Jane Porter's Blog, page 28

Unclaimed Prizes Reminder

Hey everyone, just a quick reminder to check back through my last few blog posts to see if you’ve won a prize.  I’ve got some unclaimed prizes here and I need to hear from the winners – Today!

I want to get these in the mail before Christmas so please take a few minutes to look through the comments on my last few posts, check to see if  your name is mentioned as a winner and if it is, email me ASAP ( jane (at) janeporter (dot) com ) with your mailing information.  Remember it’s your responsibility to see if you’ve won.  I’ve got some fun, wonderful stuff in these boxes and would hate to see you lose out.

If I don’t hear from you today, I’m going to have to give your prize to someone else – so hurry!

Original article: Unclaimed Prizes Reminder

©2012 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Celebrating Jane with Guest Author Karen Doornebos!

Readers, I love our guest today and am so excited that she made time in her schedule to write a guest blog for me.  I discovered Karen Doornebos this past year, and was delighted to discover that she’s seriously talented and incredibly witty.  Today Karen’s going to talk about how wonderful Jane is, as well as Karen’s brilliant debut novel, Definitely Not Mr. Darcy, which I devoured.  I really loved and I know you’ll love her, too.  Without further ado, let me hand over the blog to Karen!

Happy Birthday to Jane…Austen!
(But you, the readers, are the ones who get the presents!)

Hello fellow Jane Porter fans and many thanks to you, Jane, for inviting me to join you on your fabulous blog. How nice to be here with my cup of tea. I’m raising my teacup to you and your readers!

Much as I adore you, Jane, there is of course, another Jane in my life. She’s been with me since I read Pride and Prejudice at sixteen and it’s none other than: Jane Austen.  Tomorrow, Sunday December 16th marks Austen’s 237th birthday, and celebrations across the globe have been going on for weeks already. The celebrations include tea of course, and here in Chicago, The Jane Austen Society of North America raises a glass of champagne and toasts Austen before indulging in a full array of tea sandwiches, scones, and my personal favorite, figgy pudding.

The Jane Austen crowd will be especially giddy this year as January 2013 will be the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice. It may call for two glasses of champagne!

Austen, an author born in 1775, has really become a pop culture figure—spurring an entire industry of not only books, but merchandise that rivals the Star Wars franchise. You can buy a Jane Austen Action figure, tea towels that read Keep Calm and Read Jane Austen and so much more. In fact, I Googled “Jane Austen gifts” and came up with 2,380,000 hits!

Austen appears in the news on a regular basis. Most recently, a gorgeous turquoise ring of hers that had been handed down through the generations went up for sale at Sotheby’s and none other than Kelly Clarkson bought it! Austen fans are everywhere it seems.

It’s this phenomenon that inspired my debut novel, Definitely Not Mr. Darcy and continues to inspire my work. (Along with of course, Austen’s dashing line-up of swoon-worthy male characters, including Mr. Darcy and the lesser-known Mr. Tilney.)

Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy only added fuel to that fire. If you’ve never seen the 1995 A&E version of Pride & Prejudice, treat yourself, ladies, I say!

Men dressed in sexy breeches and cravats, with elegant manners. Women in gossamer ball gowns and gloves. A civilized match of archery on the west lawn.

What’s not to love? What sparked my imagination for Definitely Not Mr. Darcy, though, was that it’s easy to romanticize Jane Austen’s era. But what was the reality?

That’s why I decided to explore the concept of a reality show where all the contestants had to live as if it were 1812 in England, and my romantically-inclined single mom heroine had to navigate the dating scene of the time. She did so without deodorant, without running water, and without under-eye concealer by the way!

I had so much fun researching and writing the book! I had just as much fun researching my new book, due to be released in the fall of 2013. You will be among the first to know my next novel will be (drumroll—by a man in breeches and boots, of course):

Undressing Mr. Darcy.

You heard it here first! In this next book, (not a sequel), my heroine isn’t an Austen fan and spends a week as PR agent for an Englishman, a “Mr. Darcy” who does a historical striptease down to his drawers to promote his new book. It isn’t long until my public relations agent realizes things have gotten…personal.

Does that intrigue?  I hope so.

I raise my teacup to both Janes—Austen and Porter!

Seriously, Jane, thanks for hosting me and giving away Definitely Not Mr. Darcy for Jane Austen’s birthday! It’s a thrill to be here!

~~~~

Thanks for visiting with us, Karen.  I really enjoyed your post and can’t wait to get my hands on your next book.  I’m so glad you were able to share the exciting news about Undressing Mr. Darcy here with us first!

And readers, in honor of Jane Austen’s birthday and Karen’s wonderful book, I’m giving away two fun prizes.  The festive Jane Austen birthday box includes a copy of Definitely Not Mr. Darcy (which I have read and adored!!), a glass Christmas ornament celebrating England,  a glazed mug, a box of English breakfast tea, a $5 Starbucks gift card, and lots of JP reader goodies.  For a chance to win one of these wonderful, festive boxes, tell me if you’re an Austen fan, and if so, do you have a favorite book by Jane Austen, or a favorite film adaptation of one of Jane Austen’s novels?

The contest runs through midnight December 16th, and I’ll draw the two winners on Monday and announce the names in the comments below.   This is a very short contest so be sure to check back Monday to see if you won! Best of luck, everyone.

Thank you Karen.  And Happy Birthday Jane!

Original article: Celebrating Jane with Guest Author Karen Doornebos!

©2012 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Let’s Make It Beautiful & Keep It Real

I announced this week that 2012 was about personal change, and 2013 is going to be about professional change.

So in 2013 I’m shaking it up professionally.

I’m not going to write what I’ve been writing for all the publishers I’ve been writing for.  My choice.  I let my agent go and have yet to sign a contract with a new one.  My choice.  I’m anticipating changing what I write, and how I write, and possibly how I’m published.  It might even mean I don’t write for awhile if that’s what it takes to figure out what I still want to accomplish in my career, and which stories are the stories I need to tell.

After forty plus books, I know what I do well, and I know what I enjoy, and I know what a story needs.  But the marketing now…the promoting…its internet gone wild!  Myspace gone.  Facebook gone public.  Tweet, tweet, twitter.  Interest in pinterest?  Goodreads.  Bad Reads.  Instagram, baby.  Let’s not even get into blogging…

So in 2013 I’m going to make it beautiful and keep it real by writing stories for women not just in the 30′s and 40′s, but women in their 50′s and beyond, because women of all ages are fascinating and beautiful.  I want to write about 60, 70, 80, 90 year old women, and how we age, and what happens to our families and our friendships as we change.

It means I want to write about first love at 16, and young women starting careers, and the excitement of being a bride, and the work of marriage.  I want to write about babies, and infertility, and children leaving the nest.  I want to write about women who feel broken but are actually strong.

I want to write about love–hot, sexy guys that make a girl feel gorgeous and young–and maternal love, and family love.  Platonic love.  Spiritual love.  And very very carnal love.

I want to write about community, and faith, trust, betrayal, heartbreak.  I want to write about birth, death, divorce.  I want to write about success and failure.  I want to write about hope and pain.  I want to write about falling down and dragging yourself back up.

And  I want it to be good.   Because I’m writing for you.

I’ve got some more holiday prize boxes that need a home before the holidays come.  Want a chance to win one?  Talk to me below.   It can be about anything.  Big, small, deep, trivial.  I’m all ears.  And I read every single comment—not just once, but sometimes again and again–because you make it beautiful.  And you keep it real.

Giveaway ends Thursday night, and I’ll announce the winners Friday morning.  Good luck and happy December!

Original article: Let’s Make It Beautiful & Keep It Real

©2012 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Readers, Books, & A Great Discussion

I truly enjoy talking books (and smack!) with women.  I love hearing what people are reading and enjoying, as well as what doesn’t work for them and why.  One of my favorite things to do–besides treat friends to afternoon tea–is join readers for their book club get together.

It’s not always possible for me to attend in person.   Usually I call in or Skype, but I love it when I can be there.  I enjoy sipping wine and noshing on the appetizers (book clubs do the best food!) and then sitting down to discuss the book.

I said this a few weeks ago, but I never truly understand what I’ve written until I hear it discussed from the reader’s point of view, and the reader matters.  The reader is everything.  I want to know what you think, and what you like, and what you don’t like and why.

It’s interesting to me how different real readers respond compared to the critics.  Flirting with Forty was widely panned by the critics.  One reviewer called it cheesy and schmaltzy, labeling it a “story perfect for the Lifetime movie crowd” (ha!), and another  (it was a male reviewer from Kirkus Reviews) said Jackie and her friends were pathetic and self-indulgent.

But as you know from the popularity of my last blog, readers had a different take on Flirting with Forty, especially my readers who’d been through a divorce or had hit forty and felt a little too empty inside.  They identified with Jackie’s struggles and her need to stop putting herself last and to start making choices that would make her happy.

 

With the lovely Melanie Collins.

With Melanie’s mom, Sarah Flowers. It was a fun night!

I’ve learned that there is a difference between what people, or society, thinks a woman needs, versus what a woman wants or needs.  I want to write the stories women want.  I want to write the stories women enjoy.

Issaquah Highlands Annual Book Club Holiday Party

So now I’m asking for your help.  What do you enjoy reading?  If you are to pick up a book, what are you looking for?  And when you finish the book, what do you want to think or feel?  I really want to know what readers–especially my readers–are looking for in a novel.  I’ve been writing hard, very hard, for the past ten years, and I’m thinking of changing it up next year.  2012 was full of personal change–I left Bellevue after 16 years and moved to California–and 2013 is going to be full of professional and creative change.  But before I throw the baby out with the bath water, let me hear from you.

You are free to say as much as you want, or as little as you want.  You can send me a private email if you’re concerned about saying something in the comments you don’t want others to read, but be sure to post below if you want a chance to win one of the 5 holiday prizes I’m giving away.

The contest closes midnight PST on Sunday, December 9th and I’ll announce the 5 winners Monday morning, but you can share your thoughts anytime, as often as you’d like.  What are the prizes?  I’ve got 4 holiday boxes and 1 book club party giveaway.  The book club party giveaway includes 12 signed copies of The Good Woman, 12 swag bags of JP reader goodies, a See’s gift certificate (what’s a party without chocolate), and a Skype call in the night of your get-together, plus a holiday prize box for the winner, too!.  If you are interested in the book club party, please make a note at the bottom of your comment that you belong to a book club or women’s group and to enter you for that one, too.

Have a wonderful weekend.  I love this community with you!

Original article: Readers, Books, & A Great Discussion

©2012 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Celebrating Flirting with Forty

Can you believe that tomorrow it will be four years since the Lifetime premiere of Flirting with Forty?

I can still remember getting the news that the book had been optioned by Sony, and then the regular updates after that…the hiring of a screenwriter, the outline of the screenplay, the script, the casting, and finally, the project being greenlighted.  It was a whirlwind of activity, with filming taking place in Calgary and Hawaii.  The cast and crew worked twelve hours a day, six days a week, to make sure the film was made in the 30 days they’d been allocated for budgeting purposes.

I flew out to Hawaii for the last week of the April shoot, and was able to meet the cast and crew and be on set for four days.  I was an extra two of those days, along with Ty and his surf instructors.  It was such a fun time, and such a novelty.  These things don’t happen in everyday life and I knew I was part of something special…something special that might not happen again.

 

Heather (‘Jackie’), Jane, and Robert Buckley (Kai) on
the final day of the Flirting with Forty shoot.

I’ve been told by many of my readers, that Flirting with Forty is their favorite book I’ve written.  I think a lot of people expect it to be my favorite, too.  I’m not sure I have a favorite book, but I do know that Flirting with Forty changed my life—it brought Ty into my life, and the themes in the story resonated with hundreds of thousands of women around the world.  I still get lots of reader mail from the book, and just received an amazing email this morning from a reader in Australia who discovered the book at a library in her hometown.

 

When promoting the movie, the Lifetime publicity machine asked me to do a radio tour Thanksgiving weekend in 2008.  I did almost 60 radio call ins, spread out over 3 days, and every radio station had the same 5 questions, including, “What was it like having Heather Locklear play you in the movie?”  And for the sake of good PR,  I’d laugh and say it was pretty awesome, but Heather wasn’t me, as Jackie was never me.   Yes, I was a single mom when I met Ty, and he and I did strike up a romance after I interviewed him for the book, but the book came first–with scenes and a plot and an ending–that had nothing to do with Ty and me in reality.  The fact that Ty and I ended up together was a fluke…no, a miracle.  But a wonderful miracle as we’ve cobbled together a very unique, and interesting life where we juggle his world of surfing and sea with my world of words and books, along with my boys, the dogs, and the son we had together.  Have to admit, there is stress in doing the long distance thing, but there is also magic in our little Mac, and our complex and creative family.

To celebrate tomorrow’s ‘anniversary’ I’m giving away two wonderful Flirting prize boxes.  Each box has a signed copy of the novel Flirting with Forty, a Flirting With Forty DVD, Hawaii coffee, a Hawaii Starbucks drink card, a Hawaii Christmas ornament and lots more fun goodie & JP treats.  The contest will run through Saturday Dec 8th, and I’ll announce the winners Sunday morning with the goal to mail the prizes on Monday.  How to enter?  Just tell me in the comment section below, if you read the book and saw the movie, or have only read the book, or seen the movie, or neither…  And, if you did see the movie, did you like the casting?  Or was there someone else you would have cast for the roles of Jackie and Kai?  Good luck and I think tomorrow night I’m going to make some popcorn and get cozy, and watch my Flirting DVD.  I haven’t seen the movie in years and I think maybe it’s time for a trip down memory lane!

 

Original article: Celebrating Flirting with Forty

©2012 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Behind the Scenes of the Brennan Sisters: Capitola

Capitola, California is a little beach community ten miles south of Santa Cruz.  I first visited Capitola in my late twenties when I was a teacher in Fresno at St. Helen’s, and dating a musician whose family owned a beach house in the heart of Capitola, just a stone’s throw from the beach.  We visited the beach house a number of times, and I never loved Capitola more than when his big family was together (his family was Italian and full of brothers, not sisters!) and everyone crowded into the kitchen, or spilled out onto the porch.  I love families, particularly big families that are passionate and spirited and full of love, and opinons, and I love the way brothers and sisters interact—the teasing, the laughing, the arguing.   It might be too lively for others, but its comfortable for me.  Its what life and love feels like to me.

Back in October, my wonderful surfer husband went to Capitola with me and I showed him all my favorite spots, as well as the places that show up in The Good Woman, and then again in The Good Daughter.  We spent over an hour hanging out at Mr. Toot’s, having coffee, looking at books, taking pictures of ourselves.  It was goofy and fun and a perfect way to spend a rainy, foggy day.  I then dragged him on my mini-tour (here’s Margaritaville!  Here’s Pizza My Heart!  Here’s Paradise Beach Grille!  Here’s the house the Brennans “own”…and the beach they walk on…)

I’m sharing a few pics of my Capitola with you.  Get to know this little beach town because Kit returns there in The Good Daughter and meets one of my favorite characters ever…

 

Capitola’s Colorful Venetian Court, built in 1924 is today listed on the National Register of Historic Places as one of the first condominium seaside developments in California

The sign for Mr. Toots Coffee which is the Brennan sisters favorite hang out and cafe in Capitola.

Coffee at Mr. Toot’s with Ty

Mr. Toot’s is a great place to read a book on a foggy day.

I’ve set the Brennans beach house here, as one of the historic Six Sisters houses facing Esplande and the famous Capitola beach. The six houses, designed by architect Edward Van Cleeck, were built at the turn of the 20th Century, and were owned by Capitola developer Frederick Hihn and his heirs until 1919 when H. Allen Rispin purchased the entire development of Capitola.

Do you have a favorite beach town?  Or, a favorite scene in The Good Woman?  Tell me about one of them and you could be entered to win one of two cool Capitola prizes, featuring a GREAT glazed mug from Mr. Toot’s (you can see one of the mugs in the photo above where I’m sipping coffee and reading a book.  I bought three, and am keeping one, and the other 2 are for you!), a $10 Barnes & Noble gift card, chocolate, coffee, fun reads by some of my favorite authors, and lots more great goodies tucked in my brand new I Read Jane silver totebag.  The contest runs through Sunday night and I’ll announce the two winners Monday morning.  So, talk to me, and hopefully you will win!

Original article: Behind the Scenes of the Brennan Sisters: Capitola

©2012 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Checking In

It was a wonderful treat to have so many of my family here for Thanksgiving.  We also had some of Ty’s best friends from Hawaii, Tucker and Nichole, here, too, which made it a full house, and a fun house, and with all the work we did, trying to get ready for our guests, this 1927 Spanish Colonial Revival finally feels like home.

I did spent Saturday and Sunday writing, and am about to get down to writing now.  This book I’m working on is really interesting, and I love the story and how the characters are coming to life, but I’ve got a long way to go.  Writing always takes time, and its the one thing (like so many of you!!) I’m short on.

I’m going to be writing long hours all week, until I head to Houston on Friday for Saturday’s tea in Houston, and then to Dallas Saturday night for the Sunday tea in Dallas at the Adolphus.  If you can join me for one of my teas, please do as I’d love, love, love to see you!  Invite details are here on my site on my events page, and email me if you’ve got questions.  There is no charge for the tea, and you are welcome to bring any and all books for me to sign.  And if you’re wanting a signed copy of The Good Woman to give to someone this Christmas, I’ll have books with me at both events.

Now I’m back to Sarah and Boone and Meg and Lauren (a new character I love!!).  Please update me on your weekend and how your Thanksgiving went.  I will be drawing a winner first thing in the morning from the comments below for a special Fall Harvest prize box sitting on my desk.  The prize must be claimed tomorrow, too, so if you enter, check back to see if you’ve won because I want to get this prize out in the mail before I start my holiday giveaways this weekend!!

Love to all and let’s have a great week!

 

 

Original article: Checking In

©2012 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Let’s Ring in the Holidays Together

Can you believe next week is Thanksgiving already? I L-O-V-E the holidays, especially holiday entertaining, and YOU ARE INVITED! Please come—I’m hosting not one, but TWO afternoon teas in Texas the first weekend in December. Readers in the Houston area are invited to join me at the Hotel Granduca on Saturday, December 1, and readers in the Dallas area— please join me at the Adolphus Hotel on Sunday, December 2. Come celebrate the holidays, the newly posted peek into The Good Daughter, and give me the opportunity to thank you all for the wonderful reception you’ve given The Good Woman.

Each event begins at 2 p.m — please RSVP so we can get a head count. I hope to see you there! There’s no cost to come and enjoy tasty treats and good conversation. For more details and to RSVP, please use this link: Jane’s Events Page on Facebook.

Copies of The Good Woman will be available for purchase, and I will happily sign as many as you need for your holiday gift-giving.

GIVEAWAY to celebrate the TEXAS TEAS! This weekend only!

I have four lovely hardcover copies of Lisa Kelypas’ contemporary holiday novel Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor, plus some vintage Jane Porter swag (collectors item bookmarks, pens, etc from years ago — fun and rare).

To put your name in the hat, just leave a comment on this blog post telling me what you enjoy about holiday entertaining! Whether it’s a tea with friends, or family-only traditional sit-downs, comment by midnight PST this Sunday, November 18.

Triple your chances to win: share one or both of the Texas Tea events on Facebook (direct links: Houston and Dallas). Each share will count as another chance to win Lisa’s book.

Winners will be pulled at random on Monday and the books and goodies will be sent out in time for you to have them in hand before the movie premiere (December 9 on ABC — trailer and book summary is below), possibly in hand before your Thanksgiving holiday.

All my best,

Jane

 

Lisa’s holiday book:

Entrusted with the guardianship of his orphaned niece Holly, Mark Nolan plans to marry his longtime girlfriend Shelby. But an unwelcome and tantalizing distraction appears in the form of Maggie Conroy, a young widow who has recently opened a toy shop at Friday Harbor.  Mark is a cynic and a realist, but Maggie is a dreamer who hopes to make him believe in magic…

 

 

Original article: Let’s Ring in the Holidays Together

©2012 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Inspiration for My Brennan Family

I love joining book clubs when they’re reading and discussing my books.  I learn so much about women and their thoughts, opinions, and feelings through book club visits and call-ins.  I don’t think I ever truly understand the novel I’ve written until I hear it discussed from the reader’s perspective, and it’s the reader that does matter…because what I create has to resonate with readers, or they won’t come back for the next book.

I’ve been fortunate to join three different book clubs in person now for The Good Woman–in Visalia, Carlsbad, and Bellevue–and I got a crazy idea for a future Brennan story while sitting in on the discussion in Visalia, and understood why readers connected with certain characters (or didn’t connect with others) in Carlsbad, and Bellevue’s discussion just brought home why I write.  I love this connecting with other women, I love creating community, I love being able to meet women and become part of their world, even if only for a night.

One of the things I’m asked most often is how did I come up with this Brennan family, and truthfully, my fiction Brennans were inspired by my younger brother’s wife and her family.  My brother Rob married a stunning San Francisco girl named Andrea Callen.  Andrea’s father was a fourth generation San Franciscan, as well as a firefighter in San Francisco, just as his grandfather, uncles, and brothers were all firefighters in the city.  Over the years I’ve gotten to know Andrea’s family and I adore her father, her mom, all of her family.  They are warm, loving, solid, people.  Strong people.  People with passion, compassion, and integrity.

In the photo below, my brother Rob is on the far left, holding his daughter, Callen Porter.  Callen is now a 7th generation San Franciscan as Rob and Andrea are raising their family in the city.   Andrea’s uncle is to the left of me, and Andrea’s father, Tom, to the right.

My brother Rob couldn’t have picked a better woman to marry, nor more loving, supportive in-laws.  I decided years ago that I’m claiming them as my own, and Tom Callen himself helped inspire Tom Brennan, the patriarch of the Brennan family with his love for the city, his family, and his other family–the San Francisco fire department.

Do you have any fire fighters in your family?  Is there someone that inspires you?  Tell me!! Everyone that comments  in the comment section below, will have a chance to win a fun Fall Harvest gift box.  It’s a just three day contest, and I’ll announce the winner Thursday morning.

But wait!!  There’s more.  As my Facebook and Twitter followers know…I’ve got another contest happening here right now, and it’s a one day contest only!!  It’s for those of you who belong to book clubs, or would like the chance to win a big box of books to share with your friends.  (Who says you can’t do your own impromptu book club with The Good Woman??) Make sure to say in your comment, that you’re here to enter the book club giveaway of 15 copies of The Good Woman, along with pens, bookmarks, nail files and recipe cards for everyone in your group. to be entered in the book club drawing.  I will also be calling in the night your group meets to discuss The Good Woman with you all!

So…two contests to kick off the week.  One winner–the book club winner–is announced tomorrow morning.  The Fall Harvest prize winner is announced Thursday.  Both winners will be announced here, in the comments below, so check back!

Good luck and have a great week!

 

 

Original article: Inspiration for My Brennan Family

©2012 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.

Truths

It’s November 1st.  Can hardly believe it.  It’s been such a crazy, busy, turbulent Fall.

One of my friends told me over the weekend she missed my blogs, and wished I was writing more in my blogs, and sharing more, and I told her that I couldn’t.  That things had actually been very hard for the past eight weeks….ten weeks…and that I was barely getting from one place to another, and from one event to another, and yet, because I’m so private, and protective of my family, I don’t share that.  I don’t tell people too much.  I’m proud.  And I have a public face…the author face.  So I tend to shut down when I’m in the middle of a storm.  I put my head down and just push on, push through, push to the other side.  But everytime I get to ‘the other side’, I realize it was an illusion.  I haven’t finished crossing the river or sea.  I’m just resting on a bit of sand and rock.  Still in the middle of the sea and storm.

And it has been a storm.  A family, parenting storm that’s done a number on me, and my heart, as well as rest of the family.

Why tell you now?  Because in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, and the fact that so many of you read me, and follow my blog, because I’m honest, I have decided to open up a little bit about my past few months, and share with you how difficult its been promoting my new book, when it hurts to breathe…swallow…sleep.

The bottom line is that we are getting through it.

The bottom line is that I’m tough, and a fighter, and a fierce believer in faith and my God, and my God will see us through.  One way or another.  But faith doesn’t take the sting away, or the ache away, or the problem away.  It just helps you get through.

And so I’m getting through.

I write for women, and wives, and moms because I’m a woman, a wife, a mom.  And being just one of those three is challenging.  Being all three can sometimes feel impossible.  There are good moments, calm moments, moments of happiness and satisfaction and peace.  And then there are moments when you feel like you are juggling knives or fiery torches…or both.

As a mom of teenage boys, I’m sometimes overwhelmed by their maleness, and selfishness, and testosterone drive.  I tell myself that down the road when the frontal cortex is mature things will settle and calm and it’ll get better.  I just have to get them there.  Just have to get through the rough stuff and hopefully they’ll survive the crazy wild impulsiveness of 16 and 17 and 18 and reach that time.  Hopefully one day their heart and mind and self-control all gel….hopefully.  Right?

Thank goodness for my faith.  Thank goodness I have something else to believe in besides me, because I definitely am having a hard time believing in me.  I am not a good example.  No great role model.   I’m so damn sensitive and emotional.  My oldest son tells me that I’m too idealistic.  But I am determined to cling to the values I cherish.  I’m determined to shoot high, determined to fight for the family I want–a loving family, a kind family, a family of good people, generous people, people who can and will put others first.

I’m having to scrap my November events so I can be at home, keeping watch over my boys, and trying to clear some head and heart space so I can write the book that was due two weeks ago.  I hate having a book so late, and I hate disappointing readers and my friends at Manic Mommies, but the mom-thing is incredibly challenging right now, and I’ve got to pull it together and get my family through.

I appreciate all of you.  I’m grateful you enjoy my books.  I’m lucky to have you as friends and voices of reason in my life.  We women have to stick together.  We need to form our own community, because as a community, we become stronger, and happier, and more resilient, too.

You all know the real me.  It’s not author Jane.  It’s the woman and mother Jane, and while I don’t like the hard times, I know we all have them.  I know we all have struggles and challenges, disappointments and pain.  That’s just life.  But the hard times won’t break us.  The hard times just teach us how to love deeper, how to forgive more completely, and how to hope more fully.

Love to you all.  I love you, and even if I’m quiet on my blog, know that I’m here for you.  xoxoxox

 

 

Original article: Truths

©2012 Janeblog. All Rights Reserved.