Meet Johnnie Bernhard

We had the good fortune of connecting with Johnnie Bernhard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Johnnie, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
Good communication and a strong work ethic.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My career as a journalist and an English instructor fed my love of reading and writing for many years. However, I knew writing a novel through traditionally publishing platforms would be a deep dive. I learned everything I could about the business, attending conferences and reading trade magazines. When I wrote my first novel, it was an exercise in patience. There were many rejection letters, but I believed in what I was writing. I knew my manuscript would eventually reach the right person. And it did. I haven’t stopped the process. I’ve written four novels in eight years. My fifth novel is set for publication in 2026. I am grateful for the opportunities that have come my way.

As a result of publication, I’ve been able to work as a certified teaching artist. This has allowed me to harvest my love of teaching with writing by offering craft classes to national writing centers.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Nature is restorative and helps my creative senses come alive. I love Texas. The Hill Country or South Padre Island are great places to visit. But there’s nothing like my hometown, Houston. It is a mecca for excellent restaurants and the Arts. A week long trip would begin in Houston, then heading south to Padre Island for playing in the surf and reading on the beach.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mother, despite our limited resources, always provided reading material in our home. She modeled reading novels, magazines, and newspapers. I have no doubt her passion became mine. I loved reading, which naturally lead to me writing. My husband has encouraged me through my career to follow my convictions. I’ve worked with exceptional publishers and an editorial team, who have respected my work. I realized early on it takes a great team to produce a great product.

Website: https://www.johnniebernhardauthor.com

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Image Credits
All photos by Aoudad Images