Abbondanza! by Peggy Jaeger

 I grew up in an Irish/Sicilian household - mom was the Irish descendant, step-dad the Sicilian, so whenever I hear the word ABUNDANCE, I hear it the way it was spoken in my home - the Italian way - ABBONDANZA.

It sounds like such a joyous word when said in the language of Da Vinci, no?

I still use it that way to this day when I describe things, like the abbondanza of books I have to read on my kindle. Or the abbondanza of words I need to get written this month to win NaNoWriMo. That's a quantifiable number, too, set at 50k. But still...it's a lot of words!

Quantifying something as abundant or saying it possesses an abundance of...something, can be viewed either negatively or positively. Since this is me writing this, you know I'm going to accentuate the positive.

Hey - wasn't that a song?

My life is blessed with an abbondanza of friends, for which I am most grateful. My grandmother used to tell me if you made one sincere friend in your lifetime you were lucky. I've been lucky hundreds of times, then, if you go by this statement. I also have a huge family courtesy of my husband. As an only child, I always wanted siblings. I got them when I married a man with 5 brothers and sisters and now they fill my life with joy.

I have an abundance of books in my home library and on my kindle that feed my mind, encourage my psyche, and warm my heart. I'm that girl who loves both print and ebook. It doesn't matter which format I read in, just as long as I read.

I have an abundance of novels on my laptop plotted out and just waiting to have an abundance of time to write them!

Since we are entering the Christmas/Holiday season, I will freely admit that I have an OVER abundance of decorations and I'm not even one little bit embarrassed about that. I grew up poor. We rarely had a Christmas tree and when we did my mother could only afford those breakable, lousy-colored balls as decorations. We didn't even have a star on top of the tree. When I went out on my own and started making my own money, every year I bought a few ornaments and decorations and in just a few years I had a full supply. These days that full supply looks more like a hoard!

My husband actually says I have too many ornaments for one tree, which is why I never put up just one tree, but 4-5.

Don't judge.

One thing I will admit and then also state I am a tad embarrassed about is my overabundance of shoes. I have over 200 pairs. Again - don't judge! Carrie Bradshaw had nothin' on me, kids. And I've worn each and every one of them --- at least once.

It's easy to go overboard with material items, but if you'll remember the beginning of this piece, the first thing I mentioned was my abundance of family and friends - the most important of everything.

This holiday season I am wishing you all an abbondanza of health, love, success, and wisdom~

Peg

Oh, and since we're talking about abundance, you can never have too many holiday-themed romances, so check out my newest, FIXING CHRISTMAS. It's on sale right now for only #99cents 

and the prequel, SANTA BABY

Happy Holidays, kids ~ Peg

What FREEDOM means to me...by Peggy Jaeger

 This month's topic is FREEDOM, a word by its very definition that can be a lightning rod for heated debate. Because of this, I chose to write about what freedom -- in my eyes-- means to me - and should mean to all of us.

1. The right to make my own decisions about my body, my finances, and my political party. 

I was born in the century where women first were granted the right to vote, given access to medical and safe birth control, and allowed to possess credits cards. That last one may sound weird, but up until 1974, married women were not allowed to possess credit cards since they were still considered by major companies as property of their husbands, and thereby fell under their husbands' reign. The EQUAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITY ACT of 1974 granted married women the right to obtain credit cards separately from their husbands. This, in turn, granted them reign over their own finances.

2. The right to read what I want, watch what I want on television and in the movie theatre, and listen to the kind of music I want.

I also grew up in an era that saw many states ban certain books from schools and libraries because they were considered salacious and potentially damaging to school-age children ( and some adults!) The list of the most banned books of the 20th century can be found here: banned books. I am proud to say I have read every single one of them.

In 1968, a voluntary movie rating system was instituted to help parents decide if a movie was appropriate for their children to see. I was 8 at the time.  

In 1975, the television academy began programming shows geared toward families, called the Family hour. This one hour of programming each night was meant for television shows to refrain from violence, foul language, and sexual content. I was 15 at the time. 

In 1985 warning labels began appearing on records ( the vinyl kind!) indicating that the lyrics or subject matter of the songs within the album may not be appropriate for children.  I was 25 at the time.

I am 61 years old now and thankfully, none of those restrictions apply to me any longer. I have grown into an age where I can read, watch, and listen to whatever I want without any governmental or parental interference. I am free to explore the artistic side of nature without restrictions. 

3. The right to think the way I want to think and to say what's on my mind without threat of punishment.

Again, until recently, women were expected to think and vote the same way their husbands did. In the past, if a woman's opinion differed from her husband's - or society in general - her husband could have her  arrested, prosecuted, and jailed. 

The advent of the Women's Movement of the 1960s proved women had thinking, functioning, logical minds and could make their own decisions without the need for a man to oversee or man-splain issues to them. Women began speaking out on topics historically only vetted by men. Our voices grew louder and stronger and today there are more women representing others in government than at any other time. While shouting FIRE in a crowded space is still illegal ( and should be) we are now afforded the right to speak our minds, protest peacefully, and engage in verbal discourse without the threat of being incarcerated for having an opinion.

4. The freedom to be who I am and live the life I want to without censure, threat of violence, or death.

If we've learned anything since this country was founded, it's that all people ARE NOT created equally in the eyes of society. The disenfranchised among us continues to grow daily; children are mistreated and abused; the elderly are warehoused; people of color are killed in the streets for no other reason than they are not caucasian. The indigenous people of this country are treated as non-entities. Veterans are forgotten.

To be a truly free nation, none of the above would occur. 

Freedom, through my eyes and in my mind, means we are all truly EQUAL in society, government, and everyday life. No matter what color our skin is, what our religious beliefs are, where we fall in the voting spectrum, and how much money we have.

Our government sends our military all over the world to fight for the rights of people to experience freedom.

Wouldnt it be wonderful if that fight began here, on our home soil, and with our own citizens, first?

Peggy Jaeger writes about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can't live without them.

Visit her at peggyjaeger.com

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Happy Blog-O-Versary!!!! By Peggy Jeager

Wow, 10 years!! That's an amazing run in the blog-o-sphere! A heartfelt congratulations to the ROMANCING THE GENRES hosts for all the informative, fun, and worthwhile blog posts over this past decade.

So, I had to come up with something denoting "10" for this month...and you know what? It wasn't hard, heehee. Since this is a blog about writing, writers, and books, an idea popped into my head without any thought - and I lovelovelove when that happens because it's so rare.

I love a good top 10 list, but unlike Letterman, I don’t like going backward. Here, in no apparent or meaningful order, are my top 10 favorite books (who just so happen to have been written by my favorite authors.) The books I love to read are as eclectic and varied as the books I love to write!

The Little Engine That could – best book about self-motivation and self-actualization ever written.

Naked in Death – the first JD Robb book. 50+ books later the futuristic police procedural romance series is still at the height of its game.

Pride and Prejudice – This one needs no explanation!

Gone with the Wind – Dated for these times, I know,  but in its time it was a true masterpiece at explaining the once ( horrible) southern way of life.

Under the Banner of Heaven – A detailed look –through a modern murder mystery – of the origins of the Mormon Church. Fascinating and terrifying.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil – Take a true crime story, add in a plethora of quirky characters and a setting almost as diverse as its occupants, and this book is a social treatise on American culture: Separate but equal is never truly separate or equal.

New York to Dallas – Another JD Robb story in which the heroine confronts her tortured past, kicks it in the ass, and moves forward with the love of Roarke by her side. This is my favorite in the entire In Death series and the only one without the IN DEATH tagline.

To Have and to Hold – The first book in Lauren Layne’s Wedding belles series. And the first time I was introduced to this amazing author.

Wife by Wednesday book 1 in the Weekday Bride series by Catherine Bybee – Just love a quirky woman in a powerful occupation and position.

The Bible – I mean, come on! It’s filled with love, murder, family drama, social mores and political intrigue. What more could you want??!!

DO you have a top ten list of books? I can truly admit that most of these books I've read more than once. Some, more than 3 or 4 times ( New York to Dallas). And yes, I know it's hard to name only 10!!!! Hee hee

Happy Anniversary, ROMANCING THE GENRES! I'm so happy to be here.

I've got a new Holiday Novella dropping on June 7.

SANTA BABY ( A Dickens Holiday Prequel - Dorrit's Diner) is a short, heartwarming story about a diner owner, a cop, and a baby abandoned on Christmas Eve. You can preorder it right now here: UniLink

It’s Christmas Eve morning in the tiny New England town of Dickens.

Santa’s arrival is imminent, and a hint of snow is in the air.

Amy Dorrit is just about to open her popular diner for the breakfast rush when she discovers an abandoned baby on her back doorstep.

Amy knows she should call the authorities and turn the infant over to them, but she just can’t. Thoughts of her own abandonment as a baby flood through her and she wants to keep the little one out of the hands of the authorities until the mother – hopefully –returns.

But will the mom come back? And if she doesn’t, what is Amy prepared to do about the baby who has, already, claimed her heart?

Looking for me? Here I am:

Blog me // Tweet me // Buy my books // Friend me // Pin me // read me //picture me // watch me // review me

and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter here : Newsletter

Until next time, peeps ~ Peg

Talk to me about love...by Peggy Jaeger

 So this month's topic is LOVE.

There are so many places I could take this post with just that word alone.

I could write about romantic love since that's how I make my bread and butter, hee hee.

I could write about love of country; of family; of chocolate chip cookies. 

I could write about falling in love, or, conversely, falling out of it; marital love vs. courtship; why I love babies, movies from 1939, and Diet Mountain Dew. I could write about love songs, how love is depicted in films, why love is a central theme in life.

I could tell you my favorite quotes about love. In fact, that's what I think I'm going to do.

Can you imagine how you would feel if the person you loved said this to you??

McCartney and Lennon had it right....

This thought is everything!

This one speaks to my very soul....

and my absolute favorite....

There must be some reason, somewhere, for why Valentine's Day, the day devoted to all things love, is celebrated in February. I'm sure if I had the time and the desire to, I'd look that up! For now, though, suffice it to say I'm happy at least one month/date of the year is all about the emotion I think makes the world go around: love.

Happy Belated Valentine's Day 2021, peeps. Until next month ~ Peg

Looking for me: Here I am:  Blog me // Tweet me // Buy my books // Friend me // Pin me // read me // pitcure me // watch me // review me

and don't forget to sign up for my newsletter here : Newsletter

Many irons in the fire

       When I read this month’s topic - my current work-in-progress – I did one of those laughs that ends in a sob because it suggests a singular WIP. One of the many side effects I’ve experienced during the current world crisis (I’m sick [ha!] of writing the C-word and the P-word) is scattered thinking. When you-know-what hit our shores way, way back in February, I’d been roaring toward the finish line of Book 2 in my fledgling contemporary series, MacLeod’s Cove Romance. Amelia (graphic designer and the heroine’s sister in Book 1) and Nate (owner of a craft brewery) team up to help organize the annual Oktoberfest. Of course, nothing goes to plan, particularly since they can’t agree on anything.

But as I tried to come to terms with the upheaval, my thoughts and ideas went the way of the Dodo for about a month. Once I got over the initial panic (wash all the groceries!!!) and could concentrate in a creative way, I ignored Book 2 and started Book 3 because the characters were new, the plot was shiny, and the writing was fun! I lived vicariously in my simpler fictional world and churned out fifty thousand words in a month. Jinny (Nate’s sister in Book 2) starts working for Bill (former IT whiz) on his restaurant renovation. Unbeknownst to her, and everyone else in town, he’s got a couple of big secrets that end up messing with her mind, man.

And then summer arrived in my corner of the world and because it’s a short season here in Nova Scotia, I was distracted by wanting to be out enjoying the warm weather. I had chicks to tickle, a garden to tend, and some serious exploring of my home and native land (Oh, Canada!) to accomplish. 

So why not put away the current WIP, which was at the fiddly editing stage, and write something short and fun? So here I am with my third work-in-progress, a holiday novella in the MacLeod’s Cove series. Jill is part-owner of a car dealership but is dissatisfied with her life – something is missing. So she rents a cottage on the beach for the week between Christmas and New Year’s for some peace and solitude in which to map out her future, think deep thoughts, and complete an online course called Empowered You! Unfortunately, the reclusive writer living in the big house on the hill ends up being a huge, delicious distraction. Patrick is recovering from a personal tragedy and is unable to write. He’s annoyed by the world, especially that beautiful woman who keeps intruding into his self-imposed self-pity fest.

Three works-in-progress, all close to “the end”.

So…what new story will I start now?

Guess who’s moving in next door?

 

Nicole Bennett is used to bad luck—it’s kind of a family curse. She’s spent the past year stitching her life back together after losing her dream job. Well, it paid the rent. Now stuck working at her family’s grocery store while wrangling a demoralized dad and a spoiled-brat sister, the last thing she needs is for the man who wrecked her life to move in next door, even if it is for only three weeks. So what if he’s sexier than sin and makes her believe in fairy tale endings?

 

Ross Calvert’s life in the fast lane crashed when he lost his job and fiancée. All he’s got to show for years of hard work are a sleek sports car and a closet full of designer suits – minus the closet. Determined to salvage his relationship with his best friend, he trades in the corporate life for a brief stint as a caregiver. The decision was simple—until he discovers the tempting vixen he wronged lives next door. Maybe she’s what he needs to reboot his life.

 

What starts off as a no-strings fling soon veers into making promises that might be impossible to keep.

https://books2read.com/if-I-didnt-care

Luanna Stewart has been creating adventures for her imaginary friends since childhood. She spends her days writing spicy contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, and historical romance. When not torturing her heroes and heroines, she’s in her kitchen baking something delicious. She lives in Nova Scotia with her patient husband and two spoiled cats.

 

Website ~ Bookbub ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon Author Page

My Favorite "First" came a little later in life than expected! by Peggy Jaeger

So, this month's topic is Favorite Firsts. I had so many things swirl around in my head, that deciding on what to write about was a bit more difficult than usual.
Should I tell you about my first love? First memory? First apartment? First job?
See? Lot's of things to talk about, but I decided that since this is -- at its essence -- a writing blog, I would tell you my absolute favorite first - my first published book!

I came a little late to the world of published book authors. I was 55 when my very first novel - a romance - was published. I could have self published years earlier, but didn't want to. I grew up with the cache of what being a traditionally published author meant and I wanted my very first foray into the publishing world to be with the backup of a known publisher.

You may think that the reason this is my favorite first is because it finally got me in front of the the reading world. Well, that isn't really the reason. I'd been a successful non-fiction writer for years, with many credits in Nursing journals and newspapers/magazines devoted to parenting topics, child care, and nursing/health issues. I'd also had a stream of good luck with fiction short story publications in Literary magazines and anthologies.

No, the reason this is my favorite first is because it came about in Cinderella fashion ( which also happens to be my favorite fairytale, so double SCORE!)

In 2013 I decided to enter a romance writing contest I found listed in a writing magazine. I submitted the required 3 chapters of a story I'd written while in the throes of menopause induced insomnia. Long story short - I won my division - contemporary romance category. Yay.

I thought that was the end of it and went back to not sleeping and sweating like a farm animal in the dead of summer.

Two weeks later I received an email from Rhonda Penders, the publisher of The Wild Rose Press.

She had been my judge for the contest. She asked me to send her the completed manuscript for possible consideration for publication. I did. A WRP editor read it and asked for a few changes. I made them. Then I received the email that changed my  life forever: WRP wanted to publish my book and wanted to know if I had any others.

Um- you betcha I did!!

That book, SKATER'S WALTZ, launched my second act and my writing career. I quit my day job ( really, I did!) and have been a full-time writer every since.

20+ books  and 5 years later I am now almost 60 and I have never been happier. I am a  better writer every day and every day I thank that damn menopause insomnia for giving me something to do when I was wide awake from midnight to five a.m! Hee hee

Fairy tales come true all the time you just don't hear about them.  This was mine.

Bio and Social links:

Peggy Jaeger is a contemporary romance writer who writes Romantic Comedies about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them. If she can make you cry on one page and bring you out of tears rolling with laughter the next, she’s done her job as a writer!

Family and food play huge roles in Peggy’s stories because she believes there is nothing that holds a family structure together like sharing a meal…or two…or ten. Dotted with humor and characters that are as real as they are loving, she brings all topics of daily life into her stories: life, death, sibling rivalry, illness and the desire for everyone to find their own happily ever after. Growing up the only child of divorced parents she longed for sisters, brothers and a family that vowed to stick together no matter what came their way. Through her books, she’s created the families she wanted as that lonely child.

When she’s not writing Peggy is usually painting, crafting, scrapbooking or decoupaging old steamer trunks she finds at rummage stores and garage sales.

A lifelong and avid romance reader and writer, Peggy is a member of RWA and her local New Hampshire RWA Chapter.

As a lifelong diarist, she caught the blogging bug early on, and you can visit her at peggyjaeger.com where she blogs daily about life, writing, and stuff that makes her go "What??!"

Social Media links:

Website: http://peggyjaeger.com/

Blog: http://peggyjaeger.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peggy-Jaeger-Author/825914814095072?ref=bookmarks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/peggy_jaeger

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13478796.Peggy_Jaeger

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/peggy-jaeger

            YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDR8RRIlssIyS0FYZWeGqsg/videos?view_as=subscriber

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peggyjaeger_author/

Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/peggyjaeger/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggy-jaeger-296ab878/

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00T8E5LN0

Authors database: https://authorsdb.com/community/15814-peggy-jaeger

Triberr: https://triberr.com/tribe/strong-women--loving-men

On being different....

The theme this month is Marching to the Beat of a Different Drummer.

If they ever write a biography starring me, that's definitely the title. With the subtitle Shit Happens!

For as long as I can remember - and that's pretty far back - I haven't been like anyone else in my family. Let me explain...

My family  members smoke and drank. Often. To excess, many times. I have never had a cigarette and don't drink alcohol.

My parents never graduated from high school and certainly didn't go to college. I have a Masters Degree in Nursing Administration with a minor in Geriatric Psychology.

My parents have never been on a plane or traveled outside the United States. I've already filled up two passports.

My parents, although raised Catholic, haven't been inside a church since I was married 33 years ago. I attend Mass every week.

My parents don't read. Anything. Not newspapers, not books, not magazines. All the information they get is from television. I not only read 2-3 books a week, I write 3-4 per year, and I have have a daily blog, plus I write monthly columns for 2 other blogs and participate in a weekly blogging challenge through Long and Short Reviews e-zine.

My parents are isolationists. They have no close friends and rarely leave their house. I have a wide circle of friends I love, even though I'm an introvert.

There were many times in my life I truly wondered if my parents found me on a door step or a pumpkin patch because I am nothing like them. At all.

Genetics is usually a key factor in how people will behave, and what your genes don't decide, your environment will. I can't explain why my faith has carried me through my life when my parents didn't choose to participate in it. I can't explain why I knew - knew without an iota of doubt - that education was the way for me to advance in the world. And there's no viable explanation why my marriage has lasted longer than both my mother's and father's remarriages have.

So, I just accept the reality that for some reason I am different from the people who birthed and raised me. Those differences have led me to some amazing paths in my 59 years and will probably continue to do so. The whole nature vs. nurture hypothesis is one I think about. A  lot. For me, it just seems that my true nature was, and is, to be different. Or to use the theme for this month, that it's made me march to the beat of a different drummer for all those around me and who raised me.

I write RomCom and contemporary romance books about strong women, the families who support them and the men who can't live without them. And if I had to say it, those women, too, march to the beat of a different drummer!

I love Social Media so much! You can usually find me here: 

)Tweet Me//Read Me// Visit Me//Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me// Triber// Book Me // Watch me

Until next time, peeps ~ Peg