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Author Interview: Merida Johns
Do you have any tattoos? Where? When did you get it/them? Where are they on your body?
No, but if I had one, it would be a colorful, fanciful dragon to cover a 9-inch-long surgical scar that I have.
Do you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert?
I enjoy time alone and time in small, intimate groups. Although “Ambivent” probably best describes me, a person with characteristics of both an introvert and an extrovert.
I can adjust to large crowds—Before my fiction writing days, it wasn’t unusual for me to give presentations to groups of 3,000 to 5,000 people on topics related to my career in healthcare informatics.
But I am stimulated and recharged when I work alone, and that’s why writing suits me.
However, I do love doing podcasts and being on Zoom calls with book club members who have read my books—I’ll do a Zoom call with a small group of readers at the drop of a hat. I like the intimacy of connecting with individuals, being curious about what they think, asking them questions, listening to their answers, and engaging in discussions.
How long have you been writing?
Professionally, I’ve been writing for over four decades. My work from 1980 through 2020 was exclusively nonfiction, consisting of college-level textbooks, academic articles, and research papers in healthcare informatics and leadership.
My foray into fiction came in late 2017 during a conference call with a group of fellow life and leadership coaches. “What would it be like to help people achieve a flourishing life through storytelling instead of another self-help book or textbook?” I asked them.
After that phone call, I got started answering that question. Almost three years later, the result was my debut novel, Blackhorse Road, a heartfelt story of womanhood and the power of choice, gratitude, and forgiveness, published July 21, 2020, through my publishing press, Coffee Cup Press.
What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?
What’s been beneficial for me is focusing on honing my craft, building social capital, and writing.
- Honing my craft has meant continual learning about writing through established, respected resources. For example, in 2018, when I first began writing fiction, I enrolled in a four-semester copyediting program through the extension program at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and received my copyediting certificate. Afterward, I continued to hone my craft by taking creative writing courses through UCSD and UCLA Extension.
- Building a social capital network has meant participating in writing-related associations and non-profits. One of these is the Off Campus Writing Workshop (OCWW). OCWW was established 80 years ago in the Chicagoland area and serves a global community of writers in all genres from Chicago. Each Thursday morning from September through May, the group holds livestreamed seminars featuring renowned speakers on the craft of writing. Besides OCWW, I’m a member of the Author’s Guild and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Belonging to these associations has allowed me to build a network of professionals that provides me with resources and connections. My association with these has led to guest interviews on podcasts and furthering word about my writing to the public.
- I write every day. I don’t set word thresholds, but I write something. It may be working on a current novel or nonfiction work, a blog post, or a portion of my newsletter . . . But specifically for my fiction work, what keeps me motivated, accountable, and hones my craft is my critique group, which consists of three other women who write women’s fiction. We’ve been together for over 5 years and meet virtually twice a month. We critique each other’s work, share resources, attend virtual workshops together, and give each other pep talks when needed (which is often).
Tell us something about your newest release that is NOT in the blurb.
The blurb gives no insight into the inciting incident that prompted me to A Proof of Love! The inciting incident(s) occurred while I was working on genealogies. I love snooping and researching, and as I put the puzzle pieces together for family and friends about their ancestral journeys, the most common responses I received were “That explains a lot” and “I never knew.”
“That explains a lot . . . I never knew my grandmother lost three children within five years.”
“I never knew . . . he had received a Purple Heart.”
“That explains a lot . . . why family was so important to my father.”
“I never knew . . . Dad lied on his enlistment application. He was only 17 and went to war.”
“That explains a lot . . . it was a murder, not a suicide. All this time, we . . .”
“I never knew . . . I had a great uncle who was killed in World War I and is buried in Arlington.”
As those “aha moments” piled up, my “aha moment” kicked in: How sad that so many people are forgotten and unknown even to the next generation, let alone the ones that follow.
Once my “aha” moment became the inciting incident and the foundation for A Proof of Love, there was still more to be done. So, I got to work crafting a story that combines fiction with a memoir overlay about three characters whose lives are reshaped by a secret that binds them and who readers will never forget.
A fictional story with a memoir overlay as narrator Katie Blake reflects on life in small town America and the principles, influences, and big personalities she wants you to never forget.
It’s Memorial Day weekend, 2009, and the town gossips have their shorts in a twist about a mysterious newcomer who wears tie-dye, colorful headbands, clunky necklaces, and rings on every finger.“Who installs a ceiling fan on a Victorian porch?” cries Ned Boomer, Woodburg’s grumpiest man, and the town gossips concur, “She must be a hippie, witch, or maybe worse . . . a socialist.”
Hell-bent on preventing a neighborhood blow-up, precocious, nine-year-old Katie Blake launches a covert investigation to gather the truth about the enigmatic Rose. But when she discovers a decades-old secret binding her, Rose, and bad-tempered Ned Boomer, her world takes a turn.
Penning a memoir sixteen years later, Katie is forced to reconsider whether the real proof of love was in preventing a neighborhood war or finding friendship and comfort among three unlikely grief-stricken souls who should never be forgotten.
Read an Excerpt
Gram taught me to be independent, manage my anxieties, and have confidence in myself, showing me how to use my imagination to wiggle out of a jam or face the “grim crossroads” when confused or sad.
The first time I cried and lost it over a complicated computer problem, she said, “Be inventive, Katie! What can you do to calm down and think things through?”
We put our heads together to come up with ideas. Gram said she brewed herself a cup of tea when needing a break. Mom worked on crossword puzzles. Dad played solitaire. My one decadent delight was a FatBoy ice cream, and that’s how Gram and I hatched the plan of taking two ice cream sandwiches and hiding them under the frozen vegetables to create my private emergency stash.
“Close your eyes, breathe, take a bite, and replace the leftovers. No one will suspect anything. Our little secret. . .”
About the Author:
At heart, I am a storyteller who writes women’s fiction and stories of courage and discovery, showcasing the protagonist’s journey toward a more fulfilled self.
My passion is writing women’s fiction and exploring the human experience—how ordinary people tackle challenges, endure sorrow and betrayal, wrestle with doubt, and act on their aspirations to achieve flourishing lives.
My insight into the power of fiction came during a conference call in late 2017 with a group of fellow life coaches. “What would it be like to help women and men achieve a flourishing life through storytelling?” I asked them.
After that phone call, I got started answering that question. The result was my debut novel titled Blackhorse Road, a compelling story of womanhood and the power of choice, gratitude, and forgiveness, published July 21, 2020, by Coffee Cup Press, followed by Flower Girl (2022), Flawless Witness (2023), and now A Proof of Love (2026)
Before embracing writing fiction, I was the author of health informatics and leadership textbooks. Later, I put my leadership experience to use as a leadership coach, focusing on supporting others to fulfill their leadership and economic potential. My range of nonfiction is available on my Amazon Author Page.
Substack: https://meridajohns.substack.com/
Facebook: https://meridajohns.substack.com/
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/MeridaJohns
Website: https://www.MeridaJohnsAuthor.com
Thank you for featuring A PROOF OF LOVE today.