Like so many writers of my acquaintance, Jen's own life is worthy of a story in itself. From a childhood in Papua New Guinea to being the world's leading authority on the life times and work of Georgette Heyer, Jen has now turned to writing wonderful, lush young adult stories with a fairy tale touch.
Jennifer's second book, THE RAPUNZEL DILEMMA was released this week by Penguin Australia.
Over to Jennifer Kloester...
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I'm Jennifer Kloester and I love books – reading them, writing them
and finding favourites to keep. I put books right up there with breathing,
family and chocolate.
I discovered Georgette Heyer’s wonderful historical romances while
living in the jungle in Papua New Guinea. Her humour, her delicious dialogue
and her unforgettable characters inspired me to start writing books of my own,
and the obvious place for me to begin was with Heyer and her fabulous novels. My
first published book was Georgette
Heyer's Regency World (2005) followed by the authorised biography, Georgette Heyer (2011) which was nominated for an Agatha Award in 2013.
I had lots of fun and many
challenges writing those two books. But finding Heyer took me to London, Paris
and New York and eventually inspired me to write my own YA novels. The Cinderella Moment is set in Paris, The Rapunzel Dilemma,
is set in London and the yet-to-be-written, The
Snow-White Inheritance, is set in New York (in the snow). PenguinTeen Aus
are my awesome publishers and they do the best
covers!
I have a husband, three children and a large teddy bear named
Cuthbert. After my family, writing is my first love; my garden is my other
escape. I love adventure, Paris, dogs, and karate. I'll take a train almost
anywhere and the more exotic the destination the better.
AND JENNIFER'S FUN FACT?
I actually attended drama school in my
early teens. I 'd always dreamed of being an actor and thought that when I left
school I might somehow get to RADA (the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) in
London. It was not to be, but I never lost my fascination with the theatre or
those teenage yearnings.
Which is probably why, in The Rapunzel Dilemma, I
created the theatre school I never got to attend. In the book my fictional
drama school - the London Drama Academy - is a version of what I hoped drama
school would be - right down to the gorgeous, mysterious guy with the motor
bike! It was such fun dreaming it up and imagining the students going to their
different classes and meeting up in the dining hall and common room and
competing with each other for parts in the end-of-year play. So even if I never
get to drama school, I'll always have the LDA! :D
To write a marvellous story... sometimes you don't need facts. Just make it up...
A
love of theatre.A drama competition.
A once-in-a-lifetime chance . . .
Lily’s had a charmed life so far, and now she’s off to London to pursue her dream of becoming a great actor. But the London Drama Academy is full of surprises – and for the first time, Lily finds that things don’t always go her way.
It’s not just the other students who are making difficult. Lily’s got a secret she’s not sure how to handle, but she finds that a room in one of the Academy’s deserted towers makes a perfect refuge. Lily can’t stay locked in the tower forever, though. And when she meets the mysterious Ronan Carver, everything starts to change . . .
Connect with Jennifer Kloester on her website, Facebook and Goodreads
View the Trailer for the RAPUNZEL DILEMMA... click HERE
