Today I have the author of Vanishing Act, Liz Johnson. Please welcome her and lets see what she has to say!
I’ve known that I was writing this guest post for nearly two months, but I haven’t been able to come up with any ideas about what to write. I thought about it for ages. I even resorted to asking my twitter friends for suggestions. Yes, I was that girl. And I got some good suggestions. I got a few more … creative ones, as well.
But still, what to write?
Finally, I decided to go back to the root of all of this. I’m writing this blog post because of a few books that I wrote. And I write books because I love stories. I love the way characters encounter trials and how that changes them. How it changes the complete trajectory of their lives when they recognize that life hasn’t turned out at all how they thought it would—it’s so much better!
I love how stories have the power to change not only the characters but also the readers. I remember the first time I read The Witch of Blackbird Pond and history came alive. All of a sudden Puritans weren’t just some group in a history book. They had names and faces and passions—right or wrong. Then there was a kind Quaker woman named Hannah. I’d never heard of Quakers until I read about her compassion toward a little Puritan girl, despite the girl’s mother’s hatred for anyone different. Kit was maybe my first role model, a headstrong young woman who didn’t know where she fit in. I loved Kit’s heart and strength and growth. She learned to love her cousins more than she cared about her own desires.
Those characters became friends and taught me about compassion, sacrifice, and true love.
Whenever someone dismisses the idea of learning from stories, I’m always reminded of the stories that Jesus told. We call them parables now. Of course, his stories were perfect. Ours are not. But that doesn’t mean they can’t teach us.
That’s why I love stories. You never know what a story is going to teach you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Liz Johnson grew up reading Christian fiction, and always dreamed of being part of the publishing industry. After graduating from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff with a degree in public relations, she set out to fulfill her dream. In 2006 she got her wish when she accepted a publicity position at a major trade book publisher. While working as a publicist in the industry, she decided to pursue her other dream-becoming an author. Along the way to having her novel published, she completed the Christian Writers Guild apprentice course and wrote articles for several magazines.
Liz makes her home in Nashville, TN, where she enjoys theater, exploring the local music scene, and making frequent trips to Arizona to dote on her two nephews and three nieces. She loves stories of true love with happy endings. Keep up with Liz’s adventures in writing at www.lizjohnsonbooks.com.
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