Jo S. Kittinger: Hello. My name is Jo S. Kittinger. I believe that all of the Kittingers in the United States are related. However, some pronounce the name Kittinger, with a hard g, like me, while others pronounce it Kittinger, with a soft g.

Of course, there are others who pronounce it Kittenger. The young daughter of a prin once called me Miss Kitten, which I found adorable. I really don't care how you pronounce my name, as long as you like my books.

You may think that Jo is an odd name for a girl. I was named after my Great Aunt Jo, who was really Josie, and of course, my favorite character in the book, Little Women, is also named Jo.

My maiden name is Susenbach. So, all the while I was growing up, when people asked my last name, and I responded, "Susanbach," Nine times out of ten, I had to correct those people, who thought I was saying that my first name was Susan, and my last name was Bach. Interestingly, both my maiden and married names are of German heritage.