The KIDNAPPING of KENZIE THORN by new author Liz Johnson is one of those books you simply can NOT put down! It’s a good thing I started reading it on a day when I was able to take time to sit for a few hours because I ended up reading well into the night and got up early the next morning so I could finish reading it before getting to my to-do list! If you’re looking for a very engaging book which can easily be read in a day or so, THIS is the book for you! I LOVE books which grab hold of me from the very first chapter and this is that sort of book. I hope the future holds many more books from this author

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY:

Myles Parsons is just another inmate in Kenzie Thorn’s GEDcourse until he kidnaps her, offering only a feeble explanation–that he’s actually FBI Special Agent Myles Borden. Terrified, Kenzie doesn’twant to believe his story of being undercover to protect her. Moreover,she can’t believe that someone might really want her dead.

But just when Myles thinks he has her out of harm’s way, hisplans start to fall apart. He attempts to take Kenzie to a safe house—but the stubborn woman won’t go! So together they must uncover the cluesthat will reveal a most shocking perpetrator. All the while Myles triesto keep his distance from Kenzie … but finds himself falling in love.

AUTHOR BIO and INTERVIEW:

I’ve known Liz for a little while because of the contact we’ve had through her work as a publicist for WaterBrookMultnomah. When she emailed to ask whether or not I would be willing to review her book I wasn’t sure I’d have time this being summer and all. I’m sure glad I said YES because I LOVE LOVE LOVE her debut novel, The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn, published by Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense and I really appreciate the signed copy! THANKS, Liz!

I’m very excited to introduce you to Liz Johnson via the following bloggy interview.

What was your inspiration for writing The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn?

It’s hard for me to pin down one specific inspiration for this book.
There are a lot of little ones. I think that a big part of developing
Kenzie’s story was where I was at in my own life. I had just made two
major moves in the span of six months, and I was 1100 miles from my
family. I felt like the only one I could lean on was God, so reliance on
Him became one of the key themes of Kenzie’s story. I also had a friend
from high school who made some really poor choices and ended up in
prison for five years. His sister asked me to write to him, and I did.
For five years we wrote back and forth, and his letters made me wonder
if there was anything that would cause someone to willingly go to
prison. It all just developed from there.

How much of the real you do we see in you characters?

I think there are always parts of authors in their characters. My
relationship with Jesus Christ is so important to me, so, of course, I
wanted that to be reflected in Kenzie and Myles’s lives. I think that
Kenzie and I share a lot of bad habits too! Kenzie has a tendency to put
her foot in her mouth and speak before thinking, which is something that
I end up doing way more often than I’d like. But there are a lot of ways
that I wish I was more like Kenzie—she’s fearless and compassionate and
funnier than I am. One key difference between Kenzie and I is that she
babbles when she gets nervous. I just stop talking.

Do you read a lot of fiction? If so, what are some favorite authors or
books both Christian and/or secular?

I love Christian fiction and read a ton of it! Of course, I work in the
publishing industry, so I get to read a lot of books for my day job. I
read a lot of mainstream fiction, too. Some of my favorite Christian
authors are Cindy Woodsmall, Tamara Leigh (Splitting Harriet is one of
my all time faves!), and Gilbert Morris’s The Appomattox Saga. I
definitely try not to limit my reading to only authors that I know and
love. There’s just never enough time to read all the books that I want
to. In the mainstream arena, I’ll pick up anything by Meg Cabot—I love
her YA books! Plus, I’m really trying to read more classics from authors
like L.M. Montgomery, Jane Austen, and Louisa May Alcott. My two very
favorite books of all time are The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth
George Speare and The Princess Bride by William Goldman.

What book(s) are on your nightstand?

My nightstand is about to buckle under the weight of the books on there.
But I’m currently reading The Hope of Refuge by Cindy Woodmsall
(releases August 11), Ransom My Heart by Meg Cabot, The Death and Life
of Gabriel Phillips by Stephen Baldwin, Girlfriend Material by Melissa
Kantor, and I’m eagerly awaiting books from fellow Steeple Hill authors
Betsy St. Amant (Return to Love) and Camy Tang (Deadly Intent).

What do you hope your readers will take away from your book?

I hope readers are encouraged to rely on God even when friends and
family let them down. I hope that like Kenzie and Myles do in the book,
readers will find hope in knowing that God is walking with them in hard
times and that His eyes are on those that fear Him.