Peggy Jaeger's Blog, page 43

#sundaySnippet 12.3.2023

Today’s Snippet is from my SanValentino holiday romcom, MISTLETOE, MOBSTERS, & MOZZARELLA.

Finding a body in the freezer of the family deli isn’t the way Madonna San Valentino planned to start her day.

Adding insult to injury, the investigating detective is the one guy she’s never been able to forget. After seven minutes of heaven in the back seat of his car when they were teenagers, Tony Roma skipped town without so much as a thanks for the memory.

Just when Madonna thinks the present situation can’t get any worse, Tony is ordered to go undercover at the deli to ferret out a killer. Forced to work together, she vows to keep their relationship cool and professional. But with the sexy, longing looks he tosses her at every turn, Madonna’s resolve is weakening.

With Christmas drawing closer and Tony’s investigation taking an unexpected turn, Madonna is at her wit’s end. Can she really be falling for him again? And will he wind up leaving her brokenhearted and alone like the last time?

Snippet:

By now on a normal business day, I’d already have re-stocked the shelves and display cabinets, gotten the sinks and prep areas ready, and put out the filled urns, milk and cups for our regular-grab-a-cup-of-coffee-on-the-way-to-work morning customers. Since Angelo had ordered me to touch nothing, I couldn’t occupy my time with any of those ordinary tasks. Even though we weren’t opening today, I hoped we would tomorrow, so I decided to get a jump on the stock ordering. With Christmas on the horizon, I needed to ensure we were fully prepared for the holiday onslaught.

Our supply list grew larger each day, something that warmed my mercenary shopkeeper’s heart. More supplies needed meant more things were being sold, which amounted to greater – here’s the mercenary part – profits.

A cold blast of icy air smacked me in the face when I opened the walk-in refrigerator/freezer where we stored our spoilable items. The usual mounds of deli meats and cheeses, salads, and produce lined the steel shelves from floor to ceiling in the refrigerated section. I ticked each item and the amount we had on hand off on a clipboard list I’d brought in with me. Then, I moved into the freezer to see if we needed to order any of the bigger meat items. As soon as I walked into the frigid area I tripped over something sticking out from between two of the metal shelves.

I reached out and braced myself against one of the shelf posts to keep from falling flat on my face and the clipboard fell from my hand. When I stooped to pick it up and find out what I’d stumbled over, it took me a moment to realize what it was.

A sneaker.

Black and white, it looked…familiar. Like I’d seen it in a magazine or a television ad.

I tracked the shoe from the sole, up across the laces—which were dirty, knotted, and speckled with little red droplets—all the way to the tongue.

Then my gaze traveled further. Up a jeans-clad lower leg.

“What the—”

I left the clipboard on the concrete floor and moved closer to the leg. I don’t think I realized, truly realized, what it was at first.

The one worker I hadn’t been able to notify, Chico, was flat on his back, his wrists bound and folded in his lap, a frosty mask of ice covering his face and something green sticking out of his mouth. A thin boning knife, the kind my father uses to clean fish, protruded from the center of his chest. Little frozen red and white icicles covered his t-shirt.

I may not scare easily, but the amount of times in my life I’ve encountered a dead—no, make that murdered body—can be counted on the fingers of one hand and still have 5 left over. A loud gasp blew through my cold lips as I sprinted back to the door. I needed to tell the cops what I’d found.

Now.

I flew out of the freezer then yanked the industrial refrigerator door open, shot through it, and barreled, full body, into a solid wall. The wall smelled, strangely, of citrus. I would have bounced back and hit the door if the tangy-smelling behemoth hadn’t reached out and, with a grip forged in steel, imprisoned me within hands as large as the ham my mother planned to serve for Christmas dinner in a few weeks.

Trapped and terrified—who wouldn’t be after finding a dead body?—I reacted in the instinctual flight or fight way we’re programmed to during danger.

My body chose fight.

One valuable lesson being the sibling routinely charged with breaking up brotherly scuffles has taught me, is how to get out of a death hold.

In a move I’d learned out of necessity I took a step forward instead of retreating like a person being held routinely would, bent my arms at the elbows, lifted them up, and then twisted them inward. The front of my forearms collided with my captor’s and when they did I pressed outward with every ounce of force in me.

The hold broke.

Before the giant could draw breath and grab me again, I lifted my arms, gripped him by the ears and hauled his head down to meet the knee I’d raised.

A loud, guttural groan reverberated around us.

And then several things happened at once.

The orange-smelling wall of a man sputtered, “Jesus Christ, Donna,” while he held his face in his hands.

My father’s furious “Madonna Violetta,” lifted to the ceiling at the same time

Angelo Rocconova’s “Holy Shit,” competed with both of them. Another besuited man I didn’t know stood behind the three of them, but he kept his mouth shut and simply stared at the guy I’d kneed.

Confused and breathing like I’d swam the length of the East River twice, my gaze bounced from my wide-eyed and worried father to a shocked and nervous Ange and then to the bent-at-the-waist colossus in front of me.

My throat bobbed up and down and the moisture in my mouth evaporated when the hulk lifted back to his full height, his piercing and furious gaze mating with mine.  As he’d stood tall I took a step backward, intent on running for the hills.  The now-closed steel refrigerator door barred me from making a quick exit.

Looking up at him, my pounding heart stopped cold in my chest.

I knew those eyes.

Intimately.

When they weren’t filled with anger and pain, like they were right now, I knew how captivating they could be. The palest of blue and heavily lashed, they tilted up a tiny bit at the corners. Jealousy ramped through me. How unfair was it a man was gifted eyes like this when I’d been cursed with the most dull and boring brown color ever blended?

Light hair, a mix of natural honey and wheat husks, straight and clipped short covered his head. Shoulders spanning almost as wide as the doorframe were covered by a dark tan sports jacket, the pants a deeper hue of the same color palette.

“Donna,” Angelo said, his voice thick with fear, “why’d you attack Detective Roma?”

 “I didn’t attack…wait? Detective?”

I tried to lick some moisture back into my lips but my salivary glands had gone dormant during the flight or fight response. I glanced at each of the men standing in front of me, stopping last on the one Ange had referred to as a detective.

With one hand still cupping his jaw where my knee connected, the man pierced me with his gorgeous gaze, and just like I had when I’d been seventeen and climbed into the back seat of his brand new Z8, I lost what little sanity I still had.

“Hey Donna,” Tony Roma said, shaking his head. “Long time and all. I see you’re still as sweet and mild mannered as ever.”

I love a meet-cute like this, hee hee!!!

#fridayfive 12.1.2023

So this might be a little early, but since it’s December 1st, I figured, why not?

Today’s Friday Five are my 5 favorite holiday movies.

#5 Charlie Brown Christmas. I’m old enough to remember seeing this the very first time it was ever televised! Lovelovelove!

# 4 The Holiday. The only Jack Black movie I ever saw where I actually liked him!!!

#3 Love, Actually. One of my top 10 movies of all time no matter that it’s Christmas. From the beginning of the opening credits to the final ones, this movie is perfection.

#2 The Family Stone. I love Diane Keaton and she is at her absolute best in this movie about death, dying, and the power of family bonds.

#1 It’s a Wonderful Life. There’s a little George Banks in all of us!!! Again, this Frank Capra movie is perfection from the first reel to the end credits!

Stick around in December – I’m going to do 12 blogs about my favorite 12 movies of the holiday season.

~ Peg

#wednesdaywisdom 11.29.2023

I posted this yesterday on my other accounts as a thought for the day, but it spoke to me to use it as a #wednesdaywisdom today.

When imposter syndrome rolls around, this quote helps calm me, especially the failure part of it.
In Arnold Swarzeneggars’s new book BE USEFUL, he quotes this, referencing the first time he ever lost a bodybuilding competition. He was crushed because he’d never lost one before that time. After a small pity party, he vowed to win the next one. Through hard work, dedication, and always keeping his eye on the goal, he not only won the next one, he went on to win dozens after that.
A one-star review for one of my books, or the days when I just can’t seem to get any useable words on the page, and I remember this quote. And after my own pity party, I rededicate myself to the goal, stay focused, and put in the work.
How do you cope with losses/disappointments/loss of focus? I’d really like to know.
bodybuilding

#tuesdaytease 11.28.2023

So today’s little tease is actually a pictorial.

Let me explain…

I’m doing NANOWRIMO and the book I’m currently penning for it is book 2 in my HEAVEN’S MATCHMAKER series, LOVE MATCH ( Layla and Cody).

I want to show you the Pinterest board I have for this book because it explains so much about the work in progress. Click here to see the images I’ve got in there now: LAYLA AND CODY

Here’s the blurb-in-progress, too, so you can get a feel for the plot line. (Remember – work in progress!!! LOL)

Running away from a public scandal may be considered cowardly, but to Layla Warton it’s the perfect plan.

After her politically connected fiancé is indicted for embezzlement, bribery, and taking kickbacks from less-than-savory businessmen, Layla wants to put the public ridicule and shame of her guilty-by-association status behind her and move forward with her life. Not easy to do when all her supposed friends and supporters abandoned her and the taint of scandal-adjacent destroys the successful business and life she’s fostered for herself.

Happy childhood memories and the blessing of a local friend push her toward the tiny New England town of Heaven where she spent summers with her loving grandmother.

With the paparazzi on her tale, an ancient family home she needs to get livable, and a contractor too handsome for her sanity, Layla worries she’ll never be able to get her old life back again.

But would that really be such a bad thing?

Intrigued? LOL. I know I am.

And before this one’s ready, I invite you to read the first in the series: MIX AND MATCH ( Jasmine and Donovan) The ebook is on sale until Christmas for just 99 cents.

Happy reading and Happy Tuesday, kids!

#Cybermonday ebook deals!

Christmas in the tiny town of Dickens is a magical place! Today, on Cyber Monday, I’m placing all my DICKENS SERIES Romance ebooks on sale for just 99 cents each. You can stuff your Kindle with the Dorrit’s Diner books for less than a latte at Starbucks!

And if you’re into print versions, just a reminder that my catalog is available via my WEBSITE HOLIDAY BOOK STORE.

Take advantage of these great savings. Books make great gifts – for the romance reader on your holiday list and for YOU!

#Romancingthegenres Meet the folks of Dickens and Dorrit’s Diner #holidayromcom #amblogging

With all the hoopla of Thanksgiving and then shopping, I forgot to post that yesterday was my turn over on Romancing the Genres. This month’s topic was holiday-oriented and what better way to talk about the upcoming holiday season than to tell you about my Dickens Holiday Romance additions?

Here’s a copy of the post. Enjoy:

https://romancingthegenres.blogspot.com/2023/11/dont-mess-with-mistletoe-by-peggy-jaeger.html

#Romancingthegenres Meet the folks of Dickens and Dorrit’s Diner #holidayromcom #amblogging

With all the hoopla of Thanksgiving and then shopping, I forgot to post that yesterday was my turn over on Romancing the Genres. This month’s topic was holiday-oriented and what better way to talk about the upcoming holiday season than to tell you about my Dickens Holiday Romance additions?

Here’s a copy of the post. Enjoy:

https://romancingthegenres.blogspot.com/2023/11/dont-mess-with-mistletoe-by-peggy-jaeger.html

#SmallSaturday #Smallbusinesssaturday

Did you know – or realize – that Independent authors are actually small business owners? Their business is their books – specifically, the sale of them to readers.

Today, on SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY, please consider supporting Indie Authors by purchasing their books as gifts for the readers on your holiday list – or even yourself.

As an Independent Author, I have my own online HOLIDAY BOOK STORE where you can purchase books directly from me, eliminating the middleman – and middleman fees for service!

I have most of my catalog available for purchase, here: 2023 Website Store

The store is only open until 12.15.2023 so I can have time to ship books without charging more for rush shipping.

Today is an important day for many indie authors – we can do a year’s worth of sales on Small Business Saturday, so please, consider supporting us and making your holiday shopping experience an easy and pleasant one!

A #Bookthrone #blackfriday2023 sale!

I’m always thrilled when one of my books is featured in a BOOKTHRONE sale. Today and for 5 days only, Bookthrone if have a Black Friday Book Fair.

Check out these FREE & HUGELY DISCOUNTED eBooks. That’s not all… we’re giving away an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite + a $250 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky Book Throne reader.

My DICKENS HOLIDAY ROMANCE, FIXING CHRISTMAS, is featured. The book is On sale now for only #99cents in the ecopy.

Christmas has never filled writer Abra Charles with undiluted pleasure. If you’d been left on a doorstep on Christmas Eve morning, you might have a few issues with the holiday as well.

Abra’s avoided her hometown of Dickens for the past twenty Christmas seasons, but now she’s returned in an attempt to get her writing mojo back. Twice-divorced and with her third engagement ending in heartbreak, anger, and blackmail, Abra is now six months behind on submitting her current book. She hopes renting Copperfield House and immersing herself in solitude will cure her writer’s block and get her life back on track. The house she rents isn’t helping her achieve her goal, though, as one thing after another breaks, collapses, or floods.

Colton Bree, Dickens’ very own Mr. FixIt, can’t help but wonder if the new resident of Copperfield House is cursed. After being called to repair a broken window, he’s then needed to fix an exploding coffeepot, an overrunning toilet, and a washing machine that has a mind of its own. Bree doesn’t mind all the unexpected repair jobs, though, because the sexy renter is something to look at despite being a little neurotic and a whole lot of snarky.

Can Abra get her book done with all the distractions and craziness of her life, the biggest distraction being the flannelled hunk with the bedroom eyes and scowling yet oh-so-kissable mouth? Or will Dickens’ Mr FixIt have to step in and save the day and in so doing, fix Christmas for Abra forever?

Enter to win here: BOOKTHRONEBOOKFAIR

#BLACKFRIDAY ebook sales! #booksasgifts #Earlyshopping

BLACK FRIDAY is the standard start of the shopping season ( although I start in July, lol!) To help you with your gift list, I’m putting most of the ebooks in my catalog on sale for just #99cents. You can gift the romance reader on your list with the entire NYC Socialites series for less than $4.00 – or to put it in perspective – less than a cup of designer coffee at Starbucks, or a meal at McDonalds! Or you can stock up on your own winter reading! No one says you can’t give yourself a little gift, too!

Here’s the link to my AMAZON page with the book details: PEGGY JAEGER, AUTHOR

Don’t forget- I’ve also got my ONLINE HOLIDAY BOOKSTORE open for you to order PRINT copies of my titles as well. The order form is here: HBS

I love shopping from the privacy and ease of my bed!!! Do you? If so, here’s your chance to take advantage of some great book price deals.

Happy shopping, kids! ~ Peg