Jen Turano is the acclaimed author of The Ladies of Distinction Series, published through Bethany House publishers. Her second novel, A Most Peculiar Circumstance was chosen by Booklist as a Top Ten Romance for 2013. Her fourth book, A Match of Wits, released in July, 2014, while a new series, A Class of Their Own, will begin hitting the shelves in early 2015. She is a member of ACFW and makes her home outside of Denver, Colorado with her husband and teenage son. Visit her website or Facebook page for more.
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Savanna: Welcome to The Engrafted Word, Jen. Congratulations on your upcoming release, After a Fashion. Looks like a fun story! Can you tell us what first drew you to the Gilded Age?
Jen:Â The Gilded Age has always fascinated me, especially because it was a period in history when everything was changing, and changing rapidly at that. For the first time, common men were amassing huge fortunes, and with those fortunes came one interesting story after another. Gentlemen such as Cornelius Vanderbilt, John Astor, and Jay Gould, to name a few, were men of great ambition, letting nothing stand in their way as they went about the daunting business of securing themselves fortunes. What I find even more interesting than the gentlemen, though, were the ladies who mingled and married these men, ladies with ambitions of their own, but ambitions that centered around their positions within society. The New York 400, a precursor of the famed Fortune 500, came into existence during this time, and with that illustrious club came intrigue, drama, and far too many story ideas for me to ever be able to write.
Savanna: 😉 Very cool! What was your favorite part about writing Harriet and Oliver’s story?
Jen: I’ve always adored the movie My Fair Lady, and have always intended to write a story loosely based on that premise – the working-class woman meets the well-off society gentleman, and…Well, that has to be my very favorite part about After a Fashion. Harriet is not a pampered society miss, but a woman who has made her own way in the world. As such, she’s very independent; a condition that Mr. Oliver Addleshaw finds rather bemusing, especially after he forms an interesting alliance with Harriet, yet soon discovers that he’s unable to exactly understand the woman and her self-sufficient ways.
Savanna:Â On your website it said your writing career began when you and your son, who was in the 3rd grade at the time, set out to write a book together. What a fun memory! What were some of the books you enjoyed reading to him when he was little?
Jen: My favorite story to read to him was Andrew Henry’s Meadow – a book my little brother adored when he was a child and one I tracked down on the internet. Dom and I really read just about everything out there, though, from Eragon, to Harry Potter, to all of the Fudge books. Since I was never able to part with any of the books I bought him, I now have tubs filled with wonderful stories that are just waiting to be read to future grandchildren, although…since Dominic is only a Freshman in college now, I’m thinking I’m not going to see any grandchildren for quite some time. But…I’ll have plenty of books to read to those grandchildren someday.
Savanna: 😉 Great idea! I read you also enjoy hiking around Colorado. What other fun outdoor activities do you enjoy?
Jen: I like to bike, power-walk, paddle-board, swim and snow-shoe, but I’ve pretty much hung up the skis even though I do live outside of Denver. I just don’t like chairlifts because I’m a bit of a chicken when it comes to heights, and since there’s really no other way up the mountain except on a chairlift, well…it was time for me to give up the skiing. (Those pesky panic attacks were beginning to become somewhat of a nuisance.)
Savanna: Haha! I’m not a fan of those chairlifts either! 🙂
As a romance author yourself, what is one of your favorite romantic movies and a favorite romantic book?
Jen: Movies – My Fair Lady, Pride and Prejudice (the latest version with Keira Knightley,) Ever After: A Cinderella Story.
Books – Ain’t She Sweet – Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and The Flame and the Flower – Kathleen Woodiwiss – although I have to admit – I recently reread The Flame and the Flower – and it was a bit dated – but I loved that book so much in my younger days that I was going to name my son Brandon (the hero) – until my husband gave me an arch of a brow when I brought that up into the conversation.
Savanna:Â Can you share with us a piece of writing advice that has made a difference in your career?
Jen: Aspiring writers just really need to keep writing. You never know what is going to sell – so, finish a manuscript – send out your query letters, and then…write another story. I have quite a few early manuscripts that will never see the light of day – but that’s okay. They were my stepping stones and I was fortunate in that when I did send them out into the publishing world, agents were kind enough to tell me exactly (and I do mean exactly) what I was doing wrong. It was a little annoying at first, hearing how horrible I apparently was at my craft, but I didn’t give up – I took that annoying advice, improved my writing, found a genre that suited me, and I finally broke into the market.
Savanna:Â Thanks so much for sharing with us today, Jen! It’s been great having you. Is there anything else you’d like to add? Any upcoming projects you can share with us?Â
Jen: I’m just wrapping up the third book in this new series (A Class of Their Own) – it’s still untitled, but the second book, In Good Company, will be releasing in July of this year – which is a really fast turnaround time from when After a Fashion releases – but will keep me out of trouble. After that, I’m playing around with two different proposals, but can’t say more about that since I don’t have anything concrete yet to announce, but… I’ll be sure to do that when I hear back from my agent.
Thank you so much for having me on your blog!
GIVEAWAY!!
Jen has graciously offered to give away a copy of After a Fashion. Enter below and it could be YOU! 😉
Thanks for entering! Contest is open only in the U.S. and ends Feburary 17, 2015. The winner will be notified by email. Happy Reading, everybody! 😉
I absolutely loved Laura Ingalls books growing up. Two of my all-time favorite movies are Pride and Prejudice (with Kiera Knightly) and Ever After 🙂
Thank you so much for stopping by, Amanda. I loved the Little House on the Prairie books as well, and used to watch the TV show all the time – I think I even had one of those bonnets – although, I might have had that because of a play.
Good luck with the giveaway!
~ Jen ~
Hi Amanda! I love those movies too. 😉 Thanks for stopping by!
Can’t wait to read this latest book by Jen! I gobbled up her previous series and try to force feed it to anyone who dares to ask me for book recommendations 🙂
Thank you so much, Carrie – especially for the book recommendations. It’s a tough world for authors these days and we appreciate any help we can get to spread the word:)
Good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
Jen
That’s awesome, Carrie! Thanks for sharing these great books. Here’s hoping your reading enthusiasm is contagious! 😉 Good luck in the giveaway.
I love Jen Turano’s books. My favorite books have always been the Little House on the Prairie series.
Thank you for sharing, Christine! I think one of my favorite book series when I was younger had to be all the Trixie Belden books. I just thought Trixie was the coolest.
Good luck with the giveaway:)
All the best,
~ Jen ~
We’re glad you could join us, Christine! Yay, another fan of Jen’s and Laura’s. I live just 30 minutes from where “The Little House” books were written. It’s a beautiful place!
I stay away from chairlifts too!
It’s so nice to know I’m not the only one, Joan. I really enjoy Alpine Slides as well out here in Denver, but honestly, having to breathe into that paper bag while I make my way up the mountain is just a bit of a bother…
Good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Haha, Joan! We should form a club! 😉 It’s hard for me because my hubby LOVES to ski. I’m afraid more days battling the chairlifts are ahead of me still. Wish me luck! And good luck to you in the giveaway!
I loved the Fudge books as well! I cannot wait for this new series!
I used to read the Fudge books all the time with my son, Katherine. I miss those days. He’s currently in his first year of college and for some strange reason, he doesn’t enjoy me reading with him these days – or for years, now that I think about it:)
Good luck with the giveaway!
~ Jen ~
Thanks so much for joining us for the interview with Jen, Katherine. Hope you have a great week! Happy Reading!
My absolute favorite book is Anne of Green Gables and my second is Little Women !!
Thank you for a wonderful giveaway !
Linda Marie Finn
Hi Linda,
Great to hear from you, Linda. I loved Little Women, but I can still remember sobbing when I got to the part where one of the sisters died….That was horrible. To this day I cannot read books that are sad – they just stay with me for far too long.
Good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
I love them both as well, Linda! Some stories are impossible to forget. 😉 Thanks for stopping by. It means a lot to us. Good luck in the giveaway!
I loved Nancy Drew Mysteries, but couldn’t afford them, so borrowed from a friend. TY for a chance to win. Sounds really good.
Thank you for stopping in, Lucy. My mom had most of the Nancy Drew books, but the ones she didn’t have, I borrowed from the library. I can still remember the hard, pink cover they sported. My favorite Nancy Drew book was the one where the lady was missing her twins – can’t think of the name of it though…
Good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Isn’t it nice when you have friends to swap books with? 😉 Thanks for commenting, Lucy. Good luck to you in the drawing! Have a blessed day!
Loved Little Women and any book that was American historical or romantic fiction I could find. Now so glad there is so much inspirational fiction
Thank you for sharing, Sue, and so glad to hear you enjoy inspirational fiction. It really has grown over the past few years.
Good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Me too, Sue! There is so many good books out there now, it’s hard to choose! 😉 Thanks for visiting. Good luck!
I loved Nancy Drew and Bobbsey Twin books!
wfnren at aol dot com
I completely forgot about the Bobbsey Twin books, Wendy. I loved those.
Good luck with the giveaway, and I hope you have a fabulous week!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Another fan of Nancy Drew. Okay, I’m REALLY going to have to check those out now. 😉 Thanks for stopping by, Wendy! Happy Reading!
My favorite books growing up were the Boxcar Children, Nancy Drew, and Anne of Green Gables.
Hi Jordann,
Thank you for stopping in, and I adored the Boxcar Children – I always thought it was a great premise.
Good luck with the giveaway, and have a great rest of the week!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
How could someone not love Anne of Green Gables, right? 😉 Thanks for sharing, Jordann. Hope you get to read Jen’s latest book soon!
I am eagerly awaiting this new series on the gilded age … what an interesting time period and Jen is a fabulous storyteller!
It’s so nice of you to stop by, Geralyn! And you know I love the gilded age. Just read a fascinating biography on Jay Gould – discovered his last name was originally Gold and that he wasn’t Jewish – honestly, every book up until this one had him written with a Jewish heritage, but nope – he was a reluctant Episcopalian. Who knew?
Good luck with the giveaway, and have a fabulous rest of the week!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Wonderful! Then you came to the right place, Geralyn. Hope you get to enjoy this book of Jen’s soon. 😉 Have a great day!
I read just about anything that I could find! My first choice would have to be The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye, since I read it so much I had to get another copy of it.:D I also immensely enjoyed the Betsy-Tacy series and the other Betsy series. I’m rather certain that Ever After’s been my favorite movie since I was 8 yrs old. Thank you for sharing with us, Jen, and for the lovely giveaway! I love your books. Thank you Savanna!
Blessings, Juli
Hi Julianna,
I’ve never read The Ordinary Princess before – which means I’m going to have to go out and get it now. Since I have a son, I’ve spent quite a few years with monster books, especially dragons, and missed quite a few of the Princess books that came out. Now that he’s out of the house (which is very weird) I’m obviously going to have to get caught up on my reading!
Good luck with the giveaway!
~ Jen ~
Thanks for sharing, Julianna! My kids’ reading list is growing quite large and I don’t even have children yet! 😉 We’re glad you stopped by. Good luck in the giveaway!
Thanks for the giveaway! I loved Nancy Drew books growing up…I still do!
Hi Brandy!
I just bought a few old Nancy Drew books from an antique store. They’re in sad shape, rather grungy in fact, but the covers were exactly like the ones my mom used to own – so…well, I wasn’t leaving that store without them.
Good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Welcome to the blog, Brandy! Keep on reading those books of yours. The classics never get old! 😉
Hey Savanna, Great interview with Jen! AFTER A FASHION sounds like a fun story. I would LOVE to go hiking in The Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.
I loved the CHRONICLES OF NARNIA!
I subscribe and follow
psalm103and138[at]gmail[dot]com
I love the Garden of the Gods, Caryl. I haven’t been hiking there for quite a few years, but my son is now going to college down in Colorado Springs, so I have a feeling I’ll be going down there quite often over the next few years.
Good luck with the giveaway, and thank you for stopping by!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Hi Caryl! Glad you could stop in and join us. I would love to go hiking there as well. Some friends of mine visit there every year and they say it’s BEAUTIFUL! 😉 Hope you get to read and enjoy Jen’s book soon! Good luck to you.
I love discovering new authors to read. A big fan of books set in a historical time period!
Hi Gretchen – I have a sister who shares your name.
If you have an e-reader – I do have a free prequel novella out there – Gentleman of Her Dreams. It’s short, but a complete story, and it will give you a taste of my writing style (which I will admit is a little…different.)
Good luck with the giveaway, and hope you have a great week!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
This is great, Gretchen! I hope you’ll check out Jen’s work and enjoy her stories for many books to come! 😉
I have loved all of Jen’s previous books and can’t wait to read this one!
Thank you so much, Michelle:)
Delighted to learn you enjoy my books, and hope you’ll enjoy my new series just as much – it’s a little different in that the ladies are working class, not society, but they were a lot of fun to write.
Good luck with the giveaway, and have a fabulous week!
All the best,
Jen
Wonderful, Michelle! We’re glad you’re here. Thanks for reading and commenting. Good luck in the drawing!
Thanks for the giveaway! I love her books!
Thank you, Nicole.
Good luck with the giveaway, and have a great rest of the week!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Thanks for stopping by, Nicole! Happy Reading!!
Can’t wait to read this book!
Thank you, Sandy!
Good luck with the giveaway, and I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week.
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Hope you get to read it soon, Sandy! We appreciate you visiting. 😉
This series sounds so fun. I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Thanks for the chance to win a copy!
Thank you for stopping by, Gwen!
The first two books have been a ton of fun to write. I’m currently in the midst of the third – first drafts are not my favorite – so here’s hoping I get through it quickly:)
Good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
We’re happy you’re here, Gwen! Good luck in the giveaway. Hopefully you won’t have to wait long to read Jen’s book. 🙂
As a youngster I loved animal stories. Black Beauty comes to mind.. Call of the Wild..
I have a really old copy of Black Beauty, Deanna. I think the book originally belonged to my oldest brother, but…he’s never missed it so I have it tucked away in a bookshelf, although I can’t remember the last time I read it.
Good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Me too, Deanna. Thanks for sharing. Have a blessed week and good luck in the giveaway!
I am so excited about Jen’s new book. I am a huge fan, and love that I laugh out loud when I read them. Love the My Fair Lady Theme. I am really looking to reading After a Fashion!!
Becky
Thank you, Becky! So glad you enjoy my books, and I hope you’ll like the new series:)
Good luck with the giveaway:)
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Doesn’t her new book sound like fun?! 😉 Hope you get to read it soon, Becky. Thanks for stopping by!
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Brink was my favorite book that really got me into reading.
I’ve never read that book by Carol Brink. I’ll have to check it out!
Good luck with the giveaway, and have a great rest of the week.
All the best,
~ Jen ~
I’ve not heard of it either. Thanks for sharing. Good luck in the giveaway!
I read so many books to my son when he was little. And to my grandkids when they were here. I can’t remember the names except for Good Night Moon
Thanks for stopping by, Jan. My son never really liked Good Night Moon, but he did enjoy all of those Godzilla books. I know more about Mothra than a person needs to know, and don’t get me started on Mega Godzilla:)
Good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
Jen
I think I remember that story! 🙂 And good for you, reading to all your kiddos! There’s something sweet about sharing a good book with a child. Have a great week, Jan!
I like the descriptiveness of Jen Turano’s writing, with the humor and energy between the characters. I would like to win this new story. I also looked up Andrew Henry’s Meadow and like the descriptive drawings! My favorite childhood stories were Heidi ~ and original Nancy Drew’s.
Hi Kathleen – it’s so good to hear from you. I love the Andrew Henry’s Meadow book – and was super excited when I found it for sale – My brother would not part with his copy, no matter how much I whined:)
Good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Looking forward to your stories, Jen! Kathleen
Hi Kathleen! Thanks for joining us and for your encouraging words. I hope you get to read Jen’s story soon. I’m sure you’ll love it! 😉
Hi, came back to check. Kathleen 😀
I loved Corduroy and Where’s Waldo as a child. In fact, I still do! Reading them brings back so many fond memories!!!!!
I really enjoyed the Where’s Waldo as well, Kathryn, although I was, sad to say, old when I read them:)
Thanks for sharing, and good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
I loved Corduroy! And still treasure the memories as well. I’ll be reading that one to my kids someday. 😉 We’re glad you stopped in, Kathryn.
Wow! I have never heard of Jen but I think I just found a new author to try! Thank you!!! these look awesome!
Thanks for stopping by, and since you’ve never heard of me – if you have an e-reader – there’s a free prequel novella out there – Gentleman of Her Dreams. It’s pretty short, but it’ll give you a taste of my writing style, and introduce you to a lot of the characters from my first series.
Good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Wonderful! I hope you’ll check out her books then. Here’s hoping for a giveaway win, right? 😉 Thanks for stopping by!
One of my children’s favorite books for me to read them as children was a delightful one named “The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear”. I read that so much to them that we had to buy another copy because we wore out the first one and even now I can quote almost the entire story! Great interview. Thanks for the giveaway!
I’ve never read that story, Loraine, but how cute that you wore out the book:)
Thank you for stopping by, and good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Glad to hear you enjoyed our interview, Loraine. I’ve never heard of the book you mentioned, but what a cute title! 😉 Good luck in the giveaway!
I have read all of Jen’s books and they are fun and entertaining. Can’t wait for this one!
Hi Diane – it’s great to hear from you! Thanks for your kind words!
Have a fabulous week!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Awesome, Diane! Let’s hope we can add Jen’s latest to your collection. 😉 Happy Reading!
I enjoyed Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books growing up. Thank you for sharing this post. I enjoy reading Jen’s books.
Thanks for sharing, Angela, and thank you for enjoying my books!
Good luck with the giveaway, and I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Thanks for joining us, Angela. It’s great fun meeting fans of Jen’s. Here’s hoping for a win! 😉
I’ve really enjoyed all of the books Jen had written so far. Her characters are real, funny and flawed, so they draw you in despite being set in a past era. I also feel like they’re very well researched.
Thank you so much, Laurel. I’m delighted you enjoy my work, and I have to say, with each new book, I do learn more and more about the gilded age – so much so that I’m afraid I’ve been boring my husband during our dinner conversations. He just doesn’t seem to be that interested in why Alva Vanderbilt left William K. Vanderbilt, horrified society when she actually took a fortune with her when she left, and then married another man within a pretty short period of time.
Good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Thank you, Laurel, for sharing your compliments for Jen here. Hope you get to read After a Fashion as well. Good luck!
I loved reading the “Little House books”, Nancy Drew, and biographies of famous women in history when I was younger! My school library had a series of biographies with pictures, and I loved reading about Clara Barton, Florence Nightingale, Martha Washington, etc.! Now I love reading historical Christian fiction. 🙂
Hi Laura,
That’s exact what a Christian historical writing wants to hear – that you love historical Christian fiction:)
Good luck with the giveaway, and have a fabulous rest of the week!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
That’s really great, Laura. Now I really want to get a copy of each of those biographies! 😉 Historical Christian Fiction is my favorite. 😉 Good luck in the giveaway.
I absolutely loved to read Anne of Green Gables growing up, I still do actually.
Thank you for stopping in, Mackenzie. And, it does seem like quite a few of us travel back to the books of our youth – I recently read a Beverly Gray book from really long ago – I think I got it from my mom. It was incredibly dated, but I still enjoyed it.
Good luck with the giveaway, and have a great week!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
I loved the movies too. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Mackenzie. And good luck!
I love the book cover. This sounds absolutely wonderful. I grew up reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys mysteries. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Katrina. I just got the first copy of the book from my publisher – honestly, the picture doesn’t do the cover justice. It’s gorgeous, and even the back cover is cool – it’s a picture of the model holding….hat boxes – which is fabulous since Miss Harriet Peabody works in a hat shop.
Good luck with the giveaway!
Wishing you all the best,
~ Jen ~
Isn’t it great?! We’re glad you could join us, Katrina. Happy Reading!
My favorite book as a child was a veggie tales book called “God made you special”. I read it everyday!
The veggie tales were a little after my time, Amelia – which makes me seem really old, doesn’t it?
Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you have a great rest of the week!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Hi Amelia! I remember reading those books to kids in my church. They were always a big hit. 😉 Thanks for joining us. Hope you get to read After a Fashion soon! 😉
I liked the Nancy Drew stories. Couldn’t hardly wait for them to come in the mail 🙂
I adored Nancy Drew, and a lot of people don’t believe this about me, but I was really shy when I was young. My favorite thing to do was grab a Nancy Drew book and a snack, and then make my way to my tree house where I’d spend hours reading, far away from people:)
Hope you have a great rest of the week!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Hi Deanna! Thanks for taking the time to join us and say hi. It’s always nice to have you here. Good luck in the giveaway!
My favorite books as a child were The Ramona Beasly books
Thank you for stopping by, Sharon. I must admit that I’ve never read the Ramona Beasly books, but…now I have something to look forward to reading in the future:)
Hope you have a great week!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
I haven’t heard of those, but I’ll have to check them out as well. Thanks for stopping by, Sharon. Good luck to you! 😉
Great interview, Savanna. One of my childhood favorites was Black Beauty. No matter how many times I read it, I always cried. To this day, I love horses and am blessed to see 14 plus 1 donkey through the sliding glass door of my family room. 6 horses belong to my husband and me and 8 plus the donkey belong to our 24 year old daughter. Thank you for a chance to win a copy of After A Fashion. Sounds like a fun book.
Black Beauty always made me cry as well, Robin – like the ugly kind of crying complete with swollen eyes and runny nose. How lovely that you have so many horses around you, as well as a donkey. I’m not a very good rider – and being so far off the ground kind of freaks me out, but I find horses beautiful – just from a safe distance.
Good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Thanks, Robin. It’s always fun having you here. How wonderful for the company of all those animals. 🙂 Hope you get to read Jen’s book soon. Have a blessed week!
A favorite book of mine as a child the Bernstein bears books which I also read to my own children now.
I loved the Bernstein bears, Steph, although I don’t remember my son being a huge fan. He was more into creatures, the weirder the better.
Good luck with the giveaway, and I hope you have a fabulous week!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Yes, I loved those too! Someday I plan on reading them to my kiddos. 😉 Good luck in the giveaway, Steph!
When i was teenager my favorite book was The Pigman by Paul Zindel, i still have the book.
I don’t think I ever read The Pigman, Linda – but I find myself curious now, so I’ll have to check it out.
Thanks for stopping by, and good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
I’ll have to check that one out as well, Linda. Thanks for sharing! Good luck in the drawing.
Hi Jen! You are a new-to-me author but I can already tell your books would make it on my bookshelf! I love historical fiction but I didn’t know there were so many subcategories :Regency, Gilded Age, Victorian, just to name a few. Too many to keep track of! I love historicals that mention independent women who go against the grain to make their own way in the world. I think it makes for a very fun read! I’m sure a few gentlemen (in that time period) have to shake their heads at these women or avoid them like the plague. Or maybe that’s just my overactive imagination, lol!
You mentioned a few of your hobbies here. I think if I was to take up a new one, it would be paddle-boarding. It’s just become rather popular here and just looks like so much fun! I love the water, but don’t want to learn to surf, so this would be a close second. Now if only I could convince my husband to learn alongside me, he doesn’t really fathom the idea of being in the water! And I think it would be very beneficial health-wise.
Thank you for coming out to do this interview today. I really enjoyed all your answers to Savanna’s questions. And also for the chance to win a copy of “After a Fashion”. When the time comes, you will LOVE being a grandma…we just became grandparents ourselves almost a year ago (March 2nd 2014). She is the absolute delight of our life 🙂
It’s great to meet you, Trixi, and tell your husband that paddle-boarding is a piece of cake – I used to be a lifeguard clear back in the day so I’ve always been a fan of water, but tooling around on a board (I would recommend a lake to start out with) is really relaxing – and it’s not difficult to stand up on – the boards are really big.
Congratulations on being a grandmother for the first time. I’m sure your granddaughter is adorable!
Good luck with the giveaway, and thank you again for stopping by.
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Hi Trixi! You’re always so sweet… leaving such fun comments for us to read. 😉 Paddle-boarding sounds like fun to me! Any summer activities sound fun right now, especially. I’m tired of winter!
Glad you enjoyed the interview. I’m thrilled to have you meet Jen. Hope you get to read some of her books soon!
And enjoy that precious granddaughter of yours! 😉 Happy Reading!
My favorite books that I read growing up were the Betsy-Tacy-Tib series and of course Anne of Green Gables. Thanks for the opportunity,your books sound really interesting!
Thank you so much, Lisa! If you have an e-reader and haven’t read any of my books, you can check out a free novella I wrote a couple of years back – Gentleman of Her Dreams. It’s a complete story and introduces a lot of the characters from my first series – The Ladies of Distinction.
Good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Definitely check out Jen’s books, Lisa! We’re glad you could stop. Good luck in the giveaway and have a great week!
I loved reading little house on the Prarie by Laura Inglles wilder.
Thank you for stopping by, Danie. I enjoyed Little House on the Prairie as well, and am looking forward to that new release penned by Laura about her real experiences on the prairie:)
Good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
A dear series to all of us, that’s for sure. 😉 Thanks for sharing, Danie. Happy Reading!
I read all kinds of books – especially loved fantasy novels as a kid!
I’m exactly like you, Jamie – I enjoy a wide variety of books. Although, I have to say that when I’m writing a first draft, my choices are limited. I can’t read romance because I’ll mimic what I’m reading – and, well, I once thought I’d be safe with a thriller – not so much. My editor almost had a heart attack when completely out of the blue – a serial killer showed up in one of my light-hearted romances….
Good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Hi Jamie! Thanks for joining us. Reading a wide variety of books keeps things fresh, right? 😉 Good luck!
I read a lot as a child but don’t remember particular books. My children grew up with me reading to them. Some that we loved were the Little House on the Prairie books, Walter Farley’s Black Stallion series, the Billy and Blaze books, anything by Dr. Seuss, and Beatrix Potter stories. There are many more. Like Jen, I still have them, waiting to be read to future grandchildren.
Hi Pam!
Thanks for stopping in, and maybe one day we’ll be re-reading all of those books. I’m thinking I won’t be for quite a few years, but that’s okay – I’ll just have to keep writing to keep me busy:)
Good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
That’s so sweet! You mentioned some great ones there. I always enjoyed Dr. Seuss. 😉 Good luck in the giveaway, Pam! I’m glad you could stop by.
I loved the Little House books as a child and reread them with my children. I lived near one of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s homes and went there on field trips. I also loved Nancy Drew. Recently though we have enjoyed Skippy Jon Jones and A camping Spree with Mr. Magee.
I just LOVE to read! 🙂
It’s music to an author’s ear, Melissa, to learn a reader LOVES to read:)
Good luck with the giveaway – and keep reading:)
All the best,
~ Jen ~
Welcome, Melissa! Which house of Laura’s did you live near? I ask because I live near her house in Mansfield, MO where she wrote the Little House books. 🙂 Thanks for joining us for the giveaway!
I absolutely loved Jen’s “Ladies of Distinction” series!! Can’t wait to read more of her books! 🙂
Thanks for the giveaway!
Thank you so much, Aerykah!
Delighted you enjoyed the first series, and certainly do hope you’ll enjoy the second!
Good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
That’s great, Aerykah! Hope you get to read this one as well! 😉 Good luck to you and thanks for visiting my blog.
I think my wife would enjoy this book. I’d like to win it for her.
What a lovely gesture on your part, Edward. Your wife is a lucky lady!
Good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
~ Jen ~
That’s so sweet of you, Edward! I’m sure she’d love it too. 😉 Thanks for visiting with us. Good luck to you!
Looking forward to these new books… Wish they were all 3 out right now so I could read them all tonight! 🙂
Thank you so much, Tamara – the second book is being released relatively quickly – but then, yep, you’ll have to wait a few months for the third one – I have yet to write The End to that particular story, but it is beginning to shape up:)
Good luck with the giveaway!
All the best,
Jen
It’s so hard to be patient with a book series, isn’t it, Tamara? 😉 Thanks for joining us for the interview. Good luck in the drawing.
The cover is gorgeous. Thebook sounds fabulous. I would really love to read it.
I agree, Deanne! 😉 Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment. Hope you get to enjoy this book soon! Have a great week.
I just want to thank you again, Jen, for the interview AND taking the time to chat with us here in the comments below. It means a lot to us. As you can tell, we’re anxious to read (and read more) of your stories. Wishing you many blessings on your work!
One of my favorite books to read to my children was James Herriot’s Treasury for Children: Warm and Joyful Tales.
I’ll have to check that out, Merry. I haven’t heard of that one before. So glad you stopped by! Good luck in the giveaway!
Oh these look so enjoyable!
I’d love a chance to win!
Thank you Savanna and Jen for this opportunity!
I’m subscribed, and have liked your page on facebook 🙂
I’ll share this also 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, Carisa! 😉 I hope you’ll get to read some of Jen’s work soon. This book sounds like such fun! Good luck to you and have a great week.
I LOVE Jen’s books! They are funny and uplifting, and they’re just what I need after a rough day at work. Some people have wine; I like to read. Keep on writing, and thanks for the encouragement to those of us who would one day like to write a book. I will pick up the pen again (okay, keyboard) when I’m not so busy at work. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity, too. 🙂
We’re glad you stopped in, Becky! I agree, after a busy day at work it’s hard to beat a good book! 😉 Blessings on your reading – and writing.
I loved Little House and the Anne books growing up. I’ve read them so many times! Looking forward to this release!
Such good stories. Thanks for joining us, Rachael! Happy Reading!
I love reading Jen’s books! I look forward to reading her new books. Thank you for this opportunity and for letting us get to know Jen better.
We appreciate you visiting, Tammy! Here’s hoping for a win! 😉 Have a great week.
I loved reading the Nancy Drew Mysteries as well
Hi Carol! Thanks for visiting us for the interview and giveaway. Good luck in the drawing. 😉
I’ve read A Match of Wits and would love to read another of your books. Favorite childhood books were The Ghosts by Antonia Barber and The Ghost Next Door by Wylly Folk St. John. I also loved mysteries, such as Trixie Belden and The Three Investigators. The House of 30 Cats was another one I loved.
Thanks for sharing, Michelle! We’re glad you could stop by. Good luck in the giveaway and happy reading!
Hi Savanna & Jen, My favorite books were Nancy Drew and Black Beauty and every other book I could find on horses !
My grandchildren and I loved all the Dr Souse books.
I have read all of Jen’s books except this one, I love the fun characters and the great story lines !
Thank you for the interview loved it
Hi Jackie! It’s great to see you here. You mentioned some great books. 😉 Hope you get to add this book of Jen’s to your reading list soon. Have a great week!
Oh, just in time to enter! Sounds fun, I’d like to read some of Jen Turano’s books. Thanks for giving away a copy. 🙂
Yep, you made it just in time, Rachel! 😉 Good luck in the giveaway. Thanks for taking the time to stop by for a visit.
Thank you so much, Savanna, for having me on your blog, and thank you to everyone who participated. I’m having a few problems with Comcast at the moment which is why I stopped replying a few days ago – and…honestly…these cable companies can just be really pesky – but…everything is back up except my correct phone #, so I’m off to an actual Comcast store today to do battle over that…Have a great rest of the week and God bless!