Meet Joanna Reeder | USA Today Bestselling Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joanna Reeder and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joanna, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Because I learned it was possible! I have been a writer my entire life, but the grand elusive publishing contract seemed about as easy as winning the lottery. When I learned that the indie route was not only an option, but a realistic possibility, I dove right in! It has not been easy and I am still learning and succeeding and failing every day. But when I think about where I was at before I began this journey, and where I am now, it’s greater than anything I could have dreamt.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I write time travel and fantasy, mostly in the young adult category. My books are all a little bit off the beaten trail, but they are recommendable to all ages and always have a bit of romance.

My debut book, “In Her Dreams,” was a Young Adult Speculative category finalist in the 2018 Whitney awards. It’s about a teenage girl who experiences the memories of the dead in her sleep. She “travels” to the past in her dreams (the Victorian Era, the Roarin’ 20’s, and more) while dealing with the stresses and anxieties of being a teenager by day. “In Her Dreams” is the first in a trilogy that spins off into a next-gen series entitled “Dream Walker Academy.”

I have written about shifters in the Shifter Academy universe (“Siren Prophecy”), which is how I became a USA Today Bestselling author, collaborating and co-writing with four other authors. I wrote a prequel trilogy to the “Siren Prophecy” set in the late 1800s in the Pacific Northwest about a girl who is deeply prejudiced against all shifters and her story to overcome her prejudice. I also co-wrote another trilogy that concluded the love story of a couple who’s story spans ten books total in the Shifter Academy universe entitled “Reclaim.”

Now I am deeply entrenched in the world of Faerie with my “Raven Court” series. In it, the main character is thrown into Faerie because she closely resembles the Fae Queen–and for some reason has lost most of her memories. The series begins with “Imitating a Fae Queen” and is currently comprised of three novels, one novella and one short story. It will conclude with a fourth novel that I am currently writing. I also have serial story on Kindle Vella entitled “Courting Fae Thieves and Crowns” which might be my favorite story I’ve written to date. It’s a prequel to my “Raven Court” series and while “In Her Dreams” will always be woven with the golden thread of my past and my soul, “Courting Fae Thieves and Crowns” has so many pieces of my heart.

I love my career as an author. It enables me to be at home with my young children, while also earning an income. This road has not been easy, there have been discouragements and doubts and tears, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I have made so many mistakes–mostly with not fitting the mold an author needs to fit in order to sell millions of books–but I am proud of my stories. I have put so many hours and sweat and tears into them and it thrills me to see my name printed on each one.

Imposter syndrome is real, I’ve dealt with it a lot, especially over the past year, but the way I’m overcoming it is to look back at everything I’ve accomplished, the tiny milestones I have reached, and the mountains I have conquered. I tell myself that as long as I keep going, and don’t give up, the possibilities for the future are beyond my imagination.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First, I want to shout out to my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Williams who first saw my writing talent and encouraged me to develop it better, but also my family and my first writing group, The Fellowship. But I also need to give a huge shoutout to the amazing mastermind group of authors I’m a part of. We are thirteen strong and all women (not by design). Without the Queens of the Quill, I would not be as far along in my author career or have the same amount of support that I have. I am so grateful to all of them.

Website: https://joannareeder.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/joanna_reeder

Facebook: https://facebook.com/joannareederauthor

Other: https://www.amazon.com/Joanna-Reeder/e/B07B2CK51M/

Image Credits
Abbey Kyhl Anna Gladkovska J. Brent Hill