I’ve been attending Lady Jane’s Salon pretty regularly since it’s inception, and so when it became my turn to read, I was both excited and nervous. Excited because I’d come to enjoy both the spirit of camaraderie that the salon offers to the people who come, and the wonderful variety of readers that contribute to the salon’s atmosphere. Nervous, because I wanted to let neither the attendees, nor the other readers nor the founders down.  If I was going to fall, I was going to fall big.

So on December 6^th, it was my turn. Regulars, friends and even my parents were in attendance. After Ron Hogan’s fabulous introduction, it was my turn to climb the famous stairs to the platform at Madame X’s. I made it up without falling, and managed to both sit on the stool and adjust the microphone without causing damage. Then it was time for me to speak.

I happen to be a Jekyll and Hyde for public speaking; I’m not quite sure why that is.  I’m either ‘on’ or …not. I either nail it, or stutter through, and I can never tell which one is going to happen before I open my mouth for the first time. That night, I was on. The audience laughed at the right points, the words came flowing out of my mouth, all contributing to a general feeling of perfect synergy. I even sang the passages I’d chosen to sing well enough that the song was recognizable. It was a victory in the truest sense of the term.

Once I’d finished, it felt almost like any other Lady Jane’s night; there were two other readers to go. Brenda Chin spoke next, and gave us all a summary of Harlequin’s 60^th anniversary year and the amazing changes that Harlequin was instituting starting in January. I also got to hear Hope Tarr, a friend and one of the founders, read from her brand new Scottish Historical, Twelve Nights.

But it also seemed slightly miraculous. That night we also heard about Harlequin’s amazing contribution to ‘Share the Love,’ and I was able to share it all with my friends and family. Thank you all so much for allowing me to be a part of this wonderful community, and I will definitely be attending on January 4th.

Continue reading Salon reader Stacey Agdern reports