Jane's Blog - Page 70 of 93 - Jane Porter | New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author

The Role of Jackie

February 6, 2008 by Jane · View all 31 comments

For all you Flirting with Forty lovers who’ve been wanting movie details, the role of Jackie has not only been cast, but made public this morning.

I’ve known for a couple of weeks that they’d cast Heather Locklear in Jackie’s role, and I knew it’s to be a holiday movie for Lifetime this December, but I wasn’t at liberty to share the details. However, now that there’s news in the press and online, I thought those of you who’ve wanted to hear the details would enjoy the update.

While I’m not free to say anything about Kai yet, I will say they’ve offered the part to an actor who actually looks a lot like Kai in my mind so it’ll be fun to see what happens. I hope he takes the part. He’s a hot actor as my friend Mitchy says and he’d be great playing against Heather. I just wonder if he can surf…

Here’s to the movie, and here’s to hoping it’ll be another successful Lifetime film!

Photo courtesy of Reuters (thanks!)

Doctors & Shots

February 4, 2008 by Jane · View all 16 comments

I’ve received so many phone calls and emails expressing concern about my comments in previous posts, particularly the last one, about all my blood draws and daily injections that I thought I’d better put any fears out there to rest.

I’m not sick. I’m just trying to grow the family.

And for me, that involves some serious medical assistance as well as time. So, I’m going to need time–months, maybe–to try this and I’ve gone through it all before as my youngest son (now 9) was a doctors & shots baby. But let’s face it: I’m ten years older this time around and for women it does make a difference. Our eggs have shelf-lives and there are more complications as we hit our 40’s but I’m being hopeful, no, make that confident. If I can sell a book after 15 years of trying, I can make a baby. It just might need some time and attempts.

I won’t be giving any play by play updates until I have a big update because I hate being disappointed, and I don’t want to disappoint any of you who have guessed what I was trying to do and have sent me encouraging emails about staying relaxed and taking it easy and thinking positive.

But I will say this: I’ll take all the positive thoughts I can right now, and have no problem if any of you wish to picture me with a big fat belly and then a happy, healthy baby.

It’s funny how writing Flirting with Forty rewrote my own life.

Oh! And keep your eyes open for more Flirting with Forty movie news as Flirting with Forty is casting right now and the part of Jackie has been locked in. I’ll share the news of who they’ve casted, and when the filming begins, as soon as I’m able. I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes at Lifetime or Sony but this is exciting.

Heck, everything is exciting. Even my bruised belly and butt.

Avalanche

January 30, 2008 by Jane · View all 6 comments

My guys are missing. Make that two of my guys and my brand new babysitter. They headed up to The Summit at Snoqualmie Pass to snowboard only hours after the pass reopened following reported avalanches, and two hours after they arrived, the highway closed again with more avalanches.

Fortunately, my crew of three (Surfer Ty, son Ty and Summer the new sitter) aren’t trapped in one of the cars in the snow, but safely tucked into a parking lot at The Lodge at the Summit, but they won’t be home anytime soon. In fact, there’s talk that the road won’t be open again until nearly noon tomorrow so they could be arriving here mid-day tomorrow. Or later.

I’m really glad they’re safe and I’m working hard at my end to get them a lodge hotel room so they don’t have to sleep in the car, or on the lodge floor, but I do wish I had my car. I’ve doctors appointments in the morning and I need shots tonight and it’s just odd to feel this way….kind of helpless, useless. And yet, at the same time, its sort of an adventure for everyone involved. New babysitter Summer is getting to know my Tys very well, and my Tys are getting some serious bonding time, too.

Since Sinclair has agreed to come over tonight to give me my evening shots, all I need now is a ride to the doctor’s in the morning.

And to get those crazy adrenaline junkie snowboarders home.

It’s a Miracle!

January 28, 2008 by Jane · View all 9 comments

He’s still alive. Lima Bean lives. After months of being gone–and presumed dead–Lima Bean the gecko appeared last night in the middle of my bedroom floor. And I screamed.

Let me back up. I’d just come back from a delicious dinner at Moghul Palace in Bellevue with Surfer Ty who is here with me for 10 days while I go through a bunch of medical stuff.

Home from dinner, I went upstairs to brush my teeth because as much as I love my sag paneer, it isn’t as good on my breath an hour later. I don’t bother to turn on all the lights so I’m in my little bathroom that’s tucked into my little bedroom and as I brush I take a step towards my bed and in the dim light spot a shadow on the floor. A lizard shadow. At first I thought it was a plastic lizard toy, maybe even a beanie baby, but then I took a step closer and no, it was the gecko, the missing gecko, the one that crawled out of its cage one night and broke my younger son’s heart.

We searched for days for the gecko after it disappeared. Jamette tore my son’s room apart, removed the bed, everything from the closet, every drawer, everywhere and nothing. Since then I’ve had this sick sinking sensation that one day when I least expect it I will stumble across a lizard carcass.

Instead I stumble across a very sleepy looking gecko that now has a woman screaming with toothpaste frothing out of her mouth.

Thank God Surfer Ty used to have lizards as a boy and is an expert at anything to do with animals and insects (provided no spiders are involved because then he’d be screaming for me). Once he understood what I was screaming about (hard to do with all the foamy toothpaste running down my chin) he dropped his shirt over the gecko, gently picked him up and between a trip to the attic and a race to the closing pet store, set Lima Bean back up in his home.

His cage is twice its former size, he has brand new pale sand, lots of little crickets and a tub of meal worms in the fridge.

The prodigal lizard has returned. Lima Bean–a little paler, hopefully a whole lot wiser–is home.

Jane Answers Email

January 24, 2008 by Jane · Leave a comment

Every week or so I get another flurry of writing oriented questions and I thought I’d take this week’s questions and put them together here, with my answers, in the event that the rest of you are curious about the same thing.

Dear Jane, I am an aspiring writer and I have an idea for a sheikh story. Could you offer some direction for where I might research possible names for fictional countries, as well as names for characters, along with cultural traditions?

Dear Reader, to world build for my Harlequin Presents’ sheikh stories, I use National Geographic magazine a lot, as well as cookbooks from the Middle East, and travel guides, too. Some of my favorite writing resources for the sheikh books has been the Culture Shock! series including Culture Shock! United Arab Emirates, and Culture Shock! Morrocco. To create a believable foreign country, along with interesting names, you have to read a lot, and try to get a feel for the culture and what type of country and culture you want your sheikh to be from and then just run with it from there. Good luck!

Dear Jane, I have been thinking about writing a manuscript for several years now, have some ideas and now am ready to get to work on it but I have no idea where to start. I’ve never written anything like this before and could use some advice. Is there a format that most publishers require for a manuscript? How do I go about finding someone interested in it once it’s finished? I know I’m getting ahead of myself since I have only just begun writing, but I want to have an idea in mind of where I’m going with this. Any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated.

Dear Reader, congratulations on wanting to write! My first recommendation is that you check my website for articles on writing and useful links. I also have a thread on my bulletin board under The Writers Life dedicated to the beginners who have questions. It’s called Q&A For Newbie Writers and lots of published authors visit my bulletin board and chat with readers and writers. So join us there and you won’t have just my brain to pick but lots of other authors, too.

Second, if you’ve seriously decided to commit yourself to the life of a writer, you should consider joining the RWA (Romance Writers of America). You can find out more about this organization at RWANational.org. The RWA helped me tremendously when I started on the path to becoming an author and I highly recommend it to anyone who is serious about their writing. It’s a great resource for learning not only about the craft, but also about the business side of writing. Moreover, as a member, you’ll have the opportunity to meet lots of other writers and authors who are headed in the same direction as yourself, genre wise, and it’s likely to be a fun and rewarding experience as well as attend conferences and monthly workshops (through the local chapter and there are several close to where you live). The local chapters have newsletters and contests and monthly meetings, along with the huge national conferences and their monthly magazine. It’s the best thing I did to help me succeed!

Dear Jane, I’ve written and sold three books to a new small publisher and the first book is coming out soon. How do I market it? What should I do in terms of publicity? I don’t have a lot of money and yet I want to do something for this book.

Dear Reader, I strongly encourage writers to join the Romance Writers of America (RWA) if you aren’t already a member. They are an incredible source for writers of many genres and you’ll also open yourself up to a whole wealth of support from other writers.

In terms of inexpensive–or free–publicity, get yourself a MySpace, Facebook and Shelfari page. I’ve found all 3 sites helpful in meeting new readers and getting the word out about my books.

Depending on your demographics, check out CafeMom. There are several book groups there and I’ve met some wonderful readers through it.

Stop by the B-Board on my website and introduce yourself to everyone and find other forums online where you can stop by at least once or twice a month, if not more often. It helps with name recognition and helps put you in touch with others who are interested in the same things as you.

Depending on your subject, do some online promos with places like FreshFiction, Romance Junkies, and more. Sponsor some monthly contests, send books out for reviews, ask if a site will feature you one month in an interview. The key is to develop relationships at these different sites and become part of the online community.

Offer to do talks at bookstores, writing groups, and libraries. Speak to civic groups and volunteer to go into local schools and do a reading or writing workshop for kids.

And lastly, budget to get some promotional material printed to distribute at booksignings and other promotional outlets. I use Author Sound Relations for some of my printing needs and the quality is terrific and the price incredible affordable.

Dear Jane, how do you get so much media? You seem to get more tv and paper coverage than a lot of writers I know.

Dear Reader, I work it. The media isn’t interested in another romance writer or fiction novelist unless we have something interesting to offer them. We need to be more than a “hey, I got published” story, but a story that ties into current news, world events, seasonal story lines, or emotional human interest. For Flirting with Forty, I really tapped the whole older woman/younger man aspect, doing interviews with everyone from Romantic Times to Playgirl (where I got accused of being a cougar!). For Odd Mom Out, I tackled parenting topics, including the pressure women are under to be Super Mom. For Mrs. Perfect I’m dealing with money issues and perfectionism. You see, I’m trying to find the larger story, and that’s the one the media wants.

And those are the writing questions I’ve received lately.

Have a question? Ask away (in the comments below) and maybe some of my friends who are writers will pop in and help me answer, too!

Clap Your Hands

January 21, 2008 by Jane · View all 8 comments

It’s Monday night, the end of the three day weekend and I’m happy. I don’t even know why I’m happy, but I am. And because my good mood is inexplicable–there’s laundry to do, book reports unfinished, house to clean–I thought I’d share a few of my favorite things:

1) Angelfood cake. I love, love, love angelfood cake. It is the best cake in the world, particularly when frosted with an old-fashioned chocoate-marshmallow icing. And oh, yes, we had an angelfood cake in the house over the weekend. It did not last the weekend and I did have the lion’s share.

2) Amazonfresh.com. The world might have Amazon, but not everyone yet has Amazonfresh, and for those who don’t have it yet…I’m sorry. I am, as it is beyond fabulous. I may never have to enter a grocery store again. They’ll deliver for free right now if the order is above $25 and deliver without tax and manage to have fresh milk and bread on your doorstep before 6 am if you have the order in by midnight. Instead of dashing out late at night so kids can have breakfast I can lie on my couch, watch American Gladiator (so so sad, my viewing habits…) and just type in my breakfast order. When did being a woman get so good?

3) Beets. I really like beets lately. What made me love beets so much? They sometimes do taste like dirt as my youngest son says, but maybe I have a mineral deficiency? Maybe I need dirt and root vegetables? Maybe I just like the color?

4) Special K with Strawberries for dinner. I have breakfast cereals (Kashi) but there are nights when I’m alone and I couldn’t be bothered with hot food and really, all that is needed is a nice bowl of dinner cereal, and that’s when Speciak K Strawberry cereal comes in. A dinner cereal should always be a bit lighter and sweeter than morning cereal and well, Special K Strawberry version does it for me. I highly recommend it, for midnight snacking as well as late afternoon supping.

5) Mineral Make up. I use Jane Iredale loose mineral powder make up. It so rocks. Makes me look young and fresh and shiny. A very good thing when I’m not looking so young or fresh or shiny.

6) Megan Crane because she’s not just my friend, but she loooooved Mrs. Perfect, getting the first sneak peek at the book outside my publishers. I asked Megan to give the last copy edits a go through to check for typos, etc, as well as her thoughts and when she said it was awesome and my best book yet, I felt this warm glow inside that hasn’t gone away and it’s been…sheesh….days. Thank you, Megan.

7) Valentine’s Day. It’s coming up!!!! For my long-time readers who know I’m crazy about February, valentines, hearts and all things pink and red: February is almost here. This means good times, contest, giveaways and more for a whole month!

So if you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands! (Clap). If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it. (pause)

I wish I could show you my face right now but as I can’t, and I’ve taken off my wonderful Jane Iredale make up, you’ll just have to take my word for it. I’m happy. And it’s not even February yet.

PS Oh!! It’s been ten minutes since I wrote the blog above and I just realized why I might be happy. My sister came up from LA this weekend to see me! Kathy and her daughter Krystyna joined us for the weekend and we had a great time doing nothing. Yay for family!! Yay for doing nothing!! Yay that tomorrow isn’t Monday!

Gimme a Break

January 18, 2008 by Jane · View all 3 comments

Who calls someone at 6 am?

Seriously. It’s happened two days in a row from two different people.

Maybe I’ve been left off the memo that says pre-dawn phone calls are now socially acceptable, but even if someone did send out a memo, I’ve got to tell you—don’t call me that early. I won’t be able to fall back asleep and that precious hour between 6 and 7 is key, especially as I can’t often fall asleep until well after midnight. I need my sleep, too. You see, if I don’t get enough sleep my accupuncturist will know because he takes my pulse and makes me stick out my tongue and then he says, “you’re tired” and gives me extra needles. I used to love accunpture but then the needles got bigger and were inserted deeper and they’re fine after the initial sting and ache have gone away but then there are 18 more stings to come.

Along with accupuncture I’ve given up coffee in the last month, which is why you can’t call me early and expect me to be nice because I don’t even have coffee as a comfort anymore and decaf green tea is fine, say at 10:30 am but not at 6 or 7. Those dark cold hours call for a thick stiff cup of java. Or my bed. If only I could fall back asleep.

But back to early phone calls, like this morning’s call. Who do you call at 5:59 am, especially when you don’t know the person or the number. For that matter, if you have a missed call and there was no message left, unless it’s your kid, your spouse or your best friend–ignore the call. You don’t have to chase down every missed call even if your cell phone number records the number. Maybe someone misdialed. Maybe someone made a mistake. Maybe you can just let sleeping dogs lie, yes?

Damn I’m cranky. And now I’ve got to go get needled and I’m really not in the mood. Nice Friday.

Feel Like Contributing?

January 14, 2008 by Jane · View all 4 comments

As many of you know I’m a big supporter of Brenda Novak’s Diabetes Auction that takes place every May. She raises an incredible amount of money and works hard all year long lining up items for the coming auction. I’ve just promised her two auction items: “A Week Trip to Hawaii” including air, hotel, and surf lessons, and “A Year of Cards & Gifts from Jane”.

A Year of Cards & Gifts from Jane is something new I thought I’d try this year. Essentially once a month from June 2008 through May 2009, I will send the winner a surprise package filled with signed books, goodies and gifts. Every month someone will receive at least one of my signed novels (starting off with a copy of Mrs Perfect), plus a new copy of one of my favorite novels I’ve read, along with fun seasonal gifts like Valentine chocolates, Easter sweets, and Christmas cookies. Every month the winner will also receive a note from me wishing her a happy month.

Will people bid on it? Hopefully! And hopefully you might think of something you can contribute to Brenda’s auction, too.

If you’re a published writer, perhaps you could donate a set of signed books, or perhaps offer to critique a partial, a synopsis, or provide a form of mentorship. Maybe your agent or editor would be willing to donate some time to read something over. Maybe the two of you would be willing to meet with an aspiring writer at the RWA Conference in San Francisco this year.

If you’re a reader or an aspiring writer, maybe you’re creative in another form. I know Christina Aribini (sorry to blab about you without permission!!) makes the most incredible cards. Maybe there’s something you do–painting, knitting (Elizabeth Boyle!), scrapbooking– that you could donate. Maybe you’re just generally fearless and don’t mind asking your community for donations.

Regardless of who you are, or what you do, I know Brenda Novak would welcome your help and support. See if there isn’t something you can donate, or a skill you can offer to help make year’s May auction bigger and more successful than ever.

Lemonade

January 11, 2008 by Jane · View all 4 comments

I hate it when my kids leave me for their dad’s. I’m not saying I don’t want them to see their dad, but I hate it when they go. I hate the sudden stillness in the house, a stillness that will last five days until they return.

When they go everything changes. When I’m on deadline its a good change but when I’m trying to focus on being a mom and then the boys are suddenly gone I feel at loss, as though I’m just half a person. The woman remains but the mom goes dormant.

Last night I didn’t even get to hug or kiss them goodbye, either. Joe picked them up from an appointment and it was raining hard and dark and he sat in his car while boys transferred their things and then they were jumping into his car to get dry and off they went. For a moment I couldn’t breathe and then I had to remind myself that it’s not forever. It’s just five days. And this is life. Life has goodbyes in it even though I hate them so.

Because I’m not good at saying goodbye, I always do it fast. No prolonged hugging, kissing, teary words. I always walk away quickly or shut the door quickly or turn away and busy myself with something else or otherwise I’d just start crying and never stop. Once at the Honolulu airport I stood on the curb and watched Ty drive away and that made me cry and then once I start crying I couldn’t stop. I went through security in tears, and sat against a wall in tears and I felt like Chicken Little and the sky had fallen. I was so sad a tiny little older lady from Hawaiian airlines stopped to see if I was alright and when she heard I was just sad she told me to go to the bathroom and wash my face and pull myself together.

So I don’t do that now. No crying allowed.

And back at home, in my empty dark house with the rain coming down endlessly I thought, I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to spend the next five days alone. I’ll be too lonely. I’m already lonely. So I got online and bought a last minute ticket to Hawaii and once I land in Honolulu I’ll meet Ty and then we’ll board another plane for the Big Island. We’re going to spend the weekend at Volcano House and hike around the crater and visit the beaches and explore a place I’ve never seen before. Now if that isn’t make lemonade out of lemons, I don’t know what is.

A Contest for Writing Moms

January 10, 2008 by Jane · View all 2 comments

One of my good friends, Christine Fugate, an independent filmmaker, writer and very busy mom is hosting the 2nd Annual Mothering Heights Mother’s Day Essay Contest which ties in to her blog, Mothering Heights. I have so many writer friends that visit my blog I promised Christine to help spread the word about her contest. This year’s topic is “What do you know now as a Mom that you wish you’d known before giving birth?”

But wait!

This isn’t just a contest to see your writing published on a blog, we’re talking seeing your essay published in a book, too.

Last year’s contest was so successful and fun that Christine has a deal to publish a book from this year’s submissions! In order to make this Mothering Heights Mother’s Day event a success, Christine needs YOUR help.

1. If you are a mom, please write an essay sharing your thoughts and stories and submit it to the contest.

2. Please share this info with friends who like to write. (This is a great opportunity for writers to get published.)

3. Read the contest info below and get writing!

Mothering Heights announces

2nd Annual Mother’s Day Essay Contest and Publishing Deal

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What do you know now as a Mom that you wish you’d known before giving birth? What wry, witty, honest and personal observations would you share with Mothers and Mothers-to-be everywhere? Mothering Heights wants to know!

Mothering Heights is currently accepting essays for the 2nd Annual Mother’s Day Essay Contest. Essays must be of original content, in English and 1,000 to 1,500 words long. We are looking for humor, poignancy and personal anecdotes – no tired old clichés please! Each essay needs to be accompanied by a 100 to 150 word bio on the author.

Twenty essays will be chosen by Mothering Heights creator Christine Fugate and featured in a book currently titled Mothering Heights Mother’s Day Essays, Volume One to be published by West-Coast Bias Press for Mother’s Day 2008. The writer of each essay included in the collection will receive a Mothering Heights Tiara and three copies of the book.

West-Coast Bias Press was recently founded by mother, poet and writer LeeAnne Langton and is located in Laguna Beach, California. The press’s first book, Everyday Magic, by Paul Tayyar was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

Christine Fugate is a mother, writer and award winning filmmaker who was chosen as one of Showbiz Data’s Top 100 Directors in 2001. After having children, she began writing Mothering Heights, a syndicated parenting column that appears in papers and magazines across the country, She started MotheringHeights.net as a way to stay in touch with her readers and encourage moms to write about their own experiences.

Last year’s Mother’s Day Essay Contest was very successful and chose “Praying for Patience,” an essay by Rachel Coleman, the creator of Signing Time, as the winning essay. Chosen essays were posted online at MotheringHeights.net and received thousands of visitors.

Entries for this year’s contest should be sent to [email protected]. Each essay must include the author’s name, address, telephone number and email address. Visit Mothering Heights for details.