Author Interview (and a Giveaway!): Liz Johnson & A Dazzle of Diamonds

I always love chatting with Liz Johnson & I’m positively pleased to have her on the blog today to talk about her new book, A Dazzle of Diamonds!

Liz Johnson is the author of more than a dozen novels, including A Sparkle of Silver, A Glitter of Gold, and The Red Door Inn, as well as a New York Times bestselling novella and a handful of short stories. She works in marketing and makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona.

You can connect with Liz on her website, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.

A DAZZLE OF DIAMONDS
SERIES: Georgia Coast Romance #3
GENRE: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
PUBLISHER: Revell
RELEASE DATE: August 4, 2020
PAGES: 352

Penelope Hunter loves her job as the event manager at one of Savannah’s premier historic venues–until her ex-fiancé walks into her office with his new bride-to-be. Surely she cannot be expected to plan their wedding. To make matters worse, a scheming social matriarch is threatening to take her big-ticket event elsewhere, especially if Penelope insists on being seen with her best friend, Tucker Westbrook.

Since returning from serving two tours in the Middle East, Tucker has built a thriving security company. His work is nearly as stabilizing as his lifelong friendship with Penelope. But when the lone candidate for county sheriff goads him, Tucker loses his cool and ends up on the ballot–and on the receiving end of a smear campaign claiming the Westbrooks were traitors to the South.

To clear his name, Tucker and Penelope must join forces to find the truth behind a lost Civil War treasure. But the more time they spend together, the closer she comes to losing her job–and falling helplessly in love.

amazon affiliate link used

Hi Liz! Welcome to the blog!

Liz: Um . . . neither. If I want something soothing, I like hot apple cider. Otherwise, I’m a water and diet soda kind of gal.

Carrie: See, I knew I liked you 🙂

Liz: Both. Depends on how long I’m going to be doing whatever I’m doing. If I have a good bit of time, I’ll put in an audiobook, but if it’s a short drive or a quick walk, I’ll listen to music.

Carrie: that makes sense

Liz: Over. So long as there’s toilet paper to be found, it should go over.

Carrie: hahaha fair enough

Liz: Board game. I love a classic board game like Clue or Boggle, but please don’t make me play Monopoly. 

Carrie: duly noted 🙂

Q: When you walk into a bookstore, where do you head first?

Liz: I’m a rambler. I like to make a loose lap and get the lay of the land. Then I always circle back to Christian Fiction and Christian Living books. I love to stroll through the YA section to see the amazing covers, and of course, I can’t miss out the journals and stationary section. I love it when classics are given new covers, so I’ll often look for those. Mostly I just enjoy wandering among the books and thinking about all the amazing writers who put words to paper. 

Carrie: We would bookstore browse well together!

Q: If I asked your characters to describe YOU as an author, what would they say?

Liz: She’s mean. So mean. She likes to put us in ridiculous situations, then she skips over the part about how we get out of it, only to pick up down the road. She doesn’t fill in those gaps for ages. She’s downright gleeful when she makes us put a foot in our mouths, and she seems to like it when we’re embarrassed. She’ll forget about us for days at a time, until she just has to finish the book. We can practically hear her clapping with delight when we kiss, but, boy, does she make us work for that happily ever after.

Carrie: hahahaha

Q: Which of your main characters in A Dazzle of Diamonds is most like you?

Liz: I hope it’s Aunt Shirley. She’s a single sixty-something who has never been married and never slowed down. She loves adventure and sharing her wisdom. And she speaks the truth with love. She said quite a few things that I needed to hear as I was writing this book.

Carrie: oh she sounds like a great character!! yay!

Q: What is something God taught you while you wrote A Dazzle of Diamonds?

Liz: While I was writing this book, I lost my dream day job, my car was totaled in an accident, and I had to start all over again. I was so happy where I was, doing what I was doing. And then it was all taken away from me. And God reminded me that His plans are not my plans. His plans are perfect and so much better than my own. I wanted what was safe and comfortable. God wanted me to grow and to be willing to follow Him. These times of change are difficult, but they’ve also made me look at adventure with new eyes. And God is constantly reminding me that He’s doing a new thing, making rivers in the desert.

Carrie: I’m so sorry that all of that happened but I love how you leaned into God through it & grew as a result. He doesn’t waste anything we go through, does He?

Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me! 🙂 Before we say goodbye for today, tell us what‘s coming up next for you.

Liz: Up next for me is a brand new Prince Edward Island series about three Ross brothers, beginning late summer 2021. First up, middle brother Oliver is a breath away from buying his own lobster fishing business on PEI’s south shore. That is until the girl he hurt in high school sets out to steal his dream. If he doesn’t act quickly, he might lose everything—including his heart. I can’t wait to travel with readers back to the Island.

Carrie: yay!!!!!

Revell is offering a copy of A Dazzle of Diamonds to THREE of my readers AND Liz Johnson is offering a copy plus a ‘dazzling’ keychain to another of my readers. (US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

plus…

if you’re on instagram, click the graphic below to enter
the JustRead Tours giveaway going on this week too!

What about you? What interests you most about A Dazzle of Diamonds and/or my Q&A with Liz Johnson?