A Virtual Tour - Author Jana Richards and Home Fires

It's summer time, that time of easy days, the long wait for warm weather ended(for us northerners) and hopefully a bit of vacation.  So with easy days in mind, today there's something a little different, a new release made for summer, Jana Richards latest release, a novella, Home Fires.  Stop by, chat with the author and be entered for a prize.  As part of her tour, Jana will be offering a $25 Amazon gift certificate to one lucky commenter.  So up your odds of success and follow the remainder of Jana's tour, adding a comment as you go.

Prizes, it doesn't stop there - Jana is also offering up to July 18, a bonus gift for anyone who purchases a copy of Home Fires.  Check out the details on her website:  www.janarichards.net.

Jana has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to full-length paranormal suspense and romantic comedy.  She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side.  She believes there's nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick.


When not writing up a storm, working at her day job as an Office Administrator, or dealing with ever present mountains of laundry, Jana can be found on the local golf course pursuing her newest hobby.

Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren, and a highly spoiled Pug/Terrier cross named Lou. 

Welcome Jana!!

And here is Jana's response to:

Life hasn't been the same since...

There have been several trips that changed my life.  The short trip down the aisle to marry my husband was the first major change.  For the first time in my life, I had to focus on 'us' instead of 'just me'.  I'm not an only child, but my brother is seven years older.  He had moved away from home by the time I was twelve, so it was almost like being an only child.  When I married my husband at twenty-one, I had to learn to share, learn to compromise, and learn to live as a couple.  We must have done something right, because we just celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary!

The next trips that changed my life were the two trips I made to the hospital to give birth to my daughters.  I was thrilled the first time I became pregnant, and so ready to be a mother.  Unfortunately, twelve weeks into my pregnancy, I miscarried.  I was devastated, but undeterred.  As soon as I got the green light from the doctor, we tried again and I became pregnant right away.  This time everything went according to plan.  I had a smooth, uneventful pregnancy and nine months later we made the short ten minute trip to the hospital.  The delivery didn't go quite as smoothly as the pregnancy.  After hours in labor, I had a c-section.  But it was okay.  I had a beautiful, healthy baby girl and that was all that mattered.

In the five years between the births of my two daughters, I had more miscarriages.  At times I thought we'd never have more children and we even thought of adopting.  But finally, after so many more tries, I was able to carry my pregnancy to term.  The trip to the hospital for our second daughter's birth took a lot longer than the first time.  Because of the difficulties I'd had, I was seeing a specialist in a city 200 kilometers away, a two hour drive.  Any pregnant woman will tell you that a two hour drive when you're about to give birth is not fun.  In the end, all the uncomfortable car rides, all the heartaches faded away when I held my beautiful, healthy baby girl in my arms.

Anyone who has children knows that life is never the same after you give birth.  There are sleepless nights, and endless responsibilities.  There are times when you wonder if you're doing the right thing, if you're teaching them what they need to know to become happy successful adults.  But there is also much joy.  I can't imagine not being a mother.

I know that being a parent has made me stronger.  It's given me tenacity and determination I didn't know I possessed.  And I know now that being a mother never ends, no matter how old my children get.


Blurb from Home Fires:

Anne Wakefield travels halfway around the world for love.  But when she arrives in Canada from England at the end of World War Two, she discovers the handsome Canadian pilot she'd fallen in love with has married someone else.  Heartbroken, she prepares to return to London, though she has nothing left there to return to.    Her former fiance's mother makes a suggestion:  marriage to her other son.

Badly wounded and scarred during the war, Erik Gustafson thinks he's a poor substitute for his brother.  Although he loves Anne almost from the first time he sees her, he cannot believe she would ever be able to love him as he is--especially as he might be after another operation on his bad leg.    Anne sees the beauty of his heart.  The cold prairie winter may test her courage, but can she prove to Erik that her love for him is real?

An excerpt from Home Fires:

She offered him her hand.  Erik looked at it for a moment, then at her face.  Not a trace of pity marred her beautiful features.  He took her small, soft hand in his, and was surprised at the strength with which she pulled him to his feet.


"You're a lot stronger than you look."


She laughed, the first genuine sound of amusement he'd heard from her.  "Probably comes from spending the war lifting men twice my size."


"Anders said you were a nurse.  Are you planning to continue nursing now that the war is over?"  Her smile disappeared.  "I hope not.  I've seen enough misery to last me the rest of my life."


He nodded.  After witnessing the blood bath at Dieppe, he knew exactly what she meant.


"How far is it to the house?" she asked.


Erik leaned on his cane.  "Not far.  Wait.  You've got dried leaves stuck in your hair."


He pulled the offending leaves from her hair, letting his hand linger on the silky tresses.  She looked up at him, her dark brown eyes huge and round.  But she didn't move or stop him from touching her.  With her porcelain skin and fine bone structure, she looked like a delicate English rose, yet he detected a strength in her that would put any man to shame.


"We should go," she whispered.


Erik dropped his hand.  What was he doing?  This beautiful English rose was still in love with his brother.  His handsome, fit, unscarred brother.  She didn't want him.


He'd do well to remember that.  He'd already been rejected by one beautiful English girl because of his scars.  Another rejection would be more than he could bear.

You can reach Jana at her website www.janarichards.net.