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