Interview with Jen Turano and a Giveaway!

Posted by abakersp in Spotlights / 27 Comments

Please join me in welcoming the lovely Jen Turano to the blog today!! She is one of my favorite people on this planet. I’ve met her twice now, both at CFRR – but this year I got to know her even more. And Caitlin talked to her as well, and just thought she was the best! 🙂

If you haven’t read her latest release, Diamond in the Rough, then you need to get reading pronto. My review of this delightful book can be found here. For now, let’s get straight to the interview! Make sure you go to the very end, Jen has graciously offered to giveaway a copy of the book!!!

Welcome back to the blog Jen! I have to admit, the first thing I noticed about you was your hair. Has it always been this way!? It’s so…….you, I honestly can’t picture you with any other hairdo.

So…the hair – yes, it’s always been somewhat…unruly. Hahaha. I’ve only had it short a few times in my life, but because there’s just so much of it, short doesn’t really work out well for me. It tends to just stick out, which is why I normally keep it long. This summer has been brutal, what with how hot its been, which is why I’ve sported the whole ponytail look for months. Less than sophisticated, but there you have it.   

Pretty much the minute I get home from work, my hair immedtiately goes into a ponytail or bun, so I get it! Let’s talk fashion for a moment. What time period is your favorite from a fashion standpoint?

I like the turn of the century the best. Even though corsets were still in play, the bustles were going away and silhouettes were slimmer. Skirt lengths were beginning to rise just a touch, which allowed ladies more freedom of movement, although I also really like the 1960’s because it’s just rather groovy.   

I always tease Caitlin about how I wish I could wear the clothing they wore back then! Speaking of Caitlin, it’s back-to-school time. What do you miss, or not miss, about school?

It’s been a really long time since I was in school, but I miss all the activities. Homecomings and dances, as well as hanging out with all of my friends, probably getting into a touch of mischief. Dom, my one and only son, just graduated from college and it’s definitely weird having him done with school. I do miss the days of gathering his school supplies when he was younger, and then listening to all his stories about those first few days of school. However, it’s cool to watch him try this whole adulting thing. Bit of an eye-opener for him.   

Caitlin will be going to college next year. I just can’t believe how fast she grew up! You put a LOT of humor in your writing. Do you have just as much humor in your day to day life?

Peculiar things happen to me frequently, many of those things amusing, so yes, humor is a huge part of my day, which does make life interesting.  

I can’t even imagine what it would be like to be in your house for one day! I know you love going for walks. What’s the most unusual thing that’s happened to you while on one of your walks?

I had a man expose himself to me one time. At first, I thought he was looking for something because he was bent over, but…nope, he was just taking off his pants. Needless to say, I didn’t linger long. He apparently did that to quite a few other women, and concerningly enough, he’s never been caught. Dom went out and bought me this retractable knife to go with the mace I carry. Honestly, even though he then taught me how to wield that knife, I can’t see me using it. Seems a tad too violent for my taste, but I’m carrying it with me, mostly because I think it’s sweet my son made such an effort to make sure his mom was armed on the trail. 

Oh my goodness! There are just no words…..so let’s just ask another question! If you weren’t writing, what do you think you’d be doing now?

I probably would have gone back to the fashion world. I was considering that once my son reached middle school and I wasn’t having much luck finding an agent. I loved being a buyer, but I do enjoy writing more, so I’m perfectly content where I am at the moment and am thankful I was finally able to break into the publishing world.    

Well we are thankful you were able to as well! What’s on your current playlist?

My playlists are somewhat eccentric. I just pulled my phone out, and my playlist has these songs on it –  Linkin Park, Numb Kelly Clarkson, Broken and Beautiful, The Goo Goo Dolls, Slide,  and Gavin DeGraw. I Don’t Want to Be.  Al (husband person) recently set up a new playlist for me – turns out, even after being married to me for thirty years, he has no idea what music I enjoy. The entire list was filled with eighties – and pop eighties at that. Not really my thing.   

HA! Well at least he tried.

Where do you come up with all those quirky sayings in your books?

They just strike me at the strangest times, like the grocery store or when I’m mowing the lawn. My characters like to talk to me while I do mundane chores, and that’s where a lot of my dialogue originates. 

Now I’m wondering if you are able to mow in a straight line! I’d just be laughing. Okay, so I should be serious for at least a question or two 🙂

What can readers expect from Diamond in the Rough?

“Diamond in the Rough” is one of my favorite stories to date. Not sure why, but it was a relatively easy story to write and I really enjoyed the characters, some of whom, such as Mr. Murray Middleton, weren’t supposed to have much time on the pages, but took on a life of their own, which always makes writing incredibly interesting because you just never know how a story is going to develop. It’s a story with redemption and forgiveness, as well as being happy with who you are, not who everyone expects you to be.    

I adore this story! Poppy is my favorite character of yours to date! Can you tell us what’s coming next!?

The third and final American Heiress story, “Storing Up Trouble” will release in late Spring 2020. It’s Miss Beatrix Waterbury tale and I just, as in last week, sent back the development edits, which means the hard part is over. After that, I’ll have a new series releasing “The Ladies of the Bleeker Street Inquiry Agency.” It’s early days for that series in that I’m just now drafting the first book. So far, the characters are not cooperating, no one wants to use the names I thought were perfect for them, and…it’s a hot mess. No need to fret, though, all of my series are a hot mess when I first start them. It’ll settle down in a few weeks, and then I’ll be in business. 

Oh my goodness I cannot wait for these!! Thank you so much for chatting with me today:)

Thanks so much for hosting me, Jessica!!  Always fun!!!

Diamond in the Rough (American Heiresses Book #2) by [Turano, Jen]

To save her family from financial ruin, Miss Poppy Garrison accepts an unusual proposition to participate in the New York social season in exchange for her grandmother settling a family loan that has unexpectedly come due. Ill-equipped to handle the intricacies of mingling within the New York Four Hundred, Poppy becomes embroiled in one hilarious fiasco after another, doomed to suffer a grand societal failure instead of being deemed the diamond of the first water her grandmother longs for her to become.

Reginald Blackburn, second son of a duke, has been forced to travel to America to help his cousin, Charles Wynn, Earl of Lonsdale, find an American heiress to wed in order to shore up his family estate that is in desperate need of funds. Reginald himself has no interest in finding an heiress to marry, but when Poppy’s grandmother asks him to give etiquette lessons to Poppy, he swiftly discovers he may be in for much more than he bargained for.

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Named One of the Funniest Voices in Inspirational Romance by Booklist, Jen Turano is a USA Today Best-Selling Author, known for penning quirky historical romances set in the Gilded Age. Her books have earned Publisher Weekly and Booklist starred reviews, top picks from Romantic Times, and praise from Library Journal. She’s been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances of the past decade from Booklist.  When she’s not writing, she spends her time outside of Denver, CO.

Connect with Jen:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jenturanoauthor

Twitter – JenTurano@JenTurano

web – www.jenturano.com

Diamond in the Rough (American Heiresses Book #2) by [Turano, Jen]

Jen is giving away (1) copy of Diamond in the Rough! To enter, please comment below with a quirky saying of your own.

Giveaway ends September 28th at 10:00 pm EST.

27 responses to “Interview with Jen Turano and a Giveaway!

  1. Melissa Andres

    I’m not sure I have one of my own, but my dad always said A clean pooper’s a happy pooper! ? Yep, he’s that kinda guy! Lol

  2. Alyssa Tillett

    “Hold on to your goats!” (Accidentally said this while driving. Now it’s become a saying. I meant to say hold on to your seat.)

  3. Courtney Martin

    Well I apparently have a few sayings that crack my roommate up so here we go!
    -What ever floats your goat
    -Their cornbread aint done in the middle (meaning you’re not all there?)
    -His cheese has slid right off his cracker
    -Hold your taters

  4. I LOVE this interview! I agree it was pretty awesome meeting Jen at CFRR earlier this year!! <3

    I know I say a lot of quirky things but not sure what stands out. I say "I miss your face" a lot instead of just "I miss you" to people (even if it's only been a few days since I've seen them haha), and now a lot of the kids in the youth group use it too lol.

  5. Lyndsey Baker

    Jessica, what a fun interview! I loved how different the questions were and yet very informative . Jen, I had a great time meeting you as well at CFRR. Can’t wait to see how your next series develops.

    • Lyndsey Baker

      Oh, and the quirky saying would be from my grandma. She referred to everything she didn’t like as communist. Always got great looks of confusion or distress out of people. Probably why she kept doing it.

  6. Faith Creech

    Thank you for taking the time to answer questions. Really looking forward to reading this book! As always it sounds so good, just like all your others!

  7. Connie Lee

    I like Forest Gump’s quote, Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.

  8. Pam K.

    I don’t really have any quirky sayings that I can think of. I do really enjoy Jen’s books and have read all her previous books. Diamond in the Rough is on my “must get” list though I don’t have it yet. Thanks for the chance to win it here.

  9. Kathleen

    The funniest one at our house came while in traffic on the way back home from church. My husband was driving and said, “You know what angels always say . . . come on, you nimnod.” Well, we were all expecting, “Fear not,” but I imagine they use that quite frequently as well!

  10. Kara Grant

    I don’t really have any quirky sayings, but my parents always make me laugh with clever ones 🙂 Thanks for the chance to win this book!
    Blessings, Kara

  11. MJSH

    My kids love saying someone or something is “classic” to say that he/she/it is old. It’s actually incredibly funny when a seven year old says it in the correct context.

  12. Ellie

    This isn’t my phrase, but I like it…”His/her elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top.” 🙂

  13. Christine M.

    I don’t know if I have a quirky phrase, but I love the word “caddywhompus” and I try to use it as much as possible. 🙂

  14. Cathy

    He told her how the cow ate the cabbage. (old saying – telling someone in no uncertain terms)

  15. Jessica

    I love all these sayings!!! Winner has been chosen – Congrats Alyssa Tillett!!!