Author Interview: Holly Jacobs

What kind of questions does one ask of an author who has reached the 2,000,000-books-sold mark?  That’s the task at hand this morning as today’s Avalon Author interview features veteran Avalon Books and Harlequin SuperRomance author, Holly Jacobs.

Holly, thanks for joining us this morning.  Today’s interview is in conjunction with your latest Avalon Books release, Everything but a Mother, which is the fifth book in the Everything But… series.  Can you tell us a little about that book?

~Nana Vancy accidently cursed her family to bad weddings (in the first three books, Everything But a Groom, Everything But a Bride and Everything But a Wedding).  After she breaks the curse, she’s…well, bored.  And that’s how the second trilogy of the series was born.  In Everything But a Christmas Eve, she tried her hand at matchmaking with the help of her best friends.  Chaos ensued, but the couple got their happily-ever-after.  This book opens after that first couple’s wedding.  The three older ladies are looking for new victims…er, friends to help out and play matchmaker for.  Once again, chaos ensues in Everything But a Mother!  LOL

The heroine of this book, Heather Rayson, runs a community-based daycare in Erie, PA.  We all know that every good heroine has a teeny character flaw.  What is Heather’s?

Time for the Ladies . . . Regency Ladies from 1810 to 1820

Here’s a silhouette of the next two decades of fashion . . .

After 1810 the Neoclassical and Grecian styles waistlines began to drift downwards.

Sleeves were gathered, twisted, and tied, influenced by Romantic and Gothic designs. The “mutton leg” style, large at the top and tapering to the wrist, became popular. As the sleeve increased in bulk at the shoulder, so did the collar.

The decoration along the hems and necklines were becoming more extravagant. Layers of ruffles covered corded or flounced petticoats, added to the newly popular cone-shaped skirts. The hem cleared the ground, showing the feet and ankles.

I know, exposed ankles . . . that is very shocking!

Shawls were still popular. The spencer, which stopped at the waistline, and the pelisse with three capes were much in demand. These had long sleeves to the wrist and were high at the neck.

In addition to the more ornate styles, hats and hairstyles climbed higher to balance the widening skirts. Hair was ornamented with small artificial flowers, in bunches or wreaths, for full dress, and even in the house during the daytime.

Hair was worn parted in front, and made into puffs or curls which extended on either side of the face. In the back, it was drawn up, tight and smooth, from the nape of the neck and arranged in a high loop or bow at the top of the head. From this towered all sorts of decorations, such as feathers, flowers, and bows of ribbon.

I suppose one could grow accustom to this.

I have to confess that I’m partial to the much simpler, early 19^th century ladies’ fashions.

But this blue frock is lovely, is it not? I'm glad the period in which I write does not go beyond the '20s.

But I have to warn you . . .

This is where the 1830s fashion is headed!

ALONG FOR THE RIDE - Chapter Three

Here's the scoop: Several Avalon Authors have come together to write a novel for fun. Every author contributes one chapter. There is no pre-arranged plot; there are no rules except that we follow Avalon's guidelines of writing family-friendly material

In Chapter One, our heroine, Sonya, ran into trouble in Seattle when Stan, a handsome stranger, fell nose-first into his latte. In Chapter Two, Sonya revived Stan with mouth-to-mouth and found herself ... Wait, this is getting complicated. I suggest you read the first two chapters for yourself. Just click on "Avaloner Online Novel" in the column on the right.

ALONG FOR THE RIDE

Chapter Three

by Sandy Cody

(Sandra Carey Cody)

Mel was yelling in my ear to get out of there, but I couldn't move - not with Annie's eyes boring holes in my face. I was like a rabbit held captive in a snake's gaze.

The gaze shifted to a spot over my shoulder and the spell broke.

I turned to make my escape - and looked directly into another pair of eyes. What had Mel said? Something about a dark alley? Someone you wouldn't want to meet there? The guy who'd caught Annie's attention definitely fit that bill. I took a couple of side steps to put myself in a direct line with the door.

He sidestepped too. It was like we were dancing. I couldn't see what was happening behind me, but it sounded like Annie was closing in from the rear, turning the dance into a weird threesome.

Mel's voice escalated, "Get out of there!"

"I'm doing my best," I told her before I jammed the phone in my pocket. Instinct was screaming even louder than Mel, telling me I needed both hands free.

Instinct was right. As I rushed past, dance partner number one grabbed my arm. He almost ripped my coat off. I twisted, pulled the coat close, and managed to shake him off with enough force to send him sprawling on his backside. I didn't know exactly how close dance partner number two was and I didn't wait around to find out.

I made a beeline for the door. I heard Annie shout, "Wait!" Did I heed Annie's call? Are you kidding? I pushed the door open. Outside, under the store's awning, a sale table was lined up against the side of the building. I took a few precious seconds to pull the table, filled with rows of tiny multi-colored bottles, in front of the shop entrance. It sounded like an out-of-tune calliope as the bottles tipped against each other, but none of them fell off the table and, more important, exit from the Curiosity Shoppe was blocked, at least for the moment.

I darted an apologetic glance toward the woman huddled in a lawn chair under cover of the awning.

She hopped up and shook her fist like she wanted to beat me to a pulp.

Get in line, Lady.

I dodged around a young couple pushing a stroller and picked up the pace. The light at the end of the block went from orange to red. I ignored it. A chorus of squealing brakes and honking horns followed me into the next block. I cringed but kept going. If this went on much longer, I'd have everybody in Seattle mad at me. I couldn't worry about that now. I slogged on, splashing through the puddles on the sidewalk until I got a hitch in my side. I stopped, leaned against a building, and looked back for the first time since I'd left the shop. No sign of either Annie or the dark alley guy. That seemed a little strange. A good thing, but strange.

Title Search

Forget blurbs. Forget synopses. Forget even writing a novel or composing the jacket cover biography. The hardest job is finding a title. You've written a book to be proud of. You've put years of experience, months of work, weeks of revision, days of anticipation into the masterpiece. What keeps you awake night after night? The title. 

What comes to mind? Nothing as arresting, compelling, delightful, thrilling as the story. No. What do you do?

Sometimes I search the manuscript for phrases that catch the eye or the imagination. Funny thing. There never seems to be one that meets expectations. Does that mean...? Could that mean the book isn't as great as I thought? I don't entertain that thought for very long. That's just "Title Search Paranoia" whittling down writer confidence.

Interview With Carolyn Hughey

Carolyn Hughey traded in her chef's hat for a computer. Originally, a Jersey girl, Carolyn and her real-life hero, Bob, currently reside in Arizona. They have four children and when Carolyn's not writing, she's studying her craft, or whipping up some gastronomic delight for family and friends. I first met Carolyn Hughey at a writers’ conference a few years ago and within minutes of sitting down beside her, I remarked about her “bling.” Lucky for me, Carolyn quickly caught on to my snarky sense of humor and we’ve been good friends ever since.

I’m lucky to get the opportunity to interview her for the Avalon Authors blog today.

1. As you know, I’m a huge fan of your books so I’m really excited about your new work. Tell us about your latest release from Avalon, Dishing Up Romance.
Dishing Up Romance is the sequel to Cupid’s Web. Much to my reader’s surprise, Cassie will actually go to culinary school. When Dad decides to retire and turns the deli building over to her, she decides to open a shop called the Kitchen Widget and Cooking Club, selling kitchen gadgets and teaching cooking classes. As a result of these classes, Cassie includes 32 recipes that show her family she can actually cook without burning down the house. And while this new juncture in her life is a tad intimidating, it’s the Mr. Carpenter Guy doing the remodel who turns her world upside down and around the corner.

I was thrilled when Avalon asked me to write this series. It was a lot of fun for me in that as a chef, seeing your own recipes in print, is exciting, and I was happy to share my family’s recipes that people have been asking about for years. Having Cassie back in the stories was like revisiting with family.

2. Wow. A romance and recipes? That sounds like a terrific combination. But are they easy for someone without a culinary background? How did you go about testing the recipes in this book?
I sent an email out to my groups and asked for volunteers. I had eleven women raise their hands who were anxious to take part of history in the making. To be sure my descriptions weren’t confusing, I formulated a set of questions for the testers, who by the way, weren’t all seasoned cooks, to answer with the recipes. They took such pride in the finished products; many of them sent me photographs, which I post on Facebook.
The recipes are included after every chapter, and rather than just add the recipe for the sake of having it there, I made it part of the story. All the descriptions are written in the point-of-view of one of the character’s in that scene, or written in the all-knowing omniscient voice chastising the character for some really dumb thing they did wrong along their journey. To give you an idea of the flair, the recipe titles tell you much about the story. Mama’s Singin’ I Ain’t Never Gonna be a Nona Blues Rice Pudding, No Date, No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Date Balls, He’s a Sweet Talkin’ Guy Ginger Snaps, Mama’s Singin’ Forever and Ever, Amen, just to name a few.

3. You had me at rice pudding. Which of these recipes is your favorite?
My mother’s sauce and meatballs, and although I’ve tweaked the recipe over the years, the basic recipe is hers.

4. You obviously rely on your Italian heritage for characterization. What’s one of your fondest family memories?
You write what you know, and being Italian is one thing I know really, really well. I have a colorful family, just like Cassie’s, although mine is a bit more dramatic than hers. My fondest memories, is what I refer to as ‘family fest’ in my series. It’s the entire family getting together to break bread on Sunday’s—my father and the uncles sitting on the porch after eating a huge meal and drinking Anisette to settle their stomachs because they’ve eaten too much and smoking Italian stogies. Unfortunately, most of those members are gone now, but I find it therapeutic to bring them back to life on my pages.

5. Speaking of stomachs, they say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Do you agree? And what do you think is the way to a woman’s heart?
For sure it’s one way, but it takes more than just food to keep things alive. The way to a woman’s heart is doing the small things like bringing her flowers, showing her gratitude, respect, and above all lots of hugs.

6. Let’s talk writing. Who are some of your favorite authors?

I’m a huge fan of the two genres in which I write. John Grisham is and always has been number One on my list, Brad Meltzer, Lisa Gardner, Allison Brennan. On the comedic side, Janet Evanovich and Holly Jacobs.

7. How about your favorite chefs?
Thomas Keller of The French Laundry, Rick Chiarello of Tra Vigne, Daniel Boulard of Daniels, Alfred Portoli of Gotham Bar and Grill—I could go on an on. The reason I admire these chefs so much, and emulate them every chance I get, is because of their ability to create dishes with ingredients you’d never think of combining. These are the true masters.


8. What’s your ultimate romantic meal?
A table for two in a rustic setting next to a babbling brook, candlelight, soft music and French food.


9. Nice. I hope you and your husband get to do that every once in a while. What’s he like in the kitchen? Does he cook also? Or does he do the dishes afterward?
He’s my grill man, and he always does the dishes afterward, a rule he made and I gleefully adapted to rather nicely.


10. Okay, you know I have to ask: If you could invite any three people--living or dead--to dinner, who would they be?

This is a tough question because I love feeding the masses, but if you’re only giving me three choices: in the art of cooking, it would be James Beard, Julia Child and Simone Beck. For writing, definitely John Grisham, Lisa Gardner and Janet Evanovich to bring laughter to an otherwise grim discussion. :-)

Thanks so much for speaking to me today, Carolyn. Anything else you’d like to add?
I’d also like to thank Gina for asking all the right questions that had me digging deep into the brain cells.

Dishing Up Romance, a February 2012 release available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com, is Carolyn’s third book for Avalon with two more coming up in the Chef’s Toque series. It’s the perfect choice for the hopeless romantic or cook in your life. Shut Up and Kiss Me and Cupid’s Web are also available.

K. T. Roberts, Carolyn's alter ego writes suspense and spicy contemporary. Those books can be found on all the popular eReader sites. Visit Carolyn at her website at http://carolynhughey.com/, and while you're at it, drop her a note. She loves to hear from her readers.