SANTA BABY by Peggy Jaeger

07 Monday Jun 2021

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

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:

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

RISE FOR ME by Kristal Dawn Harris

20 Wednesday Jan 2021

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Kristal Dawn Harris, new release, novella, paranormal romance, The Wild Rose Press, vampire romance

I’m excited to share with you the latest novella by Kristal Dawn Harris, a sister Rose (published by The Wild Rose Press). If you love paranormal romance and/or vampire fiction, you’ll want to check out Rise for Me, which releases on February 1st. Here’s the scoop on the story:

A peek Vampire and warlock, Roman Lee, spent centuries alone as ringmaster of the carnival. After befriending and healing a scarred, young woman, Roman realizes Mariah is his mate. He waits for her, but when she departs from his life, his torture knows no bounds. Now he’s risen, unforgiving and angry, forced from his grave by the one woman who captured his heart, but will another secret and the call of his mate change everything?

The steady call of Roman’s blood and the promise of peace brings Mariah Stone home to the carnival and the vampire she left behind. He ignores her until she forces him from the grave with her blood. His anger crushes her already broken spirit, but she is determined to win Roman’s forgiveness and free him from their bond. Denied passion leads them down a path of magic and desire, while a devastating secret threatens eternal love.

A peek between the pages:

Roman studied the perfection before him with something akin to regret filling his spirit. It should have been different between them. He momentarily questioned his decision before setting the ruby stone on her bedside table. In a whisper, he began to chant the words that would strengthen their connection and seal Mariah’s healing so it couldn’t be undone by anyone, ever.

Blood exchanged will seal my gift
The flesh will stay, no spell will lift
Let the night be filled with dreams
So she won’t remember it was me

Roman lifted his hands, palms up, to begin the next part of the spell using the stone, but when Mariah moved in her sleep and threw one leg out from under the covers, he didn’t know if he could do it. Bare flesh, creamy and soft, slid along the quilt as Mariah moaned in her sleep and spoke his name. A dull light formed inside the ruby stone, strengthening with Mariah’s moans. Roman closed his eyes against the onslaught of desire brushing against his body and soul. It sought entrance, control, and a response. She must be dreaming of him. It was the only explanation. His eyes snapped open when the bed creaked. Heavy-lidded, sleepy eyes opened with a reddish glow lighting their dark depths.

“Mariah?” Roman spoke her name as a question, not fully understanding what was happening, but the stone did. Brilliant red light shot from the ruby’s rough edges, saturating the walls, the floors, and everything in between in its glow. Roman tilted his face as Mariah rose from her reclined position to sit on the side of the bed. A trickle of unease sped down his spine. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Mariah was using the stone against him, and her desire magnified his own, fed off it, and seduced in strong waves. Roman groaned as his cock swelled painfully and his body clenched with need.

“Do you come to me as a warlock, vampire, or as man?”

The question was asked so softly Roman wasn’t sure he heard her voice. Mariah’s eyes blazed with color. She was a temptress, a woman bent on crushing what remained of his heart, and he hated her for it. Roman pinched the bridge of his nose when the truth reared its ugly head, forcing him to accept what was meant to be. He craved her like no other. This would be the one and only night they ever spent together. The spell was cast, and she shouldn’t remember anything, so for once, he let the caged passion soar. “I come to you as all three.”

Buy the book!

More about Kristal:

Kristal Dawn Harris is an award-winning, Rone nominated, American romance author. She has been married for 27 years and has two children. Kristal finished a degree from Miami University in Accounting Technology, but quickly realized she preferred words over numbers. She is an avid reader and, in particular, loves darker paranormal romance. Her hobbies include coin collecting, physical fitness, stained-glass art (beginner), poetry, and song writing.

Kristal primarily writes for her publisher, The Wild Rose Press, although it should be noted she has self-released several books. She writes paranormal, fantasy, erotic, as well as contemporary romance in different lengths.

Fun facts:

Favorite color: Red

Favorite Movie: Under the Tuscan Sun

Favorite Paranormal Author: Christine Feehan

Favorite ice cream: Butter Pecan or Mint Choc Chip

Favorite Chocolate: Dark chocolate

Favorite Candy: Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate

Favorite Vacation: Badlands, South Dakota

Favorite Genre Romance: Historical romance

Favorite female actor: Kate Winslet

Favorite male actor: Alexander Skarsgard

Favorite TV shows: Ancient Aliens, What on Earth, UFO Files, The Abandoned, The Unexplained. (I’m a true nerd, and embrace it fully…lol)

Where to find her:

Wishing you all the best with your new release, Kristal! 🙂

VANILLA WITH A TWIST by Peggy Jaeger

14 Thursday May 2020

Posted by Judith Sterling in Uncategorized

≈ 24 Comments

Tags

Judith Sterling, novella, One Scoop or Two, Peggy Jaeger, romance series, summer reading, sweet romance, The Wild Rose Press, Vanilla with a Twist, writing

Sister Rose Peggy Jaeger is back! She’s here to talk about her upcoming release, Vanilla with a Twist. Ice cream and romance: not a bad combo, if you ask me, and it sounds like a fun summer read. Take it away, Peggy!

My new novella, VANILLA WITH A TWIST, is part of the new summer series from Wild Rose Press titled ONE SCOOP OR TWO. All the stories revolve around ice cream in some form and all must be set in summer. Since they are also novellas, the word count is set at 35,000 or less.

I typically write long tomes that range from 85,000 to 100,00 words, include a lot of story elements, and that typically feature some kind of intimacy (read: sex!) for the hero and heroine. I like a slow buildup with a lot of emotional and physical tension, so my folks don’t just jump in the sac in chapter 1. Sometimes, not even by chapter 10!

Because I like to write this way, penning a romance novella where I am restricted in the word count, and therefore the slow buildup, has made me a side-writer of sweet romance.

Of the three – now 4 – novellas I’ve penned for WRP, all have been sweet romances. No physical intimacy aside from a few kisses and hugs for the H/H.

Can I just tell you what an exercise in writing restraint that’s been?! Hee hee.

It’s actually been a good exercise, because it’s made me figure out alternative ways to show the physical tension and buildup of emotion through action and dialogue. A simple brush of the hero’s hand against the heroine’s can show a shiver of longing run up her spine, or have him hiss in a breath at the simple content. Just having them be aware of one another across a crowded room, or thinking about the other throughout the day without actually being in the same room denotes a type of intimacy and affection that can occur without sex accompanying it.

I have to admit, I love that.

But I also have to admit, I like writing my sex scenes, too. Hee hee.

The story:

Tandy Blakemore spends her days running her New England ice cream parlor, single-parenting her teenage son, and trying to keep her head above financial water. No easy feat when the shop’s machinery is aging and her son is thinking about college. Tandy hasn’t had a day off in a decade and wonders if she’ll ever be able to live a worry-free life.

Engineer Deacon Withers is on an enforced vacation in the tiny seaside town of Beacher’s Cove. Overworked, stressed, and lonely, he walks into Tandy’s shop for a midday ice cream cone and gets embroiled in helping her fix a broken piece of equipment.

Can the budding friendship that follows lead to something everlasting?

A peek between the pages:

For a few moments, she regarded him with a look his mother would have called insightful. The corners of her eyes narrowed, she dipped her chin a hair, and she pulled her mouth into another appealing pout he was tempted to kiss.

“I bet,” she said after a long, drawn-out sigh, “you were the kind of kid who took apart clocks and fans and vacuum cleaners to see how they worked.”

“It was more washing machines and lawn mowers and anything with a motor, but yeah. I was.”

She shook her head, her own lips forming a lopsided grin. “Your poor mother.”

“She survived.”

Tandy rolled her eyes and shot her hands to her hips. “So it’s working again?” She thrust her chin at the ice cream machine.

“For now.”

“Okay, well, I can live with for now. And you think you know the real reason it’s been acting up?”

“I definitely do. But like I said, the water to the machine needs to be shut off to fix it.”

“Okay. Well, we close at nine.”

“I’ll come back a little before then. Get things ready. Is that okay with you?”

“I guess it’ll have to be.” She bit down on the inside of her cheek as her brows pulled together. “And you’re sure you want to do this?”

“If I weren’t, I wouldn’t offer, Tandy.”

Why her reluctance to have him help was such a turn-on was something he considered while he waited for his ice cream.

Buy the book:

Amazon | Nook | Apple Books

More about Peggy:

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??!”