On Sunday, February 2, I will be performing a reading from TRC at the 11th Annual Garden Fever! Book Soiree, always held in Super Bowl Sunday. For those of you not familiar with the Portland, OR gardening scene, Garden Fever! is  the best small neighborhood garden center in the tri-county area, and I dearly wish Lori and Richard Vollmer would branch out into Sellwood. I had the honor of reading at the very first soiree, where local garden writers were encouraged to read from books that inspired us. I read from Christopher Lloyd’s Clematis, the 1989 edition.

Since that first reading, I have read several more times, as my gardening books were published, and Garden Fever! has been a great supporter of Timber Press, an internationally recognized publisher of the best gardening books, carrying most of their titles, including my two whilst both were in print. In addition to that support, I’ve taught classes at Garden Fever!, and have performed with Lori and Richard in the Goddess Flora Chorus and Deadheading Society, now, alas, defunct. For many years the Chorus performed at the GF! winter celebration, performing horticultural carols for which I wrote the lyrics.

Imagine my surprise when, whilst Christmas shopping, Lori insisted I participate in Soiree #11. “Lori!” says I, “TRC is fiction! Yes, it is flowery, but you’ve never had a fiction author flog a work of fiction.” She was insistent. So copies of TRC have been ordered, and I’ll be there, watching as my gardening and JAFF worlds collide. Really, the GF! gang ought to be selling tickets.

For more information, and a list of the authors joining me, visit www.gardenfever.com/Garden_Fever!/EVENTS_%26_/CLASSES.html

Jane Austen was born December 16, 1775. Were she alive today, she would have reached the remarkable age of 238, or as she might have said, “Eight and two hundred thirty.” No doubt the clamor for her miraculous utterances would be so great, she would not get much writing done. Thankfully, we have her amazing words with us still. She is a writer for the ages.
A year ago at this time I was trying to muster the courage to send the first three chapters of TRC to Meryton Press.  I asked myself, “What would Jane Austen do?” She said to me, courteously translating herself into a modern vernacular she thought I would understand, “Do it old school, girlfriend.” It worked. The proposal (three chapters, the outline, and a cover letter) were printed on real paper and sent via the postal service. It got their attention.
So thanks, Jane, and Happy Birthday! On you, 238 looks pretty damned good.

Whenever I get together with my friend JJ deSouza we hyper each other into outer space. You can imagine the fireworks when I revealed to her I had written a work of Jane Austen fan fiction, and she responded she is a JAFF addict. Her shop has a whole corner of “Austeniana”, and she immediately offered to host a book signing and reading. You’ll want to come if for no other reason than to meet JJ, a woman truly worth knowing. Plus, we’ll have tea & espresso and sweet-treats to enjoy. TRC will be for sale, and a limited stock of red chrysanthemum fabric art pins by Miss Kurmudgeon.