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Where Jane talks about everything on her mind…and yes, as usual, there is quite a lot on her mind.

Home in Hawaii

July 2, 2009 – 1:50 pm

We’ve been in Hawaii for a week now and yesterday I finally felt more settled and almost comfortable. The suitcases and boxes are put away and making meals has become do-able. I’m able to locate towels for the kids, and Mac’s diapers in drawers. This is a new house for me, bought last summer but under construction for the past 9 months. It’s still in the process of being remodeled though and the downstairs continues to be full of noise, dust, and workers but there’s light at the end of the tunnel and by end of July everything should be done.

Should being the operative word here.

And while Hawaii feels comfortable, the writing does not. It’s been long enough since I did hardcore writing and I’m frustrated by the writing I’m doing here. The deadline for Shey’s book is less than a month away and I can’t afford to lose or waste time and yet when I sit at the little desk I set up in the corner of my bedroom, my mind wanders. I find I just want to sleep. Mac still wakes three or four times a night to nurse and my brain isn’t my brain yet. It’s fuzzy and thick and it wanders when it should be focusing on story and plot and pacing.

But panicking never helps–not relationships or writing–and I’ll never get the book written if I’m negative and stressing. Far better to be calm, and confident, and single minded (okay, a little hard with a 9 week old but still…it’s a good goal). So off I go to write. But while I write, do tell me what’s going on with you. Are you on vacation? Working? Making any fun summer plans? Bring me up to speed when you’ve time as I’ll be checking back in later today to see what’s going on.

By Jane | Posted in Mom World | Comments (7)

VINTAGE JANE: Spotlight on New York & The Secretary’s Seduction

July 1, 2009 – 7:20 am

I love, love, love New York. I try to visit the city every year for at least one weekend, and I even took Surfer Ty and my boys there a year and a half ago just before Christmas.  New York has always been magical, even when its freezing or blistering hot. I love the buildings, the noise, the energy, and of course Times Square with all the great theatres.

I’ve had characters based in New York in several books (Marta and Shey in Odd Mom Out) but The Secretary’s Seduction, a Harlequin Presents published back in August 2005, is set smack dab in the middle of Manhattan.

In The Secretary’s Seduction plain, mousy, insecure Winnie Graham works for fabulously rich, gorgeous businessman Morgan Grady, a man who doesn’t even know she exists. I loved writing this story and in some ways this story was a turning point in my career. Winnie was such a delightful character to write and New York was such a fantastic setting.

My Travel Spotlight on New York features my picks for some of the city’s most romantic and memorable destinations, plus some of the best photos I took while sightseeing. See more of what the setting of The Secretary’s Seduction has to offer.

Do you have a New York spot that you adore in particular? Does one of the photos in my travel feature jump out at you?

By Jane | Posted in Vintage Jane | Comments (10)

Book Club Monday #8

June 29, 2009 – 8:55 am

I can’t believe June is coming to an end; this month has absolutely flown by. Easy on the Eyes will be out in July, so the countdown is nearing the end with week 8 of my online book club! We’ve been talking about Odd Mom Out and Mrs. Perfect—my two books that feature some of the same characters from Easy on the Eyes. I love receiving reader feedback, but here’s the best part for readers: your comment on each book club question enters you to win an Advanced Reading Copy of Easy on the Eyes. Read it before you can buy it, then spread the word!

Last week we discussed Mrs. Perfect. This week let’s talk about a topic from Odd Mom Out:

Marta thinks, “The problem when you’re a small family, when you’re a family of two, is that there is no one else to give space, distance, perspective. There is no one else to go to, to lean on, to reach for.” Discuss Marta’s struggle as a single mom to get past these difficult times. What are some of the things you do, as a mother, when you’re confronted by a hurtful or difficult situation with your child?

Feel free to contribute without having read Odd Mom Out, but be warned that the comments that follow may contain spoilers.

For more Odd Mom Out, read an excerpt, download the whole Reader’s Guide, check out some book extras, and order your copy from Amazon!

About TIMING of PRIZES: The winner will be drawn (randomly, of course) shortly after the next book club gets posted. So, sometime next Monday, when I find a sliver of time between sleeping and caring for a itty-bitty baby, I will do the winner thing. If it waits until Tuesday, no one stress, okay? Thanks! And thanks for participating!

Please also read an important note about blog contests.  

By Jane | Posted in Book Clubs, Promo & Contests, Book Talk | Comments (22)

VINTAGE JANE: Headline News

June 26, 2009 – 7:30 am

Way back, circa The Frog Prince, I wrote the following post, and though I’ve said the same thing in different ways since, I thought it could bear repeating, especially for my sake. I need to follow my own advice more often!

Headline News
originally posted to the JaneBlog on September 13, 2005

The headlines in the papers continue to be grim. Even our local headlines are grim. Boulder falls from cliff, crushes car with three young women inside. Father of a three year old jumps into lake in front of son to save dog, and drowns. Frankly, it’s just too much.And here’s not even a headline from the news, but something that really happened, something that’s got to be put in one of my future books. I order pizza from our usual place on line, wait for an hour, call place to ask about delivery and am told that pizza is still running late. I say that we should have been given a call, that 6 year old kids can’t wait 90 minutes for pizza, and the guy answers, ‘You know, I don’t need to hear wah-wah-wah, my kids are crying and hungry because they don’t have their pizza. Lady, we all have problems.’ Click. And he hangs up. At the time (last Friday night) I was pretty shocked. I’ve never had a pizza place do that. But you know, five days later, I’m beginning to see his point.

We all do have problems.

We have lots of problems. And sometimes we can manage them, and sometimes the problems manage us, but that’s life. Unfortunately.

Sometimes there are good days and then there are bad days, and sometimes the bad days all come in a long, ghastly, seemingly unending row. But that’s when we’ve got to pull up our proverbial boot-straps and keep trying. Keep going. For Pete’s sake, what else are we going to do?

So after you’ve donated to the Red Cross, or volunteered where you need and want to volunteer, know its okay to unplug the phone and turn off the internet news and watch feel good movies and read feel good stories. Right now, despite all the chaos in the world (or because of all the chaos…) a little feel good is called for.

How do you cope when things get rough?  Do you give yourself permission to just ‘escape’ for awhile, or do you feel like you always have to be on top of your game, performing at your best?  Tell me your secret for handling stress.  I’d love to know!

By Jane | Posted in Vintage Jane | Comments (16)

Book Club Monday #7

June 22, 2009 – 8:45 am

Here we are at week 7 of the online book club, and what a tremendous success it has been! The release of Easy on the Eyes is just weeks away, and your responses to my reader’s guide questions about Odd Mom Out and Mrs. Perfect—my two books that feature some of the same characters from Easy on the Eyes—have made me even more excited about it. I love reading your opinions and fielding your questions, but here’s the best part: your comment on each book club question enters you to win an Advanced Reading Copy of Easy on the Eyes. Read it before you can buy it!

Last week we discussed Odd Mom Out. This week let’s discuss another question from Mrs. Perfect:

What did you think of Taylor’s relationship with her mother? Do you like your mother? In what ways has Taylor’s childhood help shape her into the woman she is? Did you find that as you knew more about her past, you were able to be more understanding of her personality and the expectations she put on herself, her family, and anyone else in her life?

Feel free to contribute without having read Mrs. Perfect, but be warned that the comments that follow may contain spoilers.

For more Mrs. Perfect, read an excerpt, download the whole Reader’s Guide, check out some book extras, and order your copy from Amazon!

About TIMING of PRIZES: The winner will be drawn (randomly, of course) shortly after the next book club gets posted. So, sometime next Monday, when I find a sliver of time between sleeping and caring for a itty-bitty baby, I will do the winner thing. If it waits until Tuesday, no one stress, okay? Thanks! And thanks for participating!

Please also read an important note about blog contests. 

By Jane | Posted in Book Clubs, Promo & Contests, Book Talk | Comments (24)

Father’s Day Weekend

June 19, 2009 – 5:03 pm

Father’s Day weekend is here and my big boys have left to be with their dad, and my littlest boy is here in Bellevue with me while his dad, Ty, teaches surfing in sunny Waikiki.   Business has really picked up again in Hawaii so Ty has to be there now, but I am sorry we can’t be with Ty for his first Father’s Day.  Every great dad should be celebrated and Surfer Ty is a great dad.  He’s so loving with Mac and he can’t keep his hands off his baby.  In fact, when we were flying to Southern California last week for my family reunion, he told the flight attendant that ‘this lady keeps touching my baby.’ 

‘This lady’ being me.

The flight attendant and I had a good laugh about it, but I’m glad Ty loves his baby so much.  Dads need their kids, and kids need their dads.   My dad died when I was fifteen and although I’ve lived a rich, rewarding life, there’s always been a piece of my heart missing since his death.  Dads play with kids different than moms.  Dads tease and laugh and rough-house.  Dads are well…dads.

In honor of Surfer Ty’s first Father’s Day, and to celebrate all the wonderful fathers out there, I’m doing a weekend Father’s Day contest, with the prize being a big orange tote bag packed full of summer essentials ( like candles, lip gloss, fun make up and more), and a copy of the Flirting with Forty movie now released on dvd. 

To enter the contest all you have to do is post a comment below.  Tell me about your weekend plans, what you’ll be doing for Father’s Day, or how your world is right now, and you’re entered.  That’s it.  And I really do want to hear from you as I’ve missed chatting and miss you and would love to catch up.  The contest ends Sunday night midnight PST and the winner will be announced on Monday.  (Do make sure to check back to see if you won.  I have a bunch of blog prizes that have gone unclaimed in the last month, including two Easy On The Eyes arcs.  And if you won a prize but haven’t gotten it yet, or haven’t heard a confirmation from me after you emailed me your address, email me again.  Don’t be shy!  My server has issues with my web mail and sometimes emails get lost and I really do want you to get your fun stuff.)

Oh!  And Mac…how is Baby Mac?  Well, he’s still my yummy boy and he turns eight weeks old this Sunday.  We saw the doctor today for his 2 month check up and Mac’s finally hit nine pounds, and he does love to eat only it’s hard for him to keep most of it down.  We’re still working on finding ways to deal with the acid reflux but when he’s calm, he’s full of smiles for his Mommy, and he’ll coo to catch his brothers’ attention.   The trick is just getting his tummy settled so he can be the happy baby he likes to be.

By Jane | Posted in Promo & Contests, Mom World | Comments (62)