Showing posts with label romcom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label romcom. Show all posts

Sunday, May 12, 2019

Mother's Day


When I first started writing, I wrote a romcom with four kids at home. Someone said, "You can't put kids in romantic comedy." I laughed because I'd just sold a book with five kids. So many of my stories have mothers and their kids. All the how-to-write books say write what you know. I have four kids so...well, let's just say I've got kids in many, many of my books!

I've been lucky to have so many strong women in my life. My daughters, my mother, my mother-in-law, my grandmother, my friends and my readers. They've shared so much with me—from fortitude, to resilience, to unconditional love. They've allowed me to be a part of their stories, and shared their stories that came before me. Stories of their lives—some where happy, some not so much, but all of those stories taught me—are teaching me—who I want to be.  These amazing women were mothers, grandmothers, friends, Rosie Riveters, secretaries, teachers, nurses, pharmacists, cooks and comics...  

I know how lucky I am to have my live to have lived a life with so many amazing women populating it.  They're each why I love writing moms, grandmas and strong women!

If you're a mom, I wish you a wonderful day (if you're not a mom, I wish you a wonderful one, too)! And if you're looking for a new story (whether or not your a mother), I have a few Mom books for you!

Thanks, as always, for letting me a part of your stories!

Holly



Tuesday, March 19, 2019

A Makeover Story

The Makeover
If you've watched our Trippin' with Holly and Susan videos, you've probably noticed I'm not someone who's prone to wearing a lot of makeup. Okay, frankly, I rarely wear makeup. Maybe that's why the idea of someone getting a makeover strikes me as funny. . .because I don't think it would be fun.

A few years back, my youngest went with me to New York. She went to see the sites. I went to go to a conference. There was a big party and she got very nervous when she saw my makeup bag was a bit light. So she came and made me over and made me up.  She did a better job than my poor heroine got in The Makeover. But this book isn't just a story of a very bad makeover. It's about making over your life. About finding where you belong.

One of my favorite quotes from the story is, ". . . bigger isn't always better. Happy is." That pretty much sums up my life philosophy.  Family. Friends. Little moments. Quiet places. Those are things that make me happy.

And maybe that's the trick. Finding what makes you happy. Finding where you belong. And finding who you belong with.

I hope you check out The Makeover! It's available for preorder now and will be released on April 1st...April Fools Day!  And I truly hope you've find your happy place.

Holly

PS 
There's a Sale-palooza at Amazon this month! If you've missed one, I hope you pick it up.
On Sale for $.99:
Carry Her Heart 
    A mother gives up her child...then builds a life around her.
Hold Her Heart 
    Her child comes home.
Just One Thing 
    Sometimes we heal one memory at a time.
Everything But a Groom 
    A grandmother curses her family to bad weddings and spends a trilogy trying to break the curse.


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Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Confessions of a Party Crasher





Fans of Holly Jacobs’ I Waxed My Legs for This? will love this story of love…and accidental party crashing!

Morgan Miller is out of work and out of luck. She’s moved back home to Pittsburgh to try and put her life back in order. When she agrees to attend wedding reception with her mom for she's appalled to learn her mother’s invitation is far from legitimate. Her mom has turned her into an inadvertent party crasher.

When her friends agree that party crashing is a great way to meet men, Morgan's life goes from crazy to completely crazy. Wedding photographer Conner Danning keeps shooting her swoon-worthy glances and Morgan's ex is trying to de-ex himself.

Coming home and falling in love might just be the one party Morgan doesn’t want to miss.

Reviews:

"...a funny tale of falling in love when you least expect it, best friends, and off-beat mothers..." We Write Romance

"...a sweet, entertaining romance..." ~RT Bookclub

"Hilarious situations, deep emotions, and lots of love make this one party you won't want to miss." ~Cat Cody, Romance Junkies

"Confession of a Party Crasher is an entertaining frolic. I know whenever I see Holly Jacobs name on a book I can be guarantee that I am are going to have one laugh after another..." Lydia Funneman, Writers Unlimited

"Confessions of a Party Crasher is a book about relationships and life. As always, Holly Jacobs uses plenty of zany humor to enhance the story and make it dazzle." ~© Kelley A. Hartsell, May 2006. All rights reserved. 

"CONFESSIONS OF A PARTY CRASHER is a charming romantic story, where love is made even more special with laughter." Amelia Richard, cataromance.com 

Monday, February 06, 2017

Just in time for Valentine's...Holly's February Newsletter


Not Precisely Pregnant is this month's release!  It's out this Tuesday!!  I pitched this romantic comedy to my editor as Shrek meets Pollyanna!  It features two reporters...one who covers hard hitting news stories and one whose reports use the tagline Nice News Matters. To be honest, I do love nice news and think the world could use more of it!

Here's the blurb:

Nice News matters to reporter Paige Montgomery, aka Pollyanna Paige, reports on news that makes you smile. When she finds herself (not precisely) pregnant and in trouble, she’s rescued by an unlikely savior...cynical newsman, Riley Calhoon. Paige is intrigued with this unprecedented heroic streak, but Riley prefers to keep that particular scoop to himself.

Riley might doubt Paige’s reporter’s instincts, but she’s following his story with a tenacity that even he can admire. The problem is, whenever she’s around he finds himself being assaulted by hockey pucks, killer cats and even a run-away trucks. He either has a chronic case of heartburn… or maybe it’s love?


Reviews:

"...guaranteed to provide plenty of entertainment, and more laughs than should be legal." ~Kelley A. Hartsell, Love Romances Reviews

"Holly Jacobs returns with NOT PRECISELY PREGNANT, a wry, warm-hearted screwball comedy featuring an appealing pair of lovers...and an attack cat." ~Romantic Times

"Ms. Jacobs has done it again!...Her books are lighthearted joy to read..." ~Carol Carter, Reviewer

"In "Not Precisely Pregnant", Holly Jacobs spins a marvelously funny tale about love, ratings, sex and stubbornness." ~Women on Writing

"I picked up this book with the intention of reading the first couple of pages to see what it was about. I didn't have time right then to read it. Well, it got read sooner than I thought! Ms. Jacobs grabbed my attention and kept me reading. " ~Lydia Funneman, Writers Unlimited

Other News:

Honor Roll:
I'm so excited to announce that I'm on Romance Writers of America's Honor Roll now!!  And I want to thank you all...I'm there because of all your support and all the books you've bought,  Thank you!

Subscriber Only Giveaway:
 I'm so glad that everyone enjoyed the giveaway last month!!  I wanted to do something for all my subscribers this month, not just a lucky few.  So, I've put up a short story that only you can read for free before it goes up for the general public.  It all started with a book.  I went to a house sale and found a copy of Gene Stratton-Porter's The Harvester.  I've always loved her books and had never read this one.  Imagine my excitement!!  I picked it up, took it home and found...  

I know...sad, wasn't it?  But, this maimed book did inspire a story.  And I knew I wanted to do something for all of you, so you're getting it for free.  How?    If you get my newsletter, you know how to find the story.  If not, join my newsletter this week and I'll give you the instructions. Then I'll take the "Secret" page down and put the story up for everyone else.

I hope you enjoy my gift!  It's just my way of saying thank you for all the books you've bought and reviewed!  Really, you all are the best!

So what's up next?  Confessions of a Party Crasher.  It's an older book that Harlequin bought for a line that was in its death throes before Party Crasher ever went on sale.  So it made it to very few bookstores, which means it's probably new to you.  So let's call it a new old book! LOL  More on that soon!

Hope you're having a great start of the year!  And hoping 2017 is one of your best years yet!

Holly
Recent Releases:


Monday, June 01, 2015

A (Hopefully) Handy Holly Jacobs' Book List

I've written a bunch of books since I started writing.  I'll confess, I sometimes still get that pinch-me feeling when I really think about it. They've sold in over 25 countries to date.  I've been fortunate enough to have readers who've followed me from my comedies, to my sweet romances, to my more serious family dramas...and now to my women's fiction/romances.  Someone recently asked again for a booklist.  I've done them before, but thought I'd do another one for here!  I'm lucky that so many of my older books are now available as eBooks.  I've also made note of the ones that are available as audio books!  I've broken them into types.

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 My most recent stories have been women's fiction/romances.  To be honest, I think of them more as a woman's journey...a journey that includes romance.  I love looking at a story from a very heroine-centric point of view.    

My newest release is: Carry Her Heart (32 Five Star Review out of 33 reviews so far!)  (Audio Book) It will be available in Walmart on June 26th!  Please give me a shout if you spot it!

Just One Thing  (Audio Book)
And watch in November for These Three Words!!

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Family dramas...I'd only done comedies and sweet romances, when Harlequin started a new line, Everlasting Love.  The books were supposed to look at romance as a lifelong affair.  Only one of the books I wrote for them came out before the line folded and they moved my stories to SuperRomance.  I went on to write more books for that line!  I think all of them have glimpses of my humor, but they're certainly more serious stories.


Her Second Chance Family (out August 1)
Same Time Next Summer
The House on Briar Hill Road


Award Winning Valley Ridge Series:
1. You Are Invited: A Valley Ridge Wedding
2. April Showers: A Valley Ridge Wedding (Audio Book)
3. A Walk Down the Aisle: A Valley Ridge Wedding

Award Winning Whedon, PA series

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Comedic Mysteries...I had an idea for a character for a very long time.  Quincy Mac.  She went to LA to be an actress and ended up owning a cleaning service.  She's a mother of three teens and her life is busy and hectic...but chaos becomes her new normal when she accidentally cleans a murder scene and has to figure out whodunnit before she goes to jail for a crime she only cleaned!

1. Steamed
2. Dusted
3. Spruced Up
4. Swept Up

Or buy all four in one bundle...Maid in LA Mysteries.

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Sweet Romances...I sold my first romantic comedy in 2000 to Harlequin Duets.  Three months later, Silhouette Romance called and bought the first of my Perry Square books.  I've been writing sweet romances ever since!



Christmas in Cupid Falls (Audio Book)

Everything But—where every Hungarian knows that words have power—Series:
1. Everything But a Groom (named one of Booklist's Top 10 Romances of '08)
2. Everything But a Bride
3. Everything But a Wedding
4. Everything But a Christmas Eve
5. Everything But a Mother
6. Everything But a Dog

WLVH Radio—where love is more than just a song—Series:
1. Pickup Lines
2. Lovehandles
3. Night Calls
4. Laugh Lines

Holly Jacobs' Award Winning American Dads Series
Perry Square Series:
Book #2. A Day Late and a Bride Short...out later this year 
Book #4. Be My Baby 
Book #6. Once Upon a Prince...out later this year
Book #8. Here With Me  

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Romantic Comedies...This is where I got my start in novels.  I sold my first rom/coms to Kensington's Precious Gems line, and then to Harlequin's Duets.  After both of those lines folded, I went on to sell to Harlequin Flipside and then Signature Select.

Bosom Buddies
Cinderella Wore Tennis Shoes
Ready, Willing and...Abel? & Raising Cain
Hung Up on You
Found and Lost
Confessions of a Party Crasher
The Hundred-Year Itch

Wedding Mishaps:
How to Catch a Groom
How to Hunt a Husband

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Finally, I got my start with short stories/novellas.  When I first whispered the words, 'I want to write,' I started with shorts.  I've been going back to them recently.  For me, they're simply fun to write.  I love taking just a quick snapshot of a couple's relationship.  

Dashing Through the Mall (novella, Deck the Halls)

WVLH Series and Everything But...series short stories:
1. Nothing But Love
2. Nothing But Heart
3. Nothing But Luck

Watch later this summer for a new short story series, starting with Labor Day!

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I hope this helps you find some new books.  It might look as if I've written all over the place, but really, I think all my stories from the lightest, frothy stories (a reviewer used that term once and I loved it) to my more serious tearjerkers all share a sense of heart and joy.  At least that's what I strive for.

Holly