A Strangely Beautiful Release Party!

Right on the heels of DragonCon...

A Strangely Beautiful Release Party at Lady Jane's Salon!

The night was, frankly, pure joy. I had some of my very, very best friends in all the world in one room. That's something that doesn't happen every day. I had friends come in from out of state, fellow writers, bloggers, friends, industry professionals (C.H. Admirand -who took this photo - and Tara Nina brought me flowers, champagne and a Tiara!!!!!! - I DID feel like a princess!! I was excited to see Tara win the Phoenix pendant we raffled off for Share The Love!) - it was such an honour and delight to share 9 years of labour with a crowd full of friends, friends who knew the hard work and tears shed along the way. Plus, getting the chance to thank the people on my acknowledgement page in person, in public, let me again express how none of us gets anywhere on our own, and how grateful I am for the village that made the "book of my heart" possible.

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Dressed in my Victorian Regalia, I listened to my dearest Isabo Kelly read from one of my favourite of her many wonderful books, Thief's Desire. We indulged in Strangely Beautiful cocktails (blue-coloured, of course) and signed a lot of books!

And then I took the stage to read two of my own very favourite scenes from The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker. Thanks to Morgan of Miss Media Productions for these great photos!

I confess, I've missed being on stage, so the chance to read from my work (accents included and in appropriate attire) was SUCH a treat.

Thanks so much to everyone who was able to come out on a holiday weekend and support me, and all those who were there in spirit - it was one of the best nights of my life. 9 years. 9 years after my dear Miss Parker introduced herself to me, sweetly and kindly, it's now her month. I hope she's as excited as I am. (She's a little more scared and overwhelmed than me, surely.)

Super-BF:

And a special thank you to my sweetheart for sharing his Birthday with this very special Salon night and being a Prince about it.

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Oh, and the latest in REVIEWS!

1. I discovered my lovely August Fresh Fiction review!

2. The latest commendation from Bitten by Books!

3. And top ratings at A Romance Review!

4. Love from No More Grumpy Bookseller!

Lady Jane's July Edition! August preview!

Lady Jane's Salon. As always, THE place to be.

So (Right to Left below) Anthea Lawson, Dee Davis and Dianna Love Snell rocked the house. Susie Felber gave an amazing tribute to her mother, the late Edith Layton.

Thank you Scandalous Women Blogger extraordinaire Elizabeth Kerri Mahon for providing a fantabulous rundown on our very own Lady Jane's Site.

Thanks Salon co-founder Maya Rodale for the photos!

Here's Dee and good friend and fellow Salon co-founder Hope Tarr!

The incomparable Barbara Vey of Publisher's Weekly was again with us, visit her to see her always-wonderful Drive By Videos- we're so blessed!

Looking lovely with Dianna:

And one of my fave moments of the night: here's me with King Mho Fo. For more on King Mho Fo and his galpal blogger queen Katiebabs, get the whole story...

Now. August. Hot stuffs.

Delilah Marvelle and Anna DePalo

Here's what you need to know about Delilah Marvelle and Anna DePalo. They both rock.

Now Delilah is trying to save her series.

Do your part:

See you at Lady Jane's Salon, August 1st where you can help save the School of Gallantry and hear some great work of Anna's, and Share the Love.

Lady Jane's take 3! & Shadow Forest Authors

Lady Jane's #3 - success!

Thanks, you lovely Salon-a-holics you, for making such a great and uber-fun crowd. And thanks, Madame X, for Alex the bartender and for cheap wine. It's just so darn fun. We co-founders are damn proud of our random little accidental coup of a Salon.

It's good that I have Lady Jane's to blog about. I mean sure, I'm writing. But do you really want to know the ins and outs of line-edits and ruminations on blog-tour strategies for the release? Are you simply aching to know the intimate particulars of a Strangely Beautiful proposal package for books 3 and 4 when I'm sure that synopsis will look nothing like the books? Nah. Don't worry, when Strangely Beautiful gets closer to the release date, then I'll have all kinds of stuff to blab about. I WILL say, however, that my cover flats are go-r-g-e-ous!!

Back to the LJ:

Sarah Wendell made me hurt-so-good inside with hilarity.

Alisa Sheckley was erudite and titillating all at once.
Our co-founder Maya Rodale and the English Boyfriend were more delicious fun than could possibly be legal.

Not to mention that I'm so darn excited one of my bestest buddies from college, Biz, moved to NYC and got to hang with us!

I mean, look at this venue, isn't Madame X awesome? Imagine it brimming with people with cheap drinks. The place sizzles. So did the readings.

Thanks to RT Webmaster Rob (that sounds like a DJ name, Rob) for this photo, and to Managing Editor Liz French for representing RT's constant support, there's always a great run-down of the event at RT's Blog - thanks darlings!

And thanks to everyone in attendance!

See you FIRST MONDAY IN MAY!


Oh, and just so y'all are well and truly prepared for my September 7th release party and what I'll be reading at the LJ: There is no sex in my book. Don't worry, you'll still be titillated. :)



On other charitable fronts:

I also joined the Shadow Forest Authors today. It's easy, authors, just donate a book to one of their designated venues and chip in to fight illiteracy!

Lady Jane's April Edition!

Founding authors Maya Rodale, Ron Hogan of Beatrice.com, Hope Tarr and Myself present:

LADY JANE'S SALON... April edition!

LADY JANE CRUISES TOWARDS SPRING WITH A HOT LINEUP!

When: April 6th, 7-9pm with continuing after-party

Where: NYC's chic Madame X - located at 94 West Houston Street, on the north side between LaGuardia Place and Thompson Street. www.madamex.com

Who: Alisa Kwitney aka Sheckley will read from THE BETTER TO HOLD YOU, Maya Rodalewill read from THE ROGUE AND THE RIVAL (With special British guest) and Guest Host Sarah Wendell, hilarious blogger and author of BEYOND HEAVING BOSOMS (The Smart Bitches' Guide to Romance Novels)

How much: Admission is $5.00 or a gently used Romance or Womens Fiction novel. Proceeds benefit Share The Love which reaches out to women in need / transition. Cash bar. (Drinks are cheap!)

See you there!

The NY Post gives Lady Jane some love!

UPDATE! THE NEW YORK POST and LADY JANE'S SALON!

Click above to see the rundown AND video!

Thanks Mandy! Thanks NY Post!

(Pictured: New York Times Bestseller Lauren Willig reads from The Temptation of the Night Jasmine, (I'm listening at left)

Lady Jane's #2! Success despite all nature to the contrary!

Oh, what a night!

Despite a blizzard, the second of our unique monthly romance reading series benefiting Maya Rodale's Share the Love charity for women in need, Lady Jane's Salon, founded by myself, Maya, Hope Tarr and Ron Hogan of Beatrice.com went smashingly well. Our only regret was the sad fact that our dear Jenna Petersen got stuck in an airport rather than being able to make it in for our reading. But she was with us in spirit, and her work was most certainly in attendance.

So was the NEW YORK POST! Thanks to reporter Mandy Stadtmiller and Zandy the photographer (who posed us in fun spots with armfuls of dontated books), for deeming our humble operation story-worthy! Can't wait to see the story!

So was Rob of RT Bookreviews, thanks Rob and RT for being there to document our evening and continue RT's loving and loyal support of our venture from day one!

So was SB Sarah of Smart Bitches Trashy Books who we have the GREAT pleasure of announcing as next months GUEST HOST! She live-twittered about us and everything! She's even got video of Lauren's fabulous reading! Check it out!!

The rundown:



New York Times bestseller, historical maven, quick-witted author and a sparkling entertainer as well as all-around lovely gal Lauren Willig started us off with hysterical selections from her latest release Temptation of the Night Jasmine. Her fan club was out IN FORCE to support her! Go Lauren and friends!

After a quick break, Maya's English BF Tony read a side-splitting few pages of his own romance novel to add to our festivities.

And then, to wrap up an evening of great fun and storytelling, I managed to present the beginning of Jenna Petersen's Lessons from a Courtesan. So even though Jenna couldn't make it, her work did and we hope we can have her with us in person sometime in the future.

Next month! April 6th! Alisa Kwitney / Sheckley will present some of her yummy The Better to Hold You and our very own co-founder Maya Rodale will share some of her deeeelightful The Rogue and the Rival! GUEST HOSTED by Sarah Wendell - who we hope will give us a tease of her and Candy Tan's Beyond Heaving Bosoms guide to Romance!

Don't miss it!

What is Lady Jane's Salon and why should I care?

It started, as many great things do, over a drink with good company.

Regency romance author Maya Rodale, romance author Hope Tarr, Beatrice.com's Ron Hogan and I were discussing the state of the New York City reading series scene and the fact that there wasn't a space for romance fiction and areas of women's fiction.

"Let's start one." Maya said.
She may have used slightly more elaborate language but you get the idea.

Maya happens, also, to be co-founder of the charity Share the Love, which donates gently used books to women in transition and need. Hope has a long history of philanthropy, as you can check out from her website. Ron Hogan, in his involvement with MediaBistro, GalleyCat and Beatrice.com has championed all kinds of literature for well over a decade. I'm involved with service projects at my church and environmental and animal rights causes. So you've got four people with two things in common: a love of books and philanthropy. Hence, in the span of just a few short months and somewhat of a "Yes We Can" philosophy, Lady Jane's Salon was born.

Why "Lady Jane"? We knew we wanted Salon in the name, because it's just one of those words one wants to use. I dubbed it "Lady Jane's" because Jane makes us think of our beloved Austen, and tea, but it's also an everywoman name. Jane Doe. There's a bit of everywoman in romance, in the way that the genre, no matter the sub-category, seeks to lift up the core value of loving, dynamic, committed and familial relationships.

Lady Jane's launches on February 2nd with award winning and multi-published authors. Andrea Pickens and Hope Tarr will kick off what will be a monthly offering of rich storytelling and great community. Some invaluable friends of romance, such as Barbara Vey and RomanceNovel.tv will be there to help us celebrate, and the generous and vital RomanticTimes, who have been incredibly supportive so far. Not to mention our respective current publishers, Berkley, Harlequin and Dorchester, who have been incredibly supportive too!

Mark your calendars! Every first Monday of the month, from 7-9 at the fab Tribeca venue Madame X. Admission is $5.00 or a gently used women's fiction novel - all admissions benefit Share the Love!

Madame X is located at 94 West Houston Street, on the north side between LaGuardia Place and Thompson Street. You must be 21 and have a valid photo I.D. to enter.

We hope you'll join us not only on Feb. 2nd, but every first Monday!

Stop by RomanceNovel.tv tomorrow the 25th, we'll be talking all about it!