Liz Johnson
8 min read ⭑
“I initially imagined the Red Door Inn on the island’s north shore more than a decade ago as a place where broken hearts could find healing. I keep taking readers back because we all have broken bits, and I want to point to the one Healer.”
Marketing manager by day, fiction author by night, Liz Johnson has written over 20 novels — not to mention a New York Times bestselling novella and several short stories. Her passion for writing blossomed when she wrote her first short story at 7 years old and her first novel at 12 (a “terrible Western romance,” she says). After years of hard work refining her craft and exercising her creativity, Liz has become a Christy Award finalist and a three-time ACFW Carol Award finalist. When she’s not working on her marketing job or typing her latest romantic story, she’s busy exploring local arts and spending time with family. Join us for an uplifting conversation about the chilly delights of ice skating, favorite memories of eating Mexican food with family and how she’s letting go of writing fears that hinder her efforts. Keep reading to discover how the Holy Spirit guides her writing process — plus what worship songs, books and communities are building her faith.
QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT
There’s much more to food than palate and preference. How does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind the web bio?
Around a long table at Mi Rancho in Yuma, Arizona, you’ll hear a lot of teasing and even more laughter. When the whole family is together — all 12 of us from my parents to my nieces and nephews — nearly everyone will indulge in their favorite Mexican specialties. More than likely, my brother-in-law will be mopping sweat from his forehead after eating extra spicy peppers. And my nieces will be teasing me for thinking the mild salsa is too strong. Between fish tacos and slabs of carne asada, we catch up on life, chuckle about mistakes we’ve made and find out how we can support each other. When we finally push our chairs back, our stomachs are full and our hearts even more so.
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QUESTION #2: REVEAL
We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So what are yours? What so-called “nonspiritual” activity (or activities) do you love engaging in, which also helps you find essential spiritual renewal?
I didn’t learn how to ice skate until I was 25. But once I did, I couldn’t seem to stop. In the Arizona desert, the public ice rink is a reprieve from the heat, a chance for literal refreshment in even the hottest months of the year. It’s an excuse to pull on a cozy sweatshirt and gloves and let go of the worries and fears that weigh me down. Lacing up my skates and stepping onto the ice is an invitation to freedom, to releasing the past and being quiet in the moment. Lap after lap, I sink into the only sound, the scrape of my blades on the ice. Even though I’m not a very skilled or talented skater, I feel God’s smile on me when I’m on the ice. It keeps me coming back.
QUESTION #3: CONFESS
Every superhero has a weakness. Every human too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite, and how do you hide it?
Many authors struggle with writer’s block, with finding the words to write and express the stories in their hearts. I’ve never experienced what I would consider a block. It’s something altogether different. After many years of writing professionally, I’ve finally given it a label. Writer’s fear. I fear not measuring up to expectations — mine or those of my readers. I fear letting down my publisher. I fear poor book sales and embarrassing reviews. I fear that my books will make absolutely no difference in someone’s life. I fear not succeeding.
As the fear sinks in, so does my inability to write. It’s not a block so much as a paralysis. What if, what if, what if. When I can’t silence the what-ifs, I can’t write the words that are so much a part of my identity.
Years ago, I had to redefine success in my writing. I had to let go of the fear and lean into the truth. I’ve been given a gift. And I’m not responsible for the results. I’m only responsible for using it. (Sound like a parable you might know?) When I finally let go of the world’s definition of success, I could write freely again.
Letting go is a daily battle but one that’s worth fighting. My only job is to use my gifts for God’s glory. The results are totally up to him.
QUESTION #4: FIRE UP
Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your current obsession? And why should it be ours?
My latest book, “Meddling with Mistletoe,” is a sweet Christmas romance set at the Red Door Inn on Prince Edward Island. I initially imagined the Red Door Inn on the island’s north shore more than a decade ago as a place where broken hearts could find healing. I keep taking readers back because we all have broken bits, and I want to point to the one Healer.
I’ve been obsessed with Prince Edward Island since I first visited in 2010. It’s such a peaceful, gentle island where my spirit can take a deep breath. And my goal is to give my readers a chance to take that deep breath too.
“Meddling with Mistletoe” invites readers to find the joy and hope of the Christmas season through characters who don’t know what their next steps are and think God may have given up on them. (Spoiler: he hasn’t!) Christmas is my favorite holiday because it’s a reminder that God is with us. Through my characters, I hope readers will be reminded of the same!
QUESTION #5: BOOST
Cashiers, CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?
My friends can count on a call from me at about halfway through a book. “This isn’t working. I’ve forgotten how to write. This is the worst book ever put down on the page.” It happens with every book. No matter how excited I am at the start of the book, by the halfway point, I can’t figure out how all of the storylines should come together.
But the Holy Spirit. In every book, he shows me how the story weaves together. Elements I wrote without a plan suddenly become integral pieces of the storyline. The characters come to truth in unexpected ways.
And I know I’m not smart enough to make that happen on my own. God is faithful in speaking to my heart and mind when I need him most. And I love that he waits until I know I can’t do it alone, so he gets all the credit.
QUESTION #6: inspire
Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied habits that open our hearts to the presence of God. So let us in. Which spiritual practice is working best for you right now?
A few years ago, I flipped the radio in my car to a country station. It was fun and all, but a few months ago, I realized I was feeling down. Uninspired. Distant from God. So on the way to work one day, I flipped to a local Christian radio station. And started singing along. Loudly. Often off-key.
You know what? My performance didn’t matter. The notes didn’t need to be perfect. I didn’t need to get every word right. Praising God through song lifts my spirits and draws me closer to him. I get in 30 minutes of praise and worship on my way to work, and it makes my day 100% better.
QUESTION #7: FOCUS
Looking backward, considering the full sweep of your unique faith journey and all you encountered along the way, what top three resources stand out to you? What changed the game and changed your heart? What radically altered your life? What changed your reality?
No book other than the Bible has changed my understanding of Jesus’ sacrifice and God’s grace more than “No Wonder They Call Him the Savior” by Max Lucado. I read it for the first time when I was 15, and over the years, I’ve come back to it time and again for encouragement and reminders of the depth of God’s love.
While I love all of Downhere’s music, their album “On the Altar of Love” came into my life just when I was struggling with doubt and asking deep questions. The song “Let Me Rediscover You” became my prayer and my anthem as I asked God to show me anew who he was. And of course, he did.
As a fiction writer, I’ve been moved by many novels over the years, but Francine Rivers’ “Redeeming Love” brought me to a deeper understanding of and sorrow over my own sin.
We all have things we cling to to survive (or even thrive) in tough times — times like these! Name one resource you’re savoring and/or finding indispensable in this current season, and tell us what it’s doing for you.
I’m incredibly grateful for my small group through my local church. Meeting regularly with other believers to study God’s Word gives me a midweek boost in otherwise stressful times. When I’m tempted to get bogged down with the hurt and pain of this world, this small group has been a boon to my spirits and always points me back to the Bible.
QUESTION #8: dream
God is continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?
I love how dreams can grow and change — and how sometimes God asks us to wait on them. More than a dozen years ago, I had an idea for a book. It was wild and different from anything I’d ever written before. It was strange and unlike anything I’d seen on bookstore shelves. And my publisher said it wasn’t right for them at the time. Over the years, I’ve kept writing other books, but always in the back of my mind was this seed of a story about unpacking childlike faith. Many publishers rejected it. Sometimes it felt like no one wanted my idea.
And I felt God whispering to me, “Not yet.”
But still, my little dream of a book blossomed. Plot points and character arcs have come into focus. And the story has become more fleshed out.
And now, finally, so many years after that initial idea, it’s time for me to write the book that’s been growing. And I can’t wait to share it with readers. Soon, I hope.
Have you ever had a dream or calling God has told you to wait on? Maybe a career shift or a ministry or an addition to the family?
We each have unique — and multiple callings God has given us. And each one is beautiful in its purpose. So how do we handle the waiting season? What do we do when God says, “Not yet?”
Joseph waited by making the most of his dire situations as a slave and a prisoner until God gave him the number two position in all of Egypt. And before he became king, David waited by training men who needed leadership and protecting Israel from its enemies.
How can you make the most of your season of waiting? What does that look like today. Or next week? Or next year?
By day, Liz Johnson works in marketing for a nonprofit. She’s the author of more than 20 novels, a New York Times bestselling novella and a handful of short stories. She’s a Christy Award finalist and a three-time ACFW Carol Award finalist. She makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona, where she enjoys exploring local music, theater and doting on her nieces and nephews. She writes stories of true love filled with heart, humor and happily ever afters.
