Rachael Johns began writing as a broken hearted teen and she’s now recognised as one of Australia’s best-selling rural romance and life lit authors.  She’s also highly productive, with two books out this year and another due early in 2021.br /

br /

br /

br /

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and in today’s Binge Reading episode Rachael talks about romance for women with grown up complicated lives, and why she dislikes her work being categorized as “chick lit.”br /

br /

br /

br /

Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode:br /

br /

br /

br /

Writing as teenage therapy Youthful ambition to be a 'famous author'The importance of 'keeping on' with it Inventing a new sub genre - 'life-lit'The importance of having a tribe The writers she admires mostbr /

br /

br /

br /

Where to find Rachael Johns: br /

br /

br /

br /

Website: https://www.rachaeljohns.com/br /

br /

br /

br /

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RachaelJohnsRomancebr /

br /

br /

br /

 Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachaelJohnsbr /

br /

br /

br /

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachaeljohnsauthor/br /

br /

br /

br /

Email: [email protected] /

br /

br /

br /

What follows is a near as transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.br /

br /

br /

br /

But now here’s Rachael. Hello there Rachael and welcome to the show. It’s great to have you with us.br /

br /

br /

br /

Introducing author Rachael Johnsbr /

br /

br /

br /

Jenny Wheeler: But now, here's Rachael. Hello there, Rachael, and welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us.br /

br /

br /

br /

Rachael Johns: Thank you, Jenny. It's fabulous to be here.br /

br /

br /

br /

Jenny Wheeler: You're talking from Perth, aren't you? I always like to give people a sense of the geography, because there are very big distances between all of the people I talk to. You are over the other side of Australia, which is way away from us. We think of the East Coast as being almost neighbors, but you're another, I think five hours by plane across Australia, isn’t it?br /

br /

br /

br /

Rachael Johns - rural romance and 'life lit' authorbr /

br /

br /

br /

Rachael Johns: Yes, it's five hours by plane and then another couple of hours to you over there, so we find ourselves in time difference at the moment. I love New Zealand. I am in WA, I've got family in Queenstown in New Zealand. We were going to go there this year, but unfortunately …br /

br /

br /

br /

Jenny Wheeler: It didn’t work out. Are you in a suburb of Perth or are you out in the country?br /

br /

br /

br /

Rachael Johns: I was in the country until a couple of years ago. We spent the best part of 11 years in two different small rural communities – in Kojonup and Goomalling, for anyone who does know any of those places. One was down south of Perth and the other one was in the Wheat Belt. Now we're back in Perth, on the outskirts, in the Swan Valley, because after living in small country towns, I don't think I could go back completely to suburbia or city living, so the best of both worlds, hopefully at the moment.br /

br /

br /

br /

Writing as teenage therapybr /

br /

br /

br /

Jenny Wheeler: That's interesting because you are known for best-selling rural romance and I did wonder how much rural experience you had, but we'll get onto that. You started with your writing, you say on your website, at the age of 17 as therapy for a broken heart. That's amusing. I know I'm a 17-year old’s broken heart can be as painful as at any age, but it's not exactly the depth of life at that point. How did it all come about?br /

br /

br /

br /

Rachael Johns: I completely agree with you. It felt like the end of the world at 17, when you break up with someone who's the love of your life, but now, almost 25 years later,