Interview with Jennifer Laurens - The Teen {Book} Scene Tour

Jennifer Laurens, author of Overprotected, has stopped by GReads today to answer a few questions about her book & her life as an author.

 

How long have you been writing YA novels?

Since 2004. I started out in women’s romance, then shifted to YA when my (then) teenage daughters wanted romances without the smut. I wrote Falling for Romeo, Magic Hands and Nailed for them – light, romantic comedies with plenty of sexual tension minus graphic sex.

Where did the idea for Overprotected come about?

All of my books are a combination of events from my own life to one degree or another. I’m an only child, I had overprotective parents. My cousin, also an only child, lived in Chicago and NYC. She lived in circumstances similar to Ashlyn’s. I loved the idea of creating a love triangle that was different: father, daughter, love interest. I know the frustration of living with overprotective parents, and I thought it was a natural boundary to write about, and an interesting tie for the love triangle.

How do you feel the readers will connect & identify with Ashlyn?

Some will wonder how anyone could endure living with parents like that. The story is a coming-of-age story. Each of us experiences our own coming-of-age, even though our circumstances are different. We all want independence. Independence, freedom to love and choose are universal themes everyone can relate to.

What challenged you the most while writing Overprotected?

Forgetting the first drafts of the book I wrote. I’ve written the story 3 different ways, from different POVs. It was hard allowing the characters new freedom to “go” in different directions in this version.

Who is considered your favorite author?

I have many and they all rate the same: excellent.

Do you have any crazy quirks or habits while writing?

Popping on Twitter while writing. I used to drink soda but don’t anymore. L Each book has a soundtrack I listen to day and night while writing a project – that little habit helps me jump back into writing.

Who has been your biggest supporter as a writer?

My two daughters and husband.

Thank you Jennifer for taking the time to answer my questions!  Best of luck to her with the success of her book, Overprotected.  Please check out my review for the book here.

Overprotected by Jennifer Laurens - The Teen {Book} Scene Tour

Published: April 29, 2011 by Grove Creek Publishing
Received: The Teen Book Scene Book Tour

Ashlyn: A lonely society princess living in New York City.

Daddy hired you to be my bodyguard.

Colin: Childhood enemy, now her protector.

Daddy thought I’d be safe. He thought I’d never fall in love. He thought he could keep me forever.

Charles: obsessed with keeping her safe, keeping her his, he hires the one person he knows she could never fall in love with: Colin.

Daddy was wrong. {taken from goodreads.com}

Imagine yourself at seventeen always having someone by your side; a constant shadow that tails you where ever you go, never knowing the true meaning of privacy.  Ashlyn was kidnapped at a young age by someone her parents trusted, her nanny.  As a result of this traumatic event, Ashlyn's father has hired a bodyguard to be near her at all times.  Ashlyn & her parents live on the upper East side of Manhattan, surrounded by the "royalty" of NYC.  It is here that she is kept in close confines of her townhouse, only seeking true freedom by expressing herself through her music on the baby grand piano.  Ashlyn is constantly pressing her father to give her more space, more freedom to live the life every other normal teenage girl does.

It starts to become clear that it is her father, Charles, that is living in fear & not Ashlyn.  Every step she makes, every breath she takes is watched closely by him.  Ultimately he wants his daughter to always be by his side, under his watchful eye.  He takes it upon himself to hire a new bodyguard for Ashlyn, Colin.  They knew each other as children, before & shortly after Ashlyn was abducted.  The memories that Ashlyn harbors about Colin are not good ones.  She remembers the boy who teased her & poked fun at her.  Things change as one grows older though; people change & Ashlyn soon realizes that Colin has grown in to a very striking young man.  For the first time she is experiencing feelings she has never felt before.  With Colin by her side, she begins to look forward to these moments & not dread them.  It is here, while he is protecting her, that the two of them develop a closer relationship than either one predicted.  Ashlyn feels the want & urge to break away from her father's watchful eye even more.  She longs for freedom & choices of her own.  She longs for Colin.

Jennifer Laurens' writing is a breath of fresh air to read.  Her words are melodic as they set the scene on each page.  Her attention to detail is riveting.  I could picture the clothes each character wore, the placement of the room's furniture, & even the expressions that told so much more than the dialogue itself.  I read this book as a movie, only wanting to hit pause for bathroom breaks & to grab more popcorn.  The slow build between Ashlyn & Colin was mesmerizing.  Immediately I was drawn to the intensity between the two of them.  I could literally feel the tension seeping off the pages.  The plot kept the pages turning as well.  Since the story deals with kidnapping & the need to protect, as the reader you always felt a hint of unease for Ashlyn.  I was careful to make sure Colin was by her side, too.  Never quite knowing what laid ahead on the next page.  Overprotected is written from a teenager's point of view; however, I felt that it had a very mature tone through out the story.  I tend to gravitate towards young adult authors with this sort of voice.  I recommend this book to any one who is looking for a contemporary piece with just the right amount of romance & real life/family issues mixed in.  I am eager to pick up more by this author because this story has definitely peaked my interest!