SUMMER IN THE SPOTLIGHT - Liz Johnson - One FREE Book
BIO: LizJohnson isthe New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozennovels, including Beyond the Tides and The Last WayHome, as well as the Georgia Coast Romance and Prince Edward Island Dreamsseries. She works in marketing, makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona, and daydreamsof returning to PEI. With more than adozen novels written, Liz Johnson has learned how to capture audiences with hercharming romances in captivating settings. In Summer in the Spotlight, the third installment in the PrinceEdward Island Shores series, Johnson invites readers to join her for a seasonof rebuilding, restoration, and romance.
About the story: Kelsey Ahern’s childhood was filled with performances at the VictoriaPlayhouse. She continued her stage presence as an adult until a hurricane destroyedthe building. Now, not only is she an actress without a stage, but her job asthe high school drama teacher is in jeopardy. However, there is someone who maybe able to help. Levi Ross, the facilities director at the school, has areputation for being able to fix anything—and there is more to him than meetsthe eye.
Levi has admired Kelsey for years, but he can’tseem to find the courage to tell her. When a popular weatherman arrives in townand takes an interest in Kelsey, Levi realizes he needs to speak up—or lose hischance.
As Kelsey and Levi work on putting together abenefit show to raise money to rebuild the theater, they may just find thatthey have more in common than they thought and that romance can bloom inunexpected ways.
Join New York Times bestselling authorLiz Johnson as she closes out her Prince Edward Island Shores series with anothersatisfying romance.
Welcome to my blog. Can you please provide a brief summary of yournovel, Summer in the Spotlight? When a hurricane strikesPrince Edward Island, Kelsey Ahern’s beloved community theater is nearlydestroyed—putting her job as the high school drama teacher on the line too. Sheasks her shy coworker Levi Ross to help her put on a benefit show to raisemoney to rebuild the theater. But interest in the show from the island’s mostpopular weatherman brings about unexpected changes, leaving the fate of thetheater up in the air—and plenty of hearts at risk too.
Sinceshe was seven, Kelsey has been performing on the stage, an art form she lovedsharing with her late grandmother. With her parents mostly absent during herchildhood, Kelsey relied on Grandma Coletta for nearly everything. Althoughshe left the island shortly after high school, Kelsey eventually returned totake the job as the high school drama teacher, and now she’s tryingto honor her grandma’s legacy by training up the next generation of youngactors.
What is special aboutLevi Ross, one of the main characters in Summer in the Spotlight? Leviis a great guy. He’s thoughtful and compassionate, smart and funny. He’s alsoterribly shy and rarely speaks. Since his father abandoned their family when hewas fifteen, Levi has preferred to spend his time with a book rather than withanyone else. But he also reads people well and quickly takes a student underhis wing, teaching him how to use tools and rebuild old hay wagons. Hissuperpower is remembering just about everything he reads—including the scriptof the play they’re putting on.
How are Kelsey and Leviconnected? Kelsey and Levi were in the same grade growingup, and he’s always admired her from afar—too shy to tell her how he feels. Butwhen he rescues her from serious injury during the hurricane, theiracquaintance blossoms into a true friendship. As they work on the benefit showtogether, Levi realizes he’ll have to learn to speak up if he doesn’t want tomiss the chance to win her heart.
Summer in the Spotlight
highlights the theme of rebuilding. How does this theme impact thecharacters’ lives? As Levi and Kelsey work together, hebegins to see himself through her eyes, to see that he’s capable of anything hesets his mind to. Slowly, he begins to find the confidence that he’d lost as achild, rebuilding it with her encouragement.After her grandmother’sdeath, Kelsey built a wall around her heart, finding it easier to keep peopleout than risk losing someone else she loved. While she’s always believed Levican do anything, she doesn’t expect that he can tear down that wall. But withevery interaction, he becomes more and more important to her. When the showbegins to fall apart, she panics and tries to rebuild the safety wall that willkeep her from a broken heart.
What other themes or lessons are found in Summer in the Spotlight?One of my favorite themes in the book is thatwe do hard things for the people we love. Society often suggests that loveshould be easy or without cost, but true love requires true sacrifice. I lovedwatching these characters come to terms with what that sacrifice truly means intheir relationship.
This is the second seriesthat you have set on Prince Edward Island. Why did you choose this location forboth the Prince Edward Island Dreams series and the Prince Edward Island Shoresseries? I could keep writing stories set on PEI forever. Ilove it so much. The island is tiny—about 125,000 residents—and it’s cold andsnowy during the winter. But I’m constantly learning new and interesting thingsabout it that make me fall in love a little more. The first time I visited, Ithought I could see the whole island in five days. I barely scratched thesurface. And every time I try something new (lobster fishing) or discover ahidden gem (the island’s theater community), I’m inspired to write.
PEI is called the GentleIsland, and it’s earned that name. It’s one of the quietest, most peacefulplaces I’ve ever been. On my first visit, I realized that it was a place tofind healing. And what is a romance novel but two broken people searching for away to be put back together? Where better than PEI?
What was the connectingelement for all of the books in the Prince Edward Island Shores series? Thisseries is about the Ross family—three brothers whose dad left them more than adecade ago. Each brother chose to deal with that loss in his own way—lashingout in anger, running away, and turning inward. Now, years later, they’refacing the consequences of those decisions. As they meet women who challengeand inspire them, they discover that God has plans for them beyond theirfather’s legacy.
What do you love mostabout writing romance novels? The kissing scenes. If Iget stuck, my solution is usually to throw in a kiss. Okay, honestly? I lovethat romance novels are filled with hope for the could be. And I wanteach of my stories to be a reflection of the greatest love of all—the love ofGod.
Do you incorporate anyparts of your own life into your writing? Of course. Thereare parts of me in every book I write. Not exact representations—everycharacter is their own and not based on anyone I know. But I enjoy addingelements of my family history, stories from my childhood, and my loves to mystories. I also love to have my characters struggle with and find answers tospiritual lessons that I’m learning in life too.
Summer in the Spotlightfeatures a hero who loves to read, much like I do. He just has a better memorythan I do. Maybe the biggest piece of me in the book is my love of PrinceEdward Island. I have found PEI to be the most peaceful, gentle place, and Ilove that my characters have found serenity and healing there too.
How can readers connect with you? I love connecting with readers via my newsletter at www.lizjohnsonbooks.com and on Instagram and Facebook @lizjohnsonbooks.
Thank you, Liz, for sharing this new bookwith my blog readers. Through reading your PEI books, I have a strong desire tovisit there.
Readers, here’s alink to the book.
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