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

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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?

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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!

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Jerrica Knight-Catania

Movie Review: Bright Star

Eric and I went to see the BBC film, Bright Star, last week. The film outlines the torrid romance and tragic (and untimely) end to the life of the great poet, John Keats.

Now, I’m a total sucker for period films (big surprise), especially when they are done well. Of course, my opinion of “well done” seems to differ from many others. For instance, one of my favorite Jane Austen adaptations is the Frances O’Conner version of Mansfield Park – I think it’s just brilliant. But many do not. So, keep that in mind as you read on…

This movie moves at a true 19th-century pace…aka, it’s slow. Not that it’s boring. But there’s a great deal of silence; a lot of observing the characters as they wool-gather. While it might be reflective of the time period itself, I’m guessing this is part of the reason it does not have “universal” appeal…and by universal I mean, it has very limited engagements at a limited number of theaters in a limited number of cities.

While Keats and Fannie were brilliantly acted, I do have to say that Paul Schneider as Mr. Brown made Eric and I both crack up every time he was on screen. We love him in Parks & Recreation; did we buy him as a 19th Century Scottish rogue with homosexual tendencies? Not so much. However, he may have been the most memorable part of the movie for us – we continue to impersonate his performance almost a week later, just for laughs! An impression is an impression, I suppose, whether good or bad.

Fannie’s performance, however, was quite wonderful. She brought a rawness to the role that you rarely get in a glossy, Hollywood film, and I was brought to a state of sobbing by her in one of the film’s final scenes.

In conclusion…

The screenplay: great. Costumes: wonderful and a far cry from the disaster that was Becoming Jane. Music: well-suited to the movie, though the “men’s glee” stuff did make us giggle. Do I recommend it? Definitely to those who have an interest in the time period, and especially to those who write in the time period. The setting alone is inspiration.

Fall Fun!

Bumble Bee Jerrica

So, I’m not at all ashamed to admit that my husband and I are just plain silly. We do silly things, we say silly things…we act like children most of the time. For years we’ve been saying we really need kids so people won’t think we’re so weird when we walk around the airport with stuffed animals hanging out of our carry-on luggage. But frankly, my friends, we don’t really give a damn what other people think of us, which would explain the pics you see to the right of this text.

On Sunday morning, Eric and I made our way to Target and found ourselves in the costume aisle. And, of course, we couldn’t leave without trying on some costumes and having a photo shoot. Sadly, at 7 months pregnant, there weren’t a lot of options for me, but that’s okay. Bella’s signature bug is the bee, so it’s perfect! And this was my favorite of Eric’s picks, though the banana and the hot dog were close runners up.

After our sojourn to Target, we took our rental car out to the middle of NJ where our friend’s parents still host us, every year for 12 years running, now, for our annual pumpkin patch/hayride day. But, really, that’s a whole ‘nother post with lots of fun pictures, so I’ll save it for another day!

Chicken Eric

I want to know, though…do you do silly things in public? Things that would embarrass the average person, or especially your kids? Please share!

Condiments!

As I dumped half a container of parmesan cheese onto my pasta today, I started thinking about the history of condiments. Not sure why, since it’s nothing new for me to load enough parmesan on my pasta to kill a horse, but it got me thinking about the kind of condiments my characters would have used in the Regency era.

The oldest and most common condiments are things you’ll find in pretty much every kitchen across the world: salt, pepper, vinegar, cinnamon and, of course, mustard. What I didn’t expect was the discovery that ketchup has been around for centuries. It seems like such a modern condiment, invented for burgers and fries. But it would seem, according to this Wikipedia article, that ketchup was in fact used in the Regency, and even before! Makes me wonder what Phoebe and Benjamin might have smothered in ketchup…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketchup

My favorite condiment is parmesan…I can’t eat pasta without it! And I always unscrew the tops off restaurant parmesan dispensers for better coverage! Warm spices like cinnamon and clove come in second for me, especially in the fall.

What’s your favorite condiment? Is there a particular condiment you can’t seem to get enough of? Is there a condiment you absolutely can’t stand?

Golden Apple Awards!

I would like to first congratulate all the winners of last night’s award ceremony! Among the winners was our chapter’s very own Patt Mihailoff, Author of the Year, who gave such a warm and inspiring speech! She is an inspiration to so many in our chapter and it was wonderful to see her accept her award!

Though I oftentimes take it for granted, I know that it is a distinct privilege to be able to live in New York City (Okay, Jersey City, but what’s a 7-minute ride under the Hudson?). Last night, as I mixed and mingled at RWA-NYC’s 19th Annual Golden Apple Awards, I had one of those “Wow! I’m so lucky!” moments. I can’t imagine many other places where I might have had the opportunity to mingle with agents and editors from all the big NY publishing houses in such an intimate setting.

It really hit me, as I sat with friend and fellow Regency author, Sarah Tormey, just how fortunate I was. My dream editor, Tessa Woodward, came right up to us and struck up a conversation! Not only that, but she stayed and chatted with us for a good thirty minutes!

And when Miriam Kriss from the Irene Goodman Agency struck up a conversation with me at the drink table (she noted that I needed to stay to the right half of the table where the non-alcoholic drinks were), I was simply amazed.

These are people! Not mean, scary ogres sitting behind their desks, taking their red REJECTION pens and laughing maliciously as they mark our manuscripts “Slush Pile”. Now, that’s not necessarily what I thought they were doing, but you know what I mean. There’s an intimidation factor there. These agents and editors could be your ticket to the NY Times Bestseller list! Not to mention, they hold our egos in their hands.

But what I learned last night – what they all proved as they approached me or made their speeches at the podium – is that they really do care. They really do want us, as authors, to succeed. Miriam Kriss referred to the slush pile as the “Slush Mountain” in her speech last night, and told us that she is prone to going through the slush pile on occasion. And, amazingly, she’s found a couple of NY Times Best Selling Authors in that pile.

And beyond having the opportunity to mingle with dream agents and editors, I also have the privilege to be part of such a wonderful family as the RWA-NYC chapter. The warm welcome I received from my fellow members, the inquiries to my health and my husband’s (he had an appendectomy last weekend, for those who don’t know), and the genuine interest in how things were progressing career-wise were overwhelming.

Indeed, I am fortunate in so many ways, and feeling so grateful today for the exciting opportunities life throws my way

Female Aphrodisiac!

I’ve been featured in an article in the Philadelphia Examiner today! Please stop by if you get a chance and let me know what you think of the article!

http://tinyurl.com/n5r5c7