Happy Anniversary, CAKE: A Love Story

CAKE: A Love Story is celebrating its second-year anniversary release on Amazon Prime today. We are so grateful to everyone who worked on Misha Zubarev and Vera Zubarev’s lovely short film version of our romantic memoir It Had To Be Us -- and to the wonderful people who have supported it. We are also surprised and happy because of the following information:

Amazon views: 6272

Amazon Rating Average: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

IMDb Rating Average: 8.5 stars (out of 10)

Awards: First Place in Short Film Category at the NSAEN International Online Film Festival, Award of Merit at IndieFest, Official Selection of the Toronto Shorts International Film Festival
 
It’s like a dream come true for us. We will always remember the hard work and happiness involved in this labor of love.

Family Movie Premiere

We had a wonderful FAMILY PREMIERE of CAKE: A Love Story in our Cineroom (the living room) on Christmas afternoon. There was standing room only (16 people) so some viewers had to sit on the floor. 

Everyone clapped at the end of the movie – and they even applauded my introduction. Yay!

Two of our granddaughters actually teared-up during the film. And one of our grandsons, who’s a movie buff like me, told us how impressed he was with the filmmaking techniques.

Larry and I watched the audience as the movie was running. We could tell how much everyone enjoyed watching this short film that’s based on IT HAD TO BE US, an award-winning romantic memoir we wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence.

It was truly one of the best Christmases we have ever experienced!!!

Thanks again to filmmakers Misha Zubarev and V. Ulea for making all this possible.

From Page to Screen

It Had To Be Us, a romantic memoir by Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence, has been adapted for the screen in a short film titled CAKE: A Love Story. A private screening for cast and crew was held on May 21 at the Metropolitan Room in New York City. Filmmaker Misha Zubarev hosted the event. Zubarev wrote, produced and directed the film with V. Ulea as co-writer and co-director, and Vad Chariton composed the musical score based on Zubarev’s original song “Remember the Day.” This Ariella Media production is currently being submitted to national and international film festivals. 
   
Although the film deviates from the book, it pays tribute to the spirit of the original source. Richard Vernon and Debra Lord Cooke portray Harry and Elizabeth, who were married for twenty-four years before their divorce. Nancy Lombardo and George Bettinger play Elizabeth’s friends. 

In his review of this movie, film critic Richard Jack Smith writes, “As a hopeless romantic, I instantly warmed to the connection made by Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence. Their stunning memoir It Had To Be Us took chances that traditional love stories don’t. For one, the characters come across as idiosyncratic and well developed. Also, there’s Misha Zubarev’s filmmaking sensibility in translating this narrative to the big screen.  A collaboration with V. Ulea on script and direction, Cake: A Love Story reveals hope at the end of a long breakup.”

According to film critic Nell Minow, the Movie Mom®, “This endearing love story proves that love is lovelier the second time around, especially if it is with the same person you loved the first time.”

Priscilla Leona, radio host of Question Reality, calls Cake: A Love Story “a charming, light-hearted, easy-going romantic comedy that delivers lots of smiles, a few good chuckles and ton of tears, for me, at the end.”

 It Had To Be Us won First Place in the E-book category at the Hollywood Book Festival, where awards were given to books with the most potential to be transferred to other media such as film and television. The memoir also received a Five-Star rating from Romantic Times Magazine. The Lawrences donate their authors’ royalties to THE IMAGINATION LIBRARY, a children’s literacy project sponsored by the Dollywood Foundation.  

IT HAD TO BE US

(Originally published by SANDS Publishing)
Extended Kindle E-Book published by Long Story Short Publishing Company, Inc.
ISBN: B003WEAIXU

Available at Amazon’s Kindle Store for $5.99

Press Contacts: 

Denise Cassino (dencassino@gmail.com) 

Betty Jo Tucker (bettyjotucker@reeltalkreviews.com) 

Cake: A Love Story Update

My husband and I are very excited the short film Cake: A Love Story, based on our romantic memoir It Had To Be Us, is almost completed. Co-director/writer (with V. Ulea) Misha Zubarev is finishing up with postproduction now and should have a rough cut for us to view soon. 

He has also posted about the film on the Ariella Media site. This is so exciting! Take a look at Debra Lord Cooke and Richard Vernon as Elizabeth and Harry (we wrote the memoir under the pen names of Harry & Elizabeth Lawrence) by clicking on the link below. 

http://ariellamedia.net/portfolio/cake/ 

A Whirlwind Renewed Romance!

Many thanks to Ronald Hull for his wonderful recent review of IT HAD TO BE US, the award-winning romantic memoir my husband and I wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence. Hull calls our book “a whirlwind renewed romance with energy and adventure reminding one of The Graduate.”

We love that comment because it includes one of our favorite movies!

Hull concludes his review with the following recommendation:

“I highly recommend this short read -- with its gentle respect for love and sometimes wisecracking humor -- for those that wish they had a second chance at love, and anyone who is interested in a true romance story.”

Hull’s complete review is posted on Amazon.com in the Kindle E-book section as well as on the AuthorsDen site.

(Ronald W. Hull is the author of Hanging by a Thread, his autobiography, as well as six other books of fiction.)

A Gift of Appreciation

In appreciation of my Movie Addict Headquarters friends and fans, IT HAD TO BE US, the award-winning romantic memoir my husband and I wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence, is FREE at the Amazon Kindle store today and through February 7th. We hope you enjoy this early Valentine gift! 

Below is the link with more information.

 http://tinyurl.com/hq48g4a  

Two Romantic Christmases

Showbiz stars George and Lizette Bettinger made two Christmases from the past come to life again on Movie Addict Headquarters yesterday. These talented actors read the first chapter of IT HAD TO BE US, a romantic memoir now in the early stages of film development. They play co-authors Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence in this special audio version of Chapter One, which deals with how two holiday seasons help the estranged Lawrences begin a journey back to each other after being divorced for almost twenty years.

IT HAD TO BE US won first place in the Ebook category at the Hollywood Book Festival for its potential to be transferred to other mediums such as film, radio and TV. With the help of BlogTalkRadio listeners during the launch of the Kinle version three years ago, the memoir hit Number One in the “Divorce” category for Kindle Ebooks,  and filmmaker Misha Zubarev has completed the screenplay.  

The Bettingers display their passion for bringing back the Golden Era of radio on their popular “Mom & Pop Shop Show” which airs on Dreamstream Radio each Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4 p.m. Eastern Time. George is an actor, comedian, producer, writer and director. He’s won acclaim for his uncanny impressions including Groucho Marx, George Burns and the Three Stooges but may be best known as the voice of the red M&M. Lizette is a versatile actress and soprano singer with experience at the Metropolitan Opera. George and Lizette are truly Mr. & Mrs. Showbiz!

Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence donate their author royalties from IT HAD TO BE US (published by the Long Story Short Publishing Company) to the IMAGINATION LIBRARY, a children’s literacy program sponsored by the Dollywood Foundation.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Harry & Elizabeth Lawrences are the pen names my husband and I used in writing IT HAD TO BE US.

LINK TO LISTEN: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/movieaddictheadquarters/2015/12/01/remembering-two-romantic-christmases   

   

Another Rave Review

Thanks to film critic R.J. Smith for posting his enthusiastic reactions to It Had To Be Us,  the romantic memoir my husband and I wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence, on Amazon.com. Below is an excerpt from his Five-Star review titled “The Stuff Love Is Made Of.”

A funny and original memoir, overflowing with detail from both sides of the love story. For this special romantic odyssey, Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence take turns illuminating events, often shedding light on little moments which the other person might have missed. From their initial encounter to scenes both light and heavy, it's a narrative bathed in the glow of Technicolor. The potential for a feature length motion picture is strong here. After this short love affair ends, we get some excellent appendices. Readers can indulge themselves in a tasty selection of movie treats, including well-written critiques of romantic fare such as “Music and Lyrics” and “Love Actually.”  You'll laugh and wish that all true stories could be this enchanting.

We are very happy that R.J. enjoyed our Kindle e-book! And, by the way, this month our publisher Denise Cassino has created an Anniversary Re-Launch for this novella, complete with bonus items. Just click on the link below for details and for how to access them.

www.bettyjotucker.com 

Screenplay Progress

What a great way to end 2013! The first official screenplay adaption of It Had To Be Us, the award-winning romantic memoir my husband and I co-wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence, is completed. And filmmaker Misha Zubarev has done a terrific job! 

Although our little book is written in a He Remembers/She Remembers format, Misha has used his cinematic talents to make the story more visual and to update the time period. He's also focused on the humorous elements of "Harry and Elizabeth's" journey back to each other after being divorced and estranged for almost 20 years. 

The Ebook edition of It Had To Be Us won a first place at the Hollywood Book Festival a few years ago because of its potential to be transferred to other media like radio and film. Here's hoping this is the beginning step toward becoming a motion picture!

Thanks to Misha Zubarev for his extraordinary dedication to this special project. 

Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Showbiz!

I want to give a big shout out to George and Lizette Bettinger for their contribution to our "Two Christmases" show on Movie Addict Headquarters yesterday. The Bettingers read the Christmas section of IT HAD TO BE US, the romantic memoir my husband and I wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence, which is now being adapted for the screen by filmmaker Misha Zubarev. I call George and Lizette Mr. and Mrs. Showbiz because of their diverse talents. They are a fun couple with a passion for bringing back the Golden Age of Radio in their popular Mom and Pop Shop show on DreamStream radio. George is an actor, comedian, producer, writer and director. He's won acclaim for his uncanny impressions including Groucho Marx, George Burns and The Three Stooges but may be best known as the voice of the red M&M. Lizette is a versatile actress and soprano with experience at the Metropolitan Opera. They are both quite believable as Harry and Elizabeth in this special audio interpretation. Producer Nikki Starr says, "It was a beautiful show and I even got teared up -- I loved it!" An archived segment is now available at the Movie Addict Headquarters page on BlogTalkRadio.

Funny Essay

Harry and Elizabeth, who knew each other slightly, were lucky to receive assigned seats across from each other at the end of two aisles in the back of their high school World History class. This enabled them to pass notes without the teacher knowing it, and Harry always went out of his way to make Elizabeth laugh. During one class session, the teacher asked the students to write a short essay about Scotland. So Harry very quickly wrote a short one, then passed it to Elizabeth.

SCOTLAND by Harry Lawrence

Scotland is a land filled with Scots. For example, many Scotch people live there. You can tell they are Scotch because even the men wear colorful skirts, which they call “kilts.”

It’s important to mention that Scotland can be found close to Great Britain. However, this land should not be confused with Ireland, which is also close to England (Great Britain). There are very few Scotch people in Ireland, which is the homeland for most Irish people and their leprechauns (tiny green men with pots of gold) instead.

Although Scotland can be considered part of Europe (a continent close to Asia), it does not appear connected to that particular continent. Anyone who wants to get to Europe from Scotland has to fly or travel by boat. But it’s well-known the Scotch people don’t like to spend much money. That’s probably why they don’t buy expensive tickets to Europe and prefer to stay at home in Scotland listening to their bagpipe music.

After learning all this about Scotland, I feel lucky to live in the United States of America.

Elizabeth couldn’t contain herself and laughed too loud at what Harry wrote, probably because of her Irish/Scottish roots. She didn’t give the piece of paper back to Harry fast enough, so both of them were chastised by the teacher, who smiled slyly when she read Harry’s SCOTLAND ESSAY. Happily, she didn’t change the seating arrangements, so Harry and Elizabeth continued communicating with each other and becoming friends during the class all that semester – but they were more careful after this incident.

(Find out more about HARRY AND ELIZABETH LAWRENCE by reading their award-winning romantic memoir, IT HAD TO BE US, available from Amazon’s Kindle Store.)

HAPPY ST. PAT'S DAY!

Pre-Valentine's Day Show

On February 12, Movie Addict Headquarters will present a special pre-Valentine’s Day episode focusing on romantic films reviewed in “It Had To Be Us,” the award-winning romantic memoir my hubby and I co-wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence. Filmmaker Misha Zubarev, publisher Denise Cassino, Movie Mom Nell Minow and comedian Nancy Lombardo have been invited to join the discussion, and a book giveaway is also scheduled. Movies to be covered include such films as Return to Me, Love Actually, Tristan and Isolde, Music and Lyrics, Beyond Borders, The Fountain, and Moulin Rouge!

“A Romance with Movies” airs live on BlogTalkRadio at 4 p.m. Eastern Time (1 p.m. Pacific Time) on Tuesday, February 12, 2013. During the live show, listeners are invited to call in and to participate in a chat. An archived segment will also be available.

CALL-IN NUMBER: 646-478-5668

LINK TO LISTEN:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/movieaddictheadquarters/2013/02/12/a-romance-with-movies 

Thanks to The Romance Studio

My husband and I want to thank The Romance Studio for featuring IT HAD TO BE US this month. Included in this extensive feature article about the award-winning romantic memoir we co-wrote under under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence are: Misha Zubarev's lovely sizzle reel; a revealing interview; a romantic excerpt; and selected review blurbs -- plus links to my website and the Amazon Kindle order page. 

Here’s the link:

http://www.theromancestudio.com/who10.php

Enjoy!

Hooray for Book Luvin' Babes!

My hubby and I greatly appreciate Dana Taylor’s recent comments about the award-winning romantic memoir we co-wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence. Dana posted the following on the Book Luvin’ Babes website -- and even included an excerpt from our book:

Some books just stick with you. I read the short and wonderful romantic memoir IT HAD TO BE US by Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence several years ago and interviewed Elizabeth for my radio show. I still remember the charming he said/she said style of this true story of two people once married, once divorced, married to others, widowed, and how they came together again. Now available to the world as an ebook, it will surely make its way to the bestseller list. Enjoy this excerpt!

To read the entire post, just click on the link below:http://www.bookluvinbabes.com/it-had-to-be-us-unique-and-delightful

Coffee Time Romance

                       
I’m pleased to be today’s “Thursday Thirteen” blogger for Coffee Time Romance. When asked to blog about any thirteen things of interest to me, I couldn’t resist listing 13 romantic films from IT HAD TO BE US, the award-winning memoir my hubby and I co-wrote under the pseudonyms of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence. I also included information about our screenplay contest, mostly because the deadline for entries is July 1st. Here’s the link to this “Coffee Thoughts” blog for today:

http://coffeetimeromance.com/CoffeeThoughts/13-romantic-movies-in-it-had-to-be-us/

Our Valentine Book

Where can you find a heartfelt true love story, some yummy recipes and over 20 reviews of favorite romantic films -- all in one package? Only in the expanded KINDLE version of IT HAD TO BE US, the award-winning romantic memoir my husband and I co-wrote which is now available at the Amazon Kindle store. If you don't have a Kindle device, Amazon has free software you can download which enables you to read the book on your computer.

Nancy Lombardo, host of Comedy Concepts on BlogTalkRadio, calls our story "A Recipe for Love" in her recent rave review. She also says the book is "a wonderfully touching homage to love -- sweet, honest and filled with hope -- a great gift for Valentine's Day, so share it with someone you love."

Because I don't eat anything that once had a face, I added some delicious vegetarian recipes to our book, and that's probably why Nancy used "Recipe" in her review title. As a movie addict, I gave most of the recipes film-related monikers, such as "Oscar-Worthy Nachos." However, my hubby is still a carnivore, so he fries up a bit of hamburger and mixes it into his own servings of our "4-Star Chili" and "Thumbs-Up Spaghetti," which proves that vegetarians and carnivores can live together in harmony, at least in our house.

About those romantic films, I know many are highly predictable and not very entertaining, but my husband and I still have a lot of favorites, so we included reviews of several excellent ones, such as Love Actually, Pride & Prejudice and Kate & Leopold. It was fun compiling our list, even though we frequently disagreed while making the selections.

For more information about IT HAD TO BE US, click on the link below.

http://bit.ly/bjFCtr

Happy Valentine's Day!

It Had To Be Us Again

Entertainment journalist and publisher Diana Saenger calls It Had To Be Us “the little book that could.” I think she’s referring to the way this short romantic memoir my husband and I co-wrote (under the pseudonyms of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence) keeps getting a new life. Diana’s company (SANDS) first published It Had To Be Us as a paperback in 2001, then Laura Mills-Alcott of The Romance Club turned it into an E-book, and now Long Story Short Publishing accepted an expanded version which will be available soon on Amazon’s KINDLE.

In this latest reincarnation, It Had To Be Us includes an amusing new honeymoon revelation plus a section devoted to some of Harry and Elizabeth’s favorite romantic movies.

It Had To Be Us won first place in the E-book category at the 2006 Hollywood Book Festival. It also earned a coveted Psyche Award nomination and a 5-Hearts review from The Romance Studio the following year.

Thanks to Denise Cassino of Long Story Short Publishing for her belief in the continued appeal of our real-life story about the power of love.

Best Love Story

Thanks to RuneMissy Dani for her enthusiastic comments about IT HAD TO BE US, the little romantic memoir my husband and I co-wrote under the pseudonyms of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence. Here is an excerpt from the e-mail message she sent me last week:

Your life is like the best love story that I have ever read. Your hubby is now ‘in touch with his feelings!’ I can tell that you both have true and long-lasting appreciation and love for each other. I am so touched and hope that one day I can look at my relationship and say that I have the same. Thank you for this wonderful book. I have saved it to my computer to re-read when I need to feel romanced!

RuneMissy Dani, a nature-based believer, hosts “Spell-a-Day” on BlogTalkRadio. Her helpful show airs daily at noon Eastern Time. Archived segments are also available at this link:

www.blogtalkradio.com/runemissy.

The E-Book version of IT HAD TO BE US, published by The Romance Club, won first place in the E-Book category at the 2006 Hollywood Book Festival. For more information, please go to:

www.bettyjotucker.com/Ithadtobeus.html

Miss Lafalot Loves "It Had To Be Us"

My husband and I recently received a beautiful e-mail message from Miss Lafalot, a BTR Host/Certified Laughter Yoga Leader. After reading IT HAD TO BE US, the little romantic memoir we wrote under the pseudonyms Harry & Elizabeth Lawrence, she sent us the following reaction to our award-winning E-book.

A story of love re-united by pen and passion! Two people so deeply in love and aligned that even years, re-marriage and distance could not break their bond. A touching, sincere, funny, and engaging memoir, written by lovers -- from the heart. I laughed. I cried. I pondered and reflected. It's amazing!

Thanks so much, Miss Lafalot. We’re very happy you enjoyed IT HAD TO BE US.

Miss Lafalot does an awesome job helping listeners start out the day with laughter each Tuesday through Friday morning on BlogTalkRadio. Here’s a link to her fun show:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fourdirectionslaughradio

CAPA Award Nomination

My husband and I are very pleased that IT HAD TO BE US, the little romantic memoir we wrote under the pseudonyms of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence, has received a nomination in The Romance Studio’s fourth annual Cupid and Psyche Awards program.

The CAPA Awards are given for excellence in romantic fiction, and although our E-Book does not quality as “fiction,” it’s been nominated for a Psyche Award, a category for romances that do not meet the nomination criteria but deserve special recognition.

Winners will be announced on Valentine’s Day, 2008.

A free copy of our E-book can be obtained by making a donation of any amount to the IMAGINATION LIBRARY at this link: http://www.theromanceclub.com/imagination/default.htm.

Happy New Year!