Event details are:

Monday, August 1st, 7-9 PM, Madame X (Top Bar)
Admission: $5 or 1 gently used romance novel. Proceeds support an end-of-year donation to a NYC women’s charity. Cash bar

Lastly but not least-ly, for those of you who were unable to join us in June for our special salon event welcoming The Romance Writers of America conference attendees to The Big Apple, you did indeed miss a treat! Laurie Kahn and crew, the Emmy award winning team of Blueberry Hill Productions, was on hand to film the event from start to finish for The Popular Romance Project, a documentary film project focused on romance fiction. The project is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, Mass Humanities, Romance Writers of America, and the Tavris Fund at Brandeis University/Women’s Studies Research Center.

They couldn’t have chosen a better night. The house was packed to breathing room only status with writers, agents and editors, and romance readers from across the country. The program, extended by one hour, did not disappoint: six great guest readers including Popular Romance Project adviser, Fordham University professor of English, and New York Times bestselling romance author, Eloisa James. Please stay tuned for videos of a truly special night.

Let’s be honest: ideas dreamed up in bars often don’t hold up in the light of day. But sometimes one comes up with greatness when scheming and plotting under the influence. It was over two years ago that Hope Tarr, Leanna Renee Hieber and Ron Hogan and I came up with the idea for Lady Jane’s Salon and we’re delighted that it’s still going strong with all kinds of romance authors reading every month to a crowd of readers, writers and industry types.

As one of the co-founders of the salon, I had read there before–twice, in fact. For my third appearance, I wanted to do something different. So I did not read from my new release, A Tale Of Two Lovers. Instead, I had the husband read the part of the hero, since he has so many heroic qualities, like a British Accent. For the part of Lady Julianna, my lady friend Denise did the honors as she has a degree in acting and more importantly was a bit of the inspiration behind the character. Both ladies are quite “forthright.”

Cute fact: Two Lovers was dedicated to these two!

Salon go-ers were also treated to a reading from Alaya Dawn Johnson’s vampire novel, Moonshine, and Beth Anne Miller’s novel Into The Scottish Mist. Colleen Gleason sent goodies! So we covered vampires, the Scottish Highlands paranormal style and the Regency all in one evening–just another night at Lady Jane’s!

The salon has been running for over two years now (!) and we’ve got our biggest, awesomest, fantastical line up to date at our June/July salon. Save the date, kittens, because this is not one to be missed!

Lady Jane’s Salon~RWA Extravaganza

Date: June 27* (not the usual date, take note!)

Time: 7:00 until….oh, this one will go late!

Who’s reading:

Sarah Maclean

Dianna Love Snell

Leanna Renee Hieber

Karen Rose

Carrie Lofty

and….

Eloisa James!

I spent weeks worrying about what passage of Project: Happily Ever After to read for Lady Jane’s Salon. One friend had suggested I read the love letter I’d written for my husband. I thought, “The love letter? People might fall asleep.”

Then I thought about reading from the very beginning of the book. But this section goes into great detail about how I’d once planned my very healthy husband’s funeral on the off chance he’d conveniently drop dead. It’s quite dark. I didn’t think it would fit in with what the other authors might choose to read. More important, I thought it might lead audience members to form an incorrect assumption about my character.

What to read? What to read?

Years ago, I’d once read an essay at Cedar Crest College about my first bikini wax. Some of the students had laughed until they’d cried—especially at the part that compared oral sex to road kill removal. A version of that essay had made its way into the book. I figured, “Hey, it was a hit before. It will be a hit again.”

The version that had made its way into the book, however, was much shorter, and it was missing some of the more risqué parts. For instance, I did not include the road kill removal line or any mention of oral sex in general. Still, it was about how a bikini wax saved my married sex life. How could I go wrong with that topic?

So I practiced it in front of the mirror.  The mirror stared blankly and asked, “So have you got anything better?”

Really? How could a piece about my vagina not be interesting? The mirror must be wrong!

Still, I continued to second-guess myself.

“What if someone in the audience is offended by vaginas?” I wondered.

“No, everyone loves vaginas,” I thought.

Still, I figured it would be safe to pick something else—something tamer and more romantic. So I settled on a section about this hugging exercise my husband and I had tried.

But when I read that one in front of the mirror, I felt bored and the mirror did, too.

What to read? What to read?

Even as I mingled with audience members and romance authors before the reading, I was still conflicted. I kept looking intently at various people and wondering, “Will she be offended if I read a piece about my vagina?”

In the end, I decided to read both pieces.

I started off with a bit of nerves. My knees shook, but I was pretty sure my long skirt concealed that.

And as soon as I said the word, “Vagina” everyone laughed.

That’s when I allowed the reading to take over and it all became fun.

Soon I was done and Leslie Carroll, dressed in a tiara and royal gown, took over to offer a historical account of the royals and a romance gone wrong. Lisa Dale read various sections of Slow Dancing on Price’s Pier and captivated us all with the sweet innocence of young lust.

Afterward, no one mentioned anything about being offended or embarrassed and everyone still seemed able to make eye contact with me. I figured all was good.

We mingled and enjoyed a beautiful cake made by Sossa Starshine of Starshine’s Sweets. The cake was shaped like a heart. It had a Band-aid on top and had a design that looked as if it had been broken and sewn back together. It represented the true epitome of romance in my opinion, and it tasted like heaven.

Read guest emcee, Elizabeth Kerri Mahon’s riveting recap of the March 7th Salon and plan to join us next month on Monday, April 4th, 7-9PM, at Madame X (94 W Houston St). Admission is $5 or one gently used paperback romance novel.–Hope Tarr, Lady Jane’s Co-Founder

Ah Lady Jane’s Salon, can it really be that this wonderful reading series is now two years old.  I have had the good luck to have attended almost every single evening at Lady Jane’s since its inception. And when I sold my first book SCANDALOUS WOMEN, I knew that Lady Jane’s was the place  I wanted to do my first reading as a published author. Of course, my first thought was what to wear. Should I dress in costume, perhaps Anne Boleyn? Or, since the salon is held at Madame X, my slinky black cocktail dress that matches the one that Madame X wears in the infamous Sargent portrait? In the end, I wore a maroon Nanette Lepore dress that I bought at a sample sale, which matched the color of the walls.

Despite the fact that I have read at Lady Jane’s before, I was a little nervous, but once I got up on the stage, the acting training kicked in.

What can I say, once a ham, always a ham!

C.H. Admirand, Leanna Renee Hieber (Salon Co-Founder) & Elizabeth Kerri Mahon.

I was also fortunate because I got to share the stage with two wonderful authors C.H. Admirand, who read a hilarious excerpt from her new release TYLER, which she said was inspired by a trip to a strip club she went to with her friend Tara Nina while attending an RT conference. The hero Tyler is a down on his luck cowboy who must take a job at a local strip club to save his family’s ranch.  Now who could resist that? I had to buy the book. Rounding out our merry trio was author Cara Elliott, who read from the last book in her Circle of Sin trilogy, TO TEMPT A RAKE.  As a mystery fan, I was very excited to hear that her first Regency set mystery was coming out in April under the pen name Andrea Penrose.

I cannot say enough good things about Lady Jane’s. I don’t know how New York existed before Leanna, Maya, Hope and Ron, the merry band of mad geniuses, who came up with the idea, but thank god they did. If you find yourself in NYC on the first Monday of any month, please do stop by Madame X at 94 West Houston Street between 7 and 9 pm.

Elizabeth K. Mahon

SCANDALOUS WOMEN – Perigee Trade ISBN: 978-0399536458 – March 2011
http://scandalouswoman.blogspot.com
http//adventuresofgothamgal.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/scandalwomen

Click here to view the embedded video.

Join us next month on Monday, March 7th, 7-9 PM,chez Madame X with returning guest authors, Cara Elliott and C.H. Admirand, and guest emcee, award winning blogger and debut historical nonfiction author, Elizabeth Kerri Mahon.

Admission is $5 or one gently-used paperback romance novel. Net proceeds support an end-of-year donation to a NYC women’s charity.

The Lady Jane Founders: Ron Hogan, Hope Tarr, Leanna Renee Hieber & Maya Rodale take a breath--and a bow.

The Salon celebrated Her Ladyship’s second anniversary in grand style, drawing quite possibly our biggest audience ever.Not only was sitting and standing room at premium but so, at times, was breathing space!

Roses from the darlings at Madame X, our host venue for these two years (and counting!), set a festive, romantic mood from the start.

On hand to help us ring in the Big 0-2 were our fabulous guest authors: Courtney Milan, Lauren Willig, and Caridad Ferrer.

Guest emcee, Andrew Shaffer had us all rolling in what little aisle space was left with his rousing and oh so hilarious readings from GREAT PHILOSOPHERS WHO FAILED AT LOVE. Poor Abelard and Heloise. It really isn’t funny–and yet it was!

Alyssa Montoya accepts our donation check on behalf of W-I-N.

But Lady Jane’s isn’t just about the razzle dazzle. From the very first, a vital component of the Salon’s mission has been to give back to our community. At the midpoint break, we Salon founders had the great pleasure of presenting our 2010 donation check to our chosen charity, Women-in-Need.

Afterward, it was time to break out the champers and cupcakes.Thanks to “guest bartender,” Sarah MacLean, for coming to the rescue with a ready pouring hand. By the by, Sarah writes a mean romance novel, too. Look for her as a return guest reader at our June 27th Special Event Salon.

Model, blogger and author, Isobella Jade generously donated a copy of her book, ALMOST 5’4 for our raffle. Thanks, Isobella! As someone who stands just ever so slightly *over* 5’4, I heart you!

In case you don't believe us about the crowd...

Last but never least, thanks to all our friends and fellow writers at Romance Writers of America/New York City for their consistent and loving support, and to all of you–yes, YOU–who’ve made Lady Jane’s a success these two years by coming month after month, blogging about the event, and generally sharing the goodness through word-of-mouth buzz. We wouldn’t be here without you.

Huzzah and Happy Anniversary!

Hope Tarr

Salon Co-Founder

For a recap of the night, plus video, visit my author blog at HopeTarr.com.

But, as they say, there’s more…

Please join me on Monday, December 13th as I blog at Borders True Romance with host, Sue Grimshaw. The topic will be Lady Jane, of course. Yes, Jane…pardon me, Her Ladyship, will turn two on February and we on the Lady Jane Team have grand plans for the February 7th Birthday Blitz Salon. Post a comment on Monday–a simple birthday well wish will do–and be entered to win a signed copy of my winter holiday anthology, A Harlequin Christmas Carol.

Wishing you a holiday season filled with mistletoe moments,

Hope Tarr

Co-Founder, Lady Jane’s Salon

Ah, Lady Jane’s Salon! What a wonderful night of reading and mingling in Greenwich Village! I had the good fortune to meet one of Lady Jane’s founders, Leanna Hieber, a few months ago at another book signing, so when she offered me a November spot to read, I was thrilled. I’ll admit, though, as the date grew closer I developed a terrible case of nerves (looking back, this seems silly – I mean, as a high school English teacher I talk in front of people all the time. Still, this felt different). However, I survived and even managed to enjoy myself, mostly about halfway through my reading when I realized I wasn’t going to pass out from nerves.

Madame X is a narrow little bar with a separate room upstairs decorated entirely in red, with cushy couches and ottomans everywhere. And yes, I decided to dress to match the décor J  About 10 of my own friends joined me, some who live in the city and some who came down from my hometown about 60 miles north. I’d say there were maybe 50 people attending in all. Four authors read, and the nice thing is that we all wrote in different genres of romance. I chose a passage from my latest sweet contemporary, One Night in Napa (though check out the cover for my very newest release, Summer’s Song - I love it!). Sarah MacLean followed with a hilarious scene between her Regency hero and heroine and had everyone laughing. After intermission (during which I enjoyed one of the bar’s signature cocktails – yum!), Terence Taylor read from his paranormal romance novel. It was wonderful to have a male romance author as part of our group, and the audience loved his New Orleans accent and literary nod to Zora Neale Hurston. Finally, the awesomely-garbed Stella Price read from one of the stories in her latest erotica collection.

Author Allie Boniface at the November '10 Lady Jane's.

All in all, it was a terrific night. We had a chance for mingling and picture-taking afterward, and, well, you can’t really go wrong spending an evening in NYC. If you arrive early (and you should!), take a walk around the neighborhood and have dinner or drinks in one of the many cozy restaurants in Greenwich Village.

So romance authors, if you have the chance to read at Lady Jane’s Salon, do so! It’s a wonderful experience. Hey, if you’re a romance fan at all and you find yourself in NYC on the first Monday of any month, I highly recommend stopping by Madame X at 94 West Houston Street between 7 and 9 pm. At the very least, you can’t beat the $5 cocktails!

Getting to read at Lady Jane’s Salon is like being voted onto Author Island.  You get to join a select group of writers offering samples of their work, enjoy a good drink, and revel in the . . . er . . . eclectic décor.  No one even blinks at words like “swiving” or “whist” or “scoundrel” at Lady Jane’s.  And when you’re done, you get to meet readers who love books and who can’t wait to tell you about it.

Returning guest author, Sabrina Jeffries. October 4, 2010.

What fun!

This time was especially fun for me, since it was my first time to read at Lady Jane’s home venue, the Soho establishment known as Madame X, where the liquor flows and the red lamps glow.  It’s a completely different experience from reading at one of its rare out-of-town stops, like the 2010 RT Booklovers conference—so much more . .. New York.  Most of the attendees are New Yorkers, and that also ramps up the vibe.

Better yet, lots of industry professionals show up.  I was delighted to have Bette-Lee Fox of Library Journal and Rose Fox of Publishers Weekly attend, and how fun to have Barbara Vey of PW do some of the emceeing!  Even Daisy Maryles, formerly of PW, came out to join us.  My agent Pamela Ahearn was there with an author friend of ours, Laura Joh Rowland, and I’m told there were other agents and editors, including a coach full just of Dorchester editors!  It was lovely to see so many supporters of romance from the industry side!

Then there were the authors, both those who read, and those who came to listen.  Leanna Renee Hieber was entertaining as always, reading from her upcoming novella, “A Christmas Carroll”—from the holiday anthology, A Midwinter Fantasy.  Donna Hill, author of more than 50 novels; three of which have been adapted for TV—had us all swooning at her sexy hero. And Janet Mullany’s description of Jane Austen learning how to “dine” (so much more polite than “feeding,” don’t you know) from her Austen vampire mashup, Jane and the Damned, cemented her reputation as the author who “writes funny romantic historicals.”  (Her reading was hilarious . . . and borderline proper-sounding thanks to Janet’s British accent!)

My favorite part as always, however, was chatting with readers.  I was so surprised to find that an internet friend, Michelle Catucci, from my own blog hangout, The Goddess Blogs, had shown up to hear me read, as had that wonderful champion of romances, bookseller Stacey Agdern of Posman Books.  In the rain.  After a hard day’s work.  What dolls!

Sabrina Jeffries reads to a rapt Lady Jane's audience. 10-4-10

All in all, it was a lovely night, a fun time, and a great tribute to how wonderful romance readers, writers, and professionals are.  Thanks to the mighty foursome of Hieber, Ron Hogan, Hope Tarr, and Maya Rodale, who founded and now gracefully steer the monthly romance reading series.  I can’t wait until my next trip to New York  . . .  and Lady Jane’s—save a place for me on the red velvet couch!

Rebecca Rogers Maher reading from I'll Become the Sea at Lady Jane's.

What I love about the romance genre is its celebration of emotion and desire. We spend too much of our daily lives concealing, redirecting, or ignoring what we really feel and what we really want. One reason romance novels are so pleasurable is that we get to watch characters – shyly, boldly, or somewhere in between – grab hold of the things they crave: money, power, status, respect, comfort, sex, love. It’s delicious to read about them achieving that bliss! And after attending my third Lady Jane’s Salon, I can tell you it’s even better hearing it read to you.

There’s something very childlike and satisfying about listening to books read aloud, particularly when the books are grown-up versions of the fairy tales we used to read when we were kids. When a good book is read well, there’s just nothing like it.

September’s Salon featured four distinct authors reading their work to a packed house.

To begin, Cat Johnson shared a scene from UnRidden (Studs in Spurs, Book 1), her delightful cowboy ménage. Cat’s obvious joy in her material opened the show with warmth, charm, and plenty of scandalized laughter.

Next, I read two scenes from my debut novel, I’ll Become the Sea, beginning with a flashback to my heroine’s abusive childhood and ending with her emotional first kiss with the hero. As a teacher and a mom, I’ve had lots of practice reading to groups. However, this may be the first time I’ve read the word “nipples” aloud. It was grand.

After a fun intermission, Michele Lang delivered an intense battle scene from Lady Lazarus, an urban fantasy set on the eve of World War II. Michele’s reading introduced the audience to a magical Budapest populated by werewolves, wizards, and demons, and to Magda Lazarus, a witch with the power to summon souls.

Cecilia Tan closed the night in style with a hilariously deadpan reading from her paranormal erotic romance, Mind Games. I loved the fact that she chose her selection THAT NIGHT and still nailed it. I guess that’s how it goes when you’re a really strong writer. Her next Red Silk romance, The Siren and the Sword, comes out on October 1^st and is available now for pre-order on Amazon.

See you in October! I’ll be the one leaning against the wall in my (red, of course) pajamas, listening to some more talented writers read me a story.

Many thanks to Hope Tarr for inviting me to read this month, and to Ron Hogan and Leanna Renee Hieber for the warm welcome.

To learn more about my debut novel, I’ll Become the Sea, please visit www.RebeccaRogersMaher.com, or follow me at http://twitter.com/RebeccaRMaher and www.facebook.com/authorrebeccarogersmaher.