Meet author Marguerite Gray
Marguerite Gray is the author of Hold Me Close, Surround Me, Bring Me Near, Draw Me to Your Side, and Wait for Me—Revolutionary Faith Series. She enjoys studying history and writing fiction. An avid traveler and reader, she has degrees in French, Spanish, and Journalism, and a MA in English. Presently, she is an online High School Spanish and French teacher and a part time librarian who lives in North Louisiana with her husband.
Tell us about your newest book.
I’m excited about my new series, Gardens in Time. Labor of Love is book one set in 1560 Florence, Italy. Ana lives at Pitti Palace with her Medici distant cousins. She’s trapped between two worlds, not really accepted in either. As a companion to the Medici daughter, Ana is well-educated, having all the manners and perks of the royalty without the title. Yet, she longs for her simple life in the country, now distant memories. When Marco arrives, the valley between the worlds widens. Could she maintain her garden plot and life without disruptions? Not as long as something sinister lurks in Pitti Palace.
What inspired you to write Labor of Love?
I love gardens and garden creations. I’ve traveled all over Europe and had great adventures in some beautiful gardens, as a child and as an adult. I also love history. What would it have been like to live at Pitti Palace when the gardens were coming to life? I found the date of the creation and attached a fictional story to the famous Medici family. My characters roam the gardens that I love.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
Labor of Love is a young woman’s journey while living in the ruling Medici family in Florence, Italy in 1560. She lives between two worlds, not promised a place in either the royal family or her family in the country. As her future is planned for her and an evil scheme develops, she wonders if God’s plan can overrule the rulers of the day.
What genre do you focus on?
I write historical Christian fiction. I focus on the motto: Entertain. Encourage. Educate. The fictional element allows the reader to enter a world with conflict, romance, intrigue, and secrets. The element of faith gives the reader a glimpse into how people face life’s changes, challenges, and choices with or without a noticeable and acknowledged belief in God. As a lover of history, I read and write historical stories, always wanting to learn something new. This genre encompasses all of these elements. A great package.
Why do you write?
I’m a reader first! Since I was a child, I’ve read everything I could wondering about the imaginations of the authors. Soon, I started creating stories of my own. It just took me a long time to write them. I find that I cannot stop writing, published or not. I’ll never be able to write novels for all my imaginings.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I research for about three months, using about twenty-five resources. I type all the notes and then outline the novel. For a ninety thousand word novel, I give myself three months to write the first draft. Everyday, I schedule three-four hours for writing. I have to be flexible because I work fulltime teaching online. Since I am a pen-and-paper gal, the next step is inputting into a Word document which ends up being the first major edit. While it is with my personal editor, I relax and breath. Once it is time to edit again, I set aside two to three hours a day. Eventually, my “baby” is published.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
Oh my! I’ve learned so much. I’ll admit it has been painful at times with rejections and loads of red marks. The lessons from critics and editors are worth all the strain, worries, tears, and fatigue. Even after six published novels, I feel I’m constantly changing and growing—for the better.
What is your favorite pastime?
Reading hands down. But I love to travel and hike where I can always have a book available. The outdoors revives me and gives me that energy boost to get things done. My favorite travel destination is the next place, wherever that is, on my calendar. For spring 2022, Peru and Scotland/England are my vacation journeys.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
Revolutionary Faith is a five-book series set in 1772-1782 Charles Town, South Carolina during the American Revolution. The journey covers the struggles of rumors of war and war in their hometown. The characters have to make decisions to fight, to marry, to flee, or to stay. Elizabeth’s life begins with peace and love of a faithful British family until the brewing political conflicts interrupt and call her to pick a side. That decision colors her life in every facet. Hold Me Close (1772-1773) Surround Me (1773-1774) Bring Me Near (1775) Draw Me to Your Side (1776) Wait for Me (1777-1782)
What are you working on now?
I recently completed a Christmas novella set in France in 1879 that will be part of a multi-author collection. Next, I am finishing a 50,000-word novel, the first in three books as part of another multi-author island collection. Book Two in the Gardens in Time series is Promise of Purity, Hampton Court, England in 1661. It is at the publisher’s now. I’m always writing, researching, or editing.
Website: https://margueritemartingray.com/
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/Labor-Love-Gardens-Time-Book-ebook/dp/B09B4BJ8FM/ref
Social media links:
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marguerite-martin-gray
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14836211.Marguerite_Martin_Gray
Amazon author: https://www.amazon.com/Marguerite-Martin-Gray/e/B01ASA16RC?ref
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margueritemgray/https://www.instagram.com/gardensintimefiction/ https://www.instagram.com/revolutionaryfaithseries/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/gray8864/_created/
Facebook author: https://www.facebook.com/margueritemartingray/
Meet author Danielle Grandinetti
Danielle Grandinetti is a book blogger at DaniellesWritingSpot.com. Her short stories have appeared in several publications and her writing has won the University of Northwestern Distinguished Faith in Writing Award. Originally from the Chicago area, she now lives along Lake Michigan’s Wisconsin shoreline with her husband and their two young sons. Danielle especially loves quiet mornings served with the perfect cup of tea.
Tell us about your newest book A Strike to the Heart
Wisconsin, 1933–When a routine mission becomes an ambush that kills his team, Craft Agency sniper Miles Wright determines to find the persons responsible and protect the woman he rescued. But the fierce independence that led Lily Moore to leave her family’s dairy business for the solitary life of a dog trainer and the isolation of her farm don’t make that easy. Neither does his unwanted attraction to her. Meanwhile, escalating incidents confirm that she’s far from safe.
Lily fears letting the surprisingly gentle retired marine into her life almost as much as she fears whoever is threatening her. As Wisconsin farmers edge toward another milk strike, one that will surely turn violent, it becomes clear that the plot against Lily may be part of a much larger conspiracy. When the search for her abductor leads close to home, she must decide whether to trust her family or the man who saved her life.
What inspired you to write A Strike to the Heart?
A Strike to the Heart began as a contemporary romantic suspense with a different situation at stake, however, something was missing. When 2020 hit, I learned that Wisconsin dairy farmers had to dump their cows’s milk because they were losing money by bringing it to the processing plants. What surprised me most, however, was that this had happened before. In 1933. The cost of milk was so low, dairy farmers staged a strike (three, actually) by dumping their milk alongside public roads. So I changed the setting of my story to take place during the 1933 milk strikes. It revolutionized my plot and A Strike to the Heart was born.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
A Strike to the Heart is a romantic suspense set during the Wisconsin Milk Strikes of 1933. A dairy farmer’s independent daughter must decide whether she should trust her family or the man who saves her life.
What genre do you focus on?
I love history. I love romance. And a story is always better with suspense. Put all three together and it’s perfect the description of what I both love to read and write.
Why do you write?
I attended a writer’s conference several years back where the teacher of one of the breakout sessions used the term “keyboard missionary.” That struck a nerve for me. I’ve always believed story is the most powerful way to share truth with another person. My hope is that my readers will discover a nugget of truth from within the pages of my stories, without me putting it into so many words.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Lily Moore and Miles Wright are my two main characters. Lily is a dog trainer and Miles is a retired Marine sniper. I chose their names because of the meanings and connotations. Lily’s personality is all about nature and Miles is a soldier.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I’m a work-from-home mom of a four year old and two year old, so I write whenever I can find sntaches of time. I also have an amazing husband who is my biggest supporter in carving out time to write.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
I’m an introvert, so putting myself out there from a marketing perspective is a challenge. I love talking books, but it’s hard to talk about my own.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
I love story. I always have. I love telling a story, writing a story, talking about a story. Any story.
What’s one thing your readers should know about you?
One thing that is unique about me: I once worked as an adjunct professor teaching Intercultural Communication at a university. I’ve traveled to several different countries, Italy topping the list, and am, myself, a second/third generation Italian-American.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
I began writing as a grade schooler, so there has been much growth. However, the lesson I’m continually reminded of lately is to trust who God made me as a writer. Instead of trying to fit what I think I should write, I need to quiet my head and trust the passion God has laid on my heart.
What is your favorite pastime?
Reading! I also love to cook and crochet.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
To Stand in the Breach is the prequel to A Strike to the Heart and it’s available in print and ebook: https://daniellegrandinetti.com/to-stand-in-the-breach/
What are you working on now?
I’m currently editing A Silent as the Night, the Christmas novella that wraps up the Strike to the Heart series. It releases in September.
Website: daniellegrandinetti.com
Link to book: https://daniellegrandinetti.com/a-strike-to-the-heart/
Social media links:
instagram.com/danielleswritingspot
facebook.com/danielleswritingspot
twitter.com/danielleswritingspot
goodreads.com/danielleswritingspot
bookbub.com/authors/danielle-grandinetti
amazon.com/Danielle-Grandinetti/e/B01BEU1602/
Meet author Janet Joanou Weiner
Janet Joanou Weiner is an American living in France for almost twenty years. She and her husband make their home in the 500-year-old Château de Planque, where she daily wishes the walls would tell her all the stories. Their small town in the south of France is steeped in history as epic and dramatic as the mountains soaring high just beyond her home. The beauty, the culture, the people are all constant sources of inspiration.
Tell us about your newest book.
Though Darkness Descend: The Huguenot Resistance Series, Book 1, is my debut novel, based on actual 17th-century events in my small town in southern France and the Château de Planque where I live.
The story focuses on a young Huguenot woman, Jeanne Tessier, who is unwilling to die for a faith she doesn’t possess. Where was God when she desperately needed him? In her darkest hour, he didn’t seem to hear or care. Jeanne has kept her lack of belief hidden from her Huguenot community. But with the imminent threat of twelve hundred dragoon soldiers sent by King Louis XIV to suppress them, she faces upheaval in every way–including her hope of marrying Etienne.
Fighting for her way of life, she follows Etienne against his wishes and warnings from her close friend Pierre. When the dragoons move into her home, the Château de Planque, Jeanne discovers where God is in suffering and death, who she truly is–and whom she truly loves.
What inspired you to write Though Darkness Descend?
I’ve always loved history and majored in it at university. I’m so grateful to live in an area with centuries of fascinating events.
When we moved to our small town in the south of France, into a 500-year-old château, I began researching the local history. I discovered story after incredible story of the stubborn faithfulness of the Huguenots despite severe persecution. Even in France, this chapter of history is not widely known. By sharing these events in the form of historical fiction, I hope many will find encouragement and inspiration.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
As 1200 dragoon soldiers arrive in her town, a young Huguenot woman faces persecution and possible death for a faith she doesn’t possess. Until now, she’s kept her lack of belief hidden. But with King Louis XIV determined to bring the Protestants under control, Jeanne embarks on a journey that leads to an unforeseen end.
What genre do you focus on and why?
Historical fiction is my personal favorite, so that’s what I write. I find it fascinating to learn of different times and cultures, and nothing makes it more alive than living it with great characters.
Why do you write?
I write because it is what God has asked me to do so. I write because I have so many words! So, I thought I’d better put them into stories before driving my family and friends crazy.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
My main character is Jeanne Tessier, a young Huguenot (French Protestant) woman. Her name is a common one from the time (17th century) and also happened to be my name in middle school French class.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I aim to write mornings, usually Monday through Saturday, for 2-4 hours a session.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
It’s challenging to get the word out about the book beyond family and friends.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
For me, the joy of co-creating with God is deeply satisfying. I’m continually amazed at the ideas that flow out.
What’s one thing your readers should know about you?
I’ve lived in four different countries: USA/California, the Netherlands, France (the French Alps, Paris, the south of France), and Kona, Hawaii (not really a country, but a unique culture). And I’ve traveled to over 40 countries, primarily for mission work.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
I’m still relatively new to writing, but as I work on my second novel, I’m happy to apply the many lessons learned through crafting the first book.
What is your favorite pastime?
Collage-making, watercolor, and reading. I also love long walks in nature.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
Not yet. I have plans for the Huguenot Resistance Series to have four books. I’ve also compiled memoirs and travel stories that include humor and spiritual insights, which I hope to publish someday.
What are you working on now?
The second book in the Huguenot Resistance Series. Also based on events and people in my town and region, it picks ups 17 years after the end of Book 1. Again, some of the characters from Though Darkness Descend appear, plus several new ones.
Website:
Link to book:
Social media links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janetjoanouw/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janet.weiner
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.fr/janetjw/_created/
Meet author Karin Beery
Karin Beery grew up in rural Michigan, where she wrote her first novel in high school. Today, she writes contemporary stories with a healthy dose of romance. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s reading, editing, or teaching it. In her free time, she enjoys watching University of Michigan football and action-adventure movies with her husband and fur babies.
Tell us about your newest book.
Two years ago, Jessica Miller made a mess of her already confusing life. Now, she’s back in Boyne Heights, and she’s determined to fix her reputation. She can’t seem to avoid the past that haunts her, but that’s the joy of small-town life—word spreads and people remember. Intent on her mission, however, she faces her past head-on, taking a job with her ex-boyfriend while avoiding her grandmother’s attempts to find her a new one.
What inspired you to write Avoiding Marriage?
I didn’t want to go too long between publishing books and I didn’t have a contract yet, so I decided to self-publish a novella. I wanted to follow-up Practically Married with a redemption story for Jess—she’s Russ’s ex-girlfriend, and I wanted to show why she and Russ would break up if they were so perfect for each other on paper.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
Jess made a mess of her life, but she’s back and she’s determined to fix her reputation, even if that means working for her ex-boyfriend and avoiding her grandmother’s attempts to find her a new one.
What genre do you focus on?
My stories are romantic women’s fiction. The stories focus on the women and their lives, but I always include a sweet romantic line.
Why do you write?
I started writing as a way to deal with the pressures of life (my husband was dealing with cancer at the time; he’s fine now). Once I started writing, I wanted to figure out what it would take to get published. Now I’m sort of hooked—I always have a story idea that I want to flesh out (I just wish I wrote faster!).
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
In Avoiding Marriage, Jess is named after my good friend Jessica. She was one of my bride’s maids and continues to be a friend. Whenever I need a name, I scroll through Facebook to see if I can find one that sticks with me.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I’m terrible about finding time to write, which is why it takes me so long to finish a book. The best way for me to write is something like NaNoWriMo, where you force yourself to write 50,000 words in a month. I have to skip everything and force myself not to socialize for the sake of finishing that first draft.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
For me, it’s making time to write. I work as a book editor, so at the end of the day I don’t always want to stay at my computer. It’s currently taking me eighteen months to finish a manuscript, and that’s too long. I need to figure out a way to motivate myself to write faster.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
Research! You can’t write well if you don’t know the market and the industry, so reading is a must.
What’s one unusual fact about you?
I don’t really like chocolate. I like it with things, but I rarely eat it alone. I’m more about textures—I’ll take a chewy treat over a chocolate treat almost every time.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
In too many ways to list here, so I’ll focus on one—I’m figuring out my method, which is making me a better writer. I wrote my first novel without any plans or notes. I tried to outline my second novel and went completely off track within the first third of the story. I’m still figuring it out, but I now use a combo of character development and a basic outline to put everything together.
What is your favorite pastime?
I love hanging out with people. We can be watching movies, kayaking, sitting at a coffee shop—I don’t really care. I just like being with people.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
I do! My debut novel Summer Plans and Other Disasters is available in print, ebook, and now on audio. I also have Practically Married, the award-nominated prequel to Avoiding Marriage. That’s not on audio yet, but maybe someday.
What are you working on now?
I’m writing book three in a series about three sisters in Northern Michigan. It’s romantic women’s fiction about the middle daughter, a professional musician who’s ready to try something new with her life. My agent is pitching book one of the series to publishers now.
Website: https://karinbeery.com
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/Avoiding-Marriage-Practically-Married-Novella-ebook/dp/B093RGB9RD/
Social media links:
https://www.facebook.com/authorkarinbeery/
https://twitter.com/karinbeery
https://www.instagram.com/karinbeery/
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/karin-beery
https://www.amazon.com/Karin-Beery/e/B07HQ2GZQS
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2666258-karin
Meet author Mary Davis
Tell us about your newest book, Mrs. Witherspoon Goes to War.
Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon is a thirty-four-year-old widow, mother of two, flying for the WASP. When her new supervisor, Army Air Corp Major Howie Berg, gives her an order she can’t follow, sparks fly. In the course of her duties, Peggy learns of US soldiers being held captive in Cuba. She undertakes a daring rescue mission. She will need all her WASP skills to succeed and come out of this alive while trying not to ignite an international incident.
What inspired you to write Mrs. Witherspoon Goes to War?
My agent asked if I had a WWII story idea that might fit in with Barbour’s Heroines of WWII series. I had to tell her I didn’t. I knew women had done some military flying but didn’t know the details, so I jump into some quick research. An idea started forming with a WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots). I wrote a brief one-page outline of my rough idea. I knew I couldn’t take too much time away from my contracted project to write a whole proposal if I was going to be told the publisher already had a story in the series about a WASP, which I assumed they had. Because who wouldn’t want to write about lady pilots? I wrote a proposal, and well…as they say, the rest is history.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
A WWII WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) embarks on an unsanctioned mission to rescue three US soldiers held captive in Cuba.
What genre do you focus on?
Historical Romance. I do like writing contemporary romance and other sub-genres of romance. I was writing both historical and contemporary romances when my agent at the time told me to pick one or the other. It was hard. I had recently won an award for a historical, had a couple of historical proposals floating around, and was contracted for a short historical series, so I chose historical romance. That was years ago. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t dabbled in various arenas. I currently have some contemporary ideas I’m exploring.
Why do you write?
I write because I believe the Lord has called me to write. Often, but not always, my characters drive me. The only way I can get them to stop pestering me, is to write their stories. They can be quite demanding.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon is a 34-year-old widow with two young daughters who flies for the Women Airforce Service Pilots during WWII. Sometimes there is a lot of attention and intention that goes into naming a character and it can take a long time to find just the right name. Not so with Peggy. I was pressed for time as I was under a quickly approaching deadline, and I need to shoot off a potential idea to my agent to see if the editor liked my premise. Peggy is a name that is appropriate for the era. Peggy is a nickname for Margaret. Then she needed a last name, and Witherspoon popped into my head. And I never looked back or contemplated any changes to her name.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
What is this schedule thing you speak of? I’m a bit free-wheeling when it comes to my schedule. I have always had to write in between interruptions. If I had a ridged time I had to write when my children were young, I would have been too stressed and frustrated. Now that they are all grown up, it still works for when Hubby wants to do something.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
Marketing. My brain isn’t wired for marketing, but it is a necessary evil these days. I can spend all day frolicking with my characters and be energized. But it takes less than an hour of marketing to drain me of all my energy and wipe out all my creativity for the rest of the day or more.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
Having so many friends who live in my head. I’m never alone, and I can manage the expectations they have of me. If I don’t like what one character is saying to me, I can visit with another.
What’s one thing your readers should know about you?
I’m a slooooooow reader. Reading has always been a challenge for me because I’m dyslexic. So what in the world am I doing being a writer? I guess God has a sense of humor. He wants me to depend on Him. I can’t do this writing thing in my own strength. He is strong in my weakness.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
Have I? I guess I’m better at English and some spelling. Pretty much, I can’t spell my way out of wet paper bag to save my life. I’m more confident in my writing. I know some of the things that work and why.
What is your favorite pastime?
Crafting. I love doing stuff with my hands and creating things. My crafting interests include sewing, quilting, clothes making, porcelain doll making, crocheting, knitting, paper crafting, and more.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
I have been published for over 22 years. https://www.amazon.com/Mary-Davis/e/B00JKRBJKE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1513048567&sr=1-1
What are you working on now?
I’m currently editing book 5 in my Quilting Circle series. I’m also editing/rewriting a novel a family member wrote in the 1990s. She has passed away, and her sister gave me the novel to do with whatever I want. I plan to self-publish it once I’m done with it. I’m also planning to get back to a contemporary Christmas novella I’ve been wanting to finish.
Website: https://www.amazon.com/Mary-Davis/e/B00JKRBJKE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1513048567&sr=1-1
Link to book:
https://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Witherspoon-Goes-Heroines-WWII-ebook/dp/B09FP8Y3G8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1642528465&sr=1-1
Social media links:
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dekl_5
FB Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/132969074007619/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mary-Davis/e/B00JKRBJKE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1513048567&sr=1-1
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8126829.Mary_Davis
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-davis
Blog: https://marydavis1.blogspot.com/
Meet author Jen Turano
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. Readers may find her at www.jenturano.com – https://www.facebook.com/jenturanoauthor/ https://www.instagram.com/jenturanoauthor/
Tell us about your newest book.
To Disguise the Truth is the third and final book in the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency series, but it may be read as a standalone. It revolves around Eunice Holbrooke, a mysterious lady who hides beneath widow’s weeks, and has secrets from her past she isn’t keen to divulge – until Mr. Arthur Livingston shows up out of the blue, wanting to hire her agency to find a missing heiress. Que the start of some very interesting chaos.
What inspired you to write To Disguise the Truth?
I always turn in a book proposal to my editing team before I begin writing a new series. I wasn’t exactly certain where this last book was going to go, but once Eunice showed up in book one, “To Steal a Heart,” I realized she was going to have to have a fairly interesting backstory. She is the owner of the Holbrooke Boardinghouse, and it’s the ladies in that house who form the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency. Eunice is the character who flits through the first two books, and as she did that flitting, her story kept changing. Thankfully, by the time I began writing her story, I knew I wanted to write a book about forgiveness, as well as embracing your truth, and that’s what inspired a good portion of the entire book. I mean, it’s a Jen Turano book so there’s a lot of mayhem to get to those truths, but that’s what made it a fun book to write.
What genre do you focus on?
I write historical romantic comedies set in the Gilded Age, and I write these because I have a very odd sense of humor, which comes in handy since I write comedy, and the Gilded Age has provided me with mountains of fodder for stories.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Eunice Holbrooke is the heroine of my latest book. I chose her name because everyone has this preconceived notion about who a Eunice should be and…I like to twist preconceived notions around and give readers a name that is at complete opposites for who my character actually is.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I usually write for at least eight hours a day, Monday through Friday. This changes to eighteen hours or more when I’m on a tight deadline or finishing up a first draft. That’s the only time I work on the weekends, but when I get to that point in a story, I just have to finish because the entire ending of the book is unfolding in my head and I won’t be able to sleep until it’s down on the page.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
The hardest part for me is simply juggling everything. Unlike when I was writing for fun, contracts come with obligations. I have deadlines, but while I’m writing a first draft for a new story, I’ll have edits come in for a previous story, sometimes more than one story. Then I always have a release mixed in there as well, so it was difficult for me at first to not allow the writing part of my life to take over everything. I’ve recently cut back from releasing two books a year to releasing one every nine months, and for now, I have time to breathe. With that said, I’ve gotten a little bored, so I might rethink my schedule again.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
I know this sounds cliché, but the readers are really the best part. I love interacting with them and hearing their stories. I’ve really missed being able to go to reader retreats during this horrible pandemic.
One unusual thing about me?
Hmmm….I have so many. I’m a bit of a weirdo, and contrary to what most people think about authors, I’m not an introvert – more on the lines of a social butterfly.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
I think most authors grow as they spend more time in the business. Working with an editing team has allowed me to pick up on some of my bad habits – you know, too much backstory or history dumps (okay, I still do this, but the Gilded Age is fascinating.) Also, with every story, I tweak my writing style because I always want to produce a book that’s fresh and not like my previous books.
What is your favorite pastime?
Walking on the trail. I used to jog, but I’m getting old, so power-walking it is, unless my dog spots a deer, then it’s a downright run.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
I have a lot of books published through Bethany House. Here’s the list:
Ladies of Distinction Series
Gentleman of Her Dreams (an e-novella)
A Change of Fortune
A Most Peculiar Circumstance
A Match of Wits
A Class of Their Own Series
After a Fashion
In Good Company
Playing the Part
Apart From the Crowd Series
At Your Request (an e-novella)
Behind the Scenes
Out of the Ordinary
Caught by Surprise
Grand Encounters (featured in the Serving Up Love novella collection)
American Heiresses Series
Flights of Fancy
Diamond in the Rough
Storing Up Trouble
The Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency
To Steal a Heart
To Write a Wrong
To Disguise the Truth
What are you working on now?
I’m working on the second book in a new series – The Matchmakers. The first book is tentatively titled “A Match in the Making” and this second book is tentatively titled “To Spark a Match.”
Social media:
Website: www.jenturano.com
Link to book: To Disguise the Truth | Baker Publishing Group
Social media links: @jenturanoauthor – Instagram
www.facebook.com/jenturanoauthor – Facebook