About

I’m Joanne Barker and after many years in journalism and communications, I’m starting a new adventure with words.

I’ve always written professionally, although in my previous role with a government safety regulator more about fridges than fiction!

Sixteen fulfilling years after tripping and falling into the civil service, I’ve left paid employment and am putting my time and passion into self-publishing, book marketing and events.

I self-published my first novel, a shortlisted second-chance romance, The Joy of Jars, in 2021. I’m currently writing my next love story, Miss Wed, about a wedding celebrant searching for her own happy ever after. Like many authors, my own experiences have crept into both.

I’ve lived the cliché and moved with my new (ish) husband to a small Worcestershire village, where we have a model railway in the kitchen and two ducks, Jon and Sally, who visit every spring. My adult children remain in Birmingham, having only just forgiven me for selling the family home.

I’d love to talk to you about anything you see here or on my social media, please get in touch via the Contact Page.