Author Interview - Jen Turano

Anne: Today our interview is with Jen Turano, author of A Change of Fortune and A Most Peculiar Circumstance. Yesterday I reviewed A Most Peculiar Circumstance (click HERE to read that review), and last October I reviewed A Change of Fortune (click HERE).

Welcome, Jen. I hope your day is going well. As usual, my first question is: What inspired A Most Peculiar Circumstance?

Jen: Mr. Theodore Wilder [the main male character] was my biggest inspiration for writing this book. He was such an intriguing gentleman that I knew the moment he appeared in A Change of Fortune, he would need his own story.

Anne: Do you build your characters before you start writing or do they develop their own characters as you write?

Jen: I normally have a vague idea about who my characters are going to be, but they normally always change once they hit the page!

Anne: How do you choose locations for your books?

Jen: Because the entire Ladies of Distinction series is set in the Gilded Age, and because the series centers around families of wealth, there really wasn't a choice but to set it in New York City because that was where the social elite lived - at least part of the year.

Anne: Why did you choose this time period?

Jen: I chose the 1880's because it's such a fascinating time. Industry was growing by leaps and bounds and more people than ever were making huge fortunes which caused quite a bit of mayhem within society as the old families tried to retain their influence on society.

Anne: What is your favorite part of this book?

Jen: My favorite part of the book is at the farm - but I must admit, I do adore the jail scene.

Anne: Why do you write?

Jen: I write because I finally figured out why God blessed me with a rather odd sense of humor.

Anne: And finally, Jen, would you like to tell us about your next venture?

Jen: Book three, A Talent for Trouble, comes out in October 2013, with Book four following in 2014. I've also been working on what could be a different series - sort of a rags to riches theme, but it's still pretty rough.

Anne: Sounds like a heavy work schedule, Jen. God bless you, and God bless His work through you!