Author Interview (and a Giveaway!): Kerry Johnson & Snowstorm Sabotage

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Snowstorm Sabotage by Kerry Johnson, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! I’m delighted to have Kerry on the blog today to chat about her debut novel!

SNOWSTORM SABOTAGE
Author: Kerry Johnson
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Release Date: September 28, 2021
Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense

Can she survive a blizzard…

and being framed?

Single mom Everly Raven didn’t just discover the murder of her friend—she’s being framed for it. Now she’s on the run from hired killers at her family’s ski resort, all while a deadly blizzard rages. Her only hope is her ex-husband, FBI agent Isaac Rhodes—the secret father of her child. But can they live long enough for him to meet their daughter—and clear Everly’s name?

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Hi Kerry! Welcome to the blog!

Kerry: Apples. When I was a child, we often went apple picking during the fall in Connecticut. Apples are my second favorite fruit (after strawberries).

Carrie: That sounds like so much fun! (And those are my two fave fruits too!)

Kerry: Dogs! We’ve never been without a dog. I like cats, but my younger son has a bad allergy to them so we can’t have any.

Carrie: We are currently between dogs and I miss having a canine buddy!

Kerry: Tea. I enjoy the smell of coffee, but can’t stand the flavor. I love chai tea & green tea. Mostly iced, since I’m in Florida.

Carrie: I’m the same way about coffee! But I don’t like tea either so… lol

Kerry: Print, always! If I’m desperate I’ll read a story on my kindle, but I love touching the actual cover and pages within. Few things give me as much joy as buying a new (paperback) book.

Carrie: I do read a lot of ebooks because it’s more convenient but I’m with you – there is not much that creates the level of joy I get when I buy a new print book!

Q: Around here I like to say that reading is my superpower. If YOU had a superpower, what would it be?

Kerry: Feeding animals. I should’ve been a zookeeper. I love caring for and feeding animals. Don’t ask how many squirrels and various critters we get at our backyard bird feeders, and how I lure them there (mostly with peanuts). We even have flying squirrels come to our big oak tree at night, and it’s so neat seeing them fly (glide, actually) onto the branches once it’s dark out. I’ve already requested God make me head zookeeper in heaven. 😉 

Carrie: haha i love that!

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

Kerry: I beeline straight for the Christian fiction section. It’s like visiting friends, really. I touch the books, smile and sigh at them, sort them, make sure covers are facing out, take pictures of friends’ books, etc… It always feels a little like a reunion. There’s a Christian bookstore in Ft. Myers, where my parents and sister live, called Christ-Centered. They carry SO many great Christian books, new releases and older books. I go crazy there. My sister has to drag me out, seriously. I’m pretty sure I would pass out from utter excitement if I ever stepped into Baker Book House. Knowing some of the authors on the shelves, it makes me feel like I’m spending time with them when I hold their book. I just love it (and wish I could buy them all).

Carrie: It IS like visiting friends, and I think I would have the same reaction to Baker Book House – we should go together and be each other’s moral support 😉

Q: Any snacks/beverages that are a must when you sit down to write?

Kerry: Lately I’ve been soo into frozen grapes. My second romantic suspense was fueled by frozen grapes. They’re almost like a little ice cream treat but healthier. The red grapes are better frozen, IMHO. Yummy. I make sure to have little snack baggies filled with frozen grapes ready to go in the freezer for writing sessions. I always have water and tea on hand, too.

Carrie: oh that sounds super yummy! I’m going to have to try that!

Q: Did you have the whole plot outlined before you started writing Snowstorm Sabotage, or did you let the characters dictate what came next?

Kerry: I’ve tried and tried to become more of a plotter, but my pantser heart resists. The thought of outlining the entire book and knowing every scene beforehand makes me break out in hives. I love the thrill of creating one scene at a time and letting the characters hijack the story. My compromise is that I write a rough synopsis before starting, along with a loose description and backstory of the hero and heroine to get the creative ball rolling. Then I start writing. I write fast first drafts, but they’re generally messy and need lots of work (revisions).

Carrie: I think I would write the same way, should I ever get the urge to write a novel (which isn’t likely) lol

Q: Some authors like to hide little things in their stories. Is there anything you have hidden in Snowstorm Sabotage?

Kerry: I love that you asked this. I did hide something in Snowstorm Sabotage. It’s the name of the restaurant at the ski resort, Raven’s Fun Runs: Eichhorn’s. Eichhorn means ‘squirrel’ in German, and it’s my maternal grandparents’ last name. Sadly, Grandma Eichhorn passed at 94 in 2019, and Grandpa Eichhorn passed a few months ago, aged 96. He knew I signed a book contract but never saw the cover. I love having that ‘Easter egg’ in the story to honor them.

Carrie: awww i love that so much! And what full lives they led ♥

Q: What is something God taught you while you wrote Snowstorm Sabotage?

Kerry: That I completely and utterly can’t write without Him. It’s impossible. I was all twisted up about the plot at one point, trying to finish revisions and figure out how to tie everything together for Snowstorm Sabotage. Add to that mid-life brain fog plus real-life drama with the custody situation with my niece, and I was hitting a brick wall. I always try to pray before I write, but one writing session in particular I literally laid my head on my laptop and said, “Lord, I can’t do this. I cannot do this. I am empty. Please fill me and help me finish this story strong.” And He did. Through my meager efforts God tied those loose ends and I finished the revision. My agent was impressed and asked how I did it, and of course the only answer was God guided my imagination, because this brain wasn’t firing on all four? Five? Six (I wish) cylinders. He’s so faithful, and He gets the glory! I was so weak, and He was strong for me. 

Carrie: Amen. I love that – He is so faithful AND personal.

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.

Kerry: Thank you for having me! I finished my next romantic suspense in August, and it’s with my agent now. It was so fun getting to know these new characters and dropping them in all sorts of dangerous situations. Plus, the romance. Sigh. This story is a planned first book in a three-book series, so Lord willing, I’ll share good news about this series soon.

Carrie: yay!! Praying for God’s best over your writing!