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Inspiration for My Brennan Family

by Jane · View all 74 comments

I love joining book clubs when they’re reading and discussing my books.  I learn so much about women and their thoughts, opinions, and feelings through book club visits and call-ins.  I don’t think I ever truly understand the novel I’ve written until I hear it discussed from the reader’s perspective, and it’s the reader that does matter…because what I create has to resonate with readers, or they won’t come back for the next book.

I’ve been fortunate to join three different book clubs in person now for The Good Woman–in Visalia, Carlsbad, and Bellevue–and I got a crazy idea for a future Brennan story while sitting in on the discussion in Visalia, and understood why readers connected with certain characters (or didn’t connect with others) in Carlsbad, and Bellevue’s discussion just brought home why I write.  I love this connecting with other women, I love creating community, I love being able to meet women and become part of their world, even if only for a night.

One of the things I’m asked most often is how did I come up with this Brennan family, and truthfully, my fiction Brennans were inspired by my younger brother’s wife and her family.  My brother Rob married a stunning San Francisco girl named Andrea Callen.  Andrea’s father was a fourth generation San Franciscan, as well as a firefighter in San Francisco, just as his grandfather, uncles, and brothers were all firefighters in the city.  Over the years I’ve gotten to know Andrea’s family and I adore her father, her mom, all of her family.  They are warm, loving, solid, people.  Strong people.  People with passion, compassion, and integrity.

In the photo below, my brother Rob is on the far left, holding his daughter, Callen Porter.  Callen is now a 7th generation San Franciscan as Rob and Andrea are raising their family in the city.   Andrea’s uncle is to the left of me, and Andrea’s father, Tom, to the right.

My brother Rob couldn’t have picked a better woman to marry, nor more loving, supportive in-laws.  I decided years ago that I’m claiming them as my own, and Tom Callen himself helped inspire Tom Brennan, the patriarch of the Brennan family with his love for the city, his family, and his other family–the San Francisco fire department.

Do you have any fire fighters in your family?  Is there someone that inspires you?  Tell me!! Everyone that comments  in the comment section below, will have a chance to win a fun Fall Harvest gift box.  It’s a just three day contest, and I’ll announce the winner Thursday morning.

But wait!!  There’s more.  As my Facebook and Twitter followers know…I’ve got another contest happening here right now, and it’s a one day contest only!!  It’s for those of you who belong to book clubs, or would like the chance to win a big box of books to share with your friends.  (Who says you can’t do your own impromptu book club with The Good Woman??) Make sure to say in your comment, that you’re here to enter the book club giveaway of 15 copies of The Good Woman, along with pens, bookmarks, nail files and recipe cards for everyone in your group. to be entered in the book club drawing.  I will also be calling in the night your group meets to discuss The Good Woman with you all!

So…two contests to kick off the week.  One winner–the book club winner–is announced tomorrow morning.  The Fall Harvest prize winner is announced Thursday.  Both winners will be announced here, in the comments below, so check back!

Good luck and have a great week!

 

 

Truths

by Jane · View all 59 comments

It’s November 1st.  Can hardly believe it.  It’s been such a crazy, busy, turbulent Fall.

One of my friends told me over the weekend she missed my blogs, and wished I was writing more in my blogs, and sharing more, and I told her that I couldn’t.  That things had actually been very hard for the past eight weeks….ten weeks…and that I was barely getting from one place to another, and from one event to another, and yet, because I’m so private, and protective of my family, I don’t share that.  I don’t tell people too much.  I’m proud.  And I have a public face…the author face.  So I tend to shut down when I’m in the middle of a storm.  I put my head down and just push on, push through, push to the other side.  But everytime I get to ‘the other side’, I realize it was an illusion.  I haven’t finished crossing the river or sea.  I’m just resting on a bit of sand and rock.  Still in the middle of the sea and storm.

And it has been a storm.  A family, parenting storm that’s done a number on me, and my heart, as well as rest of the family.

Why tell you now?  Because in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, and the fact that so many of you read me, and follow my blog, because I’m honest, I have decided to open up a little bit about my past few months, and share with you how difficult its been promoting my new book, when it hurts to breathe…swallow…sleep.

The bottom line is that we are getting through it.

The bottom line is that I’m tough, and a fighter, and a fierce believer in faith and my God, and my God will see us through.  One way or another.  But faith doesn’t take the sting away, or the ache away, or the problem away.  It just helps you get through.

And so I’m getting through.

I write for women, and wives, and moms because I’m a woman, a wife, a mom.  And being just one of those three is challenging.  Being all three can sometimes feel impossible.  There are good moments, calm moments, moments of happiness and satisfaction and peace.  And then there are moments when you feel like you are juggling knives or fiery torches…or both.

As a mom of teenage boys, I’m sometimes overwhelmed by their maleness, and selfishness, and testosterone drive.  I tell myself that down the road when the frontal cortex is mature things will settle and calm and it’ll get better.  I just have to get them there.  Just have to get through the rough stuff and hopefully they’ll survive the crazy wild impulsiveness of 16 and 17 and 18 and reach that time.  Hopefully one day their heart and mind and self-control all gel….hopefully.  Right?

Thank goodness for my faith.  Thank goodness I have something else to believe in besides me, because I definitely am having a hard time believing in me.  I am not a good example.  No great role model.   I’m so damn sensitive and emotional.  My oldest son tells me that I’m too idealistic.  But I am determined to cling to the values I cherish.  I’m determined to shoot high, determined to fight for the family I want–a loving family, a kind family, a family of good people, generous people, people who can and will put others first.

I’m having to scrap my November events so I can be at home, keeping watch over my boys, and trying to clear some head and heart space so I can write the book that was due two weeks ago.  I hate having a book so late, and I hate disappointing readers and my friends at Manic Mommies, but the mom-thing is incredibly challenging right now, and I’ve got to pull it together and get my family through.

I appreciate all of you.  I’m grateful you enjoy my books.  I’m lucky to have you as friends and voices of reason in my life.  We women have to stick together.  We need to form our own community, because as a community, we become stronger, and happier, and more resilient, too.

You all know the real me.  It’s not author Jane.  It’s the woman and mother Jane, and while I don’t like the hard times, I know we all have them.  I know we all have struggles and challenges, disappointments and pain.  That’s just life.  But the hard times won’t break us.  The hard times just teach us how to love deeper, how to forgive more completely, and how to hope more fully.

Love to you all.  I love you, and even if I’m quiet on my blog, know that I’m here for you.  xoxoxox

 

 

Favorite Fall Reading: Kelly O’Connor McNees

by Jane · View all 62 comments

I’m in Bellevue, Washington for the weekend for the Emerald City Writer’s Conference and so I’ve asked the talented Kelly O’Connor McNees to be my featured author this week on my blog.

Kelly is an amazing writer.   As most of you know, I love historical settings, especially in the US.  Having majored in American Studies at UCLA, I fell in love with Kelly’s debut novel, The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott, and couldn’t wait to get my hands on her newest, In Need of a Good Wife.  I was so excited about Kelly’s October 2nd release that I begged my Penguin publicist to help me get an advanced copy so I could read it early, and she obliged.   I’m thrilled she did.  Kelly’s stories capture my imagination and sweep me away.

Here’s the back cover blurb from her new novel:

For Clara Bixby, brokering mail-order brides is a golden business opportunity—and a desperately needed chance to start again. If she can help New York women find husbands in a far-off Nebraska town, she can build an independent new life away from her own loss and grief. 

Clara’s ambitions are shared by two other women, who are also willing to take any risk. Quiet immigrant Elsa hopes to escape her life of servitude and at last shape her own destiny. And Rowena, the willful, impoverished heiress, jumps at the chance to marry a humble stranger and repay a heartbreaking debt. All three struggle to find their true place in the world, leaving behind who they were in order to lay claim to the person they want to be. Along the way, each must face unexpected obstacles and dangerous choices, but they also help to forge a nation unlike any that came before.

I loved it!!   So now, without further delay, help me welcome Kelly O’Connor McNees to the JaneBlog!

*Kelly, let’s talk writing.  I’m fascinated by a writer’s process and would love to know more about yours.  Do you consider yourself a pantser (go with the flow writer), or do you prefer to outline and plot extensively before you sit down to write?

I used to be a pantser, but now I am a dedicated outliner. I think a lot about what I want to write before I start, make lots of notes on the characters, and think about where I want each one to end up. The outline is loose–many times I end up deviating from my plan–but it really helps to have an idea of where I want to go when I sit down each day to write.

*Do you have a writing schedule or any writing rituals to help you achieve your daily writing quota?

I used to have a wonderful schedule that worked very well for me: Writing first thing in the morning with a big cup of coffee, staring out the window when I needed to, drifting through my day. And then I had a baby! So now my ritual looks more like a crazy person running back and forth between her desk and the crib, jotting things down while she plays on the floor, doing the dishes in an exhausted stupor and coming up with an idea, lying down in bed at night and drifting off before I can read a page… writing moms know what I’m talking about!

*What’s your take on writing in this genre as far as ebooks are concerned?  Have you taken to reading books on an eReader or do you mostly still prefer print books?

I have a Nook and I really like reading on it, especially when I am traveling. That said, I do love to hold a book in my hands and be able to flip back and forth easily among the pages. I think (hope) there will be a place for both formats going forward!

*Name five items sitting on your desk right now.

A stack of books about 19th century northern Michigan, my dictionary, my computer, a half-empty cup of coffee, and a box of cheez-its. I have a problem.

*What was your first job?

When I was 14 I worked in a bakery/candy store and learned how to make all sorts of delicious baked goods, how to work with chocolate, how to make eclairs. I think I made $3.35 per hour. But knowing how to make good custard is a serious life skill.

*Can you tell us the title of the last book you absolutely loved, loved, loved?

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

~~~

Thank you, Kelly, for talking to us today and I really appreciate your time as I know how busy you are!

Readers, you can learn more about Kelly at her website – www.kellyoconnormcnees.com and more great news, you have a chance to win Kelly’s brand new novel, In Need of a Good Wife, by commenting below.  Because I love this time of year and want to spoil one of you, along with Kelly’s novel, the winner shall also receive a signed copy of The Good Woman, a really cute apron, yummy Fall baking treats, some kitchen baking utensils, a Starbucks gift card and more, more, more!  For a chance to win, share with me in the comment section your Halloween plans and you’re entered.  Contest runs through Oct 31st and I’ll announce the winner of Thursday, Nov 1st.  Please check back to see if you won as two of my winners from my last contest never claimed their prize and I’d hate for you to win and not get something fun!!

Have a wonderful weekend and I’ll be back soon!

 

I Heart Caitlin Crews

by Jane · View all 89 comments

A lot of you may know Megan Crane is a very close friend of mine but you may not know Megan also writes as Caitlin Crews and I just love her, and her books, and one of the best parts of moving to Orange County is that now I get to see more of her!  A couple weeks ago I convinced Megan she would enjoy a road trip to my hometown, and she was the most delightful date for the Tulare Library Foundation Auction fundraiser in Tulare, California, and then allowed me to give her the grand tour of my town, Visalia, which included a trip down Main Street, a drive past Dance-Arts, the library, and Taylor’s Hotdog stand (a very important place in my childhood…I could get a chili dog and small strawberry soda for .35 in the mid 70’s.)

Then, this past weekend when I had the chance to fill in as a speaker for the Orange County Chapter of RWA, I suggested that Megan join me for the workshop, Bestselling Fiction:  It’s All About the Emotion, and we hammered out a new workshop while we were both on the road traveling, and then after a nearly all night drive from SF to LA, (husband drove, thank you, Ty), Megan swung by out hotel in Burbank where we’d crashed, scooped me up, drove me to the Embassy Suites in Brea for the event, and then down to San Clemente to bring me home after.

Megan and I at the OCC RWA Birthday Bash meeting

For those of you new to my blog, and not familiar with Megan, we met in the Fall of 2005 (I think it was ’05…) at the launch party for Grand Central Publishing’s new 5 Spot line.  We were both to be part of the line and we were invited to dinner afterwards with our editor–we shared the same editor.  I was a little intimidated by her.  Megan is East Coast, highly educated, articulate, witty, and smart.  Did I mention smart?  She is, so much so that I felt like a light-weight next to her, and very West Coast.  I might as well have been a human avocado.  Fortunately, Megan must like avocados because we became friends, and many years later, we’re again writing for the same editor, this time at the Harlequin London office, as my editor has just gone on maternity leave and I’ll be now writing for her Harlequin editor.

I love that Megan and I both met writing women’s fiction/chick lit, and I love that we both now write sizzling, passionate Harlequin Presents, although at Harlequin she is known as Caitlin Crews, and she’s already such a star.  Hitting the USA Today repeatedly with her Presents, she’s a genius with her heroes and heroines and her love scenes are scorching hot.

Because I heart Megan/Caitlin so much, I’m doing a three day contest with prizes for three of you.  The prize includes Harlequins by both Caitlin and me, a $10 Starbucks gift card, chocolates, goodies, treats galore.  I think you should enter this contest because you’ll love all the fun stuff!

How to enter?  Just talk to me.  Tell me what’s going on, and if you feel like it, tell me about a friend you adore.   The contest runs from now until Friday night midnight PST and I’ll announce the 3 winners in a comment at the bottom of this blog post.  Please, please come back and check to see if you won.  You’ll have 1 week to claim your prize before I give it away to someone else as a mystery gift!

And for those of you looking for a great, sexy, smart read, Caitlin’s got a brand new Harlequin Presents out now, Heiress Behind the Headlines.  Order it, download it, or pick up a copy now.  I love Larissa Whitney and tycoon Jack Sutton’s story!

Good Woman, Good Times, Good Fun

by Jane · View all 29 comments

The past few events on my book tour have been so much fun, I’m blessed to have wonderful friends and readers who have gathered to enjoy the release of  The Good Woman with me.  Thank you so much for all your support, friendship and good times!

I’ve been catching up on work since last week and trying to get some writing done.  It’s good to be back home but before I dive into some intense writing days, I’m unplugging from my book events and the writing for four days to take my gorgeous surfer guy to Cabo for his 40th birthday.  With all the juggling we do and the travelling, it’ll be great to spend some uninterrupted quality time together.

I also want to thank all my readers who have taken the time to write a review online for The Good Woman.  Each and every one of you is so awesome and I truly love you.  I do!  And those of you who are still reading the book, if you feel inclined, please post a review online.  It would mean so much to me.

Keep checking my events page as we’re continuously adding new events and you’ll soon find info on some more fun stuff coming up, including the Festive Holiday Teas in Texas on December 1st and 2nd and my tour to the East Coast in February, plus some great Midwest events that we’re working to schedule for February and April.  If I’m coming to your area, I’d love to see you at one of these gatherings!

That reminds me, a number of prizes have gone unclaimed in the last few weeks on my blog.  Please remember it’s your responsibility to check my blog to see if you’ve won so do that soon!  I would love to mail your prize to you so look through past posts to see if you’re a winner and let me know via email ( jane at janeporter dot com) ASAP so I can get these goodies in the mail to you!!

Sending lots of love to all and hoping to see some of my readers and friends in San Jose next Thursday, October 11th at the De Anza Hotel for my Good Woman book party!  It’s going to be a fun Girls Night Out so bring your girlfriends too.   More details about the evening are up on my Events page so check it out!

Jane

PS – Everyone who attends the October 11th event at the De Anza Hotel will be eligible to enter in my Amazing Autumn Gift Basket Give-Away.  It’s full of Jane Porter swag, rich dark chocolates, fresh ground west coast coffee, a soft snugly blanket, signature “Good Woman” wine bottle opener, READ tote, & autumn baking scented candle. To ensure a cozy fall day to curl up and read, one of my books is included inside! 

 

Perfect Fall Reading: Sarah Jio

by Jane · View all 79 comments

Sarah Jio is the author of The Violets of March (a Library Journal Best Book of 2011), The Bungalow, and Blackberry Winter (out on 9/25) and is a sensational author that has been creating a buzz with booksellers, critics, and readers alike.  It wasn’t until I’d left Seattle that I finally realized Sarah had been in my own backyard and I’d missed an incredible opportunity to get to know her while I was there.  Fortunately, Sarah is as lovely as she is talented, and she’s agreed to be featured here on my JaneBlog for my first Perfect Fall Reading feature, a feature I’m kicking off this weekend to celebrate great Fall releases, since so many of you loved my Summer Reading feature on my blog.

Now back to Sarah!

Sarah’s books are published by Penguin, Plume, and have been sold for publication in 17 countries. Her fourth novel will be out in May 2013, and its not surprising that she’s considered a master craftsman as she began her career as a journalist, writing for magazines including Glamour, Real Simple, O, The Oprah Magazine, Redbook and many other publications. Sarah lives in Seattle with her husband and three young sons, and her third novel, Blackberry Winter, debuts from Penguin (Plume) just days from now on September 25, 2012.

In Blackberry Winter –taking its title from a late-season, cold-weather phenomenon–Jio continues her rich exploration of the ways personal connections can transcend the boundaries of time.

Seattle, 1933. Single mother Vera Ray kisses her three-year-old son, Daniel, goodnight and departs to work the night-shift at a local hotel. She emerges to discover that a May-Day snow has blanketed the city, and that her son has vanished. Outside, she finds his beloved teddy bear lying face-down on an icy street, the snow covering up any trace of his tracks, or the perpetrator’s.

Seattle, 2010. Seattle Herald reporter Claire Aldridge, assigned to cover the May 1 “blackberry winter” storm and its twin, learns of the unsolved abduction and vows to unearth the truth. In the process, she finds that she and Vera may be linked in unexpected ways…

And now over to Sarah!

Why I’m Writing My Next Novel on a Houseboat in Seattle

Hello, lovely Jane Porter readers! I’m so delighted to be guest blogging here today. Jane asked me to share a post (on any topic! So generous.), and I thought I’d write a little about a big leap I took this month, well, a big splurge. Where to begin? OK, let me start by asking you a question: Have you ever done something a little out of the ordinary, a little outrageous? Maybe you always dreamed of quitting your job and moving to Hawaii? Or maybe you decided to take sky-diving lessons or even go belly dancing? OK, here’s what I did recently: I rented a houseboat as my new writing office!

I fell in love with houseboats after seeing “Sleepless in Seattle” so many years ago, and after I got married in 2001, my husband and I settled in Seattle. We thought about buying a houseboat, but for one reason or another, it never worked out, and we ended up purchasing a traditional home (i.e., one with a foundation). But, years later—and now with three boys under the age of six—I never gave up on the houseboat dream, even if it still seemed a tad impractical and out of reach. When compiling ideas for my fifth novel, which I recently sold to my editor at Penguin, I knew exactly where I wanted the book to be set. Any guesses? Yes, on a Seattle houseboat.

For research, I figured I’d interview houseboat residents, read up on the lifestyle, and if I was lucky, maybe rent one for a night. But then, my husband made a very generous suggestion. He said, “Why don’t you rent a houseboat for a few months as your office?” At first I refused. It seemed like a crazy-extravagant expense, especially when I’d hardly be able to sneak out everyday to write (remember, the kids)! But, I began to think about it, and he had a point: What better way for me to really soak up the houseboat lifestyle than to have one all to myself–to be able to pop over during the weekend and write a chapter, or stay up late and edit while stealing glances at the sparkling water with the moon shining above. I caved and said yes.

We ended up finding the most charming little houseboat on the east side of Lake Union, and signed a four-month lease (which means I’ll be able to see three seasons on the houseboat: summer, fall and winter, since we have through New Year’s). It has a loft bedroom with a porthole window (accessed by the quaint ship’s ladder), a charming little kitchen stocked with all the essentials, a rooftop deck with a breathtaking view of the city and the Space Needle, a pair of kayaks, and, two resident mallard ducks who waddle past my deck every day.

I wrote the first two chapters of this new novel recently, and I already feel such a connection to the characters and the setting. As I type this on my laptop, I’m sitting on the sofa that looks out at the lake. A gentle wake from a boat is lapping up against the side of the houseboat, and the sunset is a golden-purple hue. It’s about as good as it gets!

Stay tuned for details about the new novel, (including the title!), in months to come. For now, I can say that it will debut most likely in the late fall or winter of 2013.

What unexpected risks or splurges have you made in your life in the name of happiness and “you only live once”? I’d love to hear!

Learn more about Sarah at www.sarahjio.com or via Facebook: www.facebook.com/sarahjioauthor

~~~~~~~~~

Sarah, thanks so much for joining us today!  I’m so happy you were able to join us here on my JaneBlog and can’t wait to read your new book.  I’ve pre-ordered a copy as I love your writing and am delighted to celebrate the release of Blackberry Winter with a contest for my readers.

There will be two winners, and each winner will receive a copy of Sarah Jio’s The Bungalow, a signed copy of Flirting with Forty (share it with someone you love if you already have a copy!), Starbucks drink cards, and JP swag.  How to win?   Tell me about your September so far, and if you’ve read anything special this month.  You know I’m always looking for recommendations and books to add to my shopping list!

Happy reading everyone, and here’s to a Fall filled with wonderful authors and books!

 

Amazing You!

by Jane · View all 81 comments

I’ve had an incredible couple of weeks.  After two years without a big book out…after eighteen months without a lot of promo and book events, touring or book club appearances, it’s so good to be back out in the public world, meeting readers, seeing friends, talking about the publishing industry, the changes in the book community, the inspiration behind the Brennan Sisters trilogy.  I am honestly on a high.  I sometimes find it exhausting traveling so much, but then I have a night like last night in Kirkland, WA where 65 readers and friends came to celebrate the launch of The Good Woman with me, and then I’m recharged and blessed.

Do you have any idea how lucky I feel to have you in my life?  Do you know that being a storyteller is important to me, but even more important is knowing that I get to be part of a community with you? That I have a relationship with you?  That through books, I now know you? Forgive me for being so mushy and gushy, but this month the sense of community and support has just dazzled me.  I’m overwhelmed, and touched, and grateful.

Thank you to those of you who have taken time to come see me.

Thank you to those of you who’ve bought the new book and posted reviews.

Thank you to those of you who are hoping to read it soon.  Do read it soon!  I get so excited everytime I hear from you about the book…whether its good or bad, passionate or frustrated.  Writing and reading is how I form connections and bonds, and sharing books and stories with you helps me feel closer to you…connected to you.  I’m serious when I say that you really do matter.  I wouldn’t be here–published–if it weren’t for you.   I’m in print because of you and it wouldn’t be half as fun, or joyous, or inspiring, to write if I didn’t get to have you in my life, talking books, talking about life, sharing dreams, sharing heartbreak.

I’ve had a couple really hard days this week due to a personal situation (a parenting crisis), and I’d enter my hotel room and stand there reeling in shock, wondering what I’m doing on the road, what I’m doing juggling writing and parenthood, but then I’d walk into one of my events– Third Place Books on Monday, or the party last night in Kirkland, and see a room full of people—there for me–and it moved me to tears.  Good tears.  Happy tears.  You see, I honestly couldn’t do this without you.  I couldn’t.  And this is why I want to give back to you, and other women, love, support, connection, community.  We’re not alone.  Not ever.  All we have to do is look out, reach out, care.

Tonight I make an appearance at Warwick Books in La Jolla, in San Diego County.  The wonderful, talented, and generous Anita Hughes (author of the very successful Monarch Beach) is joining me and we will both be discussing our novels, and how we write, and what we’re working on next.  Anita has become a good friend as well as my neighbor, as she’s just a few miles from me in Dana Point.  All the details for tonight’s event are up on my website event page, or you can find details on Facebook, too.

So fill me in on what’s going on.  I have a special Good Woman giveaway for you, and the prize includes a signed copy of The Good Woman, a signed copy of Anita’s amazing debut novel, Monarch Beach, a Starbucks drink card, a California mug, and tons of JP swag.   This is a prize bursting out of the box and I’d love for you to win.  How?  Just chat with me by posting a comment below between now and Sunday night, Sept 23rd at midnight, and I’ll announce the winner Monday morning,  Good luck, and remember, you are amazing…a gift, a joy, and a VIP to me.

xoxox

 

The Good Woman Book Tour so far…

by Jane · View all 45 comments

I kicked off the book tour for The Good Woman last week and it has been a huge success so far.  I’m awed and humbled by the response from my readers and family and friends.  Going home to Visalia over the weekend and reconnecting with so many old friends and new was such a wonderful experience, I feel truly blessed.  The luncheon was fabulous and I was so thrilled by the number of people who came to see me.  Thank you, Visalia and Fresno!  You’ve made me feel so loved!

We packed in a lot of events and it has been a little tiring with hours and hours of driving but every minute has been totally worth it.  What’s made the whole experience even more fun is that I’ve had my beautiful sister, Kathy, with me every step of the way.  It just feels so right to have her with me, especially given that this Brennan trilogy is really about sisters and their interaction and bonds with each other and here I am, getting a chance to spend so much time with mine.  It makes me happy.  I love it!  Our relationship reminds me of how the sisters, Meg and Kit are always there for each other with lots of love and advice, a helping hand or a shoulder to lean on.  That’s like my relationship with Kathy.

Now I’m home for a few days, trying to catch up with all the mail in my inbox, spend some quality time with my guys and prepare for tomorrow’s Orange County event.  It’s going to be a fun Girls Night Out launch party for The Good Woman on Thursday, September 13th at 7pm at Tequila’s Mexican Grill.  Then on the 17th and 18th of September, I head up to Seattle for a couple of events before coming back to California for a booksigning on the 19th at Warwick’s in La Jolla, CA.  If you live close to San Clemente or San Diego or if you plan to be in the Seattle/Bellevue area around these dates, come join me for some fun.  My events page has all the details  so check it out.  I’d love to see you!

I’ve also got a couple of mystery prizes here to share with you so talk to me.  Tell me what you’ve been up to this week or share something about your sister(s) and what you love so much about your relationship.  Contest runs through Tuesday next week and I’ll announce winners on Wednesday.

Now I’m off, taking my youngest to karate.  Hope you’re all having a gorgeous, wonderful day!

The Good Woman Book Tour Heads to Pasadena!

by Jane · View all 9 comments

My two events in San Franciso were very successful and lots of fun. Last night’s event was a wonderful time and I met so many lovely people at the Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco.  Thank you to my friends, family and readers who took time to come see me.

Jane speaking at the Irish Cultural Center about what inspired her to write The Good Woman.

Tonight is also going to be a lot of fun as I head to Pasadena for a book signing at Vroman’s Bookstore.  I thought it would be nice to have drinks and appetizers before the event at El Portal Restaurant which is across the street from the bookstore.  This will give me a chance to chat with readers before the event.  So if you are going to be in the area and would like to join me for a relaxing happy hour before the event starts, that would make my day!

Here are all the details for tonight:

5:45pm Join me for drinks and appetizers before the signing at El Portal Restaurant
695 East Green Street, across the street from Vroman’s

7:00pm
Booksigning
Vroman’s Bookstore
695 E. Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91101

 

 

First Stop… San Francisco!

by Jane · View all 26 comments

Well, today is the day! The Good Woman released today and the reviews so far have been wonderful and I feel so happy and grateful for all the love and support from my readers. It’s been so fun to watch all the good wishes come in from Facebook, Twitter and the countless emails.  I am so blessed!

The next two weeks will be very busy as I leave on my Good Woman book tour to sign books and meet readers.  My first stop is San Francisco!

Tonight I will be at Books Inc. in the Marina at 7pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then on Wednesday the 5th, I will be at the United Irish Cultural Center at 6pm for beer, wine, Irish appetizers and more! I will be chatting about my research and why I chose San Francisco as the setting and introducing some of the SF Irish-American firefighters that inspired the Brennan family. It should be a really fun night and I would love to meet you there!

For information on the two San Francisco events and all the upcoming events, please visit my website events page or RSVP on my Facebook events page. If you know someone in any of the areas of the events, please feel free to invite them and pass on the information.  I love meeting new readers and friends!

Now for more fun stuff and book giveaways!  I have been writing quite a few articles lately for some of my favorite blogs, two of which you can read by following the links below, and they are also giving away copies of The Good Woman if you want to enter to win!

Well, now you know what I’ll be doing for the next two weeks. What are you up to?  How is back-to-school treating you? I love hearing from YOU!

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