About the Author

Jennifer Kokoski was born and raised in the suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland some thirty years ago the youngest of a happy, boisterous brood. After battling arthritis in childhood and perhaps because of it she learned the magic that can only be found in a good book. As an adult she pursued a degree in psychology in hopes of understanding people but found her true vocation lay in writing good stories of her own.

Whether for publications or as a web designer, she uses her artistic skills to teach, inform and entertain. She continues to make her home in Maryland amidst her ever-growing family including three nieces, 4 nephews and two godsons - the next generation of Kokoskis.

SPECIAL FEATURE: Interview With The Author

Question: How long have you been writing Ms. Kokoski?
Answer: First off, call me Jen. Like my heroines I hate being so formal. I started writing the first time I stopped reading my favorite Golden Book halfway and continued the story my way. From then on I was always making up tales to send myself off to dreamland or rescue me from the doldrums. Writing is as natural and soothing to me as some people enjoy long walks in the country or curling up with herbal tea. I write almost every day, though most of my words are meant purely for personal enjoyment. I've kept a journal since I was 9 and for fun I write science fiction with friends. My favorite type of writing is stories of adventure, romance and the classic battle of good vs. evil.

Question: Ok Jen, so what inspired you to write Notorious Angel?
Answer: I'd been toying with romance novel ideas for years desperately trying to find one that fit my ultimate vision of romantic adventure. Like most writers, I acquired a graveyard of short-lived ideas. Then one dark and cold night when I was all alone the idea struck me. See despite being part of a large and boisterous family, I was the only one left in our rural childhood home on a night when our family pooch got himself lost and stuck in the woods. As I struggled to free him from his tangles, the cold night wind chilled my bones and the dark shadows gave life to my fears. In that moment, all I wanted was a guardian angel to spring out of the darkness to help me. And I wondered what if that really happened. Would my guardian angel truly be the answer to my prayers or a specter in disguise out to do me harm? I spent the night trying to answer that question in pages of outline and thus a story was born.

Question: You said you had a "graveyard of stories", why is it Notorious Angel became your first published work?
Answer: It's hard to say. NA is just special to me. It's more than just another romance. It's every girl's ultimate romantic fantasy with ample doses of sanguine adulthood thrown in. In so many ways Sera is me, or rather who I'd like to be. She takes chances just because her heart tells her too. And Gabriel has all the sophisticated logic and self-defenses I learned in my adult years just to survive. Most romances are pretty straightforward dealing with one or two problems, but NA is a story on so many levels. There's a coming of age struggle for Sera, a mystery with as many twists and turns as I could contrive, and a love story that is sweet, passionate and ultimately based on a heartwarmingly true message that's apropos even for today's relationships. That, and I really enjoyed creating the colorful world our beloved heroes find themselves inhabiting. NA was one of those stories that just grabs you and won't let go until it's done.

Question: How long did it take you to write Notorious Angel?
Answer: Ah, almost everyone asks me that question. In short about a year. Several months worth of outlining and reorganizing the story in my head, a few more spent abandoning the project in favor of more stories in the era and finally coming back with a commitment to finish the tale. Once NA had grabbed me by the scruff of the neck, Sera and Gabriel refused to let go until I had not only finished the rough draft but edited it thoroughly with a partner and beat down publisher doors until it was purchased at long last. From time of inception to publication, it's been around 5 years.

Question: Why did you chose to set your story in Regency times?
Answer: Regency England is a romantic age, the time of the poets Byron and Shelley as well as the rise and fall of the megalomaniac Napoleon. The social world was defined by contradictions with the randy behavior of bachelors and ruthlessly-scripted behavior of young ladies. Duels at dawn were fought to settle questions of honor, people rode in horse-drawn carriages, and love as we know it today was a novelty. Off all the time periods I've read, Regency just has everything going on.

Question: Do you have more books on tap for us?
Answer: Yes, though I hate talking about my developing creations. They change so much as they develop, but I can tell you I planned a series of 10 Regency books loosely connected to the world of NA. There are still so many questions to answer. My villainous organization the Triad has a host of stories left to tell. Even the Montgomeries, Sera's family, have colorful adventures yet to live. After that, who knows were I'll end up. I think about survival type stories in the western wildnerness. There's at least one female Victorian Sherlock Holmes determined to take me and her hero on a wild ride from trains to undercover roles and women's liberation. And after that I expect my love of time travel science fiction and modern detective stories to keep me spinning tales a few years longer. For now, I'm enjoying the incredible adventure Sera and Gabriel have taken me on and hope their story does the same for all of its readers.

BUY THE BOOK
On Sale from Hard Shell Word Factory
e-Book ISBN: 0-7599-0326-3 | Paperback ISBN: 0-7599-0472-3