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About the Book
Book: Behind the Scenes
Author: Jen Turano
Genre: Inspirational Historical Romance
Release Date: April, 2017
Miss Permilia Griswold may have been given the opportunity of a debut
into New York high society, but no one warned her she wasn’t guaranteed
to “take.” After spending the last six years banished to the wallflower
section of the ballroom, she’s finally putting her status on the
fringes of society to good use by penning anonymous society gossip
columns under the pseudonym “Miss Quill.”
Mr. Asher Rutherford has managed to maintain his status as a
reputable gentleman of society despite opening his own department store.
While pretending it’s simply a lark to fill his time, he has quite
legitimate reasons for needing to make his store the most successful in
the country.
When Permilia overhears a threat against the estimable Mr. Rutherford,
she’s determined to find and warn the man. Disgruntled at a first
meeting that goes quite poorly and results in Asher not believing her,
she decides to take matters into her own hands, never realizing she’ll
end up at risk as well.
As Asher and Permilia are forced to work together and spend time away
from the spotlight of society, perhaps there’s more going on behind the
scenes than they ever could have anticipated. . . .
About the Author
Jen Turano,
author of nine books and two novellas, is a graduate of the University
of Akron with a degree in clothing and textiles. She is a member of ACFW
and lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado. Visit her website at
www.jenturano.com.
My Thoughts
Jen Turano is a joy to read and this book was just fun. While it wasn't my favorite by her, her writing and story lines crack me up. I am pretty sure I would love to meet Jen in person some day! The whole idea about this particular series is a perfect opportunity for hilarious predicaments. Wallflowers, which are ladies who stand on the sidelines and avoid social interaction or have become "outcasts" in a way. Hiding behind the plants (hehe just wait until you read about it) and extremely awkward conversations fill this book. I really liked Permilia and many of the secondary characters. I am eager to read more from Jen and I highly recommend her books!
"Thanks to Celebrate Lit and the publisher for offering me a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own."
Interview With Jen Turano
- What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you personally?
Amusing things happen to me all the time, but I think my favorite was
back in college when I was a lifeguard. You see, there’s a lifeguard
code – You will be cool at all times, especially when you’re sitting
in a lifeguard chair, twirling your whistle exactly so, and, you
know…looking cool. So, there I was, in my black lifeguard bathing
suit – swinging my whistle. It was an unusually hot day, so I’d angled
my umbrella exactly right as I watched the diving-board section. Now, I
know this might come as a surprise, but being a lifeguard at the
neighborhood pool isn’t exactly thrilling. It’s rare that anything
exciting happens, and that particular day was no exception…until a large
gust of wind came out of nowhere and the umbrella took it upon itself
to close – right over me. And because it was now really gusty, the
umbrella then lifted up, taking me with it right off the chair and into
the depths of the deep end of the pool. From all accounts, it was quite
the sight. First, there I was, swinging my whistle and looking groovy.
Then all you could see were my legs flailing about as the umbrella
covered the rest of me, and then…I was plummeting toward the pool, hit
the water with the umbrella over me, and promptly sank. Obviously I
managed to get out of the umbrella, but in the process, part of my
bathing suit came off, and…well, that’s a story for another day.
- What is your favorite book from your childhood?
“Andrew Henry’s Meadow.” It was actually my little brother’s book,
gotten from one of those book of the month clubs, but I loved it. I
recently found a copy on an e-site and ordered it, and it’s just as
delightful today as it was back in my childhood.
- Who does the cooking and cleaning in your house when you are on a deadline?
I don’t actually cook much even when I’m not on deadline, so that’s
not really an issue. Al and I do a lot of salads or throw some chicken
on the grill. We also have a lot of grocery stores that have wonderful
deli and gourmet foods, so we get a lot of things there. As for
cleaning, I’m one of those neurotic people who can’t work without
everything being in place, so I do a lot of tidying up before I go to
bed. And, because I do some of my best thinking when I clean, I’ve been
known to abandon my writing when I get stuck and pick up a mop or
cleaning rag, which means my house is rarely a disaster since I need to
get unstuck a lot.
- Where is your favorite place to write?
I do the majority of my writing in my office, although I will
occasionally take a pad of paper and a pen outside to handwrite when I
get bored of my office or it’s a really nice day and I don’t feel like
being trapped inside. It’s not that my office is my favorite place to
write, it’s more that my writing is my job and I’m more focused on that
writing when I approach it as such.
- What is your favorite part of the writing process?
I really like when characters and new story ideas begin to fester.
That normally happens when I’m in the midst of another series. By the
time I’m done with whatever series I’m working on, the next series is
pretty firmly set in my mind, which means I can jump right in as I wait
for edits on recently completed work. My absolute favorite part of
writing, though, is when I turn in the very final edit on a book and
don’t see it again until it comes out in print. Although, I must admit,
I’ve never, not once, read one of my books after it has gone to print.
Seems rather pointless since I do always know how the book is going to
end.
- Why did you choose the timeframe or setting this book is written in?
I’ve been wanting to set a book during Alva Vanderbilt’s famous
costume ball of March, 1883, for years. Since I decided to slowly travel
through the Gilded Age, I just reached 1883 on my plot timeline, so
knew I was finally going to get to throw some characters into the very
midst of Alva’s ball. It was a blast to write, loved going back to all
my books on this particular ball and seeing the pictures, and only wish
the Vanderbilt house at 660 Fifth Avenue was still standing so I could
visit it in person to visualize the splendors located inside a little
more clearly.
- What inspires you?
I think like most writers, I simply get inspired by the world around
me. I love to people watch, and I love to imagine all sorts of
outlandish scenarios as I do that watching. I also get inspired by
reading the headlines of the daily papers, and by the research books I
read. I also love to look through old photographs of the Gilded Age, and
became intrigued with Alva Vanderbilt’s ball when I saw a picture of a
young lady, Miss Kate Strong, with a stuffed cat on her head and wearing
a choker necklace with the name Puss engraved on it. That was all it
took for me to investigate the Vanderbilt ball further, delighted to
discover it truly was a ball that only comes along every blue moon.
Blog Stops
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Jen is giving away
a $25 Barnes and Noble Gift Card and the four books: After a Fashion,
In Good Company, Playing the Part, Behind the Scenes!! Click below to
enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra
entries!
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4664b04910/
