Janet's #2 blog: All about "Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys"

Mormon Boys Listed In Carolyn's Top Ten!

2009-01-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

see: http://www.myshelf.com/toptenreads.html

Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys is listed in author/teacher/mentor/editor/entrepeneur Carolyn Howard Johnson's 2008 Top Ten Reads at My Shelf. com.

She commented in an earlier review: "Janet Kay Jensen's Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys seems especially appropriate with the break-away Yearning for Zion group in Texas still in the news. It is a bit romance, a bit mystery and a USA Book News award winner."

She also lists this title in "Books about Utah, its religion and culture, ' "Fiction about repression of women," and "Books about tolerance."

In categorizing the book she also notes: "A light mystery-romance set with a polygamist cult background. Insight and sensitivity. Sound research."

Thank you, Carolyn!

Carolyn Howard Johnson

Visit her website to open a treasure box of tools for writers:

http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/

"A fun and entertaining story..." Review by Kara Hunt of Mesa, AZ

2008-08-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

Janet Kay Jensen was a presenter at the Cedar Fort Writer's Conference.

Her book, Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys is a fun and entertaining story about two people with conflicting lifestyles who meet at medical school and fall in love, but go their separate ways. She is a polygamist and returns to her community to practice medicine, which gives an interesting look at that belief system. He is a Mormon and moves to Kentucky to set up a small practice. They never forget each, though, and the story takes you through their ups and downs , wondering if they'll get back together.

For those who still believe that Mormons are polygamists, this book addresses those issues and differences in an informative yet entertaining way. And for anyone else, it's simply a fun read.

http://karahunt.blogspot.com/2008/08/book-review.html

Interview with Tristi Pinkston of families.com

2008-07-31T17:35:00.000-07:00

Janet, your new book Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys came out at a time that was very significant in our current affairs. Warren Jeffs was on the front of every newspaper. Did his story inspire you to write the book at that time, or was the book already in the works and came out coincidentally at the same time the Jeffs story broke?

I actually started the book in 2000, when Warren Jeffs was not on the FBI's Most Wanted List, HBO wasn't producing “Big Love,” and the YFZ (Yearning for Zion) Ranch in Texas didn't even exist. Then The Book Lover's Cookbook" took over my life for a couple of years. It involved a tremendous amount of work and research and recipe development, so Mormon Boys was put on the shelf. I was sidelined for another year with a serious medical condition that required surgery with a long recovery time, and I don't think I had a creative thought during that time period. That was very discouraging. Everybody tells me the release of my book was "good timing" but as you can see, it came about when it was ready.

The book features a character that was raised in a modern-day polygamous family. How closely did you pattern your character's life after that modeled by those in Jeff's commune, or is your depiction totally different?

I have done a lot of reading about the subject, including Jessie Embrey's excellent book in which she interviewed people who had been raised in the days when polygamy was still practiced by the church, or in the decades following the Manifesto, and also I've read books by women who've left various groups.

Dorothy Allred Solomon's Daughter of the Saints which is autobiographical was a very important book that I read to in an effort to gain insight into polygamy. I have also interviewed a former polygamist.

We drove through Colorado City about ten years ago and I've never forgotten the vivid images of that community. Dirt roads, no sidewalks, no landscaping, the few windows that existed were built high in the houses, and many homes remained unfinished to avoid property taxes. A good portion of it looked like a shantytown.

It was shocking, and so was the cemetery, which told some very sad stories about infant mortality and teenaged mothers. My fictional town, Gabriel's Landing, is more like an orderly old-fashioned farming community, though the standard of living is still modest for most of its residents.

When I learned I'd gone to high school with a young man raised in polygamy, the son of a Salt Lake City group's leader, I was really intrigued, because I don't believe any of us knew anything about this boy's background. He has since left polygamy and I began reading the occasional article about him and his family in the paper, which has further kindled my interest in the lifestyle and the challenges faced by those who leave it.

As you wrote the book, you drew some comparisons to modern-day polygamy as opposed to polygamy as practiced by the early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Was it your intent to show the difference, and what kind of feedback have you gotten on this aspect of your book?

I did want to show some of the differences between polygamy as practiced in the early days of the Mormon Church and the way a modern group might interpret "the Principle" now. I chose to point out that some take advantage of the welfare system (the wives claim to be single mothers), which puts a burden on the state's taxpayers.

Though there are definitely fanatics who are deeply entrenched in that way of life today, most of my Gabriel's Landing folks were just old-fashioned and following the traditions of their fathers. I didn't give them a "prophet." Instead, a Council of Brothers governs all religious and temporal issues, and though they try to keep a firm hand on all aspects of life, they are more moderate than some leaders you read about in the news.

However, abuses do occur in my fictional town, which Louisa discovers when she returns home to practice medicine. She finds birth defects caused to intermarriage, which is common among various sects. The occurrence of these disabilities is generally regarded as "God's will," but not to Louisa, who knows the medical reasons and counsels against close intermarriage. In some situations, the birth of a baby with disabilities can be used as "proof" of the mother's "unworthiness," which is a prime example of abuse of authority and the ways women are coerced into submission.

Louisa also sees evidence of depression and physical abuse among her female patients, and her efforts to treat these conditions create trouble with the Council. The practice of older men marrying young girls, while young men are sent outside of the community to fend for themselves is not uncommon, and it happens in my made-up group, too.

I love how you took historical fact and modern fact and blended them with fiction in order to create your story. Now let's talk about life as a writer. What is your writing schedule like?

Not as disciplined as it should be. I'll be stuck somewhere and rather than tackling the problem or working on another segment until I can figure out a solution, I'll just procrastinate. I'm amazed at writers who can publish several books in a year. I don't know if I could ever do that. I also do a lot of editing as I write, so instead of just "getting the story down" I'm looking at language and dialogue and issues I really don't need to address at that point. I will answer the phone and check email rather than focus.

Do you write longhand and then type it, or do you do the whole thing on a computer?

I depend on my computer. I have terrible handwriting.

How long did it take you to write Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys?

About 4-5 years, including events which interfered with my writing. And then it took quite a while to find a publisher.

It's your first work of fiction, is it not? Do you have plans to write other fiction novels?

This is my first work of fiction. A sequel is underway, (tentatively titled Gabriel's Daughters), and I have plans for several other works, aimed at the national audience. The first is about adult illiteracy and the profound effect it has on individuals.

What are your favorite books to read? You strike me as a Mitford kind of girl. Am I right, or way off base?

I do like the Mitford series very much, and I'm really pleased that authors such as Jan Karon and Alexander McCall Smith have had great success without reverting to offensive elements in their books. They have reminded the publishers that a good section of the reading public is hungry for books like these.

I'm also a fan of Anne Tyler, Alice Hoffman, Barbara Kingsolver, Jodi Picoult, and Anna Quindlen. I like to pick up classics as well; I've just gone through a Daphne du Maurier phase, followed by Edith Wharton, and I can feel another Dickens attack coming on.

If I want to be depressed I'll read Faulkner. Then I have to counterbalance it with something strong and uplifting. And I've been reading works by my colleagues in the regional market, too, to appreciate what my friends are writing and to learn writing and marketing strategies from them.

I just introduced my daughter-in-law to the Poldark series, and I may just have to read the whole thing again, for the pleasure of it. Winston Graham is a master storyteller. Another favorite is Neville Shute, the Australian writer who wrote A Town Like Alice.

I recently read Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (twice) and what a wonderful writer she is. To Kill a Mockingbird, Ethan Frome, the abridged Les Miserables (yes, abridged!) and A Separate Peace remain perennial favorites. I belong to two book clubs so I'm introduced to new books and authors every year.

Wow - you've just listed some of my favorite books of all time. I knew we had a lot in common! I'm going to have to drill you on some of your other favorite things. What are some of your other interests?

Glad you asked, Tristi. I love going to the theater - almost anything on the stage is intriguing. My husband and I love Broadway musicals, plays, ballet and other forms of dance, as well as musical groups from symphonies to bluegrass. I'm also catching up on classic old movies that I've never seen. Recently I rented "A Streetcar Named Desire," and though I think I saw it a long time ago, holy cow, it was brilliant. I'm really a Tennessee Williams fan.

And today Netflix sent me "Casablanca." I've seen the ending more times than I can tell you, but to see the whole movie through without interruptions will be a treat. I also love to watch a film while listening to the director's commentary, and it's interesting to listen to other interviews featured on the DVD. I keep hoping something they say will sink into my author's subconscious and come out on the page in some way when I'm writing.

We have season tickets to our local Summer Rep theater, and we usually take in an opera or two, produced in one of our historic downtown theaters, but though I've tried to acquire a taste for opera, I'm sorry to say it still remains largely undeveloped. We also have series of concerts that come through town each year and we'll see several of those, as well as some at Pioneer Theater in Salt Lake City.

I haven't been to the Utah Shakespearean Festival for a few years and I really miss it. They do a marvelous job. We are so lucky in Utah to have such a strong emphasis on the arts. And I'm a huge "Lost" fan. I'll remain loyal to the show as long as it's on the air, and I own the DVDs of Seasons One, Two and Three. It's simply great storytelling with a fabulous cast of actors. I love surprises, and Lost is full of them. I'm often confused by some of the references or events, but there are plenty of "experts" on the internet to explain them to me. I even got my Finnish daughter-in-law hooked on "Lost."

We like to travel. Lately, travel seems to center around our three grown sons, who are attending universities in Berkeley, California; Dayton, Ohio; and Jyvaskyla, Finland. Or we fly the kids home for a little time with them. I've been a grandmother for a year now, and that's really been a joy. I also have two dogs, one of whom shows up in Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys. She's not as bright as my fictional dog, but she's loving and loyal.

And that's the best kind of dog to have! Janet, it's been a delight to host you here on Families.com. Thanks for taking time out from your busy schedule to visit with me, and best of luck in all you do.

http://media.families.com/blog/author-interview-janet-kay-jensen-when-shes-not-writing

Review by Holly of 2 Kids and Tired Blog - "At times this book was laugh-out-loud funny. . ."

2008-07-31T07:35:00.001-07:00

Andy McBride meets Louisa Martin in medical school and is instantly smitten. However, Andy is a Mormon and Louisa comes from a polygamist lifestyle. After medical school, they go their separate ways, when it seems that neither can live the other's way of life.

Andy ends up practicing as a country doctor in rural Kentucky and Louisa goes back to her hometown to practice among her people. After she does this, she begins to learn that life among the polygamists is not all roses and sunshine. As she treats the women of the community, she learns of abuse and disabilities due to intermarrying. Ultimately she must decide if she can keep quiet and be obedient to the brethren or will she do what she can to help those she has promised to help even if it means rejecting the life she has always known.

Through their experiences, Andy and Louisa find each other again. After a difficult experience with their children, differences are resolved with their respective parents, all of whom had reservations about the marriage.

The book is well-written and the polygamy aspect is thoroughly researched. It echoes much of what we have seen in the media this year. The characters are brought to life with depth and insight. I appreciated that Janet portrayed Louisa's family as normal people. They loved and lost and believed in their faith, but had questions at times just like the rest of us. They weren't just blindly following some lunatic. They honestly believe that what they are practicing is true and right.

I found the part in Finland a bit disconcerting. It was as if it was just thrown in. Yes, he served his mission there, but I found the "coincidence" that they both ended up on the same exchange program a little too convenient.

At times this book was laugh-out-loud funny. I thoroughly enjoyed the Kentucky characters and the people Andy comes to love. Miss Carolina is awesome, and I loved the fact that natural healing and homeopathy were presented as normal and able to work alongside western medicine. The bit at the end with the FBI agents wearing their missionary name tags was hysterical.

A charming, yet captivating book. A delightful, easy read.

Read 6/08

"I didn't get the story I was promised . . . " from Lucy's I Love to Read and Write Blog

2008-07-30T22:09:00.001-07:00

The book jacket's summary of Janet Jensen's debut novel, Don't You Marry The Mormon Boys, describes a story about two people from different backgrounds and belief systems (Andy is mainstream LDS and Louisa was raised in a polygamous fundamentalist community) who fall in love at medical school but face overwhelming obstacles in an effort to be together.

That was the story I was expecting and found myself disappointed with the story I was actually given. Andy and Louisa do, in fact, face these obstacles, but it is never the focus of the story. In fact, were it not for a few flashbacks to medical school, there is no mention of these two main characters together in the same chapter, much less the same plot for the first 200 pages. Andy does his rural, family practice medical thing in Kentucky, which seems a completely unnecessary setting to me (unless the far fetched and wholly irrelevant ending was somehow important to the story of Andy and Louisa's journey....which it is not), and Louisa returns to her polygamous community to realize that her eyes have been changed to the situation around her after eight years of living away from it.

Sure there are a few wistful thoughts, memories and even dreams about the other, but the reason for their attraction, or friendship, is never explained. Andy thought she was beautiful, in spite of her plain, long ankle length dress, and crowning glory long hair, but apparently pursued a relationship with her because she was so smart and he wanted to study with her. (????) The reader is never given any information about Louisa's feelings towards Andy. There is simply an assumption that because she spent time with him, she fell in love with him. The hows and the whys are not worth mentioning, I suppose. Without that development of their relationship for the readers to hold onto, I didn't yearn for these two to be together. As their individual stories don't actually intersect until page 197, a little yearning would have been nice. But, that doesn't seem to be the point of the book.

The thing I liked most about this novel was Jensen's humanistic portrayal of polygamous families. It's always troubled me that the media, pop culture and even the mainstream LDS church portray them as crazy, mindless followers without any thought or choice about their lifestyle. Jensen shows a side of their families and individuals who honestly believe what they practice, and that they do it for the same reason a lot of us do whatever it is we do - because we think it's what God has commanded us to do. I also appreciated the look inside their culture...from the need to protect themselves from outsiders to the organizations of their households. Considering the current events going on in Texas, it adds a deeper understanding to the story. But, that doesn't seem to be the point of the book either.

It isn't all sunshine, however, and as Louisa's eyes are opened to the real problems of their community (abuse, incest, birth defects, depression) she becomes a target of opposition to the community - particularly to the Council of Brethren, who seem like old, scary, mean men without a compassionate bone in their bodies. Again, this black and white portrayal of the community's leadership seems too clean and villainous to be true. Surely, there are some members who are able to be something other than completely dogmatic. It doesn't matter, though, because, once again, this conflict with Louisa does not seem to be the point of the book.

In the end, I'm not sure what the point is, or was supposed to be. Andy and Louisa seem more like conduits for the author to expound on the quirks and habits of rural Kentucky and polygamy than actual characters. The part of the story where they are actually together and communicating and conflicting only warrants 40 or so pages. Then the story jumps tracks and heads off in an entirely new direction - one I won't mention because it will seem like I am reviewing another book. I felt like it was a different book.

I guess I feel mostly disappointed because I didn't get the story I was promised. I didn't get Andy and Louisa's story. Not really.

May 31, 2008

"So Much Room for Improvement" from Danyelle Ferguson's Queen of the Clan Blog

2008-07-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

It sounds good, doesn't it? I picked up this book because a friend highly recommended it to me. I was impressed it was a finalist for ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year. I was also in the mood for a good romance.

I found the story of a boy who is strongly against polygamy in love with a girl who was from a polygamous community kind of fascinating. It was definitely different. And since getting a book with polygamous content published in the LDS market is almost impossible to do, I was interested in how Jensen weaved the story and what all she would include about the practice of polygamy - especially in regards to the LDS Church.

While the story was intriguing, I kept getting lost. Each chapter jumps from either Andy's or Louisa's point-of-view. And within those chapters, you may have long flashbacks to their college days or a family memory. I kept getting confused,trying to remember if we were in Kentucky or Utah, past or present. I often had to go back and re-read and get re-oriented.

Also, if you are a big romance fan, this is not a book for you. Throughout the book, you just know these two are in love and need to be together. You find yourself rooting for them to find each other again. When they finally see each other, it's at a medical convention in Chicago. Instead of reuniting, Andy the idiot, really goes off on Louisa, makes her cry, and she runs off - thus inserting an even bigger obstacle in their path.

Then, fate steps in. Somehow, they both get chosen to be in a group of ten doctors who travel to Finland for a one month internship. Andy and Louisa meet up. Andy apologizes, Louisa forgives him. Then the next three weeks goes by in about three paragraphs. During which time, they fall in love all over again and elope. Yep. In three paragraphs. Hello? Where's the romance? Where's the part about rediscovering each other? They've been apart for over five years! There's so much for them to talk about. But nope. They go for a hike on a hill. They go to a restaurant. Andy proposes. Louisa accepts. Then voila! They are married. Absolutely no romantic pay-off at all. Not even one tingle-to-the-toes kiss.

Then suddenly, it's three months later and you find out Louisa is pregnant. Then they find out it's twins - a boy and a girl. How convenient, I mean lucky, right? Then suddenly it's four years later, and the twins are kidnapped. Yep. I bet you didn't know this was supposed to be a romantic-suspense novel did you? The whole last quarter of the book seemed to be contrived and just thrown in there. I was pretty disappointed.

I think the plot idea is great. But there's so much room for improvement. I would have liked to have seen a better flow between transitions of point-of-view and flashbacks. And I definitely would have liked a better ending. If this book is on your reading list, I suggest checking it out of the library.

June 26, 2008

" . . . I was hooked." Book review by Stephanie Humphreys

2008-07-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

A review by Stephanie Humphreys at her blog: www.shumphreys.blogspot.com

When I decided to read this book, I was intrigued by the concept of two people from two cultures with similar backgrounds coming together in a love story. Because polygamy has been in the news lately I wanted to see how the author handled the story. Halfway into the first chapter I was hooked. I expected a nice love story, I didn't expect to fall in love with the characters and the settings.

Jensen has created characters that are strong and likable. They overcome tremendous odds, from health problems, lack of family support, and the biggest one, an enormous difference in religious beliefs, and they do it in a believable manner. I also loved the smoky mountain setting and the quirky characters Andy meets there as he sets up his practice. Jensen also gave a good balance to the treatment of the two religions. Each had characters who were intolerant and close-minded, just as each side had characters who gave unconditional support of their decisions.

In the final analysis, I thought the subject of modern day polygamy was treated with grace. The writing was strong and the story was a compelling read. I can't wait for more from this author.

You can purchase "Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys" here.

Janet is providing a book to give away with this review, so post your comments on this post. On Saturday I will take all the comments and randomly select a winner to receive a free copy of this book. Good luck

Books and Shoes

2008-07-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

Last April I was shopping at an outlet mall outside of Dayton, Ohio. It's where I can find SAS shoes that

a) are hard to find and

b) fit my feet.

It was a slow day and the clerks were discussing books they had read, so I did something very atypical and bold: I jumped into the conversation and told them if they wanted to read a good book, they could read mine, and handed them my business cards. If you know me, you know that this is very out-of-character.

Today I heard from them (names changed to protect their privacy):

We hope that you are truly enjoying your SAS Shoes, hope you had a wonderful visit here in Ohio. Wanted to take the time to let you know that we were able to get your book from Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah via Jamestown Library.

Loved the book, laughed some, cried some, certainly appreciated the information regarding the reality of Mormon Religion versus the assumptions many people have, excellent read, are there more?

Mary and Louise the gals from SAS Shoe Store in Ohio

PS: Louise wanted to know if the basis of the story was perhaps your parents lives?

You Can help our Forces

2008-07-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

Julie Bellon, author of All's Fair, is gathering care package items for our military serving in Iraq. See details at her website: http://www.juliebellon.com/
It's easy to contribute to this effort. Everyone has something they can give, and our forces appreciate it so much. Kudos to Julie for her project!

Book Review by Framed and Booked

2008-07-14T11:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 31, 2008
Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys by Janet Kay Jensen

Don't be alarmed. This is neither an anti-mormon tract or a book out to prove that Mormon boys make the best husbands. It is just a fun, well-written novel that the author asked me to review.

Andy and Louisa meet while in medical school at the University of Utah. He is a returned missionary for the LDS church and she comes from a small-town in southern Utah that is peopled by a sect of Fundamendalist polygamists. They fall in love, but realize at graduation that the relationship can go no farther. She is set on returning to Gabriel's Landing to provide medical services for the community, a place where Andy would be patently unwelcome.

Four years later, with their residencies on separate sides of the country out of the way, Louisa returns to her family and Andy moves to a small town in Kentucky to set up shop. The Kentuckian characters are fantastic and provide much of the humor in this story. The polygamists. . . not so much. Jensen does not do a hatchet job on this group which could be easy based on recent events. However, the leaders of the town have lost sight of one basic tenet of true religion and that is free agency. They are portrayed as basically good men who have let power lead them into a circumstance of unrighteous dominion.

But Jensen does show the love and respect in Louisa's own family whose father has had three wives, two of whom are still alive. So the situation is not black or white. One issue that was raised is that of inbreeding and the serious medical conditions that can result.

Also, don't forget the lingering longings for lost love (love the rolling l's) which afflict both Andy and Louisa. I found this book to be a a very enjoyable and quick read with great characters and a great story. It doesn't sugar coat hard topics and it doesn't preach. Very entertaining and thought-provoking. I do feel that the story would have been better told in two different books: the first dealing with Andy and Louisa's relationship and the conclusion of that conflict; and the second, telling about what happens next. What happens next occupies less than a fourth of this book. Jensen writes so well that I believe she could have told this part of the story with more detail and without skipping four years. It feels like things were left out somehow. Like more of those colorful neighbors and pets. But the chase scene at the end is hilarious, especially when I could see the children were not in peril.
Rating: 4.25

I just visited Janet's website and read about her cookbook, The Book Lover's Cookbook. Any of you readers who would like a literary reference to go along with your recipes should definitely checks this book out. And it looks like there is a sequel to Mormon Boys coming out soon.

Posted at framedandbooked.blogspot.com

Interview by editor/reviewer Michy Devon

2008-07-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

Book Reviews and Author Interviews
Author & Editor Michelle L Devon writes book reviews for other authors. Ms. Devon provides book reviews for free, as long as you're willing to send a free hard copy of the book for the review! If you would like an author interview, contact Michelle at michelle@accentuateservices.com for the interview questions. Don't forget to visit the writer's forum at: www.writersforum.info

Friday, June 20, 2008

Janet Kay Jensen Author Interview
A little about yourself: I’m a full-time writer with one book of nonfiction and one novel under my belt. I live in northern Utah with my husband and our two dogs, and we have recently become grandparents.

Interview with Author Janet Kay Jensen

It's rare today to find an author who does nothing but write for a living. Do you have a 'real' job other than writing, and if so, what is it? What are some other jobs you've had in your life?

Janet Jensen: My first career was in Speech-Language Pathology and I worked in public school and university settings for more than 20 years. It was rewarding and challenging but at a certain point I found myself, surprisingly, ready to make a change in occupation. Fortunately, my husband is employed full-time so I am able to be a full-time writer.

What compelled you to write your first book?
Janet Jensen: A fellow writer approached me at a monthly meeting of our writers group and proposed a project, which eventually turned into The Book Lover’s Cookbook, Recipes Inspired by Celebrated Works of Literature and thee Passages that Feature Them (Wenger & Jensen, Ballantine Books, 2003). That project (researching literature and creating original recipes to match the literary references to food) dominated the next three years and put most of my other writing on hold. The resulting book was beautifully done and certainly taught us a great deal about the publishing world.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Janet Jensen: Academically, writing was always a strong suit for me. Actually writing a book and getting it published, however, was a goal that developed later in life.

Tell us a little bit about your book/s.
Janet Jensen: My most recent book is Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys, a novel published by Bonneville Books, an imprint of Cedar Fort Press, released November 1, 2007 .

Gather 'round, girls, and listen to my noise, Don't you marry the Mormon boys; If you do your fortune it will be, Johnnycake and babies is all you'll see. -old western folksong

The prospect of one wife is more than enough for Mormon bachelor Andy McBride, a medical student at the University of Utah. Then he falls for Louisa Martin, a fellow student. There is only one obstacle to planning a life together: polygamy - a lifestyle that Louisa cannot escape and Andy cannot embrace. Can a mainstream Mormon and a woman raised in polygamy overcome the cultural barriers between them? Both realize that their choices will not only affect their own lives, but will also have an impact on families, friends, and even their communities.

Fearing that the sacrifices required of them would be too great, they go their separate ways.Yet for Andy in Kentucky and Louisa in Utah, life does not go as they'd planned. While Andy is serving as a country doctor and trying to bury his pain, Louisa is coming to terms with the fact that all is not as perfect in her tight-knit community as she had believed.

As doctors, each will have to choose between keeping the peace in their communities or doing what they know is right. And someday, both will have to face their past and decide if they can make the sacrifice to be together.

Set in the red hills of southern Utah, the cosmopolitan center of Salt Lake City, the Smoky Mountains of Kentucky, and the lake-studded country of Finland, Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys is the heartfelt and engaging story about the power of love and acceptance in an ever-changing and often surprising world.

Other Publications: The Book Lover’s Cookbook (see question #2 for more details) Narrative unit developed for children’s book Stellaluna in The Magic of Stories (Strong and Hoggan, Thinking Publications) Contributing author, LDS Writing Secrets (LDStorymakers)

Are you currently working on any writing projects our readers should watch for release soon?
Janet Jensen: Yes. I’m writing a sequel to Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys, a children’s book, and another novel.

Have you ever won any writing awards? If so, what?
Janet Jensen: League of Utah Writers: First place in humorous poetry, personal essay, short story, short-short story.

Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys has won the following awards:
First runner-up, Best New Writing: The Eric Hoffer Award, commercial fiction
Finalist, USA Best Books 2007, religious fiction
Bronze Award, ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year, religious fiction
Semi-Finalist, Reader Views Critics Awards, religion/spirituality
Nominee, Whitney Award for LDS Fiction Writers
Honorable Mention, Marilyn Brown Unpublished Novel Award, Association for Mormon Letters

How did you feel the day you held the copy of your first book in your hands?
Janet Jensen: It’s an astonishing experience, next to seeing your newborn child for the first time.

What type of music, if any, do you listen to while you write?
Janet Jensen: I’m eclectic in my musical tastes and listen to whatever suits my mood at the time. I like classical, Broadway soundtracks, oldies, new-age, Celtic, folk and bluegrass.

What inspires you and motivates you to write the very most?
Janet Jensen: I’ll read a book and think: I could do that. And then sometimes a little germ of a story lives in my mind and gradually grows into a little kernel and I’m ready to begin writing the skeleton of a story. Reading other books, the newspaper, and attending writing critiques and workshops can also plant ideas in my mind.

What one thing are you the most proud of in your life?
Janet Jensen: I would say that my children are my greatest accomplishments. My husband and I have raised three sons, all of whom are attending universities, and we recently became grandparents.

What about your family? Do you have children, married, siblings, parents? Has your family been supportive of your writing?
Janet Jensen: My writing career has been a surprise to my family. It has taken a while for them to digest the fact that I am a published author as well as an educator, wife and mother. I love the fact that they’ve had to adjust to this new facet of me. While they are proud and supportive, they have not been part of the creative process. They haven’t “jumped in” to give me feedback or ideas for stories. For that I have turned to other writers. My two older sisters have been marvelous assistants and supporters. They have proofed and given me feedback and helped me format my manuscripts into professional documents. They’ve shared every step with me and been my sounding board when I’ve needed one. My husband makes appearances at book signings, advises me on business questions, and listens to my angst. I would have to say he has the patience of a saint when it comes to my writing career.

The main characters of your stories - do you find that you put a little of yourself into each of them or do you create them to be completely different from you?

Janet Jensen: I think it’s easy to inject some of your own qualities into characters. It’s a challenge to create unique, believable characters who come from another place entirely. As I continue to write, I’m sure more of my characters will reflect less of me.

Is there an established writer you admire and emulate in your own writing? Do you have a writing mentor?

Janet Jensen: I would love to write with the grace of Ann Patchett or the clarity of Barbara Kingsolver or Anna Quindlen. Jodi Picoult is a master weaver of plot. Anne Tyler’s wonderfully flawed characters are a treat to know, and her humor is delightful. Joanne Harris is a pleasure to read as well. I love the books written by Australian author Neville Shute. And then there are the icons: Steinbeck, Dickens, Hugo, Faulkner, Wharton, Twain, Shakespeare . . . I’m sure I’ve left a few of them out.

I have colleagues who are honest and helpful and give continual feedback as we meet regularly and share our manuscripts. I have also recently become acquainted with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, and her books and websites are a treasure box of inspiration for writers.

I would love to have a mentor who is a master at seeing the whole plot of a book and helping me analyze it. That’s where I feel I need the most support.

When growing up, did you have a favorite author, book series, or book?
Janet Jensen: Like most other girls of my generation I read The Bobbsey Twins, The Five Little Peppers, Ginger Pye and other Beverly Cleary books, Pippi Longstocking, Cherry Ames . . . My parents gave me the Golden Book Treasury of Poetry edited by Louis Untermeyer and illustrated by Joan Walsh Anglund when I was 8, and it was a marvelous introduction to appreciating poetry. It’s out of print, but I was able to find three copies on eBay and give them to each of my sons.

What about now: who is your favorite author and what is your favorite genre to read?
Janet Jensen: Fiction is my first choice. Biography is second. I plan to read all of Anne Tyler’s 17 novels. At the moment I’d say Edith Wharton is at the top of my list.

Hey, let's get morbid. When they write your obituary, what do you hope they will say about your book/s and writing? What do you hope they will say about you?
Janet Jensen: I have already written my obituary. First, it was a practical consideration and it’s filed with the will and power of attorney. I’m the only one who could accurately write the facts: where I was born, the spelling of my parents’ names, where I attended school, etc. And when the time comes, my family will only have to fill in a few details. I’ve even listed some of my favorite music and poetry for whatever type of memorial they choose to have.

I belong to several book clubs, and the discussion of the book always begins with a brief bio of the author, and I think it’s helpful to give some background information on myself when I present about my own book. Working on that introduction, it began to sound like an obituary, so I continued in that vein, adding some humor and little-known facts, such as my penchant for practical jokes and membership in the nonexistent “Organization for Directionally Impaired People.” In lieu of flowers I suggest donations earmarked for our sons’ ongoing university tuition and frequent flier miles. It’s actually been well-received; someone even asked for a copy of it. Now that was a strange request.

In a more serious vein, I’d like to be remembered as a loving wife and mother, a dedicated Speech-Language Pathologist, someone who gave service to the community, and a successful author of numerous books.

Location and life experience can sprinkle their influence in your writing. Tell us about where you grew up and a little about where you live now.
Janet Jensen: I was born in Berkeley, California and we lived in Walnut Creek until I was seven, so I don’t have many memories of the Bay Area. We moved to Phoenix and lived there for five years. Then we moved to Utah, where I attended junior high and high school. I graduated from Utah State University and then married my college sweetheart. We honeymooned in Chicago where we both obtained graduate degrees at Northwestern University. We love Chicago and try to visit every few years.

After grad school we were able to return to northern Utah where we have lived for more than 35 years. I have always been a city girl, though the community where I live is surrounded by farmland and there is a definite rural influence in the valley. Our local university is a land-grant university, so there is a strong emphasis on programs focused on irrigation, animal husbandry, poisonous plants, forestry, agriculture, etc. We also have a living historical farm museum in our valley, which is a marvelous place for children to get hands-on experiences in the farming life circa 1914.

Most of the time, I would say that I am living where I want to live right now. When a blizzard hits and makes driving treacherous and downright dangerous, or it’s so cold that the electric blanket remains on high all night, I think longingly of a place with a more temperate climate. But I live in a strong and healthy community and the university and local arts organizations offer many opportunities to meet my interests. I felt it was a safe place to raise our children. Since I moved around a lot as a child, it was particularly important to me that my children attended the same schools and even had some of the same teachers, and all three graduated from the high school their father attended. I feel rooted in my adopted hometown.

Do you have any pets? What are they? Tell us about them.
Janet Jensen: When our second son’s friend called, thrilled that his family had adopted a new baby, my son turned to me and said, “Couldn’t we do that, Mom?” and my reply was “You know that puppy we’ve been promising you? We’ll get it.” And we did. Chevy, a cocker mix, is now 14 and has shared many ups and downs with me. She is a loyal and understanding friend. We have also had several other dogs who have passed away, and that is pure heartache. Lita, a border collie mix, attended college with our middle son but now lives with us as he now lives in Finland. Lita is an intelligent and affectionate dog who likes us, but she’s ecstatic when our son comes to visit. We don’t mention his name in her presence, or she looks for him.

Bring us into your home and set the scene for us when you are writing. What does it look like?
Janet Jensen: When the nest emptied, so to speak, I turned a bedroom into my office. I have three large bookcases, a desktop computer, a scanner and two printers, and lots of unorganized papers in stacks. I also have notebooks of clippings and tote bags filled with items I need when I give a presentation on my book. I have a laptop that I use when traveling, and also when I speak to book groups. I show a 60-second movie trailer made of my book, and I also play a recording of the song that inspired the title of my book, as many have never heard it. It’s a tongue-in-cheek folksong and sets the tone for the presentation.

Do you watch television? If so, what are your favorite shows? Does television influence of inspire your writing?
Janet Jensen: I’m hooked on Lost. It’s great storytelling. I think they use flashbacks brilliantly. Of course, each episode presents more questions than it asks, and there are “Easter eggs” or other hints that I miss completely until I read about them on the web. And the number of references to other books, movies, great scientists, etc. is overwhelming, but it’s fun to read about those, too. I was also a fan of Boston Legal in its earlier seasons and loved the mixture of serious issues with humor, and of course it has a very strong cast. I also like Grey’s Anatomy and Without a Trace. When I was recuperating from surgery a friend brought me the DVDs of Alias and I became hooked on it. It was better than becoming hooked on painkillers. And I’m also an unabashed fan of Dancing With the Stars. I can’t dance, but I love to watch it. What the pros accomplish with their celebrity partners is remarkable. It’s just fun viewing. And Masterpiece Theater on PBS.

What about movies?
Janet Jensen: To Kill a Mockingbird, Harvey, Arsenic and Old Lace, Dear Frankie, Chariots of Fire, The Englishman Who Went up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain, the A&E production of Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, The River Wild, The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the Shawshank Redemption, The Full Monty.

Focusing on your most recent (or first) book, tell our readers what genre your book is and what popular author you think your writing style in this book is most like.
Janet Jensen: One reviewer wrote that a particular section of Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys took on an O’Henry feel, and I took that as a compliment. I love to inject humor when I can, and I suppose you could say that I am more the “Gentle Reader” type of author who wants to tell a good story without resorting to vulgarity and gratuitous sex. I’m stumped when asked whose style I emulate. A writing friend said that my humorous columns reminded him of Robert Kirby, a very funny columnist for the Salt Lake Tribune. I wish I could be that amusing all the time. Other than the mention of author Jan Karon, no one I’ve queried has come up with an author for comparison. Basically, they say “you have your own unique style.”

How long did it take you to write your first book?
Janet Jensen: I started it in 2000, but then The Book Lover’s Cookbook took over for a few years. I had some major health issues that seriously impaired my creativity for about a year and a half after that, and then it took at least a year (and 75 rejections) to find a publisher. So technically, it took seven years. I did not write it quickly, either. I made many, many revisions and edits before I was satisfied, and during that time I was learning a lot, which I then applied to my work-in-progress.

Is there anyone you'd like to specifically acknowledge who has inspired, motivated, encouraged or supported your writing?
Janet Jensen: My parents always encouraged us to read great books, and they read to us. My mother was a librarian. My parents read to us when we were small. I would say that early influence was critical. Ken Rand, who is an author, editor and teacher, came into my career early when I took one of his workshops. He was so clear on the basics of writing and self-editing, that I came home with an entirely different mindset. I would say he was very influential in helping me develop as a writer. I have attended Writers@Work in Salt Lake City for four week-long workshops, and I attend other workshops when I can. They are always valuable and provide me with new ideas and inspiration. My local writing group nurtured me when I was new and inexperienced in creative writing, and that was key to developing confidence and learning the craft.

Is there any one particular book that when you read it, you thought to yourself, "Man, I wish I'd written that one!"?
Janet Jensen: To Kill a Mockingbird, Ethan Frome, A Separate Peace, Cannery Row, Bel Canto. . . those books are seamless and powerful.

Thinking about your writing career, is there anything you'd go back and do differently now that you have been published?
Janet Jensen: I would have started earlier when the “what am I doing with my creativity?” question began to nag me.

What is your main goal or purpose you would like to see accomplished by your writing?
Janet Jensen: I would like to tell good stories and tell them well. I would like my audience to appreciate my use of language, but I would never want the language to interfere with the story. I’d like my readers to feel satisfied, entertained, informed and uplifted when they close the book.

How has having a book published changed your life?
Janet Jensen: It’s brought a little fame and a lot of stress to my life. Certainly, I haven’t become rich and I rather doubt I will. I have worked tirelessly at promoting my novel, as I believe in it and its message. Small publishers aren’t known for extensive promotions or marketing strategies. Ironically, it took some national recognition that I was able to obtain before for my publisher began to promote my book more energetically in the regional market. Fortunately, the two major LDS bookstores (stores catering to the interests of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or Mormons) carry my book and it I understand it is doing well in their stores.

Without that exposure, and my efforts at national publicity, I don’t know where my little book would be . . . there would probably be a few dusty boxes in the warehouse. There is also the matter of timing. My book deals with modern polygamy, and of course it’s in the news every day and probably will remain a big media item for quite a while due to recent events in Texas, where law enforcement have taken FLDS women and children into custody and parental rights are at stake.

But when I started the book the FLDS compound that was recently raided by law enforcement for suspected child abuse didn’t even exist in Eldorado, Texas, Mitt Romney wasn’t running for president, Big Love wasn’t being produced by HBO, and Warren Jeffs wasn’t on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. Oprah, Dr. Phil and Dateline and other television journalists weren’t interviewing and investigating polygamy. My story, when I began to write it, had very little to do with current news.

I had known about polygamy all of my life; there was polygamy in my father’s line, as he was descended from Mormon pioneers. I went to school with the son of a polygamist leader, a man who was later killed by a member of a rival clan, and when the son was interviewed on television, I was stunned to see him. I never knew about his background at all when we were in school. He was an excellent student, a quiet well-behaved young man and a member of the debate team. He and his family have been in the news locally on occasion, and I have followed their story as they eventually left the polygamous lifestyle.

My high school classmate’s sister, Dorothy Allred Solomon, also wrote a compelling book, Daughter of the Saints, which gave fascinating insights into the polygamous lifestyle and the tremendous challenges faced by those who live it. Jessie Embrey’s scholarly work and other books provided more background, as well as in-depth newspaper stories in the Salt Lake Tribune, Los Angeles Times and the Deseret Morning News. Recently, several books have been published by women who have left the polygamous life, and I have read them as well. I had seen polygamous families on occasion and observed their unique (old-fashioned appearance) and apparent mistrust of the outside world.

We drove through Colorado City and that was an eye-opener. I had expected to see a well-organized old-fashioned farming community, but what we found were unpaved red dirt roads, unfinished haphazardly-built homes (until the homes are finished, property taxes can’t be assessed), houses with very few or very high windows, rusting trailers that surely would not meet any existing codes, a graveyard consisting of homemade red cement mounds with names and dates scratched on them that told in some cases a very sad history, and, saddest of all, a school with no playground – not a basketball hoop, hopscotch grid, swing or slide in sight. It looked like a warehouse, had high windows, and was surrounded by a tall fence topped with barbed wire. One small neighborhood at the edge of the community looked like any American suburb, with brick homes, sidewalks, and landscaping. These belonged to the leaders. The appearance of a strange car caused residents to go inside their homes; we saw a few children scatter as we entered town.

Promoting my book has taken a lot of energy I would normally be applying to other areas of my life, including my works in progress. It’s a choice I have made. At some point I must immerse myself back into the craft and let the publicity continue based on the momentum my publisher and I have been able to create so far.

Many authors have said that naming their characters is a difficult process, almost like choosing a name for their own child. How did you select the names of some of your lead characters in your book/s?
Janet Jensen: Naming my characters was much easier than naming our own children. In one of our baby books is a long list of names, each one eventually crossed out until only one remained. It was a long labor, and even the nurses offered suggestions. It wasn’t difficult to name my characters at all, partly because this time it was not done by committee. I used some names from my own family history, as a tribute to them, and also chose some old-fashioned Biblical names as appropriate. It took a little longer to name my fictional communities. I named the dog after a famous Utah poet, Eliza R. Snow, and that provokes chuckles among readers who know who she was.

Have you ever had a character take over a story and move it in a different direction than you had originally intended? How did you handle it?
Janet Jensen: Oh, yes. Zina, Louisa’s younger sister disappears one night. Later, her father realizes she must have overheard him give an older man with several wives permission to court and therefore marry her. Zina loves her father but she cannot face him and tell him about her strong aversion to the idea of plural marriage. Instead, she leaves. I tried to tell Zina’s story at the same time I was developing Louisa’s, but the timeline was very problematic and the canvas became quite cluttered with new characters wandering around as Zina’s story began to take over. I finally had to remove her story from the book and promise her that she would have her own book. I love Zina and I owe it to her.

So in the first book, Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys, all we know is that she is missing and has been for years. Zina’s story is the sequel in progress.

Miss Carolina, the eccentric Healer Andy meets in Kentucky, was a minor character in the beginning. But I liked her so much I began to give her more to do. And then I researched natural remedies and Appalachian sayings and introduced each of the Kentucky chapters with them, crediting “Miss Carolina’s Remedies and Advice.” Some readers have asked me if the cures really work! So, in the preface to Zina’s book, I will ask Miss Carolina to address my readers on that issue.

Is there any lesson or moral you hope your story might reveal to those who read it?
Janet Jensen: I was very pleased to see my book listed as Christian Fiction, as some denominations do not consider Mormons to be Christian. That acceptance meant a great deal. Carolyn Howard-Johnson lists my title on her website as a book promoting tolerance and fair treatment of women. It was very important to clarify to the reader that Mormons aren’t polygamists and polygamists aren’t Mormons. This concept is still unclear to many people, and if they read the book they will understand this distinction. It’s also an ageless story about two people from antagonistic cultures who fall in love and want to marry, and all the trouble and heartbreak that can cause to both groups, who have such strong feelings about their religion and way of life. In my story, we see the development of tolerance and acceptance begin to develop among people within these two cultures, and that’s really where our interactions with others should begin, with individual respect and acceptance of differences.

Do you have any book signings, tours or special events planned to promote your book that readers might be interested in attending? If so, when and where?
Janet Jensen: I’ll be signing at the USA Best Books booth at the Los Angeles USA Book Expo at 9:00-9:30 on May 30. I will present at a writers workshop in Springville, Utah on June 7, attend the LDS Booksellers Association Convention August 6-8, and may present on family literacy at Brigham Young University’s annual Education Week Aug 18-22 (that hasn’t been finalized). I am scheduled for presentations at book clubs in Logan, Utah on August 26 and in Hyrum, Utah on October 2. And I’ll be attending the League of Utah Writers Roundup September 12-14. I imagine other opportunities will be extended when local book clubs resume in the fall and plan their yearly agendas. It’s been my experiences that book clubs enjoy hearing from published authors, and people in my area have been very supportive.

It's said that the editing process of publishing a novel with a publisher is can be grueling and often more difficult than actually writing the story. Do you think this is true for you? How did you feel about editing your masterpiece?
Janet Jensen: The revisions and edits were minor and I’ve always been a team player. I would estimate that 95% of the edits proposed by my editor were excellent and appropriate and made the book better. To the remaining 5% I responded with something like, “No, the character would really say that,” and there was no further discussion. 95% agreement was awfully pleasant and my editor and the proofer were very thorough.

Now that you are a published author, does it feel differently than you had imagined?
Janet Jensen: Well, I would say that it garners a little more attention in public when people approach me and tell me they’ve heard about my book or better yet, they’ve read it. Most people have been very gracious and complimentary about my book. My neighbor bought 11 copies for her large family because there were historical references to both her husband’s ancestors and to hers in the first section. I had no idea, of course, that I was writing about their people, but was glad I had done my homework. I was thrilled to feel validated in that way. Polygamy is a very touchy and complicated subject but most readers feel I handled it with sensitivity and that was certainly my goal.

Now, use this space to tell us more about who you. Anything you want your readers to know?
Oh, goodness, I feel as if I’ve written my autobiography already! I had no idea I was so fascinating. These questions were great and very thought-provoking. I welcome visitors to my website and blogs, where they’ll find pictures and essays and humor and regular columns.My webpage is http://www.janetjensen.com and I blog at three locations:www.janetkayjensen.blogspot.com; www.janetkayjensen2.blogspot.com, and my newest blog is here, at Xanga,http://www.xanga.com/janetkayjensen

Visitors to the Xanga site can listen to the song, "Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys," an old folksong that inspired the title of my book. A video preview can be seen at all of the above locations.

Posted by Michelle L. Devon at 9:56 AM Labels: author interview, don't you marry the mormon boys, janet kay jensen, mormom, novel, polygamy, reading

Review by Janet Peterson

2008-05-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

Janet Kay Jensen's finely crafted novel, Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys, is one of those books I simply couldn't put down. The stunning descriptions of life in Southern Utah, Kentucky back-country, and Finland take the reader to new territory, not only for the settings but also for the roads the characters travel. The story line is intriguing and particularly timely with recent national focus on polygamous families.

Yet the conflict is not new and one not easily resolved: two young people from vastly different cultures love each other deeply and must struggle with loyalty to family, religion, expectation, and pursuing their own happiness. Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys provides remarkable insights into the power of love, forgiveness, and improving on the past.

---Janet Peterson, co-author with LaRene Gaunt, Faith, Hope, and Charity: Inspiration from the Lives of General Relief Society President; Keepers of the Flame: Presidents of the Young Women; The Children's Friends: Primary Presidents and Their Lives of Service; author of Remedies for the "I Don't Cook" Syndrome; Family Dinners: How to Feed Your Kids and Keep Them Talking at the Table; writer of more than 150 magazine articles for the Ensign, Liahona, Friend, Pioneer, and http:www. Meridianmagazine.com.

Book Review: Mormon Times

2008-05-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

Mormon Times

Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys
Reviewed by Jenny Larson
Published: Wednesday, May. 7, 2008

Don't You Marry The Mormon Boys by Janet Kay Jensen is a story of an unconditional love complicated by differences in culture and tradition. Although Andy McBride and Louisa Martin have similar values, it is a love that just can't seem to work.

Martin is polygamous and McBride is LDS, yet the two find a friendship neither expected – especially Martin, who grew up thinking she would one day become one of many wives to one man.Jensen goes back and forth between telling the story of Martin and McBride as they fall in love in medical school and today as they struggle going about their everyday lives trying to forget about a love that cannot be. McBride takes a position in a small Kentucky town as the town doctor, and Martin heads back to Gabriel's Landing, Utah, to open a clinic to bring better health care to her people.

From Eliza the service dog, Smokey the quirky horse who does what she wants, to an old-fashioned Kentucky hills healer Miss Carolina and Joshua, a father who truly loves, Jensen brings to life some wonderfully colorful and endearing characters whom you can't help but love.A simple love story told in a complicated time amid prejudices and ignorance between those who believe and those who don't, Don't You Marry The Mormon Boys is poignant in its subject and heart-wrenching in its reality.

Readers will laugh as McBride makes his way around a funny little town full of funny little people full of charity, curiosity and even vengeance. And readers will cry as Martin faces old hard-fought traditions that won't let her be an independent woman of intelligence and talent as she fights the Council of Brothers about marriage and protects some of the young mothers against abusive husbands. Martin's redeeming grace is her father Joshua, who defies the Council of Brothers and refuses to make her marry someone she does not love.

Choices are made and traditions followed, but what seems to be the right choice for Martin may just end up keeping her from true happiness. Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys is a first novel for Jensen, and a sequel called Zina will be released soon.

Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys was most recently announced as a runner-up for the Best New Writing: Eric Hoffer Award in commercial fiction. It was also a finalist by both Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year Award and USA Best Books 2007 in religious fiction. In addition, it was named a semi-finalist for the ReaderViews Critics Award. Regionally, Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys received an honorable mention in the Marilyn Brown unpublished manuscript contest.

Not new to writing, Jensen enjoys writing short stories and essays and a little poetry here and there. Her next project is called Connor's Honor.On her web site, Jensen writes that O'Connor's Honor is about Ian O'Connor, an impulsive, witty Irish professor of English literature with a past he can't remember, and Angela Hoover, a Boston physician and descendant of the Mayflower Company who falls into his arms from a second-story fire escape. The unlikely introduction is the beginning of an unusual friendship, which leads them into a dangerous trap.

Stay tuned next week as I speak with author Janet Kay Jensen about Don't You Marry The Mormon Boys and her upcoming projects. If there are any questions readers would like to ask Janet, please send an e-mail to jlarson@desnews.com.For more information about Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys or O'Connor's Honor, visit http://www.janetjensen.com/.

Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys by Janet Kay Jensen, Cedar Fort, 314 pages, $15.99
MormonTimes.com is produced by the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, Utah.It is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Copyright © 2008 Deseret News Publishing Company

I've been Blogged at Not Entirely British

2008-04-23T11:22:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys Hits Australia

Author Janet Kay Jensen’s new book is causing quite a stir in Australia. Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys is front page feature story in Brisbane Australia's Australia.TO 24.7 News this week.

This is Janet’s first novel, although she has co-authored other non-fiction books. She says, “Oddly enough, Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys has received little notice in Utah. I sent emails to all the papers with no response. But I persisted, and found reviewers in Canada, and NJ among other states, and now Australia. The great thing is they ‘get’ the story. That is so important to me, to spread a little truth about our religion and culture in my book.”

The book’s title is proving a hook for both LDS and non-LDS readers alike. Janet comments, “It’s actually the title of a clever old folksong I’ve heard since childhood. Depending on the occasion, ‘Mormon’ can become ‘Kansas’ or ‘Idaho,’ or wherever. At a recent bookstore signing, one man commented, ‘Now, that’s one heck of an eye-catching title.’ He had glanced at the poster and stopped in his tracks to look at the book.”

The folksong goes like this,

Gather round, girls, and listen to my noise, Don’t you marry the Mormon boys; If you do your fortune it will be, Johnnycake and babies is all you’ll see.

Janet continues, “Usually, people react to the title with a smile or a chuckle, because the rhythm and wording of the phrase also hint at the humor within the story. In fact, chapter one begins with native Utahn Andy McBride singing the song to his dog, Eliza R. Snow (named after a famous Utah poet). I think it sets the mood and gives us a hint of who Andy is as he’s driving to his new medical practice in the beautiful Smoky mountain region of rural Appalachia.”

When Janet began writing the book in 2000, a Mormon wasn’t running for president, Big Love wasn’t airing on HBO, and a fundamentalist polygamous leader wasn’t on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. A friend told Janet she had good timing with all this heightened national interest, but the release date of Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys was not intentional on her part.

Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys is a light read with some interesting insights into two ways of life with which most of us are not familiar. Janet says she has learned a lot in the seven-year journey to getting this book published. She adds, “Besides my writing style and editing improving, I also found that nobody wanted to publish a book about polygamy—until Cedar Fort’s Bonneville Books took it on board.”

The story involves Mormon bachelor Andy McBride, who falls for fellow medical student Louisa Martin—a product of polygamy, a way of life Andy cannot embrace and Louisa cannot escape.

Set in the striking red mountains of southern Utah, cosmopolitan Salt Lake City, the rural Smoky Mountain region of Kentucky and the beautiful, forest and lake-studded country of Finland, Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys deals with engaging characters from two opposing lifestyles with honesty and humor. Can a man and a woman from two antagonistic cultures (mainstream Mormon vs. fundamentalist polygamist) overcome the daunting barriers that would deny them a life together? What sacrifices will each have to make in order to be together? What impact will their choices have on family, friends, and even whole communities?

Janet says, “The book has several messages. First, Mormons (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or LDS) aren’t polygamists, and polygamists aren’t Mormons. That’s a distinction many people don’t understand, and media reports are often inaccurate, so I think that is an important clarification. Other themes I explore are tolerance, acceptance, and willingness to accept others as they are. Life is richer when we can expand our ability to embrace diversity.”

Two reviews, chosen from many, read as follows:

In this compelling story, the clash of religious cultures creates conflict between two characters the reader cares about. The writing is clear and often gorgeous. I was fascinated by American subcultures the author seems to know so well, and I think many readers will be. A great love story—and more. I search for this kind of book and would snap it up.
—Catherine deCuir, Berkeley, California, author of Peace Prompts: A Guided Journal

A thoroughly captivating story with unusual characters. Janet Kay Jensen shows us that truth and love can triumph over anything life might throw our way.
—Rachel Ann Nunes, bestselling LDS author

Awards
Runner-Up, Best New Writing: The Eric Hoffer Award
Finalist, USA Best Books 2007 (religious fiction)
Finalist, Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year (religious fiction)
Semi-Finalist, Reader Views Critics Awards(religion/spirituality)
Whitney Award Nominee for LDS authors
Honorable Mention, Marilyn Brown Unpublished Novel Award
Third Place – Fiction Excerpt, Association for Mormon Letters 2005
Second Place, Full-Length Book 2006, League of Utah Writers
Finalist, Religious Fiction, USA Book News Best Books 2007
Semifinalist, Religion/Spirituality, ReaderViews 2007 Literary Awards
Finalist, Religious Fiction, ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year Award (winners TBA Book Expo America May 29, 2008)
Finalist: Aunt Tuesday, a screenplay based on a scene from Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys, 2008 LDS Film Festival Seven-page Screenplay competition.
Whitney Award for LDS writers, nominee 2008
Honorable Mention, Marilyn Brown LDS Novel Award, 2007
Finalist, Commercial Fiction-Best New Writing: The Eric Hoffer Award for Independent Books, a platform for and the champion of the Independent Voice.

Janet Kay Jensen is currently looking for an agent and hoping her latest novel will help get her foot in the door.

Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys, 324 pages, paperback, was released November 1, 2007 by Bonneville Books, Cedar Fort, Inc. It is available at area bookstores; by telephone at 1-800-sky-book, amazon.com; or online at www.cedarfort.com.

Janet has a webpage, http://www.janetjensen.com, and a blog: http://www.janetkayjensen.blogspot.com. She loves to hear from readers.

Posted by Anne Bradshaw at 6:21 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Books, Janet Jensen, LDS Church, Mormon Church, Polygamy

In the Top Ten

2008-04-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys is #9 today on Deseret Book's Fiction Best Seller List! http://deseretbook.com/store/browse?sub_category_id=79

Marilyn Brown Unpublished Novel Contest - Honorable Mention / AML remarks

2008-04-17T13:37:00.000-07:00

As reported by the Association for Mormon Letters:

Janet Kay Jensen's Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys starts out as a nice little romance between an active LDS man and a woman who was raised in a fundamentalist splinter group. They overcome this issue as the story progresses with wit and keen insight to explore how polygamy still colors the way Mormons are perceived, as well as how practicing polygamists may be perceived by active LDS members. Once the romantic tension is resolved, a kidnapping is introduced into the story, but this potentially heart-stopping twist is twisted again as the author takes a humorous approach that brings to mind aspects of O. Henry's "Ransom of Red Chief." Jensen's writing is clever, and her romantic characters and their friends and loved ones are sympathetically and engagingly portrayed. She is to be congratulated for her original approach to a timely issue.

Books by Janet slide show

2008-03-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

"A love story that takes an honest look . . . "

2008-03-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

What happens when a Mormon boy and a girl raised in a polygamous colony meet at college and fall in love? What obstacles will they face, and can they have a future together? Don't you Marry the Mormon Boys is a love story that takes an honest look at families who struggle with prejudice, acceptance and forgiveness.

Nadene R. Carter, Myster Writer and Writing Workshop Director

"Perfect for Today's World"

2008-03-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys: Perfect for Today's World

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of award-winning books This is the Place, Harkening and Tracings, a Chapbook of Poetry and the award winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success

The world is changing. In some ways it is becoming more tolerant and in other ways less. When less, we find 9/ll and Iraqi wars surely follow. When more, we find people of all ethnicities getting along just fine—as we always have in America—and we'd do even better if the rabble rousing talk show hosts would temper their bile with a little compassion.

In its underpinnings, Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys by Janet Kay Jensen is about tolerance. Luckily, it is a book of the sort that can make a difference for good in the world.

Of course, many read for pure entertainment. Those who do will also enjoy this book. They may hardly notice its serious side for it has enough romance, humor and surprise (think! all those fringe members of polygamist groups!) to keep us turning those pages.

A young doctor from Utah must find his own way after he falls in love with a fellow doctor in medical school and is rejected by her. To serve and forget, he chooses a mountainous area in Kentucky after he graduates. As many interesting characters reside there as he left behind at home. The story revolves around his coming to terms with his antagonists—that is the whole closed polygamist community that his ex-girlfriend was born in and the ex-girlfriend herself who is committed to her family and community. Along the way he encounters quirky prejudices in his own family and his new-found community.

The story structure required that the polygamist pod provide most of the conflict, yet Jensen portrays them sensitively. We not only learn about their way of life but see them as people who acted as they do because they live behind a cultural barrier and, in their isolation, are fearful and ignorant of other ways. That may be one of the reasons that most intolerance exists—for lack of opportunity to associate on a personal level with those who are different from us.

There is a low moment in this novel somewhere after the second plot point when I feared Mormon Boys might deteriorate into what I consider a typical Christian novel (I know, my prejudices are showing but there are so many such novels with insipid, tell-don't show, predictable endings or, perhaps it is just that I have seen more than my share of them). Anyway, hang in there. Christians will not be disappointed they did, but neither will the rest of the reading public.
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Posted at MyShelf.com

Learn more about Carolyn at www.carolynhowardjohnson.com

"Delightful Read"

2008-03-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Janet has written a marvelous book! It grabs your attention from the beginning and keeps you spellbound with the wit and humor as well as the emotion and everyday people in the book. You feel like you know the characters and can relate to their lives. I loved it and would recommend it to anyone!

D. Hall at amazon.com

"Two Cultures, One Love"

2008-03-19T07:28:00.001-07:00

Jensen's book is a riveting tale of love between two people with vastly different cultures. For many polygamy is Utah's "dirty little secret" and Jensen brillantly illustrates the secrecy of these offshoot societies and the clash that occurs when their members interact with the mainstream population of Utah. Jensen's characters are wonderfully real and multi-faceted. You cannot help but love the many characters in this book. The story grabs you attention and the book is impossible to put down. This is a wonderful love story for people who believe in the possibility of soul mates.

Danielle Bird, Logan, Utah, Literacy Director

"A Great Array of Characters and Very Funny Scenarios"

2008-02-27T09:07:00.001-08:00

"Eliza R. Snow"

I absolutely adored Janet Jensen’s debut novel about Andy McBride and Louisa Martin, a couple who come from two different, but somewhat close religious backgrounds. Louisa comes from a fundamentalist polygamous upbringing and Andy comes from a mainstream LDS family and when they come together during Med School, they fall in love. From going back and forth with each of their lives, we get to know the two well. Since I am descended from a long line of polygamous ancestors, I know and understand "The Principle." Janet has a compassionate understanding of polygamy, so this novel brings this misunderstood subject to a better understanding.

Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys also has an ingenious Border Collie that is trained to sense when Andy is going through a seizure, so this is very interesting information that I didn't know. Smoky, the cute and scrappy mare Andy is given, does some unusual things to him that takes Miss Carolina to shed light on. The little snippets of down home country remedies by Miss Carolina add to the charm of this wonderful novel.

When Louisa comes back to her home to practice medicine, she finds not everyone approves of her methods. Her father supports her in whatever she chooses, unlike the others in the community.

I was impressed with how Janet weaves the storyline around a trip to Finland with some interesting tidbits about the culture. The story takes place in Utah, Kentucky, Finland and Las Vegas and we see a lot of humorous scenes unfold with ingenious outcomes.

This novel brings together a great array of characters and very funny scenarios. We see love, tolerance, forgiveness abound. The scenery is breathtaking by the gift of Jensen’s way with words. I really enjoyed the small town country doctor storyline. This novel should be made into a movie, as it would be Oscar-worthy. I look forward to the sequel with much anticipation.

Teri K. Rodeman
Benton City, WA
Feb. 22, 2008

Meridian Magazine

2008-02-25T14:30:00.000-08:00

Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys by Janet Kay Jensen was actually released in 2007. It is the story of Andy McBride and Louisa Martin, who meet in medical school at the University of Utah and fall in love, but a major obstacle stands in the way of their getting married and living happily ever after. Andy is a returned missionary with a strong commitment to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Louisa feels just as strongly about the beliefs and traditions of her family in a polygamous community in southern Utah.

For four years they are best friends and acknowledge their feelings for each other while agreeing that after graduation, they will go their separate ways to do their residencies, then set up their practices. Accepting that neither is going to change his or her commitment to their religious convictions, they agree that following graduation, they won’t ever see each other again.

Andy winds up beginning his practice in the hill country of Kentucky, while Louisa returns to her small southern Utah town. Andy is lovingly accepted, though is often the target of practical jokers; faces a lot of misunderstanding about his religion, and he even manages to form a strong friendship with a Smoky Mountain healer. He also earns the enmity of a dangerous man by helping the man’s pregnant teenage daughter escape his life-threatening abuse and his son to find a job in another community.

Louisa too is welcomed at first with open arms, then she runs afoul of the Brothers as she struggles to help the women improve both their physical and emotional health. She also becomes alarmed over the high incidence of kidney abnormalities and other genetic conditions brought about by intermarriage with close family members within the small group. Eventually she is forced to leave the community.

A chance meeting at a medical convention doesn’t resolve their problems, but intensifies them until they find themselves part of the same small group of doctors participating in a foreign medical exchange.

Jensen proves she has a gift for writing with this novel which not only showcases her warm comfortable style, but presents a thought-provoking and interesting premise. She does a great job of portraying three different and distinct cultural communities. The background or settings used in this book are well-researched and key to the story. The setting becomes almost a character in the story. She paints none of the communities or people as perfect and goes to great lengths to portray the good elements in all three and point out that evil or bigotry exist in all three.

The story’s greatest weakness is in the doctrinal area, where the author implies that the only difference between the two Utah groups is in the way they carry out their shared beliefs. Her focus on their shared distant history ignores their very real doctrinal differences. One of the book’s strongest points is the way the gentle, loving upbringing of both major characters is carefully woven into the story.

Readers won’t forget this novel nor regret reading it. Unfortunately many potential readers will pass right by the low-key, blah cover. The story will appeal primarily to adult women. There are few technical errors, especially in the first half of the book, which is the stronger portion of the story. The last part becomes a little farcical in some places, but was probably fun to write.

"Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys" is an old folk song, unfamiliar to most people today, that in reference highlights a common misconception about Mormon values, an apt title for a story that deals heavily with misconceptions about Mormons, about polygamist groups, and about Kentucky hill people.

Jennie Hansen for Meridian Magazine
February 25, 2008

"I purchased seven copies of this novel . . . "

2008-02-24T12:35:00.000-08:00

The characters Ms. Jensen has so intricately and skillfully drawn simply leap off the page and into the mental eye of the reader. There were many of them whom I would dearly like to know in actuality and be judged a friend by those people. The story-telling is clear and fully rounded, with subtle hints but no revelation of what's to come in pages ahead until the resolution. We see the situations from the viewpoints of multiple people and can even, as readers, get our own selves in an emotional conundrum as to how things might or should be handled and resolved.

The issues and emotions are delicately interwoven tissue papers of humanity and the consequences of beliefs and actions are far-reaching and of vital import. The history of the Mormon church and the issue of polygamy has obviously been painstakingly researched (the history I have read regarding polygamy bears this out); and while a major thread of the novel, it only adds to and enriches the tension and the questions the reader has as to what will happen to the protagonists and all those around them also to be deeply affected by events.

I purchased seven copies of this novel; one for me and the others for friends and public libraries as gifts. One of these friends called to express her excitement and enjoyment saying, "I was hooked by page one and could not put the book down. I laughed tears and cried tears." She summed up my own feelings exactly and her day was made when I explained that hopefully, there is to be a sequel.

D.T. Enloe Wisconsin, USA 2/25/08

A Cache Valley Woman Wrote This?

2008-02-21T14:29:00.000-08:00

A fellow author is spreading my book around and this is her report:

"I've already lent my copy out to a few people and their responses are so funny. 'You really know her?' 'A lady from Cache valley wrote this?' They all really like it."