Interview with Jo Watson, author of Love to Hate You

What can you tell us about your new release, Love to Hate You?

Well, Love To Hate You has only been available in the UK until now. It became an overnight bestseller there which was an amazing feeling. Now it’s come to the USA and it’s looking for readers to entertain 😉 It’s a super fun romantic comedy with an HEA and some of it is based on true events which happened to me (but I won’t divulge what those are.)

What or who inspired you to become an author?

Honestly, I always say I stumbled into it by accident. I’ve always been a writer, TV, theatre, copywriting, but never had any aspirations to write a book. One day I stumbled upon a book writing competition and for some reason I decided to enter it. I’d never written a book before and I landed up winning and being offered a publishing deal. From there it sort of snowballed. I got an agent, I’ve published 5 books since 2016 and my 6th is about to come out. It’s still a little surreal and strange. One doesn’t really expect to change your career at the age of 34. But I did. I took the risk and jumped and so far so good.

What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?

I think certain books become your favourite because of the circumstances in which you read them. Take the book The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty. I was a student when I read it. It was night time, I was home alone, all by myself and I was totally engrossed in the book when the lights went out and we were plunged into a suburb wide power outage. I was living in an old house with creaky wooden floors and I remember being terrified but  completely unable to stop reading. I continued to read in the creaky house by candle light while all the neighbours dogs howled because it was dark. To this day it remains one of my favourite books, mainly because of the feeling I had while reading it. I also read The Secret History by Donna Tartt around the same time and it stuck with me, probably because I was also just starting college like the main character was- not that I’ve ever murdered a classmate or anything like that. I loved The Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick. Most things by Lisa Gardner.  Silence of the Lambs and all of the Dexter books. It’s strange, I don’t really read the genre I write in. I tend to gravitate towards darker things.

Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

Donna Tartt. I find her wildly fascinating and intriguing. She emerges once every ten years with that same hair style she’s had for thirty years, looking smart and slick and immaculately turned out  in a suit and then she is off winning pulitzers and then disappears again for ten years. Not to be seen until the next reemergence. She hardly gives any interviews and when she does, she’s fascinating to watch with her piercing green eyes and high pitched voice. Something about her is so mysterious. She seems like a person from another time. I’d love to talk to her.

What’s your favorite thing about writing?

Not having to go to meetings with other people. Without a doubt.

BAM. You’re a superhero. What’s your superpower?

Invisibility. For sure. I would sneak through peoples homes and eves drop on their conversations all day long. I would watch people when they’re alone and think no one is looking- it would be like the best reality TV.  People fascinate me and I’ve found myself looking at so many of them thinking “if only I could be a fly on that wall!”

What scene in Love to Hate You was your favorite to write?

Tricky, tricky. So many. I really enjoyed writing this book and admit  to laughing out loud sometimes. I loved writing their witty, sexy banter and loved writing their first scenes together when things are always a little awkward. I do love an awkward moment, so much comedy can be derived from them especially if, like me, you are one of those people that rambles nonsense when in a situation like that.

Jo Watson is the author of the new book Love to Hate You. 

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