Well, Hello There! I'm M. Jayne LaDow.

The Stories in My Head

I write romance, and every story I tell comes with a healthy dose of humor. Most come with a teacher, too.

For the Love of Romance

If you love opposites attract, enemies-to-lovers, or a hero who falls first, you’ll feel right at home in the Marchfield series.

Each book is a stand-alone rom-com set in Marchfield, a small fictional town tucked between Virginia Beach and Richmond. Marchfield is full of fun places to wander, from kitschy restaurants and roller rinks to escape rooms, boutiques, and a pole-dancing fitness studio. But the heart of the town is Marchfield Middle School. These smart romances feature couples facing real challenges, including anxiety and neurodivergence, along with plenty of authentic (and hilarious) teacher drama.

Expect banter, chemistry, small-town drama, and spice. My characters are grown adults with real lives, messy histories, and plenty to figure out before they earn their happily ever after.

For Those Who Love a Good Mystery

If you like your love stories with a side of suspicious behavior, literary clues, and the occasional dead body, come explore the Tides of Truth series.

Set in my hometown of Virginia Beach in the 1990s, these cozy mysteries blend suspense with romance, humor, and found family, without the gore. Dani, a seventh-grade English teacher, meets Gavin in book one, and their romance builds across the series. Each book also draws on a classic of literature: A Pilgrimage of Whispered Truths nods to Chaucer’s “The Pardoner’s Tale,” and A Masquerade of Stolen Truths plays with the works of Edgar Allan Poe.

Expect chemistry, complicated relationships, cozy murder, and real Virginia Beach landmarks.

Like Magic? Me Too!

Sometimes my imagination wanders somewhere a little stranger, a little darker, and considerably less predictable. It even wanders out of the classroom.

Bound and Hexed brings witches, magic, mystery, and a battle between good and evil to Crystal Hollow, a cozy little town in the dead of winter. Rowan and Eli are at odds from the moment they meet, and neither can storm off in a huff, because they’ve been bound together by old magic with a wicked sense of humor. While they work to break the spell, they discover something strange is happening inside the Witches’ Council, and they’ll have to team up to save themselves and everyone else.

Think Mr. and Mrs. Smith with spellbooks: sharp, funny banter, hot spice, and an adventure that’s suspenseful and cozy all at once.

So, How Did I Get Here?

My story didn't begin with a publishing contract, a literary agent, or a carefully mapped-out five-year plan. In fact, it all started with Novel Writing Month and my Mother-In-Law. The weather was getting cooler, and my MIL had moved in with us. She loved watching TV shows in the afternoon, so we would sit together and watch while I wrote 1500 words a day. I had just retired, so school was fresh in my mind, and what's better than a romance rom-com about teachers caught between love and a profession that can be both hilarious and challenging? I'd taught English to middle school students fr 33 years, and spent my days surrounded by books, teenagers, big personalities, and enough drama to fuel a multitude of novels.

Then came the dream of becoming a published author.

After trying to go the traditional route, and after enough rejections to make a pile an inch thick, I decided to take some classes and learn how to do it myself, and at the age of 56, I published One Night Stands and Lesson Plans, and my son, Miles, designed the cover. It's never too late to try something new, and the best adventures begin when you stop waiting for someone else to give you permission.

A Few Things That Won’t Fit on a Book Cover

• My happy place: Anywhere outdoors with old trees and birdsong.

• My writing fuel: Tea. Always tea. (Coffee and I parted ways over heartburn.)

• My favorite part of writing: Planning the whole story, then watching it run off the rails and become something better.

• My real-life romance: We met at Longwood College, where he worked at the campus radio station and dedicated songs to me on the air. That summer, he wrote me love letters and mailed me mixtapes. He proposed during our senior year, and we’ve been together ever since. He’s my best friend, my hero, and my soulmate. (Yes, I write romance. No, that’s not a coincidence.)

• My unexpected quirk: As a child, I wanted to be a clown. The plan was Ringling Bros. Clown College, then the world. I practiced juggling and tumbled out of my dad’s car like I was the last of twenty clowns.

Life Beyond the Books

When I’m not writing, you’ll find me volunteering at the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia or the Virginia Beach SPCA, or luring my grown children over for dinner so I can hug them.

I’m also passionate about Creative Footnotes, a Substack and print magazine founded by my friend Lea Audrey. It celebrates creativity in the margins, spotlighting artists, musicians, and writers who make the struggle their own through interviews, features, creative writing, and more. It’s a grassroots effort, and I’m proud to be part of it.

And if I’m not doing any of that, there’s a good chance I’m reading a romance novel. Or writing one.

Come Join Team LaDow!

Stories are better when you share them. Join my newsletter for [book news, behind-the-scenes stories, sneak peeks, and exclusive fiction], and find me on [social media platforms], where we can talk books, characters, writing, and everything else that makes life interesting.

All my links are at the bottom of the page. I can't wait to share what's next with you.

Thanks for stopping by. Whether you’ve read every book I’ve written or just wandered in to see what I’m about, I’m so glad you’re here.