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Judith Sterling

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Judith Sterling

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WINTER AT THE LIGHT by Stephen B. King

19 Wednesday Aug 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

1950s, Australia, award winning author, guest post, historical, Judith Sterling, lighthouses, romance, Stephen B. King, The Wild Rose Press, Thirty-Three Days, thriller, Winter at the Light

I’m thrilled to have Stephen B. King on my blog today! He’s a brother Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press), and he’s here to tell us all about the inspiration for his latest release, Winter at the Light. Take it away, Stephen!

Write what you know (so they say…)

Mostly, for the twelve books I have written and published, this tenet holds true. I am by nature a ‘pantster’, which loosely means that once I get an idea I have to write it to explore and see where it leads. Sometimes that spark turns into nothing I can use to build around, others it finishes around short story length, and occasionally the 100,000 words, or so, that to me works for a book length.

Along the way of re-modeling that idea into a novel I often drift into areas of which I know nothing about, so I have to stop the creative flow to research it. This has been particularly true of my psychological thrillers because I am neither a psychologist nor a policeman, though I have always had a deep-seated interest in both (along with serial killers). But, isn’t Google wonderful? On occasions, because I write stories set in my home state of Western Australia I have to visit those places I write about, but it’s all very piecemeal, if you know what I mean? I stop writing to research something that has popped up, figure it out, then go back to writing. I find that by writing this way, I want to know what is going to happen next, because truthfully I have no idea, and sometimes I pen a passage and sit back afterward and think, Where the heck did that come from? I have found, that in my humble opinion, the best things I’ve written came through me, and not from me, if that makes sense?

But for Winter at the Light, this was not the case. The idea came, as they often do for me, while I was driving along, almost in auto pilot mode. The traffic was its usual annoying self and I wasn’t thinking about anything terribly important, not even concrete if I’m honest. Suddenly, a random thought snuck into my consciousness and said: The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter. I have no idea where it came from, or why I even thought it, one moment I was wondering what time I’d get to work, and the next I was thinking about a lighthouse, and in particular the daughter of the keeper. Weird? You bet, welcome to my life.

When I arrived at work, I was so fascinated I Googled it and discovered it had been a book, written many years before and I felt immediately disappointed that it hadn’t been an original idea. But, it wouldn’t go away and all through the day I wondered things like, why is she looking after the lighthouse for her father? Surely, it had to be years ago as to the best of my knowledge lighthouses are mostly automated these days. Slowly the plotline came together, a twenty-year-old woman, a nurse who lost her mother during the war when she was a child agrees to tend a remote lighthouse miles from anywhere when her father is injured and he will lose his job if she doesn’t.

Then a very curious thing happened. I was driving home that same evening, daydreaming, and as clear as a bell, in my mind’s eye, I saw a young woman, in a horrendous raging storm risk her life and wade into the crashing waves to grab a life raft. In the inflatable dinghy, is an injured man, and he has lost his memory…or has he?

Never before, except perhaps when I had the idea for Thirty-Three Days, and that came to me in a dream, has an emerging plot line been so vivid in my imagination. I knew for example, the man was on the run, and he had been shot and wounded, but he says he can’t remember why. I also knew that the men who had shot him, were still hunting for him, and they would eventually turn up at the lighthouse to look for him. So, pretty much I had the outline for the whole story, but I knew nothing about nursing, lighthouses, or the era shortly after the war when in my soul I knew the story had to be set. And so, I researched like never before. By that I mean I studied so I could tell a story, and not tell a story and research along the way.

I found, online, a diary of a lighthouse keeper from the fifties, and read every single word. I learned how kerosene fueled lights operated, the responsibilities of the keepers in an era before we had satellite navigation, radio check ins, the officialdom that ran the operations, and so much more. Then nursing, what was it like in the fifties? It was male dominated and these wonderful women were, in general, treated poorly by the hospital, and doctors. Next the war, Molly (I’d come up with her name by then) lost her mother in an air raid, while her father was in the navy as chief medical officer; more research.

So, by the time I sat down to write the first words, I had an incredible amount of information I knew I would need to tell the story of Molly, and her stay at Forbe’s Reef Light, during the worst storm season of the decade, and her eventual fight for survival against two men who are going to come to the island and kill the man she has been nursing back to health. It was exhilarating for me, and I hope I have done the story the justice it deserved.

Winter at the Light is a love story, a thriller, and it is historical. It is set in a more romantic, less promiscuous era than now and features one very special woman. Molly is not one of the ‘beautiful people’; she is just a normal, everyday young woman, who must find strength and courage she doesn’t know she has to survive. When there is nowhere to hide, she must stand and fight back against two armed men who want to kill her.

Thanks so much to Judith for hosting me, and letting me rave on about Winter at the Light.

My pleasure, Stephen. It sounds like a wonderful story! I love it when inspiration strikes out of the blue; thank you for sharing yours with us. Wishing you all the best with the book!

A little more about Winter at the Light:

Forbes Lighthouse is a dangerous place. Twenty-year-old Molly McLaren agrees to tend the light when her father breaks his leg, so she leaves behind the city and her nursing career. Molly dreads the thought of three months as the sole inhabitant on the tiny island, nineteen nautical miles off the rugged coastline of Augusta in Western Australia.

Molly discovers she enjoys the solitude, and when a massive storm arrives bringing a life raft, Molly risks her life to save the unconscious man inside. On waking, he says he has lost his memory but as Molly nurses him back to health she wonders if he has. When the storm finally clears, Molly has fallen for the man she’s nicknamed John, but still has doubts about his honesty.

The real danger arrives with two men who are searching for her mystery man. They want to kill him and anyone else who can identify them, and Molly quickly learns; on a lighthouse, there is nowhere to hide.

A peek between the pages:

A man sat on a chair in front of the desk, and Mrs. Frost waited with fingers tented. “Come in, Molly, please take a seat,” Mrs. Frost said softly and smiled, but to Molly, it looked like a shark grinning. She was in her fifties with silver, gray curly hair and wore a yellow shirt buttoned to the neck with a ribbon tied in a bow at the collar. “This is Mr. Darcy Harpington, from the Department of Marine and Harbors; he has some news for you about your father.”

The man stood up and held out his hand to shake. He was short, balding, with spectacles which sat halfway down his nose and wore a gray pinstriped suit. Molly barely noticed as her heart leaped inside her mouth. “What about Dad, what’s wrong, is he hurt?” She struggled to retain tears of fear from pouring forth. She knew it would be terrible news; it had to be, why else is he here? She worried.

The man smiled and raised a placating hand. “No need to panic; your father is a remarkable man, Miss McLaren. He broke his leg out on the rocks while checking the moorings for the boat during a severe storm. He made it back to the light basically by crawling; it was quite a journey; he tells us. Being a doctor, he has splinted his leg and been in constant radio contact since. We are sending a boat out to pick him up tomorrow; the weather forecast is for the storm to ease enough to go and evacuate him. We need to get him into hospital for X-rays, set the leg properly, and make sure he’s done no permanent damage from crawling over the rocky ground.”

Molly looked from one to the other, unable to understand what they were saying. Dad broke his leg, she thought. She realized she was in shock. Molly sat down, hard, on the straight-backed chair, as the man sat back down too. Just for a moment, she had a mental image of her father dying, and her world went black.

She knew he could be stubborn and obstinate when he had a bee in his bonnet, and how typical of him not to lie down without a fight. Crawled back to the lighthouse with a broken leg in a severe storm? She was incredulous. Molly had spent three weeks there and knew the terrain well from her frequent exploratory walks. He’d achieved a miraculous result if the accident happened anywhere near the dock. Tears welled in her eyes, never did she realize just how much she loved him, and needed him in her life, until then. “He’s going to be all right?” she asked in a quivering voice.

“Yes Miss McLaren, we believe he will be fine after a lengthy hospital stay. It’s possible, I’m told, the doctors may need to reset the fracture, and put him in a cast, possibly stretch the leg back into place.” He nodded slightly and stared pointedly at her; the implication of the seriousness unsaid.

“I’d like to thank you, Mr. Harpington, for coming to tell me personally, that was very kind of you.”

“Oh, think nothing of it, Miss McLaren. Your father has done a sterling job for getting on toward two years for us, and he is a valued member of our lighthouse staff. Um, that brings me to another matter, which he asked me to discuss with you.”

She had been staring down at her hands as they gripped and clasped each other but looked up sharply at his words. She didn’t like the sudden change in his tone. “And, just what is that?” She recognized the defensive aggression in her tone of voice, and it shocked her. Calm down, Molly girl, you’ve had a shock, be careful, she told herself sternly.

He made a performance of taking his spectacles off, then removing a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and wiping them. “Miss McLaren, your father understands, we cannot leave the light unattended, and if we replace him with another employee, then…”

“You won’t let him go back?” She saw the predicament immediately and was suddenly angry, enough to slap the officious looking man. Molly stood up, furious and almost shouted, “Dad donates a leg to the cause, and he loses his job, is that what you are telling me, Mr. Harpington?”

“Mind your tone, Molly,” Mrs. Frost interjected. “Sit down; there could be an alternative which Mr. Harpington and I have discussed. Mr. Harpington has sought a special arrangement with his Department, and this hospital, at your father’s behest, to find a solution to the problem. I would suggest you hold on to that temper of yours until you’ve heard what he has to say.”

Buy the book on Amazon!

Connect with Stephen:

Website

Twitter: @stephenBKing1

Facebook: @stephenbkingauthor

Email: stephenk8@me.com

Peggy Jaeger’s New Release ~ A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: RICK

07 Tuesday Jan 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

A Pride of Brothers: Rick, contemporary romance, Cooking with Kandy, guest post, Judith Sterling, New England authors, Peggy Jaeger, The Wild Rose Press, Will Cook for Love

I’m thrilled to welcome sister Rose (published by the Wild Rose Press) Peggy Jaeger back to my blog!  She’s written a lovely guest post about Abigail Lane, the heroine in her upcoming release, A Pride of Brothers: Rick.  Take it away, Peggy!

Lawyer Abby Laine made an appearance in my first WILL COOK FOR LOVE series book COOKING WITH KANDY. Abby is the second oldest of the Laine girls (right behind Kandy) and when we meet her in the first book she is working as a paralegal in a law firm and attending law school at night.

Abby’s backstory is a deep one. Her father left the family after multiple affairs when Abby was a child. His defection impacted her greatly because she saw what it did to her mother emotionally and to the family financially. Left with no means of support and with nothing but a high school education, Abby’s mother, Hannah, had to work 3 jobs to support herself and her 7 girls, and the family was forced to live with Hannah’s parents. Abby saw the way her mother was treated by her father – dumped and discarded – and by society – an uneducated, unskilled woman – and vowed to never allow herself to be treated so horribly by anyone. She was determined to be self sufficient and financially sound, get a good education and be successful.

Since she was the second oldest, she and Kandy were tasked with taking care of the younger girls while Hannah worked, and it instilled a great sense of family obligation in her. She loves her sisters, there is no doubt of that, but she never really got to be a kid. Assuming adult responsibilities at such a tender age left no room for friends, outside the home activates, or anything fun related.

When we meet Abby in A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: RICK she is confronted by the angry abusive husband of one of her clients in her office while Kandy is visiting. Abby stands up to him and when he threatens her, has him arrested. The fact that her sister deals with such violent people in her practice scares Kandy, and she asks her Private Investigator/Bodyguard husband to place someone in Abby’s office as protection. Abby, of course, refuses the help.

When Rick Bannerman, Josh’s partner, hears about what happened, he wants to help protect Abby. The two of them have a subtle history that ended when he walked away from her after they shared a hot kiss 4 years ago. Abby has always had a thing for Rick, but his dismissal hurt, so she has kept her distance from him, despite the fact that their families are together a great deal.

Abby has a three-legged cat, adopted from a shelter, and whom no one wanted because she wasn’t deemed “perfect.” In her cat, Abby saw a kindred spirit and it was love at first sight. Despite the hardened, take no prisoners personality Abby shows the world, she is truly a softie at heart and wants nothing more than to be loved for the person she is.

A peek between the pages:

“Right there.” She aimed her fork at him as if it were a spear. “Perfect example. You know I hate being called Abigail. I’ve lost count of the hundreds of times I’ve told you and you still do it, knowing it pisses me off. And”—she cut him off before he could speak— “your usual response is to lift your hands and say ‘and still’ when you’re called on it. Who does that? What kind of person persistently and purposefully annoys people?”

“So you’re saying I’m intentionally annoying?”

“Persistently, so. Yes. Makes the lawyer in me wonder why.”

Just the lawyer? “Any answers come to mind?”

“Plenty.”

“Care to share?”

She placed her fork down next to her plate and regarded him across the table. “You really want to hear this? Because if you know anything about me, you know I’m truthful. I don’t hold back.”

Oh, he was sure she didn’t. And wouldn’t. Her tenacity was one of the things he’d first been drawn to.

That and her fabulous ass.

“I’m a big boy,” he said with a grin. “I can take it.

She took a sip of water first, her eyes trained on him the entire time. “Okay. If you really want to hear this.”

He waved his hand for her to continue.

“I think you use your cocky, aren’t-I-simply-too-witty attitude to keep people at a distance.”

Buy the book:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Books-a-Million

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.

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??!”

Where to find her:

Website/Blog: http://peggyjaeger.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/peggy_jaeger

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

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

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

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

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

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

You-Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDR8RRIlssIyS0FYZWeGqsg/videos?view_as=subscriber

Thanks so much for being my guest, Peggy.  Best of luck with the new book!

TO WEAVE A HIGHLAND TAPESTRY by Mary Morgan

12 Thursday Dec 2019

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 24 Comments

Tags

award winning author, Celtic paranormal, excerpt, fantasy romance, guest post, Judith Sterling, Legend of the Yew Tree, Mary Morgan, new release, Order of the Dragon Knights, Scotland, The Wild Rose Press, To Weave a Highland Tapestry

My dear friend and sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press) Mary Morgan is here today!  We’re celebrating her new release, To Weave a Highland Tapestry, and she’s written a wonderful guest post about the legend of the yew tree.  Let’s read on…

In To Weave a Highland Tapestry, I considered it time to give the hero, Patrick MacFhearguis his own “happy ever after.” He’s been a huge secondary character since my first book and series, Dragon Knight’s Sword, Order of the Dragon Knights. I sensed he was brooding at his home in Scotland. What he needed was a wife and a purpose. In truth, he has been a favorite of mine since he stepped into the first story. I made his castle, Leòmhann, as the center of this love story, along with an ancient yew tree.

Allow me to take you back in time to ancient Scotland…

When the ancient MacFhearguis clan settled near the Great Glen in Scotland, the Chieftain wished to bless the land, and his castle known as Leòmhann—the lion. Druids came from far away, bestowing their approval over stone, land, and people. Afterwards, they took part in a grand feast. Drink and food overflowed in the Great Hall. The bards recounted the great tales. Minstrels played songs of past triumphs, and the dancing and feasting lasted for countless days.

However, another tale lay buried within the stone walls of Leòmhann and only those brave enough could relate the true account.

It was whispered there were those in the clan—weavers from an ancient order from the west—not happy with the Chieftain’s refusal to offer a gift to the Fae who had graced his land before him. He deemed their request foolish and banished these irritating women to the forest.

Saddened by this act from their Chieftain, the women grew concerned the Fae would not give their own blessing over this new land, leaving their people without a compassionate and wise leader. Regardless of his order to silence them, they sought another path to right this injustice.

Gathering around a bonfire on a moonlit Samhain eve, each woman brought with them one long golden thread from their looms. On a whispered prayer, they knotted them all together. Traveling deep into the forest far away from Leòmhann, they came upon a young yew tree. As they swayed softly, the women wrapped the knotted threads around the tree. After they were finished, they joined hands and sang out as one.

“Seasons will ebb and flow—battles shall be fought.

The loom of the land shall not see rebirth.

From left to right, the strands of time will knot and break.

Only when a weaver threads the true color on a winter full moon night, shall the land, stone, and clan be cleansed.”

Smiling, they embraced each other, deeming their prayer had been received by the Fae. As the leaves rustled beneath their feet, none of them ever fathomed that the true master weaver to claim the heart of a MacFhearguis would not appear for over eight hundred years.

And as the centuries passed, the legend of the Yew tree became more of a curse, and the land around Leòmhann suffered.

A little more about To Weave a Highland Tapestry:

Patrick MacFhearguis, hardened by battles won and lost, desires what he can never have—peace within his heart and soul.  Yet, the ever-meddling Fae weave a new journey for him to conquer—a task this highlander is determined to resist.

When skilled weaver, Gwen Hywel, is commissioned to create a tapestry for the MacFhearguis clan, she embraces the assignment. While seeking out ideas, she finds herself clutching the one thread that can alter the tapestry of her life and heart.

A man conflicted by past deeds. A woman with no family of her own. Is it possible for love to unravel an ancient past, in order to claim two badly scarred hearts? Or will the light of hope be doused forever?

A peek between the pages:

His kiss was urgent, demanding. Patrick thrust his tongue into her soft heat. The air swirled in a tempest of passion as the kiss deepened. No longer caring if anyone came upon them, Patrick continued to feast on her mouth.

“How many kissing boughs have our wives placed in this castle?” asked Stephen.

“In every nook, stone, and chamber. I would not be surprised to find one in the stables or lists,” replied Duncan.

Stephen laughed. “By the hounds, I do love Midwinter.”

Gwen stiffened against Patrick. Placing a finger over her mouth, he waited for the conversation to fade before relaxing his stance and stepping back. Glancing over his shoulder, he watched as the men made their way into the feasting hall. Returning his attention to Gwen, he pulled her out of the alcove.

Her cheeks were stained a becoming pink, and full lips begged to be kissed again. Patrick raked a hand through his hair, doing his best to refrain from backing her inside the hidden enclosure again.

She giggled and stole a glance upward within the alcove. “Yes. We can blame it on the kissing boughs.”

He laughed nervously. “This is a first.”

“Are you confessing you’ve never kissed another under these boughs?”

Reaching for her hand, he caressed her fingers. “Never. Leòmhann has seen many a Midwinter feast, but no one dared to place these kissing boughs within the castle.”

She tilted her head to the side. Her joyful expression faded. “May I ask why?”

Once again, Patrick was reminded of the curse which surrounded his home. He looked down at her tiny hand. What could he offer Gwen? Why did he continue to pursue her without the promise of tomorrow? Should he confess all to her now?

She squeezed his hand. “If it’s too painful to talk about, I’ll understand. Let us enjoy this evening and not dwell on unhappy thoughts.”

Her words brought comfort to Patrick’s tortured spirit. Giving her a weak smile, he brought her hand into the crook of his arm. “Ye are correct. Let us welcome the light of Midwinter tonight.”

Patrick’s steps slowed as he guided them into the hall. The atmosphere was one of cheerfulness, laughter, and music. Greenery adorned the entire room—from wooden beams to tables. Children scurried past them in glee, and his heart leaped at the sight.

“My goodness. It’s beautiful,” observed Gwen, leaning against him. “And look, they’ve brought Meggie’s tapestry back inside the hall. The MacKays surely know how to celebrate.”

Within that moment, Patrick made a silent vow that one day he would see the same light enter his home. His heart soared at the possibility. With ye by my side, Gwen, I shall give ye this beauty.

Where to buy the book:

Amazon | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | B & N | Apple Books

More about Mary:

Award-winning Celtic paranormal and fantasy romance author, Mary Morgan, resides in Northern California with her own knight in shining armor. However, during her travels to Scotland, England, and Ireland, she left a part of her soul in one of these countries and vows to return.

Mary’s passion for books started at an early age along with an overactive imagination. Inspired by her love for history and ancient Celtic mythology, her tales are filled with powerful warriors, brave women, magic, and romance. It wasn’t until the closure of Borders Books where Mary worked that she found her true calling by writing romance. Now, the worlds she created in her mind are coming to life within her stories.

If you enjoy history, tortured heroes, and a wee bit of magic, then time-travel within the pages of her books.

Where to find her:

WEBSITE/BLOG:  https://www.marymorganauthor.com/

TWITTER:  http://twitter.com/m_morganauthor

FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/MaryMorganAuthor/      

GOODREADS:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8271002.Mary_Morgan

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE:  http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Morgan/e/B00KPE3NWI/

PINTEREST:  www.pinterest.com/marymorgan50/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/marymorgan2/

BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-morgan

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-morgan-2634a77a/

AUDIBLE AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.audible.com/author/Mary-Morgan/B00KPE3NWI

Best of luck with the book, Mary!  🙂

TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS by Peggy Jaeger

10 Tuesday Dec 2019

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 19 Comments

Tags

A Match Made in Heaven, contemporary romance, excerpt, guest post, Judith Sterling, new release, Peggy Jaeger, romantic comedy, secondary characters, The Wild Rose Press

I’m thrilled to have a sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press) here with me today.  We’re celebrating her new release, Today, Tomorrow, Always, and she’s written a lovely guest post about secondary characters who move the story along.  Let’s see what she has to say:

When I decided to write my first romance series, I knew I needed to have engaging primary characters the reader could root for. I also knew I needed great secondary characters who’d pop up from book to book and who, also, the reader would want to connect with.

In my Match Made in Heaven series, the second book of which – TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS – is out now, that secondary character is 93-year-old O’Dowd grandmother, Nanny Fee.

Her real, full name is Fiona Bridget Mary Darcy Sullivan O’Dowd Heaven Scallopini because she’s been married 4 times and widowed 4 times, each husband’s passing more difficult emotionally than the one before it. Fiona hasn’t only let her romantic heart be guided to the matrimonial bed. In her younger years she was a classical pianist and traveled with a world famous symphony all through Europe where she had affairs  (between hubbies, of course) with a Duke, a Baron, an Earl and one or two other, lesser royals.  With her flaming and natural red, waist length hair, sparkling periwinkle colored eyes, a quick wit and a naughty mind, Fee can charm the pants off any man – and has! But she’s also fiercely loyal and protective of her granddaughters.

One of her many quirks is calling her granddaughters by the numerical number of their birth. Cathy is referred to as “Number One,” Maureen, “Number Four.” Her twin, Eileen was three, but she died. Colleen is the one scarred the most by the use of the numerical naming system because as the second child, she’s called  “Number Two,” a name she can’t stomach and really hated as a child. Especially since Nanny taught communion classes. Colleen was referred to one too many times as Number two in front of a classroom of her peers, and has been emotionally traumatized because of it.

The reason behind the numerical names is that Fiona and her daughter-in-law despise one another. When the girls’ mother named them all with the same sounding names (Cathleen, Colleen, Eileen & Maureen) Nanny thought it sounded obnoxious and voiced her opinion on the topic loud and long. To get back at her DIL, the number names were born. But Nanny didn’t figure in how the numbers would affect her granddaughters into adulthood.

I adore Nanny Fee and she plays a prominent role in TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS, so when you read it, I hope you love her as much as I do.

The story in a nutshell:

Lawyer Cathleen O’Dowd wants to break free from her boring image. Widowed young, she’s toed the good-girl line but now wants a little fun and laughter in her days…and nights. Living in a small town, though, she can’t do anything that would tarnish her professional reputation.

Mac Frayne’s tragic past has turned him into a sullen loner. In town to write a book on the city’s founder, his plan is to get it done, then head home to his solitary existence.

When circumstances force them to work together, their opposing personalities clash, but the sexual attraction between them is palpable.

Can a simple affair with an end date be just the thing to brighten up their lives?

A peek between the pages:

His expression changed from wide-eyed with excitement to something entirely different. Something deep and dark and—gulp—wild.

He repeated my name, and before I could blink, a pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist and a torso I knew was as solid and defined as a redwood tree flattened against the front of me.

He dipped his head, those dreamy eyes dark now with desire, and zeroed in on my own like a laser pointer. Hypnotized by the naked need facing me, I took a breath—a physical and a mental one—and pushed up on my unshod toes until my lips pressed against his.

For a nanosecond, Frayne stilled. The notion that he didn’t want this blew across my mind. A beat later and the thought died as his arms tightened and he pulled me fully against his body.

And then kissed me back.

Where to buy the book:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books

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.

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??!”

Where to find her:

Website/Blog

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Best of luck with the book, Peggy!  🙂

A Holiday Cookbook, a Guest Blog, and a Readathon Spotlight

27 Wednesday Nov 2019

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Amazon gift card, Barnes and Noble gift card, free gift, giveaway, guest post, historical romance, holiday cookbook, Holiday Garden Gourmet Cookbook, Judith Sterling, N. N. Light's Book Heaven, Night of the Owl, paranormal, Snuggle Up with These Books Readathon, Thanksgiving, The Novels of Ravenwood, The Wild Rose Press

My fiction publisher, The Wild Rose Press, has put together a free holiday cookbook, and if you’d like a copy, just email me at judithsterlingmarshall@gmail.com.  I contributed a recipe passed down from my maternal grandfather, Poppy, who sadly passed away in 2007.  But his spirit lives on, and I wrote about a couple of his post-death visits for The Wild Rose Press blog.  You can read the post here.

In other news, the Snuggle Up with These Books Readathon continues on N. N. Light’s Book Heaven, and today, the spotlight shines on my recent release, Night of the Owl.

Check it out here.  And while you’re at it, don’t forget to enter the giveaway.  You could win one of the following:

~ $50 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

~ $50 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

~ $25 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

~ $15 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

~ $10 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

Good luck!  And to all who celebrate Thanksgiving, have a wonderful holiday!

 

Christmas and Family ~ My Guest Post on Iona Morrison’s Blog

12 Wednesday Dec 2018

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bestselling author, Christmas spirit, Guardians of Erin, guest post, holiday shopping, Iona Morrison, Ireland, Judith Sterling, new release, The Stone Awakened, young adult series


Bestselling author Iona Morrison asked me to write a guest post for her blog about Christmas and family, so I whipped up something short and sweet.  You can read the post here:

http://ionamorrison.com/guest-author-judith-sterling/

She’s also sharing an excerpt from my upcoming young adult release, The Stone Awakened.  We’re only a week away from release day, and I’m so excited to share the Donoghues’ continuing story with you! Have you read the first book in the series?  Have you preordered your copy of the second?  Click here for buy links and travel to Ireland from the comfort of your own home.

Speaking of buying, my husband and I finally finished our holiday shopping.  Our boys don’t know it yet, but they’re going to have a great Christmas.  Then again, maybe they do know; they’re spooky that way!

Happy Wednesday, and of course, happy holidays!  🙂

 

 

Guest Post and Giveaway ~ Sherry Ewing’s Blog

05 Wednesday Dec 2018

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

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bestselling author, giveaway, Guardians of Erin, guest post, Ireland, Judith Sterling, new release, paranormal, Sherry Ewing, The Cauldron Stirred, The Stone Awakened, young adult series


With the fast-approaching release of The Stone Awakened, my dear friend and bestselling author, Sherry Ewing, is featuring me and my Guardians of Erin series on her blog today.  We’d love for you to visit!  If you comment on the post, you could win an e-copy of The Cauldron Stirred, the first book in the series.  Then you’ll be all caught up and ready to read the continuing story once Book Two is released on December 19.

If you love Ireland or the paranormal (or both!) you’ll want to check this out!  Come and join us:  https://sherryewing.com/2018/12/05/a-new-release-from-judith-sterling-a-giveaway/

 

The Teatime Tattler ~ Guest Posts

06 Wednesday Dec 2017

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19th-century occultist, Flight of the Raven, gossip rag, guest post, Judith Sterling, medieval romance, Regency Era, Soul of the Wolf, The Bluestocking Belles, The Novels of Ravenwood, The Teatime Tattler

Happy Wednesday!  I’m sharing a couple of excerpts from Soul of the Wolf today with a guest post on The Teatime Tattler, a Regency era gossip rag.  I created the character of Mr. Palmer, an early 19th-century occultist who can see into the past–and into my medieval stories–while visiting the ruins of Ravenwood and Nihtscua (the castles in Flight of the Raven and Soul of the Wolf).  Stop by if you have a chance.  A big thanks to the Bluestocking Belles for having me!

Here’s the link to the Soul of the Wolf post:  http://bluestockingbelles.net/occult-witness-delicate-scene/

Here’s the link to the Soul of the Wolf post:  http://bluestockingbelles.net/occult-witness-delicate-scene/

Here’s the link to an earlier post I wrote (also as Mr. Palmer) with excerpts from Flight of the Raven: http://bluestockingbelles.net/seducing-cursed-bride/

Thankful Author 2017

14 Tuesday Nov 2017

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Angela Hayes, guest post, Judith Sterling, Thankful Author, Thanksgiving

Hi, everyone!  It’s hard to believe, but Thanksgiving is next week!  Crazy, right?

Gratitude is foremost in my mind right now.  In that spirit, come and see why I’m thankful on author Angela Hayes’ blog today!  The post highlights an event when otherworldly help protected my twin sons.  Here’s the link: www.authorangelahayes.blogspot.com

By the way, I’m also thankful for everyone who follows me, reads my books and/or blog, or just wishes me well.  Here’s to a wonderful Thanksgiving for all of us!

I’m a guest on Sorchia’s Universe!

26 Tuesday Sep 2017

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

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Guardians of Erin, guest post, Judith Sterling, Novel Magic, Sorchia DuBois, Sorchia's Universe, The Cauldron Stirred, YA paranormal, YA series

Today, author Sorchia DuBois is hosting me on her magnificent blog, Sorchia’s Universe.  “Novel Magic” is the focus, and I’m talking about the inspiration for my latest novel, The Cauldron Stirred, and my love affair with Ireland.  There’s also an excerpt (featured nowhere else) which hints at the magic and mystery to be found within the pages of this first Guardians of Erin book and the three to come.

Join us if you have a moment.  Here’s the link:  https://wp.me/p6fSsM-YD

See you there!

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