One of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Liana.

What is your name?
Liana Cohen.

How old are you?
I will be turning the big 3-0 in May.

What is your profession?
I am a criminal appellate attorney in the NYC public defender’s office. I represent people who have been convicted of felonies (murder, rape, burglary, robbery, selling drugs etc.) who can’t afford to pay for an attorney.

Do you have a significant other?
That’s a complicated question. I have a serious boyfriend who is ready for us to get married. And I have a client who thinks I’m his guardian angel and wants to devote his entire life to making me happy.

What is his name and profession?
My boyfriend is Jakob Weiss. He’s a corporate attorney in the antitrust department of a major NYC law firm. He is very ambitious and works day and night. We love each other, but he wishes I could be more supportive of his career goals.

My client, Danny Shea, has been convicted of a terrible crime – I won’t even tell you what because you’ll think bad things about him. But I believe he’s innocent. Before all this went down, Danny worked construction for his uncle, and he was studying to complete his bachelor’s degree at night. He’s insightful and charming and maybe a little dangerous – and he’s gotten under my skin.

Any children?
No. Someday.

Do you have any sibling(s)?
No, I’m an only child. My father died suddenly a few years ago, and I worry a lot about my mom being alone.

Cats, dogs or other pets?
I like daschunds – but I don’t have one of my own.

What town do you live in?
I live on the Upper West Side of New York. Can’t imagine living anywhere else.

House or building complex? Own or Rent?
I rent my one-bedroom apartment.

What is your favorite spot in your house?
My shower, hands down. I spend more time in my shower than anywhere else. It’s where I think best.

Who is your best friend?
I have two best friends who were my roommates while I was in law school – Charlotte and Katie. Charlotte is a schoolteacher, married and expecting twins. Katie is a high-powered businesswoman looking for a man who is not intimidated by her.

Amateur sleuth or professional?
I’m not a sleuth, but I do a lot of digging around to effectively represent my clients.

Favorite meal?
I can’t cook for my life. I like boxed macaroni and cheese, and I like to go out for Indian food. Mostly I like to drink good wine.

Favorite dessert?
Anything chocolate.

Favorite hobby?
I like to read, and to exercise with Charlotte and Katie and our personal trainer, Marta.

Favorite vacation spot?
I love Newport, Rhode Island.

Favorite color?
Purple.

Favorite author?
I love Bill Landay’s Defending Jacob.

Favorite sports team?
No question there – my hapless New York Mets!

Movies or Broadway?
Broadway.

Are you a morning or a night person?
Either, and I enjoy a midday power nap.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
I commute to my office in downtown Manhattan next to where the Twin Towers stood. I work steadily through the day reading the trial record and researching the law, trying to find some legal issue that will get my client a chance at a new trial. I take the occasional break to gab with my officemate Deb and sometimes (and this makes me feel guilty) I find myself daydreaming about my intelligent, articulate, and ridiculously handsome client Danny Shea. When five o’clock comes, I go home to my apartment, warm up some left-over enchiladas, watch the Mets game on t.v. with a glass of chardonnay, and wait for Jakob to finish work and come over for some R & R.

You can read about Liana in Unreasonable Doubts, the author’s debut novel.

Jaded New York City Public Defender Liana Cohen would give anything to have one client in whom she can believe. Dozens of hardened criminals and repeat offenders have chipped away at her faith in both herself and the system. Her boyfriend Jakob’s high-powered law firm colleagues see her do-gooder job as a joke, which only adds to the increasing strain in their relationship.

Enter imprisoned felon Danny Shea, whose unforgivable crime would raise a moral conflict in an attorney at the height of her idealism—and that hasn’t been Liana in quite a while. But Danny’s astonishing blend of good looks, intelligence, and vulnerability intrigues Liana. Could he be the client she’s been longing for—the wrongly accused in need of a second chance? Is he innocent? As their attorney-client relationship transforms into something less than arm’s length, Liana is forced to confront fundamental questions of truth, faith, and love—and to decide who she wants to be.

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Meet the author
Reyna Marder Gentin grew up in Great Neck, New York. She attended college and law school at Yale. For many years, she practiced as an appellate attorney representing criminal defendants who could not afford private counsel. Gentin studies at the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College, and her work has been published in The Westchester Review and online. She lives with her family in Scarsdale, New York. To learn more, please visit reynamardergentin.com.

All comments are welcomed.