Let's welcome romance author Peggy Jaeger! She's here to discuss her new release, BAKED WITH LOVE! Take it away, Peggy!
In BAKED WITH LOVE, a MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN, book3, I wanted to give youngest O’Dowd sister, Maureen, a secret, that if revealed, could changed all the relationships she holds dear. Since Maureen is a twin, and her twin died of a rare breast cancer, it stood to reason Maureen ( and her sisters) might also be afflicted with the genetic marker for the cancer. They all three decided to be tested after Eileen ( the twin) died. Only Maureen never got tested. She was terrified to. Not having conclusive proof, in her mind, allows her to just forget about the possibility of her dying young.
The thought that she may die young is what has propelled her to never tell the man she loves that she loves him. She doesn’t want to start a relationship with him that might end up with her leaving him and causing him misery and heartache.
But, life has a way of changing our views on things. Once Maureen starts an affair with Lucas Alexander, she realizes there is no going back. She is terrified, though, that her secret will be revealed and her relationship will suffer because of it.
I love the idea of writing about sisters, and twins are such a wonderful mix of emotions and chaos, that I knew giving Maureen a twin who died would be all the more justification for why she acts the way she does.
The thought that she may die young is what has propelled her to never tell the man she loves that she loves him. She doesn’t want to start a relationship with him that might end up with her leaving him and causing him misery and heartache.
But, life has a way of changing our views on things. Once Maureen starts an affair with Lucas Alexander, she realizes there is no going back. She is terrified, though, that her secret will be revealed and her relationship will suffer because of it.
I love the idea of writing about sisters, and twins are such a wonderful mix of emotions and chaos, that I knew giving Maureen a twin who died would be all the more justification for why she acts the way she does.
Do you have a favorite part?
There’s a scene where Maureen, Lucas, and his teenaged son, Robert all go shopping to rent Lucas a tuxedo for an upcoming wedding. After shopping they all sit down to eat in a restaurant and the interplay and conversation, plus what get’s revealed about Lucas when hew as 17 to his teenaged son was so much fun for me to write. And read!
Is the book dedicated to anyone?
The book is dedicated to my lovely daughter and new husband, who were married during this horrible pandemic in a Covid-cautious and conscious ceremony in September. This is the dedication:
To Erin and Mahen ~ An old Irish toast as you start your life together:
May you have warm words on a cold evening, A full moon on a dark night, And the road downhill all the way to your door.
The toast is also used in the book when oldest sister Cathleen marries Mac Frayne ( from Book 2, TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS)
My goodness! BAKED WITH LOVE sounds like it is filled with lots of emotion and moments for courage. I can't wait to read how Maureen handles everything. And yes, sisters always stir up more trouble! Can you share an excerpt?
“Thank you again for coming and helping us out,” he said. “I haven’t worn a tux since prom.” He chuckled. “The cut and the price have changed dramatically since then, that’s for sure.”
Robert snorted at his father’s words, then flushed scarlet.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
He lifted his head, glanced once at this father and then me, then dipped his chin again. “Nothing.”
“Oh, I think it was something.” I snuck a side eye at Lucas and grinned. “You’re trying to imagine your father at prom, aren’t you, and can’t quite picture it, can you, Bobby-Boy?”
Little grin lines popped up on his cheeks as he tried not to smile back.
“I’ll have you know I looked pretty damn good at my senior prom,” Lucas said, mild pique slipping through his tone. “I was even voted Prom King.”
“Dad.” Robert shook his head. “That’s so lame.”
I was barely able to keep my laugh at bay. “Chief of Police Lucas Alexander at eighteen. You should have seen him, Robert. Decked out in a blue velvet tux with a frilly baby-blue shirt and bow tie, his long hair slicked back like he jumped off a 1950s teen idol magazine, a pint of dime store cologne wafting from him.”
I lost the small thread of control I still had when Robert burst out laughing.
Lucas’s feeble “Hey!” of indignation made us laugh harder.
Our drinks arrived and while the waitress handed them out, Robert and I tried to control ourselves.
We did a pretty poor job of it.
“You didn’t really wear a velvet tux, did you?” Robert asked his father.
“I think I can hunt up Cathy’s prom pictures as proof. Colleen probably has them in the family albums at the house. I’ll ask her tomorrow.”
“Yes, I did, Robert, and you should know I rocked it. Why do you think the whole class voted me king?”
“Because everyone felt sorry for you, showing up in a velvet tux?” Robert had taken a sip through his straw and, at my words, laughed so hard he choked, then spit out his soda when it went up his nose, the moisture raining down all over the table.
Unfortunately, this only made me laugh harder. I don’t know who Lucas gave the more stern warning glare to: his son or me.
“What did Mom wear?” Robert asked when he finally composed himself.
Lucas winced.
I answered for him. “He and your mom had broken up, so he took Shelly Bookerman, the biggest flirt in the class.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “Shelly had a huge crush on your dad and had been after him for all of high school to pay attention to her. Followed him whenever he was in the halls, always tried to sit near him in the lunchroom. Went to all the football games, home and away, to cheer him on. She must have thought she’d died and gone to Heaven—the real one— when you finally asked her out,” I added, addressing Lucas.
“Dad.”
Lord, was there anything worse than hearing a teenager’s voice filled with censure? Or funnier?
BAKED WITH LOVE
Contemporary Romance
Innkeeper Maureen O'Dowd lives to cook and bake, spoils her family and friends, and is an expert at keeping secrets, especially about the man who's held her heart for years.
Police Chief Lucas Alexander is dealing with an aging father and a moody teenage son, and he's in love with a woman who only wants to be friends.
How can these two fiercely private people reveal their feelings for one another without destroying the friendship they already have? And if they're successful, will another secret, if revealed, drive a wedge between Maureen and Lucas that can never be repaired?
Contemporary Romance
Innkeeper Maureen O'Dowd lives to cook and bake, spoils her family and friends, and is an expert at keeping secrets, especially about the man who's held her heart for years.
Police Chief Lucas Alexander is dealing with an aging father and a moody teenage son, and he's in love with a woman who only wants to be friends.
How can these two fiercely private people reveal their feelings for one another without destroying the friendship they already have? And if they're successful, will another secret, if revealed, drive a wedge between Maureen and Lucas that can never be repaired?
Bio: Peggy Jaeger
Peggy Jaeger writes contemporary romances and rom coms 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 aspects of 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.
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??!"
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/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/peggy-jaeger
You-Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDR8RRIlssIyS0FYZWeGqsg/videos?view_as=subscriber
Peggy Jaeger writes contemporary romances and rom coms 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 aspects of 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.
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??!"
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/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/peggy-jaeger
You-Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDR8RRIlssIyS0FYZWeGqsg/videos?view_as=subscriber
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