Yesterday's Dreams Cover Reveal

The old year is coming to a close and the new year is about to begin bringing all kinds of exciting new things into our lives.  The same is for the characters in my book series, A Slip in Time.  As we move forward in time, so do they.  Book 3 is now in the final editing stages before publication which should be sometime later this month.  To peak your interest here is a first look at the cover.  The title says it all.  Hope you're still interested.  You won't be disappointed.  And Happy New Year!

The Perfect Gift

Are you searching for the perfect gift?  It's that time of year when we all begin to scratch our heads and wonder what we can get that person in the office we don't know too well, or the stranger whose name we drew from a club or group.  Here's a simple solution. If you have a clue that the recipient is a reader, try giving one of my beautiful Christmas novellas.  The covers are so festive that they inspire even the non reader to pick it up and turn a few pages, plus since they're novellas, they're a quick read. I have two wonderful uplifting stories to share with you.
Find them here at  my Amazon Author Page 

or go straight to Amazon Books:

Pinecones and Promises

A Kindred Christmas

Enjoy the season and have a Merry Christmas!

If you haven't started to read Yesterday's Hopes, here's a little peek at how a particular character was introduced.  Book Three of A Slip in Time should be available sometime in January, no date is set as of yet..

A Time for Giving

Pinecones & Promises

A Kindred Christmas

                                         

 Normally, I don't like to skip right to Christmas after Halloween, but when writing seasonal books it's necessary.  My two Christmas novellas are sweet,  feel-good  love stories, just right for getting you in the holiday mood or as gifts to put under the tree.  These pretty book covers look great in a gift basket too; just add a pine scented candle, a small box of  Chai tea, or a bottle of wine.  You can even add a pair of spa footies or some stretchy winter gloves.  I also like to throw in a few cinnamon scented pinecones. Mmmm!  They put me right in the mood for the best season of the year. Use your imagination.  Anything goes.  Happy holidays.  Jane O'Brien

Review of Yesterday's Hopes

I love sharing reviews with you of my books. It's always so thrilling to read or hear what other people think of them. Here is one for Yesterday's Hopes, which is doing just as well as Yesterday's Tears. And if you're anxiously awaiting for the next book in this series, please be patient, I need to go slowly so I can get it just right. I'm hoping to get it published by early 2020. Thank you for reading my books. I appreciate it more than you know. 

Yesterday's Hopes

5.0 out of 5 starsAnother Great Read!

September 15, 2019

Format: Kindle Edition

Wow!! A delicious and delightful story, full of searing romance, intriguing relationships, history and mystery!!
Sisters Franny and Dora find themselves happy to be reunited and living in their Gram’s cottage...150 years before their birth!! Living in this time period forced them to make adjustments as they strived to learn and remember to dress, talk, and live in their historical past. Will they slip; be discovered? What would the citizens, especially the men in their lives, think of them then??
This second novel in the time slip series is a page turner! I found myself, on occasion, grinning from ear to ear, admiring the characters ambition, questioning their decisions, cheering their relationships, and jealous of their boldness!
I honestly just loved this book! I’m only sad that now I have to wait for the next book; there HAS to be a next book, because now I have to know what comes next for Frannie and Dora and their men!!
I was given an advanced copy of this book by the author. This is my sincere and honest opinion.

Five Stars for Yesterday's Tears

The thrills just keep coming. Readers' Favorite, a national reviewing company, did a review of Yesterday's Tears and gave me a five star rating. I can now use the coveted Silver Award sticker on one more of my books. (This is my fifth. Does it get any better?) Please note that I do not pay for my reviews and never have. I waited four months for my book to work it's way up to the top of their long list of books to read. Here's the link to the review:  Yesterday's Tears or read it right here.

BOOK REVIEW

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

The Clark family had lived on the farm for over a hundred years. The treasures that had accumulated over the years added to its ambiance. Especially the treasured hope chest full of quilts lovingly created over the years by the Clark women. Franny loved visiting as a child and she still loved it as an adult. But this time, there were so many memories, cherished thoughts of her grandparents. Her grandfather had passed years ago, but her grandmother had only recently passed. Franny had come early to start sorting through her grandmother’s treasures. It was a difficult job, a sad job. As she fondly unpacked the chest and studied each quilt, one unfinished quilt caught her eye, particularly a water stain. When she allowed her own tears to drop on the quilt, Franny found herself swept back in time to the Clark homestead in 1875. While her much-loved sister, Dora, and her parents try to find a reason for Franny’s disappearance, Franny settles into life in the past, unexpectedly falling in love. She fits in well, her grandparents having taught her how to survive without modern conveniences. But will she, can she stay?

Jane O’Brien’s time travel novel, Yesterday’s Tears: A Slip in Time, is a heartwarming story about love, community, family, heirlooms and so much more. The characters are believable and the stumbles Franny frequently makes while trying to fit into the 1870s will have the reader chuckling. Figures of speech from 2019 have no place in 1875. The plot moves along with care, allowing the reader to follow Franny’s adventures in 1875 while, at the same time, following her sister Dora’s attempts to find her in 2019. The descriptive narrative enables the reader to feel the place and the events as they happen. The dialogue helps move the story along. I loved this story from start to finish. In fact, I was startled when I reached the end, craving more. Can’t wait for book 2!

Time Travel Romance Book 2

Here it is! my newest book in A Slip in Time, now available at Amazon in both paperback and Kindle.  It's been a long wait for those of you who read book one immediately.  I left you hanging, but you won't be disappointed, I promise.  Read Yesterday's Hopes to find out what happened to Franny and Luke.  Will Dora and Fran be reunited, and if so, will they stay or go back home to 2019?  These are some of the questions that will be answered for you.  There are new characters and new love interests.  I promise you a fun and passionate trip to 1875. Have fun and please leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads.  Thank you, Jane O'Brien

Fall Book Signing Dates

     On this dark and blustery day, I can't help but face the fact that fall is really coming. I missed so much summer with my surgery that it hardly seems fair that we are to go through these dark days again. I was looking over my fall schedule for book signings, and I thought I should pass on the ones I have signed up for so far. If you like to follow me to purchase signed copies, please make a note of these dates on your calendar. I'll try to remind you as we get closer. Thank you to all of my loyal local followers. I really appreciate you.

September 21, 10:00-12:00 Tamarack District Library in Lakeview.

October 26 11;30 to ? Russ' in North Muskegon at 1499 E River Rd. for the annual Jolman School Reunion

November 9 11:00-3:00 Lakeside Fraternal Order of Eagles Craft Show at 2355 W. Sherman, Muskegon

November 30 11:00-3:00 Lakeside Vikings Lodge Craft Show at 3132 Lakeshore Dr., Muskegon

Hope to see you at one of these locations.

Holton Community Days

This post is for all of my local followers. If you haven't had a chance to buy a new Jane O'Brien book lately, you can find me at the Holton Community Days in front of the library on Saturday from 9-12. They are hosting an Author Meet and Greet. I plan to take a few of each title along and of course, plenty of Yesterday's Tears which is set in Holton and Dalton Townships. Hope you can make it!

Another Christmas Novella

Good News!  I'm feeling in the Christmas spirit.  You have responded well to the low price for my second Christmas novella, A Kindred Christmas, so I'm adding the same deal on Pinecones and Promises.  It's now only $.99 for one week only.  It goes back to the original price of $2.99 next Sunday at midnight.  This is for the Kindle version only.  Get your holiday fix for Christmas in July.

Pinecones and Promises

A Kindred Christmas

Merry Christmas in July

It's Christmas in July this week only! Read my second Christmas novella for only $.99 on Kindle! Always free on Kindle Unlimited. Five star reviews! Kim is struggling in her 35 year marriage. Can she learn to forgive? Only a miracle can get her through it.

A Kindred Christmas

Pinecones & Promises

Christmas in July

Ho Ho Ho!  It's Christmas in July.  I have two books for you and they're only $2.99 for Amazon Kindle!

     Yes, just as the weather finally turns warm here in Michigan, my home state, I am bringing to your attention my two Christmas novellas.  Hallmark does it, so why not?

     Last winter I offered you my first Christmas book  A sweet winter romance.  A young man named Nate had a rough start in life without much of a family, so when he begins to work for the owners of a Christmas tree farm, he sees for the first time what a family is really all about, and how Christmas is celebrated in their household, so unlike what he was used to.  And best of all is when he falls in love with their daughter, Molly.  But they are young and life has a way of changing things.   Will they stay together?  Only Christmas miracles will work things out the way they were meant to be.

Click here to find this book on Amazon:   Pinecones and Promises


My newest Christmas novella has not been formally released yet, so you can be among the first to read it.  This story tackles the problem many women face when they suddenly realize they are getting older and their marriage is going stale.  Is he cheating or isn't he?  Should she stay or should she give herself a chance before it's too late?  They were so in love once; she still is.  Is he?  A weekend at a bed and breakfast helps three friends to figure things out and a true Christmas miracle sums up the story.

To be truly inspired read:  A Kindred Christmas  Enjoy, and Merry Christmas in July!

Five Star Review for Yesterday's Tears!

     I want to think all of you for the wonderful comments and praise that I have been receiving both here and at my Facebook page.  It seems that Yesterday's Tears is quite a success.  My Amazon sales are fantastic.  I know I left you in a cliff hanger, but I promise book two is coming soon.  I am already almost half way there. 
     I am finding this subject matter of time travel romance exhilarating to write about, and the ideas are flowing faster than I can write them down.  I am very pleased with the ratings and reviews, but I would really appreciate it if you have not done so, to please leave your comment or just a star rating at either Goodreads, or Amazon.  It helps so much to boost me up the chart.  Yesterday's Tears was in the top 100 for two days and that's after less than 30 days after publication.  Amazing.  Now I need to keep it up there, and for that I need you.
     I appreciate you all so much.  Thanks again for loving my new book.

Here's a clue to something that's in my story. 

Once you read about my post Civil War story, you'll understand the reason for this quilt block. 

Yesterday's Tears

I am pleased to announce that my fourteenth book has just been released.  Yesterday's Tears is the first book in A Slip in Time, a new time travel series.

Yesterday’sTears, the first book in O’Brien’s new series called A Slip in Time, follows Francine Clark when she unexpectedly finds herself in 1875, post Civil War era.  Not sure how she got there and what to do about it, she meets new people who think she is a teacher from Canada.

As the folks in this small town help her settle into her new life, Fran finds it more difficult to keep her secret.  And when two men show signs of interest, she must make a decision as to how long she can stay before she breaks their hearts.  But the bigger question is how to get back to her own time, and is leaving what she really wants?

I hope you enjoy my new book filled with history and romance.  Please leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads to let me know how you liked it.  Thank you, Jane O'Brien

New Book Hint

My newest book is almost ready to publish.  It's been through multiple proofreadings and beta readers. I would love to tell you more about it, but for now I think it is best to leave you with a little hint.  So here it is.

A Sneak Peek

I've been working very hard on my new series.  I'd love to share just a small sample of what it is about.  Here is a paragraph from one of the early chapters.

Fran placed the key in the lock and turned, hearing a satisfying click.  She pushed the lid all the way back, because it had a tendency to fall forward.  First, she lifted out the prairie style skirt.  It was not old – well probably about 30 years old by now.  Gram always took part in the Heritage Days Festival and she liked to wear a period costume, so she had made this for herself.  It wasn’t anything fancy.  It was meant to be a practical dress worn for travel or everyday use during the 1850s to 1880s.  When Fran pulled it out, the pantaloons and camisole fell out along with the rest of the outfit.  How strange that they did not wear underwear as we know it today.  She couldn’t help herself.  Out of curiosity she tried on the entire costume.  She was the exact same size as her Gram; her family had often laughed about how Fran had grown to be a carbon copy of her.  Fran slipped on the pantaloons, tying them at her waist with the pink ribbon that was threaded through the casing.  Next, she took off her bra and put the camisole on, lacing it up at the front, tying the bow at her collarbone, her breasts straining at the thin muslin.  It seemed strange not to have the restricting under wires and irritating straps binding her, but she enjoyed the freeing feeling.  She looked at her feet and continued on with a pair of knee high stockings Gram had folded with the clothes.  They were a simple black wool and threatened to fall down until she tucked them under her pantaloons at the knee.  She noticed a drawstring on the pantaloons, which she tightened in order to hold the stockings in place.  Next, she pulled the dark grey skirt over her head and pulled the drawstring at the waist.  She tied it firmly in the back, tucking in the leftover pieces of string.  It appeared, by the amount of tie left over, that she was quite a bit thinner than Gram.  Finally, she put on the white blouse.  It was her favorite piece, with its high standing collar and the bit of ruffle down the front alongside the buttons; it was made from a more delicate fabric, and not meant as a work top.  The sleeves were gathered at the shoulder which created a small poof.  As Fran finished with the last button, she could see that she had made an error in putting on the skirt first.  The top was meant to be tucked in, so she had to undo the ties of the skirt and make the adjustment.  Only one thing was left to complete the outfit – shoes.  She looked inside the trunk again, and of course there they were, wrapped in a plastic bag to keep any dirt on the bottom from the rest of the contents.

A Christmas Book in March

Ta Dah!
    My second Christmas novella is now ready for your reading pleasure. It's a strange time, I know -- the first Sunday of Lent. I had originally intended to release it in July, another weird time, but Hallmark does a 'Christmas in July' then, so I will promote it again at that time. No matter the season or time of year, it's still a good read! Here's the link and description so you can see for yourself. Enjoy!

A Kindred Christmas: A Christmas Novella:

Cover Reveal

Yes, I know it's almost spring, and here I am revealing a Christmas book cover.  Weird, right?  Well, not in my world.  I like to write Christmas stories in the winter when there is snow on the ground.  I find it impossible to write about cold and snow and ice in the summer, so when I finished this book a few weeks ago, I had full intentions of holding it back, but I was just too excited.  And this cover turned out to be one of my favorites.  So I decided to pass it on to you as a little tease.
Look for A Kindred Christmas coming soon!

A Readers' Favorite Five Star Review

I was pleasantly surprised to find this review waiting for me this morning.  And even more please with the rating.  This reviewer truly gets my story.  I couldn't ask for more.

Review #1: Review by Emily-Jane Hills Orford
Reviewed By:

Emily-Jane Hills Orford

Review Rating:

5 Stars - Congratulations on your 5-star review!

Reviewed By Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers’ Favorite

Not everyone enjoys the festivities and excitement of  Christmas. There are a lot of people who have no family to  share the season with and no happy memories to carry them  through. Nate is one of these people. As a baby, he was  abandoned, adopted by a couple who really didn’t want him,  and he grew up distanced from happy memories. Once he was  old enough, he moved out and didn’t look back. He picked up  a job on a Christmas tree farm and grew to love the family  that ran it, especially their daughter, Molly. Invited into their  home for Christmas, Nate learns that happy family memories  of Christmas really do exist. But will it last? Or will a  heartbreak interfere with his growing passion for this magical  season.

Jane O’Brien’s romance novella, Pinecones and Promises,  nurtures the true meaning of Christmas. A gentle,  compassionate story, the opening narrative provides the  reader with Nate’s background in a realistic and sympathetic  manner. The setting, primarily on a Christmas tree farm, is  ideal for the initiation of a romance that is not only with the  daughter of the family that owns the farm, but also with the  beauty and excitement of Christmas and the love that makes it  all possible. The characters are well developed and the reader  is drawn into the story right from the opening lines. The  reader feels compassion as Nate reveals his life story; they  cheer when he finds love and learns to appreciate Christmas;  and they cry when he feels heartbreak and rejection. Through  it all, both Nate and Molly grow and learn to appreciate the  wisdom of their elders and the words of scripture.

Five Star Reviews

The reviews have started to come in for Emmy and Clay.

Take a look at what one of my readers had to say.  Follow Jena  at http://jenabooks.com

Emmy and Clay 
by 

Jane O'Brien (Goodreads Author)

 

Jena Henry's review 

Jan 14, 2019

it was amazing

“Something magical was about to happen”. So it says in this book, Book 5 in the series, but really the magic began with the first book in the The Unforgettables series. This is a book series that entertains, engages, thrills and bring to life love and its passions.

Emmy and Clay ties together the themes of the first four books. Each book in the series has focused on a couple, Ruby and Sal, Maisy and Max, Ivy and Fox, Georgy and Jack. Some have lived exciting lives and have been part of history. Others have been searching for “something”, whether love, family, or meaning and purpose.

In addition to the people of the series, there are also two other important “characters.” The ruby and diamond necklace and the town and area around
Muskegon Michigan, near Lake Michigan are both vital and beautiful elements in this series.

Author Jane O’Brien always creates a well-crafted and beautiful story and you could read this book as a stand-alone. But I wouldn’t suggest it- the emerging tapestry of the progression of each book should be enjoyed, beginning with Book 1.
Now on to Emmy and Clay. We met Clay in Book 4, but as the author tells us in her endnotes, he was a minor character in that story, put in more as a diversion to a mystery. He came to Michigan to explore his past, as he was adopted. In Book 4, he joined a local adoption resource group and made good friends. He is wealthy and single and decided to settle in Muskegon.

At the beginning of Book 5, Clay is on his way to England to try and learn more about his birthmother. I should mention that there are possible triggers, around adoption and sexual attack.

As Clay walks around London he discovers a mystical fortune shop, with a mysteriously attractive young woman. She tells him, “You came here for a reason, Clay. You have to return this bracelet to her.” The bracelet is a gorgeous sapphire and diamond strand.

When Clay tries to learn more from the unusual woman, she goes on to say, “She belongs to me, and therefore I belong to you.”

Although Clay at first is put off by her unexpected and odd remarks, he begins to feel a strong pull to find a particular woman, a woman that he would fall in love with.

He returns to his mansion near Lake Muskegon and has dreams about an “elusive dark-haired nymph.” (Take a look at the stunning book cover to see the nymph!) After his dream, he encounters a woman, Emmy, who immediately captures his heart. Is she the one? Can Clay, with the help of the sparking sapphire bracelet find his own lover, and connect almost two hundred years of passion?

We get to know Emmy, a bright and beautiful young woman, who is at the beginning of her career and adult life. Emmy has an unusual gift and magical family lineage.

Throughout the book series, and in this book, we see configurations of family. Clay’s family was formed by adoption. Clay’s friends in Michigan are just like family to him. Emmy has a sister, but they have a troubled relationship.

Author O’Brien frequently includes local history in her books and in this book, we learn about Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet. Father Marquette was a French Missionary who explored the country including Michigan, in 1672.

Emmy and Clay brings together a two-hundred-year history of passion, a sparking bracelet, the beauty of soul mates, and destiny. “To be loved by the one who was chosen for you is a special gift.”

I asked Author Jane O’Brien to describe her feelings about her book series. She replied, “Our ancestral connections are deep and strong. After 35 years of family tree research, I have discovered one thing. As humans we seem to have a need to know our roots. The pull of DNA is powerful. I've felt it standing in front of a grave that is 150 years old, for a family member I have never met. It gives me chills every time”.

I am the mother of two adopted children and I will say, we don’t have to be connected by blood to know that family connections run deep, yet I agree that there is some mystery to how we are joined together with the people who are chosen for us.

After reading the final book in the series, I can fully appreciate the series title- The Unforgettables. We are all connected through time and history. We can never be forgotten, because there is always a spark, whether from a necklace or bracelet, or some other form that connects us, that continues. I highly recommend this deep, yet eminently readable book and series that will move you to joy, tears, and gratitude. Thank you, Author Jane O’Brien.

I received an ARC from the author, and this is my honest review.

Release Day

I'm so excited BECAUSE  it's Release Day for both paperback and Kindle versions of Emmy and Clay, the final book in The Unforgettables.  Be the first to read it in your group.  Please leave a review.  I can't wait to hear what you think of it.  It already has a five-star review by author, book blogger, and reviewer, Jena C, Henry. What a great start.   Read it here:

Get Ready!

Somethings's Coming, Something Good!
The final book of The Unforgettables, Emmy and Clay, will be released on Monday, January 14th.
Get ready for a surprising finish.  Who are Emmy and Clay, anyway?  All will be revealed.  More romance, more suspense, more magic, and even more gypsies.  I can't wait to hear what you think of this one.

Hold on to Your Hat!

Hold on to Your Hat!  Emmy and Clay, Book 5 of The Unforgettables is coming soon.  

I can't wait for you to read the stunning conclusion to this series.

Haven't started to read it, yet?  You're in luck.  Ruby and Sal, Book #1,  is free as of tomorrow, January 10th, for Kindle readers for five days only!  Check it out..

It's 2019!

Happy New Year to all of my wonderful followers.  May all of your dreams come true.