Jamie Beck's Blog

Selected by She Reads as a “Best Book Club Picks of Summer 2023”

An important and meaningful read about what makes life beautiful.” ―Sonali Dev, bestselling author of The Vibrant Years

“Heartbreaking, uplifting, and wise beyond measure, The Beauty of the Rain is a masterful tale” ―Barbara O’Neal, bestselling author of This Place of Wonder

Be prepared to read into the wee hours of the night” ―Mariah Stewart, New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author

 

Winning the lottery changed Amy Walsh’s life, but the cost was greater than she could bear. In the aftermath, she struggles to find joy and purpose. Only one thing feels certain now―she will never spend one cent of the prize money on herself.

Worried, her older sister, Kristin DeMarco, invites Amy to live with her family while she heals. Unfortunately, this arrangement leads to trouble for Kristin: Divided focus affects her career. Her daughter prefers Amy to her. And Amy’s unsolicited opinions provoke tension between Kristin and her husband.

Meanwhile, Amy is making drastic plans of her own, which include giving away all her money. But first she must convince Kristin not to squander her most valuable asset―time with her family.

As the sisters help each other reimagine their futures, life’s unpredictability sends them to surprising places that test their love and resilience. Will they learn to live in the now, before it’s too late?

The Goodreads Giveaway closes soon, so pop over to and sign up for a chance to win a digital copy of this book on release day!

Happy Summer!!

Just a quick note to let you know that my publisher is giving away 100 digital copies of my July 18th release, THE BEAUTY OF RAIN. Here is the link if you want to enter.

 

Two devoted sisters at a tragic breaking point discover the beautiful and painful truths of being alive in a powerful novel by Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Jamie Beck.

Winning the lottery changed Amy Walsh’s life, but the cost was greater than she could bear. In the aftermath, she struggles to find joy and purpose. Only one thing feels certain now—she will never spend one cent of the prize money on herself.

Worried, her older sister, Kristin DeMarco, invites Amy to live with her family while she heals. Unfortunately, this arrangement leads to trouble for Kristin: Divided focus affects her career. Her daughter prefers Amy to her. And Amy’s unsolicited opinions provoke tension between Kristin and her husband.

Meanwhile, Amy is making drastic plans of her own, which include giving away all her money. But first she must convince Kristin not to squander her most valuable asset—time with her family.

As the sisters help each other reimagine their futures, life’s unpredictability sends them to surprising places that test their love and resilience. Will they learn to live in the now, before it’s too late?

If you didn’t know it, today is Women’s Fiction Day. What exactly is women’s fiction? Well, the answer may vary depending on who you ask, but the Women’s Fiction Writers Association defines it like this: Our stories may include romance, or they may not. They can be contemporary or historical and have magical, mystery, thriller, or other elements. Whereas the driving force of a romance novel is a love story, a mystery’s is the exposure of an event, a thriller’s is a fear-inducing chase or escape, etc., the driving force of women’s fiction is the protagonist’s journey toward a more fulfilled self. 

If you’ve read any of my last five releases, you should see how they fit into this category rather than the romance category in which I began my career. To that end, I have a new book coming out in July.

Early readers have already reached out to tell me how much this book touched them. I know this one won’t be for everyone, but it is my favorite of everything I’ve written, probably because it came from such a deeply personal journey of my own (not the same as Amy’s, but still a wake-up call of my own). Selected by She Reads as a “Best Book Club Picks of Summer 2023
“A thoughtful and clear-headed exploration into life’s most brutal challenges. Jamie Beck insightfully dives into the intricacies of grief, marriage, ambition, and love of family in a way that will make you stop and ponder your life choices. An important and meaningful read about what makes life beautiful.” —Sonali Dev, bestselling author of The Vibrant Years

“Jamie Beck’s The Beauty of Rain is a poignant look at love and hope, grief and healing, and finding peace after life-shattering loss. At the heart of this wise, insightful book is a beautifully flawed family—sisters, spouses, children, parents—in all their messy glory. Be prepared to read into the wee hours of the night, because you’re going to keep promising yourself ‘just one more chapter.’” —Mariah Stewart, New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author

“Heartbreaking, uplifting, and wise beyond measure, The Beauty of the Rain is a masterful tale rendered perfectly by an author truly hitting her stride. I was completely captured by the story of two sisters who each have to learn to really live—before they run out of chances. So powerful!” —Barbara O’Neal, bestselling author of This Place of WonderHere’s the blurb:

Winning the lottery changed Amy Walsh’s life, but the cost was greater than she could bear. In the aftermath, she struggles to find joy and purpose. Only one thing feels certain now—she will never spend one cent of the prize money on herself.

Worried, her older sister, Kristin DeMarco, invites Amy to live with her family while she heals. Unfortunately, this arrangement leads to trouble for Kristin: Divided focus affects her career. Her daughter prefers Amy to her. And Amy’s unsolicited opinions provoke tension between Kristin and her husband.

Meanwhile, Amy is making drastic plans of her own, which include giving away all her money. But first she must convince Kristin not to squander her most valuable asset—time with her family.

As the sisters help each other reimagine their futures, life’s unpredictability sends them to surprising places that test their love and resilience. Will they learn to live in the now, before it’s too late?I’m giving away the last paperback ARC to one lucky winner. For a chance to win, add The Beauty of Rain to your Goodreads “Want to Read” shelf, then let me know that you’ve done so on my Facebook page (the post with this same image). I’ll be choosing a winner in a couple of days. You can also find all kinds of giveaways and celebratory events on the WFWA site today. Good luck!

It’s hard to believe we are steamrolling toward spring already! With spring comes showers and flowers, which is the perfect seque to my upcoming new release, THE BEAUTY OF RAIN.

I feel so blessed to have received such glowing praise from authors I hold in high esteem. Similarly, I could not be more thrilled by early-reader response to this story. As the author’s note (which I’ve shared on the Goodreads book page) describes, this story was inspired by my very personal journey, which makes it all the more important to me that readers leave committed to treating each day as the gift that it is and being intentional about the way they spend their time.

For those who want to add it to their Goodreads Want to Read shelf, here is the link to the Goodreads page. If you want to preorder the book, here is the link to do so! The cover is so gorgeous, I recommend getting a print copy for your bookshelf!

Here is the summary:

Two devoted sisters at a tragic breaking point discover the beautiful and painful truths of being alive in a powerful novel by Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Jamie Beck.

Winning the lottery changed Amy Walsh’s life, but the cost was greater than she could bear. In the aftermath, she struggles to find joy and purpose. Only one thing feels certain now—she will never spend one cent of the prize money on herself.

Worried, her older sister, Kristin DeMarco, invites Amy to live with her family while she heals. Unfortunately, this arrangement leads to trouble for Kristin: Divided focus affects her career. Her daughter prefers Amy to her. And Amy’s unsolicited opinions provoke tension between Kristin and her husband.

Meanwhile, Amy is making drastic plans of her own, which include giving away all her money. But first she must convince Kristin not to squander her most valuable asset—time with her family.

As the sisters help each other reimagine their futures, life’s unpredictability sends them to surprising places that test their love and resilience. Will they learn to live in the now, before it’s too late?

Happy reading!

Jamie

 

I’m so excited to share the cover of my July release, The Beauty of Rain. This story came about from the confluence of two things. The first was my terrible health year (in a time span of roughly 14 months, I had three surgeries and a broken arm, an experience that forced me to reevaluate my priorities and values). The second stems from an incident that happened to someone else many years ago. There was a terrible tragedy in a neighboring community (a woman lost her three children and parents in a house fire on Christmas). Every single Christmas, I think about her and how she managed to move forward in her life after such a soul-crushing loss. I cannot imagine anything worse than her suffering, and yet in a strange way, her survival story inspires me. I think of her courage whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed by something in my own life.

These two things were the seeds of my next book. It wasn’t the easiest story to write, and yet I so deeply believe in the sisters and the themes, I couldn’t NOT write it. I hope that readers respond positively to it when it finally comes out.

It’s available for preorder now, or you can add it to your Want To Read shelf on Goodreads!

XO-Jamie

Earlier in my career, I was publishing three books each year. It was a grueling schedule that I do not miss. That said, I do miss having multiple new releases each year. There is a little thrill any time the culmination of months’ worth of work gets into readers’ hands. Now that I release only one book per year, I have to wait a long time to enjoy that little buzz. But the wait is over! TAKE IT FROM ME is finally out, and I hope readers enjoy this story of unlikely friends.

I’m also very grateful to author Virginia Kantra for her kind words (pictured here) and for author Camille Pagan’s support, who said, “Clever, insightful, and brimming with empathy, Take It from Me is Jamie Beck at her best. The story of two very different neighbors closely guarding secrets who have more in common than either woman can imagine, Beck’s latest novel is a potent reminder that we are able to know the interior lives of those we care about—if only we can find the courage to ask.”

I hope, if you are looking for a quick read with slightly over-the-top characters and a heartfelt story, you’ll pick up TAKE IT FROM ME this week. It’s available digitally, in paper, and in audio formats, so take your pick.

Wendy Moore hides her collection of pilfered bric-a-brac from everyone, including her husband. He thinks she licked her kleptomania in therapy more than a decade ago. Therapy did help, as did focusing her attention on motherhood. But now Wendy’s gardening and furniture-refinishing hobbies fill up only so much of the day, leaving the recent empty nester lonely and anxious—a combination likely to trigger her little problem. She needs a project, fast. Luckily, Harper Ross—a single, childless younger woman in desperate need of highlights—just moved in next door.

The only thing Harper wants to change is the writer’s block toppling her confidence and career. Then a muse comes knocking. Sensing fodder for a new antagonist, Harper plays along with Wendy’s “helpful” advice while keeping her career a secret so Wendy keeps talking. Sure, she’s torn about profiting off her neighbor’s goodwill—especially when Wendy’s matchmaking actually pans out—but Harper’s novel is practically writing itself.

Just as a real friendship begins to cement, their deceptions come to light, threatening Wendy’s and Harper’s futures and forcing them to reconcile who they are with who they want to be. Easier said than done.

Popping in to let you all know that my publisher has put 100 digital copies of my September release up for grabs via a Goodreads giveaway. I’m so excited for the book’s release on the 20th of this month. I hope every reader has fun with Wendy and Harper.

A humorous and heartwarming novel about friendship and all its little secrets by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jamie Beck.

Wendy Moore hides her collection of pilfered bric-a-brac from everyone, including her husband. He thinks she licked her kleptomania in therapy more than a decade ago. Therapy did help, as did focusing her attention on motherhood. But now Wendy’s gardening and furniture-refinishing hobbies fill up only so much of the day, leaving the recent empty nester lonely and anxious—a combination likely to trigger her little problem. She needs a project, fast. Luckily, Harper Ross—a single, childless younger woman in desperate need of highlights—just moved in next door.

The only thing Harper wants to change is the writer’s block toppling her confidence and career. Then a muse comes knocking. Sensing fodder for a new antagonist, Harper plays along with Wendy’s “helpful” advice while keeping her career a secret so Wendy keeps talking. Sure, she’s torn about profiting off her neighbor’s goodwill—especially when Wendy’s matchmaking actually pans out—but Harper’s novel is practically writing itself.

Just as a real friendship begins to cement, their deceptions come to light, threatening Wendy’s and Harper’s futures and forcing them to reconcile who they are with who they want to be. Easier said than done.

ENJOY and GOOD LUCK.

XO

Jamie

 

June 8th is almost here, and as a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, I’m excited to help celebrate its 4th annual Women’s Fiction Day.

What’s women’s fiction? Typically it’s a character-driven story about an emotional journey from point A to point B. Frequently the protagonist is also a woman, and there are often multiple layers, characters, and issues addressed in the story world, too. The stories can be contemporary or historical, and may have elements from other genres such as magical realism, mystery, thriller, romance, and so on.

Readers can help us celebrate by doing one or more of these things:

Visit www.womensfictionwriters.org and search the list of authors offering free books and giveaways.Attend one of the many book signings held across the country on June 8.Visit www.womensfictionwriters.org and subscribe to the free Read ON! Newsletter where we’ll keep you up-to-date on new women’s fiction authors and titles.Visit the WFWA Goodreads bookshelf and Pinterest boards to find hundreds of titles.Download the Hear Us Roar debut authors podcastVisit your local library and/or indie bookstore to discover new authors and novels.Follow WFWA on Twitter @WF_Writers or Instagram womensfictionwriters.On social media, #bookstagram your favorite book and include a photo or stack with #womensfictionday.

Personally, you can support me and my work by going to my backlist to check out older books, requesting my books at your library, or following me on social media!

 

 

FOR A CHANCE TO WIN a signed advance reader copy of my September release, TAKE IT FROM ME, subscribe to my newsletter here. On June 9th, I’ll pick a winner from the new subscribers. GOOD LUCK!

What’s my next book about?

A humorous and heartwarming novel about friendship and all its little secrets by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jamie Beck.

Wendy Moore hides her collection of pilfered bric-a-brac from everyone, including her husband. He thinks she licked her kleptomania in therapy more than a decade ago. Therapy did help, as did focusing her attention on motherhood. But now Wendy’s gardening and furniture-refinishing hobbies fill up only so much of the day, leaving the recent empty nester lonely and anxious—a combination likely to trigger her little problem. She needs a project, fast. Luckily, Harper Ross—a single, childless younger woman in desperate need of highlights—just moved in next door.

The only thing Harper wants to change is the writer’s block toppling her confidence and career. Then a muse comes knocking. Sensing fodder for a new antagonist, Harper plays along with Wendy’s “helpful” advice while keeping her career a secret so Wendy keeps talking. Sure, she’s torn about profiting off her neighbor’s goodwill—especially when Wendy’s matchmaking actually pans out—but Harper’s novel is practically writing itself.

Just as a real friendship begins to cement, their deceptions come to light, threatening Wendy’s and Harper’s futures and forcing them to reconcile who they are with who they want to be. Easier said than done.

In all honesty, I didn’t give much thought to feminist ideals when I was growing up in Western Pennsylvania in the 1970s. In some ways, my family was very “traditional.” Roman Catholic faith. Weekly Sunday dinners with the extended family. I played with dolls while my brother played with cars. My mother stayed at home to take care of us and the house (although she did help do some bookkeeping for my father’s various entrepreneurial ventures before their divorce). Most of the adult women I knew in the 70s were like my mom, or they were teachers or secretaries (sometimes a nurse).

Yet my father was a dreamer who would rather miss one hundred pitches than never take that swing, so despite the generally conservative family take on gender roles, he encouraged me to aspire. To achieve. When I got to college, he encouraged me to get a dual graduate degree (law and masters in business) so that I’d always have a secure career and wouldn’t need to rely on a man. And so I simply went about my life without paying attention to the many ways in which women, on the whole, faced discrimination in our patriarchal society.

Even when I got my first job at a law firm, I didn’t take it personally when the elderly founding partner referred to me as “dear.” It seemed “normal” or natural that a man of his age would see me that way. But slowly I started to see the bigger picture: That only one female equity partner existed (this was 1991), and that no female lawyers were on the executive committee or the compensation committee. Hm, I thought. Maybe this “dear” thing actually is a bigger problem. And that doesn’t even begin to get into the sexual misconduct that existed in every firm I worked for.

Fast-forward several decades, and despite much progress (hooray that within my lifetime women can now borrow money and have credit cards without a man, or can divorce without needing to prove fault, and can pursue any degree, and so on), there are still obstacles, not the least of which is that so many women still don’t fully see the problem. Like me with that elderly partner, they simply accept certain “truths” about women’s rights and roles as well as men’s entitled attitudes and behaviors. Some even value certain traits in men (ambition, decisiveness, candor) that they dislike in women and label with less kind adjectives like greedy, selfish, and abrasive. We frequently hear discussions about rape accusations framed with this concern about “not ruining the boy’s life,” as if the victim’s lifelong suffering and psychological damage is somehow less important. Some even look for ways to blame the woman for the man’s inability to control his behavior.

Even in fiction, I’ve noticed a pattern of female readers being much less forgiving of a female character’s flaws than of a male character’s flaws. It’s an interesting phenomenon, and I can’t even say that I don’t sometimes find myself lapsing into those judgments about characters. Old habits and all that… The difference is that, when I catch myself, I think about why and I get angry at myself and at society for conditioning me to limit my own gender.

I wanted to explore this dynamic a bit in my upcoming book, TAKE IT FROM ME. Harper is a thirty-something unapologetic feminist who is quick to point out all the ways her family and society have held women to a different standard than men. Wendy is a near-fifty-year-old conventional woman who isn’t quite sure what to make of Harper, or if seeing herself and her world differently is a good or bad thing. In the end, these women each have a profound impact on the other’s point of view, chiefly because they are willing (eventually) to listen to each other and consider an opposing opinion.

Personally, I believe that equality means every woman gets to choose for herself who she wants to be. If being at home to raise your kids is your jam, go for it (I did for a decade). If pursuing a career is your main goal, best of luck with that! If you want to try to have both a family and a kick-butt career, go for it (I’m trying!). Be bold. Own your power. Make your life as big as you can. The only thing women shouldn’t do is judge each other. Instead, let’s band together to make sure that men don’t continue to control our access to opportunities, our legal remedies, and our health and welfare.

XO-

Jamie B

 

Days prior to submitting the draft of my upcoming book, TAKE IT FROM ME, an interesting and relevant article entitled Who Is the Bad Art Friend hit the New York Times. In a nutshell, one author accused another of stealing personal elements of her life story (which she told that writer and others in various author chat chains) and then using it in later fiction without permission or credit. The accused author first denied doing so, and then denied that it was wrong to do so. The article itself is so well written, as a reader, I found myself switching sides every couple of paragraphs.

Why was that article relevant? Because in my book, one of the two main characters (Harper) is a formerly successful writer who is in a rut when she moves to a suburban town to research ideas for her next book. She decides not to tell anyone her pen name or anything about her career, and is fully prepared to use whatever gossip or other information she can get out of people to help her spark a good narrative. Of course, the waters get murky quickly as friendship begins to bloom, which leaves Harper in a lose-lose situation of her own making.

After reading the Times article, I emailed my editors about the serendipitous timing. I wondered if I should make some reference to it in the book, knowing there’d be about a year between the release of that article and my book (I chose not to in order to preserve the fictional world I’d created).

Now, however, as we are entering the run-up to this book’s early fall release, I’m thinking about that article again and wondering how readers feel. I suspect most are aware that authors are champion eavesdroppers and consider most tidbits more or less fair game as story fodder. But surely there are lines, such as when a friend mentions something in confidence. Absent such a bright line, where would YOU draw that line?

If someone is sharing a personal story in a public place, is that okay to use? What if that same info was shared in a slightly less public forum, like a private Facebook group? Does it matter if the author uses fictional names and fake settings? Is it okay if the author is a relative stranger but wrong if she is an acquaintance or friend? How about family? Arguably family events also belong to the author, but does that give him or her cart blanche to use it for profit? These are the kind of questions that make for a juicy book club discussion, which was my intent insofar as this part of the goes.

My blog is closed to comments, but it feeds to Goodreads, where you can comment (scroll to the bottom of this landing page). I’d love to hear from you!

Also, I’d really love you to shelve the book on your Want To Read shelf, or better yet, preorder it here.

Blurb:

A humorous and heartwarming novel about friendship and all its little secrets by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jamie Beck.

Wendy Moore hides her collection of pilfered bric-a-brac from everyone, including her husband. He thinks she licked her kleptomania in therapy more than a decade ago. Therapy did help, as did focusing her attention on motherhood. But now Wendy’s gardening and furniture-refinishing hobbies fill up only so much of the day, leaving the recent empty nester lonely and anxious—a combination likely to trigger her little problem. She needs a project, fast. Luckily, Harper Ross—a single, childless younger woman in desperate need of highlights—just moved in next door.

The only thing Harper wants to change is the writer’s block toppling her confidence and career. Then a muse comes knocking. Sensing fodder for a new antagonist, Harper plays along with Wendy’s “helpful” advice while keeping her career a secret so Wendy keeps talking. Sure, she’s torn about profiting off her neighbor’s goodwill—especially when Wendy’s matchmaking actually pans out—but Harper’s novel is practically writing itself.

Just as a real friendship begins to cement, their deceptions come to light, threatening Wendy’s and Harper’s futures and forcing them to reconcile who they are with who they want to be. Easier said than done.

XO-

Jamie B