Jane Porter's Blog, page 2

Meet Meghan Farrell: Tule’s Superwoman

I’m so excited to formally introduce you to Meghan Farrell, my right hand at Tule from the very beginning and really the heart of Tule.  Together we have weathered so many storms, from learning the business ground up (I literally just threw her into it and said, hey, can you….? And she did.  And she does.  It’s pretty remarkable what Meghan can do.)

Meghan has worked with all of our different team members, both the short timers and long timers.  She’s trained almost all of the newbies, and has overseen story acquisition for virtually every book in our catalog.  Best of all, Meghan makes sure our authors are always taken care of, and it’s her warmth and commitment to our writers that has ensured we’re still in business today.

I’m delighted to kick off my new blog series with Mehan, my first Tule staff member and the heart of the company.  Without further ado, here’s Meghan!

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Hi everyone! My name is Meghan Farrell and I am an Associate Publisher at Tule. I started my journey with Tule way back in 2013 and I oversee various departments and aspects of book production, marketing, and sales strategy to ensure profitability and strategic growth.

Now, let’s get into the q&a!

Questions:

1. What is your favorite part of working with Tule?

The people! I’m so lucky to work with passionate creatives and incredibly supportive women. From our amazing Tule team to the authors, agents, and publishing partners, everyone brings talent, dedication and a shared goal to creating high-quality books for readers.

2. What are some of the challenges/difficulties in working with Tule?

Great question. One challenge is that I’m not able to see my coworkers every day! While I love the flexibility of working remotely and collaborating with our global team, I do miss those casual, in-person chats around the water cooler and impromptu lunches, especially when queso is involved.

3. What do you specifically like to read, if you have time to pleasure read?

It varies but right now I’m really enjoying celebrity memoirs. I just finished From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough. It was fascinating.

4. What is an accomplishment you’re particularly proud of? (could be work related or not!).

One accomplishment I’m particularly proud of is becoming a mom. It has been the toughest (and I won’t forget most rewarding!) job I’ve ever done, and it has helped me grow both personally and professionally.

5. You are busy, and Tule isn’t your whole life. How do you juggle it all?

Ha! Tule is an important part of my life, but I also try for a healthy work-life balance. I rely on planning and a strong support system—both at work and at home. I’m old school and love my physical planner! I can’t leave my house without it.

(This is Jane again, and I have to share that the pic on the right is from after RWA’s last conference in NYC.  I really wanted to see a Broadway show before we left and managed to get 2 tickets to Hadestown, even though I knew nothing about it.  Meghan agreed to be my date and I was so excited…..and then was hit with one of my notorious migraines.  I wasn’t going to miss it though and poor Meghan had the great pleasure of escorting me around with my eyes streaming tears, and my hands shading my eyes.  The musical was fabulous but I vowed next time I’d see it there would be no pain.  The reason I share this?  Because I can’t imagine anyone else being so patient with me when I’m soooo very miserable.  Thank you Meghan for always being incredibly kind to me.)

Be sure to keep an eye out for upcoming interviews with the Tule team.  The next addition comes Tuesday when we chat with the spectacular Kelly Hunter.

Life Update and A Look Back at Tule’s History

Jane, where is your new book?

Ah! Such a good question. And the answer is—I don’t know. It’s not done. It’s been hard to focus.

Q. What are you doing that’s distracting you from writing?

A. Another excellent question! The truth is: everything. Family, sons moving into new abodes, Ty making some career shifts, Mac starting driver’s ed. We are just busy. But I’m also writing less as I work more and more on Tule editorial and film projects.

Most of my readers know I founded a publishing company in 2013, but a lot of authors still don’t know that Tule is ‘mine’. Tule is a real company, managed by an incredible team of publishing professionals, staff who do the hard stuff while I play publisher.

I thought it was time to give you a bit of backstory about how Tule came about—for those who don’t know– and then over the next couple of weeks highlight each of our different team members. You can also check out Tule’s about page here.

Q. So in the very beginning, how did Tule Publishing come about?

A. In 2013 I wanted to do something creative and commercially viable with my close friends, CJ Carmichael, Megan Crane and Lilian Darcy. We were all Harlequin authors and yet we wrote for different lines. We thought it would be fun to do something together, and we decided to write some loosely linked stories set in Montana.

We met up in Montana in May of 2013, and brainstormed at CJ’s Flathead Lake cottage, before piling into her car with way too much luggage (I was to blame for the too much luggage) and we hit the road, traveling across Montana to Livingston, Bozeman and throughout Paradise Valley. At CJ’s cottage and on the road, we did extensive world building, creating our own town and individual story series ideas, which became Montana Born’s 75th Copper Mountain Rodeo, and also, Tule’s first imprint.

At this point, Tule Publishing was little more than an LLC and the first imprint little more than a marketing tool so readers could find our Marietta, Montana stories easily. Marketing makes sense to me. Before I sold my first book, I was in sales and marketing for six years and then a teacher for six years, and I know how important it is for your customer to be able to find you.

This is how we added more stories to Marietta: We’d published two rodeo stories in September and then two more in October. Then we needed more stories so I reached out to Katherine Garbera at the RWA Anaheim conference and told her what we were doing and invited her to write a Christmas story for Montana Born. She, in turn, reached out to Melissa McClone who also agreed to write a Christmas story.

We just kept adding authors and stories, not just to Montana Born, but to two other newly created imprints, Holiday and then Southern Born. Our growth was really organic. Authors would find us or we’d find them, and it turned out to be a win-win for all of us. What makes Tule work is that we really wanted to be supportive of smart, successful, creative women – we wanted an environment that respected and empowered authors – without ever marginalizing them. That meant we couldn’t take every book, and it meant that we made mistakes as we learned on the job. Admittedly, not every decision, or every story, has had the sales and success we’ve wanted, but Tule’s strength is being small, flexible and focused on the goal of supporting talented authors and keeping the communication open, honest and real.

What’s next?Q. Who was Tule’s first full-time hire?

A. Tule’s first staff member was Meghan Farrell, who had just graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. She’d packed up her car after graduation and headed west, landing in San Clemente. Her mom was good friends with a friend of mine from Visalia, and was given my name as a local contact. Meghan and I met for coffee in late September 2013, and was hired almost right away. She joined Tule after our first two rodeo stories were published, but before the 2nd two, so it’s fair to say she has been here since virtually the beginning.

Stay tuned for more of Meghan’s story with Tule, coming Saturday!

Giveaway

For a chance to win the Montana Born Extravaganza, share in the comments your favorite part of the many stories set in Montana.  Contest ends on March 17th and the winner will be posted here.  Check back on the 17th for the winner!

Bad Boy…So Good!

[image error]The second novel in my Brennan Sisters trilogy, The Good Daughter, is a story about family, change, and falling in love. In this case, it’s a good girl falling in love with a bad boy story—always a classic trope.

History is full of good girls and bad boys and they say its because opposites attract. I think—being a good girl myself—it’s also the appeal of the unknown. I’m a rule follower, not because I like rules, but because I don’t like getting in trouble. I don’t like being scolded, or punished. I don’t like people disappointed in me. Bad boys don’t seem to care about being scolded. Bad boys don’t seem to have a problem with consequences. Many bad boys are so good at being bad, they don’t get caught.

I find that shocking, but also, exciting.
Being so bad, that you’re really good at it.
The good girl in me finds it impressive.

My characters Kit and Jude are much the same. She’s a bookish teacher, forty, and never married. She meets a sexy, leather-clad, inked biker that strikes her as extremely dangerous. But Kit, a high school English teacher, should know appearances are deceiving. In The Good Daughter, Kit’s going to get a reminder that leather and tattoos don’t make a man dangerous, but rather it’s what in his mind, and heart.

I asked my readers for some of their favorite good girl/bad boy stories and they included classics from Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story, and Grease to contemporary famous couple Bella and Edward from Twilight. But virtually all agreed that bad boys are interesting, and unpredictable, which is probably why they intrigue the good girl. The good girl avoids risks, the baby boy embraces them. My friend Kelly Pipes nails it when she says, bad boys tease a good girl with “a life of excitement, goose bumps and passion. They might scare you, but damn, they keep you interested.”

One of my readers, fell in love with her husband because he was a bad boy, who was also “adventure, spontaneity, fun, and…he brought color to my black and white world.” She said twenty years later, he still does.

I really do think that’s the appeal. Color. Excitement. Energy. Adventure. Fun.

Let’s face it. The bad boy has enough excitement in his life. He needs some stability, and dependability, and that’s the good girl. She’s smart, honest, and sweet. As well as desperately in need of a good time.

The good girl has a hard letting her hair down, and the bad boy won’t ever let her put it up.

The good girl doesn’t like to move fast. The bad boy doesn’t know how to take it slow.

This is where we writers have fun—the conflict, the tension, the sparks that fly. Readers love the sparks, too. They like the sizzle and the seduction and how the good girl isn’t sure she can handle that bad boy, but once the bad boy is hooked, there’s no way he’s ever going to walk away from his girl.

It is romance at its hottest and sweetest—naughty, charming, wistful, and thrilling. Best of all, these two people really need each other, and when it works, there’s nothing better because they can both learn so much from the other. She gets adventure and excitement. He gets tenderness and integrity. And they both get really hot sex.

Heaven on earth.

Giveaway
Have you ever fallen in love with a bad boy? How did it work out? Share with me for a chance to win a fun bad boy giveaway! The winner will be announced a week from today.

Because Truth Matters

I read some things yesterday–both here in comments on my blog, as well as on FB– that wasn’t accurate and I just wanted to share some facts regarding immigrants and their impact on our economy and taxes.

Quite often, unless someone is a lawyer, or works in immigration, we rely on media to give us facts. I did research last night with the help of an immigration attorney friend. These are federal laws, and different states (like California) may pass different laws.

1) Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for free healthcare in the United States. They are generally ineligible for federally funded programs, including: Medicaid, CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program), Medicare, and ACA Marketplaces.

2) Illegal immigrants are not eligible for welfare benefits in the United States.

3) Illegal immigrants are not eligible for food stamps (SNAP). (However, certain lawfully present non-citizens may be eligible, including those with eligible immigration status.)

4) Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for housing assistance.

5) Illegal immigrants’ children are not eligible, either, not even DACA (or the Dreamers Act.)

However….

Undocumented immigrants have the right to a free public education in the United States. This is due to the 1982 Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe, which prohibits public schools from charging tuition to children who are new arrivals in the country.

And illegal immigrants DO impact our taxes:

Undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2022. Most of that amount, $59.4 billion, was paid to the federal government while the remaining $37.3 billion was paid to state and local governments.

I am now going to get offline and write and create a lovely fictional world where everything works out happily in the end.  But I would be remiss not to care, passionately, about real human beings and the quality of their lives, whether citizens or undocumented immigrants.  Having read the Bible several times all the way through, and decades of Bible study classes, Christ’ message is very clear, as is the Old Testament on how one is to treat the foreigner.

Matthew 25:35

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me”.

Leviticus 19:33-34

“You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself”.

I’ll be back tomorrow to talk about book stuff (the fun of bad boys) but until then, much much love.  May we have each others backs, may we walk in love, may we have hearts that are open to Him.

Having a Hard Time Breathing

There’s nothing wrong with my lungs or body.  This is a heart thing.  A soul thing.  I hurt, I fear, I feel.

I grew up in Tulare County in California’s Central Valley.  Miles of farm land surrounded my hometown.  You couldn’t get to the next town without driving past and through dairies, farms, ranches.  You’d see laborers in the field year round.  Planting, harvesting, pruning, irrigating.  These were not white people bent over, picking and carrying.  These were migrants and others who took jobs most white residents didn’t want.  Too much pride.  And frankly, it was far too physically demanding.  Who wants to do back breaking work?  Isn’t that too much like folks in cotton fields?  Poor folks, uneducated folks, folks not like us.

I grew up with Greeks, Armenians, Dutch, Portuguese, Hmong, Mexicans.  I went to school with all of them.  And I never once thought to ask, or care, if they were legal, or if their parents were legal.  The kids I knew came from hardworking families and whether brown, white, black they were all contributing.  Did any of these kids belong to gangs?  I’m sure.  We had all kinds of gangs, too.  Not just Mexican.  There were rough white groups that felt their supremacy.  There are always groups that want to flex and dominate.

But those people are in the minority.  Those are not the families, and parents, and grandparents who have worked their entire lives to give their children opportunities they didn’t know back ‘home’, wherever that home was.  I was always so proud to be an American because my America in my Central Valley was diverse.  It was special.  It was a point of pride that we could all be different but come together and be one nation, under God.

ICE has no place in my Central California, or my California.  The Native American tribes were here first, and the Mexicans, and the Spaniards.  We have never been a lily white Jamestown, God fearing Christians fleeing from religious persecution.  California is a land of land…acreage, farms, ranches, and the people to turn this land into something that can feed and clothe America.

I mean, sure, ICE, round up the criminals, the ones that committed violent crimes, but not the ones that are defined as criminal because they came here illegally.  Not the people I have known my entire life, people who filled my classroom as fellow students, and then later as my students at St. Helen’s in Clovis, a school where the majority of my students came from Spanish speaking homes, and so many of the parents worked two jobs–in the fields and canneries–to send their kids to Catholic school because they too wanted the American dream.

Here’s the thing.  ICE isn’t just getting the violent criminals despite what President Trump says.  ICE has quotas.  ICE has to meet those quotas, just like the highway patrol has quotas each month, too.

There’s no need to come to me or at me with your reasons why what is happening is good.  If you’re a citizen you have the luxury to say it’s good.  You have no fear.  You have safety.  But I love people, real people, not just the wealthy and the privileged, and those who can sit in a high tower above the pain.  I choose the people.  I choose the pain.  I would rather love with those that Christ loved, then turn a blind eye and think oh well, it had to be done.

Did it?

Did it, really.

 

 

Books I’m Reading & Authors I Love

If you follow me on social media, or belong to my private group on Facebook, you’ll know my favorite books to read are historical romances, specifically Regency and Victorian, but not necessarily the super hot ones.  (Although I did like those when I was younger.)

Now when I read I want books that remind me of Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer, and others that capture the time period and social mores.  I love the houses, manors, villages, elegant London neighborhoods.  I’m fascinated by the rules and restrictions, the clothes, the challenges, the discomforts associated with travel and courtship.

And most of all, I love the families–both good and bad.

I’m sharing with you a partial list of favorite authors that I never miss.  I pre-order them, and wait months–sometimes a year–for each to release.

Sensational Mimi Matthews (her indie books hooked me, and now she’s also big at Berkley)British author Mary KingswoodThe brilliant and witty Christina DudleyAustralian author Anne GracieDG RamptonSuzanne AllainSophie HollowayJudith Hale Everett

Authors I’ve discovered in the past year that wrote ‘early Regencies’,  probably many were for Signet Romance–books that are definitely not spicy.  Some have held up better than others over time and yet I enjoy them immensely.

 Alice Chetwynd Ley  (1913-2004)Charlotte Louise Dolan  (1943-2024)

I used to read a lot of books by these sweet and clean historical authors, but having read nearly everything these authors wrote, I’ve taken a break while they publish new stories.

Sarah E LaddJulie KlassenJennie GoutetSarah M. Eden

And then of course Loretta Chase, Mary Balogh, Lorraine Heath, Lisa Kleypas and oh so many more!

What do you like to read?   Who are your favorite authors?  Who is the last author you binge-read?

Share with me for a chance to win two signed JP books, a gift card, and lots of fun Valentine treats.  Winner announced Tuesday.

 

 

Love Thy Neighbor

Good morning everyone.

I’m finding it hard to settle down to write.  So many thoughts that aren’t related to fiction and romance.  It’s a tough time in our country right now.

America is full of diversity, and different opinions, as I’m sure it has been for the past one hundred years.  People believe different things.  They have different faith.  They come from different cultures.  They have unique dreams.  I can accept that we are not the same, but I’m incredibly uncomfortable with how we shame those who don’t believe the same thing.  It’s bullying.  Even when it’s ‘well-intentioned’.

A racist doesn’t stop being racist simply because you label him so, never mind in a public forum.

A liberal doesn’t become conservative after being mocked as a snowflake.

Using one’s platform to say, “stop following me if you disagree” creates a bigger divide.

It will be interesting to see what the next four years bring.  I’m already exhausted rather than elated.  I’m not comfortable with any president seizing so much power.  I don’t believe there was a clear ‘mandate’ for tearing apart, and firing, so many federal employees.  DEI isn’t just about the color of one’s skin (and if that’s your issue with DEI, then well, I will pray for you).  It’s about diversity and inclusion in all its forms:  children with different learning abilities, isolated seniors in need of access to mental health care, and those damn curb cuts that allow people in wheelchairs to cross a street.

The world is filled with people of differences, and those differences should be respected and protected.  Christ has called us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  But love isn’t that easy for Americans anymore.  Love is maybe the most challenging thing we do.

Exploring Jane Porter’s Captivating World of Romance and Drama

Hello all! I’m I’m Jaiden, a somewhat recent fan of Jane’s work with a soft spot for the relationships, charm, and relatable characters she weaves into her stories. I’ll be popping by about once a month or so to chat all things Jane—from her novels and characters to book reviews and Q&As. I’m excited to dive into some fun discussions, share my thoughts, and hear yours too!

Jane Porter has carved a special place for herself in the world of romance and drama, captivating readers with her rich storytelling and deeply emotional characters. Known for her ability to blend heartfelt romance with layers of personal growth and dramatic twists, Porter’s books have the power to make readers laugh, cry, and feel all the emotions in between. Whether you’re a fan of second-chance romance, sizzling chemistry, or the healing power of love, her stories offer something for everyone.

What sets Jane Porter apart is her exceptional ability to craft characters who feel like real people, facing real struggles—yet always finding hope and love in the process. From fierce, independent women seeking redemption to rugged heroes battling their own demons, her characters are flawed, relatable, and ultimately unforgettable. The stakes in her novels are never just about romance; they’re about personal transformation, forgiveness, and the search for happiness, even in the most challenging of circumstances.

In Porter’s world, romance is never just an easy fairy tale. It’s complex, layered, and always infused with drama—whether it’s family secrets, past heartbreaks, or misunderstandings that need to be healed. What makes her books so compelling is that they explore how love, in its many forms, can change people and help them become the best versions of themselves.

As a writer, Porter has a knack for weaving intricate emotional arcs that keep readers hooked from start to finish. Her books are a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with moments of passion, vulnerability, and triumph. And no matter the genre or setting—whether it’s a cowboy romance or a sophisticated, high-society drama—her stories always have heart.

Article written by Jaiden Colling

Aloha from Hawaii!

Hi everyone!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m in Hawaii for the Tule Author Retreat we have been planning for the past 18 months.   Weather has not been cooperating–rain, thunder, lightning, wind–sandwiched between gorgeous sunrises and sunsets.  I didn’t pack particularly well.  Should have brought a light rain jacket, and probably sweat pants and a sweatshirt for the evening just to be extra cozy.  I thought I’d packed my hair iron, but can’t find that, either.  Some of our events have become a little, well…drenched…but that is so much like life, and publishing, that I’m more amused than regretful.

In life, we actually control so little.  We’re mostly here for the ride, and when I embrace the ride, and the adventure of it all, I do well.  It’s when I’m trying to hang on tightly, fighting to retain control and keep things just the way I want them to be, or need them to be, the unhappiness sets in.

Last Saturday night I hosted a special dinner for the Tule Publishing team and its founding authors at Roy’s in Hawaii Kai.  As I sat at the table of 8 and looked around at my friends, people I have admired, respected and loved for many years, I felt so much happiness, peace, and gratitude.  It was the same for me at Christmas when my family gathered, and I just looked at those lovely faces I love so much.  I am sure you know by now I am truly, deeply grateful not for things, but people.  My people.  Those who add so much value and meaning to my life.

You are all part of my world, too, and you also bring meaning and value to it.  Thank you for being along for the ride, this great adventure with all its ups and downs.  I am sending you love, and promise to let you know when my next release, A Soldier’s Promise, is out.  (Which I hope is late February/early March.)

Yours,

Jane

A Q&A with Jane about Flirting with Fifty

Tell us a little bit about your book, FLIRTING WITH FIFTY. Is it connected at all to FLIRTING WITH FORTY?

No, there is no connection between the books. I think my publisher chose to go with Flirting with Fifty as a title because it features a woman turning fifty, but the title would also resonate with my readers who’d enjoyed Flirting with Forty.

Flirting with Fifty is about Paige, a strong, smart, successful divorced woman who is quite happy being single, and isn’t interested in dating or marriage because it would require compromising, and she’s done enough of that in her life. But in Paige’s desire to be safe, she’s also somewhat stuck and a little too risk-averse. Enter popular, handsome world traveler and renowned scientist Dr. Jack King, and everything changes pretty quickly. And probably far too quickly for our cautious Paige!

Do you have a favorite character in FLIRTING WITH FIFTY?

I always love a great hero, and Jack is certainly a great hero. He’s smart, witty, kind, and interesting—and while he isn’t a classic alpha, he’s still very strong and able to handle himself in all kinds of environments which I find sexy. I love that men—like women—get more interesting as they get older and I’ve loved writing mature men in this series.

Favorite secondary character?

Probably Elizabeth, Paige’s best friend. They grew up together in Paso Robles and both became professors, although Elizabeth is an English professor and Paige is math professor. I love women’s friendships, and friendships that go back years where you really know someone, and can poke fun of someone, and make someone laugh. Friendship can save a soul—and we need our girlfriends, especially as we keep ‘growing up.’ but also truly care about that person, wanting the best for them.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

I would like to remind my readers that they’re never too old to love, to fall in love, or to feel cherished and valuable.  I worry that mature women in our Western society aren’t treated with as much respect and appreciation as they should be.  America, particularly, is a very commercial, consumer society that elevates youth and beauty over wisdom and maturity.  But truthfully, a mature woman is incredibly inspiring, interesting, and exciting.  I want my books to empower women, and validate them, whether they’re single or married, dating or grieving.  I don’t want to sound preachy, but women deserve entertainment that makes them feel good.

If you could only pick one of your books, other than this one, for a romance reader unfamiliar with your work, which one would you pick? And why?

I think Flirting with the Beast, the second book in my Modern Love series from Berkley, is a book that is very me, and a great introduction to my stories. I also have a huge soft spot for my Rita nominated story, Miracle on Chance Avenue, as it’s an achy breaky kind of story, where two people desperately need, and deserve, an HEA, and they desperately need, and deserve, each other. I love books where love is fated…and where the hero and heroine can’t have their happy ever after until they meet each other.

Giveaway!
For a chance to win a Flirting with Fifty giveaway, tell us what you’ve learned as you’ve matured. What is something you appreciate now that you didn’t before? Winner announced one week from today.