Where Two Hearts Meet by Liz Johnson

What do you think most characterizes your writing?God is with us, and He sees us. It’s a promise reiterated in the Bible many times, but in the midst of this broken world, it can be easy to forget that we’re not alone. Every book I write handles this theme in some shape or form. As characters struggle to find their footing in this world, always they are reminded that God is with them and cares for them. It’s the same thing I hope readers will take away from my books.

 

Who are some of your favorite authors you feel were influential in your work?  What impact have they had on your writing?

I’d be remiss not to mention L. M. Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables and so many other amazing Canadian stories. Her books are what drew me to Prince Edward Island in the first place, and her lovely descriptions of nature and the stunning scenery of the island are spot on. I try to evoke the same appreciation for the island’s natural beauty and kind-hearted people in my own books.

 

What literary character is most like you?

Maybe Jo March from Little Women. She has a longing for adventure and romance that I do too, and she feels stuck in her world, which I did too through high school. But we both discovered that following the adventure didn’t guarantee happiness. Choosing to be joyful where we are will quiet the wanderlust of our hearts.

 

What did you find most useful in learning to write?  What was least useful or most destructive?

The least useful writing advice I ever received was to write what I know. What I know is limited and—quite honestly a bit—boring. I wish someone had told me to write what I want to know. Because I can research and dream and interview. I spent too many years afraid to write what I really wanted to because I worried that my knowledge and experiences weren’t deep enough. Now I know that I learn new things with each book and each world that I create.

 

Are you a full-time or part-time writer?  How does that affect your writing?

I’m a little bit of both. I have a full-time day job, but when I’m on deadline it’s not unusual to spend 25-30 hours a week writing. It keeps me super busy, but somehow I manage to keep up with both. And I find that having a non-fiction day job allows me to be more creative in the fictional worlds for my writing night job.

 

Where is one place you want to visit that you haven’t been before?

Ireland, Scotland, and England are all on my list. And I count them as one trip, since they’re all in the same neck of the woods. The accents. The scenery. The history. What’s not to love about it? I’m trying to come up with a book idea set there so I can talk my mom into going on another research trip with me.

 

If you could speak with any accent from anywhere in the world, what would you choose?

I’d love a Scottish accent.

 

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, publishes books that help bring the Christian faith to everyday life. Whether through fiction, Christian living, self-help, marriage, family, or youth books, each Revell publication reflects relevance, integrity, and excellence.