Jenna Black is a successful author of urban fantasy, science fiction, paranormal romance, and young adult novels. She is best known for her series Morgan Kingsley, Faeriewalker, and Nikki Glass. Black, whose real name is Jennifer Black, was born in Bratt, Florida. She attended Duke University, where she earned a BA in physical anthropology and French.\n \nBefore becoming a novelist, Black had aspirations of becoming a primatologist, inspired by her dream of camping in the bush and making discoveries about primate behavior. However, her senior year research project at Duke revealed that primates spend a significant portion of their time sleeping and eating, which led her to reconsider her career choice. After college, she spent most of her time in the research triangle area.
Black's writing career began under her married name, Jennifer Barlow, but she later adopted the pen name Jenna Black in 2006. She is a full-time writer and currently resides in North Carolina with her husband and two dogs. Black's post-college experiences have included grooming dogs and writing technical documentation. She has established herself as a prominent author in the urban fantasy and paranormal romance genres.