Johnson will be at the Big Blue Marble Bookstore, 551 Carpenter Lane, on Friday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m., to discuss her book.

by Rita Charleston

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be able to drop everything and start a new life?

Well, that's exactly the question posed by Philadelphia native and author Sadeqa Johnson in her new novel, “Second House From the Corner” (St. Martin's Press, publishing date Feb. 9, $25.99). Johnson's book centers on the story of Felicia Lyons, a stay-at-home mother of three drowning in the drudgeries of play dates, lost pacifiers and potty training who occasionally wonders what it would be like to escape the demands of motherhood.

But when an unexpected phone call threatens to destroy her life, Felicia is forced to return to her childhood home in Philadelphia, where she must wrestle with an ex-lover and long-buried secrets to save the family and home she loves despite the daily challenges.

Johnson, a former public relations manager who spent years working with such well-known authors as JK Rowling, Amy Tan, Bishop TD Jakes and others before becoming an author herself, will be at the Big Blue Marble Bookstore, 551 Carpenter Lane, on Friday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m., to discuss her book.

Brought up in Logan, Johnson, 40, who went to George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science, now lives in Virginia with her husband Glenn and three children, ages 12, 10 and 7. “Growing up, I had my heart set on becoming an actress,” she recalled. “I studied at Freedom Theater, and when I attended Marymount Manhattan College in New York, I was a theater major. But halfway through college, realizing one day I was going to need a real job — just in case — I switched my major to communications.”

Her first job out of college was with Scholastic Magazine. She then went on to work at G.P. Putnam. “I like to say that Scholastic was my undergraduate degree, but working at Putnam was like being in graduate school.”

And while in “grad school” the idea for a book started forming in her consciousness. And almost 10 years later, that book was fully formed. Her first novel, “Love in a Carry-On Bag,” was the recipient of the 2013 Phyllis Wheatley Award for Best Fiction and the 2012 USA Best Book award for African American fiction.

But getting that book published was not as easy as Johnson thought it would be. “I had been in the publishing business and knew people, so I thought I knew how to get things done. But I was wrong. I did everything I could, but after enough time went by, my husband suggested we publish it ourselves. And so we did.”

But her second book went more quickly and was published much more easily. Even with the story running around in her brain for three or four years, Johnson says it only took a little more than a year to finish. “I wanted the support system that comes with having your book published by a publishing house, and this time I got it. When 'Second House from the Corner' was finished, three publishing houses went to auction over it.”

The title, Johnson said, came from several events in her life. “Growing up, our house was second from the corner. And when I got married, somehow my husband and I wound up buying a house that was second from the corner. So when I was searching for a title, this seemed the logical one.”

A lot of the back story for Felicia came from stories that Johnson's grandmother would tell her. “My grandmother was a wonderful storyteller, and when she told stories to me, I'd hang on her every word,” the author explained. “But I was also a young mother with three children, so I used as much from my own life as I could. But when I write, I also leave as much room as possible for my characters to tell me what they want. In writing, I use a little bit of myself in the book, but I also get out of the way so the characters can be who they are.”

Aside from being a successful author, wife and mother (with a third book due out in 2017), Johnson is a motivational speaker and inspirational blogger. “I'm all about passion. People couldn’t believe I quit a great job to write on my own, but I knew I had to stay home with my kids and write a book, even without a contract.

“So even though there wasn’t a lot of support for me in the beginning, I had a lot of passion and knew this is what I wanted to do. I knew if I didn’t do it, 20 years from now I'd have this terrible ache inside me. So while I don’t suggest a woman quits her job, I do suggest they make their dreams a priority. Make it the gift you give yourself.”

In addition to her Mt. Airy appearance, Johnson will appear at Barnes & Noble, 1805 Walnut St., on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2 p.m.

More information about the Big Blue Marble appearance at 215-844-1870.