Category Archives: Book Clubs

Wed Wine Tasting & Fun

I attended another wonderful event last night here in Bellevue with moms from Cherry Crest Elementary.  The women were really nice and very fun and made me feel so comfortable.  I appreciate all those who have bid on an evening with me at their school or non-profit auctions and hope you know that I’m the lucky one to get to meet such awesome women! I have another event in Bellevue this coming Wednesday, May 11th from 6 to 8pm at the Bellevue Club.  Not familiar with the Bellevue Club?  It’s at 11200 Southeast Sixth Street, Bellevue, WA 98004 and there is a $25 charge for the wine tasting, but if you’re interested in attending and don’t belong to the Bellevue Club … Continue reading Wed Wine Tasting & Fun

Writing Writing Writing

It’s Monday again. Not sure how it came around again so fast. Feels like it should be Thursday. But no, Thursday I flew to Tucson to join Shannon Yun’s bookclub which turned out to be a really fun mix of readers and RWA members. Loved the dinner and the company and conversation. Was a wonderful treat–and break–from several weeks of very hard, very long writing days. But its the start of a new week, another week of intensive writing, and I’m determined to get this book heading towards its conclusion. I’ve really struggled with it–every little word feels as if its been chipped from granite, or plucked from my brain with the smallest pair of tweezers imaginable. The words aren’t … Continue reading Writing Writing Writing

Live Podcast Interview Tonight!

I’m so excited to be spending some time at The Manic Mommies Book Club tonight! I’m taking part in a live Podcast interview, lead by the wonderful Mari Partyka of the blog Bookworm With a View—and by you! My readers should call in with questions about She’s Gone Country and get my answers live. The interview is happening at 5 PM PST for 30-40 minutes. You can call with this number: Number: (724) 444-7444 Call ID: 90383# Pin: 1# Click here for more information. I hope you call in and chat with me! But if you can’t make it, you can download the Podcast on iTunes. Just search for “Manic Mommies Book Club” in the music store and download the … Continue reading Live Podcast Interview Tonight!

Reader Dinners

My reader dinners have been the best thing I’ve done in terms of career in years. I LOVE meeting with my readers and having a chance to sit down and just relax and talk over a good meal. Why host my own dinners? For one, I love treating my loyal readers to a girls night out. And for another, it’s so hard to talk in a bookstore setting, and as more and more bookstores cut back on signings and formal events I find that I end up stressing quite a bit about the success of a store event. In stores there is definitely pressure to perform–how many people will come? How many books will be sold? Does the bookstore like … Continue reading Reader Dinners

Win Jane! … Okay, a Visit with Jane

I love my readers. I really do. You guys are the reason I keep writing even when everything gets chaotic or hard. I so appreciate your support and friendship and sense of fun. During my book tours and book discussions, readers frequently ask me how much my life experiences influence the stories and characters I write. I get this question so frequently, in fact, that I created a special feature on my site—“How much of me is in my books?”— to address where I show up in my contemporary novels. There is a little of me in every book, of course. It’s only natural for a writer to draw inspiration from her own life. Certainly, though, there is more of … Continue reading Win Jane! … Okay, a Visit with Jane

Book Events All Week Long!

The pic  below was taken in July when I joined a wonderful Seattle book group for their discussion of Odd Mom Out and tomorrow I begin a whole new round of book talks, readings, signings and discussions….about SHE’S GONE COUNTRY!  I am really excited to be on the road, meeting up with readers, and saying hello to booksellers. Are you in California?  Can you join me at one of my book events this week?  It’s Palo Alto Monday night, Sacramento Tuesday night, Fresno Wednesday night, Pasadena Thursday night, and then to Nevada Friday noon!  I know it takes effort to get out of the house, make arrangements for kids, sometimes travel a great distance, but please know I so appreciate … Continue reading Book Events All Week Long!

An Afternoon With The Girls

I’ve been in Hawaii a week today, but before I left Bellevue last week, I had the chance to spend part of the afternoon with some very smart, very literate young ladies who attend Seattle’s French-American School together.  I’d met one of the moms at a fundraiser back in April (at least I think it was April….) and she invited me to join the mother-daughter bookclub for an afternoon discussion of books, writing tips, and insights into the writing life. The girls shared with me some of their favorite authors (Rick Riordan and JK Rowling) and I shared some of mine from when I was little (Louisa May Alcott and Laura Ingalls Wilder).  Most of the girls had read the … Continue reading An Afternoon With The Girls

Spring Events

I have a very busy schedule in the coming months.  Lots of public events, and then private events like book clubs and reader groups and dinners I’ve offered to local charities.  Although I don’t love leaving my kids so much in the evenings and on weekends–as you know I’m a tad attached to them–it’s all worth it if I get to meet readers and see fellow authors and friends. My next public event takes place this coming Saturday afternoon at the Kingsgate Library on 143rd Street in Kirkland, WA.   My talk begins at 2 pm and I’ll be reading from Easy on the Eyes and then leading a discussion on the writing life and the publishing industry as well as … Continue reading Spring Events

Romance Reader Luncheon on Oahu

It’s a gorgeous Tuesday morning in Hawaii and Christmas is just days away.  I spent yesterday doing nothing but relaxing after the hectic weekend of preparing for the lunch I hosted on Sunday for Kellie Chang’s Romance Reader Group. We were supposed to have our lunch outside on the deck but it poured all night, cleared up in the morning, and then started to come down again about an hour before the lunch was to begin.  Surfer Ty’s good friend Tucker had agreed to act as my bartender for the party so he and I frantically (well, I was frantic, he wasn’t.  He is a surfer after all…) moved the big sectional against the ‘living room’ wall, carried out all … Continue reading Romance Reader Luncheon on Oahu

Time Flies

Time flies. It must, as I have no other explanation for the past eleven days that have zipped by since I last posted. Surfer Ty has come and gone and is about to return tomorrow to join me and Mac for this weekend’s Southern California book events. I’m not sure where the time has gone, though. I did have a couple weeks that were packed with events, ranging from appearing this weekend at a a writer’s conference to speaking to a PEO meeting to attending a wine and cheese in my honor to joining two different book clubs to hosting a Sunday brunch fundraiser. Each event has meant making goodie bags and gathering my blown up book covers and getting directions and kissing … Continue reading Time Flies