I recently got all fangirly over the release of Good Girls Stay Quiet by Jo Cassidy. A friend witnessed the display and suggested we read the book for a brand new book club she decided we should put together. So we did! We did book themed snacks and gel pens with miniature notebooks, and had so much good discussion with intelligent, thoughtful women.
Good Girls Stay Quiet deals with the topic of abuse with just enough lighthearted moments to keep it from getting too heavy. I ordered the book, but while I waited for it to be shipped to my house, Amazon gave me the first few chapters to read. Generous, right? No, just good marketing. I got hooked and wound up ordering the kindle version so I could keep reading! And then I had to explain to my husband why I ordered the same book twice in one day.
I’m going to try not to fangirl too much when I share this news, but Jo Cassidy, also known as Sara Jo Cluff, graciously agreed to do an interview with me! Who am I kidding? We can fangirl together. Enjoy!
Q: I hear you’re a Criminal Minds fan. Who is your favorite character?
Jo: I have two. Reid. I love his never-ending knowledge and quirky personality. He’s just endearing. And then there’s Morgan and I’m just going to be honest here, he’s straight-up eye-candy.
Q: In Good Girls Stay Quiet, Cora has a couple of imaginary friends. Did you ever have an imaginary friend as a kid?
Jo: Sadly, no. I feel like I should have. But I always had characters in my head that I would create stories with, even as a young kid. So, they were my friends in a way.
Q: Your stories have a darker feel to them and I suspect your search history is pretty interesting. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever had to type in your search engine?
Jo: Most recently I had to search how long it takes a body to decompose, so that was fun…
Q: In Good Girls Stay Quiet, Daddy is super creepy. He’s the kind of character you love to hate. Do you have an all-time favorite villain?
Jo: I’ve always loved Norman Bates and the Joker, but my favorite, and this may be cheating because of the outcome, but I LOVE Severus Snape. There’s just so much depth to him, and his arc throughout the entire series is brilliant.
Q: What are you currently reading?
Jo: I’m usually reading/listening to multiple things at once. I’m reading The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings, and the Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. And I’m listening to the audio of Good Girls Stay Quiet, so be on the lookout for that! 🙂
Q: Do you have a spirit animal?
Jo: Totally a cat. I’m independent, need my alone time to survive, love to sleep, and love to cuddle on my own terms. 😉
Q: Are you dressing up for Halloween this year?
Jo: Yes! I’m dressing up as Cora, actually. I have my button-down shirt, plain jeans, and pink tennis shoes ready to go. The only bad thing is I recently chopped off my hair, so I might have to do short pigtails instead of a long braid resting on my right shoulder. Plus, my hair is purple right now, which Daddy would hate!
Q: After a little stalking on social media, it looks like you’re working on a serial killer story. In that vein, if you were on death row, what would you request for your last meal?
Jo: Tacos, cheesecake with hot fudge, and an extra large Dr Pepper in a foam cup (extra ice).
Q: You are crazy busy with lots of projects and I’m having a hard time keeping track. What’s next for Jo Cassidy/Sara Jo Cluff?
Jo: Sara Jo Cluff (for all my contemporary books) has The Kiss List coming out in February by Monster Ivy Publishing. As for Jo Cassidy (my thriller pen name), I just finished a vigilante thriller that I’m super excited about and hope to get out in the world soon. I’m currently working on a stalker story and hope to finish the first draft by the end of October so I can write a murder mystery in November for NaNoWriMo, but we’ll see. I’m always working on so many things. I’m still piecing together the serial killer story. It will probably be a while until that one sees the light of day, but I want to give it all the time and attention it needs.
Much thanks to Jo for taking the time to chat. For the record, Willow Marsh is the next Jo Cassidy on my to-be-read list.
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