Jennifer Bokal's Rocky Mountain Justice series

Wild Women Authors welcomes author Jennifer D. Bokal and Viktoria Mateev from Jennifer's latest release out of Harlequin Romantic Suspense line, Her Rocky Mountain Hero, book one in Jen's Rocky Mountain Justice series. First up is Viktoria.
Where are you from? NYC, but living in Colorado
Tell us a bit about Cody Samuels, hero in Her Rocky Mountain Hero. The first time I saw him, I was worried that he’d been sent to kill me.
Interesting. And your second thought? He was really hot.
Was it love at first sight? No way! He burst into my cabin right after my son was kidnapped. He said he there to help—but I didn’t know if I should believe him. Obviously, I’m glad I did…
What do you like most about him? I love that Cody’s brave and smart and has a nice butt.
Butts are important. How else would you describe him? I’d have to start with his eyes. The first thing I noticed about Cody were his eyes—they’re a crystalline blue. The next thing that comes to mind is that he always keeps his promises.
How would Cody describe you? Determined; then he’d roll those gorgeous eyes.
What made you choose to be a stay-at-home mom for a career? Once Gregory was born, I only wanted to stay home with him. Becoming a mom has been the best thing to happen to me.
What is your biggest fear? That something will happen to my son.
How do you relax? I love to cook.
Who is your favorite fictional character? Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. Cliché, I know.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received? You won’t do your son any good if you give up—it came from Cody.
Thank you for sharing your time with us, Viktoria. Now we'd like to chat with Jennifer.
What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? The first author I read obsessively was Victoria Holt. I loved the Gothic feel of her books along with the mystery that left me guessing until the end. As an adult, I read Joyce Carol Oates if I need some inspiration. She’s amazing with the subtly of human emotions. I also read Lee Childs for a really good thriller.
What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? I grew up in Colorado so I was able to visit the places of my childhood with this book.
Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? The book is with Harlequin Romantic Suspense. I’d met my fabulous editor, Susan Littman, at the NJ RWA conference years before. I had an idea for a holiday themed romantic suspense and knew that HRS would be a great home. She liked the idea and we moved forward with a series. It’d been a dream of mine to write for Harlequin since the middle school days of reading Victoria Holt, so I was thrilled when I got the call from my agent that the contract had been negotiated.
What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? Bury Your Dead by Louise Penney.
Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? The second book in the Rocky Mountain Justice series, Her Rocky Mountain Defender, will be out in April 2018.
Jennifer can be reached at www.Facebook.com/Jennifer D. Bokal and
Twitter: @jenbokal