In tribute to Moms @PeggyJaeger #RomanceGems

For decades before I ever wrote commercial book length fiction, I wrote non-fiction articles about two topics near and dear to me: Nursing - my chosen Profession - and Motherhood. My spot at the end of the month here on the blog means I missed posting something about Mother's Day, so if you could please indulge me for a few minutes, I'd like to do that now.

In 2005, a little piece I wrote about being a mother was included in the CHICKEN SOUP FOR EVERY MOM'S SOUL edition of the CSFTS Series.

It was titled MOTHERHOOD: A Transformation. Here is some of the text for that piece:

"Once upon a time I was a nurse, a writer, and a wife. Then, one day, I had a child. I became a mother.

Added to the list of things I previously was and did, I became: a chauffeur, cook, dresser, wiper of dirty faces, a cleaner of soiled bottoms, a retriever of thrown socks, a finder of lost shoes, a helper of homework, an insomniac. I was referee in toy wars, a slayer of nighttime dragons, a soother of nervous school jitters. I was a room mother, a den mother, a leader of scouts, and one day, mother of the bride. I calmed tantrums and bolstered fragile egos.

Once upon a time my name was Peggy. Then I became a mother and had as many aliases as a con men. I became - at various times - mm, ma-ma, Ma, Mommie, Mom, Mother, MOTHER!!, and for a very brief period of mental vexation, Peg.

My house, once orderly, became a disordered jumble of toys, stuffed animals, dried peas, and empty strew formula bottles; a carpet of clutter and chaos; a dwelling in disarray.

I was a Mother. I was an icon. I'd done something no man had ever done, accomplished a feat so death defying and magical that many wouldn't attempt it. I became a mother. And in so doing, I became all that I was, all that I ever wished to be."

There's a lot more to the piece, so if you're so inclined to read it, the book is still available at Amazon.com.

This past year I was honored to meet Jack Canfield in person at a conference. I introduced myself and he graciously autographed the copy of my Chicken Soup book from its 2005  release. Meeting him was one of the top 10 days of my life.

So, here's to every mother. It doesn't matter if the child came through your body, or from your heart. You are an icon. You are a rock-star. You are the reason the world continues on. And you are a hero. Bless you for who - and what - you are and do.

Because this is a day of remembrance in the US, Happy Memorial Day. Please, spend a silent moment thanking all those who served and sacrificed for our country so that we could be free to write what we want, read what we want, and follow our dreams without the worry of persecution. Freedom isn't free, and those who gave their lives to ensure we could live that way deserve to be remembered and honored - every day of the year! If you see someone who served, or know someone who has, thank them today.

And in keeping with our RomanceGems theme this month, we are honoring SHEROES and HEROS and I think every Mom on the planet is a SHE-RO!


Maya Angelou, an unofficial Poet Laureate of America, may have been the first to refer to women as She-roes rather than as heroines.

Let's own the word She-roes, and let's celebrate them all from stay-at-home Moms to Moms in the workplace and Moms who save lives and win Purple Hearts from combat wounds. (Yes, there are more than 50 who have.)

Let's celebrate the women and men of our police forces and fire departments, ambulance crews, nurses, doctors, and all branches of the military in all countries. Take a moment to thank them for their service. What they all do takes courage and determination and a strong moral compass to do the job and do it well.

Heroes and She-roes Celebration Rafflecopter

Our policies concerning Promotions and Giveaways, Eligibility, and Prize Award Procedures are shown on our Monthly Giveaway Page. Please read. We strictly adhere to those policies.

Rafflecopter starts May 4, Saturday, and runs through May 29, Wednesday. All of our Authors are participating.

Read all about it here

My book THE VOICES OF ANGELS ( MacQuire Women #4) is one of the prizes that will be awarded.

Carly Lennox is the kind of mother I would want to be - and the kind I would want to have!

Love is the last thing Carly Lennox is looking for when she sets out on her new book tour. The independent, widowed author is content with a life spent writing and in raising her daughter. When newscaster Mike Woodard suggests they work on a television magazine profile based on her book, Carly’s thrilled, but guarded. His obvious desire to turn their relationship into something other than just a working one is more than she bargained for.

Mike Woodard is ambitious, and not only in his chosen profession. He wants Carly, maybe more than he’s ever wanted anything or anyone else. As he tells her, he’s a patient man. But the more they’re together, Mike realizes it isn’t simply desire beating within him. Carly Lennox is the missing piece in his life. Getting her to accept it-and him-may just be the toughest assignment he’s ever taken on.

Happy Belated Mother's Day!!!