Johanna Rojas Vann
Author Interview - Johanna Rojas Vann
Author of An American Immigrant
Twenty-five-year-old Melanie Carvajal, a hardworking but struggling journalist for a Miami newspaper, loves her Colombian mother but regularly ignores her phone calls, frustrated that she never quite takes the time to understand Melanie’s life. When the opportunity arises for a big assignment that might save her flagging career, Melanie follows the story to the land of her mother’s birth. She soon realizes Colombia has the potential to connect her, after all these years, to something she’s long ignored: her heritage, the love of her mother, her family, and the richest parts of herself.
Colombia offers more than a chance to make a name for herself as a writer. It is a place of untold stories.
Inspired by real-life events, An American Immigrant is a story of culture and community, of abiding commitment to family, and of embracing our culture and the generations that have come before.
Author Interview - Johanna Rojas Vann
Author I draw inspiration from:
Isabelle Allende, most recently: Violeta
Author Interview - Johanna Rojas Vann | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
Sitting on a beach chair with the Gulf as my soundtrack
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Caroline Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie). I imagine us chatting for hours about being resourceful in the kitchen, cooking with zero waste, and tending to a small farm.
Author Interview - Johanna Rojas Vann | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
I've loved books from the time I pick them up. I was the girl who wanted to hold and pet a new book more than a new doll. But it wasn't until I was in college, when I heard my mother's story, that I decided I wanted to attempt to write and publish a book—her story.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
Hardback if I'm alone, ebook if I'm with my kids. Hardbacks will always be my favorite—they're beautiful, and it gives significance to a project that someone spent years working on so that I could enjoy an escape to another world. But because I'm surrounded by tiny, curious hands 24/7, my ereader is the real MVP. I can throw it in my diaper bag with ruining the dust jacket and my kids can grab it without causing any harm to delicate pages.
The last book I read:
Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls. Super cute! I've really enjoyed reading about the lives of families on the frontier, especially the mothers! I never read this series as a child, but as I start thinking about homeschooling my young children, I thought it would be fun to read beloved children's books/series. I'm calling it "research" for all the books I hope to read alongside my children.
Author Interview - Johanna Rojas Vann | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
Pen and paper are my first love. If it didn't require hours of transferring to a computer, I would absolutely choose to write first drafts on paper. There's something about writing in a notebook in script that makes you feel like a "real" writer. But because I know it would take a lot of extra effort to get my written words onto a computer (and I only have nap times to work with), I usually chose to get all my writing done on my laptop. It's fast and efficient, and I can always get my handwriting fix in when I journal. When it comes to working on books, I also really enjoy "word vomit," which is what I call when I just sit down and get everything out of my head and onto a page. I don't give the words too much thought—I just get all the ideas out. This is way easier to do on a computer than a notebook, I must admit!
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Definitely Caroline Ingalls! Even though I have a real oven to work with and a washing machine, I feel like we have a lot in common. I love her positive attitude and the way she finds joy in serving her family. I also think she's just a boss—the way she tends to farm animals, helps her husband build their homes, and births babies without medication—wow! She runs a tight ship, which is what I aspire to outside of my writing!
Author Interview - Johanna Rojas Vann | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
A chef with a farm-to-table restaurant that uses all organic, non GMO, grass-fed/pasture raised everything.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
Probably the 70s because I'm a hippie at heart. Long flowey dresses, bell bottom pants, flowers in the hair... I dig all of it.
Place I’d most like to travel:
Colombia! Technically, my mother took me when I was a baby and I have citizenship in the country, but I've yet to go as an adult. I'd love to go with my mom and my children and see all the places I wrote about in my book.
My signature drink:
A vanilla iced coffee, half as sweet, with non homogenized whole milk! Surprisingly, that kind of milk is available at a lot of coffee shops in Nashville (where I live).
Favorite artist:
Isabel Allende—I absolutely adore her writing style and the themes of her book. One of her most popular books, The House of the Spirits, inspired me to write a multi-generational novel as my debut.
Number one on my bucket list:
Building my own garden. I haven't proven to have a green thumb, but I refuse to give up! One day I hope to "shop" for my produce in my backyard.
Find more from the author:
Instagram: Johannarvann
TikTok: johannavann
Who is Johanna Rojas Vann?
Johanna Rojas Vann is a professional writer whose work can be found online and within numerous publications. She is a second-generation Colombian American, with dual citizenship, and lives with her husband and children in Nashville, Tennessee.
