Today I have the pleasure of speaking with author J.R. Turner. Thanks for being here today and welcome to FAR!

To start, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I was born blonde, turned brunette later on, and my ancestors come from Pomerania, near the Black Sea. I've also got a mix of Polish, American Indian, and a host of mutt. I'm 35, have three children, was raised by liberal artists and bikers and am married to a red-headed Texas Republican truck driver. We're a Christian family who loves Quentin Tarantino movies and reads across a broad spectrum of authors, from Clive Barker to Julie Garwood. Before I started writing in 2000, I worked for a little over a decade as a contract artist and craft instructor for the Milwaukee Public School system. Today, in my spare time, I love knitting, crocheting, sewing, hiking, camping, and lots of chocolate!

Can you tell readers a little about your current release Silent Knight?

Silent Knight carries on with a new mission from the first book, Stark Knight. Though the books stand alone (sort of like the Alex Cross mysteries by James Patterson) there is a definite continuation of character's storylines and development. In this book, Sara Stark's mission is to rescue a kidnapped boy, but she soon discovers there's more going on when she ends up kidnapped herself. I generally tend to use issues and current events in my stories, though they're often very subtle within the text of the work. In this book, I wanted to tackle the idea of implanting people with microchips--in this case, as a location device. I also toyed with the threat of biological terrorism and played on some of the issues about women's reproductive rights as well as 'shadow government' theories. Most of this flies beneath the radar of Sara and Drake’s developing character conflicts.

How has being published changed your life, if at all?

It's changed it immensely! After six years looking at an impersonal computer screen, I'm finally out in front of people. After all that hibernating, it's taken me a while to find my social legs again and feel comfortable in large crowds--especially when I'm guest speaking. But it's been a blast. I've gotten to meet so many great authors, including David Morrell and Jenny Siler (who also helped me order my first sushi!) At first it was nerve-wracking, but now, it's so much fun, it's hard to remember that I still need to hibernate once in a while to get my next book(s) finished.

What is the biggest misconception about being an author?

That writing what you know will be easy. I think really good writers understand how very much they don't know and spend the time (however long it takes) to inform themselves to such a degree, that new information becomes part of what they know. Like going to a location to experience it first hand, or studying genetics, or criminal law, or historical eras. Sticking to areas that you already know will never be enough for any book. Even memoirists have to look up dates, times, events, etc. to fill the gaps in their memories. Research is the key to writing believable stories, in my humble opinion, and it's a lot tougher than most people expect. Which is why, I think, it's equally important to write what you love because if you aren't excited by the research, it'll translate to your writing--either by slightly off or lackluster details. Plus, with all the rewriting, glazed-over eyes are a real enemy!

If you could be invisible for one hour, what would you do and where would you go?

Oh Gosh!! I think I'd like to do something I've never done before--travel overseas. An Asian country would be awesome. But I don't speak the language, so I'd probably want to go when someone important (maybe President Bush? An Ambassador?) was there having a meeting with a top official of that country--and then eavesdrop on their conversation for an hour. It would be amazing, don't you think, to see what such powerful people say, how they act, how they interact, and in a setting that is totally foreign to anything you've ever experienced personally? I guess I'm really in a kick these days to expand on what I know so I can become a better author.

What is a typical day like for you?

I don't think I have any 'typical' days anymore ;) It all depends on what I've got going on. When I'm in the heat of writing a book, I tend to get up about 5am or so, write until eight, then get the little ones off to school. When I get back, I usually answer emails, set up as many events as I can, research on the 'net or reserve library books for upcoming scenes. Perhaps write a bit more if I can, or run errands if I have a lot to do. Once the children are home from school, I'm fully a mom and all the different roles that encompasses: homework task-master, chef, maid, taxi driver, accountant, etc. When I'm editing, or a book has just been released, I generally do much more promotional work than I do writing. This is a sort of 'down' time where I'm figuring out what book I'll write next, what I'll need to do to make it great, and connecting with unwritten characters.

Of all the individuals you have created, do you have a particular favorite? What appeals to you the most about this character?

This is a tough question too, because it's like asking me to pick my favorite child. I think Sara Stark is an overall favorite of mine, but it's likely because I've spent so much time with her (on the third book in the series) compared to the others. I like her, I think, because she's very vulnerable, self-questioning, but really super tough when it comes to justice and vanquishing the bad guys. In everything she does, no matter how afraid she is, there's this underlying sense that she has a brave, good heart. Which is why, in this third book "Good Knight" I'm having a lot of fun playing up her 'bad' side. For the most part, the first two books deal with her struggle against bitterness and the difference between revenge and justice. In "Good Knight" her normal reasoning is hijacked by some unexpected side-effects of the mission in "Silent Knight" and paves the way for some extreme intensity.

Since everybody needs a break, even when doing something they love, how do you like to spend your time away from writing?

I mentioned some of my hobbies earlier, but what I didn't mention is reading for pleasure. I went through a reading drought when I began writing. All my books were 'how-to' books on the craft and/or research books. Over the past three years or so I've been playing catch up with some of my favorite authors and experiencing some really great new voices. I'm also a huge movie fan and have a giant collection at home that keep me company when I'm knitting up sweaters, hats and gloves to keep the family warm during our long Wisconsin winters. Hitting the beach in the summer is a big one for us as well, and during the winter, my best friend and our husbands love to go dancing and play darts.

Can you tell is a little about your book Bulletproof Bride?

Bulletproof Bride was really the start of where I am today, though it was the second book I actually wrote. My first was an historical, and that's where I learned that you really have to love what you're researching. When I began Bulletproof Bride it was a test to see if I could do two things: a simple plot with a small cast, and a contemporary novel. My historical had a huge cast and a very complicated plot. In Bulletproof Bride I focused on making my characters complex and keeping a plot simple with a surprise twist at the end. Mina Jackson, the heroine, came to me in a big flash--full-blooded and ready to get proactive about the situation she's in. Writing her was a lot of fun, especially when that flash included her kidnapping the hero at gunpoint. From there, I just rode the story, letting it take me along within the narrow chute I had designed for the plot. The surprise ending actually was a surprise for me, because I had originally thought the bad guy was one person, until a different character stepped forward. Luckily, it fit the story perfectly, so I went with it.

How important is research in your writing?

Extremely so! There aren't many action, adventure romances that take place in the middle of a small town with a housewife, mom of three, and chocolate lover for a heroine. I couldn't have blown up all the stuff I have in my books without research. And I love explosions just as much as I love a satisfying, romantic, happily ever after. Writing taught me how very little I actually did know. Oh, I had theories, I had basic information, but that's a lot different than really knowing something. I can make a great spaghetti, but do I really know Italian food and culture? I know what I've seen on CSI, but do I really know what it takes to be a crime scene investigator? I've watched ER since Clooney ruled the cast, but do I really know what it's like to work an emergency room? These are things you discover, how little you really know, when you begin writing. Research, as I said earlier, is the key.

What is the best advice that anyone ever gave you?

My mother once told me, "There's nothing more attractive than a smile." I believe that crosses over into everything I do. If I'm smiling (internally) when I write, I'm fairly certain that's some good stuff I should hold on to. If I'm grumbling, groaning, rolling my eyes, or snorting at my own writing, it's probably not worth keeping as it is. Smiles are so much more than just lifting the corners of your mouth and bearing your teeth. That could be a sneer, a snarl, anything. A smile is a feeling. A positive sensation that everyone wants to have, whether they're closing a book, or writing 'the end' themselves. That doesn't mean we don't tackle sensitive issues, or bring our characters to tears--it simply means we can smile with pride when we've accomplished what we set out to do, no matter how taxing it was to push through the emotionally darker areas.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us today?

Just that reading is such an important part of life. We all deserve to give ourselves a break from the craziness of our lives and there is very little out there than can feed our souls, our minds, our hearts, like a really great book. I think we're all a little better off by the end of a good book than we were before we began. It's so nice to have such an inexpensive, wonderful opportunity to do that. I can't imagine what it must have been like to live in an age where few people owned books, let alone read. We are all so very lucky and blessed to have so many options. At least that's what I believe and big part of why I love what I do. Thank you so much for this opportunity to share!

Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions for us today! Readers can learn more about Jennifer and her books on her website at www.jennifer-turner.com/.

Interviewed by: Tammy