Jen Gilroy's Blog, page 3

Writing buddies, books & bracelets: Harlequin celebrates 75

I spent the last few days of September in Toronto, Canada celebrating Harlequin’s 75th anniversary.

It was a wonderful time of learning and socializing, and I returned home inspired and energized.

Learning

Attending authors took part in a day and a half of workshops led by Harlequin staff.

I learned about how our book covers are created and there were also sessions on book marketing, production and Harlequin’s Reader Service, a subscriber book club through which my Heartwarming titles are distributed.

Find out more about the Reader Service here.

Socializing with writing buddies (and editors)

I celebrated with fellow Heartwarming authors and editors at a “series dinner” held at Edna & Vita, a wonderful Italian restaurant near the Harlequin office.

It was great to meet author friends including Tanya Agler, Anna Grace and Jeanine Englert, as well as my Harlequin editor who helps make my books better.

I also had a “fan girl moment” when I found myself in a lunch line beside favourite author (and New York Times bestseller) RaeAnne Thayne.

RaeAnne is as lovely and gracious in “real life” as in her books, and it was a “pinch me, I’m dreaming” moment to tell her how much her stories mean to me.

Sharing a hotel room with author friend Jennifer Wilck meant lots of fun chatting about writing and life and some local sightseeing too.

A party at Toronto’s St. Regis Hotel wrapped up the event on Saturday night.

Between the gorgeous dessert buffet and dancing to a live band, it was a fitting finale to celebrating Harlequin’s history while also looking to the future.

Here’s Jennifer Wilck and I in our party finery. For me that finery included a borrowed circa 1930s shawl and 1950s evening bag.

And if after my last blog post you’re wondering which pair of party shoes I wore? It was the kitten heels!

Books & beaded bracelets

Along with talking about books, authors love new books to read.

While visiting Harlequin’s office, we got to choose books from the “current releases” shelf and were given a “Harlequin author” tote to put them in.

My top pick? Favourite author Sarah Morgan’s latest, The Holiday Cottage (published in the UK as The Christmas Cottage later this month).

And while I’m not a “crafty” person, channeling my inner “Swiftie” to make a romance author beaded bracelet was also fun.

Best of all?

For those few days, I was part of a strong and supportive in-person romance writing and publishing community, something I often miss working alone in my home office.

And looking to my own publishing future?

I have some happy Jen Gilroy romance book news coming soon! 😊

A last note

I’m sending caring thoughts and prayers to those in the United States impacted by Hurricanes Helene and now Milton.

And Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian family, friends and readers celebrating this coming weekend.

A shoe dilemma & important book news

As some of you know, I’ll be in Toronto, Canada this week to help celebrate Harlequin Books 75th anniversary.

Harlequin Heartwarming publishes my Montana Carters miniseries and the next book, A Rancher’s Return, is out in October.

As a current Harlequin author, I’ve been invited to a special anniversary event.

In addition to meetings with my editorial and other teams, there’s a formal evening party at a Toronto hotel.

In my author life, I spend most days in a T-shirt, leggings and comfy slippers so this party is a welcome chance to dress up.

I have a new dress and borrowed a gorgeous 1930s shawl from a friend to ward off chilly breezes or arctic air conditioning.

But what about shoes?  

Shall I wear my stilettos with their gold-tipped spikes, on the far left in the photo?

Or should I choose the kitten heels with the little bow and leopard interior print (in the middle) that have been to cocktail parties from London to Hong Kong and back again?

Or perhaps go for my ‘jewellery in a shoe’ sparkly block heels (at the top)? While easier to walk in, they’re more suited to trousers than my dress with its flippy mid-calf skirt.

The dilemma is real and, as I write this blog post (several days before you read it), I’m still undecided.

From those who stopped wearing heels at age thirty, to women of eighty and beyond who still don their favourite sky-high footwear, now more than ever there are lots of acceptable choices.

And there’s also a middle ground. I may wear flats to walk to and from the event and put on my stilettos for the party only.

Meanwhile, as I teeter around my living room (having not worn heels since before the pandemic I need practice walking in them), part of me wonders if I should leave the heels to my fictional heroines and stick to bejeweled slippers in real life.

What do you think? In my next blog post, I’ll share some event photos so you can see my outfit for yourself.

Important book news

In case you missed it in my September reader newsletter or on social media, Soul Mate Publishing, which released two of my Jen Gilroy small-town contemporary romances, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls and A Wish in Irish Falls, sadly closes its doors on September 30, 2024.

What does this publisher’s closure mean for readers?

If you’ve purchased The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls or A Wish in Irish Falls for Kindle and haven’t downloaded them, be sure to do so by the end of this month.

After September 30, 2024, they’ll no longer be sold in Ebook or print, although the audio edition of The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls (from Blackstone Publishing) is unaffected and will still be available from all major audio retailers.

Additionally, if you’re a Kindle Unlimited member, you only have a few more days to read The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls and A Wish in Irish Falls in KU.

Want to read an early copy of my next book?

Home is… Where their hearts never left

As I return to blogging after my summer break, I want to let you know that A Rancher’s Return, my next Jen Gilroy sweet, second-chance contemporary romance for Harlequin Heartwarming, will be on a review tour with JustRead Publicity Tours from October 1-31.

If you’re a reader who posts reviews on sites like Amazon, Goodreads or BookBub, sign up to join the tour here.

What do you get by signing up for the review tour?

A free epub advance copy of A Rancher’s Return to read before it’s out on October 26.

If you’ve read the previous books in my Montana Carters miniseries, A Rancher’s Return, the fourth and final title, is Molly Carter’s story but also stands alone.

Here’s the book’s blurb:

Molly Carter’s come back to her family’s ranch in High Valley, Montana, just long enough to take a breather before returning to her city life in Atlanta.

But being home for the holidays is bittersweet, especially when she learns that Troy Clayton has returned to buy the Bitterroot Ranch. Once, they were sweethearts. Now, being face-to-face with the handsome rancher is making her reassess everything—including the feelings she still has for him.

But following your dreams doesn’t always mean following your heart…especially when love comes a second time around.

What do you need to do as a reviewer?

In October (next month!) post your review on one or more review sites.

If possible, although not required, share your review of A Rancher’s Return on social media as well.

How can you support my book if you don’t review? 

Pre-order A Rancher’s Return (in paperback and ebook) from most online bookstores including here and/or ask your library to purchase it.

UK readers: The Kindle version of A Rancher’s Return is now available to order on Amazon UK here.

Sharing my posts about the book on your own social media is always appreciated too.

Happy September!

I hope those of you in the northern hemisphere had a good summer.

And that now, like me, you’re savouring the transition to sweater weather, harvest season and pumpkin spice.

Visiting my British ‘home’ & a summer blogging break

After five long years when pandemic restrictions and then my own bout with Covid precluded travel, I’m finally able to visit England again this summer.

It’s still and always will be, important to who I am as a person and writer and one of the places I call ‘home.’

And as I count the days until my trip, it’s all about what to do, who (and what) I’ll see and what to pack!

What to do…In London, Norfolk and Manchester

London

In London, I’ll meet my British literary agent, Kiran Kataria of Keane Kataria Literary Agency for the first time in ‘real life’ rather than through a computer screen.

With Kiran, I’ll visit the office of Canelo, my new British publisher and meet and have lunch with my editor.

The day will be filled with bookish chat about my Teacher Evacuees series and UK publishing.

In London, I’ll also visit several museums and libraries for book/series research I need to do in person.

Since my historical fiction is shaped by real events and how people lived at a particular time, background research is crucial.

I’m especially looking forward to returning to the Imperial War Museum and touring its extensive WW2 galleries.

Norfolk

In my stories, my fictional teachers and their pupils are evacuated from London to Norfolk, a beautiful county on England’s East Coast.

Between visiting WW2 sites and walking in the area where I’ve set my fictional village, I’ll also return to places like Cromer which I remember fondly from family holidays when English Rose was small.

Manchester

Travelling north to Manchester, I’ll visit an author friend and catch up with many more at the one-day Love Stories etc, Festival: A Celebration of Modern Romantic Fiction.

Who (and what) I’ll see…

From Berkshire to Norfolk, London to Manchester and then North Wales, I’m meeting up and/or staying with friends from my author community and beyond.

Between afternoon teas, lunches and suppers I’ll have food I miss and can’t get in Canada like Victoria sponge cake, fish and chips on the pier, Yeo Valley yogurt, toasted tea cakes and more.

And in London, I’ve booked a ticket (with one of those friends) for a romance author panel at Waterstones Piccadilly (Europe’s largest bookshop) as three well-known British authors, Lucy Vine, Laura Wood and Kirsty Greenwood celebrate publication of their new books.

Via another pre-booked ticket, I’ll see the London Children’s Ballet perform a bookish favourite, The Secret Garden.

What to pack

From both weather reports and friends, I’ve heard it’s been unusually cold and wet in the UK in June which may extend into July.

Along with my trusty British umbrella, I’ll pack my hot water bottle, a jumper (sweater) and woolly bed socks just in case.

If I need a few extra basics? There’s always British shopping favourite Marks and Spencer.

A Rancher’s Return (October 2024)

In case you missed it in my newsletter or social media, I’m excited to share the gorgeous cover for my October Harlequin Heartwarming Jen Gilroy release, A Rancher’s Return.

This sweet second-chance romance stands alone but it’s also the fourth and final book in my Montana Carters series and is available for pre-order now, in large print paperback and eBook including Kindle in the UK.

Since my Harlequin Heartwarming titles haven’t previously been sold in the UK, it’s wonderful to be able to share A Rancher’s Return with British readers.

Summer blogging break

I’m taking a summer blogging break but will be back with a new post in September.

I wish you a safe and happy summer and, of course, wonderful books to read.

It’s garage sale season in my world

May and June.

In my part of Canada the spring blooms are in full flower, and signs for weekend garage sales pop up as often as dandelions.

It’s once again the season when people sell things they no longer via their garage or outside their house.

When I lived in England, I don’t recall this kind of sale. The closest equivalent was a ‘car boot sale’ where people also sell things they no longer want. However, at a ‘car boot,’ people sell from the boot (trunk) of their car in a public place like a school grounds, car park or field and pay a small fee to use the space.

Both types of sales, though, are a way to nab bargains on all kinds of goods and keep them out of landfill—reducing, reusing and recycling.

After clearing out my late parents’ house and now with English Rose living mostly on her own, I’m not actively acquiring ‘things’ to fill our main home or lake house.

Still, when I spot a garage sale sign by the side of the road, I’m often tempted to stop. From the ordinary to the unusual, items for sale tell stories about the people selling them and are catnip to author me.

Last Saturday morning, I drove from the lake to our small-town home and in that scant hour counted more than twenty garage sales, including a large all-community event.

I only stopped at one sale but it was, as I’d say in British English a ‘cracker’ (for North American readers meaning ‘very good’).

Raising funds for a rural church, I browsed goods laid out on the lawn and in the parish hall while Floppy Ears enjoyed the dog treats on offer and temporarily became the sale’s unofficial, tail-wagging ‘greeter.’

I bought several books, a small table and vintage folding wooden chair (the latter to hold a porch geranium), all for the sum of $5.00 (circa £2.85 in the UK).

Even more meaningful, though, were the chat, sense of community and human connections that for me are more infrequent in our online world.

Since I was driving a small car with Floppy Ears in the back, I reluctantly passed a sale displaying a trio of life-size illuminated Christmas lawn reindeer (yes, Tech Guy, the kind I’ve wanted for years!), but there’s always another weekend.

My small-town will soon host its annual garage sale, now in its sixty-first year, to raise funds for the local hospital. My next door neighbour is having her own sale too.

Even if I don’t find those reindeer or a replacement for the Royal Worcester egg coddler I lost in a move, I’ll find more chat, community and connection.

They’re the things I write about in my Harlequin Heartwarming books and am also lucky to live.

My well-travelled writing desk

On X (formerly Twitter), Welsh author friend Tracy Rees posted recently that she has two desks, an “expensive oak-topped one” and a “cheap self-assembly one” she built twenty-three years ago and has “carried…from house to house…ever since.”

I too have several desks but do most of my writing on an also “cheap self-assembly” desk. It’s one I bought as a postgraduate student at University College London in *mumble mumble* (but more than twenty-three) years ago!

I got my desk in the summer sales at what was then British modern home designer Habitat’s flagship store on London’s Tottenham Court Road.

And like Tracy, my sturdy black modular, steel desk has also travelled with me from house to house.

It has crossed the Atlantic between England and Canada three times.

In England, and from student days to my adult professional life I’ve written on it in five London neighbourhoods and a Berkshire village.

My desk has travelled three-quarters of the way across Canada and been with me in homes in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Ottawa and now small-town Eastern Ontario.

It also travelled to Victoria, British Columbia when, in a move between Edmonton, Alberta and Ottawa some of my furniture was accidentally sent farther west in Canada instead of east.

I’ve had this desk longer than I’ve been married, and it has outlasted multiple pieces of computer equipment and ergonomic chairs.

After all these years, my desk is both cherished friend and part of who I am.

I’ve sat at it in times of writerly celebration, despair and everything in between.

From cradling an infant English Rose while trying to meet a then day-job deadline, to my now grown daughter using it for her own work Zoom calls, this desk is also part of my family.

Although I can and often do write elsewhere, the words seem to flow better here at the desk that’s been a constant in so many seasons of my life. I’ve written parts of all my books at it as well as essays and a thesis.

I’m currently halfway through writing the first draft of The Teacher Evacuees, the start of my new WW2 British home front women’s fiction series out in 2025.

And as I visit 1940s England in my imagination, my English desk is part of that journey and it—and I—have come almost full circle.

As for Tracy Rees who inspired this post? If you haven’t yet discovered her wonderful books (she writes both historical and contemporary fiction), find out more on her website here.

Chatting with lifestyle blogger Deni Jones about my books, writing and life

This week I was interviewed by my friend, lifestyle blogger Deni Jones (who also writes romance as Charlene Groome).

Deni and I chatted about my new Jen Gilroy book, The Cowgirl Nanny from Harlequin Heartwarming, and what it’s like for me to write in two genres, sweet contemporary romance and historical (currently WW2) women’s fiction.

I also shared fun facts about why I enjoy kayaking, my favourite go-to snacks, something readers don’t know about me and more.

Not least, I recommended a new book, Lessons from the Rancher, a fun and uplifting sweet small-town romance by my author friend Anna Grace. Anna writes for Harlequin Heartwarming too and I’m a fan!

Read my interview with Deni here.

“The Cowgirl Nanny” is here soon! Come with me behind the story

The Cowgirl Nanny, my ninth published book (and third for Harlequin Heartwarming) will be out next week, April 23. 

Although part of my Montana Carters sweet contemporary romance miniseries about a ranching family, The Cowgirl Nanny also stands alone.

What’s The Cowgirl Nanny about?

Bryce Carter is a widowed dad who has given up on love…But he still needs a summer nanny for his two young children.

Professional barrel racer Carrie Rizzo might be perfect…But even if Brye could open his family, let alone his heart, she’s returning to rodeo in the fall.

With friends to lovers, found family, a close-knit small town and more, I hope you’ll love this sweet and heartwarming romance as much as I do.

What did I learn while writing this book?

The ins and outs of team roping and other rodeo events…much more information than I could include in the story.

Practicing sustainable farming and environmental protection, especially in the western United States and on the Canadian prairies.

How to build a rabbit hutch, what to feed goats and where to find dinosaur fossils in Montana.

Which parts of The Cowgirl Nanny resonate most with me most personally?

Finding love later in life when it’s unexpected and maybe even sweeter.

Learning to live with grief and moving forward.

Overcoming school bullying.

Kinkeeping and finding support and strength in extended family.

How do I want you to feel after reading The Cowgirl Nanny? 

Hopeful, warm and encouraged…and to finish the book with a smile.

What is the one thing I now want to do because of writing The Cowgirl Nanny?

See rodeo barrel racing in real life and meet some of the women and horses (like my fictional heroine Carrie and her horse Teddy) who compete in this fast, exciting and challenging sport.

What are advance readers saying?

“I loved [the] setting and…descriptions of ranch life as well as small town living…Well developed characters added good depth to the story. I also like the secondary characters…They really helped bring a warm feeling of family and belonging.” Book blogger Vicky Sluiter

Want to read my new book too? 

Request it from your library or pre-order in ebook or large-print paperback here

Barnes & Noble Premium & Rewards Members: Get 25% off all pre-orders from April 17 through 19, 2024 including eBooks.

B&B Premium Members get an additional 10% off print book pre-orders.

Pre-order my new book from B&N here.

UK readers: Pre-order the paperback from Blackwell’s online (with free delivery) here.

Now back to pre-publication jitters which, even after nine books, never get easier. 

 

 

“Reunion at the Bluebunch Cafe:” Read my free short romance for Harlequin’s 75th anniversary

One of my publishers, Harlequin, is marking its 75th anniversary in 2024. To celebrate, an author from each series romance line has been invited to write a special free online short story—one for each month of the year.

I’m honoured to represent Harlequin Heartwarming and my story, Reunion at the Bluebunch Café, is Harlequin’s 75th anniversary read for April.

Chefs Kristi and Alex share a passion for cooking, a tiny small-town kitchen…and a second chance at love?

If you’ve read Montana Reunion and A Family for the Rodeo Cowboy, the first two books in my Montana Carters sweet romance miniseries, Reunion at the Bluebunch Café is set in the same story world, and you’ll catch up with some familiar characters.

Or if you’re new to the series, Reunion at the Bluebunch Café welcomes you to small-town High Valley, Montana where you’ll meet friendly locals and soon feel at home.

Alex Greenwood is the last person Kristi Rizzo expects to bump into anywhere, let alone in her own café.

But sparks soon fly when Alex and Kristi are forced to share the same kitchen while also competing for the top prize in a local cooking competition.

This story has several nods to my English life, and I had great fun adding a western twist to a traditional British afternoon tea.

Since the main characters are foodies, I was also perpetually hungry while writing!

Reunion at the Bluebunch Café releases in weekly chapter instalments throughout April 2024. Start reading it online here.

Chapter 1 (Live on April 01) / Chapter 2 (Live on April 08) / Chapter 3 (Live on April 16) / Chapter 4 (Live on April 22).

Note: Although you have to register for login access Harlequin’s website, my story and many other online reads are free and available to readers worldwide.

Continue the series that inspired my Harlequin 75th anniversary story

My next book in the Montana Carters miniseries, The Cowgirl Nanny, is out on April 23rd in eBook and large print paperback.

Pre-order this friends to lovers and found family sweet western contemporary romance here.

UK readers: Pre-order the paperback from Blackwell’s online (with free delivery) here.

Introducing my new author alter ego, ‘Rose Warner’

This past week, I reached another milestone in my life and writing career.

Thanks to my UK literary agent Kiran Kataria, I’ve signed a three-book deal for a new Second World War historical fiction series.

These books, following three teachers who are evacuated with their pupils from London to the English countryside in September 1939, are my first fully historical women’s fiction titles.

I’ll also be writing them as ‘Rose Warner,’ a name from my family tree and chosen with my UK agent and editor to suit the genre and time period.

Why historical fiction?  

I’m known for my heartwarming, sweet small-town contemporary romances and will continue to write such stories as Jen Gilroy with two titles for Harlequin Heartwarming and a short story coming out this year.

Although I love writing contemporary settings, I’ve always read and written historical fiction too, much of it set around both World Wars.

Several of my unpublished manuscripts are historical, but since my first traditional publishing deal was for a contemporary title, that’s what I continued to write.

However, if you read my contemporary stories closely, you’ll pick up historical references.

From the Montana Carters nineteenth century Vermont roots and an historic New England-style covered bridge on Tall Grass Ranch land, to the Irish-American family in my Wishing Tree series, all my contemporary characters are anchored in the past.

Stretching my writing muscles

I’m a career author and want to keep stretching my writing muscles.

By writing historical fiction, I grow my writing craft and boost my creativity. That also gives me a fresh perspective and benefits everything I write.

Returning to research

I do some research for my contemporary books, most recently for a rodeo scene in The  Cowgirl Nanny, my April 2024 Heartwarming release.

Writing historical fiction, though, means spending time in archives and museums, some of my ‘happy places,’ and reading first-hand accounts by people who lived in a particular place and time.

I’m a researcher at heart and from my own family history to wider world events, understanding the past helps me make sense of the present and anticipate the future.

What’s next?

My first Rose Warner book, The Teacher Evacuees, will be out from British publisher Canelo in paperback and ebook in October 2025.

I’m also working on a new small-town sweet contemporary romance proposal.

But whether you read a book by ‘Jen Gilroy’ or ‘Rose Warner,’ you’ll find the same warm, hopeful and uplifting stories to bring your heart home.

In other news, and in the wake of the death of my first U.S. literary agent last year, I’ve just signed with Paige Wheeler of Creative Media Agency to represent my North American-focused work.

I’m excited to work with Paige and have her support and guidance in developing my author career.

Happy springtime wishes! 

And to those who celebrate it, I wish you a happy and blessed Easter.