Seventeen-year-old Teagan McNeel falls for captivating Garreth Adams, her guardian angel come to earth. But where there is light, dark follows, and now she is torn between one angel’s sacrifice and another angel’s vicious ambition that threatens not only her life, but the lives of everyone she knows.    SOURCE

A little about Jennifer: Jennifer Murgia has been writing since she was nine years old. After receiving recognition for her poetry, she went on to use her talents to bring characters to life in fiction novels that are authentic, intriguing, and personal. She currently resides in Pennsylvania with her husband and two children. SOURCE

OBS: Who are your literary influences?
Jennifer: At an early age I was introduced to such wonderful books. Books by Judy Blume allowed me to identify with pre-adolescent issues, while works of Madeleine L’Engle introduced me to fantastic realms. I then devoured books with deeper meaning and issues by Anne Rice, Milan Kundera and Erica Jong.

OBS: Do you have any advice for those out there wanting to become writers?
Jennifer: Write from your heart and write as if you are the only audience. That should be the most important thing to consider.

OBS: What other media do you use to help inspire you while writing (Music, Art, Movies, etc.)? Anything specific?
Jennifer: I like to listen to music before I sit down and write. Anything moving and stirring like Evanescence or Breaking Benjamin for example, but then I need to sit in utter silence to write.

OBS: Where did the idea for ‘Angel Star’ come from?
Jennifer: In June 2007 I was up late one night while my husband was away for work. The kids were asleep and I kept toying with the idea of unconditional love. Who would be one to feel that? What if that person was a constant presence and untouchable at the same time? An angel came to mind and I began writing.

OBS: The biggest themes in your book are angels and symbols, what kind of research did you do for the book?
Jennifer: I wanted something to extend from some amount of truth – something that already existed that I could perhaps bend a bit to fit the story. My mother has a book on symbols and the Octagram seemed a perfect fit as far as its meaning. It is derived from the Wiccan Wheel of the Year symbolizing rebirth and regeneration. What else could have been more perfect than that? It seemed to fit what I wanted to create for the existence of a guardian angel and how a human charge could connect. The number 8 also has personal significance to me, so it only seemed right. The rest I filled in with countless hours on the internet. Teagan’s mark is the Circle of Unity, meaning the ability to connect with the universe and all that is in it. She is the link between the human and angel worlds.

OBS: Describe ‘Angel Star’ in 140 characters or less.
Jennifer: Seventeen-year-old Teagan McNeel falls for captivating Garreth Adams, her guardian angel come to earth. But where there is light, dark follows, and now she is torn between one angel’s sacrifice and another angel’s vicious ambition that threatens not only her life, but the lives of everyone she knows.

OBS: How did you develop the characters? Do you use elements of people from your own life?
Jennifer: My characters developed from a simple issue presented to them. I started with Garreth, Teagan’s guardian and did some research into his name, which happens to mean “light” in Latin. I explored all the possibilities of what would encompass an angel so good and pure. Hadrian means “the dark one”, and creating him was actually very exciting. He had to be formidable and alluring. Teagan, on the other hand, is the one character closest to my own personality.

OBS: Do you have a specific writing process or does it depend on the project? What was your process like with ‘Angel Star’?

Jennifer: As soon as the idea presented itself to me, I began writing like crazy! It consumed me. The characters were so real and the issues at hand were so very deep. Tearing away from the world I was creating was extremely difficult, so I would limit myself to some serious writing in the morning after my kids got off to school. I would write for a few hours and then take a break, edit, write, make dinner… and try to wean myself from the story while my family was home. Then it would begin again the next morning!

OBS: If you were given the power that Teagan has, what would you do with it?
Jennifer: Goodness, the power she possesses is quite remarkable, and one a lot of people lack or at least forget they have. I suppose it’s a matter of what that power would do to me, not what I would do with it. I would hope and expect that it would give me the ability to read people better, perhaps to learn more patience and understanding.

OBS: What are your future plans for this series? Or other books?
Jennifer: Angel Star’s sequel will be Lemniscate. No word on a release date as of yet. I’m toying with a few projects right now, so yes, expect something.

OBS: What is one thing you would like your fans to know about you and your book?
Jennifer: How much I truly appreciate the enthusiasm and encouragement! The pre-release response to Angel Star has been wonderfully overwhelming! If Teagan and Garreth could jump off the page to thank you, they would!

Thanks Jennifer for the interview and telling us more about your book. I loved the book because of its originality and great themes. I can’t wait for the next installment! Want to chat with Jennifer? Check out the links below!

Check out Jennifer’s website here

‘Angel Star’ Facebook page here

You can also Twitter with Jennifer about ‘Angel Star’ here

And become a fan of hers on Goodreads here