Johanna van Zanten: I was born and raised in the Netherlands, obtained a Fine Arts degree in Amsterdam, worked in a treatment centre for drug addicts, and immigrated to Canada at age 33. With my new Canadian man, I settled in Alberta, married, and continued working as a social worker until retirement.
I always thought I would write a book one day; when I turned 60 I thought finally had enough material to put that wish into action. I took intensive summer creative writing courses at UBCO and OC while I started writing short stories, and discovered my passion for writing as my skills increased. After 2 years my first story was shortlisted for the UBC/OC/CBC short story contest and since then I had some other success, published in the literary magazine MTLS and received an honorary mention in the Feb 2012 short story contest for new authors in Glimmer Train, and was a finalist for Canada Writes in 2012, and won the Okanagan Wine Country Nonfiction competition in 2021.
I also have a blog where I write about causes, people, and countries I visited, http://www.babyboomerwrites.wordpress.com. I have a winter home in Mexico and spend my time writing there in a lovely climate.
In April 2012, I published my debut novel ON THIN ICE as an Ebook, a novel-in-stories about baby boomer Adrienne and her friends. This first creative non-fiction novel contains stories of life, coming of age in The Netherlands, losses, and relationships, in many ways quite typical for many of my peers, which may inspire other boomers and readers of any age in a world where marriage Till Death Do Us Part is not so common anymore. Young people might be surprised that falling in love and all difficulties and pleasures that go with it were so much alike then as it is now, and always have been. Order on http://Amazon.com/Thin-Ice-stories-dating-Ebook/dp/B00805CPOK/
I published another novel in November 2017: GUARDIANS’ BETRAYAL, about a family that wrestles with marriage breakdown and the confrontations with the history of their two older adopted children, especially when the eldest, 17-year-old Shayla spins out of control when the children’s biological dad comes back in her life. https://www.amazon.ca/Guardians-Betrayal-Happens-Seven-Adoption/dp/1543909310
A third novel was accepted by the publisher of academic books expanding into fiction, Histria Books – Addison & Highsmith of Las Vegas. https://histriabooks.com/product/between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place/
The novel Between a Rock and Hard Place was released in hardcover on December 1, 2021, historical fiction placed in The Netherlands, inspired by my parents’ struggles during the Nazi occupation in the Second World War. It will be released in paperback on August 1, 2023. A fourth novel titled The Imposter has been published in 2024 and is NOW AVAILABLE!
Buy her books at: Amazon.ca, Amazon.com OR Amazon.co.uk
