The Authoress
Jo Cook dabbled with writing her whole life, but it was only during the World Upheaval of 2020 that her writing angel deigned to dictate something more than a novella. The Guarded Heart is Jo’s debut novel, and she hopes to be publishing stories for many years to come.
Jo has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in conflict management. She’s been a flight attendant, copy editor, and small-business owner, and she spent a couple of very hot months bouncing around in a Tigger costume at Walt Disney World.
Her favorite authors include Georgette Heyer, Dick Francis, Kate Morton, J.K. Rowling, Rosamunde Pilcher, Jennifer Crusie, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Heather Frost, Tad Williams, Laura Kinsale, Diane Pearson, Frank Herbert, Joan D. Vinge, and Suzanne Collins.
Jo’s perfect day would involve thrifting, a good book, movies, and lots of lemonade.
Sign up for Jo’s newsletter and receive a FREE novella starring Rosa and Carter, who appear in chapters one and six of “The Dark Years: Book One of The Guarded Heart.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you get your ideas?
Lately, my ideas have been generated because I can't find the kinds of books I want to read! So I decided to make them up and hope other people would like them, too! Other times, I'll see the name of a movie on the TV guide, but when I read the synopsis, it doesn't sound interesting. So then I start thinking about what kind of story WOULD be interesting.
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
No. In my teens I wanted to be an FBI agent! I've had a lot of different jobs, but the one thing they all had in common was that I was curious about learning something. Being a writer lets me experiment with different personas without having to change my job!
What made you decide to start writing now?
I tried to become a full-time writer back in 2005, but realized pretty quickly that I would need a significant amount of money in the bank to really devote the time I needed to it. Through a weird sequence of events, I quit my job and sold my house right before the coronavirus shut down the entire world in 2020, so I was thrown into the perfect situation to try writing again: unemployed, with enough money to tide me over. And this time, it worked!
What kind of writer are you? Do you plot out your novels before you beginning writing?
I'm a "plantser," which means a combination of a "pantser" (someone who writes "by the seat of their pants") and a plotter (someone who plots the whole thing out beforehand). Usually, I start with an idea and may even have a detailed plan of what will happen, but then the story goes off the rails and starts writing itself! Usually at some point I have to pull the whole thing back into my control, though, and start plotting out the final details so it actually makes sense.
What is your favorite thing about writing?
While writing The Guarded Heart, there were moments when it felt like I was taking dictation rather than writing the story myself, and that was so exciting! As a reader, I love those moments in a story when you figure out where the writer is going with the story. I was fortunate while writing TGH to have those same moments, when I suddenly realized what my writing angel was about to do with the story, and it was beyond exciting! It was truly addicting!
What is your least favorite thing about writing?
Trying to figure out all the nuances of becoming a successful self-published author! There is a steep learning curve for that process, very similar to hiking a tall mountain on a narrow trail. There have been many times when I've stumbled, and a few times I've fallen right off the trail! It's frustrating and disheartening at times, but ultimately very rewarding when you manage to figure something out.
What do you want your readers to know?
It makes my heart so happy when you tell me your favorite parts of my books! When I'm writing, there are parts that resonate strongly with me, and it means a lot to know that they resonate with you as well!