14 Days of Valentines!

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. It always has been. Even if I didn’t have a boyfriend, I still loved it, because it’s a day to celebrate love! And who doesn’t love love? The days leading up to Valentine’s – if I was single – were always filled with anticipation. “Will someone ask me out at the last minute?” “Do I have a secret admirer, and will he reveal himself to me on Valentine’s Day?” Neither of those things ever happened, but I certainly loved to dream about them, which probably explains why I became a romance author. Now I can live out all those dreams through my characters!

But now I have a permanent Valentine, and we love celebrating this day together. However, this year, I wanted the season to last longer than just the one day. It occurred to me that for Thanksgiving and Christmas, Halloween and Easter, we prepare for the day. We have weeks leading up to the day that we think about and celebrate the holiday. So why not do that with V-Day??

I remember as a little girl, my mom made me a Valentine Mailbox and put it right outside my door. Every morning leading up to V-Day, I would find a little Valentine in my box. Boy, was that exciting! So this year, I proposed that Eric and I do 14 Days of Valentines. I didn’t have time to make boxes for us, so I found cute little heart-shaped baskets and I put them on the window ledge in the living room. We were supposed to start on Monday, but we didn’t end up getting it together by then, so day 1 was yesterday. I gave him a 100 piece puzzle with two cute puppies on the front that we put together last night. He gave me a mini card with the Princess & the Frog on it and a chocolate heart. I can’t wait to see what I’ll get tonight…I’ll have to decide which of the many goodies I’ve collected to give to Eric!

So how do you feel about Valentine’s Day? Do you embrace it, even if you’re single? Or are you the type to have an anti-Valentine’s Day celebration? If you do have a Valentine, how do you tend to celebrate the day/season? Any special plans this year??

Official Launch!

Hi All!

This weekend is the official launch for A Gentleman Never Tells! Please follow the link below to play my Regency quiz and to find out how you can win a free, signed copy of the book!

http://secondwindpub.wordpress.com/2010/01/29/help-us-celebrate-three-new-releases/

Sherlock Holmes

So Eric and I finally got out to see Sherlock Holmes on Saturday night. We were going to go on Christmas Day, but we ended up being a little busy (for those who don’t know, our daughter was born on Christmas Day )

I was so excited for this film and it did not disappoint. And I actually can’t wait to see it again…and again…and again… It’s one of those films that I’m sure will reveal new things to me with every viewing.

Robert Downey, Jr. is absolutely brilliant in the role of Holmes. And Jude Law is the perfect sidekick as Watson. Both performances were incredibly nuanced and perfectly portrayed. My only complaint was that I had trouble understanding them sometimes – there was a good amount of mumbling and a lot of “asides” that were tossed off. I know I missed a good chunk of the dialog, which is another reason I’m excited to see it again.

One thing I really loved was the gritty, dirty side they showed of London. As a Regency writer, I have this glorified, whimsical view of what London looked like in the 19th Century, and I’m pretty sure it’s horribly skewed. Not only did they spend most of the movie in the slums of London, but they did amazing things with the weather! The dark, stormy clouds that hung over the city looked almost painted on. It gave a surreal tone to the movie that I loved and that you usually only see in a Baz Luhrman film. Throw in the steampunk element, an awesome musical score and a great supporting cast (love me some Rachel McAdams, and you might recognize Kelly Reilly as Mr. Bingley’s sister from the Keira Knightly Pride & Prejudice), and you have one fantastic film!

Did anybody else see this film? I’m curious what you thought! And has anyone read the book? I have not, but I’m curious to see what similarities – if any – there are between the book and the film.

Getting back in the swing of things!

Well, for those who don’t know, Miss Bella Catania was born via c-section exactly 9 days ago…do the math, and you’ll see that she was born on her mommy’s favorite day of the whole year: Christmas Day!

But now that she’s here and we’re in a pretty predictable routine (at least for now), mommy is starting to get her groove back. For 9 months I struggled with inspiration/motivation for my writing, and even reading or critiquing for my [awesome] crit partners. I was firmly ensconced in Pregnant World! And it wasn’t until a couple days ago that I even realized how ensconced I had been. I often wondered if I would ever feel like writing again, but mostly I was too exhausted or preoccupied to care. And I assumed that once Bella was here, I REALLY wouldn’t feel like writing. But boy was I wrong! I’ve got 9 months of pent up creativity banging on my brain to get out.

So, without further ado, I will leave you all with this picture of my precious girl and turn my attention to manuscript #3, maybe a short story (or two) and critiques for my crit partners.

Happy writing and reading!

The Princess & the Frog

Last night, hubby and I went on an impromptu date to see the new Disney animated film, The Princess and the Frog. I wasn’t sure what to expect from it, and as much of a Disney fan as I am, I wasn’t sure I would even like it. I was excited, but cautiously so. However, the caution was completely unnecessary.

From the opening scene, I was hooked! And if it weren’t for the unbearable heat in the movie theater, I wouldn’t have wanted the movie to end! The color palette that was used in the film was magical! It evoked all the whimsy and beauty of an enchanted fairy tale. Simply breathtaking! And I loved the unique New Orleans spin they put on this timeless story.

But what I found the most fascinating was how this was a textbook example of romance! The frog/prince is a spoiled rich boy who wants nothing more from life than to date pretty women and party all the time, but who has been cut off from the royal riches by his parents. So of course, he’s looking for a rich bride. Ha! A penniless royal looking for an advantageous match! As I watched, I couldn’t help but see him, even as a frog, as the heroes from most of the Regency novels I read (and write.)

Then, of course, you have the strong-willed and impoverished heroine with big dreams who, even though on paper she’s all wrong for the prince, makes him fall in love with her nonetheless.

What was truly fascinating was watching all this take place between two frogs! Talk about unconventional heroes and heroines! Throw them in with a cast of brilliant secondary characters and you have a perfect romance.

In conclusion: GO SEE THIS FILM! You will love it, your kids will love it. And especially if you’re a

romance author, you’ll have a great time drawing those correlations between the frogs and the heroes and heroines we all love to read and write about.

And if you’ve already seen the movie, I’d love to know what you thought!

Come visit my website to check out my debut release and my Christmas short story! www.jerricasplace.com

Contest and Giveaway!

This week, I’m guest blogging about my debut release and about my Christmas charity project. I would love it if you could stop by. I’ll be giving away a free, signed copy of the book, so follow the link to find out how you can win!

http://adventuresnwriting.blogspot.com/2009/11/big-welcome-to-our-guest-today-romance.html

Debut Novel Released Today!!

Well, it’s been a long time in the making, and I’m so thrilled to announce that A Gentleman Never Tells is now available for purchase! It’s hard to explain the excitement that comes with seeing your book on Amazon.com…I can’t imagine what it will be like to see it on a bookstore shelf one day. But for now, I’m on cloud 9

———-

Benjamin Wetherby, Earl of Glastonbury and heir to the Marquessate of Eastleigh, has just received an urgent letter from home. His father is dying and he must return to England at once. Benjamin is a man bound by honor and duty, to both his country and his family. So, despite his reservations, he leaves his life in New York City behind so he may find a wife and assume his role as the Marquess of Eastleigh.

Miss Phoebe Blake is finally out of mourning for her father, and just in time. She and her mother could be days away from being carted off to debtors’ prison, so Phoebe returns to society with the intent and determination to secure a rich husband.

Sparks fly when Benjamin and Phoebe meet, and it appears they have both found just what they are looking for. But will a dark secret keep them from finding their happily ever after?

———-

To get a sneak peak at the first chapter, you can go to any number of places: Second Wind Publishing, my personal website (you can read about my other novels here as well!), or Amazon.

And to purchase, you can go to Second Wind (they have it in print or ebook format) or Amazon (print and Kindle formats).

Thanks to all who have been so supportive and amazing throughout this process! It’s been an amazing journey and I have a feeling it’s really only just beginning!

Cover Art!

I just designed my cover art for the Christmas short story, Christmas Warms the Harts. Hope you like it!

Christmas Short Story

It’s been written and now it’s just awaiting critiques from my crit partners. Oh, and a title. LOL!

I really enjoyed writing it. It features one of my favorite characters, Katherine Hart, Duchess of Weston, whose story was told in the Valentine’s anthology from Second Wind Publishing earlier this year, Love is on the Wind (still available in ebook or print format!!)

I plan to sell the Christmas story through my website during the holiday season and donate part of the proceeds to charity. Normally, Christmastime is a time for the hubby and I to give. Last year, we found some needy families and bought presents for them so they could have a Merry Christmas. Since I’ll be minutes away from delivering our first baby (she’s due late December), I’ve decided to take another route. Shopping and shipping are chores enough when you’re not 9 months pregnant!

So, stay tuned! I’ll be putting the story up soon for purchase!

Holiday Romance

So, all my holiday romance novels arrived last week from Amazon, and I am SO excited to read them all! We are moving in less than two weeks (just within the building, thankfully!), but then I plan to sit on my bum and do nothing but read (and write, of course) until Baby Bella makes her appearance!

I’m starting with A Christmas Ball. I’m already chipping away at the first story, My Lady Below Stairs, by Emily Bryan. I haven’t gotten too far, thanks to all the packing, but so far, so good! Not sure what I’ll move on to after I finish this one, but I hope to finish all the books before Christmas…or New Years at the latest.

Do you love to read seasonal books? If so, what’s in your TBR pile for this holiday season? If you’re not into the whole holiday thing, I’d love to know what you’re reading, anyway!