‘I do like to counterbalance this with humour in my books’

Milly Johnson already had more than 20 best-selling novels behind her before Together, Again hit the shelves but this didn’t stop the prolific Yorkshire-based writer seeking some advice as to what the book buying market was wanting.

Not that the answer Milly was given was the one that she was going to support, as she had already created a story which was the antithesis of the public’s demands.

Speaking to The Book Insider, Milly explained how Together, Again came together and what kind of journey she likes to take readers on when they are emabarking on her tales.

• 
  The Serpent Under continues Bonnie MacBird’s glorious Sherlock Holmes series
  “The sixth instalment from Baker Street continues to invoke the Holmes of Conan Doyle” There… Read more: The Serpent Under continues Bonnie MacBird’s glorious Sherlock Holmes series
• 
  Mona Susan Power spotlights harsh realities of indigenous people in National Book Award listed A Council of Dolls
  “There is every chance this will be viewed as a modern masterpiece” The harsh realities… Read more: Mona Susan Power spotlights harsh realities of indigenous people in National Book Award listed A Council of Dolls
• 
  GD Harper unravels the mystery of Arden and William Shakespeare
  “Thoughtful and entertaining with a fantastic mix of fact and fiction” Arden might not be… Read more: GD Harper unravels the mystery of Arden and William Shakespeare
• 
  Rupert Stanbury gives Pimlico to the People with homeless charity pledge
  “His characters went away with food for thought” Author Rupert Stanbury has pledged to give… Read more: Rupert Stanbury gives Pimlico to the People with homeless charity pledge
• 
  From small acorns grows Jules Acton’s mighty Oaklore
  “Adventures that help you see the wood from these extraordinary trees” Jules Acton is finely… Read more: From small acorns grows Jules Acton’s mighty Oaklore
• 
  A Bonsai Tree Called Geoff brings more arresting insights into the Police from ex-cop
  “There is something endearing about reading tall tales from a life’s work” John Donoghue has… Read more: A Bonsai Tree Called Geoff brings more arresting insights into the Police from ex-cop

“But the word ‘hope’ gave me hope that I might just have got it right, because I never write a book that doesn’t leave my readers with the notion that there is always sunshine behind the clouds. And I’m not great at writing fluff – my terrain of choice is the gritty one, about life with all its shades of light and dark and turbulence.

“But I always have a lot of counterbalancing humour in my novels. I don’t want to give my readers the equivalent of a dirge when my job is to uplift.”

Milly said that she wanted to go in a different direction to her previous novel so decided to create almost a polar opposite.

Milly continued: “My last book, The Woman in the Middle, was about a very loving family, two caring matriarchs and Together, Again is its antithesis, a palate cleanser.

“The Vamplews have everything an outsider might tick on a checklist for being the perfect family: beautiful home, glamorous mother, popular, revered intellectual father, money… but it’s all a façade.

Milly concluded: “In a nutshell, this is about three sisters, born seven years apart so they have never really bonded, coming together again (see what I did there) after the death of their mother who continues to mess with their heads long after the point of her demise, as she has left her estate to the youngest daughter, the detested renegade.

“It’s the story of three women finally getting to know each other, unpacking their past, and helping each other heal. They’re all pretty damaged but are they beyond the point of repair?”

Despite being an author with a number of bestsellers and the experience of publication days since her debut novel in 2007, Milly said that the release of a new book still brings a mixture of emotions.

Milly told The Book Insider: “As for feelings up to publication date – a heady mix of trepidation, abject fear and great excitement.

“I’ve always thought the process is like giving birth and once pushed out into the world, you want your new creation to be loved and enjoyed. It’s handy to have a few advance reviews in as a compass to how well it will be received and the fact that Together, Again – which is a brave boundary-pushing book for me – has some rave reviews in the bag is of massive comfort.

“You can’t please everyone, but if the majority are happy and they keep me in the job, that’ll do nicely.”

With every new publication, there also comes the pressure of sales figures and whether it will hit ‘bestseller’ status.

Milly said: “I have to confess that when you start hitting the bestseller charts, you always want to better your best.

“My best was number two behind Richard Osman who was sitting pretty in the top slot for what seemed like a decade! But we have to keep it in perspective.

“Sales numbers are more important than figures and we are living in strange times where shoppers are tightening their purse strings and established novelists are competing with more and more celebrities writing books who have powerful PR at their fingertips, plus TikTok sensations.

“Surviving well is what most of us aim for at the moment.”

Together, Again is available to buy HERE.