The August Salon welcomes three great guest authors: Anna DePalo, Erica Ridley, and Alaya Dawn Johnson.

Guest authors books will be available for purchase on site.

Lady Jane’s meets at Madame X (94 West Houston) on the first Monday of every month, 7-9 PM. Cash bar. Admission is $5 or one gently-used paperback romance novel with net proceeds supporting local women’s charities.

Salon Co-Founder, Hope Tarr. Photo by BizUrban.com.

I’m so excited to be reading The Tutor, my latest Harlequin Blaze release at the July 5th Lady Jane’s Salon.

Set in Victorian Scotland–corsets and kilts, oh my!–The Tutor picks up where Untamed, the finale to my Men of Roxbury House trilogy, left off. Lady Bea Lindsey, Kate’s “bratty” baby sister, is all grown up, a “modern” young woman who knows her own mind. Alas, Bea has gotten herself engaged to a very nice but very dull gentleman. A dry run of the wedding night has shown that if she wants any pleasure in her marriage bed, she’s going to have to take the reins. But first she needs a tutor, someone sufficiently trustworthy, knowledgeable, and yes, sensual to instruct her in the loving arts.

Enter Ralph Sylvester, a former East London street rogue turned semi-respectable private secretary. Ralph and Bea have been friends for nine months but so far the sexual tension simmering between them has remained buried beneath the surface. Bea is an earl’s daughter as well as Ralph’s best friend’s sister-in-law. But when she shows up at his bedchamber door post-midnight wearing a red velvet cape and nothing beneath, Ralph knows that, lady or not, she means business. If he had any doubts, her bold request cinches it.

“I wish for you to tutor me in…sex.”

Having lusted after Bea for nine long months, no way is Ralph going to turn her down. Repeat: no way. Only instead of agreeing to tutor her for one paltry night, he insists on a full week of very private lessons. For seven sexy days and nights, no pleasure will be forbidden, no desire too shocking.

It’s every man’s fantasy…until the student surpasses the teacher.

The July 5th Lady Jane’s promises to be a jam-packed evening of fun. Along with Yours Truly, we have three great guest authors: Toni McGee Causey, Dianna Love (returning to the Salon), and Colby Hodge AKA Cindy Holby . Otherwise, same time, same place: 7-9 PM at Madame X. Admission is $5 or one gently-used paperback romance novel with net proceeds supporting an end-of-year donation to a New York City women’s charity.

As always, we’ll have the authors books available for purchase and signing on site, including Maya Rodale’s late June release, A Groom of One’s Own.

Happy Independence Day,

Hope

Image Courtesy of LisaDaleBooks.com

In a fun break with Za Rules, this month’s recap post is by a guest author who hasn’t read at the Salon–yet! Click on the link and hear what the wonderful Lisa Dale has to say about her Lady Jane’s experience.

And please do mark your calenders to join us on July 5th. We have a jam-packed evening with four guest authors reading from their latest releases: Toni McGee Causey, Dianna Love (returning to the Salon), Colby Hodge AKA Cindy Holby, and yes, me,  Salon Co-Founder, Hope Tarr reading from The Tutor, my July Victorian-set romance.

Otherwise, same time, same place: 7-9 PM at Madame X. Admission is $5 or one gently-used paperback romance novel with net proceeds supporting an end-of-year donation to a New York City women’s charity.

As always, we’ll have author books available for purchase and signing on site, including Maya’s late June release, A Groom of One’s Own.

Cheers,

Hope

There is no more awesome cacophony of sound than 75 romance lovers gathered in small upstairs room of a bordello-esque bar on Houston Street in New York City.  If we could but only harness the powers of this sound to fight for truth, justice and the romantic way, we could blow down the walls of Jericho.  No trumpets required.  It truly is a fantastic atmosphere, a place for romance lovers — but some may ask, how does one end up there, on that stage?

I found out about the no-longer-quite-so-underground Lady Jane’s Salon last summer at RWA — I was introduced to Maya Rodale and, as a fellow New Yorker, she suggested I come to a reading.  Unfortunately, when she told me about it, I was about to move across the country, so I missed my opportunity to go purely as an observer.   But, when the release of The Summer of You was approaching, I asked Maya if I could read… and then I hopped on a plane. 

That’s right.  I travelled 3000 miles for this.  That’s how cool it is. 

Now, I’m not gonna lie.  About two hours before the reading, I started getting nervous.  I don’t know why, I had been fine before!  I had chosen what I was going to read, I had done a run through, I knew what I was going to wear, I was ready to go.  But suddenly I’m in 10^thgrade speech class all over again, freaking out because I can’t find my notecards.

All I can say is – thank God for wine.  (Er… now.  Not in 10^th grade.  Because that would not have flown with my mother.)

First up, was new author N.K. Jemisin reading from her intriguing fantasy novel A Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.  She whetted everyone’s appetite for more.  Next up, Miranda Neville – another of my ‘N’ author brethren.  She has the decided advantage of a real British accent, making every word she read of her delicious historical The Wild Marquis sound like it was spoken by her characters.  Then, after a short break, wherein it is entirely possible more wine was consumed, it was my turn. 

Here’s the thing, and all future Salon readers take note: I wore a dress, hitting at about the knee.  But, the stage is raised and we authors sit on a bar-level chair… well, it took some maneuvering to keep the show PG-13.  But contorted myself appropriately, and then I started reading from my new book, The Summer of You.  And all my nervousness fell away two or three sentences in.  People laughed at the right moments, clapped at the end… I’m confident I got a passing grade.

The great thing about being done with reading was I got to relax and enjoy the final reader, Sarah MacLean, who’s Nine Rules to Break when Romancing a Rake not only wins for the night’s longest title, but has also just hit the NYT and USA Today Bestseller lists!  And those of us in the room could tell why.  I had already purchased Nine Rules, and it was my plane book on the way home to the west coast the next day.

It was a fabulous evening, where I got to meet old friends, electronic friends, and make some new ones.

And whether you travel 3000 miles or 3 blocks, Lady Jane’s Salon is not to be missed by any lover of romance.  Why?  Because everyone there is a lover of romance.  Here, I can promise you will find your people!

Your co-founder Leanna Renee Hieber here, and I am so very thrilled to tell you about September 7th. I’ll be hosting a very special event, a launch party for my debut novel, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, a ghostly, Gothic Victorian Fantasy novel, first in the Strangely Beautiful series with Dorchester Publishing.

You will find charming atmosphere, a mysterious Strangely Beautiful drink special at the incredible Madame X price of $5.00, there will be a raffle for a special prize, and your hostess will be in full 1880’s garb in honour of her book’s setting.

You’ll also have the opportunity not only to hear two selections from The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker but fellow award winning author Isabo Kelly, one of my dearest friends and inspirations in this business, will be reading a selection from her work as well. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

This is a very special night for me, as this is a very special book. I hope you’ll join me, Isabo Kelly, the Lady Jane’s co-founders, a host of my friends coming from far and wide and the lovely and wonderful people at Dorchester Publishing for an evening of strangely beautiful delights.

For more information about The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, please visit www.leannareneehieber.com. All the usual Lady Jane’s Salon particulars are in effect, see you at Madame X on September 7th at 7pm!

Blessings!

Leanna Renee Hieber

I didn’t know what to expect when I got the invite to read at Lady Jane’s Salon but the reading group’s name, its focus on romance, and the setting, the Madame X lounge in SoHo, intrigued me. I had to make the 224 mile drive from Boston to NYC and meet the Lady Janes. Last Monday night, I arrived at the Madame X lounge, the most colorful setting I ever had a reading in…Read more.

Visit www.beantowncubanito.blogspot.com for the full post and video featuring Johnny chatting about why gay men and woman enjoy the same kind of books.

Lady Jane’s Salon returns on Monday, July 6th with more splendid romance authors!

Debut historical author ANTHEA LAWSON will from her RITA nominated work Passionate

Award-winning local author DEE DAVIS will read from A Match Made On Madison

New York Times bestseller DIANA LOVE will read from Whispered Lies

SUSIE FELBER will pay tribute to her her mother, romance novelist EDITH LAYTON.

You already know the details, but here they are again for your convenience:

WHEN: Monday, July 6th, 7-9 PM

WHERE: Madame X, 94 Houston Street (btw LaGuardia and Thompson Streets), New York, NY 10012, 212.539.0808. Nearest subways: F,V,B,D at Lafayette, N, R at Prince Street.

Admission is $5.00 or one gently used romance novel.  Proceeds to benefit Share The Love a nonprofit organization that provides gently used romance novels to groups helping women in transition, such as homeless or domestic violence shelters. Why? Because everyone deserves the pleasure of a good story and a happy ending. Co-sponsors: Share The Love and Ron Hogan of Beatrice.com. Cash bar.

Oh, and some pictures, of course!

Diane Gaston

Amanda McCabe

Wendy Corsi Staub

Marjorie M Liu

1. Wendy Corsi Staub

2. Marjorie M Liu

3. Diane Gaston

4. Amanda McCabe

It gets even better:  there are five dollar drinks and signed books to be had  

The details: 

WHEN: Monday, June 1st. 7:00 – 10:00 pm. 

WHERE: Madame X, 94 Houston Street (btw LaGuardia and Thompson Streets), New York, NY 10012, 212.539.0808. Nearest subways: F,V,B,D at Lafayette, N, R at Prince Street. 

ADMISSION is $5.00 or one gently used romance novel. Cash bar. Proceeds to benefit Share The Love a nonprofit organization that provides gently used romance novels to groups helping women in transition, such as homeless or domestic violence shelters. Why? Because everyone deserves the pleasure of a good story and a happy ending.

Sponsored by Share The Love and Beatrice.com.