Julie S. Johnson
Welcome.
Thanks for making the trip to my website.
I write faith-filled suspense stories of women around the world
facing and overcoming complex issues.
As a lifelong traveler, I've discovered adventures
- and sometimes danger - wait around the next bend.
This mindset is reflected in my novels.
Come with me as we follow fellow travelers,
our Sisters without Borders from around the globe,
facing modern-day challenges with courage, resolve, and faith.
I hope you find their stories relevant and riveting.
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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. Available at Amazon.com.
Ling's Story
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.
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.
Available at Amazon.com.
Leigh's Story
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 and is set to release in 2026. To be notified when this book is published as well as to receive my free quarterly newsletters and free bonus chapter, subscribe below. You may unsubscribe at any time.
About Me
I grew up in the 1950s in a little hamlet known as Lower Logan where the most exciting news centered around whose goats escaped their pen. When only fifteen, however, I traveled to Sicily as a foreign-exchange student to live with a kind and protective family of six brothers and one sister. During that summer I began to mature, 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 and customs. 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 with hundreds of women in churches and crisis settings and have grown in my admiration for womankind in general. Our world has changed dramatically yet our common values remain basically the same. And that is why I have titled my book series SISTERS WITHOUT BORDERS.... No matter where we live, we are sisters in the struggles and adventures of life. Now widowed and living in Central Oregon, I enjoy my family and friends who are scattered all across the globe. I am an active member of Prineville Bible Church as well as American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Cascade Christian Writers (CCW).
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Contact
Contact me with comments or 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.