Waiting on Wednesday: According to Jane

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:



According to Jane by Marilyn Brant

Publisher/Publication Date: Kensington, September 29, 2009

About the book: It begins one day in sophomore English class, just as Ellie Barnett's teacher is assigning Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. From nowhere comes a quiet "tsk" of displeasure. The target: Sam Blaine, the cute bad boy who's teasing Ellie mercilessly, just as he has since kindergarten. Entirely unbidden, as Jane might say, the author's ghost has taken up residence in Ellie's mind, and seems determined to stay there.



Jane's wise and witty advice guides Ellie through the hell of adolescence and beyond, serving as the voice she trusts, usually far more than her own. Years and boyfriends come and go - sometimes a little too quickly, sometimes not nearly fast enough. But Jane's counsel is constant, and on the subject of Sam, quite insistent. Stay away, Jane demands. He is your Mr. Wickham.



Still, everyone has something to learn about love - perhaps even Jane herself. And lately, the voice in Ellie's head is being drowned out by another, urging her to look beyond everything she though she knew and seek out her very own, very unexpected, happy ending. . .


About the author: Marilyn Brant has been told she writes with honesty, liveliness and wit (descriptors she's grown terribly fond of) about complex, intelligent women--like her friends--and their significant personal relationships. Although her favorite passion is undoubtedly books, she proves she's not just a literary snob by confessing her lifelong fascination (read: obsession) with popular music, especially from the '70s & '80s, most flavors of ice cream and a variety of sensuous body lotions/oils...because, next to Amazon.com, Borders, Barnes & Noble and, well, Ben & Jerry's...Victoria's Secret is her favorite store.

In her books, she amuses herself by slipping in references to all of the above, a sneaky tactic intended to keep her mind alert at 1:00am when she’s supposed to be writing a big fight or love scene. Sometimes it takes including the ice cream, the lotions AND the music in her writing to effectively trick the muses into showing up. Sometimes it just makes her hungry, aroused and curiously obsessed with her iPod.

Marilyn lives in the Midwest where, before she became a full-time novelist, she worked as an elementary school teacher, a library staff member, a freelance magazine writer and a national book reviewer. She’s blessed to have a genuinely supportive husband and son, a loving family and a truly amazing group of friends, all of whom keep her grounded, sane and away from dangerous things like chocolate martinis (usually). She’d love to say she also has killer abs but--so far--this is still a fantasy. (from the author's website)

I had the pleasure of meeting Marilyn at Eloisa James' author visit that I went to. Turns out she lives in this area! I don't have to wait for her book as she has sent it to me! I am so excited to read it, especially after having met her.

According to Jane
Publisher/Publication Date: Kensington Books, September 29, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-7582-3461-2
288 pages