
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
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
30/06/2026
Hitachi and Bank Pekao S.A. have completed the installation of the first Hitachi...
30/06/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
MainStreaming, the award-winning and innovative Edge Video Delivery Network, today announced that it has been selected by ITV to support the delivery of ITVX, I...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
When Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! needed to upgrade their wireless communications system, they turned to Clear-Com FreeSpeak wireless for their iconic televi...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Other World Computing Launches New Atlas Core Line with 256GB CFExpress 4.0 Type...
30/06/2026
DaVinci Resolve Studio Used for Taketoshi Sado's Perfume Cold Sleep -25 year...
30/06/2026
Fernando Cruz and Jaz Wray Join as Regional Sales Managers; Bringing Extensive S...
30/06/2026
As organizations move from AI pilots to production AI factories, infrastructure decisions have shifted from peak chip specifications to cost per token: how many...
30/06/2026
Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on ...
30/06/2026
Scripps Research scientists demonstrate a faster, cheaper route to making critical drugs using common table sugar New method illustrates how to build a tough ch...
29/06/2026
By Andy Rayner, CTO, Appear
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the largest football tou...
29/06/2026
A new multi-country study from ESL FACEIT Group, Hero Esports, and Niko Partners estimates that 400 million Gen Z consumers regularly engage with esports, under...
29/06/2026
ESPN will mark America's 250th anniversary with a series of content initiatives across its linear, digital, and streaming platforms, including a special edi...
29/06/2026
The Esports Foundation has named OBSBOT the Official Camera and Webcam Partner for the Esports World Cup 2026, bringing the company's AI-powered imaging tec...
29/06/2026
Insight Productions has launched Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit designed specifically for esports production, live entertainment, and digital-fi...
29/06/2026
Gravity Media once again provided broadcast, streaming, and content-distribution...
29/06/2026
The All England Lawn Tennis Club and IBM have introduced new and enhanced digita...
29/06/2026
Four-layer instrument aimed at dark electronic music
Excite Audio's latest software instrument has been designed with dark drum and bass, atmospheric te...
29/06/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
29/06/2026
Details environmental policies & results
The Focusrite Group have just announced that following a long audit process, they have published their 2026 sustain...
29/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/06/2026
CVP, one of Europes leading suppliers of professional video and broadcast solutions, has announced the launch of CVP Warranty , a new extended warranty programm...
29/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/06/2026
Anthropic's Claude models in Microsoft Foundry - hosted on Microsoft Azure a...
29/06/2026
Arvato Systems Achieves AWS Cloud Operations Competency
The team behind the AWS Cloud Operations Competency (from left to right: Philipp Hellmich, Johanna Bod...
29/06/2026
RT today announced that Ger Gilroy will join the RT Podcasts team to present a daily sports podcast. Launching later this year, the new show will set the spor...
29/06/2026
RT Commercial announced OUTsurance as sponsor of the Oliver Callan show on RT Radio 1 from Wednesday 1 July.
Oliver Callan doubles the fun, delivering two ...
29/06/2026
Showcasing the importance of open source innovation in American AI, Palantir'...
28/06/2026
Half-size model joins Console 1 line-up
Shortly after the release of their new Flow Studio controller, Softube have announced the launch of another new surf...
28/06/2026
New EXO Series DSP control software announced
EVE Audio's EXO Series monitor range has just gained a new software element that provides remote access to...
28/06/2026
Freedman Labs Releases PrepMyMedia and ViewMyAttic for Post Production Professio...
27/06/2026
There's no doubt that you've seen the world through Amy Vincent's ey...
27/06/2026
Brings together saturation & lo-fi effects
Following on from the release of their Voxcraft vocal-processing plug-in, UJAM have announced the launch of Retro...
27/06/2026
A record 4.84 million Australians choose SBS as the Socceroos advance at FIFA Wo...
27/06/2026
Why CRAS Upgraded to Symphony I/O MK II When an audio school runs studios all day, every day, gear doesn't just need to sound good , it needs to survive rea...