Welcome to the Campfire. Today's guest is Author Peggy Jaeger.

2020 is going to be a great year. The Campfire is starting out with a wonderful lady and fellow author and will continue into the year with an assortment of guests. So far, I have only one trip booked, but I’m itching to get started. 2Hoots is winterized but we often driveway camp. I think March will be our first outing. Everything depends on the weather co-operating. I don’t mind it being chilly, that’s why we glamp. But frozen pipes can happen if it gets too cold for too long. So come along and use your imagination. The fire’s lit. Listen, can you hear the popping and crackling? Something is bubbling in the Dutch Oven. Take a deep breath. Can you smell the savory goodness? Sip your beverage of choice and relax. There you go. Now that you are in a happy place help me welcome Peggy Jaeger to the fire.

Hi, Peggy. Thanks for joining us today. Can I offer you a cup of coffee or something stronger?
In all honesty, I drink ice cold water or Diet Mountain Dew. One hydrates me, one keeps me awake!

Cool. I have both. I’m a fan of diet dew myself. Tell us have you ever camped, or as I call what I do, Glamp.
 So the answer is that I’ve camped ONCE in my entire life, and it was enough for the rest of my life! My husband and I were newly married and living in Wisconsin. The head of his clinic put together a get-away weekend for the docs and their wives where we would boat to one of the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior – where we lived – and camp on the island for the weekend. It was billed as a team building/get to know you event. Well, we got to know one another really well, but not in the spirit of the event. The first night we were there a small hurricane blew across Lake Superior, accompanied by rain and driving winds that never ended for the next three days. The Lake was so choppy we could not take the chance of boating off of it and heading home. We were stuck, in one big tent, for 3 three days. The beer ran out on day two and we played so many rounds of Trivial pursuit, we started getting the same questions again. There was no electricity, the charcoal never got hot so we could cook because of the rain, and there was – obviously – no heat. Having to go outside the tent and walk a quarter mile – in a hurricane – to use the port-o-potty turned me off to camping for a lifetime. Did I mention there was a hurricane????

Oh my. I don’t blame you for being done with it. Maybe once you check out my rig, you’ll change your mind. I’ve been comfortable in weather fair and foul, though I’d pull up the jacks and head away from a hurricane. Tell us about your latest project.
My newest book is my first romantic suspense (lite) titled A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: RICK. Rick is my hero in the first of a three book arc series of brothers who own a private investigations business. He also does bodyguard work and when Abby Laine, the sister-in-law of his best friend, is threatened by a client, Rick goes into protective mode even though he and Abby have an uncomfortable history.

Oh, that sounds wonderful. Do you have a tagline?
He’ll protect her with his life…but can he protect his heart?

I love the protective man. And I’m sure we’ll all cheer for his heart. How long did it take you from conception to publication?
The story took me two months to write and polish and then six months to publication, so a total of 8 months. Since I write full time I have the luxury of being able to devote full days to penning it. Plus, I write fast because I plot and outline every book so I always know where I am going in the story.

Wow! It takes me forever, and I’m a terrible plotter. So what’s next. Anything you’re itching to get to?
I am always in project mode.
Right now I have plotted out books 2 and 3 to A PRIDE OF BROTHERS, plus I’m working on a novella submission for my publisher and next year’s holiday RomCom release. In addition to all that, I write my daily blog and do all my own marketing. It’s a good thing I only sleep 2 hours a night.

Two hours? I don’t know how you can function. I’m an eight-hour girl. We all know writing can be a lonely job, but we also tend to build relationships with others in our profession. Are there any mentors, authors, or books you would like to give a shout-out to?
As far as authors go, some of my favorites are people you haven’t seen on the NYT bestseller list yet but who deserve to be there. Kari Lemor and Marianne Rice are two such writers.

Peggy, you seem to be quite prolific and organized. Would you share what literary success looks like to you?
Honestly, it’s never been about the money or awards or the bestseller lists for me. My idea of success is when a reader comes up to me and tells me how much they related to my heroine, or how my story made them laugh out loud on a day when then they were feeling sad. The best compliment I ever received was when a reader told me at a book signing that she felt as if she knew all the characters in my book personally. They were everyday people she could relate to. That made my week!

Thank you for that. Money and awards are subjective. The relational connection to a reader is amazing. When the person reaches out to share how you’ve touched their life, it changes you. Readers allow us into their heads and hearts. We should never take that for granted. Speaking of sharing, do you have a Life Hacks for Authors.
Wait until the first draft is done before you edit. Get the story on the page, then make it perfect.

That is excellent advice. Now let’s get a peek at who Peggy is with some fun questions…
 
If they made a movie about your life, what would the title be and who would play you? Title: LIFE HAPPENS Lead Actress: Fran Drescher

Years ago, there was a commercial that talked about a “Kodak Moment.” It’s a moment in time you catch in a picture. What is yours? The moment I woke up from anesthesia after my C-section and saw my daughter’s face for the first time. She had a perfectly round head, a full head of red hair and was looking at me with her brow furrowed and her nose scrunched as if to say, “Are you the one who’s been talking to me all this time?”

Favorite childhood book? People who know me know that my favorite book is THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD. It’s the best and most relatable book about Self Motivation, Self actualization, and self-belief that’s ever been written (in my humble opinion.)

What weird talent do you have? I can whinny like a horse. There’s even a you-tube recording of me doing it, here: YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/0xBPaEUuBqI

Worst household chore? Cleaning the refrigerator

Most campers play board games. What games do you like? Trivial Pursuit is my go-to.

Who is the most interesting person you’ve met and talked with? Nora Roberts.

If someone came up to you and said, “Hey, do that thing you do!”, what thing would pop into your head first? See the above You-Tube video!!!

You are so funny! I love the video. Thanks for being with us today at the Campfire. Please leave us some info about where we can find you and your books.

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Elite bodyguard and P.I. Rick Bannerman's job is to protect. He doesn't get emotional with his clients, but when a woman from his past is threatened, his next job becomes personal.
Family lawyer Abigail Laine is the target of a client's vengeful husband, but refuses Rick's offer of protection. He walked away from her four years ago, and she swore to forget him.
Now her reluctance to accept his help could cost Abby her life.
 


Excerpt 
“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.” 

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Amazon
Barnes and Nobel
Apple Books  
Books a million 



Biography
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??!"
 
Keep up with Peggy at the following Social Media links
 
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

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Dutch Oven Casserole
1/2-pound bacon
1-pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 cans baked beans with pork
1/3 cup bbq sauce
1 package refrigerated biscuit dough
Cook bacon in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until browned.
Drain, and cut into bite size pieces. Set aside.
Add hamburger and onion to the skillet, cook until no longer pink, and the onion is tender. Drain.
Stir bacon, baked beans and bbq sauce into the ground beef, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, and place biscuits in a single layer over the top of the mixture.
Cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the biscuits are done.
Serve and Eat 

Movie Recommendations
A shout out to protective men... The Bodyguard 1992  with Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner
and sorry because I sometimes can't help myself...
A movie about the connection between authors and readers...
wait for it...
​Misery 1990 staring Kathy Bates and James Caan.  

​“I am your number one fan.”
― Stephen King, Misery

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