Today, we welcome Liz Johnson to Reader’s Entertainment. She be sharing an inside look at her latest release Summer In The Spotlight.
Liz, give our reader’s a quick look at Summer In The Spotlight.
When a hurricane strikes Prince Edward Island, Kelsey Ahern’s beloved community theater is nearly destroyed—putting her job as the high school drama teacher on the line too. She asks her shy coworker Levi Ross to help her put on a benefit show to raise money to rebuild the theater. But interest in the show from the island’s most popular weatherman brings about unexpected changes, leaving the fate of the theater up in the air—and plenty of hearts at risk too.
Give us some background information on your female protagonist, Kelsey Ahern.
Since she was seven, Kelsey has been performing on the stage, an art form she loved sharing with her late grandmother. With her parents mostly absent during her childhood, Kelsey relied on Grandma Coletta for nearly everything. Although she left the island shortly after high school, Kelsey eventually returned to take the job as the high school drama teacher, and now she’s trying to honor her grandma’s legacy by training up the next generation of young actors.
What is special about Levi Ross, one of the main characters in Summer in the Spotlight?
Levi is a great guy. He’s thoughtful and compassionate, smart and funny. He’s also terribly shy and rarely speaks. Since his father abandoned their family when he was fifteen, Levi has preferred to spend his time with a book rather than with anyone else. But he also reads people well and quickly takes a student under his wing, teaching him how to use tools and rebuild old hay wagons. His superpower is remembering just about everything he reads— including the script of the play they’re putting on.
How are Kelsey and Levi connected?
Kelsey and Levi were in the same grade growing up, and he’s always admired her from afar—too shy to tell her how he feels. But when he rescues her from serious injury during the hurricane, their acquaintance blossoms into a true friendship. As they work on the benefit show together, Levi realizes he’ll have to learn to speak up if he doesn’t want to miss the chance to win her heart.
Summer in the Spotlight highlights the theme of rebuilding. How does this theme impact the characters’ lives?
As Levi and Kelsey work together, he begins to see himself through her eyes, to see that he’s capable of anything he sets his mind to. Slowly, he begins to find the confidence that he’d lost as a child, rebuilding it with her encouragement.
After her grandmother’s death, Kelsey built a wall around her heart, finding it easier to keep people out than risk losing someone else she loved. While she’s always believed Levi can do anything, she doesn’t expect that he can tear down that wall. But with every interaction, he becomes more and more important to her. When the show begins to fall apart, she panics and tries to rebuild the safety wall that will keep her from a broken heart.
What other themes or lessons are found in Summer in the Spotlight?
One of my favorite themes in the book is that we do hard things for the people we love. Society often suggests that love should be easy or without cost, but true love requires true sacrifice. I loved watching these characters come to terms with what that sacrifice truly means in their relationship.
This is the second series that you have set on Prince Edward Island. Why did you choose this location for both the Prince Edward Island Dreams series and the Prince Edward Island Shores series?
I could keep writing stories set on PEI forever. I love it so much. The island is tiny—about 125,000 residents—and it’s cold and snowy during the winter. But I’m constantly learning new and interesting things about it that make me fall in love a little more. The first time I visited, I thought I could see the whole island in five days. I barely scratched the surface. And every time I try something new (lobster fishing) or discover a hidden gem (the island’s theater community), I’m inspired to write.
PEI is called the Gentle Island, and it’s earned that name. It’s one of the quietest, most peaceful places I’ve ever been. On my first visit, I realized that it was a place to find healing. And what is a romance novel but two broken people searching for a way to be put back together? Where better than PEI?
What was the connecting element for all of the books in the Prince Edward Island Shores series?
This series is about the Ross family—three brothers whose dad left them more than a decade ago. Each brother chose to deal with that loss in his own way—lashing out in anger, running away, and turning inward. Now, years later, they’re facing the consequences of those decisions. As they meet women who challenge and inspire them, they discover that God has plans for them beyond their father’s legacy.
What do you love most about writing romance novels?
The kissing scenes. If I get stuck, my solution is usually to throw in a kiss. Okay, honestly? I love that romance novels are filled with hope for the could be. And I want each of my stories to be a reflection of the greatest love of all—the love of God.
Do you incorporate any parts of your own life into your writing?
Of course. There are parts of me in every book I write. Not exact representations—every character is their own and not based on anyone I know. But I enjoy adding elements of my family history, stories from my childhood, and my loves to my stories. I also love to have my characters struggle with and find answers to spiritual lessons that I’m learning in life too.
Summer in the Spotlight features a hero who loves to read, much like I do. He just has a better memory than I do. Maybe the biggest piece of me in the book is my love of Prince Edward Island. I have found PEI to be the most peaceful, gentle place, and I love that my characters have found serenity and healing there too.
How can readers connect with you?
I love connecting with readers via my newsletter at www.lizjohnsonbooks.com and on Instagram and Facebook @lizjohnsonbooks.
Summer in the Spotlight is available for pre-order:
A hurricane may have destroyed her livelihood on Prince Edward Island, but she’s determined to save her community
Kelsey Ahern has performed at the Victoria Playhouse on Prince Edward Island every summer since she was seven. But when a hurricane destroys the building, it’s not just her memories that are in jeopardy. Her future as a teacher and drama coach are too. She teams up with Levi Ross, the facilities director at the high school, to produce a benefit show to raise money to rebuild the theater. He has a reputation for being able to fix anything, and Kelsey is sure there’s more to the quiet man than meets the eye.
For his part, Levi has admired Kelsey for years, but he can’t seem to find the words to tell her. When a popular weatherman arrives in town to cover the aftermath of the hurricane and takes an interest in Kelsey and her show, Levi realizes that the time has come to speak up–or lose the heart of the woman he longs for.
