Jenny Lane (she/they) writes contemporary stories with queer characters ranging from middle grade to adult. Their stories are queer, whimsical, heartwarming…and always end with a happily ever something. There is nothing Jenny loves more than a fire pit, an ocean view, and a good book to read—but they will settle for any combination of these three. When she isn’t writing or reading something, she works as a librarian and advocate for literacy. Their debut book with Harlequin Romance, Her Fake Wedding Date in Sicily, is releasing in August 2025.
Harlequin: Tell us about yourself. Our readers want to know!
Jenny Lane: I am a former English teacher turned librarian and now work to support school libraries. When I am not working—or writing in the very early mornings—I am probably hanging out with my family. My wife is my best friend and our story is what romance novels are made of. We have three kids and they keep us busy with, respectively: baseball, rescuing snails, and art projects.
H: What led you to becoming a romance writer?
JL: I was always a reader. The bookshelf in my bedroom growing up was overflowing with The Babysitter’s Club series. My mom took me to the library and bookstores whenever possible. But it wasn’t until I was an adult that I discovered romance novels. I find such comfort in the guaranteed (and often hard-earned) happily ever after and I wanted to be a part of it.
I write romances that center queer love and reflect my own experiences and interpretations of the world. I love taking pieces of the books and movies I read and loved growing up and infusing the queer joy that was so often missing for me.
As an English teacher turned school librarian, I spent a lot of time in the pages of books. I had so many ideas, but I was scared to write them down. What if my ideas weren’t good enough? What if everyone hated my stories? I started with one sentence, then a paragraph, and then eventually worked up the courage to share some of my words.
H: What were the big steps in your journey to becoming a published author?
JL: I started by writing young adult romance. In fact, a young adult romance connected me with my amazing agent. Together, we polished and put young adult and adult romances on submission. But even with a few close calls, we hadn’t received that one yes.
In April 2024 I saw a post on social media asking for a sapphic romance for Harlequin. Let me tell you, it’s rare to find these elusive editor #MSWL posts and know “THIS IS PERFECT FOR ME.” But I talked it over with my agent and then got to work writing! Luckily, the editor loved my sample pages and asked me to write three full chapters. I thought, “This can’t be real. There is no way they’ll choose me.” But I wrote and edited the chapters, pouring my heart into what would become my debut novel.
Luckily, the editors at Harlequin Romance loved the story, too!
H: What advice would you offer aspiring writers?
JL: Find your community! It took me several years, but I have found amazing critique partners, cheerleaders, and friends in the writing community. I am part of a romance group on Discord, a small critique partner group, and I joined organizations such as Chicago-North Romance Writers (I don’t live in Chicago, but they don’t seem to mind!) Plus, my agent siblings are the absolute best! We commiserate over being on submission, cheer each other on, and review pitches for books before we send them to our agent.
The second piece of advice is that you get what you put into this. Reading for other writers, cheering them on, falling in love with their characters all make me a better writer. Find critique partners who want to make your book the best it can be. My debut, HER FAKE WEDDING DATE IN SICILY, has my critique partners’ fingerprints all over it. Their love notes and suggestions helped make the book what it is today.
H: What did you do when you got the call from Harlequin?
JL: I was sitting in a meeting at my local library when my phone buzzed with a call from my agent. She doesn’t call unless there is GOOD NEWS. I practically ran out of the room as I whispered, “Hang on, I’m in a library.” She told me my story had made it through acquisitions and the editor wanted to set up a video call to talk about revisions and a second book! We whisper screamed together and then I went back into the room and had to pretend like my life hadn’t just changed forever!
Once the meeting was over, I texted my wife (she’s a teacher, I couldn’t call in the middle of her class) and just sat in my car in shock for a few minutes.
The video call with Jenny Macey was amazing. She has so much love for my story and her vision for edits really made their story shine. Talking to her made everything seem *real*.
Now let’s hear from the editor, Jenny Macey:
From the very first page of Mia and Eliza’s story, I knew Jenny’s writing was something special. She has a fabulous gift for balancing fun, contemporary tropes with the emotional intensity our readers crave, and the result is a story that it utterly impossible to put down. The sizzling chemistry between the heroines will have you giggling and kicking your feet, and the gorgeous Sicilian setting will sweep you into a world of dazzling glamour. I can’t wait for Jenny’s debut to be shared with the world, so readers can fall just as in love with their writing as I have. Don’t miss Her Fake Wedding Date in Sicily, available August 2025!
