Scroll down for a chance to win a copy of Christine Johnson’s book, Freedom’s Price. Winner will be announced in the next Author Spotlight feature. Congratulations to last week’s winner of Under a Summer Sky, Sonnetta Jones! Please e-mail your mailing address to my assistant Christen (christenkrumm@gmail.com).

After Englishwoman Catherine Haynes loses both of her parents and her home, she finds herself desperate for a new beginning. She decides to cross the Atlantic to find her American mother’s family in Louisiana. But she can’t do it alone.

She enlists the help of Tom Worthington, a dashing Key West man with a mission of his own. He makes his living salvaging wrecked ships, but his real drive in life is revenge. Tom’s goal is to bring justice to the man who stole his father’s ship and caused his untimely death.

When Catherine finally arrives at her family’s plantation, she finds it has been abandoned and left in disarray. She is torn between returning to Key West with Tom or restoring her family’s plantation.

Tensions rise when Catherine discovers she has been snared in a plot to steal her inheritance. When an incredible secret comes to light, she and Tom must make a choice. Can they step forward in faith and let go of the dreams that have been holding them captive—even if it costs them everything?

Christine Johnson stuns readers with a gripping plot and deeply engaging characters. Readers will be captivated by this latest installment of the Keys of Promise series.

Can you tell us about your newest release? Is it part of a series or a stand-alone?

Freedom’s Price is the third book in the Keys of Promise series. Though some characters reappear from previous books in the series, this book can be read on its own. Now, a little bit about Freedom’s Price:

Upon her father’s death, Englishwoman Catherine Haynes faces either an unbearable marriage or a life of poverty. Rather than accept that fate, she takes her paltry inheritance and sets off for America to find her late mother’s estranged family. Based on her mother’s stories, she expects to be welcomed into a rich family plantation. That proves far from reality, and soon her freedom and the safety of those she loves is put to the test.

Is anything or anyone in this book based on real-life experiences?

We all bring personal experience into our stories, even if subconsciously. Certainly my travels by boat and ship were a great help. It doesn’t hurt being married to a ship pilot/captain either! I will have to admit that Catherine is much more adventurous than I ever hope to be.

Who was your favorite character in this story, and why?

Of course I love the hero, Tom Worthington. From the moment he appeared in the first book of the series, Love’s Rescue, I knew he had to have a book of his own. He was clearly running from something, and, though he has a strong sense of fairness, he was a bit of a hothead. I had to find out why.

Compared to your other books, was this one easy to complete or challenging? Any idea why?

When plotting the storyline, I thought this book would be fun and easy to write. It proved just the opposite! The research was intense and the twists and turns challenging, but the greatest difficulty came during revisions and editing. This is usually a part of the process that I enjoy, however I had suffered such a bout of depression and anxiety at the time that it was very difficult to read or view anything suspenseful. Well, Freedom’s Price is filled with suspense and danger. I am so grateful to my editors for their assistance during this time. That, coupled with constant prayer, pulled this story through.

What was the hardest scene in this book to write? What made it difficult?

Freedom’s Price has a true villain. Due to my illness, every scene with him was difficult to write, and yet each one was necessary. There were times I felt like I was battling with the devil. I had to cling to the fact that the Lord is victorious. Journeying through the darkness into light was a challenge that I faced along with Catherine.

What did you (or your editors) edit out of this book?

I am so thankful for my editors!!! They rein in my desire to over-complicate the plot. I just love to turn the most obscure details into plot threads, creating a maze when a simpler path would do. Those extraneous threads were edited out to the betterment of the story.

What’s the most difficult thing about writing from the point of view of the opposite sex?

Everything? Seriously, I have to constantly remind myself that most men do not overthink situations the way that I do. My husband certainly does not. Once I take off on an analysis of a problem, I’ll see him rolling his eyes. As he puts it, I can analyze something to death. I have to take great care to rein in that tendency and have the male characters think and speak and act more directly.

Purchase a copy of Freedom’s Price here:
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Christine Johnson is the author of several books for Steeple Hill and Love Inspired and has been twice named a finalist for Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart® award. When not writing, she loves to hike and explore God’s majestic creation. These days, she and her husband, a Great Lakes ship pilot, split their time between northern Michigan and the Florida Keys.

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