An Interview With Allison Leota, Author of the Novel Law of Attraction

This is the first novel by a federal prosecutor who works in Washington D.C. I was sent the book, unsolicited, but I thought I'd give her a shot and help promote a new author. This is the result.

The book has a few plot twists, some of which I saw coming and some which I did not. The main character, Anna, has a relationship with a defense attorney which becomes a big problem when they find themselves on opposite sides of the same case.

What sparked you to write this book? What other novelist-writing lawyers do you like?

I started writing Law of Attraction because of my job. I’m a federal sex-crimes prosecutor, so I see the very worst things people can do to each other. But I also see some inspiring things – moments of dignity, courage, and healing. It’s not a job you leave at the office. Writing helps me process the highs and lows that are part of the work.

In terms of other lawyers-turned-writers, Scott Turow is the master. He’s brilliant on so many levels. Linda Fairstein is a personal hero because she headed the Sex Crimes Unit of the Manhattan DA’s office for over twenty years, and her novels have that ring of truth. Robert Dugoni is great. And Lisa Scottoline always knocks out fun and funny girl-lawyer-heroine stories.

Was it always planned for this book to come out during Domestic Violence Awareness Month?

No, but it was great timing. Law of Attraction is a romantic thriller that deals with domestic violence. I tried to answer the question that’s always asked about DV victims: “Why didn’t she just leave him?” My heroine is a beautiful young DV prosecutor named Anna Curtis, who suffered a violent childhood herself. She takes her job personally. And she’s devastated when a DV victim lies under oath to protect her abusive lover. The man goes free; the victim turns up dead; and Anna is heartsick and determined to bring the killer to justice. Standing in her way is her own boyfriend, a public defender representing the accused. As Anna’s personal and professional lives collide, she struggles to understand why she and so many women are attracted to men who hurt them.

Article Author: Scott Butki

Scott Butki was a newspaper reporter for more than 10 years before making a career change into education... then into special education.

He reads at least 50 books a year and has about the same number of author interviews each year and, …

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