Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews: Interview with romance author Peggy Jaeger

Romance author Peggy Jaeger is here today to talk a bit about her new novel, First Impressions.

As she does her virtual book tour, Peggy will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

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

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.

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

Welcome, Peggy. Please tell us about your current release.

Family Practice Doctor Clarissa Rogers’ first impression of Padric Cleary is biased and based on gossip. The handsome, charming veterinarian is considered a serial dater and commitment-phobic by his family and most of the town. Relationship shy, Clarissa refuses to lose her heart to a man who can’t pledge himself to her forever.

Pat Cleary, despite his reputation, is actually looking for The One. When he does give his heart away, he wants it to be for life. With his parent’s marriage as his guidebook, he wants a woman who will be his equal and soul mate in every way.

Can Pat convince everyone – including Clarissa – she’s the only woman for him?

What inspired you to write this book?

This is the 3^rd book in my MacQuire Women Series. In book 2, There’s No Place Like Home, I told the story of Moira Cleary. Moira has a twin brother, Padric ( Pat) and I fell in love with him when I was writing, so I wanted to give him his own happily ever after ending. First Impressions is his love story.

Excerpt from First Impressions:

“Have you ever been friends with a girl before?” she finally asked.

“Friends?”

“Yes. Friends.”

“Have a beer and shoot some pool friends? Or the kind with benefits?”

She laughed out loud, shook her head and grinned. “Have you ever been friends with a girl without having sex mixed into the equation?”

“Not since I was sixteen,” he admitted and then felt his neck heat. “Why?”

She cocked her head again. “It’s no secret I’m attracted to you, too. I think my reaction to the way you kissed me proves it.”

“Why am I hearing a ‘but’?”

Her lips twitched at the corners. “But I don’t jump into bed with a man because I’m attracted to him.”

“I never thought you did.” 

“Good to know.” He cocked his head. “So, what’s being friends got to do with anything?” 

Clarissa sighed and settled back against the doorframe. “Can I be honest?” 

“I would hope so.” 

“I’ve been hearing about your reputation with women since I moved here, and I’m not looking to be the flavor of the week.”

He stared at her for a second as hurt washed through him. “When you say honest, you don’t pull any punches.”

What exciting story are you working on next?

At this moment I am editing the 4^th book in the series, The Voices of Angels and writing the 5^th. I also have another series I’m working on titled the Will Cook for Love series about 7 sisters. I am actively seeking an agent to represent that work, so if there are any out there reading this and are in the market for something new….give me a jingle. I know that was a shameless beg and I know I should be contrite about it. This is me, being contrite.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Wow, every day I still feel like a fraud! I wake up and can’t believe I’ve actually been published in book-length fiction. Years before I started writing fiction I wrote newsmagazine and trade magazine articles on topics ranging from motherhood to Nursing profession topics. Back then I did consider myself a writer. I was prolific, published and paid for my work. That writing was all straight forward topical work, though. Writing using my creativity, actually making up stories, for some reason, is different to me and has made it harder for me to consider myself a full fledged writer yet. Don’t get me wrong – I know what I do is considered good ( it wouldn’t have found a reputable publisher is it weren’t) but I’m still struggling with being judged for my imagination. You’d think I was a unconfident teenager reading this!

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I actually retired from my day job this past April and am now allowed the privilege and joy of writing fulltime. It used to be I got a few pages in catch-as-catch can. Now, I am at my laptop 8-10 hours daily and then 3-5 hours/day on the weekends updating my blogs (I have 2). I write every day. Every. Day. To me, writing is like breathing – I couldn’t survive if I didn’t do it. My website’s tagline is Writing is my Oxygen, so that tells you something.

I usually get up, get hubby off to work, go to the gym for an hour or so to keep my chair-ass from growing, and then sit down at the laptop. Life does intervene; I am still a wife, mother, housekeeper, bill-payer, grocery shopper and cook. I don’t sit solidly for 8-10 hours. My butt really would be the size of Montana, not to mention, numb. But when you add the hours I do spend each day (I have chronic insomnia so my days start sometimes at 2 am and goes until 9 pm) writing, it adds up to a typical 8-10 hour workday.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I use speech-to-text when I’m writing dialogue, then I play it back so I can get the feel for what the dialogue actually sounds like. Rhythm, cadence, tone are all important to me to get just so, and using this helps with that. I use different voices for the characters when they are speaking as well. Anyone walking by my house might either think I’ve got a houseful of people inside, or else I’m a total multiple personality sufferer.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Exactly what I am: wife, mother and writer! Yeah, I know…I’m livin’ my dream.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Just this: I had my first novel published when I was 54. Don’t ever let someone tell you that you are too old, not talented enough, or wasting your time if you have a dream in your heart. Keep it strong and work toward it. Take chances and risks if it will bring you closer to seeing your dream fulfilled. I don’t believe in luck. The definition of luck to me is when preparedness meets opportunity. I got a publishing contract based on a contest I entered that the publisher of Wild Rose Press was judging (opportunity). She liked what I wrote, asked me to send the manuscript (preparedness) and a year later I had a book in my hands and contracts for a series. Don’t ever give up on a dream…no matter what. God wouldn’t have put the dream in your heart if he didn’t plan on seeing it fulfilled. Remember that. ‘Nuff said.

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