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 me in some of my books than in others. What do Shey of She’s Gone Country and I have in common? Read more about She’s Gone Country and some of my other titles here.
Some of you, though, know a lot about me and apparently want to know even more. I’ve been getting so many emails lately asking me to come to your hometown for a reader event that I thought I’d do a very special contest that I’ve never done before. It’s a contest where you get the chance to win me. Or at least, you win the chance for your bookclub to have a night chatting about books and life with me. In person. In your town.
How does that work? You enter your book group in the contest by posting a comment below. The winning name/group will receive 12 signed copies of She’s Gone Country, a dinner in your town with me, and a chance to discuss the book and any of my other books over dinner and drinks. Yes, I will be flying to you. And then driving to you. Surfer Ty and Mac might join me as well as they seem to like adventures. I’ll bring your group fun reader goodie bags and we’ll have a great time. I will join your group for this special event between January and late April on a mutually agreeable date.
Sound good? Think this is something your friends or group would like? Nominate your group! Tell me a little bit about yourselves. books you’ve read this year, number of women in your club, why you think a visit from me would be the thing to do and you’re entered. Contest will run for one week and I’ll draw the winner/winning group next Thursday morning, October 28th and announce the name at the bottom of my comment section.
But wait! There’s more! I will also draw 2 runner ups whose groups will receive 12 signed books from me (could be any of my books, not just She’s Gone Country), 12 reader goodie bags, and a call in from me the night of your book club discussion. And everyone who enters a group will get a little Halloween thank you from me –2 new recipe cards from She’s Gone Country, a Gone Country pen, JP goodies, and chocolates. So nominate your group, tell me why you’d love me to come see you, and then let’s hope you win!!
Jane you are simply the finest, fairest, most wonderful-est in the land!!
I have been in and out of our Book Club for a few years (based only on my own personal commitments). We are a group of friends who joined an group called MOMS Club (for at-home moms) when our kids were about 2 years old. We’ve been out of that group for several years, but we still meet twice a month (each meeting has a slightly different roster from the same group). One is book club, the other is called MNO where we take turns hosting the group (8-12 women) at our homes.
We don’t see each other around town as much as we’d like but we are all great friends and share the bond that only time and laughter can provide. We’ve seen each other through triumphs and tragedies; joys and sorrows. We are free to speak our minds, chide each other and just have fun. Always the same core group of women.
I love these women and it’s what makes Tustin such a great place to live. A true community proving you get out what you put in…
The last two books we read were “Little Bee” by Chris Cleave and “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein. I’m just getting back into the group so I’m not sure what else they’ve read this year.
Why would we love to see you? Well because you’re so real and open; you care and you care to connect. How fun would it be to have an author in our midst….really fun!! We’d be the talk of the town for sure. ((o:
Thanks for always thinking of your readers, Jane. You are a true gem.
Hugs from Tustin (a grand place to live AND visit!),
Shannon
This is so cool!
I am not entering, I don’t have a book group and I am here local to you. You wouldn’t get to fly anywhere…
I know the group that wins will have a REALLY good time!
Good luck to all the book clubs out there!
Hi Jane,
What a nice contest, it makes me wish that I had a real physical book club. But I just read your books and then talk to my friends and family about them.
Recently I got my friend in Slovenia to read “flirting with forty” and I gave my sister a copy to. They both love your books. So now I know what I can buy them for Christmas 🙂
That sounds like fun. I wish I belonged to a book club to enter.
Awww Jane. This is very sweet of you. I wish I was still in a book group. Getting the chance to hang out with you is great. Good luck to all the book clubs out there. Jane is a fabulous person; you will love her too. She is a very special person you will have in your midst. Bonus prize of having her boys there too.
She’s Gone Country is a great read too. Certain aspects of it really hit home with me, as is the case with all her books. This one is the second one to hit me pretty hard though. Even if your group doesn’t win, you should read all her books. My fave is Odd Mom Out.
Good luck everyone!!!
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Alas, Jane, I too don’t belong to a group, per se. I pass my books onto girlfriends who in turn pass them on to other girlfriends or else senior apartment buildings/nursing homes (depending on the genres and how many are needed at “the homes”, as we read a LOT).
I too wish the book groups well and wholeheartedly agree that the winners won’t be sorry. As always, you are extremely generous, Jane, and please know that we ALL appreciate it!
Have a great week.
Great contest! I’m not in a book club either or I would enter in a heartbeat. Maybe all of us non-book clubbers could meet in an agreed upon State and you could meet us there. 🙂
Good one, Jill! LOL!!! Thank you for the laugh.
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Jane, this is such a wonderful idea. Sadly, I am my own “bookclub.” I am not in A book club. My sharing books with my friends and family is as close as it gets. Good luck to the book clubs who enter; it’ll be a chance of a lifetime and a moment to remember.
Jane,
Like many of the other readers, I’m not in a book club either but wish I was. I used to be pretty involved in Stay at Home Moms group in my neighborhood and felt very out of the loop…which is why I fell in love with your Odd Mom Out book a the library when I found it on the New Books shelf. I’ve read every other book you’ve written and love them all. I would like to meet you someday at a book signing — have you ever been to Michigan…it is beautiful! Thanks, Susan
I don’t have an official book club either… but it sure would be fun to meet you! This is a great contest, what a prize!
I have a good friend at work and we are a very small book club of two that meets every morning by the coffee maker and tea kettle to talk about lots of stuff, with emphasis on good reads. I actually entered her in one of your best friends contests and she won a copy of The Frog Prince.
There’s gonna be a very lucky book club out there! Great prize and awesome idea!
We love you too Jane!
Wow! What an awesome contest…how I wish I belonged to a book club right this instant so I could have a chance to win! I have read the previous comments and I, too, have a lot of co-workers who are avid readers and during lunch and coffee breaks we always talk about what books we have read, are reading and what we will read next. I know having a book club is a great idea that brings people together and I will work hard to form one in the future so that I can have a chance to win a contest like this (if you ever have one again). Good luck to all the book clubs out there!
What an amazing contest, Jane! Unfortunately, the only book club I am a member of includes a 4 year old and a 6 year old – so that wont work! 🙂 We read plenty of Dr. Suess and Shel Silverstein. When they are older, I know they’ll be fans of yours! 😉 Good luck ladies!
wow i sure do wish i was in a book club, so that i could get the chance to meet you! i have read & enjoyed all your books! i have always wondered if you were in those books somewhere!?!??!
I share your books with my family and friends. I love your writing style and insight on the many struggles us women live through and learn from daily. I would love to see you if you come withing a 5 hour drive. If you were to pick Kansas I would love to get the word out so that your many fans here could attend.
Jane,
The ladies of ‘Quahlywood Bookclub, in Issaquah Washington would cordially request your presence at our bookclub in the spring.
We have worked our way through all of your books, many of which mirrored some of our own experiences up here in the Plateau. We think you are pretty fabulous and would like step by step advice on how to surf among other things.
I’m sure you were hoping an exotic bookclub in the Philippines, or Iceland, or Costa Rica would win your contest. We understand. But let’s face it – the Northwest is beautiful, and we could always rent a cabin for the event on one of the San Juan Islands? Or head to a winery in Chelan for the night?
We have been meeting as a bookclub for four years, and we’d love to celebrate our fifth year with you!
Most humbly yours,
Your devoted neighbors in Issaquah Highlands
Our book club is called the Friday Night Book Club & Cocktail Society. We’re a mixed bag, but we all share a love of reading.
We’ve read 4 of your books (Odd Mom Out, Mrs. Perfect, Easy on the Eyes and She’s Gone Country).
We would LOVE to have you spend a night with us here in Southern California during one of our monthly meetings.
Do Liza and I count as a book group? If so, sign us up and come on down to LA!
Hi Jane,
I’m nominating my book club, and you won’t even have to fly anywhere if we win!
Our book club meets at Redmond Borders each Wednesday night. We don’t always read the same book at the same time, but there is a great conversation about what everyone is reading when we get together. The club is led by the amazing Andrea, who runs the best romance department in Western Washington.
We’d love to see you, if you’d like to stop by sometime!
Julie
Yet another reason I should be in a book club….
I dont have a book club, but I do have a writers group, does that qualify? We are in Lake Stevens Washington so you won’t have to fly, just drive. We would love to meet you and just discuss how and when you write especially with young kids around, where you get your inspiration, how you started writing, what you are writing next and just hang out with you!
Jane!!!
Our group is small, but we are THE BEST TABLE ever!! We would love to meet with you and talk with you. We have read your book Flirting with Forty and we just finished Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.
It would be an honor to meet you! Our next book will be She’s Gone Country. Hope to see you soon!
Sarah, sounds like a fun group! So where do you all live? 🙂
I know I won’t get picked for I don’t have a book club, but I do live in a country town outside of Tallahassee Fla. and u have alot to offer, a homecook meal Cajun for my hubby does all the cooking and I have a few girlfriends who are alot of fun(southern-redneck clean fun) I give my books to frineds who read but most to my local library for all these cutbacks. Anyways, I’m glad your doing this contest for you love your readers, and I like you as a writer. My door is always open so come down for a visit, kids and all for, I have a home daycare so kids aren’t a problem. Have a wonderful weekend with your boys. A fan!
Hi Jane!
Speaking with you was too great, but too short! We need more talk (get the margaritas ready)! HerExchange.com readers love you – so do I – and we want more! 🙂
Congratulations on She’s Gone Country!
Stephanie
i would like to nominate my ‘lil book club. we don’t have a name, though. we only have five women, but we all love to read, and we all love to read your books. that is what started us all reading and exchanging books! i have known my friends for quite awhile, and we have worked together at different times; one of the members is my daughter. we have read your books, alot of authors from kimani romance, francis ray, lora leigh, j.r. ward: and i also love eric jerome dickey. sometimes we have read books from movies we are going to see or have seen, like the lovely bones, or p.s. i love you, the time travelers wife,or finding fish (antwone fisher),so it just depends. if you were able to come visit, that would just be the greatest thing ever! (i am driving from louisville, ky to frankfort, ky to meet you at the book fair on the 13th of november. it will be great!) thanks for ALWAYS having great contests and freebies for your fans! have a great weekend!
What a wonderful contest. I don’t belong to a book club but I meet with a couple of friends twice a month, give them books that I feel they would enjoy and then discuss them. I also drop off books each month to a retirement home in our community. Thye appreciate the books and goodies are love my dogs and the time spent sharing the books and memories.
Like so many others, I don’t belong to a book club but am an avid reader and share my books with my sisters when I am finished reading them. Two of my four sisters have “library cards” with me. They are happy that my book addiction feeds theirs also. I donate what books don’t make it to the “keeper” shelf. We have enjoyed many of your books and, as my TBR pile gets a little smaller, I will have enjoyed a couple more of them. I’d like to come to the get together with Liza and Megan…(:
Jane Porter, I am the Wyoming friend of Judy Parks in Georgetown. I love your books. I am starting a book group with my girls at the Chi Omega House where I am the personnel advisor. Talk about a change at 50. I taught elementary kids for 26 years. Now they are much bigger! I love it! Your Flirting with Forty put you in my “Hero” group. I think you would love it here in Wyoming and would bring so much to our group of young women!
I wish I were involved in a book club but there are none I know of in my area.
Someone and their club are going to be very lucky readers.
I saw where you are going to be in Atlanta on the 11th. I live on the other end of the state if it was Tallahassee, FL I would be so be there.
Good luck to all the readers that belong to book clubs.
Best wishes to all the book club entries. I am a book club of one, but love to tell my friends about you Jane! Looks like you will have some good choices of places to go. Enjoy!
Hi jane….
just wanna say thank you for the book “flirting with forty” that you’ve sent…. n with other goodies inside….
me i dont belong with any bookclub.. only share book with my sister….
to others have fun n enjoy..
Okay, so I don’t have a book club, how about a writing group??? We would love to have you as our guest at a writers meeting!! So please take that into consideration. Our writers group is in Fresno, California. We would love to have you.
With every post, I am more and more amazed by how generous you are, Jane!
Sadly, I don’t belong to an official book group. But I have lots of friends who would be excited to meet you and discuss your books. For some, it would be their first exposure to your work.
Jane, my friends and I would absolutely be THRILLED to be able to speak with you, or at least use your books for our club. As a fan of your stories, I know the crew will enjoy them as well.
Thanks so much for the opportunity!
Stephanie
We’re located in State College, PA and there are eight of us! 🙂
We read your books and it would be fun to have you talk to us about them! We need to read the newest release as well
Emily
WOW Women of Words Book Club
We are going into our 25th year of reading together. We have 14 members today, and have had about that many over the years. There are six of us original members still together after 25 years. We would love to celebrate one of our months with you. We meet in members homes once a month to discuss a book chosen by the hostess that we have all read. My friend and I started the group, and I am in charge of making our 25th year the best ever. Please consider a visit with us. Thank you for the opportunity to send this request, Karen J Massey
25 years—that’s amazing! I hope our book club is there in another 20… ((o:
Jane your generosity and fun spirit never cease to amaze me!! Our small reading group would love for you to grace us with your presence 🙂 We have 5 members in our group (occasionally 1 or 2 more that participate during certain months) And we love to read Chick Lit!
I think a visit from you would definetly help rejuvenate our club. One of our club members has had major health issues this past year, and we have not gotten together as much as we used to. She is finally finding her strength again after 6 months of round the clock care.
Hopefully we will be seeing you sometime in the near future 🙂
Melody
My group “No Time For Bookmarks” would love this! We got together for your Lifetime Movie Flirting With 40 when it came out and had a pajama party 😀
This would be so much fun!
Roarin’ Red River Pulpwood Queens Chapter New Boston TX
What a great thing for you to do!! Sure hope our club wins. If we do, we will invite the entire town – make that entire county to the meeting!!!!
Well, our book club started with Flirting with Forty! And we are still going strong in Fresno, CA!
My bookclub would absolutly love a chance to meet and talk to u. Your genorsity is amazing about a year ago my friend nominated me for one of you care packages and when I received it meant so much to me. I wasn’t much of a reader up until about a year and a half ago and I can’t seem to put them down when I start. I read The Frog Prince this year and loved it and I can’t wait to read She’s Gone Counrty. Hope we get to see you soon and talk over some wonderful books with you.
Hello Jane!
I am a member of the “No Time For Bookmarks” bookclub! We’re a small group with a great love for reading. A member of our group, Melody introduced me to your books and I’ve truly enjoyed them. Not only are they entertaining but also inspirational! Thank you for considering to meet with us, your talent and kindness will always been an inspiration to us. 🙂
Oh my gosh what an opportunity. Our bookclub is cleverly titled The First Thursday BookClub…because we meet on the first Thursday of the month.
We have 16 official members. Not everyone makes it to each monthly meet up but we always have a great time.
We are located in Tucson (Oro Valley) and usually meet at the library but sometimes mix it up and go to a restaurant like Sauce.
Thanks Jane and Good Luck Everyone!
Wow Jane your are just so generous!!! I would love to have you at our book club, we just haven’t officially had a meeting yet LOL. There are 8 of us they keep talking about starting a book club. We are all moms to at least two kids and trying to pick a book, amount of time to read it and when to meet has kept us in limbo. I think She’s Gone Country would be perfect for our first official book club book. Having you on the phone for our first meeting would be so awesome, of course having you at the meeting would be even better (smile). I love all your books and I’m anxious to introduce more of your books to my friends. We had a Flirting With Forty premiere party and they all loved the movie (of course the book was better).
Thanks again for all you do and good luck to everyone!
null
sorry, my 3year got on my computer this morning and decided to leave a comment 🙂
@ melody…lol. aren’t kids great!
Melody-that is too cute. Kids leaving inadvertant messages on computer sites has NEVER happened in this house. LOLOL
🙂
I can’t leave him alone for a minute 🙂
The real question here is does he have a book club and did he want to enter. After all, Jane is very good with kids! 🙂
Okay, wow, this one was hard, too, because I want to join all your book clubs!!!
And maybe I can…so even if you weren’t picked, email me and see if we can’t make it a possibility as you guys, my loyal readers, are the people I always want to see.
But for the winners…
I picked three for in-person visits: ( I can never just pick one!! 🙁 )
#42 Shannon-Nicole
#36 Melody
#35 Karen Massey
Call ins to:
#33 Stephanie
#40 Angie Grimaldi
And there were several of you where I’m visiting for book tour events. Maybe we can coordinate a book club appearance from me while I’m in your neck of the woods. (And you girls in S. Calif -#16 Shannon Patel
and #1 Shannon in Tustin– I’ll be there in Jan and again in Spring, can we lock something in?
So congrats to the winners, and I’ll send goodies to all book clubs for your members so send me addresses, and details and maybe with luck and some travel magic I can find a way to come see you all!
Thank you everyone for rocking it once again!
Yay!!! We meet on Monday…can’t wait to share.
Hi Jane,
We would love to meet with you when you’re down here. We’re in
Rancho Cucamonga.
Thanks Jane!!
Oh my gosh, I am soooo excited! Thank you so much Jane. I’m actually in tears right now.
Thank you so much Jane you really are a special lady. I am actually in Melody’s book club so we will be getting a chance to meet so I would like you to pick someone else to another person for your call in. Thank you so much again
Yay, I’m so excited!!!