What is the title of your latest release?
DEADLY CURRENTS
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Journalist Cressida Dane uncovers deadly secrets tied to a ghost ship, and Detective Braden Sanders must protect her as they race to survive the dangerous currents of Hidden Bay’s past.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I’ve always been drawn to the rugged beauty and mystery of the Pacific Northwest coastline, and knew I wanted to set a series there. I live about an hour from where I imagined the series and story is set. Hidden Bay is a fictional region on the Washington coast inspired by small coastal communities where travelers come to watch the storms gathering and the waves crashing. I think it makes a great suspenseful setting.
Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?
Absolutely! Cressida’s curiosity and determination would make for a fun day out. We’d probably spend hours in a cozy seaside café discussing mysteries, history, and the hidden stories behind old shipwrecks, which I would absolutely love it. Who knows—she might give me a few more story ideas.
What are three words that describe your hero?
Loyal. Steadfast. Protective.
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I dove into the world of maritime salvage operations and ghost ship legends – discovering just how many real-life mysteries the ocean still holds, including hidden dangers on the ocean floor. The research reminded me that truth often hides beneath the surface, waiting for someone brave enough to uncover it. I already have more story ideas brewing!
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I write a messy first draft and then spend the rest of the time fleshing out and building up the story until I reach word count, usually going over the contracted word count so I have to cut back on subsequent edits. Then I go back through many times to continue polishing and editing. I probably go through a manuscript up to ten times before I turn it in, and then afterwards, many more times via several edits from my publisher.
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Anything chocolate – especially dark chocolate paired with a good cup of coffee, but then again, I’m in love with cinnamon rolls so maybe it’s a toss-up.
Describe your writing space/office!
I converted my dining room to my office because it’s conveniently by the kitchen where I need to frequently check on soups or whatever I’m cooking for lunch or dinner. My office has big windows that look out over western red cedars that line our property next to Capitol State Forest near Olympia, Washington. My bookshelves are overflowing, and the walls have books stacked against them. I need to get more shelves and organize so my office doesn’t look like it belongs to a mad scientist. Oh, and I can’t forget that my poodle Sherlock curls on the floor next to my feet when I write.
Who is an author you admire?
There are so many I could name and it’s hard to choose just one. I’ll go with Susan Sleeman because she is ridiculously prolific. She’s written so many books while in the face of hardship that I believe would shut most other writers down, including myself.
Is there a book that changed your life?
Redeeming Love, published in 1991, remains a top seller because it has changed many lives. It’s the retelling of the Biblical story of Hosea set in the 1850s during the California gold rush. It opened my eyes to just how much God loves us and showed me just how fiction can change hearts.
Tell us about when you got “the call.”
When I received “the call” for my first novel, which was actually an email, I ran downstairs to tell someone but no one was there so I ran back upstairs and then I was kind of up and down the stairs looking for a family member to which I could shout the news. Ha! This email was from JoAnn Simmons with Heartsong Presents. My first story, Seasons of Love, was set on a cranberry farm. These days I still receive emails from my editor at Revell, letting me know if my proposal was accepted at the pub board, and it’s always an exciting day!
What’s your favorite genre to read?
Romantic suspense, of course! I love stories with danger, emotion, and hope all wrapped into one gripping package.
What’s your favorite movie?
Mission Impossible 8: The Final Reckoning is my current favorite movie. The plot was so intense, and I think I held my breath through the entire underwater scene. Every scene was packed with tension and that inspired me in my writing.
What is your favorite season?
Fall – the air turns crisp, the leaves change, and it’s the perfect time to curl up with a blanket and a good suspense novel, make a pot of chili and, oh yeah – bake cinnamon rolls or an apple crisp in the morning. (We have so many apples to process from the neighbors’ trees that I can’t keep up!)
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I love to go out to eat with my family (Any time I don’t have to cook is awesome!), and we can all focus on each other, laugh and have a great time. Sometimes, we celebrate over an entire weekend – well, it’s an excuse to eat out multiple times. Ha! I also might get something I really want like a nice purse or a new chair for my office.
What’s a recent TV show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I recently watched The Woman in Cabin 10 with Kiera Knightley. It’s a great psychological thriller set on a luxury cruise ship based on the novel by Ruth Ware.
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I love Mexican food or “Tex-Mex” like nachos and tacos, and at least once a week, we have pizza, so I have another toss-up, this time between Mexican and Italian food.
What do you do when you have free time?
I love spending time outdoors – walking, exploring, or photographing nature. I also enjoy quiet evenings reading or brainstorming new story ideas.
What can readers expect from you next?
I’ve just turned in the first book in my Mercy Ridge series – WHEN THE SILENCE BREAKS. It’s a romantic suspense set in the Cascade Mountains, weaving together buried wartime secrets, survival, and second chances at love – and releases August 2026.
DEADLY CURRENTS by Elizabeth Goddard
Action-Filled Christian Romantic Suspense with Mystery and Adventure
USA Today Bestselling Author Elizabeth Goddard Presents a Gripping Thrill Ride
Investigative journalist Cressida Dane arrives in Hidden Bay after a worldwide journey to finish her late father’s manuscript on shipwrecks. As she tries to discover the story behind the “ghost ship” Specter’s Bounty, her only lead is a name her father left behind—Evelyn Monroe. As Cressida uncovers more about the ship, she quickly realizes that her research has placed her in the crosshairs of dangerous forces.
County detective Braden Sanders is in Hidden Bay for one reason—to get his niece lifesaving medical treatment. To do that, he is assigned to protect Cressida from a revenge-driven enemy. Together, Braden and Cressida dig deeper to discern the myth from the facts surrounding the Specter’s Bounty.
But more is brewing under the surface than they could ever imagine. Entangled in secrets, they must unravel the past before the current sweeps away their future.
Romance Suspense | Christian Mystery [ Revell, On Sale: February 17, 2026, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780800746162 / eISBN: 9781493452729 ]
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About Elizabeth Goddard
Elizabeth Goddard is the USA Today bestselling and Christy Award-winning author of more than sixty novels, including the Missing in Alaska, Rocky Mountain Courage, and Uncommon Justice series. Her books have sold more than 1.5 million copies. She is a Carol Award winner, a two-time Reader’s Choice Award winner, and a Daphne du Maurier Award and HOLT Medallion finalist. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, traveling to find inspiration for her next book, and serving with her husband in ministry.
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