Book Stories...Old Books

Three of my older books are up for sale this week.

Cinderella Wore Tennis Shoes
Bosom Buddies

Laugh Lines

All three are some of the first books I wrote. Yes, they're old. They're frothy. (Someone used that word in a review, and I've loved it for my sweet comedies. I think it really fit.)

So these are not my Romance+ novels, bit emotional stories like Just One Thing, Briar Hill Road or Hold Her Heart. They're light, fun (I hope) stories that helped me grow as a writer. I hope if you read one, you think, yeah that was cute, but it wasn't what Holly writes now.  Here's the thing, if my writing was still like that, I'd be doing something wrong. LOL

So here are three stories about each...er, story.

Cinderella Wore Tennis Shoes was me trying to twist a classic runaway bride story into something of my own. The publisher named it Side by Side...I went back to my original title with the new edition.  I liked mine better. 

Bosom Buddies also had a different title...Baby, It's You. That was a little better, but frankly, Bosom Buddies made me happy.  You see, before I was a writer, I worked with lactating moms. And the opening scene in this book is an homage to that.  The editor read that opening scene, called me as she cracked up and said, "I'm buying this one, but I'll call you back when I finish."  That gave me glee!

Finally, Laugh Lines. I thought a romantic comedy about a comedian had some merit. It turns out, stand up is different than comedy in a book.  Still, I was pleased with the result.  I was not overly thrilled with the cover however. (Publishers consider covers, titles and blurbs marketing and keep the final say-so on them.) When you look at it, please realize that this is sooo much better than the first one. That first version was a giant pole in the middle of a stage. Yep, it looked like a stripper pole. So really, the mic in the middle of a stage was a better choice, but still it's somewhat lacking.  It doesn't say romantic comedy, does it?  It didn't seem to matter much when these were books meant for libraries, but now that people are looking at them as ebooks, it's kind of sad.  

So there you are, three old stories. I hope you see glimpses of the writer I am now in those early books. And I really hope you get a sense of my unbridled joy over what I was doing. I grew up in books and the idea of writing them...it still gives me glee this many years later. 

Thank you everyone who's picked up my books! I am so lucky to have so many readers who stood by me as my writing grew and matured.

Holly

PS As always, you can find my ebooks, paperbacks, hardbacks, audiobooks and available through Kindle Unlimited.  They're also available in a lot of other languages. I hope there's something for all of you!

Find my books at:

Amazon

Kobo

Radish Fiction

iBooks

B&N

Google Play

Audible

BAM

In Erie, you can find my books on the shelf at Werner Books! Stop in, check them out and tell them I said hi!

Holly Jacobs' Book News

January has started off with a bang!  My newest release—These Three Words is garnering lovely reader reviews! I hope you'll check it out!  And a bunch of my books are on sale here in the US and in the UK and Germany as well!
This weekend is your last chance to catch these January SalePalooza deals!!

US Amazon:
Cinderella Wore Tennis Shoes
Bosom Buddies

UK Amazon:
These Three Words 
Bosom Buddies 
Cinderella Wore Tennis Shoes 


German Amazon:
Nur eine Sache (Just One Thing)

And the fun doesn't end there.  I'm starting to pull together my 2016 Release Line-up:
March: Rerelease eBook, A Day Late and a Bride Short 
February: Short Stories for the Overworked and Under-Read: Anthology  

Coming soon...aCupid Falls story and the sequel to Carry Her Heart.

Teaser Tuesday: Bosom Buddies

I was talking about where I got my start earlier, and Bosom Buddies was right there at the get-go. One of my earliest books, it has an #EasterEgg courtesy of my work with lactating moms.  This opening scene was different (even for me LOL) but I left it because I loved it.  And it turned out that so did the acquiring editor.  Lesson?  Don't second-guess yourself!

Oh, and originally it was titled, Baby, It's You, but I went back to my original title.  Why?  Read the opening scene and you might have a clue!  LOL

Bosom Buddies

Allie McGraw knocked on the door.

“What?” a voice barked as the door swung open.

Allie almost jumped as her upstairs neighbor’s face appeared. 
Her focus shifted from the face to the rest of the neighbor, standing like an ancient warrior ready to do battle.

Allie momentarily lost all words. He was breathtaking. 

She could hear the wailing that had caused her to come upstairs, but she couldn’t see the wailer. “Uh . . . well, I’m Alexandra McGraw, from downstairs,” she finally managed.

“I know who you are, I just want to know what you want.” He glanced over his shoulder. “As you can tell, it’s not the best time.”

“That’s why I came up. I mean, I heard . . .”

“The screaming? The crying? The uncontrollable sobbing?” he asked. 

Under other circumstances, she might have been insulted by his sarcastic tone, but the dark circles under his brownish eyes and his haggard appearance wouldn’t allow it, so Allie nodded and said, “Yes.” 

Ian Ryan, her normally prim and proper upstairs neighbor, was looking decidedly disheveled. His brown-with-a-touch-of-auburn hair, usually so neatly combed, zigged and zagged every which way. His nicely tailored suit had been replaced with a pair of gray sweatpants that had seen better days and a stain-splattered T-shirt. Somehow he looked all the more attractive because of it. 
Focus, Allie, she warned herself and asked him, “I wondered if there was a problem and if I could help?” 

He just glared at her. “I’m used to doing things on my own. I’m sure with enough time I’ll find the proper . . .”

The muted wailing escalated and became a shriek. Ian bounded from the door toward the noise, and Allie followed right on his heels.

On the couch, trapped by two pillows, was the source of the noise. 

Dressed in pink, so her gender was obvious, was a baby—a very unhappy baby. Ian picked her up, much like someone would pick up a football that had been left on the field, and held her awkwardly to his shoulder.

It did little to halt her protests.

Allie watched, torn for a moment by indecision. But the pitiful wail made up her mind for her. “Here, let me have a try,” she said, gently taking the infant from Ian before he could protest.

“Now, what’s all this noise?” she whispered as she plopped the baby on her shoulder and patted her back. Allie’s fingers snaked through the romper’s legs and checked the diaper. Dry. “When’s the last time she ate?”

Ian flopped onto the couch and shook his head. Gone was the warrior looking for a battle, and in his place was a warrior ready to admit defeat. “That’s the problem. She won’t. I’ve tried every kind of nipple there is on her bottles. The pharmacy delivered them. I’ve called her pediatrician, who just told me give it time, she’d eat when she was hungry.” A muscle in his cheek jumped. “Well, she is hungry, but she won’t drink from any of the bottles here.”

“Where’s her mom?” Allie asked.

“In the hospital. A drunk driver. I . . . well, the baby’s my responsibility until Anne can take over again.”

Rarely at a loss for words, but finding herself suffering from it a second time in the course of one conversation, Allie hesitated a moment before she figured out what to say. “I’m sorry. I hope she’ll be okay.” 

She wanted to say more but made a habit of not prying, so she left it at that. The baby’s screams had quieted to a mewling whine punctuated by tiny hiccups. Allie returned to the business at hand. “What did Anne feed her?”

“She breastfed, no bottles or solids yet. That’s why I’m having all these problems. She hates the bottle.”

“Smart girl,” Allie whispered to the baby. To Ian she said, “She knows what’s good.”

“Her knowing what’s good isn’t going to help me. Her realizing she’s going to have to settle for second best is.” 

What might have sounded like exasperation or annoyance moments ago was really only worry, Allie realized. She smiled. “Well, I have an idea. Why don’t you grab the formula and come down to my place for a minute?”

The baby kept up her protests as they walked down to Allie’s apartment. 

Allie had seen the look of relief that had passed over Ian’s face when he’d grabbed the formula. She had a feeling she’d seen more of Ian Ryan’s true nature in just one morning than most people did after knowing him for years.

In the three months since she’d moved in, he’d only had a passing nod for her after their brief introduction. Oh, he stomped on the floor if her music got too loud, but he didn’t make a federal case of it. Not the most friendly soul she’d ever met but not mean and nasty either. But Allie had a feeling he would have befriended the devil right then to find a way to quiet the baby.

“What’s her name?” she asked as they approached her apartment. There was a lull in the baby’s squalling that allowed further conversation.

“Ryane with an E at the end. Anne always said she was going to name the baby after me, but when it turned out to be a girl, she didn’t think Ian was such a good idea.” Allie turned around and caught the ghost of a smile on Ian’s face as he remembered a happier time. “Ryane was her compromise. It combines Anne’s first name and my last name.”

It was the longest string of words Allie had ever heard Ian put together. “Well, Ryane with an E, we’re going to get you fixed up real quick,” she promised the baby as she opened her door. 

Allie felt a twinge of embarrassment as she looked around the apartment. After being in Ian’s pristine quarters, she was sure hers didn’t impress him. Loud colors, piles of this and that, and her books all over. She had plans, but she’d been too busy to implement them. New jobs didn’t allow much free time, and free time was what she needed to finish settling into her new home. Right now her life was organized chaos and so was her apartment. 
She glanced at Ian’s face. She’d been right. He wasn’t impressed at all. Well, she’d be darned if she were going to explain. She was doing him the favor and didn’t owe him an explanation or an apology for the mess.

“I know it’s here somewhere,” she mused, looking at the pile of stuff on the dining room table. “I brought a new one home to check . . .” 

She tried to hand Ian the baby, but he shook his head. “You keep holding her. She hasn’t been that settled since, well, it’s been a while.” He eyed the table and looked at Allie. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re looking for and I’ll try to find it?” 

“An SNS.” She sometimes forgot that other people didn’t share her expertise. Ian’s look of confusion served as a reminder. “It’s a supplemental nursing system put out by Medela. A sort of bottle with tubing instead of a nipple. Moms hook the tubes next to their nipples and the baby gets the supplement while they nurse . . .” 

She stopped as Ian’s face turned a brilliant shade of red.

“I know I’m desperate, but I don’t think I’m quite that desperate,” he stuttered.

Realizing he’d misunderstood, Allie burst into laughter, which startled the baby and set her to fussing again, though more halfheartedly than before. 

“I’m sorry,” she crooned as she patted the baby’s back. Her smile remained. The mental picture of the prim and proper Ian Ryan, SNS taped by his nipples and nursing a baby, was more than ludicrous, it was hilarious. 

“I think we can find an alternative to that,” she choked out and began to search again.

Want to read more about Ian and Allie's romance?  Find it at Amazon.

August Releases!

I've always been a fan of August, but this August is extra-special! I have a new release, 

Her Second-Chance Family.  

Good can come out of bad 

If it wasn't for the tragic accident ten years earlier, Audrey Smith might never have taken in the three foster kids she loves so dearly. And if it wasn't for the new addition to her home—a troubled teenage thief—she wouldn't be fantasizing about Sawyer Williams. 

Make no mistake—Sawyer's the victim here. He's the one who was robbed by Audrey's daughter. But teaching the teen a lesson rather than punishing her makes Sawyer a superhero in Audrey's eyes. Someone who can forgive and forget… That is until another break-in rocks their community, threatening Audrey's family and her future with Sawyer.

And two of my older books—oldest books—were rereleased as eBooks!  I hope readers enjoy a glimpse of where I started my writing career!  

 Bosom Buddies

Nurse Allie McGraw can’t ignore the cry of a baby in need. And if the noise coming from the upstairs apartment is any indication, then the baby’s temporary guardian—Allie’s attractive neighbor—could also use a break. While Ian Ryan may be a computer guru, his borrowed bundle of joy is clearly giving him a run for his money. Allie agrees to lend Ian a hand, but that’s all she can spare. After a recent rough patch, her heart is off-limits.

Ian lives in a complication-free zone…or at least he did until he found himself caring for his tiny niece. With a baby on board, his life has taken a new turn—one that includes a cute, caring nurse. Allie’s the first woman to make him crave more than just a temporary fling. Now that Ian’s finally ready to take a chance on love, can he convince Allie to take a chance on him?

This novella was previously published as Baby, It’s You. It is one of the first stories Holly Jacobs ever wrote. 

Cinderella Wore Tennis Shoes

Forget glass slippers—this runaway bride’s practical shoes lead her straight to a prince.

Thanking her lucky stars that she wore comfortable shoes, Charlotte “Charlie” Eaton dashes out of her wedding, leaving behind her controlling mother’s choice of groom, high society’s stifling expectations, and, unfortunately, her purse. But the stars align in her favor yet again when a knight in a shiny truck rides to her rescue. Just when she’s ready to give up on a fairy-tale kind of love, could she have found her Prince Charming?

After surviving a rocky childhood, Dan Martin has created his own happily-ever-after. The owner of a fast-growing shipping company, he’s content with his comfortable life. The one thing he doesn’t need? Trouble. And that’s exactly what the hitchhiker in head-to-almost-toe bridal wear represents: trouble with a capital T. But when Charlie flashes her sparkling green eyes at Dan, he’s already a goner. Together, can a bride running away from her nightmare wedding and a man running from his nightmare past make their happiest dreams come true?

This novella was previously published as Cinderella Wore Tennis Shoes and Side by Side. It is one of the first stories the author ever wrote.

Thanks so much everyone for the support!  Like I said, I've always liked August, but this one is particularly nice!!!

Holly

New Releases! Well, Old Releases! New Old Releases!

Cinderella Wore Tennis Shoes

Bosom Buddies

Yes, that's releaseS with an S!  I'm so excited that both of these stories are coming out again!

I started writing in the late '90s.  I still had a toddler at home, and older kids...  Life was busy.  I called those early years of writing my vampire years.  The only time I could write was after the kids fell asleep.  I'd write until I couldn't stay awake any longer. 

I knew I wanted to comedy and was thrilled when I sold to Kensington's Precious Gem line!  These are two of the earliest.  Kensington changed the titles when they were first released.  Bosom Buddies was Be My Baby, and Cinderella Wore Tennis Shoes to Side by Side.  I liked mine better.  So last year, when I decided to indie publish them as Holly Jacobs Classics, I went back to the original working titles.  I thought they fit the stories better.

After I sold these early books to Kensington, I went on to write for a number of Harlequin lines, for Silhouette Romance and for Avalon books and finally, for Montlake Romance.  When Montlake asked to republish Bosom Buddies and Cinderella Wore Tennis Shoes, I said yes.  I love working with the entire team there!

I wrote these earliest stories with more enthusiasm than anything else.  They were written late at night, in a quiet house (the only time my house was every quiet was late at night back then!).  I'd grown up reading and was so nervous and thrilled to find I could put a story together.  Through the years between then and now, my writing has grown, but I still love these early works. 

So before you order the books, check your shelves, both physical and eBook shelves!   And I hope when you read them you see shades of the writer I've become in them.  

As always, thank you for your support!!  I'm so lucky to have so many readers who have been with me since I wrote these books!  Really, thank you! 

Holly

Holly Jacobs August Newsletter

Hi, everyone!  I hope your summer is going well!  It's been a busy one here.  I went to NYC for a conference a couple weeks ago, but most of my summer has been spent in the garden or at camp.  Yes, I'm happy to announce that after 25 years, we finally have running water at our cottage.  Well, running if you pump it!  But the pump's right out our back door, so it's convenient! Oh, and we've managed to make it Presque Isle for a few nights on the beach, or canoeing on the lagoons! In amongst everything else, I have a few releases to announce:

Her Second-Chance Family Released 8/1 Harlequin SuperRomance New Release: Her Second-Chance Family Good can come out of bad  If it wasn't for the tragic accident ten years earlier, Audrey Smith might never have taken in the three foster kids she loves so dearly. And if it wasn't for the new addition to her home—a troubled teenage thief—she wouldn't be fantasizing about Sawyer Williams.  Make no mistake—Sawyer's the victim here. He's the one who was robbed by Audrey's daughter. But teaching the teen a lesson rather than punishing her makes Sawyer a superhero in Audrey's eyes. Someone who can forgive and forget… That is until another break-in rocks their community, threatening Audrey's family and her future with Sawyer. Buy at: Amazon Barnes and Noble Kobo Or your favorite online bookstore.

News: I took part in USAToday's HEA column! Congratulations to my monthly drawing winners! Cindy, Janet, CountryGirl!! Last year's Christmas in Cupid Falls is a finalist in both the Holt Medallion Awards and the Golden Quill Awards!  The trade paperback is on sale at Amazon for $6. I found out about both awards in the same week...it was a very good week! LOL Shortly thereafter, I found outJust One Thing won the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award!  I'm so very excited!  If you haven't picked up a copy, the eBook is on sale this month at Amazon. Montlake Romance is rereleasing two older books.   Cinderella Wore Tennis Shoesand Bosom Buddies on August 18th!! They were originally published by Kensington Precious Gems as Side by Side and Baby, It's You.  So check your shelves before you order them!  These are some of my earliest books.  I wrote with a lot of heart, but was very new to the business! I've got a few new short stories in the pipeline. The first, Labor Day is out now! Watch for more in the upcoming months! I'm continuing my monthly drawings...you've subscribed to my newsletter  so you're already entered.  Stay tuned!  My next release is in November.  These Three Words from Montlake Romance.  It's another emotional ride.  I will never quit doing comedies and lighthearted, sweet romance, but I do enjoy stretching my writing with these stories.   One last bit of news...I'll be at Barbara Vey's Reader Appreciation Weekend next April 29-May 1!  If you're interested in hanging out with me and some of my writing friends, you can find out more here. As always, thank you so much for your friendships and continued support!!  I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer!  I'll talk to you in the fall! Holly PS Want my newsletter delivered to your email box?  Click here!

Salespalooza Throwback Thursday!

My Newest Release...Carry Her Heart

It's a salespalooza on Amazon!!  I've been talking about my newest release, Carry Her Heart, for a few weeks, so it's fun to do a Throwback Thursday about some of my older books...books that are all on sale today!

Pickup Lines 

 This book is an oldies but (hopefully) goody.  We have a radio station in town that ran a series of contests.  It got me thinking...what if?  Yes, I know, those are a writer's most important tools! So in Pickup Lines a woman (who's a bookworm...I don't know where I came up with that one??  LOL) who NEEDS a new car, and a man who's a pharmacist (here's an Easter Egg...I have a number of pharmacists in the family!) and wants it to promote his store have to live in a truck.  Last one in wins it.  A man and a woman stuck in a truck...let the fun begin!

Spruced Up: Novella

Swept Up

I had an idea...a maid who went to LA to become a movie star. Instead, she ends up a mother of three and owns a cleaning service.  It might not be the life she planned, but it's a good life...

And then one day she accidentally cleans a murder scene.  Yes, she found a dead body in the first book, but I gave her some other mysteries to solve.  You see, I didn't want to Murder She Wrote her...I mean seriously, if you were tripping over a dead body every time you went out, who'd invite you over???

I loved writing Quincy Mac's series.  You can find all four books here.  Spruced Up: Novella and Swept Up are on sale this week!

Bosom Buddies 

 Cinderella Wore Tennis Shoes

Finally, two of the earliest books are on sale.  At the very beginning of my career, I wrote Bosom Buddies and Cinderella Wore Tennis Shoes for Kensington's Precious Gems line.  They were only available at Walmart.  Now they have a new life as eBooks.  So another Easter Egg...I worked with breastfeeding moms for years.  And the opening scene in Bosom Buddies was inspired by that work.  It was an odd little scene. I thought about rewriting it and making a more traditional opening. In the end, I just let it be because I liked it.  The editor called me after she'd read just that scene and said to let her finish the books, but she couldn't stop laughing, so yes, she was buying it!
I call these "Holly Jacobs' Classics" just so readers know they're some of the earliest books I've written!

So there you are...Throwback Thursday's Salespalooza!

Holly

Leave It Better Than You Found It

A couple of my kids went out to our camp and left a bit of a mess.  I went into mom-mode and lectured that next time they should "leave it better than you found it."  Today as I watched the news, I couldn't help but think that maybe that should be a philosophy we all adopted.

What if every place we went, we left a bit better than we found it?  What if we helped where we could?  Donated what we could?  Even simply smiled when we passed by people on the street?  I learned years ago that something as simple as a smile can change someone's day...did I ever tell you that story?

I know that I write everything from romantic comedy, to sweet romance, to women's fiction-ish romances, to comedic mysteries.  (And thank you everyone who's read all the above!)  I think that maybe that Leave-It-Better-Than-You-Found philosophy might be my unifying theme.  As I thought about I realized that every character—from one of my earliest books, Bosom Buddies, to my most recent, Carry Her Heart—has somehow tried to do just that. The heroine in A Valley Ridge Christmas went so far as to put the philosophy down in words...I can't change the world, but I can try.

It sounds like a simple philosophy, but sometimes the most complex thoughts are hidden behind simplicity.  I think, in my small way, I've tried to live by this one, even if I hadn't put words to it.  From something as simple as the garden in the backyard, to something like my bit of Monday Glee, to the organizations I support.  I guess, when all is said and done, I hope that people say, it wasn't just my characters who tried to leave things better than they found it, it was me.

Holly

Take a Chance

I read the Erie Times this morning and smiled when I read an article about water usage (here's the link if you're interested).  I wasn't smiling about the fact American's use twice as much water as they think.  I knew we used a lot and that water conservation is important.  My online friends have sweetly put up with my excitement over my water barrel and dual flush toilet.  

But I went beyond conserving water here at home.  I used a dual-flush toilet in my December book, A

Valley Ridge Christmas:

“I told the plumber I’d do the demo work in here, and the stupid toilet is stuck. I don’t know what else to do.”

“We’re replacing it, right?”

“Yes. We’re replacing both with dual flush toilets.”

“Dual flush?”

“They’re very water efficient. You use one button for little jobs and one for big …” She could feel her cheeks heating up. “Needless to say, they’re a green alternative. Tori’s dad suggested them. He said as long as we were doing all this work, we might as well make the house as green and energy efficient as possible.”

Aaron sank down next to her and examined the bolts, then turned so that his face was inches away from hers. “You are the first woman I’ve ever met who can get excited about a dual flush toilet.”

Maeve shrugged. “That’s me. Save the earth…one flush at a time. But only if I could get this nut off the bolt.”

“Let’s try it together.”

That working together moment was so important to the characters' changing relationship.  I loved that scene, but I was afraid my editor wouldn't see the merit in characters falling for each other over a toilet. I thought about cutting the scene, but in the end, I left it.  And she didn't even bat an eye.

I'm working on getting a few older books ready to reprint as eBooks.  One of them, Bosom Buddies (published as Baby, It's You), 

has a lactation consultant heroine meeting a hero with a nipple-confused baby.  He comes to her for help, and she has one great idea.  It's called an SNS (supplemental nursing system).  Breastfeeding moms can supplement their milk by using the tubing that comes from a bottle and taping it next to their nipples.  The baby is supplemented as they nurse.  BUT the heroine in Bosom Buddies is suggesting the hero use the tubing taped to a finger.  Finger feeding will often work for babies who won't take a bottle.  BUT what the hero is hearing is she wants him to tape the tubing to HIS nipples and feed the baby.  Their miscommunication made me laugh as I reread it.

Yeah, it was a weird, convoluted scene.  More than a decade ago as I wrote the book, I almost cut it.  But I decided not to play it safe and sent the book, weird (but hopefully funny) opening scene in place.  I got a call days later from the editor.  She'd read that opening and called to tell me she couldn't stop laughing and she was buying the book…she'd get back to me with contract info after she finished more than just that first scene.

So what's my point here?  Well, you could say my point is conserving water is a good thing (it is), or that if you have a baby with feeding issues, go see a professional (do).  But really, my point is, sometimes we second-guess ourselves.  We take what we perceive as the safer path.  And that isn't necessarily the best path.  That weird SNS scene sold Bosom Buddies, and the dual-flush toilet scene was definitely something you don't find in a lot of romances.  It gave me glee, and some of my readers who follow me on FaceBook remembered when I got so happy putting in my dual-flush and commented on finding it in a book!

I hope that you all take a chance…take that road less traveled.  Sometimes that makes all the difference!

Holly