Johan Parker - Author Life

Johan Parker, author of Obsessions, released his debut book in April 2018. We decided to catch up with the author and see how life had changed since becoming an author.

Did you always dream of becoming an author?

Since I was a child, I had a great imagination; I used to make up stories and act them out. As I became older, as part of school, we had to write essays and I was really good at writing them. I’ve always enjoyed writing and always dreamed of being an author.

What was your first job?

I was a medic at a race track. I spent many hours next to the track and surprisingly, I didn’t do much; people don’t get hurt as often as you’d think in racing.

How did you come about writing your book? Was that your intention or did you start writing for fun?

I sat down one day and said to myself that I need to stop dreaming about being an author and just write. I sat down and started writing about a murder, which became the prologue to Obsessions. From there, the story flowed and I had absolute fun writing it.

What was your life like before you became an author?

Before becoming an author, I was very focussed on education and science. I read a lot and remember that for a couple of months, while taking a bath at night, I would lay there with either a cup of tea or glass of wine and read at least one chapter of some of my favourite books.

Did you face any struggles before becoming an author? If so, how did you overcome them?

I faced many struggles in my life, most of which I had to overcome myself.

Now that you are a published author, how has your life changed, if at all?

It’s been so short since publication that it doesn’t feel much different, however my focus has changed. I now read less stories and read more about creative writing. Now that I have published a book, I want the next one to be better; I want my readers to see how I grow in writing.

Can you please describe a typical day in your life now?

It hasn’t changed much yet.

What is your most memorable moment of your life as an author?

I had this idea that on the day of publication, I would be going out and celebrate, but when I woke up that morning, all I wanted was to sit and just smile. I took in every moment.

In a few words, how would you review your experience with Pegasus Publishers?

There are many on-going processes with my book, but I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone. Obsessions was published on the 26th of April 2018 and it feels great. Each part of your team plays their part and works/worked hard on Obsessions, and although I've not yet had the privilege of meeting any of you in person, it truly seems as if you are a wonderful team and I hope I get to meet you someday soon.