Liz Johnson Interview

Q: How did you get your start writing fiction and what genre do you predominantly write in?

A. I’ve been writing fiction since I was seven, and it took me twenty years of writing all sorts of stories and genres before I began writing professionally. Now I write mostly romantic suspense—Navy SEAL Security is my eighth book for Love Inspired Suspense.

Q: What does your writing space look like?

A: I pretty much write wherever I can. On my living room couch. At my dining room table. At a coffee shop or restaurant. At my desk during my lunch break at work. If I can find a place to set up my laptop, I can get some writing done. But my favorite place to work is in my “writing chair,” an oversized, gray arm chair with an ottoman. It’s soft and cushiony, and I love to curl up with a pillow on my lap (and a blanket if it’s cold). In my writing room I’m surrounded by bookshelves and inspired by great writers.

Q: In this busy world, how do you find time to connect with God and how does this impact your writing?

A. Prayer is so important for my walk with God. I try to make sure that I don’t leave my house in the morning before I’ve spent some time talking with him. I also love to listen to worship music, so I generally spend my commute to work singing along with Christian radio. And I often find that God uses Christian music to speak to me. When I’m struggling to meet deadlines or feeling weary in my writing, sometimes I’ll hear a song like Mandisa’s “Overcomer” and be reminded that God is my strength. I’ve had a very busy year of writing, and leaning on God—being reminded every day to trust him—has gotten me through.

Q: What part of a writing career do you find most difficult?

A.Like all parts of life, some seasons of writing are busier, stranger, harder, funnier, insert your own adjective here. During this season, the hardest part of writing is simply juggling all that’s on my plate—writing new books, putting together proposals, promoting new releases, and more. But it’s a challenge I’m most grateful to have.

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release, Navy SEAL Security?

A: Wounded navy SEAL Luke Dunham’s only goal is returning to active duty…until he rescues his physical therapist from a lethal attack. Now he’ll risk everything—even his recovery—to keep Mandy Berg’s attacker at bay. Mandy’s been burned before when she trusted the wrong man. And she knows better than to develop feelings for one of her patients. Yet how can she help falling for a man who puts his very life in harm’s way to keep her safe? Relying on anyone feels dangerous…but turning away Luke’s protection could be deadly.

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for this story?

A: This is the fourth book in the Men of Valor series, and I’ve loved writing about these navy SEALs. I’ve always been fascinated by their extreme training and dedication. I’m humbled by their service and have loved reading biographies and watching news stories about SEALs. I first wrote about Luke in Navy SEAL Noel, which came out last year, and I knew that he was a special character. I couldn’t wait to share his story.

Q: Tell us a little about your main character and how you developed him/her.

A: Petty Officer Luke Dunham has only ever wanted to be a SEAL since a childhood accident left him scared and alone. But on his third tour of duty to the Middle East, he’s injured in a suicide bombing and ends up with an unhappy triad—all three major ligaments in his knee are torn. His girlfriend thinks this is the end of his career and dumps him. Even the doctors at the military hospital offer to sign off on his medical discharge. But Luke isn’t ready to give up on his dream. He fought hard to make it through SEAL training, and he’s not going to give up now without a fight.

Q: What did you enjoy most about writing this book? Least?

A: I enjoyed writing all of it. Luke’s story morphed quite a bit in the writing process, but I had a lot of fun researching physical therapy and the healing process of his knee injury. The hardest part about writing this book was saying goodbye to characters that I really loved spending a few months with.

Q: What is the main theme or spiritual message of this book?

A: The main spiritual message of the book is that God has a plan. He can use anything—even the tragedies in our lives—to draw us close to him and to bring about his best plan. He often uses our mistakes to soften our hearts in order to heal relationships.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?

A. Right now I’m working on my next Men of Valor book. It doesn’t have a title yet, but it features Zach—Ziggy—McCloud, who readers will remember from previous books in the series. It’s shaping up to be a very exciting holiday story, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with readers in December of this year.

Q: If you could have dinner with 2 people, who would they be?

A.Any two people? I’d love to talk with Lucy Maud Montgomery (to hear about how she came up with Anne of Green Gables and her life on PEI in the early 1900s) and Andy Andrews (to be encouraged and challenged to live a life of purpose).

Q: Do you have a favorite hobby?

A: Like most writers, I’m an avid reader. My TBR pile is perpetually out of control. Also, when I have time, I love to cross-stitch. Before I started writing professionally, I’d spend hours working on intricate counted cross-stitch designs. Now it’s a rare treat.

Q: Where can readers find you on the internet?

A: My website has all the latest information on my releases at www.LizJohnsonBooks.com, and I hang out at www.Facebook.com/LizJohnsonBooks and www.Twitter.com/LizJohnsonBooks. I hope you’ll visit me there soon.

Q: Anything else you’d like to tell or share with us?

A: I’m so excited to share that my first contemporary romance novel set on Prince Edward Island, The Red Door Inn, will be releasing next month. And thanks so much for letting me join you today!