Jane Porter's Blog, page 24

Featured Author: Tessa Dare

I am sooooo excited to welcome Tessa Dare to my blog today!  I’m a huge fan of Tessa’s historical romances.  As you can tell from my Pinterest board titled “Historical Romance Junkie” this genre is my favorite for pleasure reading, and I’m a demanding reader.  I want fantastic characters in a story, and a terrific plot, something that’s fresh, and interesting.  I want emotion, I want passion, but I don’t want to see the author…I’m not interested in author while reading.  I just want great story.  And that’s what Tessa Dare does.

So, back in mid March when I met  Tessa at the So Cal RWA conference in March, I gushed about her writing, and her books, and told her I was a massive fan.  And Tessa (the lovely, lovely girl!) had her publicist send me an advanced reading copy of Any Duchess Will Do, her brand new historical that releases today.

I devoured my ARC of Any Duchess Will Do over my Spring Break, and it was one of my favorite books I’ve read this year.  I’ve been dancing about, waiting for May 28th to arrive, to share Tessa Dare with all of you.

Today is the official release day for Any Duchess Will Do, and I’m thrilled Tessa made time to be featured on my blog.  Everyone, please join me in welcoming the fabulous Tessa Dare!

Tessa, welcome!   So happy today is the big release day of Any Duchess Will Do.  I know you’re very busy, so thank you for agreeing to answer my questions.  

Here we go:  name five items sitting on your desk right now.

My trusty MacBook Air.
Blue-ink Papermate Profile pens (I’m picky about my pens) and a red Moleskin notebook
Fossils from my trip to Sussex, England (setting of my Spindle Cove series)
A candle with a Jane Austen quote, given to me by a lovely reader
An enormous book about English castles.  I swear, it weighs ten pounds.

What’s your astrological sign?

Scorpio – which is supposed to mean intense, mysterious, passionate.  I guess maybe the “passionate” part is somewhat accurate, since I write romance novels.  As for “mysterious”?  All I can say is that once when I was a teenager, a cute, slightly older guy said to me, “You seem like the kind of person who would like to imagine she’s mysterious.  But you’re really not.”   Ha!  Sadly, I think he was spot-on.  I’d like to imagine I’m mysterious, but I’m really not.

What do you do in your spare time?

Most of my spare time is devoted to hanging out with my husband and two kids.  We do the usual family stuff—parks, video games, trips to zoos and museums.  Disneyland is practically in our backyard, so it’s a family favorite.  When I’m not with the family, I love enjoying our California scenery on long walks and hikes, or getting together with friends for dinner or a movie.

Rock or country music?

I definitely grew up more of a rock music girl—I tend toward alternative rock/pop, mostly.  Songs in heavy rotation on my iTunes playlist this month include tracks from Imagine Dragons, Foo Fighters (perennial favorite!), the Neighbourhood, and Capital Cities.  But I’m gaining more and more appreciation for country music lately, especially since so many country songs tell a story.

Favorite ice cream flavor?

Haagen-Dazs chocolate peanut butter.  No hesitation.

Drama or comedy?

My favorite books, movies, and TV shows always combine both.  I love a story that can make me laugh out loud, but also feel deep emotions.  Those are the kinds of stories I try to write.

Tell us what your new book is about, in 2 or 3 sentences.

The hero of Any Duchess Will Do is Griffin York, the Duke of Halford, who’s been the quintessential Regency rake, or playboy.  His mother, desperate for grandchildren, kidnaps him to Spindle Cove—a village full of unmarried, unconventional women—and tells him just pick a girl, any girl, and she will make that girl into a duchess.  Annoyed, Griff decides to call his interfering mother’s bluff—he chooses the serving girl, Pauline Simms, who is impoverished, smart-mouthed, and the furthest thing from elegant.  If you’ve ever seen My Fair Lady, Pretty Woman, or Cinderella…you can guess where this is going!

Was there anyone or anything that helped inspire you to be a writer?

I grew up reading anything I could get my hands on, and my family moved a lot.  I spent a lot of time in libraries, and as I got older, bookstores.  Those book-filled places were a second home to me, and I know I wouldn’t be a writer today without them.  That’s why I made Pauline an aspiring bookshop-owner in Any Duchess Will Do, and I wrote this dedication:  “To librarians and booksellers everywhere, who gather books and build shelters for tender souls.”  Mine was a tender soul, and I owe a lot to the people who offered me shelter.

What do you love most about being a writer?

Since books have always been so important in my life—I’ve been a reader, a bookseller, an editor, and a librarian—I love being able to complete that circle and be part of the creation of new stories.  It’s a privilege.  The best part of the job is hearing from readers.  Even if they just write to tell me a book made them laugh when they needed a laugh, or entertained them while they waited for a flight delay.  I never get over the thrill.  My characters get to be a part of someone else’s life?  So. Cool.

~~

Friends and readers, do check out Tessa’s website for more information on her new release and also look for her exciting new novella, Beauty and the Blacksmith!  In honor of  Tessa’s release day, I’ve got a fun giveaway for you, which includes 2 Tessa Dare novels, a $10 Barnes & Noble card, a $5 Starbucks drink card and lots more fun goodies tucked into a JP reader bag.   If you love great historical romances, enter to win this giveaway.  The contest runs through Friday, with the winner announced Saturday morning, June 1st.

Original article: Featured Author: Tessa Dare

©2013 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Brenda Novak Auction

As you know, I love to donate to Brenda Novak’s Diabetes Auction and I’m doing it again this year.  I used to be an Executive Director for the American Diabetes Association as this is a cause close to my heart.  Diabetes runs in my family and I love helping Brenda in what she’s doing.  I think it’s important and her auction makes it fun for everyone. It has given me some wonderful opportunities and memories too.  Last year I was lucky enough to win Lunch with Thea Harrison and a couple of years before that, I won coffee with Claudia Dain.  Such fun!

As usual, I’ve made a donation too and this year, I’m giving away a chance for you to fly in to have dinner with me – or I can come have dinner with you and your book group like I did with these wonderful ladies from the Horseshoe Trail Book Club in Eden Prairie, MN!

Here’s more on my auction item:

Dinner with Bestselling Author Jane Porter

Jane Porter will fly to see you, AND take you, and your book club to dinner, or you, and your friends, up to 12 friends, on a mutually agreeable night in the next six months.  Jane will also bring books for all the guests, and fun JP reader swag for all your friends, too!

During dinner, you can turn it into a book club discussion, or a chat with Jane and her books or about publishing, or get advice on how to get published, or simply talk girl talk about men, life, and kids.

However…

If you’re itching to have dinner with Jane at the beach, Jane will fly the winner of this auction item out to Southern California, for dinner with her with an ocean view!

If you choose to come to Jane, she’ll cover up to $500 of your travel expenses, and she’ll still treat you to dinner and send you home with a big tote bag of signed books.

Basically, this is dinner with Jane on Jane, so let’s make it happen!

So, that’s my item and I hope you’ll go bid on it as I’d love to have dinner with YOU!  Meanwhile for more fun, I’ve got a surprise beach giveaway for you!  For a chance to win, leave a comment here and tell me: Would you want to fly in to have dinner with me in California?  Or would you want me to fly in to meet you and your friends in your hometown?  Contest runs through Sunday and I’ll announce the winner on Monday, May 27th.  Have a great weekend!

Original article: Brenda Novak Auction

©2013 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

A Very Cool Honor

I’m really excited to be nominated to the International Chick Lit Month (ICLM) website’s Hall of Fame.  It’s such an honor!

To celebrate this nomination, I’m giving away a beautiful totebag and beach towel plus signed copies of all 8 of my single title novels and some other fun goodies!  For a chance to win, visit the ICLM website and leave a comment there, then come back and comment here.  I’ll announce the winner on Saturday!

And for any of you who write, I’m also being featured over at the Writers In the Storm website right now where I’m sharing my 10 Keys to Success and Survival in the Romance Industry.  Part 1 went up yesterday and Part 2 will follow tomorrow.  Hope you’ll check it out!

Original article: A Very Cool Honor

©2013 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Featured Author: Amy Sue Nathan

I’m back from Montana and already packing for Oahu to attend this weekend’s Book & Music Festival in Honolulu, before heading on to Minneapolis for my reader dinner on Monday, and then a book club dinner on Tuesday with the Horshoe Trail Book Club.   I can’t believe I’m already repacking but when I fly, I read, so I’m packing a big stack of books to take with me.

One of the books I’m taking with me is Amy Sue Nathan‘s debut novel, The Glass Wives, which releases today!  Your pub day is so exciting and I’m thrilled to have Amy Sue with us on her big day.  I hope everyone will give her a warm welcome to the JaneBlog!

*Amy Sue, what do you love most about being a writer?

Working in my pajamas. That tops the list. After that? I guess it would be the fact that my work is something I can get lost in for hours. I’m not aware of the time, the surroundings, or sometimes even the weather outside my window. It’s all-encompassing. That can also be a drawback.

*Tell us what your new book is about, in 2 or 3 sentences.

THE GLASS WIVES is about Evie Glass, a divorced mom who finds herself strapped for cash after her ex-husband dies suddenly.  Cautiously, Evie agrees to share living expenses—and her home—with Nicole, her ex’s young widow, and her baby. But when Evie suspects that Nicole is determined to rearrange more than her kitchen, Evie must decide who she can trust. More than that, she must ask: what makes a family?

*What are you working on now?

A novel about Izzy Lane, a single mom and anonymous blogger. Izzy’s blog gets really popular when she writes about her dating escapades and a new boyfriend. The only problem is, she isn’t really dating at all. Izzy is then offered a job as the dating guru for a popular website and takes it.

The book is really about life lies —you know, the big ones—and not only what makes this character tell them over and over again, but what has to happen for her to tell the truth.

*What’s your favorite time of the day and place to write? 

I am an early bird in every sense. My favorite thing to do is wake up with my dogs, get the business of the day taken care of, like feeding the dogs, seeing my daughter off to school (although she’s about to graduate high school, so that will end), answer emails, check blog posts, follow up on any leads from the day before.  Then, after more coffee and breakfast, I’ll go into my office, which used to be my son’s bedroom, open the blinds and get onto the bed. I have to be super comfy when I write! The office is also the room at the side of the house farthest from the distractions of the TV and the kitchen!

*Name five items sitting on your desk right now.

Pens. I love pens of all colors, so I have lots!

The dictionary I won in seventh grade as the prize for Outstanding Achievement in English.

Hair clips. I hate having my hair in my eyes or falling on my face, so I always clip it back.

Note pads. I love note pads almost as much as I love pens. And they must be colorful, cute, or pretty ones.

Photos of my kids. I like to have them smiling back at me.

*Name 3 books you hope to read soon.

The Life List by Lori Nelson Spielman

The Third Son by Julie Wu

The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau

*Name 3 – 5 books you’ve read this year.  Which ones would you recommend to your girlfriends?

Only five? Oh, okay! I would recommend all of these books to my friends, and I have!

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler

And Then I Found You by Patti Callahan Henry

The Plum Tree by Ellen Marie Wiseman

In Need Of A Good Wife by Kelly O’Connor McNees

Here’s more about The Glass Wives:

Evie and Nicole Glass share a last name. They also shared a husband.

When a tragic car accident ends the life of Richard Glass, it also upends the lives of Evie and Nicole, and their children. There’s no love lost between the widow and the ex. In fact, Evie sees a silver lining in all this heartache—the chance to rid herself of Nicole once and for all.  But Evie wasn’t counting on her children’s bond with their baby half-brother, and she wasn’t counting on Nicole’s desperate need to hang on to the threads of family, no matter how frayed. Strapped for cash, Evie cautiously agrees to share living expenses—and her home—with Nicole and the baby. But when Evie suspects that Nicole is determined to rearrange more than her kitchen, Evie must decide who she can trust. More than that, she must ask: what makes a family?

~~~

Readers and friends, do check out Amy Sue Nathan’s new release and if you read her book, please add a review to Amazon or B&N or over at Good Reads as those reviews do make a difference!

I’m giving away a copy of The Glass Wives, a $10 Barnes & Noble gift card, and lots of fun sweets and treats to one of my lucky readers.  Post a comment below to be entered, and then please check back to see if you won.  The Glass Wives giveaway will run til Friday, May 17th, with the winner announced Saturday morning.  Thank you, Amy Sue, for being here, and to all my readers, have a fantastic week and if you’re on Oahu this weekend, come see me at the Book & Music Festival on Saturday!

Original article: Featured Author: Amy Sue Nathan

©2013 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Happy Mother’s Day!

I’ve spent the past week in Montana with three amazing friends and talented writers,  CJ Carmichael, Lilian Darcy and Megan Crane, as we plan our new Montana Born books, which kicks off with our October novellas, and then continues in November with my holiday release, Away in Montana.

We started our trip by flying into Kallispell, and then explored Flathead Lake, Whitefish, and parts of Glacier National Park before heading across the state to Butte, Bozeman, Yellowstone, Gardnier, and now Livingston.  Saturday I’ll be back home in time for Mother’s Day, and I’ve got something special for you for Mother’s Day, too!

The wonderful Mother’s Day giveaway includes incredible tea, a beautiful tea cup, a big box of Schmidt’s chocolates from San Clemente, fantastic reads, and lots more for the lucky winner!  There’s just one winner this time, and it’ll be totally random.  For a chance to win, talk to me and tell me something about your plans are for Mother’s Day and I’ll announce the winner Monday morning, May 13th.

Hope you’re doing well.  I’m soooo excited about these new books Lilian, CJ, Megan and I will be writing.   I feel really lucky to have such talented friends to work with on our series and hope you’ll love what we’re doing, too!

Happy Mother’s Day to all my readers, family, and friends.  May you be with those you love on Sunday.

Original article: Happy Mother’s Day!

©2013 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Featured Author: Leslie Lehr

I met novelist Leslie Lehr in January 2009 at the Girlfriends Weekend in Jefferson, Texas.

The Girlfriends Weekend is a weekend of awesome sisterhood among women who love books, and was founded by the amazing, generous, spirited Kathy Patrick–one of my favorite people because she’s combined her hair expertise (she’s a stylist, and you know I love great hair) with her passion for books with her famous Beauty & the Book store, before going on to found the Pulpwood Queen Books Club, which gave birth to the Girlfriend Weekends, and more.

But this blog isn’t about Kathy, its about Leslie, whom I met in Jefferson and promptly adored.  The lovely Leslie has a new book out and I’m really excited to introduce Leslie to you all.   She’s a star and an angel and a warrior, and I know once you know more about her, you’ll cherish her as much as I do!

Leslie, thank you soooo much for being my featured author this week.  Can you tell us what you love most about being a writer?

The hours. That’s also what I hate about being a writer.

Seriously? While I am a horrible typist, I really love the act of putting words on the page, making them come alive.  I love playing with this word or that one, to see which is closest to the what I’m trying to express. I love having an idea that grows and grows until there are real people – if only in my head – acting out an entire story. Then I get to share the story and make it real for someone else. It becomes this solid thing, no longer just an idea. It’s magic.

Is there anything that has surprised you about writing or publishing your books?

That each book takes longer to write, because I know more and want it to be better.

Some writers like to let plot ideas percolate and grow for a while before they start writing the story.  Would you say this applies to you as well?

Absolutely. When I just write something on a whim, I end up with a great first chapter, then I’m stuck. When I really think about the idea and develop into a solid story, I can write the whole book. Knowing the ending is like knowing where to aim in archery – makes it easier to hit the bullseye.

Do you incorporate any of your own life experiences into your stories?  Do you get asked this question very often?

Yes! That’s why I write – to work out the what-if’s of real life. WAMK was inspired by my daughter who was crying at at night, every night, and I felt so helpless that I imagined the worst. I knew I would do anything to protect her. So that’s what my hero, Michelle, does – I get to live through her vicariously. Yes, people ask that all the time. I’ll bet you get that too. But did this really happen? No. By making it up we can control the situation and dig deeper for the emotional truth.

Was there anyone or anything that helped inspire you to be a writer?

Reading. I was a bookworm growing up. My high school friends might be surprised at this, but I came back to it soon after.

Do you have a writing schedule or any writing rituals to help you achieve your daily writing quota?

I don’t have a quota unless I am writing the first draft, then I like to get through a whole scene, whether it’s short or long. I used to do ten pages a day, but my stories were simpler then. There are so many different stages of writing, from research, to working out the story beats, to writing, editing, and then the whole business side. The actual writing process is the most fun, but it’s risky. I’ve been known to spend hours an entire day on one paragraph.

Tell us what your new book is about, in 2 or 3 sentences.

A woman who recovers from a fatal car accident and is accused of murder risks everything to find her missing daughter, the only one who might know the truth of what happened that day.  People are calling it contemporary drama or literary suspense, but for me it’s a love story.

What’s your favorite time of the day and place to write? 

Late morning at my desk. By then, I’ve exercised and eaten and finished business emails and am starting to get back into the story. I look out over our yard, which has an enormous hundred-year-old tree in the middle, and I can see the blue sky between the branches. The yard is bordered by fruit trees and flower bushes, like a park where something is always blooming. So I take a long look, because once I’m back in the story I don’t see any of it at all.

Name five items sitting on your desk right now.

1. The glass top covering my desk holds dozens of pictures of my daughters, from baby pictures on up.

2. A small sparkly frame holding a wedding photo of my husband and me on the beach in Malibu.

3. One empty Diet Pepsi can.

4. My black patent leather FileO Fax planner. I’m old school

5. Iphone. I’m not totally old school.

What’s your astrological sign? 

Taurus

If you could meet one person who has died, who would it be?  What would you want to discuss with him/her?

My great grandfather, Billy Watson. He was vaudevillian who started the Beef Cake Trust – a chorus line of zaftig women. He also gave Gyspy Rose Lee her start. My late grandmother, a beauty, was a dancer, who said her father was the proof of the ‘one day chicken, one day feathers’ side of show business. I never met him, so I ‘d love to hear what it was like to live at that time and be so daring and creative.

Five favorite things to do on a weekend?

1. Hike with a girlfriend to a spot overlooking the ocean

2. See a movie, preferably romantic comedy – but not at a Writers Guild screening, because you can’t have popcorn there

3. Eat take-out that requires chopsticks but is okay with red wine in front of the fire

4. Sleep in until it’s time time for the yoga class with music

5. Shop at the Farmers market and taste everything in sight so there’s no need to cook until Monday.

What’s the one thing you couldn’t live without if you were stuck on a deserted island?

Sunblock. No, wait – my husband, he’s pretty fun. He’d keep me entertained.

Best advice you’ve ever received?

You can’t fail until you quit. Thanks, Dad!

Five things every writer should know?

1.Lock you refrigerator.

2. Love the process, that’s all you have control of.

3. Follow the golden rule and respect other writers.

4. Remember that taste is subjective and so are critics. Sometimes a person will say something mean just because their stomach hurts.

5. Write something good enough to make your children proud, but don’t let the thought of your children stop you from writing something good.

Your favorite desert or snack?

Since going to Italy on my honeymoon, I’m crazy about good parmesan cheese with a slice of tomato and crusty bread as a snack. Cabernet and dark chocolate on a date night.  I love big fat blueberries anytime. And every night I crave frozen yogurt with chocolate sprinkles – perfect for watching The Bachelor or Project Runway or The Good Wife. That’s more than one favorite, but I lost my taste buds for a few months going through chemo and now that they are back everything tastes good!

What do you do in your spare time?

Read. Novels and all kinds of magazines.

What does success mean to you?

Gong to bed with a smile on my face.

Rock or country music? 

Rock! And since I grew up in Ohio, Southern rock – which is a two-step away from country.

Sweet or savory?

Savory in the day, sweet at night.

Drama or comedy?

I tend to read drama, but watch comedy. Especially romantic comedy. I’ve seen every romantic comedy movie ever made – and if not, I hope to catch up soon.

What A Mother Knows

How Far Will a Mother Go to Find Her Daughter?

Michelle Mason can’t remember that day, that drive, that horrible crash that killed the young man in her car. All she knows is she’s being held responsible, and her daughter is missing.

Despite a shaky marriage, a threatening lawsuit, and troubling flashbacks pressing in on her, Michelle throws herself into searching. Her daughter in the one person who might know what really happened that day, but the deeper Michelle digs, the more she questions the innocence of those closest to her, even herself. As her search hurtles toward a shattering revelation, Michelle must face the biggest challenge of her life.

A poignant story of the unshakable bond between mother and child, What a Mother Knows is about finding the truth that can set love free.

With a B.A. from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University, Leslie Lehr is a popular panelist at literary and film conferences around the country. She is a member of PEN, The Authors Guild, WGA, Women In Film, and The Women’s Leadership Council of L.A. She is a contributor to the Tarcher/Penguin Series “Now Write” and teaches in the world-renowned Writer’s Program at UCLA Extension.

Leslie lives in Southern California, where she continues to explore the dark and light sides of contemporary women.

Find Leslie on Facebook, and as @leslielehr1 on Twitter. For Skype book club visits email leslieswork@aol.com.

~~

Thank you so very much for being here, Leslie.   Readers, be sure to look for Leslie’s book, What a Mother Knows, and check out her website to learn more about her other novels.  I’m celebrating Leslie’s visit today by giving away 3 prizes.   Each winner will receive a box filled with great reads, sweets, treats and more.  Your great reads will include Leslie’s What A Mother Knows, and signed copies of my Bellevue duet, Odd Mom Out and Mrs. Perfect, which are perfect for an early Mother’s Day giveaway.   My Leslie Lehr blog contest runs through May 10th, with winners announced May 11th.  Want a chance to win?  Please comment below, and in honor of Leslie’s book, tell me about your mom, and what she’s taught you either about life, or being a mother.

 

Original article: Featured Author: Leslie Lehr

©2013 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Featured Author: Charity Shumway

I had an amazing couple of weeks in February and March, traveling to promote The Good Daughter, and one of the fun weekends included the Tucson Book Festival where I met terrific authors like Jen Lancaster, Amy Hatvany, and the lovely, bright, and talented Charity Shumway.

I so enjoyed the panel I was on with Amy and Charity, and since you all met Amy when I featured her here for the release day of her new book, I thought it was time to introduce you to Charity!

Charity, what did you want to be when you were a kid?

Weirdly enough, I wanted to be a lawyer. I think I must have gotten enough late night glimpses of L.A. Law (after I was supposed to be in bed, which made it all the more exciting) to think that lawyering was really sexy. Later, when I was a teenager, I started dreaming about being a writer, but it always felt like such a far-fetched fantasy. It wasn’t until a few years after college and a lot of time spent actually writing that I finally had to own up to how much I wanted the far-fetched fantasy.

What inspires you? 

I’m always inspired by the idea that I’m the only one who can do certain things. Ten other people can have the exact same idea for a story as I do, but we’re all going to write it a different way. Maybe my version will be great, maybe it won’t be, but it’ll always be my unique contribution. Ditto for other people and what they create. The idea of our uniqueness is very touching to me.

What are you reading right now?

I’m reading a collection of essays by Jill Lepore called The Mansion of Happiness. She’s such a smart, straight-forward writer, and the essays cover such unexpected but delightfully interesting topics (breastfeeding, eugenics and the origins of marriage counseling, and board games about life and morality, just to name a few) that I’ve been totally hooked.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a novel about a conservative woman running for state legislature in Utah (my home state). She has five grown children who are all more liberal than she is but who are working on her campaign anyway. Lots of good family and politics and religion mixed up in there, and I’m having a great time with it so far.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

There are two bits of advice that really stand out to me. One was a visiting writer in grad school who told all of us eager MFA students, “the way to make it as a writer is just to keep writing.” Sounds reductionist, but it’s so true! It’s hard not to get discouraged as a writer. There’s so much rejection, and it can be lonely, and projects can take eons to come to fruition. I think back to that advice all the time, and it helps me to just keep going. The other bit of advice that stands out to me came from a mentor who was helping me make a decision about my first novel. He said, “Work with people you like. You’ll be a lot happier.” Again, simple but true! It’s because of that advice that I ended up with the agent I did and the editor that I did, and he was absolutely right. I couldn’t have made a better, happier choice.

More about Ten Girls To Watch

A radiant debut novel about stumbling through the early years of adulthood— and a love letter to the role models who light the way.

Like so many other recent graduates, Dawn West is trying to make her way in New York City. She’s got an ex-boyfriend she can’t quite stop seeing, a roommate who views rent checks and basic hygiene as optional, and a writing career that’s gotten as far as penning an online lawn care advice column.

So when Dawn lands a job tracking down the past winners of Charm magazine’s “Ten Girls to Watch” contest, she’s thrilled. After all, she’s being paid to interview hundreds of fascinating women: once outstanding college students, they have gone on to become mayors, opera singers, and air force pilots. As Dawn gets to know their life stories, she’ll discover that success, love, and friendship can be found in the most unexpected of places. Most importantly, she’ll learn that while those who came before us can be role models, ultimately, we each have to create our own happy ending.

~~

As a thank you to Charity for being a guest author on my blog, I’m giving away two copies of Ten Girls to Watch along with a fat, fluffy beach towel, a $5 Starbucks drink card, a signed copy of Mrs. Perfect, and lots of fun JP giveaways.  To enter to win, just leave a comment in the comment section below here on my JaneBlog and you’re set.  Then please, please check back to see if you won, as I still have tons of unclaimed prize boxes stacked in the corner of my office…prizes from Anita Hughes’ contest, Megan Crane’s, and so many many more.  Whatever isn’t claimed by Wednesday, will be given away as a bonus prize this week!

Charity’s contest runs through Wednesday night, with the winners announced Thursday morning.

Good luck and have a wonderful week!

Original article: Featured Author: Charity Shumway

©2013 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Cover Survey!

Good morning, everyone!  I’ve been writing this week–tackling the copy edits for The Good Wife as well as writing some new scenes to add in here and there–as well as working on a partial for the new adult novel project which I’m simply calling Delilah…or maybe it should be Temptation.  

I am also at work on my December novel which will be my first book in the Montana Born series that I’m participating in along with my brilliant writer friends, CJ Carmichael, Lilian Darcy, and Megan Crane.  CJ, Lilian and Megan will all have novellas out this Fall, and then my book will follow in late November.  We’re the first books with new small press, Tule Publishing Group, and while we’re focusing on ebook first, and print second, I can assure my readers that there will be a gorgeous print edition of Away in Montana, my 2013 holiday release.

My question for you is:  what do you like in a cover?  I’m working with the cover artist in just a few weeks for the cover of Away in Montana, my December book, and I’m curious—which of the three covers below do you like best?

The first is a more traditional women’s fiction type cover.

The second is a winter scene, featuring a rustic Montana cabin.

And the third is a couple.  (They are not the couple that would be on my book.  Its just an example for discussion sake.)

Do you tend to gravitate to one type of cover?  Do you have a preference when it comes to cover art?  Which of these would you find most compelling for a Jane Porter novel in December?

I’ve got eleven very fun prize boxes to give away that include signed copies of She’s Gone Country, a link for a free download of my Valentine’s cowboy novella, Cowboy, Be Mine, more great cowboy romances from several of my author friends, a $5 Starbucks drink card, plus lots of JP reader goodies.   Everyone that answers the cover question(s) will be entered into the drawing, with the contest running through Sunday, and the 11 winners announced on Monday morning.  The contest is an incentive, because its important I hear from you about how covers influence you, and what you find most appealing.

So once again:  What do you like when you’re buying a book?  What kind of cover speaks to you?  A sexy cover?  A pretty cover?  You tell me and you’re entered to win!

Now I’m back to work on the copy-edits.  It’s been very fun focusing on The Good Wife this week as I’d forgotten what a great story it is and I’m loving doing these edits and tweaks that will make the story even better!  Can’t wait for September to come to hear what you think.  I am so happy writing again.  It makes my heart sing!

Original article: Cover Survey!

©2013 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Featured Author: Anne Gracie

I’m just about to board my flight from DC back to Los Angeles after an incredible five days on the East Coast (love, love, love every place I visited!  Cool history!  Amazing, historic buildings!  The best readers and writers!) and I’ll be adding some photos and details in a blog later this week, but as its a travel day for me, I thought I’d ask the lovely, smart, witty, Anne Gracie to join us.

I’ve known Anne for years now.  She’s one of my “Aussie” friends, a superbly talented novelist, and a gifted, passionate teacher.  She taught a workshop on heroes years ago (2003 on the Gold Coast, maybe?) that made a massive impression on me and I adore her books.  They are fresh, character rich, and very original.  When you read an Anne Gracie novel, you know you’re reading Anne Gracie…she couldn’t be anyone else, nor would I want her to be!  I just finished her brand new book, The Autumn Bride, and adored it.  Such a great read.  I highly recommend.  And I’m not the only one who thinks she’s brilliant.  Anne is also up for a Rita this year for Bride by Mistake–hooray!–and I can’t wait for you to get to know her better.  So without further delay.  Here’s my wonderful friend, Anne Gracie!

Anne, how did you get the idea for The Autumn Bride?

Sometimes ideas for stories come to me just as I’m falling asleep or waking up — that semi-dream state is a fertile time for me, and I keep notebooks by the bed to write them down (tragic, I know So, there was this young woman climbing through the window of an old mansion at night — this is the Regency-era — I knew she was desperate and intending to steal something, and I knew she’d never done anything like this before.

Inside the room she finds an aristocratic old lady, bedridden and at the mercy of her rapacious servants. My girl Abby just has to do something about it. With the old lady’s cooperation, she and her “sisters” — one real sister and two close friends — arrive, pretending to be the old lady’s nieces, take over the house and sack the horrible servants.

Everyone’s happy, until the old lady’s nephew arrives. . .

What do you like most about your book?

I really enjoyed the relationship between the old lady and the four girls. I didn’t plan it to take up so much of the story, but the old lady just sprang to life, and I loved her and couldn’t make myself prune her back. The book ended up being as much about female friendship as about the love story between the hero and heroine.

What do you love most about being a writer?

When the story is stuck or I’m struggling to find the right way to tell it, and I’m prowling around the house being grumpy and frustrated, I confess, I hate being a writer. But when the story is flowing, and the scenes are rolling and the characters keep speaking in my head so that I have to rush to write it down — and sometimes they surprise me, or make me laugh or make me cry — it’s the BEST feeling. Like flying.

Is there anything that has surprised you about writing or publishing your books?

Yes, I had no idea how wonderful and supportive the romance author community is. I never dreamed other writers would become some of my dearest friends. I’d always believed writing is a lonely business, but these days, that’s so not true.

Some writers like to let plot ideas percolate and grow for a while before they start writing the story.  Would you say this applies to you as well?

Usually while I’m finishing off one book, ideas for other stories start popping up. I write them down in a notebook as they come — they range from whole scenes to snatches of dialogue, as well as ideas and possibilities. I have a pile of notebooks with story ideas and fragments, and from time to time, I add to them. When I come to start the book, I read through all my notes, find a starting point and go from there, writing chronologically, and with only a vague idea where the story is going. I love it best when things happen in the story that surprise me.

What do you do when you’ve finished a book?

The first thing I do is sleep in, because usually I’ve been up late doing last minute edits, tweaking and fretting. Then I get my hair cut and maybe colored — it’s a little bit of pampering that I really enjoy and a fresh new me to face the world. After that I might head off to my favorite bead shop — I make jewelry in my spare time — or sometimes I’ll sign up for a craft class. It’s all refilling the well. In the last month or so of writing a book I become practically a hermit, so after it’s in, I catch up with friends, movies, life in general. Oh, and I spring clean the house, because in the last month or so, housework has become pretty slapdash.

 What’s your favorite time of the day and place to write?

Mornings, sitting up in my bed with a mug of coffee on the bedside table and the morning sun streaming through my bay window. In winter it’s especially cheering, because if the sun’s out, it warms and lights the room for most of the day.

 What are you working on now?

I’m working on the next book in the series, The Winter Bride. It’s about a bad boy rake, a missionary’s daughter, a forced marriage and a surprise. I’m having a lot of fun with it.

Thanks Jane for inviting me to visit. It’s been a pleasure.

Anne, thank you, thank you, thank you for visiting with us today!  Readers, be sure to visit Anne’s website and learn more about her books.   They are all terrific, and in honor of her Rita nomination for best historical, I’m giving away 3 copies of Bride by Mistake, Anne’s Rita nominated book, a Jane Porter novel (your choice!), plus a Starbucks drink card and lots of fun reader goodies.  The contest will run through Thurday night, with the three winners announced Friday morning.  Just comment below to be entered to win, and tell me how things are going–and if you read historicals, and of course, have you read my marvelous Anne?–be chatty if you like.  I love it.  Your comments are always some of my favorite things to read!

They’re boarding my flight.  Must go.  More soon!

xoxoxo

Original article: Featured Author: Anne Gracie

©2013 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Featured Author: Megan Crane

You  know I love my Megan.  She’s not only a fantastic writer friend, she’s one of my ‘real life’ best friends and I adore her.  We met in NYC at the launch party for Grand Central’s 5 Spot line in the Fall of ’05, had dinner with our mutual editor, Karen K, and over time became friends.  I started in romance, and ventured into chick lit/women’s fiction, while Megan started in chick lit/women’s fiction, and ventured into romance.  We both now write  romance and WF, with Megan’s romance alter-ego being Caitlin Crews.

Caitlin has lots of fantastic Harlequin Presents out again this year.  She’s truly one of Harlequin’s rising stars and I’m a huge fan.  I’m also a huge fan of her book, I Love The 80s, which is now available in the US and I’ve asked her to join us today to tell us more about her new North American release.

Megan, how did you get the idea for I Love The 80s?

A while back, while procrastinating, I ended up watching a bunch of 80s videos on YouTube.

It was so much fun. I still know all the words to “Club Tropicana” and “Wham! Rap.” I still get chills when “Save A Prayer” starts playing. How could you not? I wallowed in my long-dormant crushes on singers like Simon LeBon, Sting (circa Dream of the Blue Turtles), and George Michael (well, who knew he was on the Other Team?  I sure didn’t.)

And I thought, what if one of them had died way back in the day, at the height of their glory? And what if one of the teenage girls who were So In Love With Them They Owned The Six Foot Poster and All the B-Sides grew up still loving them that much? And what if one fine night, that obsessed fan girl (now, say, in her 30s) found herself transported through time to New York in 1987 and got to meet this man of her dreams–who only she knew was destined to die horribly in just over a month?  How would she save him–could she save him–from his fate?

So, obviously, I had to write that book.  I Love The 80s is the result–and it’s finally available as an e-book in the US!

 

What is your favorite thing about your book?

I can’t lie: I’d love to go back in time and have a Grand Romance with one of my teen crushes!  I loved writing about it.

What do you like to read?

EVERYTHING.  Nothing I like more than being carried off by a good book.  If you’ve read one recently, let me know!  I want to read it too!

What has writing taught you?

Writing has taught me everything.  How to be patient, how to be determined.  How to fight, how to bend.  How to table expectations and seek the magic in ordinary things.  How to grow.  How to love.  How to dig deeper.  How to do more than I think I can.

But I think the same is true of any hard thing you love.  The loving it, the doing it, gives back to you exactly what you put in—and then more than you can hold.

Why do you write?

I don’t know how not to write.  Stories don’t leave me alone.  And there’s nothing I love more than the telling of them.

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Chocolate, forever and ever amen.

 Mountains or Ocean?

I live on the West Coast so I don’t have to choose—which is great, because I love BOTH mountains and the ocean.  And I really love the combination.  It makes my heart glad.

Cat person or dog person?

I’d have to say I’m a dog person.  I have two.  But you should know that I also have three cats…

Sweet or salty?

Both!  Salted caramels, for example, thrill me.  As does kettle corn.

~~~

See why I love her?  Megan has the best listening ear, the most loyal heart, and an incredible mind.  She’s a leader, not a follower.  She thinks out of the box.  She’s passionate about her family and friends.  And she’s been my rock these past 8 years, and I want everyone to know her, so please check out Megan’s website and her Facebook page and like it, so you can learn more about her, her zest for life, and her wonderful books.  (Side note -One of my favorite interviews with Megan was here with Teena Hackett here: http://tabbytypeinn.net/spreading-joy-a-candid-talk-with-megan-crane/ and I am absolutely crazy about her honest, touching, real, and powerful blogs on Project Joy.)

I have 2 awesome prize boxes that include signed copies of Megan’s No More Sweet Surrender (Harlequin Presents by Megan’s alter-ego Caitlin Crews), coffee, chocolate, JP swag, and an ebook copy of I Love The 80s.  Cool, huh?  But that’s not all!  Megan is a generous gal and she’s giving away an additional 5 ebook copies of I Love The 80s so we will have a total of 7 lucky winners. 

Want to win?  Tell me if you loved the 80′s.  Do you remember the 80′s?  I do.  I had seriously big (really big, hot roller big) hair, and I was fiercely devoted to shoulder pads and had huge shoulder pads in everything…sweaters, blazers, blouses.  Skinny, acid-washed jeans.  High heels. Short skirts.  Glorious.

Talk to me…and Megan!…and on Saturday we will announce the 7 winners.

I love Megan.

I Love The 80s.

And I love you.  :)

Original article: Featured Author: Megan Crane

©2013 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.