Ruby and Sal

It's finally here and ready to order in both paperback and Kindle.  Order a book today, and leave a review when you are finished on Amazon.  Tell me about it and I will enter you in a drawing to win one of 3 autographed copies of book 2 in this series, which should be coming out this summer.

Excerpt from Ruby and Sal

     I'm waiting impatiently for the proof of my next book to arrive, and as soon as it does, if all is well, it will be available in Kindle almost instantly and then in paperback in a few days. So while we wait, I thought I should offer you a small piece of chapter one.  It's just enough to set the stage, but believe me, the subject matter is much more than you are reading here.  Enjoy!

                         Chapter One

     Ivy stood outside the door of the nursing home and waited.  She waited for her spinning head to clear.  She waited for her breathing to even out.  She waited for her hands to stop shaking.  It happened each time she came here – the heart palpitations and shortness of breath.  She wondered if she would ever get over the feeling of loss when there was no loss as of yet.  Each and every time she needed to give herself a pep talk before she went in.  “I’m a grown woman.  I can handle this.  I can do it.”  Then she took a deep breath, and putting her own feelings of hopelessness aside, she placed one foot in front of the other and walked in.

     The lobby was bright and cheerful.  Fall decorations of leaves and mums lined the bulletin board, announcing the week’s activities; Crochet and Knitting Club on Monday at 9:30; Bingo on Tuesday and Thursday at 3:00; a Sing-a-long in the cafeteria at 2:00 on Wednesday; Wheelchair Volleyball on Friday at 10 a.m., and a Fish-fry on Friday at 5 p.m.  All-in-all it was a wonderful place.  Gone were the odorous smells of old-folks homes as in days past.  This home smelled like soap and air freshener.  The nurses and aides were always smiling, happily bringing cheer to each room as they entered.  They called each patient ‘honey’ or ‘sweetie’ and never seemed to tire of helping those in need.  In Ivy’s opinion they were God’s angels on Earth.

     Ivy walked the hallway toward room 206 and she greeted each person she passed.  Some were in wheelchairs, while others moved slowly with walkers, most likely getting in the required steps for the day.  She greeted Mrs. Moore who blew her a kiss each time she, or anyone else, passed by.  Then there was Mr. Barnes, a long-time resident, who always asked her the score of the Detroit Lions game, even when it was no longer football season.  A few residents didn’t seem to know where they were at all; they sat quietly in a perpetual doze, wrapped in blankets as their heads lolled forward.  But no matter what the level of alertness, each resident was treated with respect and given the dignity they deserved after living a long life, and being contributing members to society.

     Ivy stopped in front of the door she was seeking, took a deep breath, and with a quick knock, entered.  Her grandmother was in a tilt-back chair, watching game shows, her feet propped up on the raised footstool.  Ivy always felt awkward at this point, not wanting to disturb her grandmother’s TV.  How she longed for the days when her Nana’s face would light up as she entered the room.  “Hello, Dear.  How was your day?” she would say every day after school.  And then later, “Ivy, darling.  How are you?  Is everything okay at work?  Tell me about it.”  Her never-ending patience as she listened to Ivy’s tales and woes always amazed her.  Since she was an only child and her mother had died at a young age, her grandmother, a widow already, had moved in and helped her father raise her.  Olivia had become a mother and a grandmother all rolled up into one.  Maybe, Ivy often thought, if she hadn’t had so much attention showered upon her, she wouldn’t feel so angry at times at how things were now.  She had chastised herself many times about her disappointment in her grandmother.  ‘How dare she, leave me like this, with no one to talk to except GG,’ she would think, but immediately after, she would feel selfish and immature.

     Olivia Morton was Ivy’s grandmother on her father’s side.  Her father, Thomas, was living in Los Angeles now and rarely came to see his own mother.  Ivy understood that he had a job, a new wife, and other children – young children, but she never understood why he ignored his mother the way he did.  He said it was too hard, seeing her like this – he couldn’t handle it.  Well, it was hard on Ivy, too, but someone had to show up once in a while and make sure she was taken care of.  So she did what she always did each visit, she put on a big smile, and called out loudly, “Nana, it’s me.  Ivy.  How are you this morning?”

     The old woman raised her cloudy grey eyes, and looking straight at Ivy, she said, “Who?  Who are you, now?”

Book Cover Preview

Here it is!  

The cover for my newest book.  

I'm thrilled with it. 

 There might be a few changes before publication but they would be small.  We're shooting for a publication date of sometime mid February.  Ruby and Sal is currently in the proofreading and editing process.  Can't wait to get it to you!

Christmas Gifts

Are you looking for a great gift for that reader in the family? Why not buy a full set of Jane O'Brien books. You can purchase all six, or The White Pine Trilogy, or The Lighthouse Trilogy.  The best way to read a series is straight through.  
All books can be found at my Amazon author page.  Click here.

Owl Creek is Ready to Order

     I am happy to announce that book 3 (Owl Creek) of The Lighthouse Trilogy is finally ready to order.
     This book was quite different for me to write, since it was about the third member of the Henley family, Trey.  If you have already read the first two books, you'll remember Trey as a supportive brother and friend.  He had his wild teen and college years, but after serving in the U.S. Marines, he has returned a different man.  Broken and depressed by what he has seen and done, he develops PTSD.  But only the family members are able to recognize it.  Trey refuses help of any kind.
     A car accident with a beautiful strawberry blonde changes his life, but there is a secret that he is holding.  And this relationship will go nowhere until he can change his ways and confess what he knows to be true.
     
     I hope you enjoy this final story in The Lighthouse Trilogy.  Please leave a comment or review when you are done reading at Amazon.  And don't forget to thank a Vet,  Jane O'

Owl Creek Is Coming!

     I submitted Owl Creek yesterday to Amazon, and it was approved Saturday morning. My paperback proof copy was already shipped later that day. As soon as I receive it, if all looks good, it's a simple click of the mouse and less than 24 hours later, it will be available to you. I'm still in awe at how quickly it can happen (after the agonizing editing and proofing is done, that is.)  
     I hope you're ready for a new installment of The Lighthouse Trilogy.  

Finished!

     This morning I wrote the final sentence for Owl Creek. I'm very pleased with the ending. What a relief. Now once again, I face the difficult task of editing and then proofreading many times over. I hope it doesn't take too long because, I'm anxious to get it out to you. I'm looking for a September publication date, if all goes well.  Hang in there, it's coming.  

Computers - AAAACH!!

I panicked over the weekend when my laptop refused to start up. That's where I write my books, but I always back up on a flash drive so I wasn't too worried, except for the future dent in my pocketbook. Took it in to a computer tech, and it turned out that it was stuck in sleep mode for some odd reason. He took the battery out, popped it back in. and a few seconds later, I was good to go. Who knew? At least now I know how to take the battery out if it ever happens again. Whew! Jane O'Brien writes again!

Children's Books

     Jane O'Brien is venturing into another area. As well as Michigan romances, I have been writing children's books. Years ago, I think it was 2001, I wrote two children's Bible stories (I have yet to finish the third) and never knew what to do with them. They need pictures and I am no artist, believe me. 

     Recently, I wrote a little read-to-me book or early reader, but didn't know what to do about the illustrations. I have made an agreement with my niece, a teen who is a fantastic artist, to do the drawings. It's in the early stages and we have a lot of work to do, but I'm excited that my story might see the light of day. I'll keep you posted when, and if, it's published.

Obsessed

     Am I obsessed with writing? Yes, I can honestly say that I am. I completed The Painted Duck in March, but it took until the end of May before it was released on Amazon. In the meantime, I have continued to work on the third book in The Lighthouse Trilogy, and I think I'm about halfway through. So I will now tell you the title, so when you read The Painted Duck, you will have a clue about the next book. Book 3 is called Owl Creek. I'm really excited about this one. It took a turn that I had not planned on -- those darned characters! They have a mind of their own sometimes.