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Oct 2nd My Review of A Shot at Love by Peggy Jaeger

Tomorrow, October 3, 2017, is release day for Peggy Jaeger’s A Shot at Love. I had the great pleasure of being offered an advanced copy of this book. I truly enjoyed reading the Spooktacular whodunit! LOL. After all it’s October.

Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cauldron, a Bat Wing Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out about A Shot at Love.

Here’s my take on A Shot at Love.

Gemma Laine is a world famous photo journalist. When a Mob hit goes down right in front of Gemma, she captures it all with her digital camera. Now the FBI take her camera and SD card as part of their investigation, raising her ire as those are not the only photos on that SD card and that camera is her baby.

The police and FBI are not the only ones seeking those pictures. After an attempt on Gemma life, Special Agent Kyros Pappandreos insists on taking Gemma into protective custody. In the mob hit, two of his men and a crucial witness were killed. He’s not taking any chances with her.

What neither Ky or Gemma anticipate is the heat that sizzles between them as Ky tries to keep Gemma out of the mob’s hands.

The storyline keeps you enthralled with the perfect balance of romance and suspense. It’s no surprise that Peggy’s characters grab hold of you and don’t let go until you’ve turned the last page and closed the book with a satisfied sigh. I highly recommend A Shot at Love and look forward to reading the next book in this series.

5-Stars in my haunted skies.

A little about A Shot at Love.

Nothing’s impossible when love is on the menu. In Peggy Jaeger’s luscious series, the only thing more tempting than a delicious meal is a truly delectable romance . . .
Look for exclusive recipes in each book!

Photographer Gemma Laine is looking for arresting faces on the streets of Manhattan when her camera captures something shocking—a triple murder. In that moment, she becomes a target for the mob—and a top priority for a very determined, breathtakingly handsome, FBI special agent. With deadlines to meet and photo shoots on her calendar, Gemma chafes at the idea of protection, but every moment she spends under his watchful eye is a temptation to lose herself in his muscular arms . . .

With two of his men and one crucial witness dead, Special Agent Kyros Pappandreos can’t afford to be distracted. But Gemma is dazzling—and her connection to Kandy Laine’s high-profile cooking empire makes her an especially easy mark for some very bad people. Keeping her safe is much more pleasure than business, but as the heat between them starts to sizzle, Ky is set to investigate whether they have a shot at love . . .

Available at Amazon and other online retailers.

About the author:

Peggy Jaeger is a contemporary romance writer who writes 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 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 has created the families she wanted as that lonely child.

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

You can find Peggy at:

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://instagram.com/mmj122687/

Stop by Authors’ Secrets often where you’ll find award winning and best selling authors, interviews, their new releases and my reviews.

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Shot at Love, Contemporary, Historical Romance, Mystery, Peggy Jaeger by Tena Stetler with 4 comments.

Sep 6th A Chat with Author, Jennifer Wilck about In The Moment

Give a warm welcome to Jennifer Wilck, author of In The Moment released September 1, 2017!

Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Jennifer Wilck and her new release In The Moment.

Tell us what inspired this particular story?

A few years ago, my daughters and I stopped by an open house in a neighboring town. The girls and I love to check out houses and dream about living in them, and this house was perfect for that. An 1860s Victorian mansion, it was three floors of exquisite molding, fireplaces and hardwood floors. The previous owners had renovated the two bottom floors, retaining the history although modernizing the kitchen and bathrooms. The uppermost floor, though, hadn’t been touched in a long time. In fact, in one of the bedrooms traditionally used by servants, you could still walk on the original wood beam flooring.

This house spoke to me. Not only because I would have given my left arm to live there—if only I had a spare couple of million dollars available—but because I could hear and feel the people from the past who had lived there before. I could see them descending the stairs, hands trailing on the polished bannisters. I could listen to them cozying up in the library by the fire. The house was calling to me.

Unfortunately, since I really don’t have that spare couple of million dollars, we couldn’t buy the house. But I wasn’t about to forget it, and since I’m a writer, I decided to write about it. It was going to be the star of my next book. Since I write romance, someone was going to live in it.

Enter my heroine, Cassie. She was a foster child, shuffled from home to home until she came to this house. It was the first place she felt like part of a family. When her foster mother died, the bank sold the house and Cassie, who had been encouraged to go to college and become successful by that very same foster mother, bought it and began to renovate it. Her dream was to live there and raise her very own family there, to fill it with the love and laughter she remembered and wanted for herself.

Then comes my hero, Rayne. He’s a war photographer emotionally scarred by what he’s seen and what he feels he’s caused. He wants nothing to do with permanence. He’s passing through the town on his way to deliver something to someone—to make good on a promise. Cassie offers him temporary shelter and a way to make some money and he accepts. And then he falls in love.

I won’t tell you anymore, because, you know, spoilers. But I hope the story speaks to you the way this house spoke to me!

A bit more About In The Moment.

Cassie Edwards, a former foster child, purchases an 1870s Victorian mansion, the one home from her childhood where she felt like part of a family. She’s spending her summer lovingly restoring it, with dreams of one day raising a family of her own here. Rayne Tucket, a photojournalist, is haunted by the death of his best friend in Afghanistan, a death he thinks is his fault. He survives day to day. Forever is not in his vocabulary. Swearing off photography, he answers an ad for a handyman—mindless, no emotion involved. As the two of them renovate her house, can Cassie show Rayne that love is strong enough to heal all wounds?

A peek between the pages of In The Moment:

The intimate closeness made her stomach flutter. The proximity of their bodies, the rush of the water, and his feathering touch on her lips made her dizzy. She gripped his arms for support. He grasped her waist, staring deep in her eyes.

He was going to kiss her. She knew it. His pupils dilated. Time slowed. The rushing water pounded around her. She opened her mouth, as much to drink in air as to get ready to kiss him back. His eyes narrowed, focused on her lips. She leaned toward him. Their wet bodies pressed against each other. Her breasts tingled, and her stomach heated at the contact. She wanted this to go on forever, but at the same time, she wanted him to hurry up and kiss her so their lips could finally meet. At the last possible second, he pushed away.

She stood there, confused and aching.

“I’m not the staying kind, Cassie.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“A woman like you needs a man who’ll stay forever. My time here has an expiration date.”

She ducked under the water. When she came up, she pushed her hair out of her face. “I know you’re leaving. You don’t have to, though.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Why?”

“Because I have a promise to keep.”

“What kind of promise?”

“The unbreakable kind.”

You can find In The Moment at The Wild Rose Press: Amazon:

About the Author!

Jennifer started telling herself stories as a little girl when she couldn’t fall asleep at night. 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. When she’s not writing, she loves to laugh with family and friends, is a pro at finding whatever her kids lost in plain sight, and spends way too much time closing doors that should never have been left open. She believes humor is the only way to get through the day and doesn’t share her chocolate.

She writes contemporary romance, some of which are mainstream and some of which involve Jewish characters.

Learn more about Jennifer at her social media haunts below:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jennifer-Wilck-201342863240160/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JWilck

Website: http://www.jenniferwilck.com

Blog: http://jenniferwilck.blogspot.com

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

It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with In The Moment!

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Contemporary, In The Moment, Jennifer Wilck, Romance, Women's Fiction by Tena Stetler with 16 comments.

Aug 7th Addicted to Love By Jennifer Wilck

Give a warm welcome to Jennifer, author of Addicted to Love, released July 21, 2017!

Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Jennifer and her characters Dan Rothberg and Hannah Cohen from Addicted to Love.

Hello Dan, glad you could make it today! Tells us about the real you—

What event in your past has left the most indelible impression on you? Stiffens, then makes a visible effort to relax. “That would be the death of my wife and my injuries related to that car accident. I got lost for a while there, and didn’t do a very good job of taking care of my daughter. I’ve been trying to make up for it ever since.”

What do you most value?W Smiles. “My daughter, Tess. She is my compass—everything I do, I do for her and with her in mind.”

What is the type of woman you want to spend the rest of your life with? Grins. “That’s easy. Hannah. She makes me a better person, lightens me up, makes me realize that life doesn’t have to be so grim and so serious. She’s smart and funny and is amazing with Tess, which is quite a feat considering Tess is a teenager. And of course, she’s beautiful.”

What do you consider most important in life? Taps his hand on his cane. “Finding a way to balance what you need and desire in life with what is good for you. Learning not to punish myself forever for one mistake I made. Learning to forgive myself. Sorry, that’s three things, but they’re all related.”

What is your biggest secret? Takes a deep breath. “I was addicted to pain killers and put Tess’ life in danger.”

Meet Hannah Cohen from Addicted To Love.

Who are you really?

Who were the biggest role models in your life? Leans back in her seat. “Bubbe, my grandma. She was such a huge part of my life growing up—teaching me to cook, letting me talk to her about anything, giving me unconditional love. We share an apartment now and I can’t imagine a day without talking to her.”

What kind of man do you want to spend the rest of your life with? Blushes. “Dan. I never expected to fall for an older man—he’s older than me by about twelve years—much less one with a teenaged daughter. But there’s something about him that I can’t resist. He listens to me, he’s patient and caring. And oh my gosh, sexy as…I don’t even know what! Have you seen his eyes???”

What kind of man would you never choose? “I can’t say ‘never.’ If you’d asked me a few months ago, I’d say someone like my brother, who’s a drug addict. But months ago, I didn’t know how hard my brother worked to get clean. And months ago, I didn’t know Dan was also an addict. He’s clean now too. In fact, he went so far overboard to get clean on his own, he gave up anything he thought he liked because he was afraid of becoming addicted to it—including me. He’s found balance now, and I’ve realized that you can’t say ‘never’ to anything.”

What is most important to you in life? “Honesty and communication. And second chances.”

What is your biggest fear? “It used to be being around my brother. Now, we’ve fixed our relationship, so I don’t think I have one. I’m happy. And Dan helped me get there.”

Jennifer, tell us a little about writing this story. Was it fun or difficult? Do your characters always act as you expect? Are you a plotter, or fly (write) by the seat of your pants? I loved writing this story. I’m always drawn to “tortured” heroes of some sort and Dan was a doozy. He’s got layers and layers to him that were fascinating to peel away. And Hannah was a great counterpoint to him. Bubbe and Tess were so much fun to write—I laughed as I wrote (luckily no one saw me). I’m a pantser, so my characters always manage to surprise me a little bit along the way, and the characters in this book were no exception.

What is Addicted to Love about?

Dan Rothberg struggled after an accident killed his wife and he nearly lost custody of his daughter. He can no longer allow himself to get attached to anything or anyone. Until he meets Hannah.

Hannah Cohen is a young executive with a meddlesome grandmother and a troubled brother. She’d like nothing better than to find her own Mr. Right, after too many Mr. Wrongs. A sexy older man with a teenage daughter was never in her plans.

As they navigate their relationship through adolescent attitudes and grandmotherly interference, they realize age is just a number and love can be right in front of them. But when the terrible truth of Dan’s former struggles is exposed, Hannah must decide if she can get past his deception and allow love to conquer all.

A sneak peek between the pages of Addicted to Love.

“What are we looking at?” She whispered out of the side of her mouth, pursing her lips together and giving him an insane urge to kiss them.

“What?”

“I assumed since we’re standing here you must be looking at something, and I wanted to join in the fun. Or did you not realize we weren’t moving?”

Her nostrils flared and she bit her lip, and Dan realized she was trying not to laugh. Now he really wanted to kiss her, to capture her mouth with his, to make her his own. Before he could act on it, his stomach growled.

“Was that yours or mine?” She looked over at him, eyebrow raised.

His lips twitched. His breath hitched. He couldn’t keep his amusement to himself any longer. It bubbled in his chest and he let it out as he shook his head.

“Okay, while I am older than you, I’m not old enough to be senile. Yet. So yes, I did know we weren’t moving. But thanks for that. And yes, my stomach growled, because I’m hungry. Except I think I need to put eating on hold for a moment, because what I need, more than anything else right now, what I’ve needed all night long in fact, is to kiss you.”

Addicted to Love can be found at: Barnes & Nobel, Kobo, Amazon, and The Wild Rose Press.

About the Author:

She writes contemporary romance, some of which are mainstream and some of which involve Jewish characters. All are available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jennifer-Wilck-201342863240160/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JWilck

Website: http://www.jenniferwilck.com

Blog: http://jenniferwilck.blogspot.com

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

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Addicted To Love, Contemporary, Jennifer Wilck, Romance by Tena Stetler with 16 comments.

Aug 3rd Peggy Jaeger Talks Food & Passion’s Pallette

Give a warm welcome to Peggy Jaeger, author of Passion’s Palette, fifth book in the MacQuire Women series released today August 4th 2017! Happy release day Peggy!

Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a homemade Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate and let’s find out a little about Peggy Jaeger and Passion’s Pallett.

Peggy, I’ve read a few of your books. I love the large noisy families and cooking that seem to be a common theme in most the books I’ve read. Do you like to cook?

Food and family play such major roles in my writing. It doesn’t take endless hours on an analyst’s couch to figure out where those two themes hail from. I am the only child of divorced parents and as a child I was a latchkey kid, a term I don’t think is used any more. It meant I was all alone, on my own, every day after school. My parents worked and my mom couldn’t afford a babysitter after I turned 8. My mother and stepfather didn’t usually arrive home until after 7 each night, so I had to fend for myself if I got hungry. Back then, putting together a seven course meal wasn’t going to happen, so I learned how to open a box of macaroni and cheese and not burn the pot when I made it! A few years down the road I’d elevated to making spaghetti and hand rolled meatballs. In my teens, I started experimenting with sauces. So, you can see this was procession of learning skills. My love of cooking developed and grew as I did.

I hated being an only child (still do!). I always wanted brothers and sisters, people my age living in the same house with me. Siblings I could learn from, maybe even teach something to – like cooking – who’d be there to support and love me. People I had a connection – a DNA connection – to.

Didn’t happen.

Oh, I know exactly how you feel! I’m an only child too, raised by a single parent. Wasn’t much fun. Sorry for the interruption, go on.

So, I married a man with a big family and started writing my own romance stories centering around families, their relationships, and their lives. I have to admit, it’s been fun.

I also learned to cook really well. I would never flatter myself and say I’m a “chef” but if I ever find the time, I think I’d like to go to cooking school to better my skill set. Most of what I learned about cooking I learned, first from cookbooks, and recently from cooking shows. God bless the food and cooking channels! And You-Tube! This is just one bookcase in my home that houses some of my 120+ cookbooks. You’ll even see on the very top a cookbook by my favorite author, Nora Roberts.

Luckily, I have a husband who can eat anything and is always up for trying a new dish.

In PASSION’S PALETTE, the 5^th book in my MacQuire Women series, I tell the story of artist Serena MacQuire and veterinarian Seamus Cleary. This is the second prequel in the series and it goes back a little in time to the beginning of their lifelong love affair. In the book, Serena has come back to her childhood home for a much-needed rest and to start planning a mural she has been commissioned for. Her old nursemaid and housekeeper, Addie O’Malley is worried about Serena. The girl looks so exhausted and she’s way too thin, so Addie makes Serena’s favorite dish, veal piccata. It’s a relatively easy dish to make and it just screams comfort food. Served with mashed sweet potatoes or rice, it’s a delicious meal that feeds the soul. Just the thought of it warms Serena’s heart and gets her taste buds watering. The thought of Seamus Cleary does that, too!

Food plays such a big role in my stories because I believe there’s nothing stronger that holds a family together as sitting around a dining room table, sharing a meal…or two…or ten. We all have such busy lives that sometimes we lose touch with those who mean the most to us. Sitting at the table, discussing your day, sharing a meal that’s been made with love and care, is a gift we should give ourselves every day. Every single day.

And here’s my gift to you: Serena’s favorite recipe, Addie O’Malley’s Veal Piccata.

Ingredients:

8 small veal culets, pounded flat

2 eggs, beaten slightly

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

½ cup all purpose flour

2 Tablespoons REAL butter ( never margarine!)

½ cup dry Sherry

1 Teaspoon lemon juice – or the juice of one lemon that you squeeze yourself!

2 Tablespoons capers ( you can eliminate these if you don’t like their pungent taste)

1 cup chicken stock

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

Salt, to your taste

Ground white pepper, to your taste

Method:

Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow baking dish.
In another baking dish, add the beaten eggs.
Dredged the cutlets one at a time first thru the egg mixture, then the flour mixture, coating both sides with flour. The egg makes it stick to the cutlet
Add the oil to a big sauté pan and heat until hot
Cook the cutlets one or two at a time, 2-3 minutes per side until both sides are golden brown. Remove them from the pan and set them aside on an plate. Cover with aluminum foil to heel hot.
For the SAUCE: add the chicken stock, Sherry, lemon juice and capers to the sauté pan and scrape off all the left over cutlet bits from the bottom of the pan into the mix.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by about a third. Add the butter and mix it into the sauce, then swirl the parsley through out right at the end. Add some salt and white pepper to you taste
Place the cutlets on a large serving dish and pour the sauce over each piece, coating it.
Serve and enjoy!

Tell us a about PASSION’S PALETTE

Talented and witty portrait artist Serena MacQuire is successful in everything but love. Her gift for capturing people on canvas is rivaled only by her fiery and legendary temper. A tragedy from the past keeps her heart securely locked away, preventing any man from getting close enough to claim it.

But Seamus Cleary isn’t just any man. After he left his professional football career to become a veterinarian, his bitter wife ended their marriage. Now, as he starts his life over in a new town, love is the last thing he’s looking for. The more he tends to Serena’s horses, though, the more he realizes her own heart needs tender care and healing as well.

Will he be the man who finally unlocks and claims her heart?

How about a sneak peek between the pages of Passion’s Palette?

With a hip resting against the tabletop, he browsed through her paints and brushes, lifting one color pot, then another. “So. You’re an artist.”

She nodded.

“What do you paint?”

As he opened and closed the pots, Serena observed his hands, silently assessing the length and width of his fingers. Her mind registered the dexterous movements of each action, the deliberate, studied way his hands performed each task.

“Portraits, mostly.”

His eyebrows rose. “This is pretty big equipment for a portrait. Where do your pictures hang? In castles?”

“Three do,” she told him, charmed when his neck reddened. “But this stuff is for a mural I’ve been commissioned to do for a hospital.”

His eyebrows lifted. “Impressive. You must be good.”

Allowing a smidgeon of playfulness to creep into her voice, Serena gave him a shrug that rivaled his own and repeated his words back to him. “Better than some. Not as good as others.”

He returned her smile with one of his own.

Serena’s heart giddyapped.

Buy Links

More about the Author:

Peggy Jaeger is a contemporary romance writer who writes about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them.

Tying into her love of families, her children’s book, THE KINDNESS TALES, was illustrated by her artist mother-in-law.

Peggy holds a master’s degree in Nursing Administration and first found publication with several articles she authored on Alzheimer’s Disease during her time running an Alzheimer’s in-patient care unit during the 1990s.

In 2013, she placed first in two categories in the Dixie Kane Memorial Contest: Single Title Contemporary Romance and Short/Long Contemporary Romance.

In 2017 she came in 3rd in the New England Reader’s Choice contest for A KISS UNDER THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS and is a finalist in the 2017 STILETTO contest for the same title.