Bethany Turner has been writing since the second grade, when she won her first writing award for explaining why, if she could have lunch with any person throughout history, she would choose John Stamos. She stands by this decision. Bethany now writes pop culture–infused rom-coms for a new generation of readers who crave fiction that tackles the thorny issues of life with humor and insight. Bethany was recently in the the May 2022 issue of Welcome Home and graciously answered a few questions!

1. Why did you become a writer?
Because I didn’t have time for community theatre! I was a theatre major in college and as an adult my creative outlet was performing in or directing local productions. Then my career as a bank vice president began taking up too much time and I couldn’t make it work. I had to have some form of creative outlet so I didn’t lose my mind, so I started writing late at night after my husband and kids went to bed. That was it. There was no turning back. And a few years later I abandoned the banking career at least in part because it didn’t allow me enough time to write.

2. What inspired your current book?
The Do-Over actually all began with a title I had floating around in my head. If I Should Die Before I Mate. I didn’t have any more than that to begin with, but then it turned into, “Why would a woman fear she was going to die if she didn’t get married?” And this is romantic comedy, mind you…so I needed to go for the laughs and the swooning, not the suspense and the crime scene! Before long I was imagining a woman who had always had her life together, when suddenly it all falls apart. She’s reached her lowest moment, or so she thinks. And then she discovers a disturbing pattern in the family tree, in that none of her ancestors lived past forty unless they were married and/or had kids. For the usually unflappable 38-year-old (and single and childless) McKenna Keaton, it’s the final straw in her attempts to pretend her life isn’t spiraling out of control.

3. What is next for you?
I’m working on an enemies-to-lovers rom-com all about the host of America’s #1 morning show who comes under fire when she gets caught on a hot mic. She has the reputation of being a beloved girl-next-door, but that is immediately traded in for a reputation as a “mean girl.” Dangerously close to becoming a victim of cancel culture, she has to go back to her little hometown and make nice for a while. I’m so excited about this one and can’t wait to share it with readers when it releases next year!