Good morning! I have Peggy Jaeger on this morning with her newest release A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: AIDEN! But first, Peggy's going to talk about using pets as secondary characters. Let's see what she has to say...
The “character” of Bronte in A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: AIDEN was truly a joy for me to create and write about.
I love dogs.
I love cats, too.
In fact, I love most animals of the warm-blooded type. (I could do without snakes and insects, but I realize they are vital to the ecosystem, so I tolerate them – I just don’t write about them!)
Since I started writing I’ve included pets in my stories because I feel they are integral parts of a human character’s storyline. When a hero has a pet, be it a 150-pound St. Bernard or a 4-pound calico cat, it says something about his internal makeup. He may have an alpha hard shell that he exhibits to the world, but under that shell is a man who loves, cares for, and shares his home with an animal.
The heroine may be snarky and even klutzy, but she is devoted to her three-legged cat or one-eyed parrot, or anxiety-prone Labrador. That shows she is a nurturing woman who can tame a reluctant hero.
Bronte is a chocolate Labrador service animal. When you read the book you’ll discover why Aiden needs a service dog. But she is so much more to him than just a working part of his life. She is his best friend, his constant companion, and his emotional anchor. Bronte goes almost everywhere she can with Aiden and acts as his protector, confidant, and support system. Once Lexi comes into Aiden’s life, Bronte adopts her, too.
Thank you, Peggy! Now let's hear a little more about the story...
Blurb ~
Lexi Buckley wants answers about her younger sister's death. The police have labeled it a suicide, but Lexi doesn't believe it. Stymied in her investigation, she doesn't know where to turn next. After a chance encounter with a private investigator, she thinks her prayers have been answered.
Aiden Keane has never been an answer to a prayer before, but he agrees to help Lexi. A quirky combo of brains and beauty, the pixie blonde makes him feel things no professional ever should for a client.
When their investigation puts Lexi's life in jeopardy, her safety becomes his number one priority. The hard part is not falling for her.
Excerpt ~
Not the way we should have been. Not at the end.
“We had a sizable age difference between us. Almost ten years. I was the big sis. The oldest.” Her lips trembled when she pulled them into a sad line. Rolling her eyes she added, “The bossy one, according to her. She was the baby and took full advantage of her status from the moment she realized it.”
“And rightly so.” The corners of his eyes crinkled. “I’m the youngest of my brothers and I can tell you with one hundred percent honesty, my oldest brother is the bossiest one of us. I think it comes with birth order. Although he takes his so-called right uber-seriously. Especially at work.”
This time her grin was steadier. “What kind of business do you all own together?”
“We run a private security company.”
“Security?”
“Personal bodyguards, if a client needs protection from something. Background checks for employers. Mostly we do investigations.”
“What, like private eyes? Like on television?”
He laughed. “Nothing so glamorous. The fast cars and hot babes are all fantasy. It’s a lot of boring research, computer work, and surveillance, but yeah, you could say I’m a private eye.”
Lexi’s entire mood turned on his words. The sorrow flew, the hurt dissolved. Even her nervous trivia-speak went dormant. She sat bolt upright, her knees bumping against the tabletop when she shifted. Excitement shot from her system as she turned her body, placed a hand across his forearm, and declared, “Oh, my God. You’re the answer to my prayers.”
Bio ~
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/
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Thanks for sharing your work with us, Peggy!
