Peggy Jaeger's Blog, page 50

Cover reveal coming soon for DON’T MESS WITH THE MISTLETOE: A DICKENS HOLIDAY ROMANCE (book 18)

It’s that time of year: holiday book release season. I’m part of the Dickens Holiday Romance series once again and this year my contribution is DON’T MESS WITH THE MISTLETOE, Michael Charles’ story.

It’s the holiday season in the tiny town of Dickens and pilot Michael Charles is home for his annual visit.  His wanderlust has him itching to get back up in the skies as soon as possible, especially since he’s got a full schedule of rich and famous clients waiting to be transported to warm, exotic locales for the winter.

When his heavily pregnant sisters present him with a plan to give their workaholic mother some time off from managing the family diner, he balks. But one look at how tired the woman who took him into her home and heart is, and Michael agrees to run Dorrit’s Diner for a month so Amy Charles can get some well-deserved rest.

He’ll be back in the skies by the New Year.

The diner staff functions like a well-oiled machine, most of them long-term employees. The exception is new waitress Julia Maryland. The beautiful blonde has a past filled with heartache, a charming six-year-old daughter, and a smile Michael could spend the day getting lost in. But starting a relationship with her wouldn’t be wise because his visit is temporary and Julia seems like a permanent kind of girl.

When a family emergency requires him to rethink and reassess his life, Michael wonders if it’s time he becomes a permanent kind of man.

The complete cover will be revealed – along with the preorder link – on October 1st.

7 new stories will be added to the DICKENS HOLIDAY ROMANCE series this year, starting with mine on 11.2.2023.

DON’T MESS WITH THE MISTLETOE by Peggy Jaeger

Pilot Michael Charles is more comfortable up in the skies than on the ground. Waitress Julia Maryland has her feet planted firmly in Dickens.

Will a family emergency make Michael trade his vagabond lifestyle for a permanent one…with Julia?

KRINGLE ALL THE WAY by Judy Kentrus

Freja Sorensen is content baking prize-winning Kringle…until Axel Frost opens a hobby shop in Dickens.

Once a loving couple, they’d both suffered the pain of betrayal and heartbreak.

Is it possible Christmas is a time for forgiveness and maybe a second chance at love?

A SONG FOR CHRISTMAS by Lori DiAnni

Music teacher, Noelle Daniels, needs the perfect song for the annual Christmas fundraiser.

Rising country star, Matthew Carter, needs inspiration to write his next big hit and finds it in the small town of Dickens.

As they co-chair the school’s Christmas play, will they realize they make perfect music together?

A VERY MERRY MONDAY by Gracie Guy

What happens when you force together two competitive co-workers from the metro-New York area by assigning them to an offsite location in a charming New England town just weeks before Christmas? Bets get made, skiing accidents happen, sparks fly, and walls crumble. Is it coincidence or the magic of Dickens?

GAMES OF LOVE by Morgan Malone

It’s been a year of change.

Ruth adopted her best friend’s little girl and moved from Chicago to Dickens needing her family’s support. Bo’s job brought him from Texas, with hope for a new beginning to ease his grief. They’re not looking for love, but Hanukkah is all about miracles.

CHRISTMAS AT NORTH HILL by Jan Scarbrough

Sparks flew from the moment they met, but Joni’s independence has Chris wondering if he’s enough for her. Joni knows God loves her, but is she ready for a different kind of love? Can Joni and Chris discover that, just like Christmas presents, love comes wrapped in many packages?

STAGING CHRISTMAS by Kathryn Hills

A comeback queen with a tarnished tiara. A computer nerd in over his head. All it takes is a car crash, a rescue dog, and a century-old ski lodge to make them believe in holiday magic.

#fridayfive 9.21.23

I will be at Books Books Books 2023 tomorrow in Lititz, PA, signing, selling, and talking about my books to wonderful readers of romance, and all genres of fiction.

Here are 5 reasons why I think you should come out and see me (LOL, such narcissism!!!)

You can not only meet me, you can meet over 70+ authors I’ll have all these books available for purchase and signing.

3. Books make great gifts and the holidays are coming! Giving a reader a signed copy of their newest release is a great gift.

4. It’s a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon, especially since I heard it’s going to rain, hee hee.

5. Free stuff, free tote bag, swag, lunch trucks, raffle basket prizes!

Here’s the link to the FB group: BBB

here’s the link to the event: BBB

6 months today…

August 18, 2023

6 months today.

I’d like to say it’s gone by quickly.

I’d like to say I’ve started moving on from my grief and guilt.

I’d like to say I’ve accepted everything that happened and am now at peace with it.

I’d like to say I still don’t have periods where I suddenly burst into tears, or feel my heart pounding like a drum line marching o n a football field.

I’d like to say I am moving on. That I’m not paralyzed at times with indecision, or making choices I will either come to regret or instantly do.

I’d really like to say my life has finally gotten manageable again.

But I can’t.

I can’t say any of those things and be telling the truth.

What I can say is that I am taking it one day – sometimes one hour – at a time.

What I can say, truthfully, is that talking about it helps. Saying my feelings aloud not only validates them but fills me with a strange sense of purpose.

What I can say, is that each day is slightly better than the day before.

What I’ll never be able to say is that I don’t miss my mother.

Because I do. Every hour of every day.

Despite our tortured relationship…maybe even because of it…I miss her.

Terribly.

I miss the crazy malapropisms she unconsciously made almost daily.

I miss the way she’d ask me a thousand questions about the same thing.

I miss you she referred to herself in third person when she was speaking hypothetically.

Does it make me sound crazy to say I miss fighting with her? Verbally sparring with her? Getting her to understand a different point of view than just hers?

I’m sad she only got to meet her great-grandson once.

I’m sad she’ll never meet her great-granddaughter when she arrives this winter.

I’m sad she’s not around to cook for anymore.

I’m just…sad.

6 months today.

The time flew by in a blink and yet dragged mercilessly.

6 months today…

Books Book Book 2023 FB takeover! 9.18.2023

Tomorrow, 9.18,2023, I’ll be taking over the Facebook Page of BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS 2023 at 7pm EST. I’m an attending author for this wonderful event, taking place on September 23rd, and this is my opportunity to introduce myself to readers who may not know me ( which, believe me – there are millions, LOL!)

If you’re free, come join me. I’ll be playing games, talking about my books – the new and the upcoming – and maybe even gifting a few prizes along the way!!!

here’s the link to the FB page – please join it so you can take advantage of all the fun: BBB

Tickets are available here: EVENTBRITE

A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: DYLAN releases Monday, 9.18.2023 #steamyromance #bodyguardtrope #STEM

As a reader, I know that some books leave you with a book hangover or the notion you wish you could go re-read it again for the very first time.

This book did both those to me – and I wrote it!!

I think Harper and Dylan are my favorite love match so far. And I know you’re not supposed to pick favorites among your kids, but…

This little gem releases on Monday, 9.18, and I just put so much of my heart and soul into writing it. I was penning it at the time I was going through a huge upheaval in my life this past year and just being able to escape into the lives of Harper and Dylan helped me barrel through that tumultuous time.

I truly hope if you read the book you enjoy their journey to their HEA as much as I did writing it for them.

Cyber Security specialist Dylan Keene is working undercover to suss out a corporate thief. The client wants answers – yesterday – and Dylan’s getting close. When he zeros in on coding expert Harper Vale, he thinks he’s found his mole and sets out to prove it.

Harper has a reputation as a coding savant and an introvert. As a woman competing in a male-dominated industry, Harper doesn’t make waves. Dylan’s interest in her is flattering, but after she’s implicated in the theft of the company’s protected software, she begins to doubt everything he’s told her.

When a series of potentially deadly accidents occur, all surrounding Harper, Dylan starts to wonder if she truly is guilty, or being made to take the fall. One thing is certain, though. The more time the two of them spend together, the more Dylan realizes he’s the one who’s falling – for Harper.

He slid his free hand into hers so he held both of them. “I hope you had a good time today.”

“I did. Surprisingly.”

He winced and winked an eye closed. “Ouch.”

“Oh, God, no. That’s not what I meant.”

Her cheeks turned five shades darker than the rest of her face.

“I meant I didn’t think tossing an ax around or beating up on inanimate objects was going to be fun, but it was. Really fun. Thank you for taking me. I’ve lived in this area for a while and never knew that place existed.”

Her nerves were adorable, another facet of her personality he shouldn’t be thinking about, because when he did it solidified he really wanted to kiss her.

Like, kiss-her-socks-off kiss her.

He nodded, then squeezed her hands. “Well, I’ve gotta head out. My brother gets testy when he’s kept waiting.” He shook his head and blew out a breath filled with dramatic exasperation.

When she grinned up at him, the free and easy laughter in her eyes warming his soul, he thought, what the hell, and let go of her hands to cup her chin.

The soft sigh of surprise that shot from her was almost his undoing. Leisurely, he rubbed her rosy cheeks with his thumbs as he watched her pupils dilate in the afternoon sun.

“Just for the record,” he murmured as he brought his head down, “I had fun today, too. More than I’ve had in a long, long time.”

And the funny thing was it was the truth.

Right before his lips touched hers, the notion to pull back and retreat from this madness blew into the front of his mind and was instantly kicked to the curb.

He knew he was playing a dangerous game, that one of them was sure to wind up hurt. But right now, with this gorgeous, fascinating, enigma of a woman standing toe to toe with him and looking for all the world like she was on board with the idea of kissing him back, he simply didn’t give a shit.

The moment his lips touched hers he knew a simple kiss would never be enough.

While his thumbs continued caressing her smooth, silky cheeks, Dylan let himself enjoy the delicate flash of desire he felt push from her. 

If pressed before this moment, he would have admitted that while he liked kissing a woman and exploring all the ways he could stoke a flame of lust, what it ultimately led to was always more preferable.

But right now? That thought went out the proverbial window, because this simple kiss was more exciting, more pleasurable, more downright erotic than any other he’d ever given or received. He wanted to kiss her straight up the steps of her building, through her apartment door, and then in every room where she lived.

He’d thought her skin was soft, but her mouth, warm and responsive, was by far the softest thing he’d ever touched. He took a step closer, willing his hands to remain on her cheeks lest they’d drop and haul her flat against them.

The feel of Harper’s hands resting on his chest was twenty shades of delicious. She had to feel his heart banging against his ribs; had to know how excited he was. When she opened her mouth, the intoxicating taste of her drifting into him assured him he had to stop this madness, when all he wanted to do was…plunder.

On a sigh, he pulled back.

Her eyes, half closed and heavy-lidded told him she was as moved by the kiss as he was.

Slowly, he slid his hands from her face, hating he was no longer touching her.

The overpowering emotions careening through him made him nervous, something he never was with a woman. He cleared his throat and searched for something to say that didn’t sound lame or juvenile.

Harper opened her eyes fully, surprise jumping through them as she stared up at him.

Yeah, I know how ya feel, babe. Kinda shocked me, too.

Dylan cleared his throat. “Thanks again for coming with me today.”

Intrigued? I hope so!

Preorder your print or e-copy here: POD

Watch the trailer here: YT

Add it to your Goodreads WANT TO READ list here: GR

#fridayfive 9.15.2023

Toady’s #fridayfive is an exciting one for me. Tomorrow, I will be at the Boston Marriott Peabody for GETTING WITCHY WITH IT 2023 as an attending and book-signing author! I’ll be at table #44 in the Centennial Room

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, 9.16-17, 2023 THE BOSTON MARRIOT PEABODY NEAR SALEM, MA

So, here are 5 reasons why you should come on down:

300 authors – spread over two days, Saturday and Sunday. I’m a Saturday author, so I’ll see you tomorrow!Models – many of the authors are bringing their cover models with them to take pictures with fans. How many people do you know who have their picture with a famous book cover model? It could be you!!Charm bracelets – 83 of the authors are giving away special charms denoting their books. Mine if for IT’S WITCH O’CLOCK SOMEWHERE, which I’ll have on sale along with the rest of the Romantic Haunting series, The Sheriff and the Psychic, and DEATH BETWEEN THE PAGES.The Witches’ Ball – taking place Saturday night at the Peabody. Bring your favorite broomstick and costume!Books! With over 300 authors to choose from, you won’t go home empty-handed from this event!

#teaseMeThursday – A Pride Of Brothers: DYLAN

Today’s little tease is from ( you guessed it) Monday’s release of A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: DYLAN.

Harper Vale is my kind of woman and heroine: smart, snarky, doesn’t suffer fools, introverted, and has a dream.

Here’s a little insight into what happens after she’s fired…

In the elevator, the guard demanded her badge and security code card, which she handed over without a word into his meaty outstretched hand. Harper was too furious to feel embarrassed when the questioning stares and raised eyebrow glances of co-workers shot at her as she was escorted through the lobby and out the front doors. She was met at the entrance by another guard holding her backpack and told it contained everything in her desk of a personal nature, including her bike helmet.

The pack was unzipped, indicating they’d searched through it.  A sense of violation shot through her and the anger swimming inside her intensified.

“Don’t try to come back into the building,” the Neanderthal said. “You’ll be stopped, detained, and handed over to the police for trespassing.”

“Don’t worry, Dickhead,” she said, her voice carrying clearly into the lobby. “I have no intention of ever coming back here.”

He tossed her a speaking glance and it took every ounce of will she could summon not to shoot him a middle finger salute as he strode back into the building on legs ridiculously too large for his pants.

Seething, she made her way to the bike rack and slipped her helmet on. After searching her backpack she found her wallet, phone, house keys, an emergency bike repair kit, and an old pack of peppermints, everything she typically carried with her. She’d never brought any pictures or other personal items into her workspace to clutter it and make it homey. To her, it was merely a space to work.

Ten years, she muttered, as she wove her bike through traffic. Ten years of her life devoted to a company that never appreciated her and now accused her of being a thief.

Lunch hour traffic was unusually thick and it took her an extra half hour of zipping in and out of traffic before she made it safely to her apartment.  Throughout the trek, her anger grew to a boiling point.

She wanted to hit something. Hard.

Paying for a session at SCHMASH blew into her mind but was quickly discarded. She’d been fired which meant her income was now gone.

Fired.

How in the world had this happened? She’d done nothing—certainly never stolen from him. Or anyone.

And where had that bank account with her social security number attached to it come from?

If she possessed fifty thousand available dollars it certainly wouldn’t have been in a bank in another country. She’d have invested it in her project,  not socked it away on foreign soil.

Someone had set her up. That was the only explanation. Someone had stolen something from Kirkpatrick, sold it, and made it look like she was responsible.

Why? Who the hell hated her so much?

She may not be best friends with anyone at K.I. but she’d certainly never done anything to warrant this.

As she pulled her bike off the elevator, Ginger’s door flew open.

“Oh, Harper. I thought you might be the delivery person. I’m waiting for my new fruit of the month delivery. Whatever are you doing home in the middle of a workday?”

Nerves raw and emotions in chaos, the last thing Harper wanted was to get into a gabfest with her nosy, however nice, neighbor.

“Just taking some personal time,” she said, shoving her bike through her apartment door. With a forced smile, she added, “I’ve got a bunch of vacation time saved and if I don’t use it I lose it.”

Ginger’s expression told Harper if given the slightest indication she wanted company, the woman would be in her place in a heartbeat.

“Oh, well, enjoy the afternoon, then, dear. I’m off to pack for a visit with one of my sons for a few days.”

“Enjoy.”

“You as well.”

She shut herself into her apartment, fell back against the closed door after slamming it against the stuck portion, then slid down it to the floor.  The tears she’d been valiantly holding back were finally allowed to rain down her cheeks.

Harper dropped her head against her knees and let them free.

~~Intrigued?
Preorder here: Amazon
Watch the trailer here: You tube

Add it to your GOODREADS WANT TO READ LIST here: goodreads

#WednesdayWisadom 9.13.2023

#tuesdayteaser 9.12.2023

A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: DYLAN releases next Monday, Sept. 18,2023. Today’s little teaser is from Harper Vale’s POV as she reads up on the new hire, Dylan Keane.

Harper peeled her sweaty clothes from her body, tossed them in the hamper, and then jumped into the shower for a quick hose down of the day. That done, she then took a moment to evaluate her arms and legs.

Old scars in various colors and lengths traversed her limbs. Some were so old the skin had turned white where they’d healed. Others were various shades of pink. The most recent – the grad school ones – were smaller, but redder in color.

Harper shook her head as she fingered several of the older ones on her forearms and then her thighs. Her scars were the reason she never wore short-sleeved shirts or shorts in public. The need to explain to anyone who noticed the scarified flesh why they hopscotched across her limbs was a conversation she wasn’t going to have with anyone – ever – if she could help it.

With meticulous care, she pumped a bottle of body lotion a few times, then slathered her arms and legs with the white, coconut-scented cream. Done, she pulled on a pair of ancient gym sweats, an old college t-shirt. Since she was staying home and no one was going to see her, she figured she might as well be comfortable and cool. Next, she saw to dinner.

But first, she had to feed her fish.

“Hey, Tony,” she said as she sprinkled some of the fish food her mother had given her as a gift for Christmas into the bowl sitting atop her kitchen counter. The single goldfish swam to the surface to suck in the flakes. “Do anything fun today?”

Tony ignored her as he darted around the bowl to catch every single flake of food before it drifted to the bottom.

“Yeah. Me, neither.”

She pulled open her refrigerator door. Her fridge wasn’t what anyone would call stocked. Several cartons of generic yogurt, a bowl of leftover spaghetti from last night’s dinner, a half-loaf of bread, and a carton of eggs were the only things on the shelves, reminding her she needed to go grocery shopping soon. The salad she’d treated herself to at lunch today was supposed to be a nod to try and eat better. She’d forgotten the prices of the salads at work were based on weight, though. Her first one had consisted mostly of lettuce and some sliced egg bits and still cost her almost four dollars. Luckily, when the new guy bumped into her and offered to replace her ruined meal, she’d opted to add more on it since she wasn’t paying. The soda and cookies she’d tossed in were an indulgent treat. And since he didn’t protest, she figured, why not?

As she reheated the spaghetti in the microwave she thought about the new guy.

Dylan.

After she’d gone back to her office she’d retrieved the email introducing him to the company and discovered his last name was Keane.

Dylan Keane.

A pretty ordinary name for a guy anything but.

She read through his biography again paying special attention to the personal stuff and not the professional achievements.

Vital statistics: Thirty-six, single.

No mention if the single status was because of divorce, never married, or something else.

Personal interests: biking, karate, running.

Now she understood why he’d been impressed with her bike. If he was an avid rider himself, he’d surely have recognized the classic Schwinn 10-speed. This version hadn’t been produced in over twenty-five years and collectors paid a fortune for originals.

Wonder what he would have said if he knew it was her first bike, gifted to her on her tenth birthday by her parents and which she’d lovingly cared for all these years?

The microwave dinged and she stood in her small kitchen, bowl in hand, and ate.

So he was a runner. The memory of his six-foot-plus, trim, long-legged body proved it. He had that classic male model physique – the inverted coat hanger. Broad, square shoulders tapering down to a trim waist and lean hips and ending in legs that went on for days.

For a tech geek he liked sporty stuff. Most of the techies she knew from work and while she’d been at school eschewed physical sports of any kind, preferring to sit in front of their screens most of the day. Gamers were the inveterate couch potato. She couldn’t picture Dylan Keane sitting in a chair with a joystick or control panel in his hands for hours on end.

Future aspirations: to be independently wealthy and one day run a non-profit devoted to helping underprivileged kids enter STEM careers.

Well, well. It seemed Mr. Gorgeous had lofty future goals. Or he just mentioned those because he knew it would look good to others.

Harper didn’t know him well enough to decide which characterization was the more truthful.

Intrigued?

You can preorder the book here if you are: POB

Add it to your GOODREADS WANT TO READ LIST here: POB

Watch the trailer here: POB

#mondayreading 9.11.2023

In just 1 week A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: DYLAN releases into the book loving world. This is the third book in the A PRIDE OF BROTHERS SERIES, and centers around middle brother, Dylan Keane. My idea of what Dylan looks like is….

Le sigh.

5 things about Dylan that you should know are that he’s a cyberspecialist, a hacker, he’s loyal, loves his family and is a total extrvert.

Cyber Security specialist Dylan Keene is working undercover to suss out a corporate thief. The client wants answers – yesterday – and Dylan’s getting close. When he zeros in on coding expert Harper Vale, he thinks he’s found his mole and sets out to prove it.

Harper has a reputation as a coding savant and an introvert. As a woman competing in a male dominated industry, Harper doesn’t make waves. Dylan’s interest in her is flattering, but after she’s implicated in the theft of the company’s protected software, she begins to doubt everything he’s told her.

When a series of potentially deadly accidents occur, all surrounding Harper, Dylan starts to wonder if she truly is guilty, or being made to take the fall. One thing is certain, though. The more time the two of them spend together, the more Dylan realizes he’s the one who’s falling – for Harper.

Preorder it here: POB

Watch the trailer here: POB

Add it to your GOODREADS WANT TO READ LIST here: POB