I spent the month of August writing. And rewriting. And writing and rewriting. I was working on my July ’09 book, re-visioning what was, to make it what it could be. It was a hard month, and that month followed several very hard months of work. I’ve done more writing in the past 7 months on one book than I have in years. Usually I can write a book tighter and faster but this one, it had its own rules, and challenged me at every turn.
Happily, I’m nearing the end of my exhaustive rewrite and am preparing to send it out this weekend. And once that happens? It’s time to relax. Time for some long soaks in the tub and last dips in the pool, and a fun weekend with Surfer Ty who is here to spend the rest of the week with me.
To celebrate that this book is nearly out of my hands, I’m hosting the first of my Princess Brides contests this weekend. This first prize is luxurious, too, a prize fit for a sultan’s princess: a plush, plush zebra striped beach towel, the yummiest box of bath goodies from Madisyn Taylor, a Hollywood celeb favorite, and a signed copy of The Sultan’s Bought Bride. 
Post a comment here, tell me how September’s going, or what you’re doing this weekend, and I’ll draw a winner on Saturday night and post the winner’s name Sunday morning. (Make sure you check back and read the comments to see if you’ve won. If you have, you’ve 48 hours to email me your mailing address otherwise I’m picking a new winner on Tuesday.)
Hey Jane! Hoping you are enjoying your long weekend with Ty!! Did your kids start school? My daughter started 4th grade today and my son starts preschool next week. My summer was good. Lots of playdates and day trips to the beach and a family vacation to the Outerbanks in NC. Hope you found some time to relax with all that writing you did!
Cindy
Rewriting is hard. Congrats on almost being done!
School just started here and I’m happy to have two in all day now. Still one at home, but that’s ok. Next week I celebrate 10 years with my dh and the following week we’re taking a one night Seattle/Vancouver cruise so have that to look forward to.
In the meantime back to work on my WIP and to raise funds for CF in the Unleash Your Story challenge.
Have a great weekend with Ty! 😀
Hi Jane! Congratulations on having some time to relax! I think that it makes it much more fun to relax and pamper yourself after knowing you have been working really hard. So, enjoy!
This weekend I’m throwing a baby shower and although it is still very hot here..I am feeling like autumn is in the air! It’s kind of nice! Have a great weekend!
Cathy 🙂
So far… September is sucking… I’ve been sick since Monday… the doctor says it is a migraine… I beg to differ. I’m not in enough pain for it to be a migraine!
Don’t mean to complain!
Have a great time with Ty.
Hi Jane,
September is my favorite time of the year and it’s when Nebraska’s weather becomes cooler! It also happens to be the month of my birthday, the 22nd. A true Virgo, I am busy planning and parading!
This weekend:
Saturday: go to the hair salon en do whatever I want. Wich is mostly reading and cocooning at home with a mug of tea!
Sunday: I was planning to go to a book fair, but..I have a job interview at the American Book Center here!
great site and contest and your books are just great!
Marjolein
Congratulations and enjoy your weekend and week. September is my favorite month. Weather is ideal and we are going to exolore the locale which I look forward to.
Hi Jane,
Just picked up a copy of Mrs. Perfect, and that’s what I plan to do this weekend!
Congratulations on getting to the end of your latest book.
N
Jane-
Great to hear that you will have some time to relax, swim and enjoy Ty for another week. :0)
September has been a changing month so far. I am now a WAHM that has the challenge of taking Mazie back and forth from school now.
She started kinder last week and it had been a hard time getting use to her not being around, having to get up and be ready to take her to school making sure she has her back back, teeth brushed and hair combed. YICKES! am I ready for this? LOL
I thought Sept. was going to be a calming transition into fall but finding out that it is going to be just as busy as our summer was!
But all in all I am adjusting to sending my baby off to school and enjoying the one on one time I know have with Madie. I am very blessed in life!
Can’t wait to read the next book! Your the best –
Cheryl Hill
this weekend we will be dealing with the space to put our new 46″ LCD TV and watching movies with our friends. Fun!!!
Have a great weekend.
This weekend I’m going out to buy a pair of steel toe shoes. The company I’ve worked at for 25 years (in admin. support) was bought out and I’m being moved to a Lab Tech job. I’m excited to be learning something new but, on the other hand, I’m scared to be leaving the familiar.
This weekend I am taking it easy. Just going to spend some time with my hubby and on Saturday going to hang out with a couple of girlfriends. The main focus of the weekend though is relaxing 🙂
Hope you and Ty have fun 🙂
Just curious-when you spend the month writing and writing and writing, do you ever contemplate what you could be doing that would give you more joy and less frustration? When I was teaching full-time, I often thought I would welcome a job where I would work with just dogs who wouldn’t seem to demand so much of me.
Hi Jane,
Congratulations on finishing up your latest book!
Summer has been great! I have attended a family reunion, class reunion, and lots of parties.
I just celebrated my birthday on August 29th and it looks like we will be celebrating again this weekend! 🙂
Enjoy your time with Ty!
Aloha, Julie
I decided to go back to college last spring so classes for the fall just started back up. So September is full of classes, reading and writing papers for me. 🙂
Evening Jane,
Here in IL am listening to some much needed rain outside my windows. Should be good sleeping weather tonight as we hear the steady rain and enjoy the 50/60 degree weather. Our September has been pretty hot until today when it dipped down into the low 70’s – was digging around like crazy this morning to find pants for my kindergartner to wear to school. 🙂 Our weekend is going to be spent watching my 5 year old daughter, Ella Claire, play in her first soccer game. It should be exciting and then off to the Dr with my 2 year old for a check-up…maybe not as fun as the game will be *wink*. Other than that not too much to do…going to try and organize the clothes for our season change so that we are all ready to go for next week.
Enjoy your time with your honey…kudos to you both on the long distance relationship and making it work so well. 🙂
Smiles,
Chelsea from IL
Hi Jane! Congratulations on finishing up your latest book! Relax and enjoy your weekend! I’ll be heading to the lake for some boating, water skiing, swimming, and just plain R & R!
Have a great weekend!
Oh, one more thing… I recommended you to another friend yesterday. We ran into each other at the library and she asked if I had any suggestions – you were the first out of my mouth. 🙂 I picked up Mrs. Perfect in June and I had read all 4 of your books by August. My husband thinks I am nuts by the amount that I read, but I told him once I am hooked on an author I can’t stop reading. Looking forward to your next book – and until then I will keep on recommending you to my friends and family.
Smiles,
Chelsea in IL
HI! Cant wait for the movie to come out-Im on pins & needles 🙂 so far September has been good, I live in Hawaii-what could be bad! The hubby & I are off to a golf tourney this weekend, I wanna kick his butt! Relax, have fun and have a few margaritas!
Hi Jane,
Glad to hear you’re taking some down time. This month is going well so far. I’ve gotten a short story published & I written the first draft of another one. It’ll be great if the rest of the month continues like this. 🙂
Debra
Hi Jane,
Glad to hear that you are taking a break from writing and enjoy being with TY.
September is my favorite month because 1. my son start school (which was yesterday) 2. its my birthday (which is tomorrow) 3. It is my husband and mine wedding anniversary (14 years) 4. My husband’s birthday (coming up in two weeks). Lots of going on on Sept.
I also looking forward for this weekend going to shopping at my favorite mall (we dont go much because it take us an hour drive). I get to go to eat my favorite The Cheesecake Factory and my favorite shops such as Sephora and Borders. I need some new books that I had been reading lot piles during summer. Now Im ready for new one!
Have a great day!
Christy
Hi Jane!
So happy that you finally have some time to yourself to be able to kick back and relax. I know how stressed you were with the book.
September has been a great month so far. I re-did my girls play room over the weekend into a nice relaxing office for myself (with all the toys still, yet hidden). Now I’m very prepared for the busy fall season.
My oldest daughter starts her second year of preschool next week so I am looking forward to having alone time with my youngest.
Have a relaxing time with Ty and I can’t wait for the new book:)
Many hugs,
Meg
You must be a water baby: long soaks, last dips and fun with surfer Ty. It all sounds very wet and cool! Have a fabulous time this weekend!
Jane, congratulations on finishing the revisions. I’m no where near that part, i’m just getting my idea under way. Hoepfully soon ill have plugged away until i reach the end. then revise and send my story into the editors to see if it works or not.
Spending the weekend with family. staying close to them since we have a family member who is very ill, and needs our help and support.
have a good weekend.
jody
Hi Jane! How exciting…a new book! I have my Mom hooked on your books now. I recently took your Mrs. Perfect book along with me to the beach and all the gals were wondering what I was reading and it drew quite a crowd.
September is well on its way and all three of my kiddos are in school. I just can’t believe it. And my Husband and I will be celebrating ten years of marriage on the 13th!
Hope you have a great weekend!
September is the start of the fall and school. This week my daughter started Kindergarten, I started my third year working towards my B.S. degree and have a new job opportunity.
This weekend is my birthday and my daughter bought me a bike with Papa. Like a bike with no motor, I really have to pedal and balance. I haven’t rode a bike since I received my driver’s license. So I am sure it is going to be interesting learning to ride again.
Lots of laughs!
Have a Good Weekend!
I hate it that summer’s over but September always feels more like a “new year” time to me than January!
This year the weather in August was not the best on the weekends, so I am counting on nice weekends this month, and it looks like it is going to happen. The days are getting shorter, though, but the night chill just makes us want to cuddle more at night, so that is not a bad thing.
Looking forward to beautiful sunsets (like tonight) and warm, sunny days in September, plus my wedding anniversary is the 27th! September is my favorite month.
Jane, enjoy your well-deserved “vacation” from writing and time with your love.
My son has a football game tonight and a baseball doubleheader on Sunday, but tomorrow, we go to the lake. We’ll watch the dogs jump in and out of the water, read and visit with family. I’ll be jumping into ‘Flirting with Forty’
My daughter and her boyfriend are planning to surprise my husband with an early birthday cake for his upcoming Sept 10th birthday. I just have to make sure his butt stays put here at home. Let’s see…I could put him to work on finishing the floor upstairs that he started three years ago…LOL Have a fabulous weekend with Ty and just lie back and relax. You’ve worked so hard for it and deserve it tenfold!
Jane,
I hope your fingers are still intact from all the writing, typing you have been doing. I am going to be very interested in ready this one b/c it was a challenge for you. This to me means that you had to dig deep for the correct story, plot and especially the ending. Hopefully you can slow down and take a deep breathe before you dig back in.
Tonya
Sorry- I forgot to write about my weekend. Let me get my calendar, with four boys, we have a ton of activities. Tonight, two of them have basketball practice (can you believe that is already starting!!), One has soccer, and I am going to the little girl next door birthday party and painting toe nail (which I don’t even do my own!!) Tomorrow, we have two football games and one soccer game (which are at the same time, therefore my husband and I won’t see eachother), I am having my family over after that for my sisters birthday party, Sunday after church, we have another football game. CRAZY!! Now I bet you wished I hadn’t written all that;)
Have a great weekend!
Hi Jane! Congratulations on getting that manuscript finished! If Tropical Storm Hannah doesn’t hit us too hard, I’m bringing my girls to our small town’s annual “historical days.” There’ll be food tents and raffles and games and crafters, and an enormous bonfire once it gets dark. It’s a lot of fun, and a chance to catch up with neighbors and friends whom I haven’t seen during the summer. Enjoy your weekend!
September’s been pretty good to me so far. My sister flew in from AZ yesterday at the crack of Oh My God It’s Early. She is a surprise birthday gift for my mother who turns 65 today (Friday). We’re throwing her a surprise party on Sunday which will include many of the people who have supported us throughout my mom’s long illness.
Then on Tuesday, after 6 months of hospital and rehab stays, my mom will finally be discharged and able to come home – to our new apartment!! So it’s a big weekend for us all around.
Plus, there’s that pesky hurricane thing…
Hi Jane!
I’m sure all that hard work will pay off as it always does! Glad to hear you’ll be taking some time out to enjoy yourself as well as balance is the bread of life!
So far, September is a time of new beginnings for me. I’ve just settled into a new apartment, I’m going to start a new business as a virtual assistant and I need to find a job by October 1st or be accepted into the Ontario government’s Self-Employment Benefit Program which is what I’m praying for. The busy part of this month has just begun but I plan to relax this weekend by having my sister and brother-in-law over for dinner tonight (bro’s helping with a few fix-it projects in the new pad) and will be doing a bit of online promo work for my clients tomorrow and Sunday during the day, and getting together with a girlfriend on Saturday evening to drink some wine and possibly go out to hear some live music. I’d like to go to see the movie Tropic Thunder on Sunday too! So much to do, so few hours in a day!
Enjoy your weekend to the max!
Love Christine xo
Hi jane and fellow bloggers,
Life is wonderful! I really enjoy reading the books, as does my mom. My family is looking forward to a new puppy in the next few weeks, a girl doxy. So September will be a wonderful month for me. Take Care.
Hi Jane.
Life is busy right now. I work at a university and it is always hectic as school starts back.
Outside work, I am enjoying the last days of summer weather.
Hey Jane!!!
I am so excited for football season to be here again! I will be watching the local high school game tonite and then the college games tomorrow. Hoping for a little rest on Sunday before manic Monday hits!
Happy Football Friday!!!
Thanks for the contest!
Sandy
Hi Jane,
Congrats on finishing the book!! I’m being patient waiting for another of your books to be done! For selfish reasons. Sept is good so far, this weekend I will be enjoying the pool and reading, my favorite things. Looking forward to more fall like weather, but will miss my warm pool days!
Enjoy your weekend and company!
Liz
Hi Jane! I’m glad you’re near the end of the rewrite process. We’re settling into life in NYC after 1 month and the kids all started school… am trying madly to finish a book with a Sept 30 deadline before baby #4 makes her arrival in October! Enjoy your last bit of summer…
Kate
Hi Jane! Congratulations on finishing your latest book! Hope you can sit back now and relax! It’s going to be raining this weekend so I’m going to stay inside and curl up with your book, Mrs. Perfect. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
I am ending a wet but fabulous summer in Europe with my birthday party in the South pacific. It doesn’t get better than that when one is facing 44!
Jane,
I’m looking forward to your next book coming out! I have a busy weekend of family time between my daughters’ soccer games and practices and my son’s football practice and game. Fall sports are my favorite–with cooler weather and the change of seasons. A busy, but fun weekend that will end with a nice Sunday dinner.
Cheers~
Madelyn
This weekend started with successful garage saling and now selling on ebay!! I envy you your weekend and can’t wait for the book!!!
September – well let’s talk about September. First, I am so glad you are wrapping up your novel about Tiana. Can’t wait to read it. Oh my goodness, almost a whole year and I am jonesing already for just a sneek peak. First starting with August we had our first tropical storm Fay. Not too bad, rain and wind. Now here we are with September and are dealing with Hurricane Ike, a Category 4 hurricane. I have to admit I had one scary day when the models showed it was heading right our way. Since then it is wobbling and has lost some steam. A Category 3. Still not good. But is heading a little south but not for long and will turn north into the Gulf of Mexico. Whatever, we will have an impact although not as bad as we thought and that is good as long as it doesn’t start changing course. It’s a wait and see. We are on what they call the dirty side of the hurricane. Horrific rain, wind and tornadoes.
What frightens me is that people are panicing and there are long lines at the gas station, the grocery stores are packed but again we may not get hit bad and that is good. Also good is my daughter who lives in the keys is packing up and comeing “home” Will you say a little prayer for us – thanks! Best Patricia
Congratulations on finishing your book!
I’ve been picking lots of berries, but now it’s been raining almost constantly.
Hi Jane,
Love your books, love your blog! Sorry to say summer is over – wish it lasted another month! School has started this week and the hectic weekends filled with my children’s events has begun -cross country meets, soccer games and bagpiping events. How many days until Christmas vacation?
Hi Jane,
This weekend so far as been great. Just relaxing and hanging out with the kids. Went to the beach and built sandcastles and tried paddleboarding again. I am looking forward to a quiet Sunday before the kids go back to school.
Traci
The weekend was beautiful here in Michigan and was planning on going over to the Arts and Apples Festival today (Sun) but it’s raining. We can bike it from our house along the Paint Creek Trail which is a fun ride. But the rain may force us to drive. Glad to hear you can relax for a change and share your time with Ty. Have fun in the tub!
Good morning, everyone! Wonderful to have so many of you posting and sharing your September plans. (And I was shocked by how many of you are Spetember babies!! Happy Birthday to all you Virgos and Libras). I drew a name out of my favorite baseball hat and it was Jen, who was the 5th poster here. Jen, please email me with your mail address and the prize will be on its way to you. And everyone, keep checking back as I’m giving away another fun Princess Bride prize this week!
Jane Porter
Woohoo! Congrats to Jen!
Congrats Jen!!!
THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!
Way to go Jen! 🙂
lucky Jen; congrats