Seizing the Pause

Our three months in balmy Florida's winter season have shot by like a bolt of lightning. It seems like yesterday that I was scratching my head, thinking about what clothing to bring. After all, I wasn’t adept at predicting the week-to-week temperature fluctuations in the south. And, as predictable as the sunrise, I grossly overpacked, sending suitcases full of unworn clothing back with my husband, who was commuting to work on that big skybus full of quasi ‘work from home’ professionals.

Florida pulsed with book events—intimate gatherings and grand affairs alike—each one buzzing with passionate book lovers and tireless fundraisers. I had the privilege of speaking about my series (THREADBARE, IN THE HANDS OF WOMEN, OVER THERE) to two PAP organizations in Lake Worth and Boca Raton. Together, we raised a staggering $80,000 to fuel cancer research at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. (For the uninitiated, PAP stands for Dr. George Papanicolaou, the visionary who revolutionized early cancer detection with the Pap smear in 1928.) As a cancer survivor living with active disease, these events weren’t just important—they were personal, powerful, and profoundly moving.

Between whirlwind events, I’ve been deep in the creative trenches, editing and shining up Mayhem in the Mountains—the exhilarating fourth book in my series, which hurtles the Isaacson family into the pre-Borscht Belt Catskills of the 1920’s. Mayhem, as I’ve already nicknamed the book, will be released on June 9, 2026. I am currently booking speaking events. Just reach out to Jane@janeloebrubin.com. Here’s my back cover elevator speech:

“1924 in the Catskills sizzled with chaos. The region’s turbulent history during that era could easily have erased any trace of the Borscht Belt’s grand hotels. Prohibition fueled bootleggers and whiskey stills—Dutch Schultz ran an underground distillery in nearby Ulster County. Meanwhile, the Ku Klux Klan stormed north after WWI, targeting new immigrants they viewed as threats to the American way of life. Amid the turmoil, the Isaacson family stood their ground, fiercely defending their land, livelihoods, and each other.”

With Mayhem off my desk for a breather, I’ve been charging my spirit with family time—racing after grandchildren as they leap from tennis courts to driving ranges, from swimming pools to feasts. Daily exercise with my husband has become our secret weapon; without it, I’d be flat-out on the pavement, gasping for air as my family zooms ahead.

I’ve also dug into writing a brand-new novel—this one, a pulsating blend of the series and my own story. Set against the backdrop of the late 1960s and ’70s, and the music of that time - both pop (think American Pie) and folk (Eve of Destruction) it dives into the seismic shifts those years sparked for women coming of age. As lost memories surface, I’m taken back to another time, now considered historical fiction.

In keeping with my commitment to share what I’ve been reading, here’s my short list of recommendations:

CULPABILITY - Bruce Holsinger

SKYLARK - Paula McLain

THE LOST BAKER OF VIENNA - Sharon Kurtzm

A GUARDIAN AND A THIEF - Megha Majumdar