Today I'm welcoming Liz Johnson to my blog! I met Liz at the 2014 ACFW Conference in St. Louis, and then spent more time with her at our Books and Such Literary Management Retreat in Monterey, in October. Liz is such a sweetheart, and so funny! She's here to talk about her latest release, Navy Seal Noel, and to give us a sneak peek at her next release.
Welcome
to my blog, Liz! I’m thrilled that you stopped by to visit today and talk about
your newest release, Navy Seal Noel
and your upcoming series with Revell Publishers.
Hi! I’m so excited to be here today. Thanks for inviting me over
for a chat!
For
readers meeting you here for the first time, can you tell us a little about
yourself and your publication story?
By day I’m a not-so-mild-mannered marketing manager for nonfiction
books at a Christian publisher. By night I spin wild stories of love and
suspense. I live in Nashville and love to spend my free time exploring the
history (especially Civil War era) and harmonies of Music City. I wrote my
first short story at age seven. At twenty-seven I signed a contract on my first
book, The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn. In
those twenty years I wrote a lot of really, really bad books. I also took some
classes, went to some writers conferences, and read a lot of other books. And
one day my writing started to get a little bit better. My most recent romantic
suspense, Navy SEAL Noel, is my
seventh book with Love Inspired Suspense. I’ve also gotten to write an
historical novella (Civil War era, of course) and a handful of short Christmas
stories for Guideposts Books.
I'd love to explore the history of Nashville! I'm a fan of Civil War era history, as well. Can
you give us a brief synopsis of Navy Seal
Noel and a sneak peek at your next release?
Navy SEAL Noel is about scientist Jessalynn McCoy, who is abducted by a drug
cartel and ordered to release a deadly toxin, or she’ll be killed. Trapped with
no options, she's desperate for help…she just never expected it from Will
Gumble. The boy who let her down years ago is now a navy SEAL. She trusts his
skills, his experience. Yet trusting him is a struggle. Will's wish is to heal
their damaged relationship and get them to safety. But time is running out and
someone is on to their escape plans. Any mistake could mean the difference
between facing the rest of their lives together or apart. Forever.
My next release is a little over a year away, so I don’t have a
lot of details to share yet. I will say that it’s a contemporary romance set on
Prince Edward Island that follows the lives of four people trying to open a bed
and breakfast. It’s the first in a three-book series from Revell Publishers.
You had me at Prince Edward Island! :) I’ve
heard that some authors need to have a special environment to write in (music,
comfy chair, coffee shop, quiet room, desk, etc.). Do you have a special place
you like to write?
I’m not terribly picky. I like to be in a comfy spot—I do have a
writing chair that is incredibly comfortable—and have a diet dr. pepper close
by. When I’m on an urgent deadline, everything about my house becomes suddenly
very interesting, so I usually have to find a back corner at a coffee shop or
Panera and plug in my earbuds to get to work. And I definitely have to have
music playing—something that puts me in the mood of the scene I’m writing.
I had to giggle. Deadlines are a fickle thing, aren't they? One part panic, and the other part--oh, look at the spots I need to mop on my floor... I know you made the move from your home state of Arizona to Tennessee. What have
you found is the biggest difference in culture?
It's hard to say what the biggest difference is. Perhaps it’s
cliché to say this, but Southern hospitality is a wonderful part of Nashville.
I’ve never lived in a place where so many people are just genuinely kind to
strangers. I saw it firsthand when I moved here five years ago, just in time
for the flood that destroyed so much of Nashville. When the waters receded,
people walked out of their homes and went door-to-door offering to help their
neighbors tear down and rebuild. Some churches collected so many items for
donation that they couldn’t find enough people who needed the donations. I
attended one benefit concert that was so packed, I had to stand in the very
back of the auditorium the entire show. Nashville loves to care for its people
and neighbors, and I love that about living here.
That's such a nice thing to say about Nashville. It's wonderful to know that neighborliness is still alive and well. Here’s
one more question, just for fun. I saw on your blog that you can talk about bad
made-for-TV movies for hours. J What is the worst movie you’ve ever
watched?
I do love cheesy
made-for-TV movies! They make me so happy. But the one that drove me crazy (in
a bad way) was about a woman who wrote a book, which outlined what she’d like
her love life to look like with a fictional guy named George. She sent her
manuscript off to a publisher, who immediately bought it and produced a huge
hardcover print run in a month. Then the author confessed that her book was not
true, and there was no man named George in her life. The publisher demanded
that the author find a George stand in for media appearances. So the author found
a guy named George and thought he had all the qualities she’d been looking for,
but maybe her childhood friend was actually a better match for her.
This movie got everything (EVERYTHING!) about the publishing
industry wrong. Books don’t miraculously get edited, typeset, proofread,
designed, printed, marketed, and distributed in a month. It takes a long time
to release a book. The movie also showed zero understanding of the word fiction (seriously? When was the last
time a novelist had to present one of her characters in real life?). And in
this particular film, my favorite part of most movies—the romance plot—just
fell flat.
But there are so many wonderfully cheesy flicks out there.
Hallmark Channel especially knows how to take advantage of all my favorite
romance tropes—marriages/relationships of convenience, secret identities, and reunion
romances. Their Christmas movies are one of my favorite parts of the season.
See, I told you I could talk about made-for-TV movies for hours!
That does sound horrible! I struggle with movies that portray a false impression of publishing more than I should. :)
Thank
you for answering my questions, Liz! I can’t wait to read your next release. It’s
been a pleasure having you visit my blog.
Thanks
so much for having me here, Gabe! What a treat to visit with you and your
readers.
Liz has generously agreed to give away a copy of her book,
Navy Seal Noel, to one lucky winner! Be sure to leave a comment and enter the Rafflecopter for your chance to win. Also, be sure to stop by Liz's
Facebook page and like it to stay updated on her books!
YOUR TURN: Do you have a favorite (or least favorite) made-for-TV movie? Have you ever been to Nashville? Or Prince Edward Island? Where would you rather go?
About Liz:
By day Liz Johnson is a marketing manager for a Christian publisher. She finds time to write late at night and is a two-time ACFW Carol Award finalist. Liz makes her home in Nashville, TN, where she enjoys theater, exploring local music, and making frequent trips to Arizona to dote on her nieces and nephews. She loves stories of true love with happy endings and shares about her adventures in writing at
www.LizJohnsonBooks.com.
About Navy Seal Noel:
A LETHAL REUNION
Abducted by a drug cartel, scientist Jessalynn McCoy's orders are simple—produce a deadly toxin, or be killed. Trapped with no options, she's desperate for help…she just never expected it from Will Gumble. The boy who let her down years ago is now a navy SEAL. She trusts his skills, his experience. Yet trusting
him is a struggle. Will's Christmas wish is to heal their damaged relationship and get them to safety. But time is running out and the stakes keep rising. Any mistake could mean the difference between facing the holidays together or apart forever.
Men of Valor: These navy SEALS were born to excel…
a Rafflecopter giveaway
