Allison Leotta

For twelve years, I was a federal prosecutor in Washington, DC, where I specialized in prosecuting sex crimes, domestic violence, and crimes against children.

I started writing because I saw heartbreaking tragedies, acts of shocking evil, and vulnerable victims every day - but also moments of real heroism, true love, and healing. Given the stories I witnessed, the rich cast of characters I worked with, and my lifelong love of fiction, I had to write a book.

I wanted to create a story that would both entertain and teach about the way the criminal justice system works—and doesn’t work. I focused on a nightmare shared by domestic-violence prosecutors: losing a case and setting free an abuser who eventually kills his victim. I wanted to explore why so many women stay with boyfriends who hurt them. And I wanted to create a strong, smart female prosecutor who would empathize with her witnesses because she shared some of their experiences – but whose romantic life would suffer from those same experiences.

Law of Attraction was written in the spaces of my life between prosecuting and mommying. I started writing while I was pregnant with my first son. I would wake up at 5:00 a.m. and write for a couple of hours before heading to work. I wrote at night and on weekends. After my son was born, I wrote during his naps and after bedtime. Now, the sound of a softly snoring baby triggers a Pavlovian response in me to start typing.

In 2010, Simon & Schuster published LAW OF ATTRACTION. The Washington Post called it “a racy legal thriller, taking on a still-taboo subject.” Suspense Magazine named it one of the best books of the year, and Library Journal gave it a starred review, calling it "riveting."

The sequel, DISCRETION, will be published this July, and is available for pre-order.

I also blog about what TV crime shows get right and wrong, from my perspective as a real sex-crimes prosecutor. The ABA named my blog, the Prime-Time Crime Review, one of the best legal blogs in America.

I went to Michigan State University and Harvard Law School. Now I live in Maryland with my two sons and my husband, Michael.