About the Author

Author Photo Jo Cooling

Jo Cooling

The life of Jo Cooling is like living in a theme park: one minute, it’s like riding a roller coaster, baking cupcakes, cookies, and slices. With a kitchen covered with chocolate, flour, and cooking utensils. Also trying to develop new tastes and ideas for her growing baking business.

Sometimes, she feels like she travels through life in a Dodge ’em car. All the while, she works to complete two novels while caring for two Cavoodles, who believe their mother was placed on this earth purely to play with them 24 hours a day.

But no matter how out of control her life can be at times, eventually, she ends up sailing around on the Walt Disney teacup ride on top of the world. However, when she relaxes, the Cavoodles see this as an opportunity to snuggle on Mum’s lap.

Jo’s work career has been just as colorful as her current life. She has worked in horse and car racing, sold lingerie, designed websites, been a Personal Assistant, and worked as a Law Clerk.

Jo looks at life like a box of chocolates: each day unwraps a new layer, revealing unexpected flavors and textures.

Q&A

Most frequent questions and answers
I decided to write my story for my own mental health. The trauma from being bullied while working for Child Protection Services, plagued me for a long time. Therefore, I decided to get my experiences out of my head and onto a computer.
I decided to publish my book after I found out that Child Protection Services directed that all workers cease all contact with me, after I left work for medical reasons. My position was not terminated, so I am unsure what the Department thought they were gaining by cutting off my support network. I decided that the culture in child protection needed to change. Furthermore, I noticed through the media that the same concerns I experienced as a worker were still prevalent in 2024, and the only way that change was going to occur was to inform people of what really goes on. Not a whistle blower, whose identity is not revealed because, this has been done many times and has not changed anything. But I decided the only way to make change is to write a book, own it and not blow a whistle but have a bloody fireworks display and set off a bomb.
I really hope that people read this book and not only recommend it to others, because that is the only way that any change is possible, but that the readers know that they are not alone in their struggles and can achieve anything in life with the support of others, no matter how high the mountain they are climbing.
Prior to my diagnosis of epilepsy, I used to compete in ten pin bowling and hope that sometime in the future I can return to a sport I love. My Cavoodle Bentleigh has obsessive compulsive disorder. Which at times is funny, other times it is a pain in the ass. He has his routine where he goes around poking things, the back door, the handle on the mop bucket, he has to walk in and out of the toilet every time he passes it. He also pokes people, in places that can be a little embarrassing. Obviously, family and friends are used to it, but strangers, his known to bring a few men to their knees.
My personal experience and the harsh realities of the child protection system are at the forefront of what encouraged me to address my own mental health. In addition, expose my experience of bullying and loss allowed me to grow as a person and rise up against what has become acceptable behaviors, to hopefully address these issues and bring about change, in an industry that has long plagued our society.