Everything But a Dog

   I am so excited about my next Tuesday’s release, EVERYTHING BUTA DOG.  Now, you might think that’s not the most romancy title you’ve ever heard.  Well, maybe you’re right.  But it definitely fits the book.  You see, Nana Vancy from the other Everything But… books is matchmaking again.  This time she has a vet in her sites…and the vet’s match???  Well, I’m not telling, but let’s just say, on paper, they are not a couple who seem like they’ll fit.  But people are hard to peg…sometimes a list of attributes doesn’t say what’s most important about someone.  The heart is hard to quantify.

   Now, in order to help her matchmaking along, Nana Vancy starts a new charity.  Everything But a Dog.  (Hence the title!  LOL) The organization wants nothing more than to match rescue animals to their forever families.  What better way for a Hungarian, matchmaking grandmother to volunteer her time??

   The entire Everything But… series is comprised of light, humorous romances.  They’re not issue books.  But since Nana Vancy and the other characters in the book are so passionate about animal rescue, I thought I’d talk about some rescue organizations and some people with their own animal adoption success stories!  

 Let me start with my own story.  We had an Old English Mastiff (who by the way was the inspiration for a dog in Night Calls.  (When my editor read the book she only had one revision for me...de-slime it a bit.  So, if you ever read the book, my original version was very truthful when it came to the amount of slime the dog produced...the version will be de-slimed! LOL)

Anyway, Winston had passed away, leaving a huge hole in our family.  We decided to take a break from dogs for a while.  Then one day the kids asked to go just look at dogs at the shelter.

And just-a-trip meant coming home with Ethel Merman.  Ethel came with a few...uh, psychological problems.  She had severe separation anxiety.  Which is why we bought Ella Fitzgerald.  Ella is not the brightest dog in the world, but she is all heart!  

When I wrote Everything But a Dog, I based the two dogs in the book on Ethel and Ella.  I changed their names to Madame Curie and Clara Barton.  After all, Ethel and Ella didn't want to worry about the...wait for it...wait for it...Puparazi hounding them.  Feel free to groan.  My family does! 

When Montlake asked me what I envisioned for Everything But a Dog's cover, I sent them this picture.

I know, it's not my best picture.  My hair is doing its Medusa thing.  But there's truth in advertising.  This is me.  This is where I work, and normally the dogs are next to me or at my feet.  And truthfully, there's more often than not a cup of coffee at hand.  

I'm collecting interviews and stories (if you have a story about your own animal adoption you'd like to share, you can send it along to me...my contact info is up on my website) and I will be posting the interviews and stories for the next week or so.  I hope you check in daily.  

Like I said, Everything But a Dog is not an issue book, but I'm glad that this light romance can call attention to all the animals who are currently waiting for their forever homes!

Holly

Old Blog, New Beginning

I ran this blog for couple years, but then got busy and let is slide.  But this month, I'm reopening it.  I finally figured out how to make the comment section work again, and I think I'm ready to go.

So, why start up again?  This month, I have a new release, EVERYTHING BUT A DOG.  It's a romance, the last book in the Everything But...series, though it totally stands on its own.  It is definitely a romance...a sweet humorous one.  And one of the characters in it starts a foundation that matches rescue dogs to their forever homes.  I've been talking to friends who work with various programs.  And I've talked to readers and friends who've rescued pets.  Some of these stories are just too long for Facebook and Twitter, but they're stories so worth telling!  I've been working on them today...sometimes laughing and sometimes crying.

Being able to showcase these amazing people and the animals they've helped...well, it's a great way to reopen the blog.

I look forward to sharing their stories with you!

Holly

Testing again

Testing again.  I think I have this working again.  After more than three years, this blog will go live again at the end of the week. And it's going live in a very special way.

Holly

Fiddling

It's been four years since I've posted on this blog, but I've been fiddling with it and I think I have it working!  If you happen on it, it's not really live yet, but will be soon.

Holly

Re-releases

Montlake recently bought Avalon Books.  They'll be publishing my last Everything But... book, Everything But a Dog in December.  They will be also be reissuing the entire Avalon
Everything But... series as eBooks. I've listed them in reading order and noted the date that they'll be available as eBooks. So far, it will be just at Amazon, but the other bookstores are carrying the paperbacks!

Everything But a Groom, 11/20/12

Everything But a Bride, 9/4/12

Everything But a Wedding, 11/20/12

Everything But a Christmas Eve, 11/20/12

Everything But a Mother, 10/16/12

I still can't get this blog to let users comment...sigh. But I'm blogging here. Come over and visit and say hi! I miss you all!

Holly

Ella Fitzgerald...or why am I such a pushover?



So, here's how it went two years ago.

"Mom, can we get another dog?" (Our Old English Mastiff had passed away.)

"No. I don't want any more dogs."

"Mom, can we get another dog?"

"No."

"Mom, can we get another dog?"

"No."

"Mom, can we get another dog?"

"No."

"Mom, can we just go look?"

"Fine. But we're just looking."

That's how we got Ethel Merman Fuhrmann.

Now, two years later:

"Mom, Ethel's lonely. Can we get another dog?"
"No."
"Mom, look at the dog on the adopt-a-pet show on tv. Can we get it?"

"No."

"Look at the ads in the paper. Can we get another dog?"

"No."
"Maybe I'll just call and get some information."
"You can call, but we're not getting it."

"It's a labradoodle. Four months old. I got directions."

"That was a waste of time. We're not getting another dog."

And this is how we came to get Ella Fitzgerald Fuhrmann last night.

Sheesh.

I'm such a pushover.

Holly

2008 Travels

Last year I played hermit and didn't go to any conferences. And while it was wonderful, I found I missed seeing my friends and I missed getting a chance to meet and hang out with readers. So, this year, I'm back on the conference bandwagon.

March...I'll be in NYC for NINC's conference. This one doesn't have a booksigning, but hey, I'm seeing musicals and promise to give you all an update! Wicked (again!), Jersey Boys and Little Mermaid. I'm sure the fact I'm slipping something Disney into a work trip doesn't suprise anyone who knows me! I'll let you know how the shows are. Oh, I will be buying a new Wicked t-shirt. I bought the Defying Gravity one last time I was there. I love the song and the sentiment. Uh, the words Defying Gravity fall right over my ...well, hoo-haws. I've had four kids, there's no defying gravity left in the girls. It's sort of false advertising. LOL So I'm buying the straight up Wicked t-shirt. That pretty much says it all! LOL

April--RT Bookclub's annual conference in Pittsburgh. There's information at http://www.romantictimes.com/. If you're in the Pittsburgh area, I'd love to see you there!
Romantic Time's Convention's Giant Bookfair (more than 200 authors) Saturday 4-19-08 from 11-2 at the Hilton Hotel, 600 Commonwealth Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
I'm doing a Series Romance panel that Friday with writers Anna DeStefano and Amanda McIntyre, as well as Harlequin VP, Randall Toye.

May--Northeast Ohio's RWA Conference. http://www.neorwa.com/ I'll be doing a workshop there with Susan Gable that Friday night. I'm not sure what it's called yet, but whenever Susan and I get together good-times ensue.

July--I'm heading to San Francisco for RWA's National Conference. I'll be rooming with Nancy Warren. We both started writing for Harlequin about the same time, and we'll both be getting our 25 book pin from Harlequin because we've both written...well, 25 books!
BOOKSIGNING: Wednesday 7-30-08 at 5:30 at the San Francisco Marriott.
Nancy and I will be doing a workshop there called, Our Writing May Be Art...but our kids need braces. It's about balancing the art of writing with the business side of things.
And Tanya Michaels/Michna and I are doing a workshop called CONFESSIONS OF SERIES KILLERS: Weathering Line Closings and Other Career Changes. Not that we really kill anyone--it's series killing, not serial! LOL Between the two of us, a lot of lines we wrote for folded, and yet we're still writing. So, this one is about overcoming obstacles to writing.

That's where I'll be. Hope to see some of you at one place or another!

Holly

The good news about Everything But a Groom keeps rolling in. Today, I heard it won a Reviewers' Choice Award!!

Now, I know you're just itching to ask what I'm going to do to celebrate. Well, I'm going to bundle up in my work coat, go outside and...load the wood box. Yes, lifestyles of the rich and famous 'R me. LOL

Holly

Everything but a Groom in its 2nd printing!!!!

Well, for those of you who've emailed me to say you were having trouble buying EVERYTHING BUT A GROOM...it's because they sold out of the 1st printing and it's going into its second printing!! I'm so jazzed.

This was a December Avalon Books release. They're hardback books that are mainly marketed to libraries. So thanks to all the libraries who've already bought their copies, and thanks to the individual readers who bought a copy for those shelves!

Holly

My son is a huge comic fan...I thought he might be impressed my book, How to Catch a Groom, had been turned into a Manga. Alas, he was not. But serisously, I'm jazzed!

I guess it just means, Moms can't be cool, no matter what. SIGH. LOL!!

By the way...HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Holly

There was a nice article about me in the Erie Times News today. You can view it online at http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071230/NEWS02/712300417

I can't believe tomorrow's New Year's Eve...wishing you all the best new year yet!

Holly

www.HollyJacobs.com, RT Bookclub Award Nominee for The House on Briar Hill Road
EVERYTHING BUT A GROOM, Avalon Books, 12/07
EVERYTHING BUT A BRIDE, Avalon Books, 8/08
SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER, Harlequin Superromance, 8/08
THE PTA MOM trilogy, Harlequin American Romance, starting 10/08

Today just gets better and better....

Lesa Holstine wrote a review of Everything But a Groom that's been picked up by USAToday.com!!
http://tinyurl.com/29zux2

My thanks so Lesa, and thanks all of you for the congrats about The House on Briar Hill Road being up for an RT Bookclub Award!!

Hall

http://www.hollyjacobs.com/, RT Bookclub Award Nominee for The House on Briar Hill RoadEVERYTHING BUT A GROOM, Avalon Books, 12/07EVERYTHING BUT A BRIDE, Avalon Books, 8/08SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER, Harlequin Superromance, 8/08THE PTA MOM trilogy, Harlequin American Romance, starting 10/08

Romantic Times Bookclub just announced their annual award nominations, and October's THE HOUSE ON BRIAR HILL ROAD, was up for Best Everlasting Love of 2007! It's great news to end the year on.

Speaking of ending the year...just wanted to wish all of you a Happy New Year!!

Holly

Well, I got an early Christmas present today...
titles for my PTA Mom trilogy that starts next October for Harlequin American Romance.

(I just did a nice little drum roll on my desk for you... LOL)

Once Upon a Thanksgiving
Once Upon a Christmas
Once Upon a Valentine's Day

My regular readers will remember my other Once Upon trilogy...Once Upon a Princess, Once Upon a Prince, and Once Upon a King. They were set here in Erie, and this new series is as well. This time, there's no royalty in sight...just three very overworked, PTA volunteering single moms! Of course, I need to finish writing them if they're to hit the shelves next year for their holidays! So, I'm back to work. But before I go, let me wish you all a marvelous holiday!! Thanks for your friendship and support!

Holly

Holly's December Newsletter

What Happens when a Hungarian grandma curses her own family to wedding disasters? She spends an entire trilogy trying to undo her curse. Check out the first book of a new trilogy, Everything But a Groom, the first book in my Everything But...series.

What are people saying?

"Charming..." Publisher Weekly

"Holly Jacobs has done it again! Everything but a Groom is a heart-warming and uproariously funny story." ~Kelley A. Hartsell, June 2007. All rights reserved.

"...it seems too good to be true, and too good to pass up Jacobs' very sweet tale of love." ~Marie Hatton, Booklist (starred review)

"...a sweet and charming love story awash with fun and humor." RT BookReviews 4 Stars

"Brilliantly funny Holly Jacobs hooks us with another best seller waiting to happen; EVERYTHING BUT A GROOM." ~CataRomance

"This lighthearted story is the perfect quick read that will warm the coldest winter night. EVERYTHING BUT A GROOM is a guaranteed keeper." ~ Diana Risso, RRT

Watch for Everything But a Bride, 8/08 and Everything But a Wedding, 12/08.

By now, my regular readers know the drill. Avalon Books are hardback and library bound, which means they're expensive. If you want to order them (and I know so many of you do...thanks for that) they're available online at Barnes and Noble and at Amazon. But you can save money and help build my library contacts if you ask your local library to order a copy!

_________________________________
OCTOBER RELEASES:

THE HOUSE ON BRIAR HILL ROAD, is still available at eHarlequin.com.as well as other online bookstores. And if you're someone who invested in Amazon's new Kindle eReader, it's available in that format. As well in most other eBook formats.

My free online short story, The Moments, is still running at eHarlequin.com. Make sure you check it out. It's tied to the book, though I've been assured you can read the book first then the story, or vice versa, without ruining the other for yourself.

*********Cindy Carlson read The House on Briar Hill Road and wrote a lovely song, On Briar Hill, in its honor. She's graciously allowed me to post it here.On Briar Hill, copyright Cindy Carlson.
*********

Once Upon a Prince, En Busca De Su Princesa: (Looking For His Princess) will also be released in October as a US Spanish reprint. And last holiday season's DASHING THROUGH THE MALL, is available in a hardback, large print reprint (library bound) either at your local bookstore, or online at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

CONTEST:

There's a new contest on my website...check it out and enter!

I'm so looking forward to the holiday season. My son arrived home from college and we'll have him here for a month, and my eldest is coming home for a week at Christmas. We'll have a houseful, but I'm so looking forward to it! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season, and that the new year is filled with joy!

~Holly

http://www.hollyjacobs.com/

EVERYTHING BUT A GROOM, Avalon Books, 12/07

EVERYTHING BUT A BRIDE, Avalon Books, 8/08

SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER, Harlequin Superromance, 8/08

THE PTA MOM trilogy, Harlequin American Romance, starting 10/08

I make a practice of "pimping" for friends. I love talking about their books, and giving shouts out for their accomplishments. Today's pimp is for a good friend, and fellow writer, Susan Gable. She and her husband, who's had more than ten years working as the head IT guy for a local Erie coporation that runs a local Erie tv station, as well as other stations throughout the country, have started a new business, www.PCWebDoc.com.

The cool thing about their computer business is they can fix your computer...even if you don't live in Erie. They can connect with your computer over the internet, and fix it while you watch. Wow, I love technology!

Since it snowed about a foot of snow here yesterday (and I spent more than three hours snowblowing and shoveling), the whole they-do-it-online-so-you-don't-have-to-drive-your-PC-anywhere, is a huge plus!!

If you live in Erie, you've seen their ads running on tv. Let me just give another friend-brag and say my buddy, Susan wrote them. Yes, she's a romance writer by day, and a script writer by night! Everytime I see one on, I smile!

Anyway, this was my friend pimp of the day. LOL

Hope wherever you live, you're warm! Me, I'm staying next to the fireplace today!

Holly

Gearing up...

Wow, it's almost the end of November. They year's really flown by. I'm starting to gear up for Christmas...all the kids will be home, and that's a huge treat! I'm also gearing up for the release of the first book in a new Avalon series, Everything But a Groom. I've got to confess, I adore the cover!

Avalon Books' primary markets are libraries. The book's not out until the end of December, but you can request that your local library order it now. And I know a number of you order your own copies. They'll be available online at Amazon and B&N on December 24. But in the meantime, I updated my My SPACE page. I hope you'll check it out. And if you're on MY SPACE, I'd love to be your friend!

I've also started a new holiday contest. Information about entering is on my homepage.

The reviews for Everything But a Groom have been great so far:

"Charming..." Publisher Weekly

"Holly Jacobs has done it again! Everything but a Groom is a heart-warming and uproariously funny story." ~Kelley A. Hartsell, June 2007. All rights reserved.

"...it seems too good to be true, and too good to pass up Jacobs' very sweet tale of love." ~Marie Hatton, Booklist (starred review)

"...a sweet and charming love story awash with fun and humor." RT BookReviews 4 Stars

"Brilliantly funny Holly Jacobs hooks us with another best seller waiting to happen; EVERYTHING BUT A GROOM." ~CataRomance

"This lighthearted story is the perfect quick read that will warm the coldest winter night. EVERYTHING BUT A GROOM is a guaranteed keeper." ~ Diana Risso, RRT

As always, thanks for sticking with me! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season...whatever holiday you celebrate!

Holly

And the Winner Is......

Yes, this is late. I've been trying to finish a book. But finally, I drew the winning name for my October Contest (the pink beaded, cancer awareness bracelet) and Gina's the winner!! Congratulations, Gina. I'll be contacting you privately.

Thank you to everyone who entered!

I'll be signing copies of The House on Briar Hill Road in Erie, PA at the Barnes and Noble on Peach Street from 2-4, next Saturday, the 17th! Hope to see some of you there!

I've got updates for my website (including adding Gina as the October winner), but I'm having some technical difficulty, so keep an eye out...they're coming!

I'm just finishing up the first book in next year's PTA Mom trilogy for Harlequin American. I'm so enjoying the characters...I hope you all will as well! Writing about PTA moms isn't a huge stretch for me. As some (most?) of you know, I have four kids. I've done my stints volunteering at the kids' schools. It's fun just writing about it about Samantha, Michelle and Carly's committee, rather than having to volunteer for it myself!

Last year's anthology DASHING THROUGH THE MALL is out this month as a hardback, large print edition here in the US this month, and it's also out in Poland!

And for my friends in Australia, HERE WITH ME is out in a Christmas Gift anthology there!

Hope you all are having a great fall! Erie has already had it's first snow...and I'm sure it won't be its last!

Holly

Holly

I'm guestblogging today at The Pink Heart Society! Come on over and say hi!

And I've been decorating for fall. A good friend (and fantastic author) Cheryl St. John blogged about her pumpkin planting, and I gave it a shot. The first picture is my mum filled pumpkin, and the other is a shot of the house. It's hard to make out the decorations, but my mum filled pumpkin is on the right. And see those corn stalks? They're from our garden! (The corn was great, and the stalks look nice in the front.) Anyway, thanks Cheryl!

Holly

Today, I'm guestblogging...stop in and say hi!! http://authorsoundrelations.blogspot.com/

Holly

Erie, PA Signing


Hey, all! I will be signing copies of The House on Briar Hill Road on Saturday, October 20, from 2-4 pm at Borders Express (inside the Millcreek Mall, Erie PA). Hope I see some of you there!!

Holly

I got the most lovely gift this weekend. A reader who'd read The House on Briar Hill Road wrote a song based on the book. I've never loaded a song to my website before, but it seems to be working. You can find it at http://www.hollyjacobs.com/THOBHR.html. The link's about halfway down the page, right over the eHarlequin banner. I've gotten some cool gifts in the past, but this is one of the coolest!

Holly

I'm a guest today on the Romance Bandits Blog. Stop in and visit...they're a lot of fun. And there's a prize up for grabs.

Uh, I'm not sure why you all can't post right now. I must have done something, but I don't know what. I'll try and fix it next week, but in the meantime, feel free to keep emailing me at Holly (at) HollysBooks.com.

Holly

Erie, PA

So many of my books have been set in Erie. Ellen Degeneris (I love her show!) is currently taking submissions from cities who would like her to visit. Come visit Erie for yourself at her site! Want to find out more? Visit me at Perry Square.

Hey, it's getting eErie at Ellen's. That's sort of appropriate, since it's Halloween's month!

Holly

New chapter, new game

My fourth chapter of The Moments is available this week at: The Moments.

And the ladies at eHarlequin.com have started a brand new game. Can you guess who their mystery author is?? (It's not me...I'm playing, too!)

Holly

October Newsletter

I know it's not quite October, but this Saturday, September 29, Erie Author, Susan Gable, and I will be doing a workshop at the Erie Bookstore from 2-4, "Where Reality and Fiction Collide." This is an apt workshop for me, since my October release, THE HOUSE ON BRIAR HILL ROAD, deals with breast cancer, a disease that took my mother-in-law from us in 2004. If you're in Erie, I hope you'll join Susan and I at the Erie Bookstore!

OCTOBER RELEASES:

My first Harlequin Everlasting Love release, THE HOUSE ON BRIAR HILL ROAD, came out a week early...it's on the shelves now. You can find it at your local bookstore, or at your favorite online bookstore.

REVIEWS:

"Holly Jacobs is known for her heart warming, light and breezy, stories with a shot of humor added in. With The House on Briar Hill Road, she has proven that she also can write serious, tug-at-your-heart and make-you-cry stories. ...The House on Briar Hill Road is a must-read for everyone." © Kelley A. Hartsell, July 2007. All rights reserved. Kwips and Kritiques

"THE HOUSE ON BRIAR HILL ROAD is a fascinating relationship drama that is a serious take on When Harry Met Sally even though they met much younger as preadolescents enjoying Halloween. ...what makes Holly Jacobs' contemporary a delightful read is the author avoids turning the story line into a melodramatic soap opera... This is a strong character driven drama in which the romance enhances the relationships." ~Harriet Klausner

"Holly Jacobs' The House on Briar Hill Road (4) is extremely affecting and honest, and Brian and Hayden's complicated relationship is handled very well." —Catherine Witmer. Romantic Times

"With her first foray from the lighter romantic comedy for which she's well known into the deeper waters of a highly emotional, family drama, love-of-a-lifetime romance, Holly Jacobs proves she's got the chops to do more than make you laugh – she'll tug at your heartstrings, give you a lump in your throat, and bring a tear to your eye. She'll prove that happily-ever-afters require work, that family is more a matter of heart than DNA, and that love can last a lifetime.The House on Briar Hill Road is Jacob's finest work. Don't miss it!" ~Award Winning Author, Susan Gable

MORE OCTOBER RELEASES:

My free online short story, The Moments, is still running at eHarlequin.com. Make sure you check it out. It's tied to the book, though I've been assured you can read the book first then the story, or vice versa, without ruining the other for yourself.

Once Upon a Prince, En Busca De Su Princesa: (Looking For His Princess) will also be released in October as a US Spanish reprint. And last holiday season's DASHING THROUGH THE MALL, is available in a hardback, large print reprint either at your local bookstore, or online at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

CONTEST:

There's a new contest on my website...check it out and enter!

As always, thanks everyone for all the support. It's been a crazy fall here. My son started college, so we're adjusting to a different dynamic in the house. And we just got back from Disney World. Now, truly, I love the place (almost) as much as the rest of the family, but seriously, it's not a restful vacation! I'm still trying to recoup from it! Hope your fall is going well!

~Holly

Some weeks I love Mondays...this is one of them!

Today I have a free online short story, The Moments, starting at eHarlequin.com. It's tied to my first Everlasting Love release, THE HOUSE ON BRIAR HILL ROAD, on October 1st, which is a book about the Conway family. About their ups and downs...about their pulling together and sadly, about them falling apart.

I was thrilled when I was afforded a chance to do the The Moments. It features the main characters' of the book daughter, Livie. At the end of THOBHR, Livie said, "My mother always said life was made up of the small moments and it was punctuated by the big ones." I knew that sentence had to be the theme of her story. But how to present a broad scope to her romance in a short story? It was a challenge, and really pushed me as a writer. But I think the story shows those moments. You can find it at https://www.eharlequin.com/article.html?articleId=1299

I hope you'll check it out!

Holly

August Contest Winners

Hope you all are having a great Labor Day! We had a huge picnic out at our camp yesterday. But before anyone arrived, my husband and I had to cut down the tree that had fallen on the cottage. Yes, excitement is my middle name!! LOL

Speaking of exciting...my short story on eHarlequin starts next Monday! I'll give you all a shout with the link when it's out. But in the meantime, here are the winners of my August contest...Jodi and Carol both won copies of one of my backlist books, and Sharon, won an advance copy of The House on Briar Hill Road! Ladies, I've send you all a private email. And to everyone who didn't win...watch for a very special contest starting soon!

Holly

Romantic Times ad November '07

Many of my books have gone overseas, which means I have a number of copies of my books in foreign languages. If your library would like some, send me an email and let me know which languages you're looking for...if I've got them, I'll send them!

Sorry, this offer is for libraries only. But if you're a reader who'd like to read my books in a particular language, please have your local library contact me for you!

Holly

CONTEST...CONTEST...WIN FREE BOOKS!

Send me an email at Holly (at) HollysBooks.com and ask to be added to my newsletter list between now and the end of August and be entered in a drawing for free books from my backlist. Two winners. And one lucky reader will received an advance copy of my October '07 release, THE HOUSE ON BRIAR HILL ROAD!

Holly

Here With Me wins fourth award!!

Okay, by now you've discovered I love seeing my books recognized, but this is beyond exciting! Here With Me one a National Readers' Choice Award! The award ceremony was at RWA's conference in Dallas. I wasn't there, but Susan Gable, another Erie author, was and she's got it in her suitcase for me. So color me happy this Sunday!

Holly

Watching Movies With Your Eyes Closed

Here's the thing...I write books that have happily-ever-after. I want to know that the characters I created–characters I've spent months with and are so very real to me–get that happy ending. I like that in the books I read as well, and I like that in movies. I want movies that give me a happily-ever-after (HEA). But I live with family members who enjoy other movies. For instance, my son loved Kill Bill. I watched Quentin Tarantino interviews with him in preparation. He's such an interesting man and a gifted storyteller. (I talk with my hands, so does he. I figure, if we ever met and had a conversation, it would be a boxing match! LOL) Of course, all the blood-and-guts had me squinting my eyes. But his storytelling...it was flawless. I love his out-of-sequence way of presenting the story. But watching movies with your eyes closed is tough. Partway through the second movie, I leaned over and whispered, "I don't want her to kill Bill. I want them to live happily-ever-after with him and raise their daughter." He looked at me with teenaged disgust and said, "Did you see the movie's title?" SIGH.

Last night, I watch Pan's Labyrinth. It was a great movie. I hardly even noticed the subtitles, because I was so caught up in the storytelling. But here's the thing...there were blood-and-gut moments, and I discovered that while watching movies with your eyes closed is tough...watching movies that are subtitled with your eyes closed is tougher!!

Yes, I do branch out from my HEA's in both my reading and movies. But I always come home to a place where crap does happen, but I know, when I close the book, I'll leave the characters in a good place.

How about you?? What are you reading and watching this summer?

Holly

Last year's HERE WITH ME won the Golden Quill Award for best Traditional Romance!

There's a certain symmetry to the win. You see, my first Silhouette Romance ever, Do You Hear What I Hear, won the Golden Quill in 2002. It was the first award I ever won. Here With Me, was my last Silhouette Romance, now has one as well. Yes, there's a certain sweet symmetry in that.

Holly

Moving South

I’ve had four lovely children, and with each one I’ve noticed the urge to move south only increases. Not in an actual, let’s-move-to-Orlando sort of way. We’re a few more years away from retirement, after all. No, I’m not thinking about relocating my household there, but it seems as if certain body parts are quite willing to begin the trip south without me, and the thought it terrifying.

You see, I loved my grandma. She was a woman who began doing a "man’s" job during WWII, and worked at the factory until she retired. My grandfather divorced her when he returned from the war, leaving her to singlehandedly raise my mother. Oh, my grandmother was an occasionally gruff to the point of rude woman, but she was an amazingly strong one. There are many of her qualities I hope to attain as I grow older, but that southernly migration isn’t one of them. You see, my grandmother was also endowed with...well, endowed. As her endowments began to move south, she just hoisted them up with additional support. But as she got older, she found those girders and trusses to be cumbersome, and eventually stopped. But this left her with a huge southernly endowment and no way to contain it. So being an enterprising sort of woman, used to solving problems on her own, she...well, she began tucking ‘them’ into her pant’s waistband. She also began tucking tissues in her waistband, which is how I discovered her new, well, to put it in Star Trek terms, containment field. She had a cold, went for a tissue, and...well, there they were in all their tucked in glory.

And now, as I’m getting older and things are beginning their southernly migration, I’m left in fear of the day they reach their final destination. You see, I’m not endowed with those particular qualities of my grandmother. No matter how southernly mine move, I’ll never be able to harness things in a waistband. I think I’m probably going to have to stick to conventional containment fields. My kids are relieved! LOL

Whenever I hear about older people moving south, I think of my grandmother! So, what sort of aging issues do you worry about??

Holly

Last year's, HERE WITH ME, won a Write Touch Readers' Choice Award!

Holly

My lovely friend, Kate Walker, is celebrating the release of her fiftieth book! Join the party at http://kate-walker.blogspot.com/! ~Holly

I'll confess, Conan O'Brien is on my Top Friends list on My Space, even though...well, I don't really know him. And though it's rare that I make it through an entire episode of his show, I do enjoy it. And when I tell you I don't stay awake through his whole show, I'm not saying that he puts me to sleep. Actually, the truth is, I frequently TRY and stay awake to see it all the way through. But I don't think it comes as a shock to anyone that Conan's on a bit late at night, so I'm pretty sure that no one's shocked that people do occasionally fall asleep watching him. I'm betting I'm not the only one. But, I guess if I were him, I wouldn't want people admitting they fell asleep watching my show. So, let's forget I mentioned it!!?? But, hey, if you're sleeping, but you've got a particular show on during the ratings sweeps, does it count? Yes, it's an if-a-tree-falls-in-the-woods sort of question.

Okay, maybe it's a good thing that Conan and I aren't great friends, even though he's on my top friends section, because after confessing he puts me to sleep, we probably wouldn't be friends any longer! And that would be a shame! LOL

If you're on My Space, come visit me at http://www.myspace.com/authorhollyjacobs. You're welcome to be my friend, even if we've never met. And while you're there, say Hi to Conan as well! LOL

Is there anyone famous on your friend's list?

Holly

Hola! Me alegro que el primer libro en mi triología real, El Juego De La Princesa, (The Princesa Game) Harlequin Jazmin, está siendo traducido a Español aquí en Los Estados Unidos. Estará disponible en las librerías en junio, pero puedes conseguirlo en mayo a eHarlequin.com. Espero que le gustes la historia de Parker y Jace!

Parker Dillon, también conocido como La Princesa Marie Anna Parker Mickovich Dillonetti of Eliason, vino a Erie, PA para ir a la universidad en el anonimato. Encuentra que le gusta ser solamente Parker Dillon, así que al Terminal al carrera, no vuelve a casa. En lugar de volver a casa, abre un cafetería junto sus dos amigos, Shey Carlson y Cara Phillips. El reinado de su familia todo marcha bien y Parker es feliz con la vida que lleva hasta que su padre le cancela su cuenta corriente. Ahora trabaja en Monarch’s para ganarse la vida. Las cosas empeoran todavía más cuando su padre le envía un no muy querido prometido para llevarla a casa. No quiere nada del príncipe. Lo que realmente le ha llamado la atención es el investigador privado que ha contratado su padre para vigilarla.

La vida de Jace O’Donnell es un verdadero caos. Su hermana se está divorciando y se ha trasladado con sus hijos gemelos de 13 años, Bobby y Amanda. Se supone que Jace está siguiendo a una princesa “fugitiva” mientras sus sobrinos, quienes han decidido pasar las vacaciones de verano aprendiendo a ser detectivos, le persiguen. Y por si esto fuera poco, la princesa es la mujer más bella que jamás ha conocido. Si no fuera de la familia real, el la conquistaría. Pero su experiencia familiar le ha enseñado que las relaciones con distintas clases sociales nunca funcionan y por ello intenta mantener las distancias aunque es un trabajo muy duro ya que todo lo que él quiere es envolver esta desobediente princesa con sus brazos.

Dos personas con un pasado diferente descubren que lo único importante que los une…es que se aman!

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And for those who don't read Spanish and are interested, the note says:

Dear Reader,

Hello! I'm excited that my the first book in my royalty trilogy, El Juego De La Princesa, (The Princess Game) Harlequin Jazmin, is being translated into Spanish here in the US. It's available on the shelves in June, but you can get it in May at eHarlequin.com. I hope you enjoy Parker and Jace's story!

Holly

El Juego De La Princesa, (The Princess Game) Harlequin Jazmin

Parker Dillon, aka Princess Marie Anna Parker Mickovich Dillonetti of Eliason, came to Erie, PA to go to college in blessed anonymity. She finds she likes being just plain old Parker Dillon, so even after college ends she doesn’t return home. She opens a coffeehouse and with her two college friends, Shey Carlson and Cara Phillips instead. Monarch’s and Titles are doing well and Parker is happy with her life, until her father cuts off her access to her trust. Now she’s working at Monarch’s to earn a living. Things get even worse when her father sends her unwanted royal fiancé to bring her home. She wants nothing to do with the prince, but she does like the looks of the private investigator her father's hired to watch her.

Jace O’Donnell’s life is chaos. His sister is getting a divorce and has moved in with her 13 year old twins, Bobby and Amanda. He’s supposed to be trailing a runaway princess, and while he’s at it, he’s being trailed by his niece and nephew who have decided to spend their summer vacation learning to be detectives. To make matters worse, the princess is the most gorgeous woman he’s ever met. If she wasn’t royal he’d make a play for her. But Jace has learned from family experience that crossing the class-line never works, so he tries to keep his distance. But keeping his distance proves hard, since all he really wants to do is wrap this wayward princess in his arms.

Two people from different backgrounds find they have all that matters in common...they have love!

I feel as if I lost a pair of good friends. The Gilmore Girls had their last episode last night, and now they're gone.

The show had a rough time after its brilliant creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino left, but she'd done such a great job creating such believable characters, I hung on until this last episode. I'm going to miss my weekly visits to Stars Hollow. I'm going to miss Kirk and the quirky townsfolk. Miss Patty, Sookie, Taylor. I'm going to miss the repressed, but deep-down loving Emily and Richard. I'll miss uptight Paris and drummer mom, Lane.

I'm going to miss visiting Luke's diner. Sometimes I swear I could smell the coffee. And I'm betting I'm not the only viewer who sometimes wished I could try the pancakes.

But mainly, I'm going to miss Lorelai and Rory. I have three daughters, and I'd like to think we have their kind of relationship. That mother-daughter bond that weathers the good times and bad. I think it's what all moms hope for...that our daughters will grow up and become our best friends.

Thankfully, I still have the DVDs. I can revisit Stars Hollow any time I like. But it won't be quite the same watching reruns. Still, I'm sure I'll check in from time to time, just for a taste of home. To listen to the rapid-fire dialogue that makes me smile. To smell the coffee at Luke's.

Goodbye, Gilmore Girls.

Holly

HERE WITH ME (my last Silhouette Romance ever...sigh) won the Colorado Award of Excellence! Just got the call and I'm still Snoopy Dancing.

Here's the thing, writing is very solitary. Sometimes you hear from readers, which is always lovely, but most days, you hang out by yourself, with just those characters in your head for company (well, and Ethel Merman! LOL). It's nice to get some positive feedback.

Maybe I'll celebrate today. It's beautiful here in PA. Must be near eighty, but it's windy enough not to be too hot. Still, it's perfect ice cream weather! That's the perfect celebration. Have I mentioned Blue Moon ice cream here? There's this little ice cream store on Parade Street here in Erie. It makes this neon blue ice cream. I've never totally identified the flavor. Think fruity mixed with sweet tarts! If you're ever in town, do head down Parade Street and try a cone. We like to take ours a few more blocks to the dock. There's something so nice about walking along the bayfront, watching the boats, and the sun sink behind the peninsula on the other side of the bay!

Wishing you all your own Snoopy Dances, and some ice cream!

Holly

El juego de la princesa is the bestselling Spanish language book on eHarlequin today!

Holly

Having a Son

I was the mother of two daughters when I gave birth to my son, but I'd grown up with brothers, so I thought I was prepared.

I was wrong.

I should have had a clue that he was going to be a tad bit more difficult when I recalled my brothers' youths...but I remembered my brothers from a sister's perspective, and just remembered they were pains and not much else.

But even without that, I should have guessed he was going to be difficult when two years went by without him sleeping even one time through the night. Not once. Still, I blithely assumed once he slept through the night, I had it made.

Now he's a teen and I realize I was wrong. I haven't seen his bedroom floor in months. I can't remember what color the carpet is. I walk by his bedroom and can't resist sneaking a peak, hoping the floor has miraculously reappeared, but no. I found the shirt I remember him wearing on Christmas, two months of clothes from the pizza shop he works at, shoes, ski equipment, and last summer's golf equipment. But no carpet. Oh, and there's wrappers from the Easter candy his aunt sent over...or maybe they're wrappers from Halloween. Who knows.

Gently, I close the door and wonder what color the carpet is. He's going away to college in a few short months, and I know I'll find the carpet then. His younger sister is jonesing over the room and can't wait until he moves out so she can move in. She'll find the carpet and tell me what color it is. And she'll feel the walls need painted to coordinate, and she'll probably need new bedding and accessories.

Boys are different than girls. They don't care about what color the carpet is, or the walls for that matter. My son might drive me crazy...but I'm going to miss him like crazy when he goes. No one to watch geeky shows with, no one who'll eat whatever I cook and think it's good. He's grown. My job is done. Now when he doesn't sleep a night through, it's by choice, because he is a night owl, and he no longer needs me to stay up with him. He graduates at the end of this month, then leaves for Europe with his oldest sister. A few months later, he leaves for college.

Yes, boys are different than girls. And as much as I long to know what color that bedroom carpet is, I know I'm going to miss mine like crazy.

Holly

Doing a Snoopy Dance!

And since I have no dancing abilities, it's a scary sight to behold. But anyway, I'm dancing because I just heard last year's Here With Me, the last book in my Perry Square series, is a National Readers' Choice Award Finalist!

Now, before you think the news has given me a swollen head, know that I spent yesterday stripping seventeen year old (I know the date because it was penciled in under the paper) wallpaper from the bathroom walls. Painting tomorrow. Plus I've just finished washing all the windows, putting in the screens, and doing dishes. Yep, no swollen head, just a bad Snoopy Dance! LOL

Holly

Stars

Tomorrow night I'm going to see Man of La Mancha. I'll confess, I'm excited. Okay, so the musical is a bit more operatic than I normally prefer, but I love the underlying messages. Reach for the stars. See the world as beautiful and it will become more beautiful. And I guess, they're philosophies I've always tried to live by.

Writing, for instance. When I decided to try to write a book, that was truly reaching for the stars. I'd always been a big reader, but writing a book is a whole other ball of wax. And I had more than one fall on my journey...I imagine there are more falls in store for me. But I pick myself up and try again. That's all we can do. The only other option is not to try... Not much of an option.

And seeing the world as a beautiful place... if we could all embrace that point of view, think how much nicer the world would be. A smile here, a kind word there. One of my favorite things is writing nice notes. When someone does something exceptional, I don't just thank them in person, I put it in writing.

One of my favorite nice not stories is about a security check point at the St. Louis airport. I have a metal plate in my leg, and make airport buzzers go off. So I begin and end most trips with being frisked by the security staff. Most checkpoints are okay, the people are professional and to the point. But the checkpoint in St. Louis had some of the nicest people. They went out of their way to make the experience painless for me. And as the lady was frisking me, I watched the guys are the x-ray machine. A little old man was a couple people back in their line, and to be honest, his carry-on bag weighed as much as he did. So, one of the security guys came out, helped the two ladies in front of the old man put their bags on the belt, then helped the old man. It was a nice way to help the gentleman without calling attention to him. I was so impressed by this group's genuine kindness that I wrote a note to the airport. And I got the nicest note back from their department head. Uh, I don't think security gets a lot of nice notes. LOL Maybe, the next time someone is nice to you, send a note. It might brighten their day.

Wow, all that from Man of La Mancha! LOL Think of me tomorrow night a very happy Broadway junkie!

Holly

The WRONG Holly Jacobs

Rumor has it that a certain professor feels I'm the wrong Holly Jacobs.

Okay, you're scratching your head. Let me back up. For a classroom assignment, a professor told his class to write an obituary, then assigned them a person to write it about and assured them that they could find enough info on Google to do write their obit. A girl named Kristi was assigned...Holly Jacobs. She googled the name and...there I was. 96 out of the first 100 entries were about me. And Kristi wrote my obit. I died on Lake Erie in March. Now, she didn't mention how I died on the lake, but I'm sure I was doing something exciting. March...on the lake. Hmm. I was probably ice fishing and caught a whale of a fish. Now, you probably think I'm going to say the fish pulled me in, but no. I was so excited about that fish that I did one of my goofy, Snoopy dances of joy...on ice. I slipped, hit my head and died. Sad, isn't it? I digress.

Anyway, Kristi wrote a lovely obit. Talked about my tragic death, the family I left behind (and would someone please tell my son, I forgive him for leaving so many clothes on the floor that I haven't seen his carpet in months), and the books I've written, and was about to write. It was nice to see my life summed up by someone else. She turned it in to the professor, and he gave it back without a grade. When Kristi asked about it, he told her, "You've got the wrong Holly Jacobs."

Now, I'll confess, I've always felt like the right Holly Jacobs. But maybe I was wrong. So I called someone who should know... my mom. She assured me that after being in labor for thirty-eight hours with me, she was positive I was the right Holly Jacobs. I asked my husband, he asked if I wasn't the right Holly, did he have to pay alimony? Then he asked, what's the other Holly look like? Oh, yeah, I married a funny man. Friends and children assured me of my rightness. And of course, my dog, Ethel Merman, thinks I'm the right one. But I wasn't right enough for Kristi's professor.

I feel guilty. As if the ten years of my writing life haven't been quite enough to make me the right Holly Jacobs. That maybe I should have worked harder, written more, done something else in order to be the right Holly Jacobs. But alas, I didn't, and poor Kristi has to pay the price for my slacking with a gradeless obituary. SIGH.

Poor Kristi, I was the wrong Holly Jacobs.

My poor mom, who was in labor for an absurd amount of time in order to bring...the wrong Holly into the world.

My poor husband...okay, so he's not going to be poor if he can get away without paying alimony and the other Holly's better looking.

My poor kids, maybe that other Holly would have been a better mother? Maybe she wouldn't have nagged my son about those dirty clothes on the floor?

Poor Ethel Merman, she still thinks I'm the right Holly, but she's a dog, and not overly bright, so what does she know?

And that poor professor, who, if he met me might find he liked me and even if I wasn't the right Holly Jacobs, I was certainly worth of an obituary.

Geesh. Talk about questioning your existence.

Holly
The wrong Holly Jacobs.