Beyond the Page: Jen Calonita
This week we are excited to feature Jen Calonita, author of the latest, Wished (Sourcebooks, March 2019). Get to know her through some fun questions below.
Favorites List!
Movie of all-time: The Devil Wears Prada. I watch it literally every time I find it on TV. I don’t care if it’s at the beginning or the middle or the end, I’m hooked. Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt are GENIUS in it and I love reciting lines from the film whenever I get the chance!
Dessert: If I’m going to indulge, I’ll order a piece of Key Lime Pie. One bite takes me back to my favorite beach locations like Sanibel Island, Florida.
Adult Book: Once I’ve finished reading a book, I love to pass it on to a new home so someone else can enjoy it. But I’ve never been able to part with my copy of Sophie Kinsella’s My Not So Perfect Life. I adore her books, and this one might be my absolute favorite. It doesn’t hurt that it’s autographed by her. Author Kieran Scott and I actually both journeyed to one of her book signings in Westchester because we so wanted to meet her.
If you could dye your hair any color, what would it be and why?
I’d be a redhead! I’ve always wanted to be one, but have never had the guts to dye my hair. Some of my favorite characters and actors are redheads (Emma Stone, Bette Midler, Princess Anna from Frozen).
What was your favorite childhood TV show and why?
Silver Spoons. Oh, how I loved Ricky Schroeder! He was my first crush and I never missed an episode with his and Jason Bateman’s shenanigans.
Tell us one fun insider-fact about Wished, your most recent work.
I wanted my genie to be as different as that famous one in Disney’s Aladdin as possible so first, I made her a girl genie. When I started molding her personality, immediately one person came to mind: Bette Midler! Darlene the genie has bright red, curly hair and a whip-smart and comedic personality that feels totally Bette.
Jen Calonita
Jen Calonita has interviewed everyone from Reese Witherspoon to Justin Timberlake, but the only person she’s ever wanted to trade places with is Disney’s Cinderella. She’s the bestselling author of The Fairy Tale Reform School series and the new Royal Academy Rebels series. Jen lives in Merrick, New York with her husband, two sons, and their Chihuahua, Captain Jack Sparrow.
