Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Bestselling romance author unpacks the story behind latest novel

31/05/2023

Bestselling romance author unpacks the story behind latest novelIn an exclusive interview with The South African', bestselling author Jo Watson discusses her new romance novel What Happens on Vacation'.

by Carmen Coetsee

31-05-2023 11:45

in Books

Bestselling author Jo Watson and her latest novel What Happens on Vacation'. Image: Supplied.

South African author Jo Watson is no stranger to the world of romance stories. She has written over ten romantic comedy novels and she started publishing her earlier works on Wattpad. Her work has been translated into six different languages and has become bestsellers all over the world.

--

Her latest novel, What Happens on Vacation, tells the deliciously romantic and devilishly funny story of a classic enemy-to-lovers romance. It is the perfect novel to take with on vacation or to cuddle up with on the couch and pretend you are on a beach somewhere.

In an exclusive interview with The South African, Watson unpacks her writing process behind What Happens on Vacation, shares her literary heroes and dishes on her writing pet peeves.

WHAT HAPPENS ON VACATION': WATSON'S INSPIRATION Jo Watson returns with a hilarious and heartfelt new enemies-to-lovers #BookTok rom-com! It s the book you won t want to go on holiday without! @JonathanBallPub @JoWatsonWrites

OUT NOW in Exclusive Books stores and online!

https://t.co/wdtTKvvcPn pic.twitter.com/lNjhfWR5TA

Exclusive Books (@ExclusiveBooks) April 25, 2023

What Happens on Vacation tells the hilarious story of overworked journalist Margaret who gets the chance to go on an all-expenses-paid trip to Zanzibar. But there is one catch: she has to go on the trip with Jagger Villain, a man she cannot stand. Away from the office and in a tropical paradise, Margaret beings to wonder if her archnemesis maybe has some good qualities. Could the holiday from hell turn into the vacation of her dreams? Readers will have to find out

--

ALSO READ: Local author sheds light on silenced voices in groundbreaking novel

When asked about the inspiration behind her bestselling new novel, What Happens on Vacation, Watson laughs and says You know, I can't pinpoint one moment where inspiration struck. My inspiration comes from absorbing other stories and people-watching. I love people-watching . She goes on and says that she has always wanted to write a book set in Zanzibar but was waiting for the right story.

As a writer, I am always on the lookout for inspiration. I don't sit around waiting for it to hit me; I go and find it. I absorb stories and these stories then become other stories.

Author Jo Watson on her writing process. AUTHORS ON AUTHORS: WHAT'S ON WATSON'S READING LIST It s the brand-new enemies-to-lovers rom-com you won t want to go on holiday without!

Two rivals. One holiday. A trip they will NEVER forget.@JoWatsonWrites s hilarious and heartfelt #WhatHappensOnVacation is out in ebook this month/PB in July!!

https://t.co/3cMvIqBrad pic.twitter.com/i0cMVW7Bbo

Headline Eternal (@eternal_books) March 17, 2023

As well as a prolific writer, Watson is a voracious reader as well. When asked about her favourite authors, Watson stated that she reads anything and everything she can get her hands one. It might be a shock to fans to find out that the one genre Watson does not read often is romance. She said, I prefer dark stories. Ones that confront you and make you think .

--

She enjoyed reading the gritty dark noir novel Any Man by Amber Tamblyn as well as Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Cleopatra and Frankenstein' unpacks dark side of modern romance

WATSON REJECTS STIGMA AROUND ROMANCE NOVELS: ROMANCE IS NOT A GUILTY PLEASURE' As a writer who began sharing her stories with the world on Wattpad, Watson is very passionate about dismantling the stigma that comes from reading (and writing) romance novels. She says, People need to get over it. Reading romance is not a guilty pleasure that you need to do in secret. Heaven forbid someone finds out! .

Watson goes on to say that the romance genre is one of the most popular genres in the world and this is for a reason. People love love. Looking down on readers who enjoy romance stories is just ridiculous, Watson says.

Author Jo Watson. Image via Twitter @JoWatsonWrites. With her incredible romance stories, jam-packed with humour and many life lessons, Watson is certainly showing that the romance genre is not one to be snubbed.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR WATSON: I HAVE MANY OTHER BOOKS IN ME' When asked about her future writing plans, Watson smiles and says, I have many other books in me . As a fan of young adult fiction, Watson says she would like to write more in this genre. I would also like to write something dark, maybe. Who knows what the future holds? .

Well, one thing is for sure, Jo Watson is a writing tour de force and the future looks bright for this author.

What Happens on Vacation is published by Headline Publishing Group and is available for purchase from Exclusive Books stores for R335.

SOCCER QUIZ | FIVE simple answers could win you R500 in cash! ENTER HERE
LINK: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/culture/books/bestselling-romance-auth...
See more stories from thesouthafrican

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

02/04/2026

HBO and NFL Films Announce Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Seattle Seahawks, Debuting August 11

HBO and NFL Films have announced Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Seattle Sea...

02/04/2026

NAB 2026: Haivision Unveils Makito ONE Video Transport Platform

Haivision has announced the Makito ONE, a single-blade video encoding and decoding platform, at NAB Show 2026. The platform combines dual-channel video encoding...

02/04/2026

NAB 2026: Telestream Introduces UP.Lens Cloud-Based Multiviewer and Monitoring Service

Telestream has introduced UP.Lens, a cloud-based multiviewer and monitoring serv...

02/04/2026

NAB 2026: MRMC to Showcase Robotic Camera Technology and Mark 60th Anniversary

Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC) will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (Booth C5220, April 19-22, Las Vegas Convention Center), marking the company's 60th anniver...

02/04/2026

NAB 2026: Net Insight Introduces Programmable Trust Boundaries for Live Media Interconnection

Net Insight has introduced programmable Trust Boundaries, a feature integrated i...

02/04/2026

NAB 2026: Bitmovin Adds SGAI Support to Playback Products

Bitmovin has announced support for SGAI (Server-Guided Ad Insertion) in its playback products, using HLS interstitials. SGAI combines elements of client-side an...

02/04/2026

Binghamton University Athletics Adds Riedel SimplyLive RiMotion R12 for Student-Run Productions

Riedel Communications' SimplyLive RiMotion R12 replay system is supporting B...

02/04/2026

NAB 2026: LTN and Ateme Announce Integration of Video Processing with IP Transport

LTN, a managed IP video transport company, and Ateme, a video compression and de...

02/04/2026

TDF Expands Channel Capacity on Terrestrial Broadcast Network with Harmonic

Harmonic has announced that TDF, a broadcast infrastructure operator in France, has deployed Harmonic's XOS Advanced Media Processor and ProStream X Video S...

02/04/2026

United Rugby Championship Reports First-Year Results with Eluvio Streaming Platform

Eluvio and the United Rugby Championship (URC) have announced first-year results...

02/04/2026

Kansas City Current and Scripps Sports Announce ION as Broadcast Home of 2026 Teal Rising Cup

The Kansas City Current and Scripps Sports have announced that ION will broadcas...

02/04/2026

ESPN Announces Courtside Alt-Cast for Women's Final Four

ESPN will debut Courtside at the Women's Final Four Presented by AT&T, an alt-cast airing Friday, April 3 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2, and Sunday, A...

02/04/2026

PAMA and Shure Accept Applications for 6th Annual Mark Brunner Professional Audio Scholarship

The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated are ...

02/04/2026

ESPN's MegaCast Coverage of 2026 NCAA Women's Final Four Begins Friday, April 3 in Phoenix

ESPN's MegaCast Coverage of 2026 NCAA Women's Final Four Begins Friday, ...

02/04/2026

DAZN Launches Playmakers Creator Program

DAZN has announced the launch of DAZN Playmakers, a global influencer program designed to build a network of sports content creators. The programme will give cr...

02/04/2026

NFL Network Unveils New Production Ops Leadership Structure as ESPN Takes Over

Tony Cole, Jessica Lee shift into new roles reporting to ESPN SVP/Content Operations Chris Calcinari....

02/04/2026

TNT Sports and CBS Sports to Reunite Michigan's Iconic Fab Five for Special NCAA Men's Final Four Altcast on truTV & HBO Max

Michigan's Fab Five will reunite for an alternate presentation of the Mich...

02/04/2026

Coming of Age: ESPN and NHL's Inside Out Classic Marks Another Step Forward for the Animated Alternative Broadcast

Real-time tracking, virtual production, and Pixar storytelling converge for Apri...

02/04/2026

Streaming Around the Moon: NASA+ Goes Live From Historic Artemis II Mission

NASA's long-awaited Artemis II mission has launched four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon, marking the first manned launch toward the moon sin...

02/04/2026

Release Rundown: What to Watch in April, From Bunnylovr to Omaha

(L-R) Molly Belle Wright, Wyatt Solis, and John Magaro appear in Omaha by Cole Webley, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo courte...

02/04/2026

VEMIA Auction incoming

4 - 11 April 2026 VEMIA's latest gear auction is just around the corner, and there's already a wealth of sought-after instruments and studio gear li...

02/04/2026

Universal Audio's Voice Of God now native

Little Labs emulation now available to all The latest Universal Audio plug-in to become available outside of the company's DSP-powered UAD2 platform has...

02/04/2026

SBS Welcomes Back Cup Fever! For The Biggest FIFA World Cup Ever

SBS Welcomes Back Cup Fever! For The Biggest FIFA World Cup Ever 2 April, 2026 Media releases Santo Cilauro, Ed Kavalee and a host of special guests retur...

02/04/2026

Truth. Power. Perspective: NITV's Flagship Current Affairs Programs Return to Lead the National Conversation

Truth. Power. Perspective: NITV's Flagship Current Affairs Programs Return t...

02/04/2026

L3Harris Powers First Crewed Mission Around the Moon in 50 Years

L3Harris has successfully powered the historic launch of the Artemis II mission, providing propulsion and avionics....

02/04/2026

Scripps Completes Sale of WRTV to Circle City Broadcasting

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/04/2026

GoVertical! AiDi Powers Real-Time 9:16 Autocropping for I...

Already deployed extensively by NBC Sports, FOR-A Corporation will demonstrate GoVertical! AiDi, the real-time 9:16 autocropping feature of viztrick AiDi, durin...

02/04/2026

Elite Media Technologies Selects Interra Systems BATON Fi...

Interra Systems, a provider of end-to-end quality assurance solutions for the digital media industry, announced that Elite Media Technologies has selected its B...

02/04/2026

TDF Expands Broadcast Channel Lineup with Harmonic

Harmonic's Media Processing Solutions Maximize Bandwidth Efficiency for Terrestrial Broadcast Delivery Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced that TDF, a...

02/04/2026

FOR-A's Software-Defined, AI-Powered Development Advances...

NBC Sports Deploys viztrick AiDi to Stream Live Events in 9:16 Mobile-First Formats with Auto Tracking, Development Signals Strategic Shift for FOR-A Long reco...

02/04/2026

Evergent showcases innovations in sports streaming and mo...

Evergent will showcase new innovations in subscriber lifecycle management and monetization at NAB Show 2026 (Las Vegas, April 18 22), including: New advances i...

02/04/2026

Binghamton University Strengthens Student Run Productions...

Riedel Communications is proud to be part of Binghamton University, State University of New York, Athletics' milestone year, celebrating the university'...

02/04/2026

Techex and Encompass Launch Industry-Leading Cloud-Based...

Encompass Digital Media and Techex have today announced new, fully managed, cloud-native Master Control services designed to meet the growing operational demand...

02/04/2026

Winning in the new media economy - Avid debuts fully avai...

Avid today announced it will showcase new innovations designed to help media companies win in the new media economy at NAB Show 2026 (April 18 22, Las Vegas Co...

02/04/2026

PlayBox Neo reinforces MIMO Tech with new Playout capabil...

PlayBox Neo helps AIS PLAY kick-off premier football content direct to fans PlayBox Neo has provided MIMO Tech with a brand-new major installation to extend it...

02/04/2026

Globo transitions primary distribution to SRT over IP wit...

Globo has transitioned its primary content distribution to Secure Reliable Transport over a fully IP-based managed backbone using Synamedia's Quortex PowerV...

02/04/2026

Nexstar Says Pausing Tegna Merger Creates 'Impossible' Challenges

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/04/2026

FCC Launches Efforts to Strengthen U.S. Drone Ecosystem

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/04/2026

WAPA+ to Launch on Dish, DishLatino, Sling TV and Sling Freestream

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

02/04/2026

Student Spotlight: Al-Fadl Salem

Student Spotlight: Al-Fadl Salem The Danish singer recently performed for the queen of Denmark. April 1, 2026 By Editorial Staff Image by Junia Morrow Wh...

02/04/2026

Taku Hirano's Career Is Defined by Identity

Taku Hirano's Career Is Defined by Identity Whether he's performing, composing, teaching, or developing instruments, the do-it-all percussionist sees ...

02/04/2026

Netflix Unveils Official Trailer for 'The Trials of Winnie Mandela'

Back to All News Netflix Unveils Official Trailer for The Trials of Winnie Mandela Entertainment 02 April 2026 GlobalSouth Africa Link copied to clipboard ...

02/04/2026

Netflix Announces Start of Production and New Cast for Second Season of 'Football Parents'

Back to All News Netflix Announces Start of Production and New Cast for Second ...

02/04/2026

The Trailer for 'Ronaldinho: The One and Only' Features Never-Before-Seen Interviews and Defining Moments From the Star's Career

Back to All News The Trailer for Ronaldinho: The One and Only Features Never-Be...

02/04/2026

Red Seat Ventures Launches Speakeasy, a New Hosting, Distribution and Monetization Platform Built for the Next Generation of Creator Media

Red Seat Ventures Launches Speakeasy, a New Hosting, Distribution and Monetizati...

02/04/2026

GoVertical! AiDi Powers Real-Time 9:16 Autocropping for Immediate Streaming to Mobile Devices

GoVertical! AiDi Powers Real-Time 9:16 Autocropping for Immediate Streaming to M...