Author Interviews
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Interview with Jen Turano #2 + Giveaway
8/30/2018
About the AuthorJen Turano is a graduate of the University of Akron with a degree in Clothing and Textiles. She pursued a career in management for nine years before switching to full-time motherhood after the birth of her son. When she's not writing, Jen can be found watching her teenage son participate in various activities, taking long walks with her husband and dog, socializing with friends, or delving into a good book. She lives in suburban Denver, Colorado. Learn more at www.jenturano.com. The Interview1. Whom or what inspired you to become an author? Becoming an author was one of those weird things. I never aspired to become a writer, in fact, it never entered my mind. To me, authors were odd creatures, very glamorous of course, and coming from a household of less than artistic types, writing wasn’t even on my horizon when I went off to college. With that said, though, I also wrote – whether it was skits for my sorority or turning in ten pages in my English classes when three would have sufficed. Then, when my son was in third grade, we read this awful series about birds. After book number six, he decided we could write a better story together, so that’s what we did. That book never went anywhere, but it was just so much fun to write that I started dabbling with other genres. Seven books later, I finally landed an agent, and I’ve been writing ever since. 2. What did you want to be when you grew up? I’m pretty sure I was convinced I was going to be a movie star. The only problem with that was I can’t act and get horrible stage fright whenever I’m in front of people. 3. What authors do you enjoy? Do these authors inspire your own writing? I enjoy too many authors to count, from Lisa Wingate to Susan Elizabeth Phillips, John Grisham to Julia Quinn, and the list goes on and on. I tend to stay away from historical when I’m writing a first draft because I find myself mimicking those stories and lose my voice. 4. If you could travel anywhere in the world for book research (expense covered for you by an anonymous donor), where would you go and why? I’d go to Scotland because it’s gorgeous there and I do have some Scottish ancestry. Not sure I’d get my research done, but I imagine something in the landscape would bring about all sorts of new story ideas. 5. If you could go to tea with one of the characters from Caught by Surprise, who would it be and why? I’d like to go to tea with Mercy Miner because she’s just such an unusual sort – has lived a life of service and is only now finding her way. 6. What inspired the idea for Caught by Surprise? I’ve been wanting to do a full-length friends to something more story and decided “Caught by Surprise” would be the perfect time to try that out. And then, after I read about A.T. Stewart getting his body stolen and held for ransom, well, the plot just took off from there. 7. What inspired the idea for the Apart from the Crowd Series? How did this become a 3 book series? The Vanderbilt family left quite the mark in the Gilded Age, and I’ve read numerous books on that family and the privileged life all of them led. However, I was always bothered by the idea that Alva Vanderbilt forced her daughter, Consuelo, to marry the Duke of Montrose, even thought Consuelo didn’t want to marry that man because she was in love with someone else. That got me to thinking this – What would have happened if Consuelo refused to marry the duke? That’s when the idea for the series was formed. Since I always write series, I developed three grand American heiresses, and…”Apart from the Crowd” began to take shape. 8. When you are not writing, what other "hats" do you wear? I used to spend most of my time being Dom’s mom, but since he did the unthinkable and grew up, and is in his last year of college, I don’t really have much to do as a mom these days – which is very weird. One minute you’re spending all your time at the playground, school events, pools, and the zoo, and the next, well, you’ve been abandoned. These days my husband and I spend a lot of our time meeting our friends out for dinner and concerts, and then I like to work out in the yard. I love cutting grass, although I could do without operating a weed-whacker. Those things always give me trouble. Giveaway
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Interview with Jaime Jo Wright #3
8/2/2018
About the AuthorProfessional coffee drinker, Jaime Wright, resides in the hills of Wisconsin. She loves to write spirited turn-of-the-century romance, stained with suspense. Her day job finds her as a Director of Sales & Development. She’s wife to a rock climbing, bow-hunting Pre-K teacher, mom to a coffee-drinking little girl, and a little boy she fondly refers to as her mischievous “Peter Pan”. Jaime completes her persona by being an admitted social media junkie and coffee snob. She is a member of ACFW and has the best writing sisters EVER! The InterviewFun Questions1. What is your favorite dessert? Cherry pie 2. What is your favorite beverage? Coffee 3. What is your favorite movie and/or TV show? Arrow (The Green Arrow) on the CW 4. Where is your favorite place to go on holiday? Rome. I love Rome with a passion. Author Quetions1. What did you want to be when you grew up? A famous pop star - LOL Did becoming an author ever cross your mind? Yep. That too! LOL I sorta wanted to be everything. 2a. What authors do you enjoy? I enjoy a wide variety of authors. I am a huge fan of Jocelyn Green, Kara Isaac, Cara Putman, Colleen Coble, and then several in the General market too: Kerri Maniscalco, Simone St. James, Susannah Kearsley . . . 2b. Do these authors inspire your own writing? I think I’m inspired by all of them in one way or another. I’m always learning and gleaning from what other authors have to teach me. 3. When you are not writing, what other "hats" do you wear? I am a full-time Director of Employee Sales & Development. I also have two littles and a husband. I like to bow hunt (haven’t had much time lately, though!). Book Questions1. What inspired the idea for The House on Foster HIll? The question “If walls could talk, would I listen?” And musing on all the sights walls have witnessed and how those images are trapped within old homes and abandoned places. 2. What do you want readers to take away from reading The House on Foster Hill? I’d like them to take away a satisfying read! LOL I mean, who wants to close a book and be all, “whew, glad that’s finally done”! 😉 LOL! But also, I’d like them to take away a new or renewed perspective of Hope. Hope that is lasting and eternal. 3a. What is your current WIP? My next release is The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. (Check out the author interview for this book HERE.) 3b. What can you tell us about this project? It’s about a town with lots of dirty little secrets and what happens when someone decides it’s time those secrets are told. Interview with Teresa Richards
8/1/2018
About the Authoreresa Richards writes YA, but loves anything that can be given a unique twist. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, got a degree in Speech Pathology from Brigham Young University, then moved to the east coast for a little adventure. A little adventure turned into a long one, and she spent the next fifteen years living just outside New York City. Now she's settled somewhere between coasts with her husband and five kids, and has realized that writing is her passion. When Teresa's not writing, she can be found chasing after one of her littles, driving one of her teens around, or hiding in the house with a treat she's not planning to share. She is represented by Mallory Brown of Triada Literary Agency. The Interview1. Who or what inspired you to become an author? Honestly, it was always something I wanted to do, but never got around to. It wasn’t until my husband went back to school for his MBA after we had five kids (while continuing to work full time) and I was left alone in the evenings after the kids went to bed while he did homework. I guess I was ready to use my brain again after taking care of babies for a decade. One night I sat down and just started writing. I didn’t come up for air until, three months later, I had a full-length novel. 2. Who are some of your favorite authors? Do these authors inspire your own writing? Maggie Stiefvater is at the top of the list. When I read her words, they inspire me to twist reality and see things in a new light. I also love Marissa Meyer and AG Howard. 3. What top 5 books do you currently have on your TBR pile? 1) Speak Easy, Speak Love by McKelle George 2) Seeking Mansfield by Kate Watson 3) Migon by PC Keeler 4) The Rose Queen by Alison McBain 5) a craft book—The Emotional Craft of Fiction. 4. If you could go to lunch with one of the characters from The Windfall App, who would it be and why? I’d go out with Marina’s grandma, who Marina calls Popo (the Cantonese word for maternal grandma). Popo is a strong woman, but her strength is tempered with kindness. And her belief in all sorts of good luck charms makes me giggle. We wouldn’t go out to lunch, though. We’d go to The Cookie Crumb, her favorite place for a treat. 5. When you are not writing, what other "hats" do you wear? I have five kids, so I’m a taxi driver, psychologist, nurse, life coach, cook, maid, etc, etc, etc. I also work part-time as an orthodontic assistant, where I take a break from torturing fictional teens and do it to real ones instead. 6. What inspired the idea for The Windfall App? I heard a radio add for the state lottery where the prize was a large sum of money every day for life. My first thought was, Holy cow, that’s a lot of money. And then I started wondering—if an eighteen-year-old won, would the state really be willing to pay out that much money for the rest of that person’s life, or would they find some way out of it, through whatever means necessary? 7. What did you as a writer take away from writing The Windfall App? A new appreciation for the culture I was writing in. Marina is half Chinese—her mother and grandmother emigrated from Hong Kong, and her mother married a Caucasian man. So Marina has a rich cultural history, which I really love. I enjoyed working with several close friends to get the details right, and I learned a lot in the process. 8. What is your current WIP? What can you tell us about it? I’m currently working on another YA contemporary that I’m really excited about. It’s about a girl who reinvents herself by starting a roller skating gymnastics team after a scandalous picture of her goes viral and destroys her reputation. Never heard of roller skating gymnastics? Search The Moxi Skate Team and prepare to have your mind blown. You’re welcome! |
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