Jane Porter's Blog, page 25

CJ Carmichael’s Conflict Workshop

I am so excited to share that my very good friend and frequent conference roomie, the gifted  C J Carmichael will be teaching the next online workshop for the RWA-WF chapter April 18th and 19th.  It’s a free two day workshop for RWA-WF chapter members, covering one of the most essential aspects of writing…conflict.

Here is a workshop description from CJ Carmichael:

CONFLICT–  

The Secret Weapon For Writing A Page Turner

Have you ever read a bestselling novel and been annoyed to find the writing not very impressive. “Why is this selling like hotcakes?” you’ve probably asked, when it’s written so poorly…

It seems that a writer can get away with a myriad of sins, as long as she hooks the reader with an enticing story. The goal isn’t to create a pleasant reading experience. It’s to leave the reader in a state of tension, the “I need to know what’s going to happen next” sort of tension.

So how is this done? The answer, in one word, is conflict. To hook your reader you have to know how to set it up, how to make it build over the course of your story, and finally how to resolve the conflict in an emotionally satisfying way.

CJ Carmichael has published over 35 novels and has twice been nominated for a RITA award and twice for career achievement by RT Book Club.  Her books range from romance, to mystery to women’s fiction and have been published by various lines within Harlequin including: Superromance, Intrigue, Signature, Next and American. When it’s time to take a break from the computer, she heads to the Rocky Mountains near her home in Calgary where she lives with her partner Michael and their cat, Penny. If you’d like to learn more about her books, check out her website: http://cjcarmichael.com.

~~~

Join CJ Carmichael for 2 days as she discusses Conflict: The Secret Weapon For Writing A Page Turner, and yes, you have to be a member of RWA-WF to join the workshop, but its easy to join the chapter if you’re already an RWA member, and once you do join, you’ll be able to participate in all future workshops (including Megan Crane’s in May!) and get a discounted rate at the Mini-Con this summer in Atlanta.

To learn more about the RWA-WF chapter, or to join the chapter and paricipate in CJ’s workshop, visit RWA-WF website and I’ll see you ‘in class’ next week!

 

 

Original article: CJ Carmichael’s Conflict Workshop

©2013 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Sarah Pekkanen Joins Me in Alexandria!

I might be in Hawaii for the week with my boys, but I’m really excited about my reader dinner in Alexandria two weeks from now!  I’ll be hosting the dinner on Sunday, April 21st with bestselling author, Sarah Pekkanen, as my guest.  Some of you already know Sarah, but in case you don’t,  I thought I ought to introduce you to someone that is touted by Library Journal as a “rising star in women’s fiction”.

Sarah’s brand new novel, The Best of Us, is out today and sometime in the night, Amazon downloaded my copy of The Best of Us onto my Kindle so that’s what I’m reading next…ust as soon as I finish Anne Gracie’s The Autumn Bride

Sarah Pekkanen is the mother of three young boys, which explains why she wrote part of her novel at Chuck E. Cheese. Seriously. Sarah penned her first book, Miscellaneous Tales and Poems, at the age of 10. When publishers failed to jump upon this literary masterpiece (hey, all the poems rhymed!) Sarah followed up by sending them a sternly-worded letter on Raggedy Ann stationery. Sarah still has that letter, and carries it to New York every time she has meetings with her publisher, as a reminder that dreams do come true. At least some dreams – Brad Pitt has yet to show up on her doorstep wearing nothing but a toolbelt and asking if she needs anything fixed. So maybe it’s only G-rated dreams that come true.

Sarah, please tell my readers and friends a little bit about THE BEST OF US.

Of course – here’s the quick scoop:

An all-expense paid week at a luxury villa in Jamaica—it’s the invitation of a lifetime for a group of old college friends. All four women are desperate not just for a reunion, but for an escape: Tina is drowning under the demands of mothering four young children. Allie is shattered by the news that a genetic illness runs in her family. Savannah is carrying the secret of her husband’s infidelity. And finally, there’s Pauline, who spares no expense to throw her wealthy husband an unforgettable thirty-fifth birthday celebration, hoping it will gloss over the cracks already splitting apart their new marriage. Languid hours on a private beach, gourmet dinners, and late nights of drinking kick off an idyllic week for the women and their husbands. But as a powerful hurricane bears down on the island, turmoil swirls inside the villa, forcing each of the women to re-evaluate everything they know about their friends—and themselves.

You’ve also written three linked 99 cent e-stories. How does that process compare with writing longer books?

Right now, I’m writing one novel every year and one short e-story every year, and I enjoy both processes (well, when I’m not wanting to toss my computer out the window). The challenge with my e-stories is that they are all linked, whereas my novels are stand alones, with a group of fresh characters coming in for each new book. My e-stories need to fit together, and enhance each other, yet also be a satisfying read if you end up buying just one. But it’s much easier to hold the plot of a short story or novella in my mind, compared to a novel, so in that way they’re easier.

How did you become a published author?

The real trick is having the faith and commitment to actually write a book, because agents won’t take you seriously unless you have a polished manuscript in hand. As I’ve learned, it’s much harder to finish a manuscript than to start one! I wrote my first book, The Opposite of Me, then showed it to a few folks, and rewrote it more than once. When I felt as though it was in good shape, I started submitting query letters to agents. I heard back fairly quickly from a bunch of agents who requested a sample of my novel – and that was surprising to me, but I’ve since learned many good agents are constantly on the lookout for new talent. Agents aren’t in hiding – they all have websites that list ways to contact them. I went to New York to meet the agents who’d expressed interest in The Opposite of Me and ended up signing with Victoria Sanders.

What’s the biggest myth about being a novelist?

That writers get visited by a tempermental muse, and have little control over their work or productivity. Writing is hard sometimes – and frustrating, agonizing, exhilarating, joyful and tedious at other times. I always compare it to training for a marathon. But you need to carve away time to write, and get words down on paper even when you’re not inspired. If you wait for the muses to sing and dance, you might never write your book.

What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?

Book titles! I’m not kidding – I am horrible at coming up with titles for my novels. I turned in my latest one and actually called it “Book 4.” My editor usually spends hours coming up with titles for my books – she picked them for my first three novels – because I seem to have a mental block about it! But I never get blocked when I write. Sometimes it’s overwhelming to think that I need to fill 300 pages, and I get a little scared about whether I’ll pull it off, but putting down words on the page has never been a problem for me. Maybe that’s because I worked as a journalist for almost a decade, and I learned to write on deadline.

How do you balance being an author and being a mother?

Now that I’m writing a book a year, and have firm deadlines, I realize that I need a few chunks of time to really concentrate when I’m writing pivotal scenes. I tend to write on the fly – I snatch an hour before all my kids wake up, or when my youngest is at preschool. But I also need a few big swaths of time to read through my manuscript and make sure it’s anchored securely. That’s the biggest challenge for me as a mother – writing through endless distractions and interruptions and requests for juice or extra Wii time. So during the writing of THE BEST OF US, I checked into a hotel for one night and didn’t leave my room, other than to grab coffee. I wrote and wrote and wrote, and it was so helpful!

When you aren’t writing, what hobbies do you enjoy?

Mostly spending time with my family and friends. I also have the world’s sweetest dog, a rescue lab named Bella, and we love going for long walks together (sometimes I work out the kinks in scenes on those walks, too!) I adore reading and can go through three or four books in a good week. And I’ve been known to watch a little reality TV. I’m addicted to The Voice right now, and having trouble deciding if Blake or Adam is hotter!

Thank you so much for having me, Jane, and if any of your readers would like to connect on Facebook or Twitter to continue the conversation. please come find me there!

To celebrate the release of The Best of Us, and my dinner with Sarah on the 21st, I’m giving away three copies of The Opposite of Me, by Sarah Pekkanen, tucked in a box with a $10 Starbuck drink card, my new JP tote bag, and lots of wonderful treats.  The contest will run through Saturday the 13th, with the three winners announced on Sunday, the 14th.  Tell me if you’ve ever read Sarah, and fill me in on your April so far!

 

 

 

Original article: Sarah Pekkanen Joins Me in Alexandria!

©2013 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Love Downton Abbey? Check Out Wendy Wax’s Latest!

Are you a Downton Abbey fan?  I am!

I’m hooked on the show–loved it so much last year that I even mentioned it in The Good Woman of my Brennan Sisters series (Kit introduced Meg to the show)–and now the talented Wendy Wax has a gorgeous new novel out this week, While We Were Watching Downton Abbey, the story of four friends and a shared passion that could change their lives.

Wendy is such a love.  She took such great care of me when I was in Atlanta in February, during my birthday weekend.  She had me in as a guest in her home, hauled me to book events, joined me in book club discussions, joined me as a special guest author at my reader tea in Roswell, threw me a lovely birthday dinner at her home, and then sent me off to Raleigh with a slice of birthday cake!  I felt spoiled and loved and I want to show her some love back, by sharing with you more about her new book.

The book’s back cover blurb:

When the concierge of The Alexander, a historic Atlanta apartment building, invites his fellow residents to join him for weekly screenings of Downton Abbey, four very different people find themselves connecting with the addictive drama, and—even more unexpectedly—with each other…

Samantha Davis married young and for the wrong reason: the security of old Atlanta money—for herself and for her orphaned brother and sister. She never expected her marriage to be complicated by love and compromised by a shattering family betrayal.

Claire Walker is now an empty nester and struggling author who left her home in the suburbs for the old world charm of The Alexander, and for a new and productive life. But she soon wonders if clinging to old dreams can be more destructive than having no dreams at all.

And then there’s Brooke MacKenzie, a woman in constant battle with her faithless ex-husband. She’s just starting to realize that it’s time to take a deep breath and come to terms with the fact that her life is not the fairy tale she thought it would be.

For Samantha, Claire, Brooke—and Edward, who arranges the weekly gatherings—it will be a season of surprises as they forge a bond that will sustain them through some of life’s hardest moments—all of it reflected in the unfolding drama, comedy, and convergent lives of Downton Abbey.

~~~

Doesn’t it sound fantastic?  I think so and have just slipped my copy of While While We Were Watching Downton Abbey into my suitcase for our trip to Hawaii tomorrow morning and can’t wait to dive in!

In honor of Wendy’s new release, I’m celebrating Wendy by giving away 10 copies of her novel, Ocean Beach. That’s right!  10 copies.  Plus other fun goodies.  For a chance to win one of these special prizes, tell me if you’re a Downton Abbey fan, and what you love about the show!

Contest runs through Sunday night and we’ll announce the 10 winners Monday morning so be sure to check back and see if you won!

 

 

Original article: Love Downton Abbey? Check Out Wendy Wax’s Latest!

©2013 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Introducing Judy Mollen Walters!

Happy April 1st everyone!!  It’s such a gorgeous morning here in San Clemente…the bluest of blue skies, warm weather, flowers blooming…I couldn’t be happier today despite my cold.  I’ve had a week straight with my family and its been heaven.  I missed the kids so much during my traveling and it feels good to be mom again.  I’m not leaving them until mid April when I head to the East Coast for four days of events so I can just relax a bit and focus on the house, the kids, and getting Jake organized for graduation and then off this summer to college.  It looks like he’s going to be an Aggie…watch out Texas A&M…he’s all yours soon!

I should be writing but I’m being a bit lazy and reading, and one of the authors I’m reading now is Judy Mollen Walters, who has her debut book out now, titled Child of Mine.  I love supporting new authors and wanted to introduce Judy to you.

Welcome, Judy, to the Janeblog, and to my amazing readers and friends.  You couldn’t be joining a more lovely, loving group of women.  I love my readers, and I know you will, too!

Judy, can you tell us how you came up with the idea for Child of Mine?

Twenty years ago, my husband and I desperately wanted children.  We went through infertility treatment twice to conceive our two daughters, and the experience has always stayed with me – the shots, the blood tests, the ultrasounds.  The negative pregnancy tests. The pregnancy loss.  I wanted to write a fictional account of someone suffering with infertility.  Then I upped the ante. What if my main character was a midwife? She was helping other people deliver babies all day but couldn’t have her own.  How devastating that would be. I’m also fascinated by the experiences of pregnancy, birth, and delivery, so I loved being able to write about those.

Is your main character, Katie, based on anyone you know?

I get this question a lot, and no, she is just a figment of my imagination!  Some of her experiences with infertility treatment are based on mine, but her problem is completely different than the problem my husband and I suffered with, I am not a midwife, and unlike her, I’m not athletic or energetic!

How long did it take you to write Child of Mine?

My first draft only took a few months, but with the help of an editor and many friends reading and providing feedback, it actually took about two years altogether to get through revisions. That sounds like a long time, but I learned a lot and am so glad I took the time to learn how to write a novel properly.

What do you like to do outside of write?

I love to bake – in fact, as soon as I finish this interview, I’m going to bake some chocolate chip muffins.  I also love to spend time with my family – my husband and my two daughters who are 18 and 15.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing a book about a Rabbi and his family torn apart by their wife and mother’s death from cancer, the struggle of his two teenage children to grow up without their beloved mother, and his struggle to be a good single parent to his kids.

My friend is experiencing infertility. What should or shouldn’t I say to her?

You can say, “I’m here for you.  I am happy to listen to you.  Feel free to call me if you need to talk.”  Things not to say, “Don’t worry, just relax, it will happen soon!” or “You could just adopt.”

Where can I get Child of Mine?

Child of Mine is available on Amazon, Nook, iTunes, or anywhere you would normally download your books from.

Thank you, Jane, for allowing me to share about my book on your blog. I love to hear from readers. You can find me @judymwalters on Twitter, on my author Facebook page, or email me at judymwalters@gmail.com.

Judy Mollen Walters worked in nonfiction publishing for many years before she became a Stay-at-Home Mother to her two daughters. She lives in New Jersey with her family where she is currently at work on her next novel.

Thanks for sharing with us, Judy!  Readers and friends, you can learn more about Judy, at http://www.judymollenwalters.com/ and if you do read Child Of Mine, be sure to post a review.  Those reviews matter so much.

To celebrate the first day of April I’m giving away a special Frog Prince prize box!  This is my very hard to find book—its no longer in print and when I do find a copy I snatch it up and love to give it away to my die-hard readers.  I’ve got the book bundled with lots of fun spring treats and Frog Prince surprises.  The April 1st contest is just a two day contest, running til Wednesday night midnight PST, with the winner announced Thursday morning, so comment below, and you could be the winner!

Original article: Introducing Judy Mollen Walters!

©2013 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Featured Author: Anita Hughes

Last August I had the pleasure of introducing Anita Hughes to you and sharing how much I enjoyed her debut release, Monarch Beach.  Since then I’ve gotten to know Anita much better since she’s practically a neighbor, and we’ve met up several times for coffee and long chats about being moms and wives and writers.  I love Anita’s passion for great books and could talk to her all day about what she’s reading and loving and what she’d recommend.

Anita’s brand new release, Market Street, hits stores today and I adored this book!  It’s a fast read and witty and yet also poignant and she captures San Francisco–one of my favorite cities in the world–so beautifully.  I just spent the weekend in the “City by the Bay”, and I felt like I was right back in Market Street, and loving it.

I’ve got Anita back on my blog today as a guest, because I know you’ll love Market Street as much as I did, and Anita is just fun to talk to!

~~~

What do you love most about being a writer? 

The thing I love most about being a writer is creating new worlds and populating them with my characters. I really form a connection with them – I can see them in my mind when I’m not writing, and I always miss them when I finish writing the book.

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

My mother inspired me to be a writer. When I was thirteen I wrote a full novel – called The Great Book of Suchness – and she helped me type it out, make carbon copies, and send it off to an editor at Harper and Row. I actually received a revision letter back – but I got distracted by school and being a teenager and didn’t follow through. If I had only known what solid gold I held in my hand! My mother had complete confidence in me and never thought I was pursuing a foolish dream.

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

Market Street is about the heiress of a San Francisco department store who must choose between her messy marriage and opening a food emporium in Fenton’s, her mother’s department store. It is also a novel about women and friendship. I love the characters and miss writing about them!

What are you working on now?

My next book is called Lake Como, and it is set in San Francisco and Lake Como. I loved writing this one because it felt like I was going to Lake Como every day – which is definitely one of the most beautiful places on earth. It’s also a novel about female friendships and has great male characters!

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

My favorite time to write is in the morning, after I’ve taken my children to school. I write on the love seat in my bedroom which has a lovely view of the golf course and is very quiet.

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

I’d love to meet George Eliot, Edith Wharton, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe. I love all sorts of fascinating women and I would probably talk about books, movies, travel, love.

Five favorite things to do on a weekend? 

I love to walk to the beach with my children – they always have a lot of things to tell me about school, and we are not interrupted by cell phones or computers. I love to see movies, I love to sit and read the Sunday New York Times. I like to browse the shops in Laguna Beach – it always feels festive and the people walking around are happy. I love to go to bed early and catch up on sleep!

What does success mean to you? 

Success means your children are happy, after that I think it’s getting some satisfaction out of your work and hoping that you are contributing to other people’s happiness. I love to write and I hope I make my readers happy when they read my books.

~~~~

Don’t forget to visit Anita’s website at http://www.anitahughesbooks.com to learn more about her and her fantastic books.  To celebrate Anita’s new release, I’m giving away copies of Monarch Beach along with lots of fun JP swag, including a signed copy of The Good Daughter as it, too, celebrates San Francisco.  For a chance to win one of these great prizes, please tell me if you’ve ever been in San Francisco, and if so, what is your favorite memory of the city, or your favorite thing(s) to do when visiting.  The Anita Hughes contest runs through Friday, March 29th with the winners announced on Saturday morning so do check back to see if you’ve won.

 

Original article: Featured Author: Anita Hughes

©2013 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Brenda Novak Auction Item Tease

Every year I donate to Brenda Novak’s Diabetes Auction because I feel so strongly about finding a cure for diabetes, and this year I’m giving away dinner with me!

Here’s the description of the prize:

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 bid, bid, bid in May once Brenda Novak’s auction goes live, and make this special event happen!

 

Original article: Brenda Novak Auction Item Tease

©2013 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Here’s Amy Hatvany!

When I was in Tucson for the Book Festival two weeks ago, I sat next to the gifted Seattle author Amy Hatvany on a panel, and every time she spoke–I either nodded,  yes, yes, that’s me, or I teared up!  I so connected with Amy and was really moved and inspired by her as a person, and a writer, and I wanted you all to meet her, too.

Amy has a new book out right now, Heart Like Mine, and I was lucky to be able to get an advanced copy at the Tucson Festival.  I started reading Heart Like Mine in my Tucson hotel room and couldn’t put it down.  I loved it.   Here’s the blurb:

Thirty-six-year-old Grace McAllister never longed for children. But when she meets Victor Hansen, a handsome, charismatic divorced restaurateur who is father to Max and Ava, Grace decides that, for the right man, she could learn to be an excellent part-time stepmom. After all, the kids live with their mother, Kelli. How hard could it be?

At thirteen, Ava Hansen is mature beyond her years. Since her parents’ divorce, she has been the one taking care of her emotionally unstable mother and her little brother—she pays the bills, does the laundry, and never complains because she loves her mama more than anyone. And while her father’s new girlfriend is nice enough, Ava still holds out hope that her parents will get back together and that they’ll be a family again.

But only days after Victor and Grace get engaged, Kelli dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances—and soon, Grace and Ava discover there was much more to Kelli’s life than either ever knew.

Narrated by Grace and Ava in the present with flashbacks into Kelli’s troubled past, Heart Like Mine is a poignant and hopeful portrait about womanhood, love, and the challenges of family life.

~~~

In Tucson Book Festival with wonderful Jen Lancaster, Amy Hatvany, & Laurie Notaro!

Have you ever read Amy before?  Do you have a favorite Amy Hatvany novel?  She’s really talented–a wonderful writer–and if you haven’t read her yet, start with her new novel, out now, Heart Like Mine.

Post a comment below, letting me know if you’ve read Amy before, and you’ll be entered to win a signed copy of Best Kept Secret by Amy Hatvany, a Starbucks drink card, a B&N gift card, Seattle chocolates and other wonderful goodies, too.  The Heart Like Mine contest runs through Saturday night with the winner announced Sunday morning.

PS.  And I would be totally remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to Jane Green’s brand new novel, Family Pictures, which came out yesterday and is in my opinion, maybe her best yet.  Really love it.  Am halfway through it and it’s fantastic.  If you love Jane Green, rush out and buy her new one today!!

Original article: Here’s Amy Hatvany!

©2013 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Snapshots From The Road

I’ve been home two days and am already packing to fly to the Bay Area Friday morning, but wanted to share a few more of my favorite photos that readers and friends have sent me.  Hope you enjoy the pics!  A new blog is coming soon.  I’m just trying to get caught up with laundry and bills and emails and hanging out with my boys, too!  They’re missing me and I’m really missing them.  It’s been wonderful seeing readers for the past 7 weekends but now I’m eager to stay home, be a hands on mom again, and start writing that new book!

With Sue Fazio and her delightful Mom

We had a lovely time!  Sue’s mom has read everything I’ve written.

Ty and Jane in NJ at the wonderful Books & Greetings store in Northvale!

This coming weekend is my last ‘official book tour’ weekend for The Good Daughter and I’m returning to one of my favorite cities in the world:  San Francisco!

Can any of you join me at my Books Inc signing on Sunday at 1 pm in Burlingame?  We’ll have delicious cupcakes and lots of great conversation and I’m hoping for a great turn out.  Bring your book club, bring friends, or your sister or mom.  The more, the merrier!

With Shannon and girls in Tucson after the Book Festival.  Fun dinner, fun group!

Our wonderful dinner in Tucson at the Hub, hosted by the amazing Shannon Nicole Yun. Thanks, Shannon for a lovely night and for treating me!

Another fun snapshot from our dinner at the Hub. Good times, great company!

I do have a few more reader events planned for this Spring though, including the three DC area reader events below in April, and then the Hawaii Book & Music Festival May 18th, and a Minneapolis Reader Dinner, on Monday May 20th!  Remember, details for all events are on my events page here on my site, or over on Facebook, so check it out and come be part of the fun!!

Thursday, April 18th, 2013 :: TBA

Book Signing with Jane at Irvin’s Books

2159 White Street, York, PA 17404     Phone: 717-843-2947

Friday, April 19th, 2013 :: 11:30am – 2:00pm

Book Signing at Turn the Page Bookstore  (Nora Roberts’ Bookstore!!)

18 N. Main St., Boonsboro, MD 21713

~ Check out Nora’s bookstore! www.ttpbooks.com

Sunday, April 21st, 2013 :: 5:30pm

Reader Dinner in Alexandria, VA with Special Guest Author  Sarah Pekkanen!

The Chop House at Columbia Firehouse, 109 S. St. Asaph St., Alexandria, VA 22314

~ Join Jane and  Sarah Pekkanen for dinner and great conversation! Space is limited so RSVPs for this will be a must!)

So what have you been doing this past week?  Does it feel like Spring where you are yet?  Fill me in and one of you will win my Frog Prince prize box which includes lots of great treats, and a hard to find copy of my novel, The Frog Prince, which is my first trade release and out of print.

The Snapshots from the Road contest will run through Wednesday night with the winner announced Thursday morning so if you comment, check back on Thursday to see if you won.

 

Original article: Snapshots From The Road

©2013 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Back in Bellevue

This past weekend, I went back home to Bellevue.  It was a wonderful couple of days, fun and exciting and also a little bittersweet.  Son Ty was with me and we loved every minute of our weekend, catching up with friends.

On Sunday, March 3rd, Nancy Nordquist from the Downtown Bellevue Barnes & Noble hosted an event for me and treated me like a star!  She was so sweet and so efficient.  We had a great turn out with over 50 people.  I can’t wait to do it again in September for The Good Wife.

It’s always a pleasure to see Elisabeth Ringvard!

Thank you, Barnes & Noble for helping to make my event so successful!

I have the best readers and fans. They’re wonderful!

Today I’m headed to Tulare for an event at the Tulare Public Library at 5:30pm and so looking forward to seeing my friend Kim Taylor.  I’ll be at the library until almost 7:00pm when we’ll head to Vejar’s for a fun Girls Night Out dinner event.    Tomorrow I’ll be in Fresno for another reader dinner at the Piazza Del Pane Italian Cafe.  I’d love to see you if you’re in area so do join us if you can!

On Saturday, the 9th, I’m doing a one-day seminar and presenting several workshops for the Yosemite Romance Writers.  It’s going to be fun and energizing and I am so looking forward to meeting up with all wonderful ladies at this chapter.  Oh and speaking of workshops, if you’re on the East Coast, save these dates on your calendar:

*April 19th – I’ll be in Boonsboro, Maryland, signing books at Nora Robert’s bookstore, Turn the Page.  So exciting! If you live in the area, come say hello!

*April19th – 21st –  I’ll be in Westminster for the Washington Romance Writers Retreat where I’ll be presenting my Intense & Tight: Pacing The Short Contemporary workshop and also my 10 Keys to Success & Survival workshops.

* April 21st – I’ll be hosting a special reader dinner in Alexandria too!  More details will be on my Events page soon so keep an eye on that.

For those of you who can’t be with me tonight, I’ve still got some fun planned!  I have a couple of deliciously fun Seattle prize boxes here for you!  Each box includes a copy of Odd Mom Out, Mrs. Perfect, lots of Seattle chocolates, coffee, a Starbucks drink card and more fun goodies.  For a chance to win, tell me what your plans are this weekend, or what you did this week. You know I love hearing from you!  I’ll pick winners on Monday, the 11th.  Have a wonderful weekend all!!

 

Original article: Back in Bellevue

©2013 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Bozeman to Denver to Bellevue!

Last weekend was a whirlwind of events and travel!  I flew out of Orange County early last Saturday morning, connected in Seattle and arrived in Bozeman, MT around 3:30 pm, with the best greeting committee in the world:  Kari Andersen, Meg Munson, and Cheryl Hill.  Kari organized the amazing reader dinner for me, and we had 35 attending, and lots of great conversation and tacos and margaritas and fun.  I LOVE Bozeman, which is probably why I’m getting ready to set my big new series there in Montana.

Kari Andersen, the event host, with Jessica, Cheryl, Melanie, Jane and Meg

Jane with Kenda, Jennifer and Teresa. These ladies traveled all the way from Billings to attend and were lots of fun!

After the party, we stayed up until one chatting, but irrepressible Kari made sure to wake me up early the next morning for my flight to Denver, which was already getting storm warnings.

Fortunately, my Denver flight was one of the few flights to actually make it into Denver.  Everything was being cancelled right and left for Denver on Sunday, but with a ton of faith I got in, and Arlene’s husband, Don, was at the airport waiting for me in his very cool cowboy hat and rugged barn jacket.  He handled the snow like a pro—he is a former rodeo and Hollywood stuntman, after all–and we reached The Denver Tea House to discover a room full of readers and friends.  These intrepid ladies somehow made it through the storm, and long-time reader, Gena absolutely blew me away by trekking seven hours from Kansas for the event.   I was delighted to have two and a half hours at The Denver Tea House to spend time with women who love books as much as I do!

The very lovely and quaint Denver Tea Room with a truly delicious, delicious tea (those scones were melt-in-your-mouth fantastic!)

To read more about the lovely Denver tea and see more photos, visit The Denver Tea Room blog, where you’ll also have a chance to win a signed copy of The Good Daughter.  And now I’m racing off to yet another airport and flight, heading this time to Seattle for my Bellevue event Sunday at Barnes & Noble.  We’re going to talk books, the Brennan Sisters, and what’s next for me, as well as much on cupcakes, cookies, and other yummy stuff.

I love living here in San Clemente, but I feel as if I’m heading “home’ to Bellevue.  My sixteen years in Greater Seattle were amazing and I can’t wait to see all my readers and friends.  Please join me Sunday if you can.  It will mean so much to me to see you there!

Join Jane in Bellevue this Sunday for coffee and dessert!

 

The Good Wife coming September 2013! Available for pre-order from Amazon and Barnes & Noble for a discounted price!

 

Before I sign off, I wanted to share the cover for The Good Wife, and mention that right now the print version of the book is available at a huge discount if you pre-order for September from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Normally the book sells for $15.00 and it’s on a pre-order special for $7.97 right now.   Strong pre-orders also let the publisher know if you’re interested in a fourth and final book in the Brennan Sisters series.  It’s entirely up to you.  If my readers really want it, I will write it.  But if you’re ready for something else from me, I’m ready to deliver that, too!  :)

Have a wonderful weekend.  You are such a huge part of my life.  My kids know it, too, and both my older sons have told me that they love that I love what I do…and I wouldn’t love it half as much, if I didn’t have this incredible community and friendship with you.

xoxoxxo

 

Original article: Bozeman to Denver to Bellevue!

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