Jane's favorite mom reads for this summer:
"This Charming Man" by Marian Keyes
With a darker plot than is her signature norm, Keyes brings home to readers a fast-paced and amazing story that touches on serious issues (domestic abuse) for women today. Beautifully crafted and blended with good humor, it's a story that will bring out all sorts of different reactions in women. I personally enjoyed it very much!
>> Buy the book on Amazon
"The Beach House" by Jane Green
A lovely story about an eccentric woman who is faced with a new challenge when, after her husband commits suicide, her financial adviser tells her she's in dire straits. She turns her home into a summer bed and breakfast and fills it with people who become family and change her life forever. It's an entertaining read with a surprise ending!
>> Buy the book on Amazon
"Certain Girls" by Jennifer Weiner
A smart and funny read perfect for the beach. Weiner gives fans a chance to revisit with Cannie Shapiro in this sequel to Good In Bed and makes it worth our time. Lots of plot twists as the characters come to terms with relationships, love and truth. A joy to read!
>> Buy the book on Amazon
"Love The One You're With" by Emily Giffin
A chance encounter with an old flame leaves a married woman wondering about what could have been. Full of vivid descriptions and snappy prose, this fresh and inviting story is a delightful read!
>> Buy the book on Amazon
"The You I Never Knew" by Susan Wiggs
A poignant and deeply satisfying story about relationships, choices and second chances. Ideal for those who like books with a lot of heart-wrenching emotion and plenty of drama. Wiggs at her exceptional best yet again.
>> Buy the book on Amazon
"Seeing Me Naked" by Liza Palmer
One of the most 'real' books you can read this summer! It's a fabulous read - the story about a woman who belongs to a family of geniuses, is a pastry chef and has big shoes to fill. Unfortunately she realizes her five-year plan for success has morphed into an eleven-year plan to nowhere. Take the time to indulge in this book. You'll love it!
Buy the book on Amazon
"A Hollywood Ending" by Robyn Sisman
A fun romantic comedy with a Hollywood setting to warm your heart. Great characters and totally indulgent escapist reading. I love beach reads like this one!
>> Buy the book on Amazon
"The Lost Duke of Wyndham" by Julia Quinn
Julia Quinn is one of the most talented, satisfying historical romance authors in America and The Lost Duke of Wyndham, Julia's latest,is absolutely wonderful. Witty, romantic, passionate--it's sums up why I love romance. It just makes you feel good.
>> Buy the book on Amazon
Romance Writers of America 28th annual National conference
Romance Writers of America (RWA), the professional association for 10,000 published and aspiring romance writers, representing the largest fiction genre and its $1.4 billion industry, will host its 28th Annual National Conference in San Francisco, California, July 30-August 2, 2008.
RWA's annual conference is the major writers' event of year, bringing together over 2,000 published and aspiring romance writers, publishers, literary agents, and other industry professionals. During the four-day conference, the group will raise money for literacy outreach, offer more than 100 workshops, and honor the year's best published and unpublished romance fiction at a black-tie Awards Ceremony. Superstars of romance publishing, Nora Roberts and Linda Howard, will be among the hundreds of published authors in attendance, and best-selling authors Victoria Alexander and Connie Brockway will be this year's conference's keynote and special-luncheon speakers.
For more information, visit www.rwanational.org.
About Jane Porter
Born in Visalia, California, I'm a small town girl at heart. I love central California's golden foothills, oak trees, and the miles of farmland. In my mind, there's nothing sweeter in the world than the heady fragrance of orange blossoms on a sultry summer night.
As a little girl I spent hours on my bed, staring out the window, dreaming of far off places, fearless knights, and happy-ever-after endings. In my imagination I was never the geeky bookworm with the thick coke-bottle glasses, but a princess, a magical fairy, a Joan-of-Arc crusader.
My parents fed my imagination by taking our family to Europe for a year when I was thirteen. The year away changed me (I wasn't a geek for once!) and overseas I discovered a huge and wonderful world with different cultures and customs. I loved everything about Europe, but felt especially passionate about Italy and those gorgeous Italian men (no wonder my very first Presents hero was Italian). I confess, after that incredible year in Europe, the travel bug bit, and bit hard. I spent much of my high school and college years abroad, studying in South Africa, Japan and Ireland. South Africa remains a country of my heart, the people, the land and politics complex and heart-wrenching.
After my years of traveling and studying I had to settle down and earn a living. With my Bachelors degree from UCLA in American Studies, a program that combines American literature and American history, I've worked in sales and marketing, as well as a director of a non-profit foundation. Later I earned my Masters in Writing from the University of San Francisco and taught jr. high and high school English.
I now live in rugged Seattle, Washington with my two young sons. I never mind a rainy day, either, because that's when I sit at my desk and write stories about far-away places, fascinating people, and most importantly of all, love. I like a story with a happy ending. We all do.
Books by Jane Porter:
