The West Village in Manhattan is a wonderfully exotic place and last Monday night it also became a magical place. Maria and I had the great good fortune of being at the debut of Lady Jane’s Salon – the Romance Reading Series founded by Maya Rodale, Hope Tarr, Leanna Renee Hieber, and Ron Hogan.  It was a very successful evening with authors Andrea Pickens and Hope Tarr performing the inaugural readings. As Barbara Vey from Beyond Her Book said, ” I didn’t know what to expect coming into this and I was absolutely blown away by the atmosphere and the enthusiasm of the crowd and the wonderful comraderie. It is amazing, and truly defines what romance is about”.  We had an opportunity to interview the co-founders of Lady Jane’s and to take some photos.

Why do authors create reading series – is it because they want to have a dialogue with their readers?

HOPE:  I can’t speak for all authors but I can tell you what being part of creating launching Lady Jane’s means to me.  For starters, Lady Jane’s is the very first (and so far) only reading series in Manhattan devoted to romance fiction.  Being the first of anything is always a special honor but being the first of something in the Big Apple is well, pretty amazing. But Lady Jane’s is more than a forum for reading our work, great though that is. The Salon supports Maya Rodale’s charity, Share the Love, which is so aptly named.  As romance writers that’s exactly what we do, Share-the-Love, every time we turn on our computers or open our notebooks. Every romance novel, whether historical or contemporary, short or long, suspenseful or sweet, celebrates the way that sharing love transforms all of us. When you’re in love, Real Love, Big Love, you don’t just see the very best in the Other Person. You see the very best in yourself.  You see the person you’re meant to be. When you’re in love, you see Life in all its bright and boundless possibilities.  When you’re in love, really in love, you realize it’s never too late to be reborn into a life that feels bright and shiny, right and new.

MAYA: I’m still awed at how easily and quickly Lady Jane’s Salon happened! I think we created our reading series simply because it ought to exist. One night in December, the four of us met up per Leanna’s suggestion. The conversation was flowing, and the salon was born when I asked if a romance reading series existed. Just an idle question.  The next logical step wasn’t lamenting why it hadn’t been done yet, but what we could do to make it happen. Two months later, we launched to great success.

It really feels like it was meant to be.

Because, yes, the dialogue between authors and readers is important. I feel like we get a lot of that in the romance community, and it’s one of our strengths and one of the reasons our genre outsells all the others. Anything to foster that conversation helps the writers, the readers, and the industry as a whole. Heck, maybe even the whole world!

And I must add that what Hope wrote about LOVE (above) is absolutely true and completely beautiful. I’m honored that I’m able to play a part in that–either through writing books, reading books, donating books through Share The Love, or listening to excerpts of books at Lady Jane’s Salon.

LEANNA:  Definitely Lady Jane’s fills a void, we’re the only one focusing on this genre, and the extra bonus of Share the Love makes this a truly special and unique venture. I think the advantage of a reading series for what is essentially a private and solitary profession and reading experience is that it brings a communal dimension that can’t be replicated otherwise.

RON: I’ve participated in the development of two reading series (Beatrice @ The Merc and Lady Jane’s Salon) for the same reason that I originally created Beatrice.com back in the ’90s — because I was interested in introducing readers to great stories. The other great advantage of these events is that authors can directly experience the effect their stories have on readers, whether it’s the reaction to the segment they read that night or what they learn from talking to their fans face-to-face.

Do you think reading series in general inspire you as an author, whether you are a participant or audience member?


MAYA: Confession: I’d never given much thought to readings prior to Lady Jane. However, in my days of being a frustrated amateur musician, open mic nights were a major part of my education and my daydreams. I feel our reading series can be the same way–hearing what others are doing is informative and inspiring. Having that concrete image of performing before a crowd is a wonderful visual and goal, particularly because so many other major moments as a writer are intensely solitary.
Plus, we’re not just writers, we’re entertainers. We write books that are intended to be entertainment. Something like Lady Jane’s Salon can provide an opportunity to share that aspect of ourselves and our work.
LEANNA:  I do get inspired by readings. More than the content itself, which may or may not be the type of work I’m writing, I get a high off the communal energy in the room, the extra electricity of a live audience. Since I come from a theater background, this is a familiar and welcome setting for me.

HOPE: They do inspire me and always have. I think sometimes we can forget that pretty much every published author started off as a passionate reader and yes, perhaps even a fan. I joined Romance Writers of America in 1997 as an unpublished aspirant. Going to chapter meetings and conferences and yes, author readings was so very important in keeping my dream alive. Afterward, I would always recap the event in my mind and then out myself in that author’s place. The vision that I would one day stand on stage or behind a lectern or even just sit at a table in a mall bookstore signing my work seemed far fetched at times but that dream, that vision of myself writing *and* publishing the books I love sustained me. That through Lady Jane’s Salon or any other forum I can help nourish some other yet-to-be-published writer’s dream is a wonderful feeling.

Reading your work in front of an audience is an intimate experience. What makes it special for you?

Leanna: Reading aloud in front of an audience makes the actress part of me happy. The idea of sharing my dream come true, my own work, is more thrilling than any script I’ve picked up.

MAYA: We talk a lot about “voice” in writing and creating that signature writing style that is uniquely ours. As an audience member, I was really curious and pleased to hear the author’s work in their physical voice. What was the spoken pace? How did the tone change? Where did the author pause for a laugh? Reading becomes a more dynamic and interactive experience.

HOPE: To again tie into this theme of sharing, for me writing is a very personal experience. Whether I’m writing at home or in a noisy coffee shop, I am very much in my own world. Once the book leaves my hands and yes, my control, it can feel a little jarring. It’s like an umbilical cord has been suddenly severed and the baby whisked away into someone else’s keeping. Reading your work for others, especially such an appreciative audience as we were blessed to have for Lady Jane’s launch, is a bit like getting to show off your baby.

Why did you choose to read the prologue from your book EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE?

HOPE: I chose the Prologue from EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE…, my latest Harlequin Blaze release, for a number of reasons. The book is contemporary and set largely in Manhattan, and I thought that would be fun. But beyond that, I chose a scene that I felt really honored the spirit of both Valentine’s Day and Maya’s charity organization, Share the Love.  The scene takes place between my hero and heroine and yes, it’s very intimate. In point, they are in bed. That said, the intimacy is emotional and the point-of-view is that of the hero, Cole Whittaker, an undercover FBI agent whose latest mission requires that he “transform” himself into the false persona of a country western singer.  Unfortunately it’s that persona that the heroine, Alex, has not only met but fallen for. That creates a huge problem for Cole because coming clean with her would mean jeopardizing not only the mission but Alex’s life. At the same time, he’s living a lie and well that never feels good, does it?  Five years later, the characters meet again, by chance and as themselves, without false personas or masks. I really wanted to read a scene that tied in to the transforming power of love, not just the standard “hearts and flowers” stuff associated with Valentine’s Day but how deeply and powerfully being in love can help each of us change for the better.

LEANNA: I’m right now trying to decide what I’ll read in September. It will either be something that sets up the eerie, atmospheric, lyrical, ghostly, gothic world that I’ve been told I’ve written, or one of the breathless, tender waltz moments between my timid heroine and my stormy hero. Maybe I should put it up for a vote.

What was it like reading your work in front of an audience?

HOPE: In a word, wonderful! I wouldn’t say I’m a ham, but I do feel fairly comfortable “on stage.” That said reading at Lady Jane’s, a project I’ve co-founded, was enormously special to me. And talk about a great group! The positive energy in the room was a palpable thing.  And that the series supports a charity, Share the Love, that reaches out to organizations helping women rebuild their lives makes it about so much more than me just reading my book. As writers we are enormously privileged to be able to create a forum where we get to share what we love, this wonderful romance genre, and do “good” at the same time.

LEANNA: I can’t wait! I haven’t done any live theater since my books sold in order to focus on them, and I do miss the stage. I know I’ll be more nervous, though, reading my own work (especially the ‘book of my heart’), than another writer’s words. But it will be very sacred and special to me.

Did you have to rehearse before you read?

HOPE: No, not really. In fact, I do much better if I don’t rehearse. I am spur-of-the-moment girl. That just works better for me. I read through the passage just once and frankly that was to make sure there weren’t any references that might make me blush.  AS for my opening remarks, I dashed them off in ten minutes of inspiration that morning.

LEANNA The actress in me will have to rehearse.

The event was a great success; did you get any feedback or comments that you would incorporate in your next event?

HOPE: It’s not often that a first time event goes off better than expected but last Monday’s Salon was one of those rare and beautiful occasions. The four of us really couldn’t be more pleased with how well it all just…well, flowed. Easily 50 percent or more of that success owes to the wonderful attendees who turned out to support us, including RWA/NYC board members, Romantic Times BOOKReviews publisher Carol Stacy and Managing Editor, Liz French, Publishers Weekly blogger, Barbara Vey and yes, you all at Romance Novel TV. Good energy is well, contagious.
That said we do aim to get better with each monthly Salon meet-up. We’ll be adding a Q&A session with the authors to next month’s program, and we’re hoping to broaden if not our horizons but certainly audience to introduce romance fiction to readers who may not be as familiar with the genre.
We have a great author line-up for March 2nd: newly minted New York Times bestseller, Lauren Willig and visiting author, the wonderful Jenna Petersen. I will leave it to Maya, Leanna Renee, and Ron to say more about that.

MAYA: We’ve gotten fantastic feedback! It seems that everyone there had a lovely time. I know I did! It’s all about making it accessible, inviting and rewarding.

LEANNA: We are exceedingly pleased with the launch, and we owe that to wonderful readers and support, especially from those Hope mentioned. I love the Q and A addition idea, and l’m particularly looking forward to showcasing just how many wonderful different sub-genres exist in this field, and to hear what audiences react to and are thirsty for.

RON: We were all very thrilled with how the first reading turned out, and not just because of the crowd — we also raised nearly $100 for Share the Love, AND collected more than 50 romance novels to be distributed to programs assisting women in transition. We’ll be doing a lot in the months ahead to build upon that success in the months ahead, and I’m looking forward to seeing our audience grow as we bring in authors from all the major different sectors of the romance field… including, I hope, some novelists who aren’t shelved in the “romance” sections at bookstores, but whose books still speak to the emotional concerns that make great romances so relevant to their fans.