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Judith Sterling

~ Award-winning Author

Judith Sterling

Tag Archives: contemporary romance

STRONG ENOUGH by Jana Richards and a Giveaway!

24 Tuesday May 2022

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Amazon gift card, Child of Mine, contemporary romance, family life fiction, giveaway, Jana Richards, new release, romance series, Silver Dagger Book Tours, Strong Enough, The Masonville Series, To Heal a Heart, Unexpected

Today, I’m delighted to feature Jana Richards’s new release, Strong Enough. It’s the fourth contemporary romance in The Masonville Series, and I’m guessing you’ll need a box of tissues handy when you read it! Here’s the story:

Love can make you stronger, if you let it.

Charlotte Saunders has a full life–a rewarding career as a nurse, meaningful volunteer work at a dog shelter, and family, friends and pets she adores. But no matter how hard she tries, she can’t forget the horrible event that’s haunted her for ten years.

A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Damon Greyson now helps others who have suffered trauma. His experience and intuition alert him to trouble in Charlotte’s past, and he wants to help her, if only she’d let him.

As they work together to help veterans suffering from PTSD and neglected dogs needing loving homes, their feelings for each other deepen. But when the trauma from Charlotte’s past roars back to life, both are forced to confront their painful histories—or die trying.

A peek between the pages:

She looked away. “I’m sorry. I hate women who use tears to get what they want. It’s just that yesterday the shelter had to put down some dogs. There was this one old dog, Shep….” She shook her head, unable to finish.

He squeezed her elbow before letting her go. “I’m sorry, Charlotte.”

She nodded and again Damon sensed her vulnerability. Charlotte tried to give off an aura of strength. She was the caregiving nurse, the person others looked to for help. But who helped Charlotte?

After a few breaths, she straightened her shoulders and faced him, her composure once more back in place. “How long do you think it will be?”

“You mean until the retreat is up and running?” When she nodded, he blew out a breath. “I don’t know. My building’s in worse shape than I first thought.”

“If there’s anything I can do to speed up the process, let me know.”

“You know anything about unplugging sewer lines?”

She made a face. “You’re on your own, Greyson.”

Don’t I know it. “Hey, you asked. From now on I’ll only request your help when it comes to dogs.”

She chuckled. “Good plan.”

This time Charlotte’s smile was genuine, and for a moment Damon couldn’t breathe. He found himself wondering what it would be like to have the full force of her smile directed at him on a regular basis, and to know there was real affection for him behind the smile. The longing he experienced at that thought shocked him.

Better not to allow such thoughts to take root. Despite all the work he’d done over the years to overcome the harm done to him in the past, he still had questions. Would it ever be possible for him to have a normal, loving, long-term relationship with a woman? So far, the longest relationship he’d had lasted only six months.

Maybe he’d always be damaged goods.

Add to Goodreads

Amazon * Apple * B&N

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60582342-strong-enough

Other books in the series:

Single dad Ben Greyson wants only to retain custody of his two stepdaughters. A dysfunctional childhood has made family the most important thing in his life. When his late wife’s parents sue for custody, a desperate Ben is left with two choices – run away with his girls or marry his next-door neighbor.

Jamie Garven wants to be a mother. She’s intrigued by her handsome new neighbor and falls in love with his little girls. Then Ben is faced with losing his children, and Jamie agrees to marry him for a chance at motherhood. They’re determined to show the world, and the girls’ grandparents, two loving parents.
Their marriage of convenience turns into unexpected love. But Ben interprets Jamie’s efforts to save their family as betrayal—they could lose everything, including each other.

**On Sale at Amazon for .99cents June 3 – 17!!**

Add to Goodreads

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo * WildRosePress

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57013622-unexpected

Two souls in pain, two hearts in need of rescue.

Garrett Saunders’ world changed two years ago on a road in Afghanistan. Back home, he feels like a stranger. As he struggles to find his place in the world, he meets a horse destined for the slaughterhouse and a woman bent on rescuing the strays of the world, including him.

Blair Greyson moves to Masonville to look after her ailing grandfather and give her rescue horses a home. Right away she butts heads with a surly former Marine. Despite a rocky start, they come to an agreement: Blair will board Garrett’s rescue horse and he’ll help with repairs around her farm.

Garrett finds purpose working with Blair—and falls in love with her. But she’s hiding a secret. Can she forgive herself and accept Garrett’s love, or will she let guilt and regret continue to rule her life?

**On Sale at Amazon for .99cents May 20 – June 3!!**

Add to Goodreads

Amazon* Apple* B&N* Google * Kobo * TheWildRosePress

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53209383-to-heal-a-heart

Is Lauren’s love for Cole stronger than her fear of scandal in her hometown?

Lauren didn’t intend to sleep with her brother-in-law Cole on the day of her husband’s funeral. But now that she is pregnant, she’s not sorry. Cole’s given her a baby, a long-wished-for miracle. He’s been her friend forever, though she never told him or anyone else how unhappy her marriage to his cheating brother was. And she’s afraid to tell the small town that considered her husband a hero that the baby isn’t his.

Cole’s been in love with Lauren since he was sixteen. It kills him that everyone believes the baby is his dead brother’s. All he wants is to claim the baby, and Lauren, as his own. Though she marries him, will Lauren’s heart ever be his?

Lauren must tell the truth or risk losing Cole. Is her newly-discovered love for him greater than her fear of scandal in her hometown?

Add to Goodreads

Amazon* Apple* B&N* Google* Kobo* TheWildRosePress

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43517277-child-of-mine

About the author:

When Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily ever after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun, she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the paranormal. Her paranormal romantic suspense “Seeing Things” was a 2008 EPPIE finalist.

In her life away from writing, Jana is an accountant/admin assistant, a mother to two grown daughters, and a wife to her husband Warren. She enjoys golf, yoga, movies, concerts, travel and reading, not necessarily in that order. She and her husband live in Winnipeg, Canada. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.janarichards.com

Where to find her:

Website: http://www.janarichards.com

Blog: http://janarichards.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsAuthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jana-richards

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2892274.Jana_Richards

Newsletter: http://janarichards.com/contact.html#newsletter

There’s a giveaway too! Check out the Silver Dagger Book Tour and enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card.

Good luck to everyone, and best wishes to Jana! 🙂

LOVE WINS ~ A Charity Anthology to Support Ukrainian Refugees

11 Monday Apr 2022

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

charity anthology, contemporary romance, Love Wins, N. N. Light's Book Heaven, World Vision's Ukrainian Refugee Fund

More than fifteen contemporary romance authors have joined forces to create this unique collection of stories, covering an assortment of different sub-genres and tropes. Love Wins is set to publish on April 21, 2022, with 100% of the proceeds going to World Vision’s Ukrainian Refugee Fund. This organization has people on the ground in Ukraine and Romania, providing food, shelter, medical aid, and all necessary assistance for the needy, with the focus of making sure children are safe and provided for.

The authors include Dania Voss, Maribelle McCrea, Marlene Cheng, K.M. Jenkins, Deborah King, Annie McEwen, Pamela Clayfield, Tiffany Carby, Aimee O’Brian, R.A. Clarke, N. N. Light, Judy Fisher, Robert Beech, E.J. Powell, Alex Grehy, and Maris Parker. Mrs. N of N. N. Light is here to tell us about her part in the anthology and how she became involved. Take it away, Mrs. N!

I’m so thrilled to be a guest on this blog. Thank you so much for hosting me. My name is N. N. Light, otherwise known as Mrs. N. I write uplifting stories with my husband and better half, Mr. N.

In late February of this year, Russia invaded Ukraine. My heart plummeted as I saw the brute force of Russia’s army attack a sovereign nation. Can this really be happening? After all we have been through as a people, can we just sit by and watch the elimination of a race of people? I knew I needed to find some way to help. I certainly didn’t have the resources to fly over there but what could I do? The answer came in an Instagram post about two weeks ago. My fellow author, Dania Voss, put out a message on Instagram asking for more romance stories for a charity anthology. I signed up right away and I’m so honored to be a part of the Love Wins anthology. 100% of the proceeds go to a charity with boots on the ground helping Ukrainians in need.

We can’t stop the bombs from falling but we can do our part from this corner of our world. Please consider purchasing the anthology for $1.99. Not only will you be helping innocent people struggling to stay alive, but you’ll get fifteen romance novellas/short stories. These stories vary between sweet and contemporary.

LOVE WINS is available for a limited time only. Make a difference for the people of Ukraine—buy your copy today!

Stories include:

ALL ROADS LEAD TO SHEPHERD GROVE–DANIA VOSS

PAST, PERFECT, POLO–MARIBELLE MCCREA

THE MADAM’S FRIEND–MARLENE F CHENG

THE SUNFLOWER MEADOW–K.M. JENKINS

DESTINED DREAMER–DEBORAH KING

THE SLEEPLESS CAFÉ–ANNIE MCEWEN

HAVEN OF SECRETS–PAMELA CLAYFIELD

GOLD MINE–TIFFANY CARBY

MISROUTED BY LOVE ~ A TALE OF MAYBE–AIMEE O’BRIAN

CLICKING–R.A. CLARKE

PLANTING THE SEEDS OF LOVE–N. N. LIGHT

THE POWER OF LOVE–JUDY FISHER

LOVE, ETERNAL–ROBERT BEECH

SHIFTER: A WERE-CAT’S TALE–E.J. POWELL

ON THE WINGS OF KITES–ALEX GREHY 

MOANA ACCOUNTANT–KERRY CARLISLE

TWO WEEKS IN THE TETONS–MARIS PARKER

Thank you so much for visiting today, Mrs. N., and for doing your part to support those in need. Now, let’s enjoy an excerpt from N. N. Light’s Planting the Seeds of Love:

Jack took a step back letting go of her pinky. He crossed his arms; his eyes glittered angrily.

“You love me?” He snorted. “You don’t even know I exist.”

Sally’s nostrils flared. Taking a step back, she crossed her arms.

“That’s a fine thing to say to me after all we’ve been through.” She turned to leave. “Maybe Trevor’s right…”

“What?” Jack sat down on the cot, not looking at her. “What did Trevor tell you?”

“Trevor has a buyer for the farm. It’s a friend of his father’s and he loves the idea of a brewery out here in the country. He wants to add a restaurant and make it some sort of oasis for city folk.” She ran her fingers through her blonde hair.

“A buyer?” He put his head in his hands and sighed. “It’s too fast.”

“What are you talking about?” She looked down at her watch, wishing she hadn’t come. Her sister was right; men were nothing but trouble.

“Look, I know I’ve messed things up.” He stood and walked towards her. “But you’ve got to give the farm and me a second chance.” He extended his hand through the bars.

Sally’s emotions shook her body. Guilt, love, pain, regret, anger and hope battled for supremacy in her heart. She eyed his outstretched hand warily. Could she trust him? Could he be depended upon?

“Why should I give you another chance, Jack?” She let her arms fall to her sides. A force not her own pulled her body closer to his. She whispered, “You hurt me.” Tears welled up but she didn’t care.

He reached up and wiped her tears away.

“Oh Sally,” he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion.

Her lower lip quivered.

“I’m so sorry. I’m a first-class jerk.” He cupped her face with his hands. “Please don’t cry.”

Sally closed her eyes. She felt like a tiny dingy in the middle of the ocean, battered and torn in pieces. She leaned her head against the bars.

“Your opinion matters most, it always has. When you say things like you just did, it tears me apart.” She lifted her head. “I need you, Jack. I can’t do this without you.”

Jack exhaled slowly.

“That wasn’t me; it was my jealousy rearing its ugly head.”

“What do you mean? What do you have to be jealous of?” Her brows furrowed, she thought hard.

“I’m jealous of how happy you seem to be with Trevor,” he replied.

Preorder your e-copy for only $1.99. The price goes up to $4.99 after release week! 100% of the proceeds go to World Vision’s Ukrainian Refugee Fund.

Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Goodreads | BookBub

A little more about N. N. Light:

N. N. Light is the award-winning husband-wife writing team, commonly known as Mr. N and Mrs. N. Books are their addiction and lifeblood.

Life is meant to be lived; cherish the exciting moments, and relish in those all too brief moments of relaxation. They are here to live their own lives, read as many books as humanly possible and live it passionately. N. N. Light’s Book Heaven serves as a vessel to project their passions, and clue in their loyal readers as to what inspires them in this crazy world. So, sit back, relax, and read on. One link to rule them all: https://bio.link/nnlightsbookheaven

More links:

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | BookBub





UNLOCK MY HEART by Jennifer Wilck

08 Tuesday Mar 2022

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

billionaire boss, Cinderella, computer genius, contemporary romance, damaged hero, hearing impaired, Jennifer Wilck, new release, Scarred Hearts, Unlock My Heart

I’m excited to have Jennifer Wilck here today! Her latest contemporary romance, Unlock My Heart, sounds like a great read, and the characters are sure to work their way into readers’ hearts. Here’s a bit about the story:

Abby Marlow, computer security expert, lands a job at the best IT security firm in the country. Her sole focus is financial independence so she never has to rely on others again, especially a man. But why does her boss make her wires short circuit?

Ted Endicott, CEO and founder of the IT security firm, is hard of hearing. Although an expert in his field, he’s still uncomfortable admitting his difficulty hearing to his clients or employees. So why is he willing to accept Abby’s help?

As Ted and Abby work together, barriers fall away, and soon the lines blur between colleagues and lovers. But a security glitch in a client’s system indicates one of his employees is the hacker, and all signs point to Abby. Can they get past the suspicion and find a future together?

A peek between the pages:

“You always run alone?”

She pointed to a nearby jogger. “I’m not alone.”

“But you’re not with anyone.”

Standing this close to him, she wished for things she shouldn’t. “No, I’m not.”

“How far are you going?”

“The end of the trail and back.” Or however long it

took to get him out of her mind.

He put his helmet on. “Come on, I’ll keep you company.”

“It’s not necessary.” Clearing her mind would be impossible with him next to her.

“It’s safer this way.” He looked down the trail.

His desire to protect her sent warmth curling up and down her spine. It had been a long time since anyone was concerned about her. All of a sudden, the idea of company appealed to her. Touching his arm— and trying not to squeeze his bicep like you would if you tested the ripeness of a peach—she waited for him to turn. “You’re welcome to join me if you want. If you can keep up.” She winked and raced away, his bark of laughter a brief punch in the silence behind her.

She no longer kept an easy pace, easing into the morning. This time, she sprinted hard. The slight whir of his bike wheels warned her as he reached her a few moments later.

“You’re pretty fast, but I’d suggest you slow down.”

She turned toward him. “Out of pity for you?”

His lips twitched, and his nostrils flared, but he kept his humor reined tight. Instead, he cycled next to her, his head turned slightly toward her. “The only pity I ask for is please don’t make me carry you home when you’re too tired to continue.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, sir.” She made sure he could read her lips.

He grinned, and the last of her tension disappeared. He accepted her teasing.

“Oh, you’ll pay,” he said.

He rode ahead, and she thought for sure he would leave her in the dust. But he turned around, a gleam in his eye, and returned to her side. When they reached a part of the trail farther on, he pulled ahead a little and skidded in a puddle, splashing her legs.

She gasped and looked at her mud-spattered shins and ignored the twinkle in his eye. “You play dirty—literally.”

Ted stopped while she paused to clean her legs off. Given the opportunity—two could play this game—she took her mud-streaked hands and wiped them on his chest. She drew in a breath and realized her mistake. Sure, she’d repaid him for splattering her with mud, but a sudden awareness of his body overrode her satisfaction. His muscles were hard, and she wondered what the rest of him felt like. Her pulse pounded in her ears, and her gaze shifted to his lips. What would it be like to kiss them?

She jerked and pulled her hand away. No. She jumped at the strangled sound from the mouth she’d considered kissing and raised her glance to his eyes. His surprise mirrored her own.

Mistake, mistake, mistake! An internal voice blared a warning. She’d intended for it to be like when she and Max, her best friend from childhood, challenged each other as kids. In fact, when he teased her, Ted reminded her of Max—something about the glint in his eye and the “need to win” coupled with concern. But she hadn’t counted on the sexual component.

She closed her eyes. She was not like her mother. She wasn’t.

“Abby?”

She stilled. Maybe he couldn’t see her. Right, and maybe unicorns are real.

“Yes?”

“Open your eyes.” She opened them. “Let’s get breakfast.”

Intrigued? Buy the book here or at the following online stores:

Amazon | B & N | Apple | Kobo

More about Jennifer:

Jennifer started telling herself stories as a little girl when she couldn’t fall asleep at night. Pretty soon, her head was filled with these stories and the characters that populated them. Even as an adult, she thinks about the characters and stories at night before she falls asleep or walking the dog. Eventually, she started writing them down. Her favorite stories to write are those with smart, sassy, independent heroines; handsome, strong and slightly vulnerable heroes; and her stories always end with happily ever after.

In the real world, she’s the mother of two amazing daughters and wife of one of the smartest men she knows. She believes humor is the only way to get through the day and does not believe in sharing her chocolate.

Jennifer Wilck is an award-winning contemporary romance author for readers who are passionate about love, laughter, and happily ever after. Known for writing both Jewish and non-Jewish romances, her books feature damaged heroes, sassy and independent heroines, witty banter and hot chemistry. Jennifer’s ability to transport the reader into the scene, create characters the reader will fall in love with, and evoke a roller coaster of emotions, will hook you from the first page. You can find her books at all major online retailers in a variety of formats.

Where to find her:

Website | Facebook | Newsletter | Twitter | Instagram | BookBub

Thanks for clueing us in about your new release, Jennifer. Wishing you all the best with it!

MIX AND MATCH by Peggy Jaeger

21 Monday Feb 2022

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

A Match Made in Heaven, Baked With Love, contemporary romance, divorce, family issues, first in series, friends to lovers, Heaven's Matchmaker, later in life romance, Mix and Match, Peggy Jaeger, small town romance, sweet romance

I’m delighted to welcome back Peggy Jaeger, who’s here to promote her upcoming release, Mix and Match. It’s the first book in her Heaven’s Matchmaker series, and she’s going to tell us all about it. Take it away, Peggy!

Judith, thank you so much for welcoming me back to your site today. I love being here to talk to you, your readers, and your fans!

My new series, HEAVEN’S MATCHMAKER, has some familiar secondary characters as stars from my previous small town romance series A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN.

The overall series deals with the attempts of Heaven, NH’s local matchmaker Olivia Joyner to help her clients find their forever loves. Olivia was first introduced in TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS, book 2 in the Match Made in Heaven series and from the moment she first appeared on the page I knew I wanted to give her her own storyline. Olivia is a third generation matchmaker with a sad past. She’ll be getting her own HEA in an upcoming book, but for now she helps people navigate through the dating quagmire 2022 has become. And she’s very good at her job.

Architect Donovan Boyd first appeared in BAKED WITH LOVE, book 3 in A Match Made in Heaven. Flirtatious, witty, and uber-charming, I simply knew I needed to find him the perfect woman. The man wants to be married and enjoy all the wonderful things his parents have in their lives – a long lasting love, a house filled with kids, and a mate they can devote all their love and attention to.  Since the idea of dating apps and picking a woman up in bar give him hives, Donovan enlists Olivia’s aid in helping him find his true love. When she pairs him with Jasmine Green, a recently divorced nurse, he thinks his prayers have been answered. But they have very different ideas about what marriage looks like and soon realize they have more in common as friends than as would-be mates.

Getting these two to see that their differences make them stronger as a couple was so much fun for me. I love a good friends-to-lovers storyline, especially when the couple really are best friends. That makes the love relationship so much stonger, I think.

The book is exclusive to Amazon and KU here:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09P48WPZC

Judith, again, thank you so much for hosting me today and for allowing me to introduce my new series to your readers and fans.

Be well and keep reading, kids!

Thanks for joining us, Peggy. I’m excited about your new series! Here’s a bit more about the first installment:

Divorced and lonely, nurse Jasmine Green retains the services of Heaven, NH’s very own successful matchmaker, Olivia Joyner. The bar scene and dating apps give Jasmine hives and Liv’s reputation is stellar. If anyone can help guide her through the quagmire that dating has become, Olivia can.

Architect Donovan Boyd is ready to settle down. He wants the kind of marriage his parents have; long lasting, filled with love, children, and joy. But even after a year of living and working in Heaven he’s still considered an outsider by many. Meeting the type of woman he’s looking for is hard in the tightknit community. Retaining Olivia Joyner to help him find his forever love is one of the smartest things he’s done, especially after she sets him up with Jasmine Green.

But the red-haired, green-eyed beauty wants a different kind of marriage from the one Donovan considers ideal.

Can these two strong willed people learn to compromise so they can both find their happily ever after? Or will their relationship forever be relegated to the friend zone?

A peek between the pages:

Jasmine scanned the bar where Olivia told her her date would be waiting.  There were three men scattered down along the rail. Two she recognized from high school and one guy whose face she couldn’t see because his back was to her. When he turned she realized immediately this was not the man she was due to have drinks with.

First, there was no way this guy was 36 years old. Her mother would have called him Gramps.

Clue number two was the wedding band on the hand holding his beer. It was so tight, the skin surrounding it swollen, his knuckle hair squeezed around it, indicating it had been there for decades.

Nope. This wasn’t her guy. A cursory glance around the place showed most of the tables were taken with couples.

Her date had yet to arrive.

“Hey, Jazz,” the bartender and owner, Kick Loomis said from his perch drying beer glasses behind the bar.

“Kick.”

“You squattin’ or sittin’, sweetheart?”

She’d been in the place enough times in her life to know he meant was she going to sit at the bar or take a table.

Jasmine was self-conscious enough she didn’t want to be seated on a bar stool, sitting alone while waiting for her date, especially when one of the guys she’d gone to school with tossed her an inquiring eye and a raised eyebrow. She didn’t want to get into a how-you-doing-what-you-been-up-to-since-high school chat. If her memory served, and it always did, the guy had been one of the football heroes of Heaven High back in the day. Those glory days were long gone and she had no desire to listen to him dredge them up.

She spotted an empty table in the corner and nodded toward it.

“I’ll send Raylynn over with a menu.”

She nodded and as she was about to head for it felt a tap on her arm.

“Excuse me. Jasmine?”

She turned at the sound of her name, spoken in a deep, soft voice blessed with a charming accent and found herself face to face with the gorgeous guy she’d spotted in her mom’s office. The one Sharmaine had been sucked on to like a tick.

Good Lord, he was even better looking up close and personal than he’d been, seated, and ten feet away from her. Stunning blue eyes, the color of freshly laid Robin’s eggs topped a face with high cut cheeks and a jaw forged from granite. Midnight hair curled around his ears and caressed the nape of his neck. Layered waves fell across his head in a chaos of perfection.

She’d been right about his height. Most men she could stare straight in the eyes due to her own long legs. But she had to tilt her head back a bit to look into this man’s striking ones.

“You are Jasmine, aye?”

Even his voice was gorgeous, the song of Ireland singing through it.

She nodded, her own voice deciding now would be a good time to leave on vacation. And when his smile took a slow stroll from one corner of his full, thick lips to the other, showing perfect, straight white teeth, the tips of her fingertips began to tingle like she’d fallen asleep on them and spent the night with them cuddled beneath the weight of her body.

He-of-the-handsome-face stuck out his hand and declared, “Good. Olivia said to meet you here. Donovan Boyd, but everyone calls me Van. Lovely to meet you.”

Jasmine knew she should shake his hand. It was the polite thing to do, wasn’t it? For some reason, her brain wasn’t sending any signals down her arm to lift it up to his outstretched one.

Donovan, or Van, kept his hand out, his smile in place, and ticked his head to the left a hair. A clap of booming laughter rang out from somewhere behind her and finally propelled the gears in her brain to start turning again.

After a headshake where she actually heard her brains rattle, she extended her hand and slipped it into his.

Warmth, like she’d just stepped into a bubbling hot tub, spread along her fingers, shot across her palm, then jumped all the way up to her neck.  A feeling of familiarity bolted through her. With a shock, she recognized it for what it was – desire. Pure and simple. Something she hadn’t felt in almost forever.

She swallowed, said,  “It’s nice to meet you,” then shook her head again as she slid her hand back.

“Would you like to sit at the bar or would ya prefer a table?” he asked.

At the bar she’d have to sit next to him, shoulder to shoulder. That seemed a bit too intimate right now, especially when the nerves she’d thought to quell had started bounding through her again. Better to be across from him, keep them at a bit of a physical distance.

Van thrust his chin toward the empty table she’d been aiming for, extended his hand and said, “Shall we?”

He got points for good manners, that was for sure.

A little more about Peggy:

Peggy Jaeger writes contemporary romances and rom coms about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them.

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, Peggy brings all aspects of 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 has created the families she wanted as that lonely child.

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??!”

Where to find her:

Website/Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub | YouTube | Instagram | Pinterest | LinkedIn | Amazon | Triberr

FIXING CHRISTMAS by Peggy Jaeger

12 Friday Nov 2021

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

A Dickens Holiday Romance, adoption, award-winning author, Christmas romance, contemporary romance, Dorrit's Diner, Fixing Christmas, later in life romance, Peggy Jaeger, romantic comedy, Santa Baby, small town romance

Award-winning author Peggy Jaeger is here today to talk about her recent release, Fixing Christmas. If you enjoy holiday romances–or just contemporary romance in general–you’ll want to check this out. Take it away, Peggy!

Welcome back to the tiny New England town of Dickens! FIXING CHRISTMAS is the full length companion novel to my novella SANTA BABY ( DORRIT’S DINER) and tells the story of a grown-up Abracadabra Charles and her life since she was left on Amy Dorrit’s doorstep 38 Christmas Eve’s ago.

Writing about adoption was a true labor of love for me. For several years my husband and I have attended a local auction for the Foster Parents Association in our community to raise excess funds for the worthwhile group. When I learned the statistics about how many children are placed in foster care each year – the number exploding due to the Opioid abuse crisis in this country – I was dumbfounded. The number of children in my community who are adopted by the foster parents is very high, something that warms my heart as a human being and as a writer. Being able to add to their ever dwindling government funding through the auction is something that fills me with a sense of pride.

In my own extended family adoption has played a major role. My sister-in-law and her husband adopted 2 babies (newborns!) within 2 months of one another and created an instant, loving family. FIXING CHRISTMAS is dedicated to them because they were my role models for Andy and Amy Charles, Abra’s adoptive parents.

More about Fixing Christimas:

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 and dream about, 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?

A peek between the pages:

Here she was, alone at God only knew what hour, out in the most secluded part of town. The notion she should have paid more attention to those self-defense classes she’d sat in on as research for her last book blew through her head.

Think, Abra, think.

A butcher block of knives rested on the kitchen counter.

Armed is always better than unarmed.

She pulled one out, held it against her thigh.

Opening the basement door as if she was trying to disarm a live bomb, she slid through it and took a step downward. When the stair didn’t give her away by groaning, she stepped down another, then another until she could crouch down a bit and see into the basement proper.

A man, large and tall—exceptionally so—swept glass from a windowpane with the head of a hammer. The window looked too small for him to have crawled through, so how had he gotten into the house?

Abra took another step down and, in the next second, lost her balance as her foot miscalculated the depth of the step. She flailed out but wasn’t quick enough to grab onto the handrail before she tumbled straight down to the concrete basement floor, her butt bumping on each riser until she landed, once again, flat on her ass at the bottom. Still sore from last night’s tumble on the ice, she couldn’t prevent the ear-piercing scream of pain she let out.

“What the hell?” The man turned, surprise covering his face. He moved toward her.

“Don’t come any closer,” Abra shouted.  She shot her free hand up in a halt stance. “I’m armed.” She pointed the knife at him, which by some miracle hadn’t dropped from her hand when she’d fallen.

The man stopped in his tracks, glanced down at it, then fisted his hands on his hips, his brows tugging together across his forehead. “What are you gonna do? Butter me to death?”

Abra took a good look at the knife for the first time. It wasn’t the steel edged stiletto she thought she’d chosen, but had a flat, wide head, perfect for spreading jam and not skewering an intruder. She had to give him praise-points because most men in her experience didn’t know the differences among everyday cutlery. Ask them about a hunting or pocketknife, and you’d get a different response entirely.

The man shook his head. “Who are you?”

“Since this is my house shouldn’t I be asking you that? How did you get in here, because I know for a fact I locked the door last night.” A slight fib, but he didn’t need to know it.

She tried to pull herself to a standing position using only her free hand so she could keep the knife brandished in the other. It was awkward at best since she had no core strength to speak of.

Warm, strong arms slid around her waist and hauled her up as if she weighed no more than a passing thought.

He stared down at her, his head tilted to one side, his hands once again fisted on his hips as soon as she stood, surefooted.

“Since I know for a fact this isn’t your house,” he said, “you must be the renter Jimmy Marley mentioned. The one who’s supposed to arrive tomorrow.”

Despite the fact Abra loved a good sarcastic throwaway line, she didn’t appreciate being the subject of said mockery. While she swiped at the dust now covering her from chest to knees, she said, “I had a change of plans and that still doesn’t explain who you are or why you’re in my house, breaking a window.”

“Window was already broken. Marley hired me to fix it, gave me a key to get in to do so.” His gaze dragged down her torso. “Before you arrived.”

Suddenly, Abra was hyper-aware of her bra-less state. Half naked and alone in a big, old, creepy house, with a guy who knew the difference between everyday cutlery, wasn’t the way she saw her morning starting.  With her brain still on Vegas-time, her nerves frayed, and her body screaming for coffee, this was a worse case scenario if ever she saw one.

Tall, gray, and built-like-a-tank continued to stare at her as if she had two heads, possibly, three.

“You stay here,” she ordered, flourishing the butter knife at him again. “I’m going upstairs to make a call to confirm you are who you say you are.” She squinted up at him. “Who are you?”

He shook his head, and if she wasn’t mistaken, rolled his eyes. “Colton Bree.” He didn’t offer his hand.

She bobbed her head once. Not exactly a serial killer moniker, but Theodore Bundy was an innocuous sounding, milquetoast name, so you never knew.

“You stay here,” she said again, then, because it was never a good idea to turn your back on a potential murderer, she made her way up the stairs, backwards, the knife still wielded in front of her.

Buy the book!

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A little more about Peggy:

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.

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??!”

Where to find her:

Website/Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub | YouTube | Instagram | Pinterest | LinkedIn | Amazon | Triberr

Congrats on your new release, Peggy! Wishing you all the best with it! 🙂

A New Release by Peggy Jaeger ~ A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: AIDEN

03 Friday Sep 2021

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

A Pride of Brothers: Aiden, contemporary romance, military dogs, NYC romance, Peggy Jaeger, romantic suspense, service dogs, women's fiction

I’m excited to welcome back Peggy Jaeger! Her upcoming release is the second book in the series A Pride of Brothers, and this time, Aiden Keane is the hero. His service dog also has a leading role in the story, and Peggy’s here to tell us all about her. Take it away, Peggy!

One of the main characters in A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: AIDEN is Bronte, Aiden’s service dog, a female chocolate Labrador who is more his best friend than anything else.

I wrote APOB:A in late 2019, early 2020 and did a great deal of research on training dogs, especially dogs trained as service animals and as military dogs. I knew that with Aiden’s issues, there may be some times he was too weak to speak, so when I read that the US Army requires their dogs to learn commands with a verbal cue, as well as a visual cue, such as a hand signal, I knew I needed Bronte and Aiden to communicate this way as well. It just makes sense.

The training that dogs go through when they serve in the military is intense. They train with their handles daily, for a minimum of 30 minutes at a time. This not only fosters obedience and recognition, but bonding as well. These dogs would – and do – give their lives over for their partners, just like any soldier would to a fellow comrade in arms.

Now, as serendipity would have it, in September of 2020, my husband and I adopted an 8-week-old chocolate lab we named Maple, since we live in New Hampshire. I trained Maple using verbal and nonverbal cues just like those military dogs. She’s up to about 30 commands now and I think it’s easier for her to remember the nonverbal hand gestures than it is for me!

More about Aiden’s story:

Lexi Buckley wants answers about her younger sister’s death. The police have labeled it a suicide, but Lexi doesn’t believe it. Stymied in her investigation, she doesn’t know where to turn next. After a chance encounter with a private investigator, she thinks her prayers have been answered.

Aiden Keane has never been an answer to a prayer before, but he agrees to help Lexi. A quirky combo of brains and beauty, the pixie blonde makes him feel things no professional ever should for a client.

When their investigation puts Lexi’s life in jeopardy, her safety becomes his number one priority. The hard part is not falling for her.

A peek between the pages:

Were you close with your sister?” Aiden asked.

Not the way we should have been. Not at the end.

“We had a sizable age difference between us. Almost ten years. I was the big sis. The oldest.” Her lips trembled when she pulled them into a sad line. Rolling her eyes she added, “The bossy one, according to her. She was the baby and took full advantage of her status from the moment she realized it.”

“And rightly so.” The corners of his eyes crinkled. “I’m the youngest of my brothers and I can tell you with one hundred percent honesty, my oldest brother is the bossiest one of us. I think it comes with birth order. Although he takes his so called right uber-seriously. Especially at work.”

This time her grin was steadier.  “What kind of business do you all own together?”

“We run a private security company.”

“Security?”

“Personal bodyguards, if a client needs protection from something. Background checks for employers. Mostly we do investigations.”

“What, like private eyes? Like on television?”

He laughed. “Nothing so glamorous. The fast cars and hot babes are all fantasy. It’s a lot of boring research, computer work, and surveillance, but yeah, you could say I’m a private eye.”

Lexi’s entire mood turned on his words. The sorrow flew, the hurt dissolved. Even her nervous trivia-speak went dormant. She sat bolt upright, her knees bumping against the tabletop when she shifted. Excitement shot from her system as she turned her body, placed a hand across his forearm and declared, “Oh, my God. You’re the answer to my prayers.”

Buy the book!

More about Peggy:

Peggy Jaeger writes contemporary romances and rom coms about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them.

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, Peggy brings all aspects of 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 has created the families she wanted as that lonely child.

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??!”

Where to find her:

Website | Twitter | Amazon | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | Instagram | BookBub | YouTube

Thanks so much for joining us today, Peggy. Wishing you great success with the new book!

UNDERCOVER IN VENICE BEACH by Melody DeBlois

13 Tuesday Jul 2021

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

contemporary romance, courting the muse, Melody DeBlois, new release, Undercover in Venice Beach

I’m excited to welcome Melody DeBlois, a sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press), today! Tomorrow is release day for her new contemporary romance, Undercover in Venice Beach, and she’s here to talk about courting the muse. Take it away, Melody!

The Muse arrives when I turn out the light,

And if I am lucky stays through the night.

She often sticks around until it is tomorrow,

Leaving a stream of words for me to borrow.

The muse is a fleeting lady. Although she’s forever late to the party and the first to leave, I never bar her entrance. Still, the more I struggle to catch her, the more she eludes me. A surefire way to scare her off is to overthink her, but for the sake of this blog, I’ll try to pin her down.

The best time to court the muse is just before drifting off to sleep. She’s great at jumping from one dream and landing in another. She’s quite the pest when she has a mind, leaving me no choice but to get up and write. After all that interrupted sleep and worn to a frazzle, I find the tease has left me flat.

Music is the best bait for trapping the muse. She’s partial to groups like the Cocteau Twins, a little Bossa Nova, and anything Billie Eilish. She’s been known to rock out to Jagger and to rap with Eminem. It’s raw emotions that attract her. The dark, theatric In the Nursery lured her into showing up for a Gothic Horror. Too much of a good thing, though, on any given day, causes her to drop in her tracks. There is such a thing as playing a song to death.

To tempt the muse back to the land of the living is to let her get her teeth on some juicy research. The more exploration, the merrier she dances. Fact is, she’s kept me up for hours on end. All that food for thought makes her shine, makes her gleam. The trick is to know when to stop. Too much hanging out with her makes me forget to start writing. Then neither of us wins.

When I can’t find the muse for any length of time, I resort to drastic measures. I read lots of poetry, draw pictures, and even write by hand. I search my brain for the right word to jar the muse back into existence. Sleep-deprived, I fall into bed. Just when I think I’ll never see her again, I awake refreshed. Low and behold, there she is in all finery, waiting for me with strong coffee and a swift kick into action. My muse is back!

A little about Undercover in Venice Beach:

By trading places with her twin, Audrey Powell has the opportunity she’s always wanted, running her late mother’s teahouse. When she fails to create food that delights the palate, she hires Liam James—a sexy as sin Brit with a flair for cooking. He tries to seduce her with titillating dishes and his charm, but she’s vowed to steer clear of romance.

Working undercover, Liam’s mission is to keep an eye on the teahouse. He poses as a chef to catch the traitor who is leaking UK security secrets. The last thing he wants to do is fall for a suspect, but when sparks fly, the romance starts to feel all too real.

A peek between the pages:

Liam pointed to the recipe, and when she reluctantly did as instructed, he said, “Add the wet butter and milk to the mix and beat until you get rid of the lumps.”

“Too bad I can’t rid myself of the lumps in my so-called life.”

“You’ll get them smoothed out.” He slid in back of her and took her hand, demonstrating the motion, tempting her to nestle against his chest. His Iron Man chest. “Just keep trying, luv.”

His being so near was torture. “Do I add the fruit now?”

“Aye, the cranberries. You can spot a bad one from the others because it shows a wrinkle.” He picked out a specimen, displaying it to her on his palm. “See, not unlike the line you get between your brows when you’re deep in thought.”

She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I do?”

He sent her an all-male grin. “Captivating, actually.”

He wiped flour from her face with a dishrag and plopped some cranberries in her mouth. She bit down, the tangy sweetness thrilling her taste buds, the sexy man challenging her vow to stay clear of him. But the very act of his helping her spoon the batter into tins pulled her deeper into his center, a universe composed of his culinary magic and kindness. His large hands and strong arms made her feel fragile and protected from the outside world. She remained there, a participant in sensations, till the bells over the entrance clanged together like dropped silverware.

Buy the book:

Amazon | B & N | Goodreads | BookBub

More about Melody:

Melody lives in Sacramento (the City of Trees). She writes romance novels. She’s partial to poetry, sun, rain, strong coffee, and her writing room surrounded by books. Besides California, she and her late husband lived part-time in a condo in Oregon overlooking the Pacific. That gave her a love for beach towns and whale-watching and sunsets—all the things that inspire the Love is a Beach series. The writing process fascinates her, the alchemy of layering and developing characters, the tinkering with language. There’s so much to treasure in the world: family, friends, and those random, everyday moments that make life grand. She hopes to give her readers all of that.

Where to find her:

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Thanks so much for joining us today, Melody. All the best with your new release!

SANTA BABY by Peggy Jaeger

07 Monday Jun 2021

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

Christmas, contemporary romance, holiday read, holiday romance, New England, new release, novella, Peggy Jaeger, prequel, Santa Baby, sweet romance

Congrats to Peggy Jaeger, whose new release, Santa Baby, is out today! If you love holiday reads, you’ll want to snap up this sweet romance novella. It’s the prequel to a full-length Christmas book releasing this November. Here’s a little about the story:

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?

A peek inside:

As she moved through the breezeway connecting the diner to her apartment, Amy heard a mewling sound at the back alley door. Her cook, Willie, often left scraps out for strays, especially in winter, and sometimes when she took the trash out at the end of the day, Amy would find a mamma cat searching for something to feed her kittens.

Amy opened the door, expecting to see a hungry animal looking for a handout, and got the shock of the century when she found a baby carrier, complete with a crying infant nestled in it.

She gasped, her head flicking right, then left, to find the person responsible for leaving a baby out in the frigid night air.

“Hello? Is anyone here?”

The still sleeping and silent town surrounded her as shoe impressions in the fresh snow indicated the baby hadn’t been there for long.

The infant’s howl echoed in the quiet.

“Oh, you poor thing. Let’s get you out of the cold.”

Watch the trailer:

Buy the book here!

About Peggy:

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.

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??!”

Where to find her:

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub | YouTube | Instagram | Pinterest | LinkedIn | Amazon | Triberr

All the best, Peggy! Wishing you great success with the book!

Cover Reveal ~ A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: AIDEN

01 Tuesday Jun 2021

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

A Pride of Brothers: Aiden, A Pride of Brothers: Rick, award-nominated, contemporary romance, cover reveal, Peggy Jaeger, romance series, The Wild Rose Press

Behold the cover of Peggy Jaeger’s upcoming release, A Pride of Brothers: Aiden! It’s the second book in the series; the first, whose hero is Rick, is nominated for a RONE award. (Best of luck, Peg!)

Here’s the scoop on Aiden’s story:

Lexi Buckley wants answers about her younger sister’s death. The police have labeled it a suicide, but Lexi doesn’t believe it. Stymied in her investigation, she doesn’t know where to turn next. After a chance encounter with a private investigator, she thinks her prayers have been answered.

Aiden Keane has never been an answer to a prayer before, but he agrees to help Lexi. A quirky combo of brains and beauty, the pixie blonde makes him feel things no professional ever should for a client. When their investigation puts Lexi’s life in jeopardy, her safety becomes his number one priority. The hard part is not falling for her.

A peek between the pages:

Were you close with your sister?” Aiden asked.

Not the way we should have been. Not at the end.

“We had a sizable age difference between us. Almost ten years. I was the big sis. The oldest.” Her lips trembled when she pulled them into a sad line. Rolling her eyes she added, “The bossy one, according to her. She was the baby and took full advantage of her status from the moment she realized it.”

“And rightly so.” The corners of his eyes crinkled. “I’m the youngest of my brothers and I’ll can tell you with one hundred percent honesty, my oldest brother is the bossiest one of us. I think it comes with birth order. Although he takes his so called right uber-seriously. Especially at work.”

This time her grin was steadier.  “What kind of business do you all own together?”

“We a run a private security company.”

“Security?”

“Personal bodyguards, if a client needs protection from something. Background checks for employers. Mostly we do investigations.”

“What, like private eyes? Like on television?”

He laughed. “Nothing so glamorous. The fast cars and hot babes are all fantasy. It’s a lot of boring research, computer work, and surveillance, but yeah, you could say I’m a private eye.”

Lexi’s entire mood turned on his words. The sorrow flew, the hurt dissolved. Even her nervous trivia-speak went dormant. She sat bolt upright, her knees bumping against the tabletop when she shifted. Excitement shot from her system as she turned her body, placed a hand across his forearm and declared, “Oh, my God. You’re the answer to my prayers.”

Sounds like a great read, and the cover really sets the mood. No buy links yet, but you can find the first book in the series here.

Connect with Peggy:

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub | YouTube | Instagram 

Pinterest | LinkedIn | Amazon | Triberr

Wishing Peggy all the best with her forthcoming release, and wishing you a lovely June!

NUMBERS GAME by Desiree Holt and Liz Crowe

04 Tuesday May 2021

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

award-winning author, contemporary romance, Desiree Holt, Judith Sterling, Liz Crowe, Numbers Game, second chance romance, sports romance, The Wild Rose Press, USA Today bestselling author

I’m excited to welcome two sister Roses (published by The Wild Rose Press), Desiree Holt and Liz Crowe! We’re spotlighting their new release, Numbers Game, and Liz is here to talk about the co-writing conundrum. Take it away, Liz!

Desiree has always been one of my writing heroes. She’s the sort of established, successful author who never begrudges a newbie question or need for advice. I’ve known her since we both were writing for Decadent Publishing and got to meet her when she visited Ann Arbor for a football game.

We also share a love of sports, and have been known to go off on a tangent or two talking about college football and basketball. When I helped raise money for my kids’ high school athletic fund by inviting the Harbaugh brothers to speak at a dinner, I made sure to get a signed commemorative football and send it to her.

When I got the wild idea that we should write a sports-themed romance together, I wasn’t sure that she’d want to do it, but luckily for me she jumped at the opportunity. Given that we are both busy, it took us about a year to get our thoughts coalesced around the novel that is now NUMBERS GAME, available from Wild Rose Press. We wrote in a literal back and forth—she wrote our heroine’s perspective and I wrote the hero’s. We ran into a few issues, mainly with names which took a bit to sort out but once we did, we managed to write it between us over the course of about six months.

I learned so much writing with her, which is always my goal as an author—to learn, grow, and get better with every book and every editor and every publisher I work with. I hope you enjoy reading our second chance romance NUMBERS GAME as much as we enjoyed writing it!

A little more about Numbers Game:

Former pro football player and coach Duncan “Hatch” Hatcher fumbled his career and marriage. Now divorced and ready to tackle his future, he has an opportunity to redeem himself as coach of his college alma mater’s football team. But how can he can turn the team’s losing streak around and keep the secret of his downfall buried when the school agrees to a documentary that will allow a lovely journalist to dig her way into his past…and into his heart?

Olivia Grant’s ex-husband almost wrecked her journalism career while he definitely did a number on her self-esteem. The documentary on Duncan Hatcher is the perfect way to rebuild both. As a freshman in college, she’d had a crush on the senior football hero, but he hadn’t known she existed. She never expects the sparks that fly between them as they work on the project nor the struggles they must face if they both want to win.

A peek between the pages:

Hatch winced at the memory of how goofy he must have sounded to the lovely woman he was going to be having a fair bit of contact with this season. Olivia Grant was, without a doubt, beautiful, not to mention sexy as hell. She was a natural reporter, putting him at ease, even in the face of his high-school-ish reaction to her at first. But dear Lord, the crap he’d said? That shit about her being “better than she thought” at the race? And “looking for a foot in the door”? He’d sounded about as slick as the grandpas he’d been named for.

He groaned and pressed his forehead to the leather blotter on his new desk. After his divorce, he’d made a point not to notice women, something that was a bit of a self-imposed penalty. But there was no not noticing Olivia. Her soft, dark blonde hair that kept dropping over one of her deep green eyes as she’d look down at her notes, then back up at him. That smile, and those full, barely lip-sticked lips. And there was no denying she had a body that would be hard to shake out of his brain. Scott had told him she used to play soccer here, a few years behind him as an undergrad. How he’d not known her… Granted, he hadn’t been a big partier then, kept mostly to himself and his close group of friends and, as always, focused on the game.

But damn. He’d missed out on something then, without a doubt. He felt his face flush red and his entire body begin to react in ways that didn’t really serve him well as a fully grown man, with plenty of experience under his belt, so to speak.

Thankfully, she’d left before he could embarrass himself any more.

Home. Shower. Beer. Stare at a string of old movies on the giant television screen. Anything to get the lovely Olivia Grant and all her many attributes out of his head. She was, after all, the media. And everyone knew how he felt about the media.

It was get-a-grip time—on all parts of himself.

This was his chance at redemption. The opportunity was a godsend, considering the sorry state he’d left his life in on the west coast, and he didn’t intend to do anything to screw it up. He couldn’t afford to get distracted by a single thing. But how the hell was he going to do that when Olivia Grant might prove to be the biggest distraction of all?

Buy the book!

More about Desiree:

USA Today best-selling and award-winning author Desiree Holt writes everything from romantic suspense and contemporary on a variety of heat levels up to erotic, a genre in which she is the oldest living author. She has been referred to by USA Today as the Nora Roberts of erotic romance, and is a winner of the EPIC E-Book Award, the Holt Medallion and a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice nominee. She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The Village Voice, The Daily Beast, USA Today, The (London) Daily Mail, The New Delhi Times and numerous other national and international publications.

Where to find her:

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Google | BookBub | Amazon

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More about Liz:

Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville living in Central Illinois. She’s spent her time as a three-continent expat trailing spouse, mom of three, real estate agent, brewery owner and bar manager, and is currently a social media consultant and humane society development director, in addition to being an award-winning author. With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch, inside fictional television stations and successful real estate offices, and even in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are compelling and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight, at times frustrate, and always linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.

Where to find her:

Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads | Instagram | Website

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Liz, Desiree, thanks so much for joining me today. All the best to you both, and may you have great success with Numbers Game!

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