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!

–The Lady Jane’s Salon crew

Former RWA/NYC Author of the Year, Patt Mihailoff, reading from A LESSON IN LOVE.

We’ll round out the program with a dash of Victorian goodness: Salon co-founders Hope Tarr (VANQUISHED) and Leanna Renee Hieber (reading from her new YA paranormal romance, DARKER STILL).

Guest authors’ books will be available for sale and signing on site.

Admission: $5 or one gently used romance novel. Net proceeds benefit a NYC women’s charity.

Cash bar.

NOTE: There will be NO January Salon. Please plan to join us on Monday, February 6th, 7-10PM (yes, an extra hour!) for our third anniversary salon extravaganza. Details coming soon…

Same time. Same place. Same admission–$5 or a gently used romance novel to be donated to a good cause. Cash bar. Guest authors’ books available for sale and signing at the authors’ discretion. Sales are cash only. Salon ends at 9PM. Attendees welcome to stay on and socialize at the downstairs lounge and garden.

Claudia Dain, Sabrina Jeffries, Jodie Pearson, one half of Lydia Dare, Heather McCollum (Founder, Shout Against the Whisper), Deb Marlowe & Tammy Falkner, one half of Lydia Dare, at the LJ Salon RDU launch.

Our second satellite salon, Lady Jane’s RDU (Raleigh Durham, NC) reports having a wonderful launch on September 28th. Salon directors Claudia Dain, Lydia Dare and Deb Marlowe were thrilled to have a packed house. In addition to smiles and great romance fiction reads, the inaugural salon collected books for the group’s local library and money for “Shout Against the Whisper,” a nonprofit to fight ovarian cancer.

This from Deb Marlowe:

“Thanks so much for the inspiration–we are thrilled to have the chance to lift up the genre!”

For more information on upcoming Lady Jane’s RDU salon events as well as the recipient charity, “Shout Against the Whisper,” visit the group’s website.

For updates on on our first satellite salon, Lady Jane’s Denver, now in its second year, visit the website.

Juliet Grey, author of BECOMING MARIE ANTOINETTE.

Join us on Monday, October 3rd as we celebrate the Month of Boo with three great guest readers: N.K. Jemisin, Marissa Day & Juliet Grey (AKA Leslie Carroll).

Venue: Madame X, Top Bar, 94 West Houston Street.

Admission: $5 or one paperback romance novel to benefit an EOY donation to a NYC women’s charity.

Cash bar with $5 drink specials.

Guest authors’ books available for sale and signing at the authors’ discretion. Sales are cash only.

Salon ends at 9PM. Attendees welcome to stay on and socialize at the downstairs lounge and garden.

Launched in February 2009 by Maya Rodale, Leanna Renee Hieber, Hope Tarr & Ron Hogan (Beatrice.com), Lady Jane’s is NYC’s first–and only–monthly romance fiction reading series.

Visit us on FaceBook or Twitter @LadyJanesSalon.

Join us on Monday, September 5th–yes, Labor Day–7:00-9:00PM at Madame X. Our featured guest authors are: Miranda Neville, Anne Herendeen & Katherine Ashe.

Authors books available for sale and signing on site.

Admission is $5 dollars or one gently-used paperback romance novel. Cash bar.

Proceeds from the salon benefit an end-of-year donation to a NYC women’s charity.

Join us!

Maya, Leanna Renee, Hope & Ron

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!

Admission is $5 at the door or one gently used romance novel. Monetary proceeds benefit Women In Need and books benefit charity organizations.

Doors open at 7pm at Madame X

Please note an upcoming change to our usual “first Monday of the month” schedule for June and July Salons. To coincide with the RWA National Conference our June AND July Salons are combining on Monday June 27 for a special edition extended program. All other Lady Jane’s rules still apply. Cheers!

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.