N G Peltier’s Journey to Romance Fame
This week’s Bookshelf illuminates the world of N G Peltier, a rising star in the romance genre and the author behind the acclaimed Island Bites series. Her first two books, “Sweethand” and “Don’t Go Baking My Heart,” have won international acclaim, enchanting readers with engaging narratives and rich cultural settings.
An anime-watching, book-reading, video-game-playing, and storywriting enthusiast, N G Peltier, represented by Lauren Abramo of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC, is a vibrant voice in contemporary romance. N G Peltier has loved books and writing since she was a child, propelling her to pursue an Associate Degree in Journalism and PR from COSTAATT and a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies at UWI, St Augustine Campus, with a Minor in Literature in English.
With over a decade of experience in marketing, Peltier aimed to see her friends, family, and Trinidadian culture reflected in the romance novels she cherished. “Sweethand” wasn’t her first writing attempt—she had completed two manuscripts before it—but it marked the start of the beloved Island Bites series. Peltier draws inspiration from diverse sources: movies, shared stories, and captivating images. Her writing process involves outlining the basics of her characters and story tropes, then letting the narrative develop organically. Peltier prefers to write in the morning, between 8 am and noon, in the quiet of her bedroom or office. Music is integral to her creative process; she curates playlists for each book to encapsulate the essence of her characters and story. She also finds inspiration through carefully selected images pinned to her Pinterest boards.
N G Peltier’s primary goal is to enrich Trinidadian and Caribbean literature with feel-good stories that “showcase the region’s dialect, food, music, and vibrant culture.” While she dreams of hitting a bestseller list one day, Peltier celebrates unexpected achievements, such as “Sweethand” being named one of Oprah Magazine’s anticipated romance books in 2020, participating in a Bocas Lit Fest romance panel, attending a US romance convention, and partnering with Steamy Lit for special edition covers of her Island Bites books. N G Peltier continues to spotlight Trinidadian culture in her work. Her third book, “The Dating Countdown”, is scheduled for release on September 3, 2024.
Excerpt from “Sweethand” by N G Peltier with permission granted exclusively for The Sunday Guardian
“Cherisse rolled her eyes, wetting her throat with cool, refreshing water. She felt Julia’s judgy look, which was fair. She should have known about the colour scheme. She was already failing at this maid of honour gig. She’d never been one before. Bridesmaid, sure. That was low pressure. You just had to show up to things when told to. This was different. It being her sister ramped up the pressure even more. She needed to take a more active role.
First thing on that list: actually set up a planning meeting with Keiran. She wasn’t looking forward to it. Had to be done, though. Sooner rather than later. As if he’d sensed she’d been thinking bad thoughts about him, Keiran appeared in the shop. “Hey, sorry to bother you, ladies, but I need to borrow the maid of honour a sec.” Cherisse’s wrinkled nose shouldn’t be cute, but it was. Something about that coupled with the colorful pattern of her leggings and the t-shirt with MATURE-ISH printed across her chest made her seem less like the perfectly put-together Sugar Queen and more approachable. Except that last part wasn’t exactly true. She wasn’t amused by his appearance—he’d seen that look enough times to know—but this was too important, and as the best man, he had no choice but to face her wrath. “What do you want?” “Just ...”
He gestured for her to follow him; he needed her away from the rest of the bridal party. She rolled her eyes but walked with him towards the door. “This could’ve been avoided if you’d replied to my message or answered your phone,” he pointed out. More discreet that way too, but fact was, she could avoid her phone. She couldn’t avoid him in her face like this. “Phone’s in my bag, and we were a bit busy fawning over Ava. Just get on with it. I’m too hungover for your shit.”
“Ah, a chink in your impenetrable armour.” She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before reopening them and exhaling loudly. “Get on with it.” Oh, how he wanted to continue teasing, but charm would be better suited here. Cherisse was likely to strangle him with one of the colourful shawls that hung near the door. “You’d be saving Eric’s life here. We’re trying to explain the colour scheme, but all we’ve got is it’s sort of peachy? Eric’s not the best with colour names, and he obviously didn’t want to ask Ava.”
Cherisse cocked her head. “You serious?” “Yes.” Her laughter was unexpected, as was her muttering, “Oh universe, you are so funny.” But the haughty look that replaced her laughter wasn’t. And there was the Cherisse he knew. “Coral, obviously. Things the best man should know.”
Of course, she knew. Cherisse probably had a binder filled with important details or a dedicated folder on her phone. She wouldn’t be scrambling like he’d done in the store. The clerk had been unimpressed, not bothering to conceal his disgust that neither the groom nor the best man had the answer to such a simple question. Another thing on the growing list of things for Cherisse to hold against him. He’d basically shown his soft, exposed belly to a predator, and no matter what anyone thought about Cherisse being nice, that was so not the case.
Her sweetness masked a devious interior. “Keiran, are you over here spying?” They both turned as Ava strolled over, Julia and Remi not far behind. “Nope, definitely not.” “Well, since you’re here, I may as well mention this. I mean, it could be fun? Will be fun.” Ava grinned. “I need everyone’s help making flower crowns. Entire bridal party gets ones with real flowers, and the rest of the guests can get the fake ones. Everyone’s gonna look so cute in them!”
At least he knew it was a garden wedding theme. The flower crowns would be a nice touch. “So I want to start on making the fake ones soon as a sort of trial run? I know we’re three months away, but I’d rather see if we suck at this before it’s too late. The real ones’ll be done closer to the wedding day.” “Wait, you want us to make them?” Cherisse looked horrified. “Well, yeah.” Ava flung an arm around Cherisse’s shoulder. “Think of it as a wedding party bonding moment. All hands on deck.” “Sounds fun,” Keiran chimed in. Cherisse scowled. He’d seen those crowns on Pinterest before. How hard could they be? Ava squeezed Cherisse’s shoulder, waving bye to Keiran as she steered her sister over to the woman patiently waiting to measure them. “It will be fun. I promise.”
–End of Excerpt