When Beth Michaels high tailed it out of the hole-in-the-road town she grew up in, she only had two goals. One—get as far away as quickly as possible, and two—never set foot in her parent’s home again. But when she receives a heart breaking call from her childhood best friend, Jen, she has no choice but to turn her ’56 Ford pickup back in the direction of Salem, Missouri to attend a funeral.
There’s a new local in town when Beth arrives, and suddenly, it ain’t all that easy for her to remember her rules for dating. #1. Cookie-cutter-perfect guys ain’t her type. #2. Tie wearin’ and church frequentin’ is an automatic dismissal. #3. Most importantly, never date anyone from small minded, conservative, Bible-thumping towns like Salem. Unfortunately, Matthew Wright breaks all her rules and then some.
Matt might be from a small town and have small town values, but that doesn’t mean he fits into a little slot of Beth’s preconceived notions. After all, ever so often good guys are good. Now if he could just convince Beth to let go of her past and give him a chance, he’s pretty sure there’s a whole lotta sweet under that prickly exterior. His own … Sweet Contradiction.
Sweet Contradiction is being released NEXT WEEK!
Check out this Interview with Peggy Martinez.
Where did the idea of your (latest) book come from?
Sweet Contradiction originally started out as an idea for a Christian Fiction novel, but the more I wrote and the more I let my main character, Beth, take over her story, the more I knew it wasn't going to turn out the way I had planned.
Who and what inspires you to write your books?
My children inspire me on a daily basis. They cheer with me when I finish a book, the oooh and ahhh over my new covers, and they keep me reaching for my goals, because I want them to do the same when they are older.
Each author has his/her own fascinating journey. How did you begin writing?
I always wrote poetry as a teen, I also kept a sketch pad and pencils at all times. But I really started writing last year when my hubby said I needed to stop being afraid of failure and just DO IT. Such a sweet-talker, that hubby of mine!
Do you have any particular writing routines or rituals?
It usually goes like this:
Write the opening page.
Stare at said page/idea for days.
Make a music playlist to get me in the specific mood I'm trying to write.
Start a pinterest board and spend HOURS finding inspiring pics for my project.
Stare at beginning page a while longer.
Begin writing my story.
Characters remind me it is THEIR story and not mine.
Write until I am sure I'll never finish the book.
Pin some more pictures out of despair.
Write several chapters by hand.
Finally finish the book.
Print the book off & set it aside for 3 days.
Get out the red and purple pen and tear my manuscript apart.
Edit. Rewrites. Edit.
Send my baby off to beta readers.
Freak out until each and every one of them gets back to me.
Send off to editor.
Sit around in a daze for at least 2 weeks. Read at least 7-10 books and watch an entire season of a TV Show.
And then begin the entire process over again.
& I'm not joking about any of those steps. :-)~
Do you write in order?
Pretty much, yes.
What is on your playlist when you write?
Whatever fits the mood. I have very eclectic music tastes, but for Sweet Contradiction, I have a lot of country, for the Sage Hannigan novels I have a lot of 3 Doors Down, Justin Nozuka, Linkin Park, etc. For my sensual novel I'm writing under a pen name, I'm currently listening to Frank Sinatra, Eddie Floyd, Aretha Franklin, etc.
Favorite writing snack?
Twizzlers & Cinnamon Bears & Fat Slim Jims.
Do you have any advice for authors wanting to publish?
Build your online presence and get people excited about your writing WAY before you hit the publish button.
Are you currently working on anything else?
I'm writing several things right now … Perfect Contradiction, which is Jen's story. Book #3 in my Time Warper Series, Entranced, a YA Djinni novel, and a book under my pen name, E. L. Lea.
Who is your favorite character and why?
I love all my characters, but Sage Hannigan from my YA/NA Time Warper series will always have a special spot in my heart because she was the first character to allow me to tell their story.
Favorite book of all time?
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
Breakfast says a lot about a person. What is your perfect breakfast?
Breakfast for me is toast and fruit and probably orange juice.
Please tell us in one sentence why we should read your book.
Three hour break from reality and a chance to fall in love with new characters.
Author Bio:
Peggy Martinez is a homeschooling mom of one boy and four girls.
She has been married to her soul mate, Omar, since January 2000. She enjoys reading, writing, soap making, all things aromatherapy, and Twizzlers- lots of Twizzlers. She dreams of one day owning a small homestead, raising some chickens along with her children, growing a large garden, and eventually taking a dream vacation to Greece. It isn't too far-fetched to think you could happen upon her and her husband having a conversation about religion, political conspiracies, a zombie apocalypse, or gangster movies.
