When Mary Pat Johns was a young girl, she told her mama she was going be a famous author. On Wednesday when her latest book No. 5 on AmazonƵs new releases in the contemporary Christian fiction category, she lived up to her childhood dream.
ƵI told her I wanted to be a famous author; that was my way of telling her I was serious about this,Ƶ Johns said. ƵIƵve always known I wanted to write, ever since I was a little girl,Ƶ Johns said.
Her passion for writing started with an affinity for reading, and it led her to pursue an English degree. For 20 years, Johns worked as a school teacher and raised her family. While her priorities shifted over time, she never forgot about her dream of being an author.
ƵMy husband told me one time, ƵWhy donƵt you just wait until the house is a little bit more quiet,ƵƵ Johns said.
So, she waited until her kids grew up, graduated high school and set out on their own adventures. The house wasnƵt quiet by the time her children were in their early 20s. Her daughter lived a year in Costa Rica and her son went into the military.
ƵMy son was deployed to Afghanistan and when he came back, he had pretty mild PTSD, but it changed him,Ƶ Johns said. ƵI wanted him to have a strong, healthy place for him to heal. ThatƵs really how the first book in the Valiant series was born.Ƶ
Johns started writing her first book, CountinƵ on Jesse, in 2016 at the age of 60. She felt compelled to share the story of young vets who return home and are reacclimating to their communities. The book wasnƵt finalized and published until 2023.
ƵI knew in this stage of life that if I wanted to publish a book, I had to get busy,Ƶ Johns said.
Johns has written a column for the Victoria Advocate, short stories and devotionals for Chicken Soup for the Soul. Since her first book, the contemporary romance author has published three other books: LovinƵ on Red, Glitter and the Grouch and her newest book, WaitinƵ on Paige, which was released last Tuesday, July 1.
The Valiant book series follows a group of friends, primarily three main male heroes, who had been in high school together. Two of the men went off to war and one stayed home and went to the police academy. The stories are set in Valiant, Texas, and some readers might catch the resemblance between the fictional city and Victoria.
Her newest book follows police officer Tavo Morales and his reconnection with his high school sweetheart, Paige Muñoz.
ƵMy faith is important to me,Ƶ Johns said. ƵMy books have a strong Christian thread through them.Ƶ
Her target audience is romance readers and women over 20. Behind her books is a dedicate base of readers who have followed along with the book series.
ƵItƵs every authorƵs dream to have this and it takes a lifetime to build a reader base,Ƶ Johns said.
Johns is currently working on the first of draft of a Christmas novella series and has a proposal in the works with her publisher about a romantic suspense book series. Readers can find her books online at .
ƵThe love stories just drive me,Ƶ Johns said. ƵI love to tell stories that are fun and interesting.Ƶ
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