I’d forgotten the California landscape. I tell people I love the rolling hills but I’d forgotten how, I’d forgotten exactly why but driving from the Bay Area to the Central Valley, cutting through Pacheco Pass and taking the 152 past Los Banos, I remembered it all–the shades of gold, the bright blue sky overhead, the barns and fences and fields. I used to teach in Hollister and this was the way I went home when I went home and I drove fast, confidently, loving every minute of being back where I spent my first thirty-something years.

My Visalia event at Borders was everything ‘going home’ should be–great media coverage (3 newspaper articles and a spot on a morning tv news program), a wonderful turnout, and signing and selling another 75+ books. Tonight I’m at the Borders in Fresno and I’ve heard from many people that they intend to be there to hear me read or listen to the discussion. I’ve different memories of Fresno than I do of Visalia. Visalia is the childhood while Fresno is early adulthood. Here in Fresno I started my career, furnished my first real apartment, and ventured on those first significant dates that end up changing your life.

And then tomorrow…it’s on the road again, leaving Fresno to head north, up the 99 to Sacramento, enjoying lots of sunshine and 95 degree temperatures on the way. Sometimes people ask me if I ever miss the sunshine living in Seattle and I say no, but I’ve got to tell you, I’m really loving being a California girl this week and soaking up the sun.

Wow. Wow. That’s really all I can say about last night’s launch party. I don’t know what I was expecting (the worst, maybe?) and I don’t quite know what I thought it would be (poorly attended and boring?) but last night’s launch was absolutely wonderful. It seemed like everyone was there–over a hundred people between 5 and 8 pm–and everyone from my high school friends, to former students, girlfriends from my SF days, friends of my mother’s, my brother Rob and his wife Andrea’s very cool crowd, writers, some media faces and then even the San Francisco mayor! Okay, Mayor Newsom probably wasn’t planning on joining my party but wandered into La Barca and everyone in San Francisco knows Newsom and before you know it I’m talking to him and autographing books and generally babbling incoherent things the way I do so well. My feet were killing me by the end of the evening but we sold all 70+ books Book Passage from Corte Madre supplied, and finally closed the open bar at 7:30 and people were still lingering and visiting at 10 pm when I finally thought, I’ve got to get home and get some sleep so I have a voice for the noon reading tomorrow.

I think the thing that stands out the most, is that this was a very San Francisco party, and it followed a most San Francisco day. My brother Rob, with his 4 month old daughter in tow, took me up and down Chestnut Street in the Marina introducing me to everyone, telling them about the party, inviting all to join us. I ended up getting my nails done at a little hole in the wall nail place not far from his apartment, and then my hair blow dried by Joi at Ole’s further down on Chestnut. Rob and I stepped in at Books, Inc on Chestnut and they had four copies of Frog Prince which I signed and they moved up to the counter. Rob carried flyers into the cha-cha boutiques where all gorgeous glam girls shop and told the owners (who all know Rob) that this book is exactly what their customers love to read, and its a story set in San Francisco and I used to live in SF and I’m wonderful. I don’t know that I’m wonderful, but having a day with Rob and baby Callen was exactly what I needed.

When we reached La Barca just before 5 pm, Emily was there, the photographer had arrived, the bartender was whipping up green margaritas and with flowers, balloons, bookseller and cute chicky cocktail napkins here and there we were ready for everyone to come. And they came. At the end of the evening, Vance, owner of La Barca and a friend of my brother’s (Rob co-owns Mas Sake next door with a bunch of his buddies) gave me an amazing break on the bill. He might as well have underwritten the entire launch party for me. I was floored and touched and gave him a signed book and a signed book isn’t adequate thanks for making my party easy and fun and successful–but hey, La Barca is a family business, Vance took over from his dad and La Barca has a reputation of being a great place with great atmosphere with people who make you feel comfortable, and special. And that’s exactly how I felt last night. To Vance, and my brother, Rob, to Evan from Book Passage, to Eve from SFist.com, to Emily, my RWA friends, from RHS friends, my gal pals and everyone else who joined me (even handsome Mayor Newsom!)–thank you for making the Frog Prince launch absolutely stellar! I am a very happy girl today.

Jane

I guess this is where Jane’s planes and automobiles really start. At Sea-Tac, Seattle’s airport, where I wait for an Oakland flight already late due to a mechanical. I’ve called Em, my brilliant web designer and branding guru who seems to always have an answer for everything and she tells me not to worry about late flight, that she’s on top of the situation and that they’re monitoring my flight in her office and dinner will be waiting when I get there (Waxcreative is the ultimate in customer service).

I hang up, call my little brother, Rob Porter, in San Francisco. Rob will be picking me up from Emily’s later tonight after we finish stuffing the goodie bags for tomorrow’s launch party. Rob says not to worry if flight is delayed. He’ll come get me anytime.

‘I’m at your disposal,’ Rob says. ‘Whatever you need, whatever you want, just ask. I’ll get it done.’ (I love this in a man. Major points.)

I call my mom who is in the air and leave her a second voice mail update. My mom is flying in for the launch and has promised to help me stuff goodie bags at the Waxcreative studio tonight–Frog Prince is a mother/daughter story, after all. ‘Mom, running later than what Alaska first told us. Looks like it’ll be longer than an hour delay. Possibly two. I’ll keep you posted.’

Ah, yes, Jane’s planes and automobiles. It’s all started, and very apt, and rather painful as I haven’t even made it out of my own airport yet, but I know airports. I travel a lot. Sometimes as I juggle my lives here in Seattle, in Hawaii, and on the road, I wonder which is the real me. Maybe all the different travel Janes are the real me. I certainly slide in and out of wardrobe changes and different sizes of my super tough, extremely lightweight luggage set. Big case, little case, carry on. How long is my trip, where am I going, which bag will I need this time?

Some of my friends shake their heads when they see me breeze in and out again. How do you do it? Doesn’t it exhaust you? Don’t you ever feel like you’re losing it? I don’t know how I do it, I tell them, and yes I’m exhausted, and yes I feel like I’m losing it, but I always feel that way…so why not travel?

Throwing clothes in a bag, books in a backpack, hoping on a plane–that’s my idea of life. I love the start of new things, the possibility of adventure, the chance to see–learn–something new. Maybe that’s why I write. Every book gives me a chance to create a new world, to do something different, to say something I haven’t said before (rather remarkable when you consider how much I like to talk…).

A couple of days ago my friend Sinclair asked if I was pumped about the release of the book and I was ho-hum. Another friend, Leena Hyat, asked if I was excited about the launch party, just a day away. ‘Oh, not really,’ I told her. ‘I’m actually worried. The RSVPs. My sore throat. The kids being left behind.’ But then�and this is how fast my little world changes�I wrote 12 pages in an hour and a half, my suitcase was zipped, my emails returned, my kids tucked in for the night, and it hit me, yes, yes, I am ready for the book tour. I’m thrilled about the launch party.

Even better, this morning the sore throat was nearly gone. I heard from a few more high school friends that they were coming to La Barca Thursday night. And you know, I have a book out. The Frog Prince is officially released today.

Mom, be patient, I’m coming. Rob, thanks for being Mr. San Francisco, just knowing you’ll be at tomorrow’s launch party makes me confident it’ll be a success. Emily, thank God you’ve been so clever and you’re always thinking of new ways to make me look good. Working with you is probably the best thing I’ve done for my career. And Michelle, my hairdresser�I love my new highlights. Wow. Where would I be without you? What good is a launch party without killer hair?

-Jane

Just two days away from the big Frog Prince launch party in San Francisco which kicks off my California book tour. I’m writing frantically trying to meet my May 31st deadline for Harlequin and yet my attention is really divided. I’m thrilled that The Frog Prince has begun to make appearances in stores, and I’m doing all the silly things I never thought I’d do like stopping by Barnes & Noble in Bellevue–not exactly daily, but close–to see if anyone has bought a copy (yes) and checking Amazon to see if there have been any reviews added (yes, again). There have been other exciting moments this week–the discovery that Warner took out a big ad in Sunday’s New York Times Style section for The Frog Prince and the possibility that there will be an ad in People magazine this week or next. I’ve written nearly 20 books for Harlequin so having a book out isn’t new, but this is so different. My books for Harlequin were never reviewed by Booklist or Publisher’s Weekly. My Presents looked like other Presents while The Frog Prince has its own distinctive cover and its such a gorgeous book–it feels so good in my hands–and best of all, it’s dedicated to my late father. I’ve waited until now to dedicate a book to Dad and I know he’d like this one. I know he’d love a story of a girl finding herself. It’s almost as if finally, finally I’ve come full circle–the little girl’s grown up–and no matter what happens next, I’ve done what I’ve always wanted to do.

I’ll be checking in almost daily from the road, sharing my adventures on my book tour. I hope I’ll meet readers, see lots of friends, and hopefully have fun. Join me as I launch Jane’s Planes and Automobiles, my online travel diary!

Jane