First of all, the title home wrecker does not apply to my guest author over at my bulletin board this week. Jenny Gardnier is not a home wrecker. She’s a very respectable, very pretty and likable woman who writes incredibly funny books like her just released bestseller, Sleeping with Ward Cleaver, which is doing wonderful things over at the Barnes & Noble bestseller list.
Do visit her over at my board, (you have to know how to get to my bulletin board by now…)and not just because I like her, but because this is my very own sweeps week! That’s right, hanging out on my b-board this week means you’ll have lots of chances to win prizes. Fabulous prizes. Why? 1) Jenny’s joining us 2) You know I love February 3) You know I think Valentine’s Day should be an entire week long not just a day 4) And I’m about to turn a year older but MySpace still thinks I’m 39 which is cool. Winners will be drawn every day so come play.
And now that I’ve tackled the sweet stuff, let me give you the dirt.
I am the home wrecker.
Seriously. I broke up a marriage. Well, I didn’t, but the author Jane Porter did with her books.
This is a true story and it happened to some one I know. Or to the brother of someone I know.
I will make this short because its a tawdry tale. But this man we know told Surfer Ty his brother’s wife just left him. Apparently the wife in question changed after she started reading these romance novels. It seems the books gave this wife ideas and she saved all the books by this one romance author (the author’s name was Jane Porter) and then one day she just up and left. She ran away with the plumber. And it’s all my fault.
This incident troubles me at a number of levels because my books are about love and happiness, not about destroying marriages and lives. But also, and this is a small but important point, my romance novels featured Greeks, sheikhs, Italians…but alas, never a plumber. Not even a Latin Lover plumber.
Not that a Latin Lover plumber wouldn’t be great in bed.
Don’t blame yourself. This woman just realized that she wasn’t happy and fulfilled in her marriage and wanted more. Maybe your characters showed her it was possible, but I don’t for one second believe this was all your doing. She was obiously searching for something and though I’m not sure the plumber is the one that can give it to her, maybe he is. If it hadn’t been your books, it would have been something else. We don’t know his wife’s side of it. All we hear is the husband who was “up and left.” I’m sure there are lots of relationships you’ve helped because of the characters you create that you just haven’t heard about yet. 🙂
A plumber? Seriously.
I think I would be a bit disturbed too. On the other hand…maybe the husband should have read a few romances along with his wife?
Teri
Obviously that husband isn’t at all prepared to dig a little deeper into himself to figure out what about “him” caused his marriage to end. Some people just don’t know how to take responsibility. But the woman leaving her husband based on your books? Hmm, sounds like the makings of an interesting plot in itself. 😉
Christina
Home Wrecker is not a word that could even remotely be used to describe you. The woman read your books and used them as an excuse to leave a committment. Without knowing the real truth behind their marriage (only the husband and wife know) we are left to scratch our heads and wonder.
But don’t even entertain the thought that you, Jane Porter are responsible in any way for HER decision to leave.
Your books are about women finding themselves, and improving themselves, and learning that it is okay to be a woman and anything else our heart desires. Your books teach about love – self love, mother/child love, spousal love, friend/friend love, and how to be okay with not being Super Woman/Mom/Wife.
Don’t second guess your writing, Jane. It’s from the heart, and it’s honest. It doesn’t get any better than that.
I have a lot of trouble believing she up and left because of reading romances, even your fabulous ones. I can believe that she realized that the marriage did not give her what she needed, and that dear hubby maybe needed a scapegoat. Never fear that it’s your fault, as it’s not.
Jane, we have a mutual friend that after reading one of your books actually called her hubby home from work for… well, you know… that is not home wrecking!!!
Well obviously there were problems there the hubby didn’t know about, or chose to ignore.
My first husband left me for another woman. I blamed everyone and everything. If there was a Latin plumber to blame, he would have been added to the list. The simple fact, it was a really crappy relationship. And thank goodness he left!
As much as this makes you feel bad, don’t. Don’t give it a second thought. There was a lot more wrong there, then her reading your books or any other authors.
I guess the plumber had something her husband didn’t. Or at least for the moment he does. I think I can speak for most, love has to be missing for a woman to seek it some place else. She was reading so much because obviously something else wasn’t going on. You might of been the one to keep her there, until the plumber came along. Sorry, then your books couldn’t keep her there.
Don’t you dare loose any sleep over this…but it would make a great plot…
Okay, *deep breath*
Z-O-M-F-G! That is so ridiculous…. Jane you are *so not* a home wrecker. That is just totally wacked out, yo. Like WTF? Er. Yeah. People don’t just decide to leave a marriage after reading books. That’s just insane. I mean, seriously. I’m sure if she’s old enough to be married than she’s old enough to make her own choices. Sorry, but just because she errm… consorted with a latin plumber DOES NOT mean that it’s your fault because you write about really “sexme” (hahah like my new word for sexy?) guys. Seriously! And I don’t recall reading anything about a Latin Plumber… Yeah. Definitely not a plumber. I do recall sexme Greek tycoons (drool). Sheikhs, and really hot Italian alpha males… but no recall of a plumber…
(err. Does she watch Desperate Housewives? because there is a plumber there…)
Yeah. No one leaves a marriage because of some books that may have resulted in fantasies. If it were that easy… then maybe she didn’t feel that strongly about her marriage.
So, yeah. My aunt totally borrowed like a bunch of my presents (she was shocked at my massive collection)… and I have her your princess trilogy. She loved Nic’s story… Now She is reading Chantal’s. Oh and her Hubby asked if he could read them too. lol. He thought it was interesting.
So I’m not sure whether I want to laugh or feel sorry for the guy. But obviously…wifey wasn’t getting what she needed at home. Sorry, that was mean.
But also, and this is a small but important point, my romance novels featured Greeks, sheikhs, Italians…but alas, never a plumber. Not even a Latin Lover plumber.
Hehe.
I’m not as nice as Shelli – I laughed! Partly because I was wondering if Ty told you this with a straight face.
I do hope the woman didn’t jump from the frying pan into the fire.
Oh wow Jane! Here’s what I think! The marriage obviously had issues anyway.
Your heroine’s are strong, they learn to trust and think for themselves. That in itself is a great message for women!
I think that woman simply became empowered to believe in herself, then possibly did what she has wanted to do for who knows how long!
The husband, I’m sure, finds it easier to blame others.
The bottom line has nothing whatsoever to do you with you!
Jeez! That’s just silly!
Sounds like there was very little faith in either of their lives.
I’m very happy that I found your website, it had basically everything as far as the information I’ve been looking for