Jana lived in Asia for fifteen years. She wrote for media in seven countries, including National Public Radio, Writer's Digest, Hemispheres (United Airlines), Islands Magazine, Singapore Straits Times, Japan Times and dozens of others. She was an editor at ALC Publishing in Tokyo when she met her husband, a native of southern China. They then lived in Singapore, frequently visiting his family in Fujian province, China.

Jana now lives in the Santa Cruz mountains of California with her husband and four children. She's a dedicated participant in the Bay Area writing community, having served five years as President of the Peninsula Branch of the California Writer's Club. She also founded the Writers Camp for Kids and volunteers annually in the local schools to teach creative writing.