Peggy Jaeger's Blog, page 40

December 30, 2023

2023 goals/ 2024 goals…

It’s always fun for me to see where I started on January 1 and where I wound up on December 31 with regard to my writing and publishing goals.

2023’s goals started like this:

~ increase daily word counts to 2000-3k/day

~ increase Instagram traffic

~increase personal appearances

~ increase book sales ( e and print)

~establish ARC team

~ finish and pub. 8 books

~ increase webtraffic and subscribers

~generate exceptional Holiday 2023 revenue via webstore

So…how did I do? You decide.

~ increase daily word counts to 2000-3k/day. The reality is that I did 1500-2000 on most of the days I wrote, consecutively.

~ increase Instagram traffic. Started the year with 1626 subscribers. Today I have 1673. So, not bad,but nothing to write home about.

~increase personal appearances. I did 4 in 2022 and in 2023 I did 9

~ increase book sales ( e and print) The count is still out on this one, but I def. Increased in revenue from 2022 to 2023. I still can’t support myself, but my tax bracket changed, LOL

~establish ARC team. It’s a small one, but there are 6 readers I adore to whom I send all my books prior to publication. I would like to grow that to more people ( so if you’re interested, drop me a line, LOL).

~ finish and pub. 8 books. I had everything plotted out for 8 books, then my mother died and I lost a few months’ momentum. Ended up with: 6. Not bad, but not 8!

~ increase web traffic and subscribers. I track my follower numbers every month and I’ve decreased in some sites and increased on others.

~generate exceptional Holiday 2023 revenue via webstore. So I can tell you right now this was a bust. I only had 2 people order books from me via the site.

So…how did I do? You decide.

Now, for 2024’s goals:

~ write 6 books

~get an agent

~ get a traditional publishing contract for my non-fiction book

~ increase tiktok followers to 5K+

~increase print and e books sales

~do less marketing and more writing

~continue to learn new aspects of marketing on the cheap

~4 in-person events ( 2 large, 2 small)

~guest on podcasts

I’ll check back with you on December 31, 2024 so we can discuss how I did.

For now…

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on December 30, 2023 21:18

#Smashwords end of year sale!

Now is your best chance to find many of my indie author ebooks for FREE at @Smashwords as part of their End of Year Sale 2023! Find my books and many more here: SMASHWORDS through January 1!

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on December 30, 2023 01:21

December 27, 2023

2023 Reading Challenge

Every year I do the Goodreads reading challenge. Most years I surpass my goal. One horrible year I didn’t quite make it.

This year I set a goal of 75 books. Today I stand at:

Not bad!

I’m not sure I’m going to be able to read any more by the end of the year because…busy(!) but if I do, 93, isn’t bad either, lol.

Now I just have to figure out how many books I can get through for 2024…

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on December 27, 2023 00:17

December 25, 2023

December 26th…

Not gonna lie: yesterday was rough.

I understand that any first holiday after a loved one has died is hard to get through, but Christmas? The day when you celebrate family above all else? Yeah, hard doesn’t begin to describe it.

When I used to work in nursing, I typically volunteered to work on all the holidays for two reasons: #1 – overtime pay. As a single girl living in NYC, I always needed an influx of extra cash, so getting paid time and a half for the holiday shift was gold for me. Reason #2 was that I was that single girl living in NYC when all my co-workers were married with kids and families they wanted to spend time with on the holidays.

I never wanted to spend time with my family – such as it was – just my mother and stepfather, when I could make some badly needed extra cash. Besides, it was just the three of us, that long ago Easter ham incident killing the holiday dinners with my grandmother and aunt for evermore, and most times when we got together there would be some kind of emotional scene, argument, or something else and I wound up leaving, hurt, angry and pissed.

And I am horrified and so disappointed in my younger self that I felt that way.

It’s said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. By that definition, my family was insane as a unit because we did do the same thing over and over again whenever we got together. When it involved my grandmother or aunt, that insanity rose exponentially. So it wasn’t a three-day wonder why I chose to work a holiday instead of spending it sitting on the edge of my seat, just waiting for a bomb to explode while trying to eat an overcooked, inexpensive cut of meat and boiled potatoes.

Regrets are something I don’t allow myself because I’m savvy enough to understand you can’t change the past. You can only ensure the same thing doesn’t happen again in the future by changing your actions, reactions, or word choices. As I sit here thinking about how difficult yesterday was, I do have regrets about those past holidays where I bailed on my parents, though, opting to work instead of spending time with them. With the ignorance of youth, I never anticipated them dying. I knew they were going to. Someday. But that someday was a small nugget in the back of my brain.

If I had those times back, knowing what I know now, I would still work some holidays, but not every single one. Yes, the money was needed and appreciated. Student loans, rent money, food, and basic needs were helped to be paid with the time and half pay. But I could have skipped a shift or two if I knew doing so would make my mother happy and give me a chance to maybe divert her emotional demons toward some positive outlooks.

And this is why I don’t do regrets- because the anxiety and sadness that typically develops when I consider what I should have done instead of what I did, takes an emotional toll on me and hits me hard.

Just as hard as yesterday was to get through….

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on December 25, 2023 21:32

December 24, 2023

A message from me…

Most of you know I live in a small town in New England. This is a picture of our town square taken by photographer Jeffery Newcomer. It’s the perfect depiction of small-town America that I write about in my romance stories.

Today, on this most joyous of the Christian calendar days, I wish you – all of you – joy, peace, love, light, health, and above all, happiness. It’s often said that one person’s actions can change the world, so today, while the world struggles with hate, war, depression, and disillusion, I ask you all to love one another. No matter your race, creed, or religion. Just simply…love one another.

I’ve found that love is easily spread from person to person if you just try.

So please: try.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, my friends. May you all know happiness and love today, and every day from here on ~ Peg

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on December 24, 2023 21:13

December 23, 2023

12 Days of Holiday movies, day 12

You knew this was gonna be the last one, didn’t you? My favorite holiday movie because the message of love, family, faith, and angels is sosososo strong and unabashedly sappy!!! I adore this movie. I think I’ve seen it at least 100 times over the years.

George Bailey has so many problems he is thinking about ending it all – and it’s Christmas! As the angels discuss George, we see his life in flashback. As George is about to jump from a bridge, he ends up rescuing his guardian angel, Clarence – who then shows George what his town would have looked like if it hadn’t been for all his good deeds over the years.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on December 23, 2023 21:10

December 22, 2023

12 Days of Holiday Movies, day 11

Come on…who doesn’t love this movie??

When Charlie Brown complains about the overwhelming materialism that he sees amongst everyone during the Christmas season, Lucy suggests that he become director of the school Christmas pageant. Charlie Brown accepts, but is a frustrating struggle. When an attempt to restore the proper spirit with a forlorn little fir Christmas tree fails, he needs Linus’ help to learn the meaning of Christmas.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on December 22, 2023 21:09

Gift a book…

When I was 8 years old my favorite present from Santa that year was a Webster’s Dictionary. Yeah. I know. I was that kind of kid, but let me run with this thought, okay?

So.

Dictionaries aside, BOOKS have always– and will always–be my favorite holiday present.

The year I got six brand new Trixie Beldon books I didn’t come out of my room for weeks on end.

The year Santa left the first four Nancy Drew Mysteries, I pretended to be sick when vacation was over so I didn’t have to go back to school. I wanted to stay home and just keep reading. My mother didn’t agree.

The year I graduated from college I gifted myself a set of Classics that included The Jane Austen novels, Gone With The Wind, and The Great Gatsby.

Needless to say, books are my go-to gift to get and give. When my daughter was small her “toy” pile was comprised of dolls and books. The older she got, the more books she received each year.

Giving a book as a gift – whether it’s fiction, non-fiction, a cookbook or a biography, means the person receiving the gift will have innumerable hours of reading pleasure. Flowers fade after a few days. Jewelry is nice, but aside from wedding rings, do you want to wear the same piece daily? Clothing is essential but how many of us really get pleasure out of an outfit after it is worn a few times?

Books can be read, re-read, re-appreciated, and re-evaluated. And they never get old. Paper may fade, but that’s the reason we have e-readers. Books impart wisdom and knowledge. Books can make you laugh, cry, get you angry, or make you happy. And books know no age limit to be gifted. You can give a baby a book that their parents will read to him/her, or you can give a senior citizen a book.

Books as gifts: it’s a good thing for the Holidays.

And (Shameless plug coming)  if you’re looking for some books to give as gifts and your gift-ee is a romance reader, give them one of mine ( or more!!!) You can find them all here: My Books

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on December 22, 2023 01:34

December 21, 2023

12 Days of Holiday Movies, day 10

The only movie where I ever truly liked Jack Black, lol

Dumped and depressed, English rose Iris agrees to swap homes with similarly unlucky in love Californian Amanda for a much-needed break. Iris finds herself in a palatial Hollywood mansion while Amanda navigates the lanes of a picture-perfect English village. Soon enough, both lovelorn ladies bump into local lads perfect for a romantic pick-me-up.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on December 21, 2023 21:05

December 20, 2023

12 Days of Holiday Movies, day 9

Truly, one of my favorite movies, not to mention Holiday movies, ever.

Nine intertwined stories examine the complexities of the one emotion that connects us all: love. Among the characters explored are David (Hugh Grant), the handsome newly elected British prime minister who falls for a young junior staffer (Martine McCutcheon), Sarah (Laura Linney), a graphic designer whose devotion to her mentally ill brother complicates her love life, and Harry (Alan Rickman), a married man tempted by his attractive new secretary.

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on December 20, 2023 21:02