Author's Story
Jo discovered her love of literature at school, thanks to some wonderful English teachers and a rather memorable trip to see Charles Dance in Shakespeare’s Coriolanus. (Let's just say it wasn't Shakespeare who captured her imagination...) As she was at a rather strict Convent school run by nuns, she loved nothing more than writing outrageous short stories in an attempt to shock her teachers and peers. Some of these crumpled A4 pages were recently discovered in her friend’s attic, much to her surprise and general hilarity.
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After leaving school, Jo's career path took her down an aviation route, but after 25 years as an Air Traffic Controller, she decided it was about time she wrote something that wasn't about aeroplanes. 2025 saw the release of her first novel, "289 Friends", an uplifting, life-affirming tale about friends, family, and the fear of missing out.
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Jo lives in West Sussex with her teenage son, and during school holidays they can usually be found gallivanting around the countryside in their VW campervan. She is currently working on her second book.
Discover More About Jo's Books
What do you really know about your Facebook friends? And what would happen if you invited every single one of them to a party?
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Tilly Jenkins has a good job, a lovely house, and according to her social media app, 289 friends. But as another lonely Christmas comes and goes without any party invites, she begins to question the validity of those friendships. Everyone around her is happily married and apparently living the dream, but Tilly’s social life leaves a lot to be desired. And don’t even ask about her non-existent love life!
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So as the New Year approaches, she decides to throw a huge party, and to invite every single one of those 289 friends to it. And in doing so, she discovers more about her friends than she could ever have imagined.
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An uplifting, life-affirming page-turner; a tale of friends and families, secrets and lies.
The story behind '289 Friends' - Ask the Author
WHAT INSPIRED ME TO WRITE THIS BOOK? I first had the idea for 289 Friends whilst scrolling through social media, seeing posts that I knew weren’t anything like the reality of the situation.
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Life doesn’t always go the way you’ve planned, and I wanted to tell an ultimately uplifting story that shows how often, everything happens for a reason, so that you eventually reach the place you’re supposed to be. Hopefully my novel will inspire people to look past the artificialness of social media, and to see that there is more to life than creating the perfect post!
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I have explored themes of friendship, family, heartbreak, loneliness, and relationships.
News
Welcome to 2026!
Did you know that 2026 has been designated a National Year Of Reading?
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This is a UK initiative to promote reading for pleasure.
What a great idea!
Coming up...
The first week of February is National Storytelling Week, and also marks the one year anniversary of the release of my novel 289 Friends!
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Keep an eye open for a special offer coming very soon...
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Reviews
Captivating page-turner
"Budding new author Jo Clynes has written a captivating page-turner for her debut novel. Read it in one sitting, or savour the pleasure. Her characters are beautifully described, creating an attachment with the reader, and a longing to know more. Look out for her next offering!"
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Julia Richardson
Fabulous
"Jo has written such a lovely book, creating a complete universe where the reader is so invested in what happens. Not just to Tilly, but to messy Jemima, sweet Becky and Mims – and all the other characters in 289 Friends."
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Gabi Mills, Galley Press
Couldn't put it down
"I absolutely loved this book, I honestly couldn’t put it down. It made me think about my own social media and question what would happen if I did the same as Tilly. Realistic characters, a fantastic story, I loved it."
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​Natasha Jones
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