Goodreads asked K.J. Jackson:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

K.J. Jackson My latest book that was just released, Unmasking the Marquess, was an interesting story for me to write. I usually like lots of action--physical action where characters are doing something--anything! But this one was a little different. The story was built around revenge, but really it is a story about forgiveness.

From observing both friends and myself in personal situations, I began pondering quite a bit about forgiveness--when someone is done wrong, what does it take to forgive another? Of course, I'm talking big grievances here--not a toilet seat that was left up. And where I would be one not to forgive someone, a friend of mine would be able to forgive much more quickly. I find it fascinating that we all have different tolerances for forgiveness--what one will forgive, another would never.

So what makes a person move on, get past something terrible that has been done to them? And that's where this story came from. I wanted to actually really dislike my hero for a while (but give him hope), and see if my heroine could forgive him for what he did. How could he come back from it and how could she come back from it?

Obviously, she would have to be a very specific sort of person--some people truly have that gift of forgiveness, others don't. Some people identify with her ability to forgive, other's don't. And it has been interesting to watch the reaction to the story. It hits on something very personal and visceral for some people, both good and bad--and as a storyteller, it is a win either way. Above everything, I want my readers to feel something--I am a romance writer, after all!

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