I love reading and have done for years. Books bring so much colour, humour adventure and of course romance to our lives. They are a way to sit back and forget the day, forget that dinner has to be cooked, the kids projects finished.
The first ‘real’ book I remember reading was The Island of the Blue dolphin by Scott O’Dell I read it twice. Some books are like that, they get to you and no matter that you know how it ends, and you have to read it again.

I can’t say I was born to write, but I am driven to write and it sure beats housework. It’s an addictive craft. One that once you’re hooked, no matter how many rejection slips you get, no matter how much you are wracked by self-doubt in the small hours of the night or when you’re staring at a blank page you can’t give in. Many a night I’ve tossed and turned, to my husband’s complaints, when I’ve been hit by a story, an idea, or a character, even a title and I know that here comes another story.

A chance meeting with Ellen Ben-Sefer on a writing loop on the internet who is a transplanted American living in Sydney, Australia pushed me further towards a career in writing. Ellen and I have a lot in common. We’d both loved reading time travel romance and had both lived in Israel. We mumbled something about… wouldn’t it be good to do a time travel set in Israel together and the next day Ellen surprised me with chapter 1 and Woman of Valor was born. At the time of writing Ellen and I hadn’t met, we merely wrote via the internet. Leap of Faith is a sequel and another combined effort from us – under the pen name of Janelle Benham.

My intense desire to write a time travel littered with pirates and set somewhere exotic eventuated in Be My Valentine. A time travel tale. Destination Sin City, Jamaica – 1692, a city renowned for pirates, prostitutes and rum. A story where the hero and heroine have to battle being shipwrecked, slavery and where history lessons become reality. Trust and hope and understanding that love lasts an eternity, even through the ages are the lessons the books’ characters must learn – before history catches up with them. Available through www.trebleheartbooks.com/BeckenhamSynops.html

I’m a lucky girl. I’ve been married to Neil for 20 years this year and have two lovely daughters, Yana and Anzhela whom we adopted in 1996 from Russia. So parenthood after thirteen years as a couple was definitely an interesting and eventful challenge!

One of the interesting facts that has come to light since I started writing is that I think writing must be in the family genes. I found out my mother who is nearly eighty was a ‘closet’ writer in her youth and her brother too. Now, a third generation, my nephew has begun writing children’s stories. I wonder what the next generation will bring.

Be My Valentine
BE MY VALENTINE - by Jane Beckenham Sacked without reason, Dave Barnett's life is in turmoil. His house is burgled and he's followed home by Tyler Spencer who accuses him of owing her money. Together they embark on a mission to find the history behind the Spanish coins and ancient ring left behind by the burglars. Shipwrecked, they find themselves transported in time to 1692 and are captured and sold as slaves in Port Royal, Jamaica – a city known as Sin City, full of pirates, prostitutes and rum! Tyler and Dave must find the owner of the ring if they are to return to their own time, but time is running out and history is about to become reality. ISBN 1-931742-07-3

HE'S THE ONE
Wedding consultant Taylor Sullivan is sensible, successful, and creates fantasies for a living. The fact that business is booming isn't enough. She wants to be the best and one thing is holding her back - her own lack of sexual experience. What Taylor needs is a good teacher! Enter bad boy Cade Harper. Cade is known for his talent in the bedroom and the long string of broken hearts that he's left behind. When Taylor approaches him with a simple business proposal he can't say no. In exchange for one night of no-strings-attached passion, she'll help him develop a promotional plan for his new business. As things heat up between them and business turns into pleasure, the man who doesn't believe in lasting love, roses, and the white picket fence finds himself falling hard and fast. Weddings, love, and commitment are Taylor 's business. Can she put her fears aside long enough to make her own fantasy come true? Maybe...if he's the one.

HIRING CUPID
Successful businesswoman, Carly Mason is invited by her fiends to join them on a tropical island, along with her gorgeous, and very sexy boyfriend. So what’s the problem? There is no boyfriend. One night while out with the girls, and temporarily insane, Carly made him up. Then, just as all-work-and-no-play Carly is about to admit he doesn’t exist, fate delivers her Marco Valente, a knight in shining armour. So what if Marco is wearing leathers and rides a motorbike. The charismatic Italian fits the description of Carly’s fictional Mr Perfect. Who needs cupid? Before she can stop herself, she makes a daring proposal and hires Marco to spend for four long days…and nights with her. On the island, they discover her friends haven’t turned up and there’s no need to continue the ruse. But fate gets in the way. With no way off, Carly finds herself unable to resist Marco’s charms, and gives in to passion—a passion that seems every bit as perfect as the fantasy. But then reality comes knocking. Will their newly discovered feelings survive? Only if they can cast aside their past fears, take some honest risks, perhaps then Cupid’s arrow will find true love.

Always A Bridesmaid
ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID - by Jane Beckenham Caught in a hotel fire while home for a fashion parade, international model, Lisa Kelly is rescued by a knight in shining armor, whose identity is unknown. Embarking on a new career as a nanny, Lisa finds that her boss is her would be rescuer - Travis Jacobs is the boss from hell. Lies and scars from a previous marriage tangle with love before the bridesmaid is able to capture the bouquet.