Please help me welcome Margot Johnson with an author interview and her latest novel, Love Leads the Way

 

Please tell us a little about yourself.

Writing is in my blood. My late dad was a journalist, editor, and author, and my sister, Donna Gartshore, writes for Harlequin Love Inspired.

I live in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada where we enjoy hot summers and frigid winters. It’s known for being the home of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

My husband and I share a big blended and extended family which makes for lots of fun gatherings at our place or more recently, lively Zoom calls.

My characters love dogs, and my loyal, old golden retriever, Sophie, is the inspiration for the adorable dogs in my books.

Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book, the characters, title, process, etc, you’d like to share?

The story is fiction but draws on some of my experiences at work and at home. I’d love to have lunch with Tessa and compare notes on strong leaders, single parenting, family quirks, and cute golden retrievers. One key difference is I didn’t meet my handsome husband at work!

Tessa and Mark both support a mother with dementia which brings some tough but also light moments. My dad died of complications from Alzheimer’s, so that part of the book is close to my heart.

Are there any tricks, habits or superstitions you have when creating a story?

I like to write to a daily word goal and not look back until I finish a draft. I sip on herbal tea in a nice mug and take a break for a long walk.

Do you collect anything?

I love experiences more than stuff! One of my more unusual adventures was appearing on the TV game show Let’s Make a Deal where I almost won a car.

I was very excited to receive an invitation to the Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace last year, but it was postponed. I’m still hoping I’ll get another chance.

What was your first job?

As a student, I taught figure skating lessons to beginners. It was a way to stay involved in a sport I loved. Growing up, I spent countless hours practicing jumps and spins.

My first job after university was writing advertising copy at a radio station. It was lots of fun and great training ground for writing to a deadline.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read Love Leads the Way?

I hope readers feel satisfied they’ve had a fun experience that entertained and moved them in some way. Ideally, they got really invested in the characters and rooted for their happy ending. Maybe they even stayed up late to finish it! 

Would you rather have a bad review or no review?

All reviews are good in that they tell you somebody read your book and cared enough to pass on feedback. Not that I’m inviting bad reviews! Good reviews are the best.

What genre have you never written that you’d like to write?

I see myself expanding into fiction that definitely has a romantic element but is not strictly romance. I also like reading mysteries and memoirs, so maybe someday I’ll test my creativity with one of those genres. Apparently, I’m going to be busy.

Have you written any other books that are not published?

I have a dusty paper copy of the first novel I wrote jointly with my sister. It didn’t go anywhere but showed us we could actually finish writing an entire book. Now I have a holiday story written for release next Christmas and two other books waiting for my final edits. Stay tuned.

If you could spend time with a character from your book, whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?

In my first book Love Takes Flight, Erin runs a dog kennel business. I love dogs so I think Erin and I could have a fun day feeding, grooming, and playing with all kinds of dogs. Since I’m married, I won’t mention the handsome leader in Love Leads the Way.

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

An editor said I was a strong writer, but she didn’t connect with my story as deeply as she had hoped. It was a good news, bad news message but made me think of ways to improve it.

A reader recently posted: “Loved it.” That means a lot because happy readers are the people who matter most.

How did you come up with the title? 

I brainstormed titles with another author. I wanted a play on leadership because the hero and heroine are leaders at work and at home. I also wanted it to be somewhat similar to the title of my first book Love Takes Flight. After it was too late to change, I thought of a better title, but I’ll have to save it for another book.

Author Margot Johnson—Loves What She Does!

About Love Leads the Way

She coaches him in team leadership, but do they both need lessons in love?

Single mom Tessa Shore runs a successful leadership program at work and supports a mother with dementia. She can handle any challenge in her jam-packed schedule as long as nothing spins out of control…especially her feelings.

Engineer Mark Delaney is an expert on pipelines at the same company, but his interpersonal skills need a makeover. Advancing to an executive job requires enrollment in a leadership course he doesn’t think he needs.

When their professional and personal issues entangle, life at the office gets a lot more complicated. Romance is impossible…or is it?

Book title: Love Leads the Way

Genre: Sweet contemporary romance

About Love Leads the Way:

She coaches him in team leadership, but do they both need lessons in love?

Single mom Tessa Shore runs a successful leadership program at work and supports a mother with dementia. She can handle any challenge in her jam-packed schedule as long as nothing spins out of control…especially her feelings.

Engineer Mark Delaney is an expert on pipelines at the same company, but his interpersonal skills need a makeover. Advancing to an executive job requires enrollment in a leadership course he doesn’t think he needs.

When their professional and personal issues entangle, life at the office gets a lot more complicated. Romance is impossible…or is it?

Excerpt:

Pacing around Crescent Park in moonlight trimmed with stars, Mark breathed fresh air and slowed his erratic heartbeats from the shock of Tessa’s invitation. Apparently, the woman who directed the class with the precision of an air-traffic controller could flex…at least, a little. She wanted to spend extra time with him, and he couldn’t refuse.

“I didn’t think we’d bump into other participants at this late hour.” She hugged tighter her windbreaker against the cool breeze. “We won’t mix business and pleasure. I’m strictly off duty, and so are you.”

“Okay, Tessa, whatever you say.” Zipping higher his jacket, he strode and sniffed moisture riding the wind. Guilt tiptoed around his collar, and he couldn’t escape the feeling this outing was a bad idea. He should avoid her, except in class, yet he accepted her invitation. But why did she break her own rule and contact him?

“If I can’t discuss work, can I ask you a personal question?” He admired her profile with pert nose tipped to the sky, breathing the fresh night air.

“I guess so since I’m the woman who persuades everyone else to dish.” She laughed and brushed a curl from her cheek.

Streetlights alternated with a full moon to light the pathway. Their footsteps crunched on gravel, and their murmured voices broke the peaceful silence.

            “Ready.” She tucked her hands in her jacket pockets.

“Is Mr. Shore waiting at home?” He winced at his forward question. No sense beating around the bush. He shouldn’t pine for someone else’s wife.

Buy it here:

LOVE LEADS THE WAY

LOVE TAKES FLIGHT

About Margot Johnson:

I grew up in a family of writers and have always loved books and writing.

I’m the author of LOVE TAKES FLIGHT and my new release LOVE LEADS THE WAY. Before turning my focus to the fun writing life, I held leadership roles in human resources and communications. My motto is “Dream big and work hard.”

When not writing, I love to connect with family and friends, volunteer with SK Writers Guild, and walk at least 10,000 steps a day (except when it’s minus 40!) I live in the Canadian prairies with my amazing husband and adorable golden retriever.

Social media links: 

Margot Johnson Author

https://twitter.com/AuthorMargot