This month I’m choosing a very successful author, both fiction and non fiction. J.F. Penn, also known as Joanna Penn is well known in the world of authors and readers.
I first got to know about Joanna’s fiction when my husband recommended reading the London Crime Thrillers. All three of these books have a hint of supernatural but set in the world we know. The balance made between fact and fantasy is very subtle and well handled. And, like many books that take my eye, the strong characters, in this case Detective Sergeant Jamie Blake and her unlikely sidekick Blake Daniel, a psychic, drew me into the story telling.
I then moved onto her Arkane Thriller series about a psychologist and government agent, again laced with the supernatural. Stone of Fire is the 
first in this collection and there are five more to lose myself in. The writing is fast paced, packed with intrigue and mystery and for me, addictive.
And I’ve just recently read her first book, The Map of Shadows, which is a fascinating dark fantasy with all the virtues of her other books with a little bit of romance thrown in. And, there will be more of the Map series… so no worries about running out of her stories to read!
On her website you will find articles about some of the places and items that have fueled her writing, and spends a lot of time and effort researching the places she writes about. This additional, personal insight into her writing process provides another level of intrigue to enjoy.
However, Joanna has another arrow for her already successful bow as she is highly regarded as a non-fiction author provided advice about self publishing and the writing process in general. You can find all manner of information on her blog, The Creative Penn.
Joanna is very successful and for me, a talented role model who shows that with hard work and determination – not to mention great writing – are the key skills for indie writers in the world of self publishing.
