In celebration of the imminent release of my debut novel, Fast Forward (see announcement here), I’m doing a series of interviews with authors about their past, present & future. Today, please welcome… Rachael Johns!

AND,  it’s her birthday tomorrow (25th), so let’s wish her a very happy birthday!!

PAST:

1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Oh SO many things. I was one of those kids who changed occupations as frequently as I changed my socks. I wanted to be a vet, a teacher (which I did eventually become), a flight attendant, a news presenter, a journalist, an actress, a zoologist, a nutritionist… I don’t think there are many careers I didn’t contemplate at some time or another 🙂

2. What did you do before you became a writer?

I was a high school English teacher (but only for six months before I went on maternity leave)! Before that I was a checkout chick and front-end supervisor and a copywriter for an on-hold messaging company. Believe it or not I liked the supermarket work better AND it paid better too!

3. What is one of your most treasured memories from the past?

Going on holiday with my mother to England the year I finished school. It was an amazing holiday seeing places she’d talked about my whole life – I was born in England but we left when I was 18 months old and this was our first trip back. On this trip I also met my dad, my half-brother and half-sisters for the first time in my life. It was an emotional and rewarding holiday.

PRESENT:

4. What’s your latest release about and/or what are you currently working on?

I have two January releases – Stand-In Star from Carina Press and Man Drought from Harlequin Australia. Although both are contemporary romances, Stand-In Star is set in the glamorous world of Oscar Academy Hollywood and Man Drought is set in a small Aussie country town.  In some ways both involve fish-out-of-water heroines who have to adapt to a new and sometimes scary situation.  You can read more about each book on my website books’ page .

Right now, I’m working on my first ever novella – currently titled The Kissing Season, but of course that’s subject to change!

5. What’s a typical day like for you? (If there is such a thing!)

Haha – I’d like to say a typical day involves a nice sleep in, followed by breakfast in bed delivered by my sexy manservant, following which he brings me my laptop and I write in luxury all day but that would be a lie. I don’t really have a typical day. About two days a week I have a kid-free, shop-free (that’s my day job) day. Those days I get up, get everyone else organised and off to school/day care, chuck on a load of washing and do the washing up (sometimes I leave this till later) and THEN I sit down at my desk, check emails, Twitter, FB, etc and THEN I write. On these days I aim for as many words as I can, ‘cos the rest of the week, I can only steal writing time in snatches, most of which are at night.

6. Name three things you are grateful for in your life right now:

My family, my family’s health and my health. I could say my writing career finally going to plan and I am thankful for that, but when I hear such horrible stories of other people and families suffering, I often have to pinch myself that we are so blessed right now. Really as long as you have your loved ones around you and they are healthy, I don’t think you can ask for more.

FUTURE:

7. If you could fast forward in time to any age or year for just one day, what would you choose & why?

I’m not sure of the age exactly, but I’d love to fast forward to when my boys are adults. I hope they are all well and happy and I am just so curious as to what they decide to do with their lives!!!

8. If you could have any new technology or invention in the future that would make your life a whole lot easier (or more fun), what would it be?

It’d have to be a robo-maid-cook!! Need I say more!

9. What are your hopes & dreams for the future?

That my family stays happy and healthy, my boys grow up into good men and that I get to keep writing and publishing books!!

Thanks Rachael, and have a FANTASTIC birthday!

Visit Rachael online at her website, blog, facebook, and twitter.

And don’t forget to give Rachael the best birthday present ever – book sales! Buy MAN DROUGHT from Australian bookstores, Amazon, Harlequin, or Google play, Kobo, and ibooks. Buy STAND IN STAR from Amazon, B&N, and Carina press.