Johnson was born in Charleston, West Virginia, grew up in nearby Cross Lanes and spent his middle and high school years in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He currently lives in Durham with his wife, Michelle, also a WVU grad, and the couple’s two children — Dylan, 16 and Gabi, 13.
When Johnson graduated from West Virginia University in 1999 — a double major in English and history with a minor in creative writing — the former Calliope staff member and writer for the Daily Athenaeum debated on whether he should pursue a Master of Fine Arts or a law degree. One of his professors at the time told him the job market for professors was pretty tough and suggested he follow the law route. He listened, earning his juris doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and then dove headfirst into a career to which he became totally devoted.
But the itch to write remained.
“Being a lawyer is a very stressful job, and, about 14 years ago, I started writing again as a way to manage stress,” he said. “I always had a dream that I would write a book by the time I turned 30. I was 33 when my wife, Michelle, and I found out we were expecting our second child. There still wasn’t a book yet. I felt like it was now or never. So, I marked 100 days on my calendar and banged out 1,000 words each day. At the end of that I had a manuscript. Not a very good one, but at that point I knew I could do it and really caught the bug.”
Johnson’s parents were born and raised in War, West Virginia, where coal was king. They attended Big Creek High School and lived a tough, coal family life deep in the holler. Johnson said he feels his family’s deep connection to that place, and those connections inspired him to create a fictional coal town that serves as the backdrop of his novels, providing a rich tapestry for character experiences and development. Writing is the career that he always dreamed of, he said.
He also finds inspiration for his stories from his day job.
“You never know where the kernel of an idea will come from,” he said. “But I’ve worked a lot of different cases in all different places and walked away from some of those with great ideas for future stories.”
Johnson found early success; the first story he wrote was published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, winning the Edgar Awards’ Robert L. Fish prize in 2015. Since then, he’s published numerous stories, been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and won the West Virginia Writers’ Pearl S. Buck Award for Writing for Social Change. He published his debut novel, “The Moonshine Messiah,” in 2023 and won the West Virginia Writers’ first place prize for Book Length Fiction. The sequel, “The Mountain Mystic,” came out a year later. A third book is planned for release in 2025.
In addition to his fiction writing, Johnson is also a dedicated advocate for social justice, using his platform to raise awareness about issues facing coal miners and their communities, including the health hazards associated with coal mining and the economic challenges faced by former miners. His body of work offers a unique perspective on lives shaped by the region’s history and culture, with complex and relatable characters featured in stories that are both entertaining and thought-provoking.
And to other inspiring writers, Johnson offers this advice: “Writing is a tough life. Do it because you love it. Don’t do it for money or acclaim or any of those other reasons. You’ve got to do it because you love it and because you can’t imagine a future where it’s not a huge part of your life.”