1--What is the title of your latest release?
A LESSON IN PROPRIETY
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
With her father dead, her fortune stolen, and her fiancé casting her aside, Miss Drusilla Merriweather's privileged life has been upended. She is left with only one option: to provide for her family by opening a finishing school in the allegedly haunted castle she's inherited from her eccentric aunt. However, her plan is immediately threatened by unscrupulous developers keen on claiming the coveted estate for themselves by any means necessary.
Mr. Rhenick Wittenbecker, a dashing architect with a tendency to charm his way out of trouble, is convinced he can protect Drusilla but is challenged by her fierce independence. Yet when strange occurrences--walking suits of armor and unexpected ghostly visitors--arise within the castle's grounds, Drusilla must decide whether to risk her family's safety and her school on the gallant architect who seems to have found his way into her heart.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I needed a place where a member of the upper echelons of New York high society would shudder at the mere thought of living, so – Chicago it was.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Of course. I always write my heroines with one of my friends in mind, which is why I always adore them.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Proper, practical, bit sassy.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
That the Palmer House Mansion cost over a million dollars to build on Lake Shore Drive in 1883.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I edit throughout the drafting process. I always reread the last two chapters when I open up my story for the day, and then, by the time I turn my book in, I’ve edited it seven times. Just seems to work for me.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
chips and dips
9--Describe your writing space/office!
I’ve just recently moved to Florida, so I had to leave my she-shed behind in Denver. However, I now have a really cute office, painted sea mist green, with a large window that looks out over my front yard/porch – although I have to close my curtains a lot as the sun seems to beckon often and I know the beach is out there, just waiting for me to take a swim.
10--Who is an author you admire?
Too many to count, but I adore Elizabeth Camden because her historical research is simply amazing.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
All Nancy Drew books when I was a child because they’re the reason I turned into an avid reader.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
It took me five years and seven different manuscripts before my work was what I call “publishing worthy.” She signed me for a regency romantic comedy, but that’s not the book she sold. Instead, I wrote “A Change of Fortune” after the story just popped into my head while my agent was shopping the regency around. I wrote the book, sent it to her, and she called me a week later and told me we had offers, but that Bethany House was going to take it to pub-committee, so we were going to hang tight. Three weeks later, she called and said they’d made an offer, and I’ve been writing for them ever since.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
Romance, suspense, thrillers, mysteries, and YA
14--What’s your favorite movie?
Ever after
15--What is your favorite season?
Fall
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I’m fairly low-key, so I prefer going out to dinner with my friends/family.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I recently rewatched Knight and Day, and you know, that movie didn’t do well at the box office, but it’s hilarious.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Italian
19--What do you do when you have free time?
Hike, kayak, paddleboard, and now, since I’m in Florida, go to the beach. I’ve been trying out surfing, but hmmm…not really what you could call proficient, and I seem to eat a lot of sand while trying to surf.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
The second book in the Merriweather Academy for Young Ladies, IN PURSUIT OF CIVILITY will be out in April, 2026. I’m currently writing the third book in that series A DASH OF DECORUM, and when I finish that, I’ll be writing a Christmas story, currently untitled.
Merriweather Academy for Young Ladies #1
LESSON ONE: Stand in the way of the Windy City's criminal world and expect a most improper proposal from an eligible gentleman in return.
With her father dead, her fortune stolen, and her fiancé casting her aside, Miss Drusilla Merriweather's privileged life has been upended. She is left with only one option: to provide for her family by opening a finishing school in the allegedly haunted castle she's inherited from her eccentric aunt. However, her plan is immediately threatened by unscrupulous developers keen on claiming the coveted estate for themselves by any means necessary.
Mr. Rhenick Wittenbecker, a dashing architect with a tendency to charm his way out of trouble, is convinced he can protect Drusilla but is challenged by her fierce independence. Yet when strange occurrences—walking suits of armor and unexpected ghostly visitors—arise within the castle's grounds, Drusilla must decide whether to risk her family's safety and her school on the gallant architect who seems to have found his way into her heart.
Laugh-out-loud witty banter, swoon-worthy romance, and delightful mischief in the Gilded Age string together this entrancing series starter. Fans of clean romance, Christian fiction, and strong female characters will enjoy this read.
Mystery | Christian | Romance Historical [Baker Publishing Group, On Sale: May 20, 2025, Paperback / e-Book , ISBN: 9780764243851 / eISBN: 9781493450923]
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.
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