Julie S. Johnson
Welcome, and thanks for making the trip to my website!
As a lifelong traveler, I've discovered adventures
- and sometimes danger - await around the next bend.
This mindset is reflected in my novels.
I write suspense-filled stories
about women around the world facing complex issues
and finding encouragement and support in each other
and, ultimately, in God.
Come with me as we follow fellow travelers
facing modern-day challenges with courage, resolve, and faith.
I hope you find their stories relevant and riveting.
To receive my free monthly newsletter and a free bonus chapter,
subscribe below. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Trapped in the Tentacles: Mei's Story
A journalist in search of truth. A mother on the run.
A nation bound by fear.
Leigh Parker, an ambitious young reporter tired of fluff pieces, finally gets her chance at hard-hitting news when she stumbles upon a human rights scandal that shakes her to the core. Traveling to China under the guise of a volunteer, she uncovers a shocking reality--babies forcibly aborted and their mothers sterilized for not obtaining a birth permit as required by the Chinese Communist party.
When Leigh befriends Chan Mei, a courageous young mother hiding a forbidden pregnancy, she's thrust into a race against time. With the ruthless Chinese Communist Party closing in, Leigh makes a desperate choice--risk her career, her safety, and the only man who has ever challenged her worldview to expose a truth the world refuses to see.
But justice comes at a cost. As Leigh's story goes viral, will it be enough to save women and their unborn children? Or will they all become casualties of a system that silences dissent at any cost?
Perfect for fans of The Nightingale and The Kite Runner, Trapped in the Tentacles is a gripping tale of courage, faith, and the power of one voice to spark a revolution.
Trapped in the Tentacles: Mei's Story is the first book in the Sisters without Borders Series.
To be notified when this book is published as well as to receive my free monthly newsletter and free bonus chapter, subscribe below. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Slaying the Serpent:
Ling's Story
Ling's Story
A desperate escape. A dangerous pursuit.
A fight for freedom.
Wu Ling boarded a freightliner in Hong Kong bound for San Francisco believing she was on the path to a lucrative career as a fashion model. But the promises were lies. Now, trapped in a life of servitude and unspeakable abuse, she knows she must escape at all costs.
Meanwhile, Portland-based investigative reporter Leigh Parker is hunting for a story that will make a difference. When she learns her Chinese friend Wu Ling has been trafficked to San Francisco, Leigh dives into the dark underworld of human trafficking along the I-5 Corridor.
As Ling fights for survival, a ruthless pimp claims her as his own. Can Leigh find and free Ling before it is too late? Will Ling muster the courage to trust again--and reclaim the life stolen from her?
Inspired by real-life events, Slaying the Serpent is a gripping, heart-wrenching thriller that shines a light on the worldwide issue of modern-day slavery and the relentless fight to bring justice to the exploited. Perfect for fans of investigative thrillers, courageous heroines, and the ongoing struggle against systemic evil.
Slaying the Serpent: Ling's Story is the second book in the Sisters without Borders Series.
To be notified when this book is published as well as to receive my free monthly newsletter and free bonus chapter, subscribe below. You may unsubscribe at any time.
A fight for freedom.
Wu Ling boarded a freightliner in Hong Kong bound for San Francisco believing she was on the path to a lucrative career as a fashion model. But the promises were lies. Now, trapped in a life of servitude and unspeakable abuse, she knows she must escape at all costs.
Meanwhile, Portland-based investigative reporter Leigh Parker is hunting for a story that will make a difference. When she learns her Chinese friend Wu Ling has been trafficked to San Francisco, Leigh dives into the dark underworld of human trafficking along the I-5 Corridor.
As Ling fights for survival, a ruthless pimp claims her as his own. Can Leigh find and free Ling before it is too late? Will Ling muster the courage to trust again--and reclaim the life stolen from her?
Inspired by real-life events, Slaying the Serpent is a gripping, heart-wrenching thriller that shines a light on the worldwide issue of modern-day slavery and the relentless fight to bring justice to the exploited. Perfect for fans of investigative thrillers, courageous heroines, and the ongoing struggle against systemic evil.
Slaying the Serpent: Ling's Story is the second book in the Sisters without Borders Series.
To be notified when this book is published as well as to receive my free monthly newsletter and free bonus chapter, subscribe below. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Defying the Dragon: Margaret's Story
She thought she was safe. She was wrong.
Margaret Wei's life in China was simple--until the Chinese Communist Party marked her and her husband Wong as enemies of the state. Their crime? Practicing Falun Gong, a peaceful spiritual discipline built on truth, compassion, and tolerance. When Wong is arrested for the second time and vanishes without a trace, Margaret knows she is next. She flees to Canada, but safety is an illusion. She is being watched. And she is not alone.
In Portland, investigative journalist Leigh Parker- Harrison is six months pregnant and ready to step away from the horror she exposes for a living. But when a desperate friend begs for help, Leigh finds herself drawn into a world darker than she ever imagined. With the help of former trafficking survivor Ling, Leigh follows a trail of deception that leads to a shocking truth--one the Chinese government is willing to kill to keep hidden.
From Chinese Detention Centers to a mysterious clinic in Vancouver BC, Defying the Dragon uncovers a chilling conspiracy of illegal organ harvesting and international corruption. As Margaret fights for her husband's life and Leigh fights to expose corruption, they discover some truths are worth dying for.
A gripping, eye-opening thriller based on real-world events. Defying the Dragon: Margaret's Story is a must-read for fans of investigative thrillers, international intrigue, and true-life courage.
Defying the Dragon is the third book in the Sisters without Borders Series.
Margaret Wei's life in China was simple--until the Chinese Communist Party marked her and her husband Wong as enemies of the state. Their crime? Practicing Falun Gong, a peaceful spiritual discipline built on truth, compassion, and tolerance. When Wong is arrested for the second time and vanishes without a trace, Margaret knows she is next. She flees to Canada, but safety is an illusion. She is being watched. And she is not alone.
In Portland, investigative journalist Leigh Parker- Harrison is six months pregnant and ready to step away from the horror she exposes for a living. But when a desperate friend begs for help, Leigh finds herself drawn into a world darker than she ever imagined. With the help of former trafficking survivor Ling, Leigh follows a trail of deception that leads to a shocking truth--one the Chinese government is willing to kill to keep hidden.
From Chinese Detention Centers to a mysterious clinic in Vancouver BC, Defying the Dragon uncovers a chilling conspiracy of illegal organ harvesting and international corruption. As Margaret fights for her husband's life and Leigh fights to expose corruption, they discover some truths are worth dying for.
A gripping, eye-opening thriller based on real-world events. Defying the Dragon: Margaret's Story is a must-read for fans of investigative thrillers, international intrigue, and true-life courage.
Defying the Dragon is the third book in the Sisters without Borders Series.
Facing Her Fears:
Leigh's Story
Leigh's Story
A missing Sister. A buried memory.
A past that won't stay hidden.
Investigative journalist Leigh Parker-Harrison has built her career exposing the darkest corners of the world. But when a childhood memory resurfaces, she realizes the biggest mystery of her life has been hiding in plain sight--her sister Maddie's disappearance.
For over two decades, Leigh blocked Maddie from her memory. The truth was too painful, too terrifying to remember. But now, armed with new evidence and the determination that made her a two-time Silver Pen award winner, Leigh embarks on the most personal investigation of her career. With her father by her side and her mother resisting at every turn, Leigh digs into a case the police long-abandoned--one that someone might still kill to keep buried.
As Leigh unearths dark family secrets, long-forgotten betrayals, and a suspect who may still be lurking in the shadows, she must confront not only the dangers ahead but also the pain of a past she can no longer ignore.
With suspense, heart, and a powerful message of faith and forgiveness, Facing Her Fears is a gripping family drama wrapped in a twist-filled cold-case mystery.
Facing her Fears: Leigh's Story is the fourth book in the Sisters without Borders Series.
To be notified when this book is published as well as to receive my free monthly newsletter and free bonus chapter, subscribe below. You may unsubscribe at any time.
A past that won't stay hidden.
Investigative journalist Leigh Parker-Harrison has built her career exposing the darkest corners of the world. But when a childhood memory resurfaces, she realizes the biggest mystery of her life has been hiding in plain sight--her sister Maddie's disappearance.
For over two decades, Leigh blocked Maddie from her memory. The truth was too painful, too terrifying to remember. But now, armed with new evidence and the determination that made her a two-time Silver Pen award winner, Leigh embarks on the most personal investigation of her career. With her father by her side and her mother resisting at every turn, Leigh digs into a case the police long-abandoned--one that someone might still kill to keep buried.
As Leigh unearths dark family secrets, long-forgotten betrayals, and a suspect who may still be lurking in the shadows, she must confront not only the dangers ahead but also the pain of a past she can no longer ignore.
With suspense, heart, and a powerful message of faith and forgiveness, Facing Her Fears is a gripping family drama wrapped in a twist-filled cold-case mystery.
Facing her Fears: Leigh's Story is the fourth book in the Sisters without Borders Series.
To be notified when this book is published as well as to receive my free monthly newsletter and free bonus chapter, subscribe below. You may unsubscribe at any time.
About Me and My Other Writings
About Me
A country girl, I grew up in the 1950s, a time that has been called idyllic by some and grossly intolerant by others. As for me, I was called naïve by friends and family. When only fifteen, however, I traveled to Italy as a foreign-exchange student where I lived with a kind and protective Sicilian family of six brothers and one sister. It was during that summer I began to grow up, to appreciate our cultural differences, and to see that - despite those differences - we shared many common values. Travel has that effect on people. Whether we go from one country to another or from one stage of life to the next, the trip increases our knowledge and, hopefully, our understanding of other ways of life. I write to address our common values. Don't we all want to be loved and accepted? Don't we all seek meaning and purpose? Don't we all need hope? Over the years I’ve had the privilege of working and praying with hundreds of women in churches and in crisis settings. Through these ministries, I have grown in my admiration for womankind in general. Our world has changed dramatically, and we’ve been expected to change right along with it. In many ways, we’ve been successful—in some ways, we have a lot of work to do. Often, the best work is simply to hold fast to the unchanging values presented in Scripture. I live in Central Oregon and am an active member of ACFW and Cascade Christian Writers (formerly Oregon Christian Writers).
Need advice? ASK Dear Julie.
Dear Julie is a biblically-based advice column. For decades I was privileged to be in a position of leadership in women's ministry in churches as well as in Christian non-profit ministries and speakers bureaus. There, I earned the trust of thousands of women facing crises in their personal lives as well as on the front lines of ministry work. In addition, I hosted the Dear Julie column on Facebook where 14,000+ followers consulted me for advice. We all face challenging issues that confound us. There is no shame in seeking advice. Please be brave. By sending in your questions, you may be helping other readers. Be assured Dear Julie will search the scriptures and pray over your question before answering. Your name will be deleted to protect your confidentiality. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Send your questions to Dear Julie on the Contact Page.
Devotionals, Poetry, and Books
BIG NEWS: My series of four standalone books is about to be published. Thanks for your patience. More info to come! In the meantime, those of you who love the PSALMS will enjoy reading "A String of Selah Pearls," a series of devotionals dealing with the Selah passages. Perhaps POETRY is your jam. I have journals filled with my own poetry, hymns, and meditations to share with you as well. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To be informed as books are published as well as to receive a free sample chapter and my monthly newsletter, please subscribe in the box on the Home page.
Dear Julie (Biblically-Based Advice)
A String of Selah Pearls
1 min read
SELAH PEARL - GOD ANSWERS US
Read More
1 min read
SELAH PEARL: GOD WILL DELIVER US.
Read More
1 min read
Introduction to the String of Selah Pearls Devotionals
Read MoreContact
Contact me with your Dear Julie questions or just to say hello! One day, hopefully soon, I'll be able to speak to your book club about my books, the writing process, or a variety of other topics which I will detail on another page.