Sunday, May 26, 2013

Golden...The Song Tells the Story

I've always marveled at how songs can tell an entire story in just two or three minutes.  And sometimes, as I'm writing, I find a perfect song for that book...something that captures the feelings, or the settings or simply the heart of what I'm trying to say.  A song that tells the story.

Same Time Next Summer
While I was writing Same Time Next Summer I found that perfect song, Keri Noble's Piece of My Heart.  It captured that summertime feeling...the comings and goings.  That book became my first SuperRomance, and every time it shuffles onto my iPod, I'm immediately back there near Port Clinton, Ohio walking down the rocky shore.

I just bought the new Lady Antebellum album, Golden, and was listening to the title track as I drove across town.  I was captivated and I realized that their song WAS the story of A Walk Down the Aisle. If you take out the word "Witchita" and replace it with "Valley Ridge," it would be exact.

This was a bit backwards for me.  When I wrote Same Time Next Summer I listened to Piece of My Heart repeatedly.  A Walk Down the Aisle is going to be released in a week (June 1st!!!).  It's done. And yet, here it is in song form.  It's as if Lady A. read the book and put it into song form.

Colton's a farmer, a simple man he claims.  He's a man of few words.  He met Sophie and fell immediately.  He fell hard.

A Walk Down the Aisle
Sophie has a painful past.  She think she's put it behind her and that she's finally found someone who will never let her down.  Someone she can trust.  Someone who loves her unconditionally.  She lets her guard down and loves him whole heartedly in return.

Then her past returns...on her wedding day.

Colton feels betrayed that she had kept secrets from him.  Big secrets.

She feels betrayed that the one person she thought would always stand by her walked away.  And even when he walks back, she has a hard time believing that he won't leave again if she does something wrong or makes a mistake.  She'd opened herself up to him once, but she's afraid to try again.

I so loved writing this story.  In the first two books in the series (You Are Invited..., April Showers) we met Sophie and Colton and hopefully started to believe, just as the entire community of Valley Ridge does, that they're the perfect couple.  Their love is palpable.  Mattie and Finn, and Lily and Sebastian had to work so hard to get to the place Sophie and Colton fell into naturally.  When things fall apart, Valley Ridge is cheering them on as they try to get beyond their mistakes and their pasts in order to rediscover what everyone always knew about them...that they're perfect together.

So, when you've read the story, turn on Lady A's Golden and let me know what you think.

Speaking of reading, let me thank you all for picking up the first two books in the trilogy.  I've loved hearing from you all and hope you feel that this third book is the proper ending for the trilogy.  But it's not the end of Valley Ridge.  Maeve's story will be out in December in A Valley Ridge Christmas!

Holly


Monday, May 20, 2013

Erie's Tourism Bureau's Secret Weapon...Holly Jacobs

I don't think I'm being too full of myself when I say I'm Erie's Tourism Bureau's secret weapon.  In fact, I'm so secret, even though I don't think they know about me at all. LOL
Lake Erie at Sunset

In the last few weeks, since my new trilogy started, I've heard from readers.  Readers who once lived in the region and are thrilled to be able to visit through the stories.  Readers who didn't know that Lake Erie has a wine region (it does! More on that in a minute).  And readers with questions about how much of my setting is real and how much is fictional.

I'll confess, I love having a chance to introduce readers to the southern shores of Lake Erie. And I get such glee knowing that it's not only readers throughout the US, but all over the world. Right now, for instance, I have a book out in Australia and one coming out in the UK this June.  That means readers in both countries will not only get a romance I hope they love, but they'll learn a bit about the Lake Erie Region.

Lake Erie Winery, Penn Shore
So, to set the record straight, Erie and North East, Pennsylvania are real.  Ripley and Buffalo , New York are real.  Valley Ridge, NY only exists in my mind.  Well, according to Robert Heinlein (Number of the Beast) that means it could be real somewhere, but for now, let's go on the premise that's it's fictional.

I know a few people who've stopped in Erie because of my books.  I'd love to see more of you visit.  So, if you're heading toward Western, PA this summer, here are a few links that will help you with your tour.

Let's start with wine! (Definitely let's start with wine.)  I had co much fun adding information about our wine region in the A Valley Ridge Wedding trilogy. I've visited wineries along the lake, from Ripley, NY, to North East, PA, all the way to Port Clinton, OH (hey, I had to do the research).  So start your trip by visiting Lake Erie Wine Country for info on our local wineries.

And then let's talk about Erie County's own natural wonder, Presque Isle Peninsula.  So many of my books have taken characters there...probably because it's one of my favorite places.  It's a State Park and a wonderful, unique place to visit!  I love going out for sunsets. But you can also go out on the lagoons in pontoon boats, or bring your own kayak or canoe.  There are trails to walk or bike, and of course you can go swimming!  Tom Ridge Environmental Center is at the start of the peninsula. It such a fun place to visit.

Speaking of fun on the peninsula, you can also visit Waldameer Park.  It's a family friendly amusement park on the lake.  The views from the ferris wheel is amazing, and the park's roller coaster flies over the road that leads to the peninsula.

Be sure to visit our tourism bureau at Visit Erie Pa.

I've been busy on Pinterest.  You can find a lot about the Erie area on my boards there.

Now, something else we're known for, though I haven't talked about about it much in my books, is the Brig Niagara.  This year, there's a ton of fun things going on in commemoration of the Battle of Lake Erie.  Perry 200 has a jam-packed schedule!
Brig Niagara.  It's been rebuilt and has it's own museum here in Erie.

 Of course, I hope you'll all visit the region through my stories, but if you're able, I hope you visit in person as well!  I know as a lifelong resident, I'm biased, but I do believe that Erie is one of the most beautiful places in the world.  I'm so thrilled that summer's here.  You can bet you'll find me out at the peninsula, watching a sunset or two.  Or maybe I'll be heading out to our cottage in the middle of Amish country where I'll be tramping up the creek and watching for deer, turkey and even some bears.  You might find me shopping at the Millcreek Mall, or taking a drive out to North East and Ripley, tasting and buying some wine.  And of course, I'll do some antiquing at local stores, and the occasional housesale.

I hope some of you visit and enjoy all our region has to offer...both in person, and through my books!  So far, I've had more than forty books out in more than twenty-five countries...most of which are set in or around Erie.  I'm hoping I'll have a chance to talk about it for years and years to come, because though I'm biased, I do love my town!

Holly...aka Erie's Tourism Bureau's Secret Weapon

PS In 2012 Amazon named Erie #14 on their list of the US's most romantic cities.  Hmmm....do you think has anything to do with all the romance novels that are set here???

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
www.HollyJacobs.com 

EVERYTHING BUT A DOG,12/12 
YOU ARE INVITED..., 4/13 
APRIL SHOWERS, 5/13 
A WALK DOWN THE AISLE, 6/13
STEAMED: A Maid in LA Mystery, 8/13
A VALLEY RIDGE CHRISTMAS,  12/13 







Sunday, May 12, 2013

Happy (Grand)Mother's Day


 My grandmother was born in 1924.  She married, then sent her husband off to war while she stayed home to care for her daughter.  She was a Rosie the Riveter.  She went to work and did a 'man's job.'

She was not an easy woman, by any stretch of the imagination, but she was a strong one.  that husband who went off to war came home and they divorced so, she continued to work at 'the shop' and raise her daughter.  Her mother came to live with them.  She wasn't an easy woman, and her life didn't soften her at all.  If anything, it hardened her.  Then one day something magical happened...she became a grandmother.

As much as she could be a difficult woman, she loved her grandkids.  My memories of "Nana" are spending weekends with her and "Papa" her friend.  I remember things like being shushed during Lawrence Welk, colored popcorn, sitting on her lap and reading countless books...and Sunday dinners.
On Sundays, she'd Set the table. Set it with a capital S.  And a Hall yellow teapot that looked as if Aladdin's genie could come out of it at any moment, sat at her right hand.  At dinner, she'd pour me and my brothers a cup of tea that was liberally cut with milk.

I loved those dinners.  Mom and Dad would come to pick us up, stay and then stay to eat dinner before we all went home.  Sitting at the table, surrounded by family...it was a wonderful part of the week.

When I got older, I lived in Nana's upstairs apartment with my daughters and husband.  One day she asked me when she died, what I wanted her to leave me.  (My grandmother was pretty sure she had one foot in the grave for as long as I could remember.)  I told her I wanted that yellow teapot.  For me, it represented those weekend meals...it represented family at the table together.

Long story short, she pulled the teapot out to wash and give me shortly thereafter...and broke it.  I was in the upstair's kitchen and heard a scream, the heartbreaking sobs.  I ran down the stairs two babies in arms, to find her staring at the shattered pieces of that teapot.  I told her it was alright and helped her clean it up.  But I was sad to see that tangible reminder of those happy weekends shattered.

Months later, my husband and I went to an antique show.  Now, I should explain that my husband was working full time and going to college full time.  We didn't have a nickel to spare.  If I complained there was nothing in the house to eat...there was NOTHING in the house to eat.  And so we went to this antique show to look, not buy.  But then I spotted it.  It was my grandmother's teapot...well, its twin.  It cost ten dollars, but the dealer said I could have it for seven dollars.  I had seven dollars and change in my checking account.  I knew we couldn't afford it.  But my husband said, buy it.  And I did.

My grandmother made Sunday dinner (which was good because all that was left in the checking account was the change) and that teapot sat at her right.  She poured all of us tea, even my toddler, who had hers heavily laced with milk.  And there was a new layer to all the memories of other Sunday dinners.

I lost my grandmother in 2004.  She was never an easy woman, not by any stretch of the imagination.  But she loved me absolutely and completely.  And that kind of love became a safety net of sorts as I grew into adulthood.

And since then, my family has been known to spot another piece of Hall china that goes with my ugly yellow teapot and buy it for me.  And when I look at my unintended collect, I tend to think of my own kids and  I remember how that gift of unconditional love just keeps on giving. My kids might occasionally drive me nuts, but I love them as completely as my grandmother loved me.

So, on this mother's day, I wanted to share a memory of this strong lady who loved completely.  I'm blessed to still have my mom here, and I'll be running out to see her later today and tell her Happy Mother's Day in person.  My husband and I will share her because we lost his mom in 2004 too.

Being a mother is more than biology...it's about love.  And unconditional love that sustains you and supports you.  I hope you all have a woman in your life who gave you that kind of love and support when you were young.  To all those women in your lives, and to to all of you who are mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, mothers-in-law... to all the women who love completely I wish you all a Happy Mother's Day.

Holly







Wednesday, May 08, 2013

A week in Hollyworld

I'm guestblogging this week, but thought I'd put the link up here for you all!  And here are glimpses of my week...

Made a chive pesto with chives from the garden...awesome on fish!

My mother's day dogwood is blooming this year.

Ella got a bath...she was not amused.

I made myself a bike basket and here it is on my bike!

My garden.

My garden.

My garden...my MIL planted these forget-me-nots.  She didn't need to worry...she'll never be forgotten!

Went to house sales and found this!


Last but not least, our center of the city cemetery has a coyote in it.  I watched all last year and never saw it...but managed this last week!

Other than that, I've been working hard this week!  Sent my editor at Harlequin a proposal and now I'm working on a second Maid in LA Mystery...the first one, Steamed: A Maid in LA Mystery, is out in August and I did get a page started for it on my website!  But before that, there's still this month's SuperRomance, April Showers and next months, A Walk Down the Aisle!  Oh, and if you check out April Showers, note that it's an audio book, too!!  Yeah, I had my glee on!!

Have a great one, everyone!

Holly