Tuesday, July 16, 2013

40 for 40 - Janet Gover

I've just spent the weekend in the company of today's guest - and it wasn't long enough. But it was appropriate that the time we spent together was at the RNA Conference. Because the conference is where I met Janet Gover  - back when she was a Virgin.  Because, like Anna Campbell,  Janet was one of the  'First-timers' who I looked after in my RNA Virgins scheme.  We hit it off from the moment I heard her Aussie accent - in spite of having lived in the UK for many years - and we soon became real friends. For the past couple of years she's been living far to far away - in New York - but now, thankfully, she's back in the UK and it was so good to catch up with her.

Janet has a special reason for being on the blog today - because it's her wedding anniversary. As she'll tell you in her blog.

So Happy Anniversary Janet  - I hope your special day is truly wonderful.

Here's Janet:


When Kate asked me to join this celebration – my first thought was – 40 years! No wonder she writes fabulous romances – she is living one with Steve (otherwise known as the Babe Magnet).

My second thought was – I don't do weddings. Seriously – I don't. Not in my books (which are also romances) and not in real life – well… almost not.

You see, today is my wedding anniversary – it just took me nearly two decades to get around to doing the nuptials thing. My husband John and I met 20 years ago in Hong Kong. It may have been love at first sight – but it took us a couple of hours to notice… and about three weeks to admit it openly. We spent the next 17 years wandering between Australia (my home country) and the UK (his home country) and never getting married because it was just too hard to get everyone we wanted to invite to one spot on the globe.

The bride wore lilac- and fabulous purple shoes
All this came to a sudden end with the opportunity to live and work in New York City – and the discovery that the US Immigration Service does not believe in romance. While queuing for a rock concert (strangely enough on my birthday) we were eating kebabs as John explained the advice he'd had from his corporate lawyers. No marriage certificate – no US visa. So, he said between bites, do you want to get married then?

  No roses and diamond ring. No getting down on one knee – but in it's own way – it was pretty romantic. I said yes.

Three weeks later we were married and the next day we were at the US embassy – where the visa officer looked at the wedding certificate, on which the ink was barely dry. "Did you get married just to get into the US?" she asked. "Yes," I said. "We get a lot of that", she said as she approved my application.

John and I have now been happily married for three years – two of which we spent in fabulous New York City. It wasn't until Kate and I started talking about her 40th – that I realised… Kate writes books with weddings in them. True love and some amazing romantic weddings. I write books with true love –but in none of my novels (including the new one due early next year) do I have a wedding.

 I wonder if that is because my own wedding wasn't exactly traditional. Don't get me wrong – I loved our wedding. It had it's own brand of romance, and we married for the only reason that matters – because we love each other and want to be together. Oh yes - I did also get to buy an awesome pair of purple shoes. I don't write weddings. But, maybe it's time I did – time I gave one of my characters a big white dress and a candlelit aisle… or maybe some other dream wedding. What do you think?

To win a signed copy of my novel "The Bachelor and Spinster Ball" (warning – there's true love but no weddings in the book) tell me what you think would be a great 'first wedding' for me to write.
Come on – let your imaginations run wild…    

You can re3ad more about Janet's books -and specially her new novel Flight to Coorah Creek (Choc Lit)  -   on her web site

18 comments:

Maria said...

Hi Kate and Janet.

I didn't have a white wedding. Not in the traditional sense anyway. I wore red - among other colours, but I loved my cousin John's wedding. It was a white wedding. He and his fiance belong to a church community which doesn't believe in ostentatious and showy weddings. The bride wore a simple white top and skirt she'd bought in a chainstore and had her hair set with white flowers. Yet when you look at the photographs, it looks like the most expensive wedding dress. The photos just exude classic dignity and true love. No heavy silk, no embroidered train. Yet the effect is startlingly good. I think that kind of wedding would be fun to write. But then that's just me....

Janet said...

Hi Maria,
I think a simple wedding is all about the people... the bride and groom and their friends and family.I like that idea. It would be far less stressful that a huge wedding...

traveler said...

I adored your story and the lovely photo. Purple is my favorite color and I wore it for my son's wedding including the purse and shoes. Your devotion is wonderful and very special and unique.

Janet said...

Thanks traveller...
I still love my purple shoes - I didn't carry a purse - I wonder... it it too late to go and buy a fabulous purple purse too?

petite said...

I love reading about real soul mates finding each other after a lengthy separation due to circumstances. It is meaningful and true. A wedding in the countryside with a garden luncheon in a pastoral setting.

Janet Gover said...

I am an Aussie outback girl, petite... so an outdoor wedding would be ideal for me... of course, my perverse writer's soul might tempt me to make it rain :-)

Caroline said...

How about a pagan wedding - all sun, flowers and pagan rites. Sounds do dreamy! Congrats on your own wedding day. Mine was a simple affair. Only 21 friends and family in attendance but we had a fab day. Caroline x

bn100 said...

wedding at Martha Stewart's house

Janet said...

Hi Caroline - I have never been to a pagan wedding. I can see some research is needed. Off now to google!
Janet

Janet said...

Wow - just googled Martha Stewart's house. OMG. It's very posh. I don't know that I would feel comfortable there - but maybe I could write a character who was...

charlotte mcfall said...

How about an ancient Egyptian or Roman wedding totally unique :)

Janet said...

That's different charlotte - I am now thinking Elizabeth Taylor in her gold gown in Cleopatra - perhaps a tad ostentatious - but it certainly has the WOW factor..

Mary Preston said...

I absolutely love marriage of convenience stories. I'd like to see the couple be more mature. Maybe not as mature as my Grandfather's story.

My Grandfather met a woman & they hit it off very well. The problem was that they lived some distance from each other. So, at the age of 86 years old my Grandfather proposed that for the convenience of it all they marry. He robbed the cradle with a woman of 65. They had to marry you see, because it would not have been proper to just live in the same house unmarried. I mean shock, horror!!

This is a man who lived to the age of 104 because life was just too interesting to go any sooner.

Janet said...

Mary - I love this story. It just goes to show that love and the desire to share your life with someone never goes away.. good for them!

Christina Courtenay said...

I'm probably a bit late with this comment (sorry!), but I'd love you to write about an Aussie outback wedding - that must be very different, right? My own was the traditional kind, white dress, horse-drawn carriage and all, but I made my husband marry me in Sweden (where I grew up) so he still has no idea what he promised :-)

Janet said...

An Outback wedding would be very different - Christina. Distances are so vast, there would probably be very few people there. Or perhaps in a small outback town wedding - everyone would be there.. the whole community. That could be fun too.
With so many good ideas, I shall have to write a wedding very soon.

Eli Yanti said...

I do love marriage of convenience stories too :)

Janet said...

Hi Eli,
Marriage of convenience stories have such a long and rich history... and its wonderful how authors (like Kate) can always come up with a new twist that keeps them fresh and interesting.
Janet

 

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