Christmas in Cupid Falls - By Author Holly Jacobs

Book Description from Amazon:

Kennedy Anderson loves Cupid Falls, Pennsylvania. Ever since moving there as an orphaned teenager, she’s worked hard to carve out a place for herself in the tight-knit community. Now she’s mayor and owner of the town’s flower shop. But she also has a big secret…and nine months to figure out how to break the news to the father.

Lawyer Malcolm Carter has always been the golden boy of Cupid Falls—until he discovers the one night he spent with the girl-next-door turned out to have a lifetime of consequences. Now, the mother of his child wants nothing to do with him, and he’s gone from someone who is admired to persona non grata as the town rallies behind its mayor.

Malcom has always known what he wants. But now as Christmas approaches, he’ll have to discover a way to show Kennedy that she could find the only thing she’s ever really wanted—a true home—with him. Convincing her will take the help of Cupid Falls’ quirky residents…and a bit of holiday magic.

What inspired you to start writing, and when?

When my youngest was getting close to school age, I realized that some day I might need to get a job.  I spent a long time thinking about what I’d like to do with the rest of my life.  I wished someone would pay me to read…I’d always been a voracious reader.  But since nobody seemed to want to pay me to do what I loved best, I thought maybe writing would be the next best thing. 

And I quickly discovered it was even better.

What is your preferred genre?

I write romance…from romantic comedy, to sweet romance with a touch of humor, to romance that’s heavy on the women’s fiction side of things, to romantic family dramas.  And I’ve even done a comedic mystery series…with more than a touch of romance in it. 

So yes…romance.  I write romance. 

How many books have you written?  If more than one, are any a series…or trilogy?

I’ve written more than fifty books.  Many are part of a series.  Some of them were planned as a series, but more than a few were standalone books to begin with.  But then I’d fall for a secondary character and tell their story. Then another.  Soon, I’d have a series. 

So many readers have asked for lists of series and their order, that I put a page together at http://www.hollyjacobs.com/bookseries.html

Tell us a little about your recent book.

Christmas in Cupid Falls started out with a real small town, Waterford, PA.  It’s just outside of Erie, PA (where I live) and we drive by it on a regular basis when we’re on our way to camp.  There’s a statue of George Washington there.  And one day I asked myself, What if (any writers’ most useful question) someone in Washington’s party met a girl and fell in love…and the Legend of Cupid Falls was born.

<< To the south of Erie, Pennsylvania—south of the Great Lake that shares a name with the city—is Falls Creek. It is bigger than most creeks, but not quite large enough to be considered a river. It runs through field and forest to a ridge, carved millennia ago by a glacier. There, it plunges over the edge, falling to a hollowed-out swimming hole before becoming a creek again and meandering on its way.

Local legend has it that when George Washington visited the nearby town of Waterford in 1753, one of his retinue was touring the area. The locals took him to the falls, and there he met a farmer’s daughter. He married her later that same year and they settled near the creek. Years later, their daughter went to the falls with a group of friends and noticed that one of the boys in the group might be more than a friend. They married later that same year. And so it went, year after year, decade after decade, couple after couple, until the small waterfall, which in actuality was little more than a creek tumbling over a small cliff, became known as Cupid’s Falls.

When a town grew up a few miles away, the residents named it Cupid Falls as an homage to their waterfall.

And to this day, it is said that when two people meet at the falls and declare their love, they are destined for a long, happy romance . . .

Even if that’s not what they went to the falls looking for.>>

From there, a couple who met at the falls after a horrible day and months later found out they were going to be parents became the start of the first Cupid Falls book, Christmas in Cupid Falls.

Do you have plans for a new book?

I always have plans for new books.  LOL My next release will be in April, Carry Her Heart.  It’s a much more serious book…one of those that is a cross between women’s fiction and romance.  I have released already scheduled for July and November of 2015, too.  Plus, as soon as I’m able, I want to get back to working on the next books for the new Cupid Falls series.

Is there an Author that you would really like to meet?

I’ve been fortunate to meet a lot of my writing heroes and heroines.  The writing world is actually very small and sometimes I have to pinch myself when I find myself sitting next to an author I’ve always admired.

Do you plot or write by the seat of your pants?

I do a combo.  And every book is a different ratio of that combination.  My earliest books were all seat-of-the-pants.  But as my writing chops grew, I found the merit of having a handle on the plot from the beginning. 

Did you have an editor edit your books?

Yes.  I’ve been so fortunate to work with some of the best editors in the business.  An editor becomes a partner of sorts to a writer.  The best ones are able to help the author refine their vision and shape it into the story they so longed to tell.

Do you prefer ebooks, paperbacks or hardcover?

As a reader, I read all of the above…heck, I’ve read cereal boxes. 
As a writer I’ve been published in all the above, along with audiobooks.  I’m happy to have my stories available in so many formats.

Where do you prefer to buy your books?

In a store!  LOL  Okay, seriously, I buy my books in any number of places, from traditional bookstores, to online stores, to local independent stores, to grocery stores…  Like so many readers, I am a bit of a book hoarder!

Are you a self- published (Indie) Author?

I write for Montlake Romance and Harlequin SuperRomance, but I’ve indie published a few books including my bestselling Maid in LA series.

What books would you like to read again?

So many of my favorite books I’ve read countless times.  I read The Hobbit for the first time in third grade and I’ve read it a dozen times since…or more.  I love reading a new book and not knowing precisely where I’m going within it, but there’s something so very comforting in opening an old favorite and knowing exactly where I’m going to end.

Is there a particular movie that you preferred over the book version?

I can’t think of one offhand.  I did love both the Keira Knightly Pride and Prejudice, as well as the PBS miniseries of it as well (Colin Firth anyone???), but truly, I love the book the most.

What book are you currently reading and in what format (ebook/paperback/hardcover)?

I heard Hugh Howey at a conference this summer and I’m reading his series, Wool, right now on my Kindle.  Loving it.

Do you find yourself intrigued by the cover of a book enough to buy it? 

I am a fan of the old adage, Don’t Judge a Book By It’s Cover.  That being said, a cover will sometimes be intriguing enough to make me pick up a book and have a look at it.

Do you have any advice for other writers starting out?

Write. 

I know, that sounds simple.  But I always add…Write something, anything, every day.  That every day part is anything but simple.

Some people complain that they don’t have the time, but even if you can only find the time to write a page a day, by the end of a year, you’ll have a book.

Do you write under a pen name?

I write as Holly Jacobs.

Do you ever write in your PJ’s?

LOL Yes. 

What are your pet peeves? 

Mean people.

You are trapped on a tropical island - who would you like to be stranded with?

My husband.  He’s my best friend and he’s very handy.  The perfect companion on an island.

Pick one - Wine, Chocolate or shoes?

Wine.

Cats or dogs?

Dogs…but I like cats, too! My dogs, Ethel Merman and Ella Fitzgerald were the cover models for Everything But a Dog. (and the models for the dogs in that book).

Tell us about someone or something that just made your day –

This morning, a reader asked me if there were going to be stories for two of the characters in Christmas in Cupid Falls.  To have some love a book is a thrill in itself, but to have someone wanting more stories…well, that’s such a huge compliment!  It totally gave me glee!

What is your favorite food and beverage?

I adore food…pretty much everything but brussel sprouts and liver.

How many hours per day do you try to devote to research and writing?

It’s my fulltime job, so I write most weekdays during business hours.

What are 3 things you never leave home without (apart from keys, money and phone)?

Uh, really nothing. Most of the time the phone and the keys go with me, but a lot of the time, I don’t even bother with money when I leave the house, because most of the time, I’m going on long walks or out to the garden.

Sleep in or get up early?

I get up way early!!

Laptop or desktop for writing?

Laptop.

Your favorite gadget?

My Dyson.  (Two dogs, one who sheds a dog’s worth of hair daily…yep, I Dyson every day!)

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

Right now, I’m on the couch next to the fireplace with the dogs snuggled next to me!  That about sums it up.

Your thoughts on receiving book reviews - the good and the bad – 

Like any writer, I prefer the good ones!  LOL  And while I’m not overly fond of the bad ones, I do respect that my books aren’t for everyone.  I wish they were, but in the end, I can only tell stories that please me and honor my characters…and then hope that more readers like them than don’t!  So an honest negative review I can be zen about.  But the people who are mean just to be mean?  Yeah, not a fan of those.

Do you have a bucket list?

I’m planning on going to Ireland in two years, and then Alaska shortly after that.  It’s not really a bucket list, but things I’m looking forward to.

One of your favorite quotes –

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List 3 of your favorite movies?

The LOTR series (I know that’s three, but they all go together)

Serenity (which ties into the Firefly series that I rewatch from time to time…love Joss Whedon) - - Patti says: ME TOO.

And so many romcoms like When Harry Met Sally, Love Actually…

What is a movie or TV show that you watched just recently and really enjoyed?

Really love Newsroom and sorry this is the last season.

Where can your readers stalk you?

My website is HollyJacobs.com  There are links there to my Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Pinterest pages.

Is your book in Print, ebook or both?

Christmas in Cupid Falls is available as a paperback, for Kindle as an audio book.

Do you give free ebooks away in exchange for honest reviews?

No.  Sometimes Montlake does on GoodReads.  You can check out Kindle Love Stories there.

Book links:

Christmas in Cupid Falls, by Holly Jacobs
Kindle eBook http://amzn.to/1gx3BLz

Paperback http://amzn.to/1v4qInx

Audio http://amzn.to/1zzOCza