profile

Jane A. Ward, Author

Reading, writing, and connecting

Published 4 days ago • 1 min read

Sleight of Hand

The magic behind the making from Jane Ward

Are you a good literary citizen? Huh?

We're going a bit global this month to talk about how you, the reader, and me, the writer, and every reader and writer in the world create a global literary citizenship that makes what I do as an author possible.

Without you, dear friend and voracious reader, we would have no reason to exist. Indeed, why would we bare and share our creative souls in books, poems, plays, movies, and all forms of literary endeavor?

Oh, and come enjoy some cool food with me!

I'm so glad you're here.

July|August 2026

Playing Together

Even the best of friends who show up time and time again can’t really understand what it’s like to wait alone for the reactions to an author's newest novel. The person who understands the many types of ‘writer solitude’ best is another writer.

It stands to reason, then, that the person best poised to help a writer through that solitude is another writer.

That's just one facet of literary citizenship.

Reader! Reader!

Although Literary Citizenship is primarily directed at those within the literary world – authors, editors, publishers, author writing groups, booksellers and others – readers play an important role.

In fact, without readers, literary citizenship might not exist at all.

Ink & Cobblestones

I've lived most of my life in the Boston area. Like many people, I sometimes forget or don't know things about the area I grew up in that many visitors can recite.

So, come with me while I play literary tourist in my town and see literary citizenship in action!

Baker Street

It's too hot to bake this summer! Here’s some cool food for summer's hot days!

Check out some of my summer food delights on my Facebook, Instagram, or Threads feeds. (Yes, pun intended!)

Summer's flying by! What are your favorite summer reads? In the spirit of literary citizenship, here are three of mine.

That's it for this edition. Thanks for reading along with me. See you in September. I'm so glad you're here.

P.S. - If you liked this newsletter, please share with others who might enjoy it, too.

Jane's photo by Boston photographer Terri Unger.

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​

Jane A. Ward, Author

Sleight of Hand: The magic behind the making.

I'm a novelist, a baker, and a photographer – three crafts that all happen by hand, each requiring its own kind of magic to transform raw ingredients into something beautiful. That's what you'll find here – the magic behind the making. Recipes that appear in my books (and kitchen), photographs from my creative process, reflections on the writing life, and occasional features on and from creators whose work inspires me. I'll visit your inbox every six weeks or so with something nourishing – whether that's a story, a recipe, or simply a moment of beauty.

Read more from Jane A. Ward, Author
Painting of three women in intense discussion by British artist, Harold Harvey, "The Critics", 1922, Birminham Museums Trust.

Sleight of Hand The magic behind the making from Jane Ward Secret, secret - who's got a secret? If you've read my other books, you know that at the heart of each story, there's at least one secret that ties the story and its characters together. Typically, only one person knows, but when there are multiple secrets, well, that's when things start to get really interesting. I'm usually writing about family secrets, which means lots of family drama. This month's e-news is about the sub-genre,...

about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Dried Cherry White Chocolate Scone

Sleight of Hand The magic behind the making from Jane Ward Welcome to Sleight of Hand. I'm a novelist, a baker, and a photographer – three crafts that all happen by hand, each requiring its own kind of magic to transform raw ingredients into something beautiful. That's what you'll find here – the magic behind the making. Recipes that appear in my books (and kitchen), photographs from my creative process, reflections on the writing life, and occasional features on and from creators whose work...

3 months ago • 1 min read