Meet Jane Frank

 

I am gearing up for the release of my sophomore novel, A State of Jane on September 17th. I am extremely excited for you all to read it as I am very proud this book. That is not to say I didn’t feel immense pride two years ago when my first book, Just Friends with Benefits, was published, but it is different. I started writing Just Friends with Benefits on a whim and while I always hoped it would ultimately get published, it seemed more like a fantasy than a goal I could actually reach. I wanted to prove to myself that I could write a novel. On a personal level, I also wrote it seeking closure. A State of Jane (formerly known as Taking Back the Fadeaway and Planet of the Flakes), on the other hand, was written with the intent of getting it published.

Additionally, most of the characters in Just Friends with Benefits were loosely based on people I knew. By contrast, while the plot for A State of Jane was inspired by my own frustrations dating in New York City, the characters were created entirely by my overactive imagination. Any similarity to real people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

People close to me recognized the character of Stephanie Cohen from Just Friends with Benefits because she was a lot like the person who created her (me). This was not the case with Jane Frank, the main character of A State of Jane. I am nothing like Jane. Jane had a relationship with her High School sweetheart that lasted nine years. I didn’t have a boyfriend in High School. Although Jane and I are both paralegals, Jane aspires to be an attorney whereas law school was never in my plan. Jane is an amazing cook and I (hahahahahahaha) am NOT. Jane is a neat freak whereas I absolutely abhor cleaning my apartment and do it out of mere necessity. Jane is certain that her happily ever after is just around the corner whereas I am always fearful of the rug being pulled out from under me. Jane doesn’t drink beer and never smokes whereas I have been known to drink too much beer and smoke the occasional cigarette. Jane only watches sports when trying to impress a guy whereas I love baseball.

On the surface, it might appear that Jane is a bit of a goody-goody but as you will discover while reading A State of Jane, she is quite surprising, very spontaneous and more than capable of letting her hair down. Jane has a life plan for herself – she wrote it down and everything. What she fails to take into account is the inability to control the actions or reactions of other people. It is this discovery that drives Jane to do things that are nowhere on her to-do list. It is also this discovery that shows Jane that some of lifes most cherished moments are those that cannot be planned for in advance. I am nothing like Jane Frank but there were times while writing this book, I wished I was.

Who would I want to play Jane in the movie version of A State of Jane? Ashley Williams, probably known best for her role as Victoria in How I Met Your Mother.

 

16 Comments

  1. Michelle on September 12, 2012 at 10:23 am

    I cannot wait to get to know Jane next week! She sounds like she is going to be a fun one.

    • Meredith on September 12, 2012 at 10:31 am

      Thanks Michelle – I can’t wait either!

  2. Tracie Banister on September 12, 2012 at 10:27 am

    Can’t believe that your release date is just a week away now! So exciting! I love a heroine with a sunny disposition, so it sounds like Jane will be my kind of gal! 🙂

    • Meredith on September 12, 2012 at 10:31 am

      Thanks, Tracie. Jane is the ultimate optimist until… (no spoilers!)

  3. Samantha Stroh Bailey on September 12, 2012 at 10:29 am

    I am so excited to read State of Jane! Just Friends with Benefits is one of my favorite books.

    • Meredith on September 12, 2012 at 10:32 am

      Oh, the pressure is on! I hope you enjoy A State of Jane as much as you liked Just Friends with Benefits!

  4. Jen on September 12, 2012 at 11:30 am

    I can’t wait to read the new book! Looking forward to book club in Philly 🙂

    • Meredith on September 12, 2012 at 12:45 pm

      I am so excited to go back to Philly!

  5. Marj on September 12, 2012 at 1:19 pm

    I already ordered copies for myself and Sarah. Can’t wait to read the finished product. I love Jane!!

    • Meredith on September 12, 2012 at 2:09 pm

      Thanks, Kid!! Yay!

  6. Libby Mercer on September 12, 2012 at 2:29 pm

    Jane sounds like a great character and I can’t wait to see what she gets up to!

  7. Leslie on September 12, 2012 at 2:36 pm

    My book should come soon! Just friends was my vacation read, but Jane will be my commuting read!

    • Meredith on September 12, 2012 at 3:45 pm

      I really hope you like it, Leslie!

  8. Natalie on September 12, 2012 at 5:16 pm

    Ashley is perfect!! I loved “A State of Jane” and can’t wait to see the movie version (ha fingers crossed). Congrats on almost release day!

    • Meredith on September 12, 2012 at 5:55 pm

      Thanks Natalie – so glad you approve of my casting!

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