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Happy Birthday, Lady Jane!

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Lady Jane’s Salon, New York City’s first and so far only monthly romance reading series, turns one-year-old this February 1st and oh, my how our Girl has grown!

LADY-jane-logoHelping us blow out the birthday candle are three fabulous guests: bestseller, Lauren Willig (The Betrayal of the Blood Lily), debut author, Sara Lindsey (Promise Me Tonight), and guest emcee, historical nonfiction author Leslie Carroll (Notorious Royal Marriages). Three very lovely ladies reading from three very different books, all of which will be available for purchase on Salon night. I’m just saying…

Now that we’ve come up on the one year mark, it seems a fitting time to both reflect on the past year and look forward to the new year ahead. When Maya, Leanna, Ron and I came up with the concept for Lady Jane’s, we anticipated having ten or so attendees each month. In a very short time, we found ourselves filling up the house to the point where many Salon nights are now standing room only. Feature articles in TIME OUT NEW YORK and THE NEW YORK POST swiftly followed along with tremendous support from the romance fiction community. RT BOOK Reviews, Barbara Vey at Publishers Weekly, Romance Novel TV, the chapter members of Romance Writers of America/NYC, and “Smart Bitch” Sarah Wendell are just a few of our wonderful friends who’ve given us both early and consistent loyalty and support. To them and all the individuals too numerous to name in a mere blog post, thank you!

A big sloppy birthday buss to Amy McCloskey, owner of our wonderful host venue, Madame X, and also to her manager, Karen and bartender, Alex. Without your support, the Salon couldn’t happen. It just couldn’t.

We started the series to provide a home for the books we love to both read and write. The four of us also felt strongly that in addition to the fun and frolic, it was important to broaden our mission to include a service component. Share the Love, Maya’s charitable organization co-founded with Ann Bleakley, has been the recipient of Salon proceeds for the past year, and we look forward to continuing our outreach to groups serving women in need in 2010.

As a Co-Founder, the time and energy I’ve expended have been returned to me tenfold–in the friendships both old and new, the collegiality with publishing professionals representing all aspects of the industry, and the opportunity to build, sustain and now grow something needed and yes, beautiful with three other amazing and creative individuals. Leanna, Maya and Ron, I heart you.

It’s both heartening and humbling to hear how the love we feel for our Brain Child/Baby is reciprocated by the romance community. Salon regular and February guest, Lauren Willig will teach a class on romance fiction this spring at Yale–yes, Y-A-L-E–along with fellow bestseller and Salon regular, Andrea Pickens also W/A Cara Elliott. A recent New Hampshire Register article covering the upcoming class had this to say:

Part of the impetus for the course also came from Willig’s membership in Lady Jane’s Salon, a Manhattan group of writers and readers which meets monthly for readings “and to hang out and drink. It’s become in a very short time an institution and a way for various people from various parts of the industry to share their love of romance novels,” says Willig.

Thank you, Lauren, and thanks to all of you whose unswerving commitment and enthusiasm, loyalty and yes, love have made Lady Jane’s Salon a rousing success.

Hope

Happy Birthday, Lady Jane

Monday, February 1st, 7-9 PM

Madame X (94 W Houston St)

Admission: $5 or one ppb romance novel

Holiday Goodness Challenge Wrap-Up

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On behalf of Marian’s Dream and the statewide and regional spay/neuter programs it supports, a heartfelt thank you to my 2009 Holiday Goodness Challengers aka Heroes (in no particular order):

Valerie Mann

Sandy Coleman

Judy Roney

Laurie Nichols

Dan McGirt, Author

Kim Swiderski

Lori Alpert

Because of you, 2010 will look that much brighter for homeless cats and the people who work so tirelessly in the proverbial trenches to ease the suffering and make Marian’s Dream of no more homeless cats that much closer to becoming a reality. 

Happy 2010!

Hope

Recap: December Lady Jane’s Salon

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The December 7th Lady Jane’s Salon was a rousing success with lots o’ holiday goodness and birthday bubbles (in celebration of Harlequin’s 60th), making for a truly magical evening. But don’t take my word for it. Head on over to the Harlequin blog and hear what our VIP guest, Senior Editor for Harlequin’s Blaze line, Brenda Chin has to say about her visit. And for the complete album of pretty pretty pictures, check out Lady Jane’s Salon on Facebook.

Hope

Lady Jane’s Winter Holiday Open House

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Happy holidays and happy birthday, Harlequin!

The December 7th Lady Jane’s Salon heralds the winter holiday season and celebrates the final month of Harlequin Enterprises 60th anniversary year with a very special salon event.

I’ll be reading from Twelve Nights, my Christmas Scottish Medieval for Harlequin Blaze as well as my twelfth published book. Twelve Nights is the sequel to Bound to Please, the novel that launched the super popular Historical Blaze Miniseries. To win a signed copy of Bound to Please, check out my current Contest.

Copies of Twelve Nights will be available for purchase on-site at the Salon, and I’ll be signing copies at the break and immediately thereafter.
Guest author, Stacey Agdern.

Joining me will be romance fiction reviewer, bookseller, and author, Stacey Agdern reading from her Hanukkah novella, Rededication, and Senior Editor for Harlequin Blaze, Brenda Chin recapping highlights from Harlequin’s 60th Anniversary year.

The Salon meets on Monday, December 7th from 7-9 PM at Madame X (94 West Houston) in Manhattan’s Soho district. (Subsequent salon nights are the first Monday of each month). Admission is $5 or one gently used paperback romance novel to benefit Share-the-Love.

I hope to see you there.

Congratulations November Contest Winners

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So, last night I attended a performance of Over the Rhine, my new favorite indie band based out of Ohio at Manhattan’s Highline Ballroom along with my Strangely Beautiful author friend, the lovely Leanna Renee Hieber.

Today I blind-picked my two November contest winners and wouldn’t you know it, both are from Ohio!

Congratulations to Rosemary K of Willoughby, OH and Katherine F of Springfield, OH. Both Rosemary and Katherine knew that “Cat” is the name of the feline character in my out-now release, Twelve Nights.

Each winner will receive two copies of Bound to Please, the prequel to Twelve Nights, which launched the super successful Historical Miniseries for Harlequin’s Blaze line.

More copies of Bound to Please will be given away to three winners in my December Contest, so if you didn’t win this time, please head over and enter.

Finally, my Holiday Goodness Challenge is one-third of the way to our $200 goal with Hope’s Heroes to be announced here…anon. In the meantime, please put Marian’s Dream and the homeless cats it helps on your personal holiday goodness lists. Santa thanks you and so do I.

Hope

Signed Copies of Twelve Nights…

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Thanksgiving already!The winter holidays seem to roll around more quickly every year but then again maybe that’s the sign we need to take time, take a breath, and say ‘thank you’ to our personal Powers That Be for all the goodness in our lives.

On the Friday after Thanksgiving, known as “Black Friday” in the retail world for good reason, many of you will be burning off all that fine Thanksgiving Day fare by shopping. To make sure as many of you who want signed copies of Twelve Nights, either for yourselves or to give as gifts, can get the book in plenty of time, I’ve been out and about signing stock in preparation for the holidays.

Signed copies of Twelve Nights are now available at the following New York City bookstores:

Manhattan:

Borders–Wall Street, 100 Broadway

Borders–32nd & 2nd Ave. (576 2nd Ave)

Borders–2 Penn Plaza (at Madison Square Garden and adajcent to Penn Station)

Borders–Park Avenue (461 Park Ave)

Borders–10 Columbus Circle

Posman Books–Grand Central Station

Barnes & Nobles–86th & Lexington (150 E 86th St)

Barnes & Nobles–82nd & Broadway (2289 Broadway)

Barnes & Nobles–Greenwich Village (396 Avenue of the Americas)

Barnes & Nobles–555 Fifth Avenue

Barnes & Nobles–Citigroup Center (160 E 54th St)

Barnes & Nobles–Lincoln Triangle (1972 Broadway)

Queens:

Barnes and Nobles–Forest Hills (70-00 Austin St)

I’ll be adding locations over the next week so please check back.

Wishing you a peaceful, restful and above all, joyful Thanksgiving,

Hope

Holiday Goodness Challenge 2009

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Times are tough, times are hard, nobody’s denying it. And though purse strings may be tight, I’m convinced hearts are bigger and more generous than ever before.

Hope for the Holidays

In keeping with the holiday spirit of counting my many blessings, including the release of Twelve Nights, my Christmas Harlequin Historical Blaze, I’ll be giving away twenty copies of  Vanquished, the first of my “Men of Roxbury House” trilogy to the first twenty readers who donate a minimum of $10 to this year’s Holiday Goodness charitable recipient, Marian’s Dream: Philanthropy for Animal Advocates.

A Good Dream

Founded in 1981 as a memorial to Marian Rosenthal, Marian’s Dream is a 501(c)3 public charity with the mission of helping donors help companion animals through support of innovative programs and projects operating on the local, regional and statewide levels. Funding accessible, low-cost spay/neuter resources is a particular focus.

$200 will provide four feline spays or six feline neuters. If that sounds like a modest goal, consider that one female cat can birth two litters a year. That’s up to a dozen unwanted kittens, many of whom will have additional litters of their own.

Shelters and rescue groups are overwhelmed. The solution lies in prevention.

Goodness Spilleth Over

Hope holds Sweeney, once homeless, now very much homed.
Hope holds Sweeney, once homeless, now very much homed-and loved!

I’ll be running the Holiday Goodness Challenge now through January 1st. You can make your donation to Marian’s Dream online via PayPal or by check. For verification, I’ll need you to send: 1) a copy of your donation receipt, either photocopy or forwarded PayPal receipt, 2) the name of the person to whom you’d like the book inscribed if you’re giving it as a gift, and 3) your snail mail address to me at [email protected] or PO Box 1344, New York, NY 10276. If by email, please include “Holiday Goodness Challenge” in the subject header.

As we approach our $200 goal, I’ll be posting the glad tidyings here along with the first names, surname initial and home state of the first twenty generous souls to step up to the proverbial plate.

Thank you for keeping Marian’s beautiful dream of a world with no more homeless pets alive this holiday season.

Hope

PS: As always, please feel free to Re-Tweet or repost and pay the ‘goodness’ forward.

Christmas Comes Early…

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It’s not even Turkey Day yet, but early copies of Twelve Nights have already been sighted in selected bookstores. My…elves tell me Posman Books in Manhattan’s Grand Central Station (9 Grand Central Terminal, Vanderbilt & 42nd Streets) have five copies in stock and available for sale in the store’s Romance Section.

Even better, they’re signed and stickered!

I knew I loved Posman’s for a reason, and not just because my buddy, romance novel reviewer and author, Stacey Agdern works as a bookseller there. Definitely check out this great, romance-friendly bookstore, preferably in time to see the station’s winter holiday decorations.