Jane's Blog - Page 12 of 93 - Jane Porter | New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author

Charlene Sands: Got Cowboy?

September 24, 2015September 24, 2015 by Jane · View all 94 comments

I have been a fan of Charlene Sands a long, long time. As a closet Harlequin Desire reader, I never miss a Charlene Sands release, and so I was so thrilled to hear that Charlene had signed on with Tule to write one of the rodeo stories for this year’s Montana Born imprint. Charlene also happens to be the launch author with this year’s Copper Mountain series and her story is amazing and garnering many many 5 star reviews.

For my readers who know Charlene, you’re going to love her blog (and new book!). For those who don’t yet know her, so glad you’ve got the chance to meet her now!

Welcome, Charlene to my blog and my incredibly supportive readers!

In reality I would imagine the cowboy life wasn’t all too glamorous. They ate dust on the cattle trail, fought Mother Nature’s wrath in scorching heat and raging storms and gusty winds that swept the hats from their heads and blew grit in their eyes. They fell asleep at night, their exhaustion a blessing against the hard-packed ground that was their bed.

But there’s just something honorable, worthy and soulful about a cowboy that pulls at all my heartstrings and makes this New York born, California implant… bleed cowboy.

I know why that is. It’s easy for me to explain. Back in the days of my early childhood, my father, a wonderful ex-Army Sergeant, turned entrepreneur, had a gift for storytelling that entranced his two young daughters. And what were the stories about? Well, they weren’t about princesses or silly rhyming cats or female superheroes. No, these stories came directly from his own passion, the history of America. My dad, bless his soul, read four thick books a week and could tell you any detail you wanted to know about General Armstrong Custer, (his favorite subject) the American Revolution and our founding fathers, the Civil War, the plight of the American Indians and the American Cowboy.

As a young girl, I’d sit on my parent’s bed on Saturday mornings and implore my father to “Tell me a ‘tory.” Being the grand storyteller that he was, Dad would concoct a fascinating tale about the bad guys of the west and interject ME, as the Sheriff Who’d Saved the Day! I’d be Sheriff Charlene in the town of Cinnamon Toast Ridge and the tall tale would take on a life of its own. As we grew older, my father would entertain us with fascinating facts about history at the dinner table. And it wasn’t so much a lesson in history, but of life. As I look back on those times, I can only hold those treasured memories to my heart.

Of course, it was also the time of Bonanza and Gunsmoke and Rawhide. Like every young girl, I had a crush on the Ponderosa’s Little Joe. Small wonder that the first book I’d ever published from Kensington was about a down-on-his-luck rancher, titled Chance in a Million. And my very first Harlequin was a historical western titled Lily Gets Her Man. Since then I’ve written many modern day western series, including the bestselling, The Slades of Sunset Ranch and The Worths of Red Ridge.

My office is filled with western inspiration, from one-of-a-kind metal art horses that rise above my computer, to bookshelves filled with western facts and special art, mostly given to me by my dearest friends.

Claim Me, Cowboy, comes right from my heart. It’s a story about second chances and shows how love conquers all. Montana cowboys (of course) and the Copper Mountain Rodeo, babies and broken hearts in need of mending all play a part in this story. Tyler Warren is a man with a bitter past, who has come home to Summer Simmons Nichols, the girl who’d married his best friend. Prepare for secrets to be revealed and strong characters to emerge. Tyler is a man’s man. He’s the hero I’ve always wanted to write. And I’m so grateful to Jane Porter and Tule Publishing, for giving me this chance to write my story as I see fit.

*~*~*

Charlene Sands is a USA Today bestselling author penning steamy and emotional contemporary romance and stories set in the American West. She’s been honored with the National Readers Choice Award, the Cataromance Reviewers’ Choice Award and the Booksellers Best Award. Her book, The Texas Renegade Returns was honored with Romantic Times Magazine’s Best Harlequin Desire of 2014.

Charlene knows a little something about romance. After daydreaming about the cute boy with the long blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes two lockers down from her in high school, to her amazement he asked her out on a date. And he’s been continually amazing her for the past thirty years.

When not writing, Charlene teaches childbirth and baby care in her community. Her perfect day includes reading, drinking iced mocha cappuccinos, walking the Pacific beaches with her hubby or dragging him to the latest romantic comedy movie.

It’s a real treat to have you as a guest, Charlene! Thanks so much for stopping by. Readers, to celebrate Charlene’s new release, Claim Me, Cowboy and the entire new Montana Born Rodeo series, we’ve got a special treat for you! Leave a comment below for Charlene and you’ll be entered to win this prize package – and it even includes one of Tule’s very popular handmade pottery mugs featuring the wonderful state of Montana (and Marietta is the little red star)! Contest ends Monday with winner announced on Tuesday. Good luck!

Celebrating Life & Love

September 17, 2015September 17, 2015 by Jane · View all 136 comments

Four years ago today Ty and I married in Las Vegas. We wanted a celebration, and we wanted it to be fun. I hadn’t planned on ever marrying again and I’m a deeply spiritual person but being married by Elvis in a tacky little chapel seemed right.

Why?

Because it was Ty and me, combined, doing this–love, life, marriage–our way. We’d done everything backward to that point and so making our wedding uniquely us, felt right. It felt hopeful and fresh, making our commitment, new and strong.

In just minutes we’re taking off for the Dana Point Harbor to take a boat to Catalina for the night. It’s a quickie escape as we’ll be back by noon tomorrow, but we wanted a chance to do a little celebration of us, and our committment.

We make a point of celebrating little things and big things as often as we can. Why?

Marriage is hard.

Love is complicated.

But life wouldn’t be anything without love, and I cant imagine my life without my husband and three sons.

I’ve learned that we celebrate holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries because we don’t just want to celebrate, we need to celebrate. We crave reasons to get together and talk. We need to laugh, remember, and share. We need joy, and we need moments that cement us, and stablize, allowing us to put down deeper roots to hold us fast when the next storm hits.

So celebrate life and love. We should focus on the good as often as we can!

PS And to celebrate that love, I’ve got a fun giveaway for one of you. Comment below and winner announced Sunday! xoxox

September Q&A with Jane

September 10, 2015September 10, 2015 by Jane · View all 107 comments

I’ve been doing lots of interviews this summer in conjunction with the release if It’s You, and my attendance at various writers conferences and book festivals and thought I’d share some of the questions (and answers!) from the interviews. You might already know this stuff but a few of you might be new readers and find it interesting!

You’ve just had your 50^th book published in June. What has changed in the 15 years since you sold your first book?

Besides the massive transformation of the publishing industry? I’ve changed. I’m a very different woman now than when I sold that first book back in 2000. I’m stronger, more confident, and more resilient, too. I’m also less interested in being out, ‘visible’, then I used to. When I first sold, I was so excited to be a published author, and I’m still very proud of my work, but I’m ready for my work to speak for itself. I don’t feel the same need to go everywhere and do everything.

Jane on the steps of the grand Old Courthouse in Decatur, GA for the Book Festival.

And yet you created Tule Publishing.

Tule wasn’t a calculated move. It certainly wasn’t intended to get as big as it did. It grew very quickly and I think it grew because there were writers who wanted and needed a place that valued their ideas, voices, and stories.

So how did Tule get started?

Three years ago I was firmly entrenched in ‘traditional publishing’ when I began to worry about my fellow author friends. It was late 2012/early 2013, and I became aware that I wasn’t the only author exhausted by the changes in the industry and bruised by the publishing rhetoric that sales were down ‘due to authors not writing good enough books’, or the right kind of books

Writers weren’t being told the truth. Writers didn’t create the problems in the industry—the economy did. When the 2008-2009 recession hit, it impacted all areas of the economy, resulting in one of the US’s biggest book chains closing, and the other downsizing. Print runs shrank. E-books were on the rise. Amazon was changing the nature of the game. The industry was shuddering and changing, but it wasn’t the author’s fault.

Frustrated that smart, creative, successful women were getting the short end of the stick, I reached out to my three of my closest author friends, CJ Carmichael, Lilian Darcy, and Megan Crane and asked them if they’d want to do a special project with me, something fun and creative that would allow us to work together and enjoy being smart, creative, successful women, and well….Tule Publishing was born.

Montana Born, Tule’s first imprint, launched Sept 2013 with the Copper Mountain Rodeo series with the Holiday imprint, headed by Kelly Hunter, launching in 2014. In the past two years Tule Publishing has expanded to four imprints, with the goal to continue publishing fantastic stories by gifted writers, and in so doing, delighting readers while satisfying authors’ desire for creativity, freedom, and commercial success.

That’s the how and why of Tule, but now, two years into it, I’ve stepped back, handing the day to day management over to the Tule team. I meet with the team weekly and get daily updates when big things are happening, but with three incredibly competent publishing professionals running the show, the team doesn’t need me getting in the way.

So essentially Tule Publishing was founded because you felt a need to support writers?

Because I love books, readers, and writers. I can’t imagine life without stories.

JaneAndSallyKilpatrickBeforeRomancePanel — Jane with Sally Kilpatrick before the Romance Panel at the Decatur Book Festival in GA.

Let’s talk about books, then. What kind of stories did you love when you were a child?

Series. I really passionately loved connected books, stories about a little girl, or the girl and her family. My two favorite series when I was young was the Little House on the Prairie series about Laura Ingalls, and Louisa May Alcott’s series about the March family (Little Women, Little Men, Jo’s Boys, Under the Lilacs, etc). I loved that Jo, from Alcott’s Little Women, was a writer. Looking back, I think I was also loved inspired by Laura Ingalls who was also a writer. Being a writer definitely seemed to be the way to go!

Do you remember the first romance novel you read?

It was probably a Barbara Cartland romance. I would have been 13, and it was probably something like the The Impetuous Duchess. I was in heaven. Within months of reading everything I could find that Cartland had written, I stumbled across my first Mills & Boon romance while living in Europe with my family. It was sweet but had such emotional intensity and I was hooked forever. Now this is what I wanted to do.

How old were you when you know that you wanted to be a writer?

Young. Really young. I’ve always written stories. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t make up stories in my head. I wrote down my first story in Kindergarten and it was a short story about a Christmas Elf. I wrote my first picture book in second grade (my friend Laurie Johnson illustrated it for me) and my first young adult novel in fourth grade. Writing was my ‘gift’ and I took it seriously, from walking around with a notebook as a little girl, to spending recess sitting next to my classroom wall writing, to entering poetry and essay contests. I don’t know why, but writing is as natural as breathing for me. I have to do it. I want to do it. Not that it’s ever been easy for me. I actually find writing quite challenging…maybe that’s the attraction!

One of the beautiful rooms inside the Old Courthouse where the Romance Panel was hosted at the Decatur Book Festival

When did you first sit down and start to write? How long after that before you were published?

I got serious about being published in romance in college. I’d been published in national magazines while in high school, but started writing my first ‘adult’ romance the summer between high school and my freshman year at college, and continued working on that romance my first year at UCLA before submitting it to Mills & Boon as a sophomore. That story, Struck Out in Love, was rejected, along with many others. I finally got my first sale in January 2000. It took nearly 15 years to finally sell to Harlequin, and nearly 15 rejected books before I got I sold The Italian Groom to Harlequin Mills & Boon in London.

How hard was it to first get published?

Very hard. Very, very hard. 14-15 years. 14-15 rejected books. It took a toll on me. But it also made me resolute….I would succeed. I’d put so many years into it, and so much effort, that I simply couldn’t accept that I wouldn’t eventually make it.

What authors do you read and/or admire now that you’re an author (and publisher)?

When I read for pleasure, I love historical romance and paranormal, athough historical romance is definitely my ultimate comfort read. I love Mary Balogh, Loretta Chase, Lorraine Heath, Joanna Bourne, Anne Gracie, Sarah Maclean…Eloisa James, Elizabeth Boyle, Tessa Dare, Vicky Dreiling, Grace Burrows…gosh, there are so many more, too.

Kresley Cole and JR Ward are two of my favorite paranormal authors, although I wouldn’t be a fan today if it weren’t for Christine Feehan. Her books gave me my love of paranormal.

I nearly always avoid contemporary romance since I write contemporary romance and don’t want other authors voices in my head. With that said, I am a massive Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Lisa Kleypas, Sarah Mayberry, Kelly Hunter and Megan Crane/Caitlin Crews fan, so I always read what they write. But my escapist reading will always remain the historicals…. nothing scary happens, nothing violent, either. It’s a beautiful, relatively safe world where the focus is on character!

You haven’t mentioned any women’s fiction authors or titles, and yet you write it….?

I think because I write it, I tend to avoid reading a lot of it. Also, some women’s fiction makes me sad, and I hate feeling sad when I read. I read to be lifted up…bouyed. I also read to escape. I experienced a lot of tragedy and grief as a teenager and young woman and what got me through were stories that weren’t too dark, but stories of romance, and hope and healing.

Your newest release, It’s You, is a story of love and loss….and considerable grief.

Yes. And my novel, The Good Wife had a lot of conflict and loss in it, too, which is why I’m having a hard think about my fiction career. Are my stories becoming too dark, or too depressing? Or are they simply becoming more complex? I don’t know. I do know that my muse goes into those darker corners when I write fiction and spends time in the shadows. It’s not always comfortable for me as a writer. The muse is an interesting thing. After 50 books, it’s begun to fight with me a bit. Maybe that’s why I enjoy writing romance more. It’s a different mindset and the writing is less torturous.

What is your next romance?

In November I’ll have out my 5^th Taming of the Sheenan story, A Christmas Miracle for Daisy, out and then I’m also working on brainstorming and drafting my fiction novel, but its still in the very early pre-writing and rough writing stage so that one will probably be put on a back burner for a bit while I write another romance. I tend to procrastinate when it comes to my women’s fiction because sometimes the character’s intense thoughts and emotions are overwhelming.

If you weren’t a writer, would you still be teaching, running a not-for-profit or something else?

I would either be teaching, or working in the film industry, as I love making things, creating things, and working on projects that are collaborative in nature.

You have quite a big library.

I do. I love books. Old books, first edition, rare, interesting, non fiction history, memoirs, beautiful bindings of American literature, anything I find personally interesting…

I think you can tell I’m besotted with books. I’m nothing if not a book girl!

I have a giveaway for you! One lucky winner gets to claim this great Atlanta inspired prize and all you have to do is leave a comment and you’ll be entered in the drawing! Contest ends on Monday with winner announced on Tuesday the 15th.

Debra Salonen: When BFFs Are Guys

August 14, 2015August 14, 2015 by Jane · View all 62 comments

I’m in Hawaii enjoying a few fun days of summer with my crew before the boys head back to California and I get on a plane to Australia next week for a conference. It’s been fun to unwind and relax a little bit and I’ve also managed to get some time to catch up on reading some really good books by some great authors.

I’m especially excited about Debra Salonen‘s newest addition to her Big Sky Mavericks series. Montana Hero is out now and already getting some great reviews. I have enjoyed this series a lot and invited Debra to tell us more about her books.

Take it away, Debra!

Are men capable of close friendships that go beyond the commercial and over-the-top bromances of buddy movies like The Hangover?

Can one hope a deep emotional bond exists for men who not dwarves, wizards or burglers?

Perhaps trying to compare a man’s idea of friendship to a woman’s is a hopeless task. After all, both sexes are hard-wired differently, right? Some suggest men aren’t as in touch with their emotions as women, which, in light of this video, might be a good thing. 😉

I’m kidding, of course. The real question is: Are men capable of deep, long-term friendships that share a familial-like bond? When called upon for advice and help–the icky, sticky love and romance kind–will they have each other’s back?

I think the answer is yes. And I hope my readers agree because that’s the premise behind my three new Big Sky Mavericks books. This “series within a series” introduces three new heroes to Marietta, Montana. Fearless, kick butt, front line wildfire hot shots who consider themselves brothers-in-arms and best friends. But they’ve each reached a turning point in his life (although for different reasons). When one moves, they all move. No questions asked.

Flynn Bensen (MONTANA HERO) is the responsible one–the rock. A “hero” haunted by a mistake that cost a woman her life and gave Flynn a serious case of PTSD. When opportunity knocks, opening the door to a new, less hands-on–or so he thinks–job as head of Crawford County Search and Rescue, Flynn jumps at the chance to make a fresh start in the same town where his brother, Ryker, has fallen in love and made a new life himself. Flynn hopes to make Montana his forever home, too. He doesn’t expect to meet the woman of his dreams on the first day at his new job. Kat Robinson is wrong for him on too many levels to count, but that doesn’t make him want her any less.

Bold, brash and brazen Tucker “The Full Mountie” Montgomery (MONTANA ROGUE) has gambled everything on his new Marietta, Montana, enterprise: Mountie’s Marvelous Zip Line and Enduro Course. Screwing up his ankle before the first pole is in the ground was not part of the plan. Neither was meeting Amanda Heller, NYC society girl with problems of her own–demanding parents and a feisty grandmother who has no intention of handing over the reins of her life to Amanda’s mother. Tucker grew up on the Bayou. He learned the fine art of bartering from the grandparents who raised him. He’s willing to scratch his beautiful roommate’s back if she’ll help him with an itch of his own. But can roommates-with-benefits survive a summer fling without falling in love?

Justin “The Goat” Oberman climbs. Any mountain. Anywhere. People call his passion a death wish. He figures maybe he just hasn’t found something–someone–worth living for. When his best friends move to Montana, he’s right behind them, accepting a dream job that turns into a nightmare when the CFO turns out to be Nicole Richards, the one woman he’s never been able to forget. The one who blames him for the accident that left her paralyzed. Is this second-chance love affair doomed from day one? Justin says, “Yes.” But his friends–newly in love and looking at life through rose-colored blinders–disagree. “Nikki’s in your life again for a reason, Goat. Remember what you always tell new climbers: Don’t look down and never give up.”

Do you know any men–father, brother, husband, friend–who can claim a long-lasting friendship that has survived marriages, moves, divorces and distance? I’d love to hear your stories. Maybe one of them will show up in Justin’s book, which is still in the conceptual stage of production.

Thanks for reading and thanks so much to Jane for hosting me! Safe travels, my friend!

Deb

___

For more info on Deb and her books, please drop by her Website. Her current bio and links to her books are available on her author page here: Amazon. And Deb loves to connect with readers on Facebook & Twitter and through her weekly FIRST KISS: TUESDAY Blog.

Thanks for sharing, Debra! Readers, look for Montana Hero next time you’re treating your kindle to goodies. This is a wonderful series to lose yourself in! I’m also giving away a special prize in honor of Debra’s new release to one lucky winner. Have you read any books in Debra Salonen’s Big Sky Mavericks series already? Is there one mentioned in this blog that you’re particularly looking forward to? Share your thoughts in a comment and you’ll be entered for a chance to win! Contest ends on Tuesday with winner announced Wednesday.

Carole Mortimer’s Alpha Series

July 24, 2015July 24, 2015 by Jane · View all 73 comments

It is no secret I’ve been a long time fan of Carole Mortimer and it pleases me so much to have her as a guest on my blog again to tell us about the latest book in her Alpha series. Carole has written over 200 books in contemporary romance, Regency, and her own hot romantic suspense series, Alpha.

She is Recipient of the 2015 Romance Writers of America Nora Robert’s Lifetime Achievement Award, 2014 Romantic Times Pioneer or Romance, and in 2012 was recognized by Queen Elizabeth II for her ‘outstanding service to literature’.

She is very happily married to Peter, they have 6 sons, and live on the beautiful Isle of Man.

Here she is to tell us about Shadow Alpha. Welcome, Carole!

This summer is such an exciting time for me!

On July 15^th Shadow Alpha, my 200^th book, became available in trade paperback as well as ebook. It’s for those readers who don’t own an ereader, or so many other who have asked me to publish a physical copy of my 200^th book for their ‘keeper shelf’.

July 24^th sees the release of Renegade Alpha, the 5^th book in my bestselling ALPHA series. I have been overwhelmed by readers’ response to this romantic suspense series. All five books, so far released in the series, are currently all in Kindle Top 100 Bestseller lists. I absolutely love writing the ALPHA books, and Lijah Smith, the hero of Renegade Alpha, is a particular favourite of mine. He’s really hot!

The pre-order for Warrior Alpha, the 6^th book in the series, to be released October 4^th, will also be available on July 20^th.

I am currently in New York at the Romance Writers of America conference, and tomorrow evening the RWA are very kindly presenting me with the Nora Roberts’ Lifetime Achievement Award. This is such an honor for me, the pinnacle of my 37 years as an author.

Even more exciting, my whole family are joining me in New York tomorrow, and they arrive in time to be able to attend the RWA awards ceremony. Then we’re all going to have a wonderful week’s holiday together in New York, one of my favorite cities in the world. We’re also going to celebrate my birthday while we’re there. It isn’t till August 5^th, but who can resist celebrating in New York, so wonderful they named it twice? I certainly can’t!

Also this month my cover design lady and I have been putting our heads together and coming up with some spectacular designs for the covers for my new Regency novella series. The pre-order for the first novella will be available early September this year, with a release date of November 4^th. I am so excited about this new Regency series. It will be published alternate months with my Alpha series during 2016.

August 27^th sees the publication of Pursued by the Devil, by Bad Boy book for Tule Publishing. What fun I had writing this novella! Mikhael is exactly the sort of dark and brooding hero I love to write about, and Lindsay is every bit a match for this “bad boy”.

Hope you all have a great summer!
Carole

Website: www.carolemortimer.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CaroleMortimerAuthor
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@carole_mortimer

Thank you, Carole, for your time and for sharing with us. Readers, be sure to add Carole’s Alpha series to your to-read list if you haven’t already. You’ll be hooked!

To help Carole celebrate her upcoming releases, I’m giving away a very special Carole Mortimer prize consisting of books, gift cards and awesome reader goodies to one lucky reader. For a chance to win, just leave a comment and you’ll be entered! Contest ends Tuesday with winner announced on Wednesday.

Liz and Lisa on The Status Of All Things

July 10, 2015July 9, 2015 by Jane · View all 45 comments

I want to share a great author duo with you all today. They are new standouts in women’s fiction. Long time BFFs, they now write together, too, and their new release is getting fantastic reviews and lots of love from readers. Liz and Lisa have also been so supportive of my fiction career, featuring me on their blog, hosting me for Q&A’s and giveaways, and I’m absolutely delighted to return the favor and shine some light on their wonderful new novel, The Status of All Things!

In our latest release, The Status of All Things, we ask the question—what would you do if you could literally rewrite your fate on Facebook?

Facebook fascinates us—it is amazing how we each build our own online communities and frame our lives around them. We came up with the concept for our novel after realizing we each had a Facebook nemesis—that person someone whose life always looked so damn perfect online (Photogenic kids! Amazing and thoughtful husband! Beautiful house!), that it made us feel, well, inadequate. Even though common sense told us that this person had bad days just like we did, that she also spilled coffee on herself whenever she dared to wear white, it still drove us crazy! So, we knew we had tapped into something people could relate to and decided it would be fun to explore a Facebook-themed book.

In The Status Of All Things, Kate is a thirty-five-year-old woman who is obsessed with social media. So when her fiancé, Max, breaks things off at their rehearsal dinner—to be with Kate’s close friend and coworker, no less—she goes straight to Facebook to share it with the world. But something’s changed. Suddenly, Kate’s real life starts to mirror whatever she writes in her Facebook status. With all the power at her fingertips, and heartbroken and confused over why Max left her, Kate goes back in time to rewrite their history.

Kate’s two best friends, Jules and Liam, are the only ones who know the truth. In order to convince them she’s really time traveled, Kate offers to use her Facebook status to help improve their lives. But her attempts to help them don’t go exactly as planned, and every effort to get Max back seems to only backfire, causing Kate to wonder if it’s really possible to change her fate.

And in honor of TSOAT, we have a great recipe that is Facebook-picture worthy!

FIGS WITH GOAT CHEESE AND BACON

4 to 6 regular smoked bacon slices (2 1/4 to 3 1/2 ounces uncooked)
12 small fresh ripe figs, such as white or Calimyrna, halved lengthwise
About 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) crumbled mild herbed goat cheese

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a medium heavy skillet, place the bacon slices in a single layer and cook over low to medium-low heat, turning as needed until just beginning to brown. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. Cut each bacon slice into 4 or 6 pieces.

Arrange the figs on a baking sheet, cut sides up. Brush the cut surfaces with balsamic vinegar. Place a piece of bacon on each cut side. Top with a small crumble of cheese. Bake until the figs are warmed, about 8 minutes. The cheese will not melt but may toast a bit. Serve immediately.

Thank you for sharing with us, Liz and Lisa. Readers, please put The Status of All Things on your tbr pile soon. To help them celebrate Liz and Lisa’s new release, I’ve got a women’s fiction surprise giveaway filled with great reads, gift cards and lots of reader treats! For a chance to win, leave a comment below and you’ll be entered to win. You can just say hello to Liz and Lisa or share your thoughts on what sort of impact social media has had in your life! Contest ends Tuesday with winner announced Wednesday.

The Girl Who Wrote in Silk

July 6, 2015 by Jane · View all 53 comments

I’ve been friends with Kelli Estes for over ten years, knowing her as both a writer and an amazing woman who is always so supportive of other authors. I am delighted that her debut novel, The Girl Who Wrote in Silk is garnering high praise as no one deserves this success more than Kelli.

I wanted to be sure and introduce this wonderful author to you and invited Kelli to come and tell us about The Girl Who Wrote in Silk. Please join me in welcoming Kelli Estes!

I am so honored to be here on Jane’s blog! I first met Jane right around the time when her first book was about to be released. She and I were both members of the same local RWA chapter and I saw right away that she was someone from whom I would learn a lot. As her career grew I watched and learned everything I could. I think the biggest lesson I learned from Jane was to write from your heart. Don’t write what you think will sell, don’t write what others are having success writing. Write the story that you feel deep down.

I took Jane’s advice to heart, though it took several years before I fully realized how to put it into practice. Actually, it took ten years and five manuscripts (with time off in there to have two kids) before I learned that I needed to stop thinking about what I could write that was popular at the time, or what plot twist would capture an editor’s notice. When starting my sixth manuscript I had just emerged from a dark place of “will I ever be good enough” and decided that writing was the only thing that I wanted to do, and I would keep writing until I was good enough for publication, no matter how long it took. I went into a sort of cave where I wrote not even knowing where this book might be shelved at a bookstore. I took a break from writing workshops and conferences and I completely turned off every voice I’d ever heard offering great advice. I listened only to my story. What emerged was the book now titled, The Girl Who Wrote in Silk. It is the story of a young Chinese girl, Mei Lien, who is driven from the only home she’s ever known in Seattle and the horrific event from which she is the sole survivor. She tells the truth of what happened that night through her embroidery. Over a hundred years later that embroidery is found by a recent college grad, Inara, who subsequently uncovers not only the truth, but what it means to her own family. She is then forced to make an impossible choice.

This story took me by surprise and, in fact, I resisted writing it for several months because I wasn’t sure I was up to the task. I wondered who was I to write about the Chinese experience during a time of intense hatred and violence against the Chinese people in America. I am not Chinese, nor do I have any Chinese family members. I thought surely there was someone with more knowledge of the culture more qualified to write than I. But then I realized that I was the one with the burning drive to see this story written and there is no better qualification than that. I never once, however, took lightly the responsibility I had to present the history and related heartbreak with respect and honesty. Mei Lien became my favorite character in the book and the easiest to write.

I hope you enjoy The Girl Who Wrote in Silk and I’d love to hear from you. You can find me at my website, on my personal Facebook page, as well as my author Facebook page. Or even better, I’d love to meet you in person at one of the events I have planned this month in Washington State. Information on those can be found here.

You know what? There was another lesson I learned from Jane that I can’t wait to put into practice. If you’ve met Jane at one of her book signings, you’ll know what I’m talking about. When Jane meets a reader, she has a way of making that person feel like the most important person in the room. She takes the time to stop and truly connect with each person and I don’t know if she knows how special that makes her. We writers tend to be an introverted bunch and meeting people isn’t always comfortable. Some writers do it better than others. No one does it as well as Jane. As I go to my bookstore events this month, you can bet I’ll be trying my hardest to be like Jane!

The Girl Who Wrote in Silk is available at a bookstore near you or at one of these online retailers: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Blackstone Audio | IndieBound

Thanks for coming to visit, Kelli! Readers please pick up a copy (or download) of Kelli’s book next time you’re shopping. And if you do, be sure to leave / share feedback if you have time. I know Kelli will appreciate it! To help Kelli celebrate her debut release, I’ve also got an awesome mystery prize, chock full of books, giftcards and fun reader goodies for one of you! For a chance to win, leave a comment below and you’ll be entered to win. Contest ends Friday with winner announced Saturday.

Again, Alabama with Susan Sands

June 30, 2015June 30, 2015 by Jane · View all 47 comments

Debut author Susan Sands recently sold to Tule Publishing and I’m very excited to host her on my blog as I’ve read her novel, Again, Alabama and loved it. I couldn’t wait to introduce Susan to my readers and friends.

Please help me welcome Susan Sands to JaneBlog! ~

I’m honored to be here, Jane. Thanks so much for hosting me on your blog today!

I started writing when I turned forty. It was better than finding a boyfriend, according to my husband. My kids were growing up and finding their own interests, and I’d always been a lover of romance and women’s fiction novels, especially ones set in the South. I grew up in small town Louisiana, far from anything resembling a city, and spent my days reading Nancy Drew books, then Harlequin romances as a child, then a teen. But really, what else was there to do?

My novel, AGAIN, ALABAMA, is set in a fictitious historic town not far from Birmingham. Why Alabama? I’ve been asked many times. Being a Georgia resident with Louisiana roots, the question makes sense. Well, have your ever heard a native Alabaman say the word, Alabama? It kind of rolls off the tongue, like honey, like Tom Hanks’ version in Forrest Gump. Al-uh-bohmuh. It sounds immensely sweet. I pass through several small towns in Alabama every year both on my way home to Louisiana and on my annual trek to the Florida Gulf Coast for our family beach vacation during the summer. (Yes, you do pass through Alabama from Georgia to get to Florida) I’m always inspired to stop and make my way onto some stranger’s lovely porch in Eufaula and drink sweet tea. It’s almost a compulsion at this point.

Here’s more about the book –

Cammie Laroux is back in Alabama—again.

Dragged back to her small town to help her mother recover from surgery while rescuing the family event planning business should be a cinch. Even for a disgraced television chef, right? Wrong.

Among the many secrets Cammie’s family’s been hiding is the fact that their historic home is falling down. Oh, and the man hired to restore the house, Grey Harrison, is the same high school and college love of her life who thrashed her heart and dreams ten years ago. Yeah, that guy.

Grey, a widower with a young daughter, has never stopped loving Cammie, and when they are face to face once again, the chemistry is off the charts. Cammie may be in full-blown denial, but letting go is no longer in Grey’s vocabulary, even when winning Cammie’s forgiveness and renovating their love may seem like an impossible build even for a master architect and carpenter.

As Cammie finds herself forgetting all the reasons she can’t trust Grey or love again, he finds himself remembering all the reasons he wants her to stay with him in Alabama… forever.

In the story, Cammie enters the local Pecan Pie cook off against some pretty stiff competition. Here is her winning recipe:

Cammie’s White Chocolate Pecan Pie
Serves 10-12
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 (9-inch) pie crust, homemade or bought
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
3 large eggs • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
Whipped cream or ice cream for serving (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Layer the pecans and white chocolate chips on the bottom of your pie shell.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, and flour until thoroughly combined. Carefully pour the mixture over the nuts and white chips, trying not to dislodge them.

Cover edges of piecrust before baking to prevent over browning. Bake the pie until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set in the center, about 35-40 minutes. Transfer pie to a wire rack and let cool for a couple of hours.

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Cammie would be proud!

Anyway, folks, I do hope you will give my small town and it’s fun, crazy characters a try. Cammie and Grey are a couple we want to root for no matter what awfulness has befallen them in the past. It’s a second chance story not to miss.

I love connecting with readers! Please find me at:

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/susannsandsauthor
Twitter: @SusanNoelSands
Blog: Sweet Home Alpharetta at susansands.com

Again Alabama sounds absolutely wonderful, Susan! Thank you for sharing with us.

Readers, there you are. Another wonderful author and a great story recommendation! I hope you’ll download a copy of Again, Alabama soon. As it happens, I just saw Susan last night! She and inspirational author Lindi Peterson, both attended my book event in Marietta, GA.

Meanwhile, what’s even more fun than a good book to read? The promise of more good books and goodies! For a chance to win a fun mystery prize, leave a comment for Susan and tell us what you love most about stories based in the South. Contest ends Friday with winner announced on Saturday.

What’s Next for the Sheenans?

June 27, 2015 by Jane · View all 57 comments

Readers have been asking me what’s next for the Sheenans? The good news is that there is quite a bit!

I love this family. I am really attached to them and not at all eager for their stories to end. The good news is that there are still 2 more Sheenan stories to come, with Cormac and Whitney’s out in time for Christmas. I’ve been rewriting his story after I was on a flight to Seattle and sat next to—no. Can’t tell you. It’ll ruin the surprise. But let’s just say I’ve re-imagined Cormac’s story and changed it almost completely…making it well, magical, and perfect for Christmas. The title is changing, too. It’s now called A Christmas Miracle for Daisy as it’s become a holiday story that will be out in November.

After Cormac in November, we will have one more Sheenan story in early 2016 as there is a mystery in the Sheenan family which has contributed to the mother’s unhappiness and it’s time that family knew the whole truth. That mystery story, and mystery Sheenan, will conclude my Taming of the Sheenan series.

It’s going to be hard to let this family go, so the good news is that the mystery Sheenan has an intriguing story that ties in with the ranch invasion on the Douglas property, that took the lives of McKenna’s family. So as I conclude the Sheenans, I’ll be launching the first of the Douglas Ranch stories.

If you’ve been reading my Sheenan series, you briefly ‘met’ Quinn and Rory Douglas in Trey and McKenna’s story, The Kidnapped Christmas Bride. Quinn and Rory are fascinating men and I know my readers will love their stories, too, especially as it allows us all to spend more time in Marietta, Montana.

Are you sick of my Montana stories, or still looking forward to more? Let me know and one of you will win a very special Montana prize package that includes a print copy of The Taming of the Sheenans anthology along with Montana treats, reads and more!

A Week at the Lake with Wendy Wax

June 23, 2015June 23, 2015 by Jane · View all 49 comments

I’m off this morning to spend a few days with my good friend CJ Carmichael at her Flathead Lake, Montana cabin. This is where Montana Born Books was founded back in May 2013 as we brainstormed our four rodeo novellas which launched the line, and the first books by Tule Publishing. That week with CJ, Megan Crane and Lilian Darcy changed my life and every time I go to Montana I recharge and find new stories and I can’t wait to brainstorm new stories with CJ this week.

From Montana I head to Atlanta for two book events. I’ll be staying with my friend, novelist Wendy Wax while I’m in Georgia and doing a book event with her at Cat Blanco’s The Book Exchange Monday, June 29th. Do come see me, and get Wendy’s brand new book.

Speaking of Wendy’s brand new book, A Week at the Lake, it’s out TODAY!

A Week at the Lake is getting rave reviews and they are all well deserved. I hope you’ll pick up (or download!) a copy as well – and if you enjoy it, do get on social media and give Wendy a shout out or post a review.

“Wax really knows how to make a cast of characters come alive. Readers will love and fuss at the characters as if they’ve been friends with them all along….Wax infuses each chapter with enough drama, laughter, family angst and friendship to keep readers greedily turning pages until the end.” –RT Book Reviews

To read an excerpt: http://bit.ly/1GvjCOc
To buy: http://amzn.to/1ftoVrW

Are you a Wendy Wax fan? Do you have a favorite book she’s written? Tell me and one of you will win a Wendy Wax prize package filled with Wendy’s novels and some of my bestselling stories, too. Contest ends Friday with winner announced on Saturday.

Celebrating Life & Love

A Week at the Lake with Wendy Wax

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