Since its launch in February, 2009, Lady Jane’s Salon has been about celebrating the romance genre by hosting a monthly gathering of authors and readers. Every salon has also been about sharing the love and inspiration found in romance novels. That’s why we request a gently used romance novel or five dollars as admission, which is then donated to organizations that support women and literacy.
Lady Jane's Salon "shares the love."
As Lady Jane’s Salon approaches it’s third anniversary—and now with three satellite salons around the country—we’ve donated hundreds of dollars to Women-in-Need as well as thousands of books to organizations such as The Thrift Shop for the Cure (which supports the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation), a one-time donation to The Peoples’ Library, the Salvation Army, and Housing Works.
“I think that it adds an extra element of pleasure to the night when we gather to celebrate romance, to know that we are also sharing the love and helping others,” says Deb Marlowe, of the newly launched Raleigh/Durham salon.
“What was formed organically out of a need to celebrate romance has grown just as organically into a sustainable staple of New York’s literary culture. I can hardly believe it’s been three years! One of my favorite parts of the year is handing over our yearly offering to Women In Need,” says salon co-founder, Leanna Renee Hieber. Women In Need is a NYC based organization that “provides housing, help and hope to New York City women and their families who are homeless and disadvantaged.”
LJS Co-founders Hope Tarr, Ron Hogan, Maya Rodale and Leanna Renee Hieber
For Lady Jane’s Salon in Raleigh/Durham deciding where to send the books was easy. “The books we donate to the local library system because they are tremendously supportive to romance and our local romance authors,” says Marlowe. Also, LJS RDU supports Shout Against the Whisper, which raises awareness about ovarian cancer “because it is the baby/brainchild of our good friend and fellow RWA chapter mate, Heather McCollum.”
“As we celebrate the Salon’s third year–and move into our fourth–we’re proud and humbled by the repeated outpouring of love and support from within the NYC romance fiction community as well as without,” says salon co-founder Hope Tarr. “The support comes from readers, authors in all stages of publication from bestselling, debut and pre-published authors, members of Romance Writers of America’s NYC Chapter, editors and agents; and yes the media–TIME OUT NEW YORK, THE NEW YORK POST, RT BOOK Reviews Magazine, Beyond Her Book, and documentary film maker Laurie Kahn of the Emmy Award winning Blueberry Hill Productions, to name but a few. We also welcome to the proverbial stage two satellite salons in Denver, CO and Raleigh-Durham, NC and eagerly anticipate a third coming to the Chicago area very soon. We gave lots to celebrate on our upcoming third anniversary and even more salon goodness for 2012.”
Lady Jane’s Salon wouldn’t be able to give back if it were not for the generosity of the readers and writers that join us each month and providing a book, a few bucks, and a strong belief in the power of uplifting and inspiring stories to change lives for the better.
Thank you for all your support!
