Jennifer Lawler pursues the ancient ideal of combining the pen and the sword. She has a Ph.D in medieval literature from the University of Kansas and continues to write on medieval history; she also has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and explores aspects of the martial arts in her writing. As an author, she has published nearly thirty books of non-fiction, including Encyclopedia of the Byzantine Empire, and numerous articles in popular magazines such as Family Circle, Self, and Oxygen. As a teacher and speaker, she encourages women to learn to protect themselves and to persevere through tough times. In addition, she teaches research methods, editing and publishing courses online in the Biomedical Writing Program at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Best known among her work is the Dojo Wisdom series published by Penguin Compass. The first in the series, Dojo Wisdom: 100 Simple Ways to Become a Stronger, Calmer, More Courageous Person won an outstanding book award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors in 2004. Lawler edits the quarterly magazine of the American Taekwondo Association, ATA World. Then Will Come Night and Darkness is her first novel. She lives in Kansas with her daughter.
