An Inspired Chat with Jo Loveday

Jo Loveday shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Jo, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
I’m proud to say that my newest novel, Campus of Shadows, has received an American Best Book Award designation in the cross-genre fiction category. The story encompasses the genres of psychological thriller and supernatural thriller. It’s also a coming-of-age novel, dark academia, paranormal suspense, and psychological horror, with a bit of romance intertwined.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m an award-winning Canadian author now based in Florida, where I write psychological horror and thriller fiction that examines the mind under pressure. It’s fractures, and its resilience, as well as the shadows that shape who we become. Before turning to full-time writing, I spent years working as a registered nurse. That experience deeply influences my writing, where I include ethical dilemmas, the limits of compassion, and the thin edge between science and the inexplicable.

As a neurodivergent author, I’m committed to portraying mental health and cognitive difference with nuance and empathy, especially in dark fiction where those elements often get oversimplified. My latest novel, Campus of Shadows, is a psychological horror thriller set on a Florida campus, where a neurodivergent freshman becomes entangled in a psychic battle for the soul. I’m currently expanding the world of the novel through companion stories, an audiobook, and new projects exploring morality, consequence, and the unseen forces that drive us.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
One of the things that I believed as a child was that if you must work really hard to succeed. While I think that hard work is often required, now I think more along the lines of life flowing. Sometimes, to get to the next level, you have to stretch, which can be a struggle, but when you’re over that hump, you hit a plateau, where you can readjust. I’ve learned that bringing joy to everyday helps me get through more difficult times, and that joy can be the force that builds momentum. I try to remember Henry Ford’s famous quote: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right!”

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear of failing has been a challenge for me as an author. I was always concerned that my work wasn’t good enough or that I might be ridiculed for my ideas. With Campus of Shadows, I worried that I may not portray the descent into madness of the main character so readers would sympathise with the character and feel his doubts and fears themselves. I did a lot of research into the treatment of mental health and addiction in other cultures so that I could portray different ways of thinking to the readers. In Terminal Lucidity, where so much revolved around the brain and consciousness, I worried that I might not get the neuroscience correct, even with my background as a nurse. Now, I’ve come to a place where I trust that my books will get into the hands of those who will benefit from the research I weave into my writing and enjoy the story.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Haha! No! I’m much more of a worrier than I portray. As a neurodivergent author, I have checklists and multiple calendars to make sure that I don’t miss things. I check and recheck before an event or a commitment, even with that, sometimes things don’t go as planned, so I’ve learned to roll with it.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
My books. That’s what I love about writing. If all else is gone, what I’ve tried to share to help people heal their minds, bodies, or souls through my stories will always remain. I guess the nurse in me has taken on a different form of trying to help folks learn to mend.

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