Carolyn Turgeon’s appearance evokes an otherworldly elegance effusive with joy. With her long dark hair, complete with shiny streak of navy blue, red lipstick, and big blue eyes, Carolyn Turgeon seems herself to be a high priestess, the kind of magical creature who would be right at home in her sumptuous fantasy worlds. Turgeon learned to love reading as an escape from her shy, dislocated childhood. She says, “I loved being alone in my room and reading.” By chance, Turgeon’s mother brought home a book from the Betsy-Tacy and Tib series once by accident. These books by Maud Heart Lovelace had a tremendous impact on Turgeon’s development as a writer. Protagonist Betsy grows up in a small Minnesota town, reading as much as she can, climbing trees, and hoping to become a writer. Turgeon reflects, “I wanted to do that!” Soon, Turgeon was well on her way. Though she majored in Italian Literature at Pennsylvania State, Turgeon was lucky enough to enter an honors Creative Writing workshop taught by Paul West, uncharacteristically offered to undergraduates for the first time. Insists Turgeon dreamily, “It was the most amazing class I took in college.” Turgeon simultaneously took a class in Italian Literature, continue...