOOK. That second one sounds a little pretentious, but it really wasn’t!
The Dream Big session was about how we, as women of a certain age ( read: menopausal and above) have tended to place our hopes and dreams on the back burners so our families, spouses, and everyone else can see fit to fulfill their hearts’ desires. I gave reasons why we do this, why we put ourselves last, why we never reach for the brass ring when we get to a certain age.
Then I told the group why they were all wrong to do that.
Yeah, that went over big.
Using myself and many other much more well-known women as examples, I showed how it didn’t matter what age you’d reached in life, you could still fulfill the dream of your heart. You just had to believe you could make it come true and start figuring out ways you could, right away. Then I showed them what those ways were.
That went over a little better.
The second talk was basically an overview of how to get from idea to published. This talk was packed and it did my little heart so good to see so many women had a story to tell. And what stories they were!!
I could have used two or more hours on this session because the women had sosososos many great questions.
Now, the point of this blog was to talk about public speaking and how much I abhor it. I know people always smirk and lift their eyebrows in wonder when I say that because, well, I talk all the time. A lot. I’ll talk to a rock if no one else is around. But talking one-on-one with someone is sososososos much easier than having to get up in a group and deliver an erudite message.
And the last word anyone can associate me with is erudite. Look it up if you don’t know what it means.
But…
I sucked up my nerves and luckily there were a few women I knew personally in the groups, so that made my whole speaking to strangers anxiety abate a tad. What I truly did was just have a conversation with the women. Not a talk, well, not a classroom-like one, anyway, Just a basic back and forth interchange of ideas and questions.
This I could do. Easily.
And– yowza– I did! It was…fun. Much more so than I’d originally thought. In truth, anytime you get a group of women of a certain age in a room together, the exchange of thoughts, ideas, information, and laughs is soul-elevating.
So, if they ask me to come back again next year I….might. I’ll certainly reboot my “talks” and make some changes, but I think I might be okay doing it again. I didn’t fall flat on my face, cry, or speak in tongues from nerves, so those are all positives, right??
When I’m not having anxiety attacks about public speaking you can find me here:
Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me// Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me//
September 23, 2016
Proud Mama....
to see images click https://peggyjaeger.com/2016/09/23/pr...
Yesterday, my niece and nephew had school pictures taken, one of those rights of passage I miss now that my own daughter is an adult.
Anyway. ..
My sister-and brother-in-law both posted the picture of the two kids as they were leaving for school on their facebook pages and texted them to family members so we could see how great they both looked. My niece, as always, is just stunning. Truly. She is already a blonde beauty just like her mother. My nephew also looked stunning. He is one handsome little gent, made more so yesterday because he wore a tuxedo to picture day. Why, you ask? I did too, and My S-I-L told me he wanted to wear one so he’d look good, so they rented one for his size.
Really, too adorable for words.
Apparently, on his FB page, under the picture, my bro-in-law put a caption that read a little like this: Bond, James Bond and a beautiful Bond girl. ( Not an exact quote, but mostly.)
I thought: “How cute.”
My daughter, who happens to be this niece’s God Mother, commented, “*** ( My niece’s name, which I am not going to publicize because she is just a kid!) is not a Bond Girl. She’s the next M.”
LOL!
Truly, you know you have raised an amazeballs daughter when she puts something like that into the universe! Proud never seems to be an adequate descriptor for me when I talk about her. Amazing. Empowering. Powerful. Intuitive. Brilliant. All those and many more are better descriptions of the human being she is.
So, for all those mamas who have raised amazeballs daughters who are actually making a difference in the world’s perceptions and thoughts about females : God Bless and Congrats!!!
Yesterday, my niece and nephew had school pictures taken, one of those rights of passage I miss now that my own daughter is an adult.
Anyway. ..
My sister-and brother-in-law both posted the picture of the two kids as they were leaving for school on their facebook pages and texted them to family members so we could see how great they both looked. My niece, as always, is just stunning. Truly. She is already a blonde beauty just like her mother. My nephew also looked stunning. He is one handsome little gent, made more so yesterday because he wore a tuxedo to picture day. Why, you ask? I did too, and My S-I-L told me he wanted to wear one so he’d look good, so they rented one for his size.
Really, too adorable for words.
Apparently, on his FB page, under the picture, my bro-in-law put a caption that read a little like this: Bond, James Bond and a beautiful Bond girl. ( Not an exact quote, but mostly.)
I thought: “How cute.”
My daughter, who happens to be this niece’s God Mother, commented, “*** ( My niece’s name, which I am not going to publicize because she is just a kid!) is not a Bond Girl. She’s the next M.”
LOL!
Truly, you know you have raised an amazeballs daughter when she puts something like that into the universe! Proud never seems to be an adequate descriptor for me when I talk about her. Amazing. Empowering. Powerful. Intuitive. Brilliant. All those and many more are better descriptions of the human being she is.
So, for all those mamas who have raised amazeballs daughters who are actually making a difference in the world’s perceptions and thoughts about females : God Bless and Congrats!!!
September 18, 2016
Loneliness....
to see images, click on this link: https://peggyjaeger.com/2016/09/18/lo...
I was out for the day with my besties yesterday. Love that. Just a day of girlfriends, shopping, eating, and laughing.
One of my girls mentioned she was at a conference recently where this question was posed: What is the number one disease afflicting the world today? My first thought was heart disease. NO. My second guess was mental illness? NO, but closer.
Turns out, the number one disease afflicting a great majority of the world we live in is loneliness.
When you think about it, it kinda rings true. Because I’m so egocentric(!LOL) I immediately thought about my life as it stands now as a full-time writer.
Here’s a quick snapshot of my routine day for clarification. I get up anywhere from 3am-4am due to this chronic insomnia I have. Hubman is still asleep so I either write a little or watch a little OnDemand Real Housewives episodes that I’ve missed. Get him up for work a few hours later. He leaves and most days is gone for between 12 and 13 hours. I do one of two things: go to the gym first or just start writing.
If I don’t go to the gym there are days when I will not speak to or interact with another human being until my husband returns home. That’s approximately half my waking day without human interaction. Without speaking to someone, hearing their voice, engaging them in dialogue. More than half. One of the reasons I joined a gym was so that I had a reason to get out of the house and be around people for a few hours a day and not just sit at home, typing, and being alone for hours upon end. Believe me, if I didn’t consciously go out of the house, I could sosososo be a hermit and never see or hear another person. Not good for someone like me who makes their bread and butter creating relationships between people. I need to see people, hear them, watch them, and talk to them so that my characters feel and sound real to readers.
Well, you troll on Facebook and Pinterest and Twitter you’ll say. That’s social interaction. Yes, to a point. But nothing can replace looking into someone’s face when you are speaking with them, drawing them in with your expressions, your spoken voice, looking directly into their eyes so that you actually connect with them. Nothing. You don’t get that from hitting a “like” on facebook, or “Re-Tweeting” something on twitter. You just don’t.
Again, you will say, but Skype and Facetime, and other mechanical apps where you can look at the person you are speaking to over the device, face to face, is social interaction. Again, yes, to a point. It’s similar, but just not the same as sitting across from someone in a coffeehouse, being able to hold their hand when they’re sad, or run a comforting caress up their arm; or sharing a meal with someone in a restaurant and actually engaging them, eye to eye, face to face, in a conversation that actually has substance, value. and meaning. Nothing.
To most – if not all – writers, being alone is just part of the job. We need the alone time to settle our thoughts, run them through without interruptions, figure out the next scene in silence. Like I said, being alone is part and parcel of the job.
But loneliness is very different from being alone. Being alone has a purpose. You need quiet to focus, to create, to bring forth coherent thoughts on the page. Being lonely is a result. A negative result of an event, or simply just happenstance of life. A spouse dies and your family lives far away and doesn’t visit. You’ve worked all your life and now retirement comes and you realize you don’t have many friends or family members to spend time with. You’ve gotten divorced, moved, experienced a trauma. Anything and everything can contribute to a state of loneliness.
Humans are social animals. We talk, we laugh, we cry, we touch, we love, we communicate with words and without. We need interaction. We crave the company of another, and when we are isolated or unable to interact with others, severe, depressing, heart-wrenching feelings of loneliness can surface and destroy us.
So, like me, if you are alone a lot, do something that gets you out of the house, even for an hour. Be with people. Go grab a cup of coffee and a bagel. Call up someone you know is sitting at home alone and drag them out with you. Smile. Engage with the world and the wonderful people in it. Don’t give loneliness a chance to develop, grow, and fester.
I am home a lot, that’s true. So if I don’t see you at Panera’s (lol) or the Gym, here’s where you can find me:Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me// Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me//
I was out for the day with my besties yesterday. Love that. Just a day of girlfriends, shopping, eating, and laughing.
One of my girls mentioned she was at a conference recently where this question was posed: What is the number one disease afflicting the world today? My first thought was heart disease. NO. My second guess was mental illness? NO, but closer.
Turns out, the number one disease afflicting a great majority of the world we live in is loneliness.
When you think about it, it kinda rings true. Because I’m so egocentric(!LOL) I immediately thought about my life as it stands now as a full-time writer.
Here’s a quick snapshot of my routine day for clarification. I get up anywhere from 3am-4am due to this chronic insomnia I have. Hubman is still asleep so I either write a little or watch a little OnDemand Real Housewives episodes that I’ve missed. Get him up for work a few hours later. He leaves and most days is gone for between 12 and 13 hours. I do one of two things: go to the gym first or just start writing.
If I don’t go to the gym there are days when I will not speak to or interact with another human being until my husband returns home. That’s approximately half my waking day without human interaction. Without speaking to someone, hearing their voice, engaging them in dialogue. More than half. One of the reasons I joined a gym was so that I had a reason to get out of the house and be around people for a few hours a day and not just sit at home, typing, and being alone for hours upon end. Believe me, if I didn’t consciously go out of the house, I could sosososo be a hermit and never see or hear another person. Not good for someone like me who makes their bread and butter creating relationships between people. I need to see people, hear them, watch them, and talk to them so that my characters feel and sound real to readers.
Well, you troll on Facebook and Pinterest and Twitter you’ll say. That’s social interaction. Yes, to a point. But nothing can replace looking into someone’s face when you are speaking with them, drawing them in with your expressions, your spoken voice, looking directly into their eyes so that you actually connect with them. Nothing. You don’t get that from hitting a “like” on facebook, or “Re-Tweeting” something on twitter. You just don’t.
Again, you will say, but Skype and Facetime, and other mechanical apps where you can look at the person you are speaking to over the device, face to face, is social interaction. Again, yes, to a point. It’s similar, but just not the same as sitting across from someone in a coffeehouse, being able to hold their hand when they’re sad, or run a comforting caress up their arm; or sharing a meal with someone in a restaurant and actually engaging them, eye to eye, face to face, in a conversation that actually has substance, value. and meaning. Nothing.
To most – if not all – writers, being alone is just part of the job. We need the alone time to settle our thoughts, run them through without interruptions, figure out the next scene in silence. Like I said, being alone is part and parcel of the job.
But loneliness is very different from being alone. Being alone has a purpose. You need quiet to focus, to create, to bring forth coherent thoughts on the page. Being lonely is a result. A negative result of an event, or simply just happenstance of life. A spouse dies and your family lives far away and doesn’t visit. You’ve worked all your life and now retirement comes and you realize you don’t have many friends or family members to spend time with. You’ve gotten divorced, moved, experienced a trauma. Anything and everything can contribute to a state of loneliness.
Humans are social animals. We talk, we laugh, we cry, we touch, we love, we communicate with words and without. We need interaction. We crave the company of another, and when we are isolated or unable to interact with others, severe, depressing, heart-wrenching feelings of loneliness can surface and destroy us.
So, like me, if you are alone a lot, do something that gets you out of the house, even for an hour. Be with people. Go grab a cup of coffee and a bagel. Call up someone you know is sitting at home alone and drag them out with you. Smile. Engage with the world and the wonderful people in it. Don’t give loneliness a chance to develop, grow, and fester.
I am home a lot, that’s true. So if I don’t see you at Panera’s (lol) or the Gym, here’s where you can find me:Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me// Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me//
September 14, 2016
When rejection turns to acceptance…
to see images click on https://peggyjaeger.com/2016/09/13/wh...
At RWA16 I was delighted to sit in on a seminar by the wonderful Christie Craig. She spoke of her years of hard work in trying to get published and her disappointment with each rejection letter she received. Like her, I can relate. Over the years I’ve probably had enough rejections from editors and literary agents to fill a suitcase. Well, Christie Craig did. Fill a suitcase. And she brought it along with her to the seminar to illustrate just how many pieces of paper with her work rejected she’d received over the years.
I have to tell you it was eye opening.
I’ve always joked I’ve been rejected more times than there are books in the library. But I threw those rejection letters away and never thought about them again. This is my little psychological quirky way of dealing with unpleasant issues: out of sight, out of mind. Hey, it works for me.
Christie did not toss away her rejections. She saved them, accumulated them, stored them away so that one day she could take them out and say “Look. Look at what I had to suffer through to be a published author. Look at the fires I walked through to come out on the other side of my dream.”
Heady stuff.
She–and I–are not the only ones who’ve lived through mountains of rejections and so-called failures.
R.H. Macy, yes that MACY, started 7 failed businesses before finally hitting it big with his NYC-based store
Thomas Edison had 1000 unsuccessful light bulb inventions and attempts before one finally worked.
After Fred Astaire’s screen test, the studio director stated that Astaire, “can’t dance, can’t sing, is balding and can dance a little.”
Theodor Giesel, who the world lovingly knows as Dr Suess, had 27 publishers reject his first book.
Stephen King received 30 rejections of Carrie, one of the most iconic horror books and movies of all time.
Jack London’s first story received 600 rejection slips before being accepted.
Elvis Presley was told by the manager of the Grand Ol’ Opry, “you ain’t going nowhere, son. Go back to driving a truck.” He then fired him after only 1 performance.
Ever heard of Harland David Sanders? His secret recipe was rejected 1,009 times before a restaurant accepted it, coated their chicken with it and Kentucky Fried Chicken was born.
I could go on…and on. But won’t because you get the idea.
Hard work, perseverance, a backbone of steel, and total belief in yourself and what you have to offer is what differentiates a successful person from one who isn’t.
Think about it.
What are you going to do the next time you get rejected?
When I’m not being rejected(!), you can find me here:
Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me// Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me//
At RWA16 I was delighted to sit in on a seminar by the wonderful Christie Craig. She spoke of her years of hard work in trying to get published and her disappointment with each rejection letter she received. Like her, I can relate. Over the years I’ve probably had enough rejections from editors and literary agents to fill a suitcase. Well, Christie Craig did. Fill a suitcase. And she brought it along with her to the seminar to illustrate just how many pieces of paper with her work rejected she’d received over the years.
I have to tell you it was eye opening.
I’ve always joked I’ve been rejected more times than there are books in the library. But I threw those rejection letters away and never thought about them again. This is my little psychological quirky way of dealing with unpleasant issues: out of sight, out of mind. Hey, it works for me.
Christie did not toss away her rejections. She saved them, accumulated them, stored them away so that one day she could take them out and say “Look. Look at what I had to suffer through to be a published author. Look at the fires I walked through to come out on the other side of my dream.”
Heady stuff.
She–and I–are not the only ones who’ve lived through mountains of rejections and so-called failures.
R.H. Macy, yes that MACY, started 7 failed businesses before finally hitting it big with his NYC-based store
Thomas Edison had 1000 unsuccessful light bulb inventions and attempts before one finally worked.
After Fred Astaire’s screen test, the studio director stated that Astaire, “can’t dance, can’t sing, is balding and can dance a little.”
Theodor Giesel, who the world lovingly knows as Dr Suess, had 27 publishers reject his first book.
Stephen King received 30 rejections of Carrie, one of the most iconic horror books and movies of all time.
Jack London’s first story received 600 rejection slips before being accepted.
Elvis Presley was told by the manager of the Grand Ol’ Opry, “you ain’t going nowhere, son. Go back to driving a truck.” He then fired him after only 1 performance.
Ever heard of Harland David Sanders? His secret recipe was rejected 1,009 times before a restaurant accepted it, coated their chicken with it and Kentucky Fried Chicken was born.
I could go on…and on. But won’t because you get the idea.
Hard work, perseverance, a backbone of steel, and total belief in yourself and what you have to offer is what differentiates a successful person from one who isn’t.
Think about it.
What are you going to do the next time you get rejected?
When I’m not being rejected(!), you can find me here:
Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me// Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me//
September 11, 2016
Remembering....
Historical events and the dates that follow them seem to be seared into our memories for life. People can always tell you where they were the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated, or when our astronauts landed on the moon, or even the day Elvis died. The date, I feel, that is imprinted in the minds of all Americans for the past 15 years and for the next thousand and fifteen, is today, September 11, in the year 2001. The day we all realised that our God-given freedom comes with an exacting price.
I was sitting at work, the radio on, stocking supplies, when I heard about the first World Trade tower being hit. For a few minutes we all thought it was some horribly freak accident. The pilot suffered a heart attack, or the plane went haywire, or something – anything to explain such a tragedy.
Those thoughts went the way of the dinosaurs when the second plane hit… and then the Pentagon was attacked… and finally United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, Pa. Then,
Then, then we all knew it wasn’t a horrible mistake. Then, then we all knew we were at war and our world had changed.
Far too many words have already been devoted to why these heinous acts were perpetrated upon our land, upon our people, upon our beliefs and way of life, and I am not going to add any to the speculation on why.
My words are for the heroes that gave their lives that day. The heroes on the planes, especially flight 93; the heroes at the Pentagon; the first, second, and third responders who are everyday heroes but who showed the world what true heroes are made of when everyone was running away from the burning buildings and they were running toward them, trying to help, trying to save whoever they could. Trying to – as they would simply and humbly tell you – just do their jobs.
My words are for the survivors of the tragedies, who, to this day still, suffer the physical and psychological effects of an act of terrorism, the likes of which had never been seen before and hopefully never will again. Their countless days of agony and torment, of recuperation and recovery, of never-ending memories, are circumstances they wouldn’t wish on anyone else.
My words are for the families of those that gave their lives that day. Unborn children who will never know the scope of their father’s bravery, who never got the chance to meet them, show them how they were loved. Children who lost mothers, fathers, siblings, friends. Women who lost husbands and husbands who lost wives. Friends who lost people near and dear to them.
My words are simply this: I will never, never forget about you. My prayers, my wishes, my thoughts, are for you and with you. I will never forget the freedom we hold so dearly and so tightly, that we’ve fought for, for over 200 hundred years and still battle for to this day, comes with a price. A very exacting price in the sacrifice of our loved ones.
Many more words will be written and spoken today at memorial services, around dinner tables, in houses of worship. News media will broadcast a timeline of events. Some will have interviews with survivors or families of victims. Our country as a whole will mourn, once again, the day that changed our way of life. The day we came to realize freedom isn’t free. The day we recognized America can be battered and bruised, but will never, ever break.
Today, I will be remembering those courageous, unselfish people who gave their lives on a crystal clear blue skied cloudless day, 15 years ago.
Will you?
I was sitting at work, the radio on, stocking supplies, when I heard about the first World Trade tower being hit. For a few minutes we all thought it was some horribly freak accident. The pilot suffered a heart attack, or the plane went haywire, or something – anything to explain such a tragedy.
Those thoughts went the way of the dinosaurs when the second plane hit… and then the Pentagon was attacked… and finally United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, Pa. Then,
Then, then we all knew it wasn’t a horrible mistake. Then, then we all knew we were at war and our world had changed.
Far too many words have already been devoted to why these heinous acts were perpetrated upon our land, upon our people, upon our beliefs and way of life, and I am not going to add any to the speculation on why.
My words are for the heroes that gave their lives that day. The heroes on the planes, especially flight 93; the heroes at the Pentagon; the first, second, and third responders who are everyday heroes but who showed the world what true heroes are made of when everyone was running away from the burning buildings and they were running toward them, trying to help, trying to save whoever they could. Trying to – as they would simply and humbly tell you – just do their jobs.
My words are for the survivors of the tragedies, who, to this day still, suffer the physical and psychological effects of an act of terrorism, the likes of which had never been seen before and hopefully never will again. Their countless days of agony and torment, of recuperation and recovery, of never-ending memories, are circumstances they wouldn’t wish on anyone else.
My words are for the families of those that gave their lives that day. Unborn children who will never know the scope of their father’s bravery, who never got the chance to meet them, show them how they were loved. Children who lost mothers, fathers, siblings, friends. Women who lost husbands and husbands who lost wives. Friends who lost people near and dear to them.
My words are simply this: I will never, never forget about you. My prayers, my wishes, my thoughts, are for you and with you. I will never forget the freedom we hold so dearly and so tightly, that we’ve fought for, for over 200 hundred years and still battle for to this day, comes with a price. A very exacting price in the sacrifice of our loved ones.
Many more words will be written and spoken today at memorial services, around dinner tables, in houses of worship. News media will broadcast a timeline of events. Some will have interviews with survivors or families of victims. Our country as a whole will mourn, once again, the day that changed our way of life. The day we came to realize freedom isn’t free. The day we recognized America can be battered and bruised, but will never, ever break.
Today, I will be remembering those courageous, unselfish people who gave their lives on a crystal clear blue skied cloudless day, 15 years ago.
Will you?
August 30, 2016
The year of YES
to see images goes to https://peggyjaeger.com/2016/08/30/th...
I did a post at the beginning of this year, telling you all that I’d made 2016 the year of saying yes for me to things I don’t usually say yes to ( or even want to!) Thought I’d give you an update on how that’s going.
yes
I said yes to attending a woman’s expo earlier in the year as a vendor when an old friend asked me to. I was allowed to have my own “booth”, set up to sell copies of my books. This wasn’t a book conference, or a literary meeting, but an expo for women of all ages, all walks of like, and was filled with all things pertinent to, well, women. Life style coaches, diet, exercise gurus, local and national vendors alike all converged on my local college for the day. I figured if I sold one book I’d be happy. Didn’t sell one book…sold 50. Mostly to people I didn’t know ( so that’s a plus!) Very glad I said yes to my friend when she asked me to participate. Another reason I was happy I’d said yes was when the guy at the booth next to mine told he was the sponsor of a woman’s retreat weekend, coming up this September and he would be thrilled if I participated and maybe…wait for it…be a speaker. As a speaker, I’d also be able to sell my books during the weekend’s own trade/vendor show. Since this is the year of yes I said…Yes! I’ll let you know how it goes after it’s over next month.
yes2
Even though I retired from my job last year so I could write full time, I said yes to going back for a few months to help my old office out with a problem. Because I knew there was an end-date on that “yes” I was happy to help out and actually had a good time interacting with my old patients and my crew. I really don’t think I need to tell you how happy my husband was when I said yes to this, since I would be getting paid for my time!
yes1
I was asked to be a judge in our annual Keene Dancing with Stars and said yes – and was sosososo happy I did. I had oodles of fun and made some new friends.
I attended RWA in July ( you know that!) and this year when the call went out for volunteers to work the conference I said…yes. So glad I did because I got to chat up some of my all time favorite authors, like Jill Shalvis and Kristan Higgins, in a casual, fun-filled, no stress-sweat situation.
Remember my friend who asked me to participate in the woman’s expo? She also asked me to participate in this year’s Taste of Home Cooking show that will be happening this October at our high school, and again, I said yes, because I get to sell my books to the 600-800 participants this event usually sees attend. More on that after October, but another good reason to say yes to something I’d rather avoid – crowds!!!
Here’s where you can find me when I’m not saying yes!:
Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me// Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me//
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I did a post at the beginning of this year, telling you all that I’d made 2016 the year of saying yes for me to things I don’t usually say yes to ( or even want to!) Thought I’d give you an update on how that’s going.
yes
I said yes to attending a woman’s expo earlier in the year as a vendor when an old friend asked me to. I was allowed to have my own “booth”, set up to sell copies of my books. This wasn’t a book conference, or a literary meeting, but an expo for women of all ages, all walks of like, and was filled with all things pertinent to, well, women. Life style coaches, diet, exercise gurus, local and national vendors alike all converged on my local college for the day. I figured if I sold one book I’d be happy. Didn’t sell one book…sold 50. Mostly to people I didn’t know ( so that’s a plus!) Very glad I said yes to my friend when she asked me to participate. Another reason I was happy I’d said yes was when the guy at the booth next to mine told he was the sponsor of a woman’s retreat weekend, coming up this September and he would be thrilled if I participated and maybe…wait for it…be a speaker. As a speaker, I’d also be able to sell my books during the weekend’s own trade/vendor show. Since this is the year of yes I said…Yes! I’ll let you know how it goes after it’s over next month.
yes2
Even though I retired from my job last year so I could write full time, I said yes to going back for a few months to help my old office out with a problem. Because I knew there was an end-date on that “yes” I was happy to help out and actually had a good time interacting with my old patients and my crew. I really don’t think I need to tell you how happy my husband was when I said yes to this, since I would be getting paid for my time!
yes1
I was asked to be a judge in our annual Keene Dancing with Stars and said yes – and was sosososo happy I did. I had oodles of fun and made some new friends.
I attended RWA in July ( you know that!) and this year when the call went out for volunteers to work the conference I said…yes. So glad I did because I got to chat up some of my all time favorite authors, like Jill Shalvis and Kristan Higgins, in a casual, fun-filled, no stress-sweat situation.
Remember my friend who asked me to participate in the woman’s expo? She also asked me to participate in this year’s Taste of Home Cooking show that will be happening this October at our high school, and again, I said yes, because I get to sell my books to the 600-800 participants this event usually sees attend. More on that after October, but another good reason to say yes to something I’d rather avoid – crowds!!!
Here’s where you can find me when I’m not saying yes!:
Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me// Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me//
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