Meet the Author: Jo Johnson

 

Today I am delighted to welcome author, Jo Johnson to Books, Life and Everything to talk about her writing life and her latest  novel, Surviving Her, which is published on November 1st 2022. Jo's novels are based around psychological themes. You can read an extract from her first novel, Surviving Me, here. 

 

Would you like to start by telling us a little about yourself and how you started as a writer?

Hello, my name is Jo Johnson, I am a clinical psychologist and I live in West Sussex. 

Were you educated in this country?’ This was one of the first questions a tutor asked me at university. My punctuation and grammar were terrible. I hated English at school and hated writing the reports needed for my job in the NHS. I left that job in 2008 which gave me more time but being self-employed was lonely. So, each day, I interspersed client appointments with visits to the café across the road from my office.

One day, I noticed an unremarkable middle- aged man staring out of the window. I wondered what his story might be.

 On my iPad I wrote:

‘At this point in time, I can accurately be described as unemployed, impotent, and a liar.’

 This became the first sentence of my debut novel, “Surviving Me”. 

 Over the next seven years writing about an imaginary man became an unexpected addiction that distracted me from work and family commitments. Tom, my main character was my secret friend for many years. Eventually, I allowed a friend to read it. She loved it and bullied me into finishing it.

If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?  

My proper job is as a clinical psychologist which I love. Some days I dream of being a full time writer but I would probably miss listening to real life stories and helping people work through their most troubling times. 

What are you interests apart from writing? 

 I love walking, watching TV dramas and going to the cinema on my own, 

What is your favorite childhood book?  

The secret seven series by Enid Blyton.

Where were you when you heard your first book was going to be published? 

 When I received the email to say my submission for my first novel Surviving Me was accepted, I was at work so I couldn’t celebrate or even tell anyone. 

 Tell us about your latest book without giving the plot away.

Nicky is the child with the hurting eyes and desperate ways. You want to rescue him.

Claus is the husband with the empty eyes and controlling ways. You need to rescue her.

Broken by the death of her sister, Keziah can’t believe her luck when Claus, a beautiful psychologist saves her from a disciplinary disaster. Desperate to heal herself and restore her parents, she marries in haste. Her husband’s idiosyncrasies and unexplained absences are easy to ignore ‒ until the past resurfaces and forces Keziah to confront the uncomfortable truth.

When Keziah ends up in hospital, her world collides with Nicky’s, a vulnerable child caring for his wayward mother. The secrets he shares have far-reaching consequences and, if mishandled, will ruin everything for everyone. 

Do you have any future books planned?

I am currently writing a third novel called ‘Surviving Him’ about a teenager whose father is diagnosed with a degenerative disease.  At the same time I’m writing a non fiction piece called ‘Surviving the real me - the story of a messed up psychologist’.

‘Surviving Her’ is Jo Johnson’s second novel. It is a dual-narrative, psychological suspense. It combines engaging, complex characters with a fast-moving plot that explores the question: What does it take for a man to become emotionally coercive? 

Like her first book, Surviving Her doesn’t shy away from serious topics that as a psychologist Jo can write about with inside knowledge and authenticity. The psychology of childhood neglect, trauma, grief and emotional coercion are compassionately knitted within the twists and drama of this carefully crafted novel.

Book Spotlight

 

Nicky is the child with the hurting eyes and desperate ways. You want to rescue him.

Claus is the man with the empty eyes and controlling ways. You need to rescue her.

Broken by the death of her sister, Keziah is swept off her feet when Claus, a wealthy psychologist, walks into her life. She marries in haste.

But her husband’s idiosyncrasies, his unexplained absences and his locked room are hard to ignore ‒ until the past resurfaces and Keziah’s world explodes.

Meanwhile, nine-year-old Nicky is trying desperately to hold his small world together after his father walks out. He wants to be ‘the man of the house’ but he can’t keep his mum safe from her bad choices and violent boyfriends.

When Keziah ends up in hospital, her world collides with Nicky’s. The secrets he shares propel Keziah to the scene of two mysterious deaths, both of them linked to her husband…

Book links: Amazon UK

You can read some Goodreads reviews here 

About the Author

Jo Johnson is a clinical psychologist specialising in neurological disorders. She is the author of nine psychology related publications for children and adults. Telling and listening to stories is an integral part of her work as a clinician and public speaker.

Her first novel ‘Surviving Me’ was published by Unbound in 2019.

She lives in West Sussex with her husband.

 You can follow Jo  here: Facebook  |  Goodreads