Bad Weather Couldn't Stop the Great Fun!

We had an amazing time at our September Salon--with much laughter, great food and fabulous readers!

Claudia Dain started us off right, reading from Chasing Miss Montford from the An Encounter at Hyde Park anthology.

Cathering Gayle sobered the mood with a heartfelt read from Taking a Shot

and Cathy Maxwell had us all in stitches as she read from The Bride Says Maybe

Our Readers and Directors:





















Everyone who knows Tammy Falkner knows why this was so funny!  :-)

Thanks to everyone for braving the rain and lighting up our evening!

Fall in Love at this Month's Salon...

New York Times bestselling author CATHY MAXWELL will read from THE BRIDE SAYS MAYBE from her Brides of Wishmore series...

Lady Tara Davidson had once been the toast of London, but now scandal has brought her down.  Still, pretty, petted Tara can't believe her new fate  She had wanted to marry for love, but her father has promised her hand to none other than Breccan Campbell, the "Beast of Aberfeldy" and laird of the valley's most despised clan.  

Breccan Campbell is nobody's fool.  He knows that Tara is trouble.  Yet he is determined to reform the Campbell name even if it means forging an alliance with the arrogant beauty.  Still, since the first moment he laid eyes on her, he has wanted her, and not just in name only.   But can any woman truly fall in love with a man they call the Beast?

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CATHERINE GAYLE will read from TAKING A SHOT, the latest novella in her Portland Storm series...

Katie Weber has lost her health due to leukemia, and now her chemotherapy treatments have taken her hair. She’s not about to show up to her senior prom bald and let her classmates steal her dignity, too. Prom is no place for a girl who looks more like an alien than a high school student, especially when her so-called friends all dropped her like she had the plague at the first mention of the word cancer. Katie could never get up the courage to ask Jamie—her crush for almost two years, ever since he joined her dad’s pro hockey team—to take her. Not with the way she looks now. Besides, her dad would absolutely murder him.

Jamie Babcock knows its bad news to fall for his Portland Storm teammate’s daughter, but he’s had a thing for Katie since the first time he met her when he was just a wide-eyed, eighteen-year-old rookie. Now cancer might take her away before he ever grows the balls to do anything about it, though. Her father won’t be happy about it, but Jamie has to take a shot and ask to take her to her prom. It seems like Katie has just about given up, and he can’t let her go without giving her some good memories…something to hold on to. She’s still got her whole life ahead of her—she just has to keep living it. If he can convince her of that, nothing her father might do to him will matter.

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And Lady Jane's Salon Raleigh-Durham's own USAToday bestselling author CLAUDIA DAIN will read from TAMING MISS GREY, her new More Courtesan Chronicles release...

Miss Elizabeth Grey is an Iroquois maiden, though there are rumors in London regarding her maiden status. What is not at all in doubt is her relationship to Lady Dalby (her aunt), her feelings about England (she hates it) and her fascination with Lord Raithby. Of course, being a savage from the wilds of upstate New York (to quote Raithby's father), she reveals her fascination by first kissing Raithby and then snarling at him, and then kissing him again, and then coldly rejecting him. 

Raithby, for his part, is equally fascinated by Miss Grey, much to his father's alarm. Miss Grey is not countess material. Everyone agrees about that, especially Elizabeth Grey. Even Raithby has to concede the point. When he thinks about it. Which is seldom. He can't seem to remember anything of importance when staring into Miss Grey's shining black eyes. Whether her eyes are shining with humor or loathing, whether she will kiss him or pull a knife on him, he can never quite determine. But he means to find out. 

A Hot Time at Our August Salon!

Many thanks to everyone for making our August Salon such a grand time!  The temps were hot and so was the Romance!

Deb Marlowe started off the night reading from A Waltz in the Park from the anthology An Encounter in Hyde Park.

Debra Kay read from her debut, Excapades.

And Erin Knightley finished out the night reading from The Baron Next Door.

We had a lovely evening, welcomed several new attendees, adored hanging out with our regular crowd and got to celebrate a lot of lovely good news, including an engagement, and a spot on the NYT!

The Directors would like to take a moment to say how much we have adored our new location this year.  Another Broken Egg Cafe has been amazing to us--and we are sad to bid goodbye to our first contact here: Jennifer.  We wish her the best of luck in her new situation and are looking forward to working with Mike to continue to our lovely Salon evenings!


We hope to see you all back next month!

Cool off at the Salon...

Summer is almost over and we're celebrating it in style at this month's Lady Jane's Salon Raleigh-Durham. This month we'll be hosting Erin Knightley, Debra Kaye and our own Deb Marlowe. Here is a sneak peek at this week's event.

ERIN KNIGHTLEY will read from THE BARON NEXT DOOR, from her Prelude to a Kiss series....

Charity Effington learned two valuable lessons from her first betrothal:1) When one loses the attention of an earl, one gains the attention of every gossip in London.2) Despite the lingering scandal, she’s not prepared to marry for anything less than love.

After an exhausting Season, Bath’s first annual music festival offers Charity the perfect escape. Between her newly formed trio and her music-loving grandmother, Charity is free to play the pianoforte to her heart’s content. That is, until their insufferably rude, though undeniably handsome, neighbor tells her to keep the “infernal racket” to a minimum.Hugh Danby, Baron Cadgwith, may think he’s put an end to the noise, but he has no idea what he’s begun. Though the waters of Bath provide relief from the suffering of his war injuries, he finds his new neighbor bothersome, vexing, and…inexplicably enchanting. Before long, Hugh suspects that even if his body heals, it’s his heart that might end up broken.

DEBRA KAYE will read from EXCAPADES.

Lila has seen good days. But the day her only child starts college turns dark. Her husband, Peter, announces he is leaving her. Alone for the first time, Lila is lost.

Blake has devoted his life to his career. He has the perfect muscular build to show for his years in the Marines. On the surface, Blake is flawless. Chiseled and defined. But deep within, something is missing.


Just when Lila thinks she has hit the bottom a familiar handsome face from the past lights up her life. Blake. He reminds her what happiness feels like. . . and passion. An EXplosion of new and Exciting feelings surge through her body. But they hurt each other once, can they trusttheir feelings a second time. And will Lila’s secret halt their chance for a future together.

And our own DEB MARLOWE will read her novella A WALTZ IN THE PARK which can be found in the An Encounter at Hyde Park anthology...

James Vickers once believed honor and family duty to be his life's work. Now he knows better--and he's appointed himself as silent witness to his father's sins. His greatest goal is to act as the continuously pricking thorn in his lordship's side--and scandal is his greatest weapon. He has no use for an innocent young miss.

Propriety is Miss Adelaide Stockton's most important asset. She must be all that is prim and proper if she's to live down her parent's misdeeds and have any hope of catching a husband. She must avoid scoundrels like Vickers at all costs. Yet fate has thrown them together--and given each a key to the other's ambition. A bargain is struck...but together they find that gaining what one desires most is far more difficult than a waltz in the park.

Our June Salon!

We had a great summer evening at Lady Jane's Salon RDU!  We are loving our new venue, the fabulous,  ever-evolving menu and all of the wonderful folks who come out to LJS RDU!

Caren Crane started us out, giving us a treat--a special sneak peek at her soon-to-be-released, Baby Steps.

Heather McCollum, founder of one of our very own charities, the Shout Against the Whisper Campaign, read next, giving us an adventurous scene from her brand new Crimson Heart.

And one of our own directors rounded out the night!  Ava Stone charmed the crowd with another sneak peek--of her much anticipated A Scandalous Deception!

We had a great time visiting with old friends and some new ones too!  Hope to see you all in August!

This June at the Salon...

Happy Summer from all of us at Lady Jane's Salon Raleigh-Durham!

We hope you can join us this month as we welcome authors Heather McCollum, Caren Crane and our own Ava Stone!As a quick reminder, we have moved to our new location at Another Broken Egg Cafe in Morrisville. Click on the link for address and directions.

HEATHER McCOLLUM will read from her latest release CRIMSON HEART, part of her  Highland Hearts Novels...

Elena has spent her entire life hiding her family name while walking the thin line between lady and servant in a Protestant household. Keeping the secret of her lineage has been a success for years, but now, with a new, fiercely Catholic queen on the throne, Elena’s Protestant caretaker is being targeted. And when Bloody Mary discovers Elena’s true identity, she must not only flee to Scotland for her freedom, but also for her life.

Highland warrior, Searc Munro, has secrets of his own. In a family of healers, his own dark, killing magic must never be known. But when his father’s life is threatened, Searc unleashes his lethal power to save him. With his clan’s suspicious glances and whispers plaguing him, he sets off alone, only to find another use for his magic in saving a beautiful lass being attacked in the forest.

Teaming up as exiles, Elena and Searc head toward Edinburg to find refuge. Yet, with a series of ritual killings haunting the city and a traitor attempting to assassinate Scotland’s regent, suspicion turns to Searc. As word of another British heir reaches the country, the two must find a way to trust each other, despite their secrets, before it’s too late.

Reading for the first time at the Salon, CAREN CRANE shares with us her soon-to-be-released novel BABY STEPS, from her Cross Springs Series...

Connie Burns knew one thing for sure: she never wanted kids. After 15 years of marriage, though, lots of things have changed. Her best friend moved out of state, remarried and is having a new baby. Connie is also dealing with the realities of life with lupus. All the changes make her rethink having a baby, but her husband and her doctor are against it. Both encourage her to test the waters by being a foster parent first to see how it goes, since stress is the worst thing for her lupus. Not only is Connie a typical "type A" personality, but she has a high-powered career, a bedroom-sized closet full of shoes, a penchant for perfection and a compact sports car. Though she's not exactly primed for motherhood, she readily agrees to foster.

When four-year-old Desi  is placed with them Connie's life turns upside down and her heart is quickly lost. But parenting isn't for sissies and this little girl comes with more baggage than most. Desi's mother is in hospice dying of cancer. Not only does Connie face traumas like hosting a birthday party for a 5-year-old, she also has to learn on the fly how to help Desi deal with a new school, a new family and the devastating death of her mother. As they take Baby Steps toward building a life together, Connie has to learn that life is messy, shoes aren't mission critical, and an imperfect life can be full of extraordinary surprises.

And rounding out the night, AVA STONE will read from her soon-to-be-released A SCANDALOUS DECEPTION, the latest in her Scandalous Series...

Everyone knows Lady Felicity Pierce has been widowed the last three years, except she hasn't been. Lissy escaped the clutches of her dangerous husband but lost any chance for a happy-ever-after in the process. No one can ever know the secret she keeps hidden, the secret she wishes she could forget. Her harrowing escape would be for naught should anyone ever learn the truth. If only her husband had been the man she thought he was. If only he'd been more like Fin...

Phineas Granard, Viscount Carraway, might still be nursing a broken heart, but he has responsibilities that require his attention. Responsibilities to England and to his late-finace's family which never seem to end. But looking after Lissy is an exercise in futility. She's flightily. She's impetuous. She can drive the sanest man mad. And she's keeping something from him. If only she trusted him enough to love her, to keep her safe, to share the secret that haunts her.

A Gorgeous Night at Lady Jane's Salon RDU

We continue to enjoy our new venue and we greatly enjoyed our March Authors!

Jennifer Delamere kicked off the evening just right reading from her A Lady Most Lovely.

Reese Ryan charmed everyone with her Love Me Not

We were lucky to get a sneak listen to Susan and Clay Griffith's soon to be released new series, as well as here from their Vampire Empire series.

Many thanks to all the folks who come out and make Lady Jane's Salon RDU such a great night!