Q&A: Rachael Johns, Author of ‘The Lucky Sisters’

We chat with author Rachael Johns about The Lucky Sisters, which is a moving and heartfelt story about life, death and the miracles in between by the award-winning author of The Patterson Girls.

Hi, Rachael! Welcome back! It’s been almost a year since we last spoke. How have you been and what have you been up to?

Time flies, doesn’t it? I’ve been busy writing two books and producing two podcasts, READING BETWEEN DEADLINES and DEAR RACH AND SOPH. I’ve been to New Zealand and Tasmania for writing conferences, which were awesome. My oldest kid turned 21 and the 19 year old left home! My head is constantly spinning.

Your latest novel, The Lucky Sisters, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Heartfelt. Hopeful. Fun. Whimsical. Wise.

What can readers expect?

To fall in love with two sisters who might not be as close as they think they are and to go on a wild journey with them as they discover not only the mystery of who their birth parents are but a whole lot more than they bargained for.  To me a good book makes you laugh, cry and think and I really hope THE LUCKY SISTERS will do this!

Where did the inspiration for The Lucky Sisters come from and the shift away from romance?

This is actually my ninth general fiction book. Although I love reading and writing romance my first love are stories about the other complicated and messy relationships in our lives – family and friends – and it was wonderful to be back in this space. The first seed of the idea came from reading an article after Lisa Marie Presley’s death about dying young, but saying much more than that would be a HUGE spoiler!!

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I genuinely fell in love with both the sisters and the minor characters too, but my favourite scenes to write were once that ask the reader to suspend disbelief a little and trust that there are certain things in life that might not be able to be explained, but are magical. Once people have read the book, they’ll know what I mean. Sorry for being a little crtypic, but this book is a hard book to talk about without giving away spoilers and I’d hate to ruin it for my readers.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge writing this book was that during the writing period, I also released two other novels (OUTBACK REUNION and THE BAD BRIDESMAID) and I struggle to write while on book tour, and after each break from writing, it takes me a while to get back in the flow again. The only thing for it, is to reread what has gone before and give myself smaller word goals for a few days as I ease back in. If I’m ever stuck in the novel, it’s usually because I’ve taken a wrong turn, so I have to go backwards and work out where I went wrong – a bit like unravelling a mistake in knitting!

What do you hope readers take away from The Lucky Sisters?

I hope they’ll close the book feeling happy and hopeful and maybe that it will make them think about what’s most important to them in life and how to prioritise those people and things.

What’s the best and worst writing advice you’ve received?

The worst is that you HAVE to plot/outline – absolute rubbish. Some of my favourite authors don’t outline before they start and either do I.

The best is that if you take care of the characters they will tell their own stories.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently writing my next general fiction novel – SOMEONE ELSE’S FORTUNE, which is a sliding doors type narrative – and I’m also co-writing the first in a cozy mystery-romance series with crime writer, Mercedes Mercier, called THE NUMBER ONE INSTA DETECTIVES AGENCY.

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up in 2026?

The best book I read this year wasn’t a newbie but Clare Lombardo’s THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD. Also really enjoyed WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME by Gillian McAllister and I cannot WAIT for WRECK by Catherine Newman to release soon as her book SANDWICH was a fave last year.

I’ve just finished reading an advance copy of Anita Heiss’s next novel THE PARADISE PACT, and I’m also really looking forward to THE PALACE OF LOST VIRTUE by Anthea Hodgson and THE COUPLE’S RETREAT by Mercedes Mercier.

Will you be picking up The Lucky Sisters? Tell us in the comments below!