Fine, Jerramy Sage 1977-

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Fine, Jerramy Sage 1977-

PERSONAL:

Born 1977, in Denver, CO. Education: University of Rochester, B.A.; London School of Economics, M.A.

ADDRESSES:

Home—London, England. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Author. Worked for the Guinness World Records firm.

WRITINGS:

Someday My Prince Will Come: True Adventures of a Wannabe Princess (memoir), Gotham (New York, NY), 2008.

SIDELIGHTS:

Jerramy Sage Fine was born in 1977, in Denver, Colorado. She grew up there with her hippie parents and a younger brother named Ezra, but always felt that she did not quite fit with her family. A devoted Anglophile who adores all things having to do with the British royal family, Fine maintains that there is a very good chance that a mix-up occurred at the hospital, and that in reality she is the child of English aristocrats. However, as no one ever appeared to claim her as their long-lost daughter, Fine made do with what she had. She attended the University of Rochester, and spent a semester abroad in London, England, where she was fortunate to work in the House of Commons. After graduating, she moved to London full time and attended the London School of Economics. Once she completed her degree, she stayed in England and began to write. Fine's first book idea involved her experiences working for the Guinness World Records company. The company, though, threatened to sue, and Fine's publisher ultimately backed out of the deal and dropped the project. Fine, however, was not to be discouraged, and began to work on her memoir, Someday My Prince Will Come: True Adventures of a Wannabe Princess.

Someday My Prince Will Come recounts Fine's desire to become a princess. Fascinated by British royalty, she decided when she was just nine years old that Peter Philips, the eldest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II, would make the perfect husband. The dream ultimately served as the catalyst for her studying abroad and eventually moving to London. Over the course of the book, Fine describes her adventures in England, including a somewhat embarrassing and teary breakdown that she had outside Buckingham Palace just before publishing the book. However, most of her stories involve romantic mishaps, clothing, the etiquette practiced by the English aristocracy, and the friends she made as she settled into English life. Interestingly enough, Fine ultimately succeeds in meeting Peter Philips, the prince of her childhood fantasies, and even had the pleasure of his asking her for her phone number. However, by this point, Fine has moved on to much more realistic aspirations, which may or may not have been influenced by the realization that Peter is not actually a prince, as his father is a commoner and his mother, Princess Anne, chose to refuse her mother, Elizabeth II, when she offered to give Peter an honorary title. Although critics generally found Fine's story humorous and her writing strong, some found the overall story line somewhat narcissistic and overblown. A contributor for Kirkus Reviews declared that "her spirited determination to succeed in England almost redeems her complete lack of self-deprecation." Janine Dorsey, writing for the Tampa Tribune, commented: "If not for portraying itself as a memoir, this story might read as a charmingly goofy novel."

Fine told CA: "I've always enjoyed writing and I knew that my story was a unique and funny one—with a theme that lots of girls could relate to. There's lots of negativity and skepticism in the world these days—so most of all, I wanted my book to convey the importance of listening to your heart, holding tight to your childhood dream and believing in the impossible—no matter what those grumpy cynics out in the real world may tell you!

"When my first book was dropped after a legal row with my then employer at Guinness World Records, it was one of the toughest, most heartbreaking ordeals I have ever lived through. However, life goes on. And when you pick yourself up after something as challenging as that was, you genuinely arise with new power. For a while I was sure I would never write again, but a little voice in my heart told me to put the past behind me and give it another shot. I've never been one to ignore those voices and suddenly I realized that not only did I have the strength to write again, but I had something else to write! I like to believe that everything happens for a reason and perhaps Someday My Prince Will Come was meant to be my first book all along.

"The following authors inspire me constantly: Evelyn Waugh, Oscar Wilde, Truman Capote, Edith Warton, Nancy Mitford, Toby Young, and Helen Fielding.

"I sit down at my computer every single day. Sometimes I write one sentence. Sometimes I write an entire chapter.

"The most surprising thing I have learned as a writer is that it only takes three chapters to get a book deal!

"The message I hope readers will take from my book is that once you make a decision about something, the entire universe will conspire to help you achieve it. That each of us has the power within us to move beyond our circumstances to something greater. That fairy tales are real. That anything is possible if we believe it. And that your childhood dream is the most honest dream you'll ever have—you should honor it, do your best to indulge it, and never let anyone make fun of it."