Liz Johnson joins us today on Behind The Words. Liz is a bestselling author of over a dozen books, and has a passion for ‘happily-ever-after’.
We’re glad to have you here today, Liz. First, tell our readers a bit about yourself. Where you’re from, where you live? Is writing your full-time job?
My day job is as the marketing manager for a nonprofit organization near my home in Phoenix, Arizona. Writing is my night, weekend, and every-other-moment-of-my-day job. Pretty much any time my mind can wander to story ideas, it does.
How long have you been writing?
I started writing when I was 7—a short story about a hibernating bear—and signed my first book contract at 27. That was 13 years ago, and I’ve written hundreds of thousands of words since then. Those words have formed more than a dozen published full-length novels, a few novellas, and a handful of short stories.
Briefly describe your writing day, and tell us about your latest release.
My writing day never looks the same. It’s never structured or consistent. Which is not necessarily a good thing. I spend a fair bit of time thinking about my story before I start writing it. So, on those days it’s less about word count and more about spending time with my characters. But as they always do, deadlines kick in, and I spend time writing whenever I can. I like to go to coffee shops and restaurants to write, as there are less distractions there than at home. But by the time I reach the end of the book, I’ll write wherever my laptop is.
My latest release is Beyond the Tides, a return to Prince Edward Island and an introduction to the three Ross brothers, who—ten years after their father walked out on their family—are still facing the consequences of their individual responses. Middle brother Oliver is a lobster fisherman like his dad. When Walt Whitaker offers to sell him his fishing business, Oliver jumps at the chance at a stable future—until Walt’s daughter Meg says she wants the business instead. Even though she’s never shown any interest until now, Meg has her own reasons for wanting the boat—not the least of which is that Oliver ruined a science fair project that could have secured her an Ivy League scholarship years ago. When Walt decides they should work the lobster boat together, they’ll have to lay down old grudges and discover their stories are more similar than they thought.
What inspired this book?
I’ve been dreaming of returning to PEI—in real life and on the page—for years, so when I started thinking about this series, I wanted to fill it with all the hope, peace, and love of the Gentle Island. My travels always inspire my books, and on my last few visits to PEI, I went lobster fishing with a seasoned captain, who shared his knowledge. I loved being out on the water, and I couldn’t wait to infuse that into this story.
Could you share one detail from your current release with readers that they might not find in the book? Perhaps a juicy bit of back-story, or something only you know about a character?
Most readers (except my mom and sister) won’t know that the last time I held a lobster, it got a little frisky and swatted at me with its tale. I screamed and nearly dropped it, but not before it dropped a claw first and nearly scared me to death. I couldn’t help but incorporate that experience into Meg’s story as she learns the ropes of lobster fishing.
Who has been the most difficult character for you to write? Why?
Meg was the most difficult character to write in this book. It took me weeks and weeks to unpack her pain and figure out what had caused her to hold a grudge for ten years. But once I did, she made perfect sense. I felt like she was a friend I just wanted to hug, a woman I sometimes saw in the mirror. But her pain and her relationship with her parents was sometimes a little too familiar to some struggles in my own family, which made writing about it even harder. Sometimes writing her character felt like therapy. Not always pleasant, but at the end of the day it helped me process a difficult year in my own life, and I think Meg is stronger for it.
If you could be one of your characters for a day which character would it be? Why?
I’m not sure I’d like to be any of my main characters. I’m awfully mean to them. 🙂 They always have to go through a pretty terrible trial. So, if I had to be one of my characters, I’d want to pick up at the end of their books and the start of their unwritten stories.
All writers are readers. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
I do love to read, and I have to be careful not to let other authors influence me too much while I’m writing. It’s easy to lose my voice for theirs if I’m not careful. But one author who has really influenced my writing is Kristen Heitzmann through both her writing and her teaching. I sat in on a workshop she taught at a national conference several years ago. The topic was deep point of view, and her advice still rings through my head as I write nearly ten years later. She’s helped me become a better writer with every book just by practicing her tips and tools.
What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?
The Princess Bride by William Goldman. The movie gets all the glory these days (and it is fantastic), but the book is wonderfully funny and enchanting too. And the entire lore of the book and Goldman’s blurring of the lines between the fictional and real world are endlessly entertaining.
Do you have a secret talent readers would be surprised by?
I’ve recently returned to ice skating. I think it’s an overstatement to say I have a talent for it, but I certainly enjoy being out on the ice. The skating rink is one of the few places in Arizona where it’s always cool, and it’s as close to flying as I can get without wings.
Your favorite go to drink or food when the world goes crazy!
My favorite drink (full stop) is diet Dr. Pepper. Without it, the world feels a little crazy.
And what is your writing Kryptonite?
Falling down the YouTube rabbit hole.
Liz’ latest book just released this week: Beyond The Tides
When Meg Whitaker’s father decides to sell the family’s lobster-fishing business to her high school nemesis, she sets out to prove she should inherit it instead. Though she’s never had any interest in running the small fleet–or even getting on a boat due to her persistent seasickness–she can’t stand to see Oliver Ross take over. Not when he ruined her dreams for a science scholarship and an Ivy League education ten years ago.
Oliver isn’t proud of what he did back then. Angry and broken by his father walking out on his family, he lashed out at Meg–an innocent bystander. But owning a respected fishing fleet on Prince Edward Island is the opportunity of a lifetime, and he’s not about to walk away just because Meg wants him to.
Meg’s father has the perfect solution: Oliver and Meg must work the business together, and at the end of the season, he’ll decide who gets it. Along the way, they may discover that their stories are more similar than they thought . . . and their dreams aren’t what they expected.
Bestselling author Liz Johnson invites you back to Prince Edward Island for a brand-new series about family, forgiveness, and the kind of love that heals all wounds.
You can purchase Beyond the Tides at:
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beyond-the-tides-liz-johnson/1137897782?ean=9780800737375
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/260796
Christian Book: https://www.christianbook.com/beyond-the-tides-1/liz-johnson/9780800737375/pd/73737X?event=ESRCG
Find out more about Liz and her books at:
https://www.facebook.com/lizjohnsonbooks
https://www.instagram.com/lizjohnsonbooks/
