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Interview with Kenneth Johnson Author of Unbroken Circles for Schools

1/21/2015

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Bio: Ken Johnson is better known as "America's Culturalist." He is a Social Scientist (a.k.a. Culturalist) as well as a Collaborative Justice professional with numerous op-ed columns and articles to his credit. He has special training as a Restorative Justice facilitator through the University of West Florida's College of Professional Studies. He also holds special certifications through the Florida Supreme Court as a Certified County Court Mediator as well as the US Department of Agriculture as an agricultural services mediator. Starting college at the age of 16, he has a BA in Social Sciences from the University of West Florida as well as an MBA from Saint Leo University. Presently, he is reviewing options to possibly apply to a doctorate program. Community and culture are important to him. In addition to being heavily involved in his tribe, as the Principal Chief to the Florida Tribe of Cherokee Indians, he has served on numerous non-profit and governmental panels and boards. For his good works, Ken Johnson was commissioned as a Colonel of Kentucky. Collaborative Justice is a passion for him. By using his knowledge of culture and conflict, he works daily to better the lives of our nation's children while also consulting with churches, businesses, schools, and civic groups to understand and overcome conflict-based obstacles.

1 Tell me a little about Unbroken Circles, what makes it a good guide for building a better behavioral program for kids?

First, I just want to thank you Amanda for having me here. Venues, such as this one gives authors a rare opportunity to connect with potential readers in a meaningful way.

One of the first things the reader will notice is that it’s full color and loaded with charts, diagrams, and other resources. My publisher, Southern Yellow Pine Publishing, knew that this book needed these premium extras not typically found in most books on this subject.

A lot of detail has been added to the book to give contrast and meaning. I start with simple concepts and then build up to more complex ones. For instance, Chapter 1.2 gives a history of conflict that one would only find at a course offered at only a few universities. Role playing scenarios reinforce this knowledge and offers a safe way to apply the skills taught in a safe and controlled setting.  Meanwhile, the second half of the book offers tremendous insights and guidance as to best run and manage a system once it has been adopted by a school or district.

The key to it all is that the program I showcase is free to use and it is malleable to the needs and demands of the user base. It uses prove,, research-based tactics to improve grades, improve civic behavior, and increase a sense of community-mindedness while lowering absenteeism/tardiness and reducing violence. Best yet, it keeps the children in the schools with overlapping circles of care.

We find that each time a child endures an out of school suspension/expulsion their chances of dropping out goes up by 50%. Every school day, some 7,000 students drop out costing us taxpayers over $209,000 per student in social services payouts. Each year we incarcerate over 2 million youths for trivial offenses – most charged for misdemeanor and felony offenses that no adult would ever be arrested for. And, the problem is that no one benefits. The child is not made better. The community is not made safer or stronger. Ultimately, every facet of our society is torn down by this catabolic conflict. Unbroken Circles for Schools works to fix these issues – not just in our children but also in our communities.


2 Where do you draw your knowledge on behavioral and corrective programs from? Have your years working in the system changed since you first started with them?

It was only by fortune that I happened to get into this field that I am now in. The Supreme Court of Florida was kind enough to train me in mediation. I now hold certification from them as a Certified County Court Mediator and I am also certified and registered with the USDA as a mediator provider as well. During my training to become a mediator, an instructor told me about Restorative Justice. The local university had a professor there who was into that and so I enrolled in a Social Sciences undergraduate program to learn more about this new paradigm of transforming conflict. Part of the advanced Restorative Justice training that I received involved being at a maximum security prison in Alabama that had successfully implemented an RJ-based honor dorm. These experiences became the basis for what would later become Unbroken Circles for Schools.

In my nearly 17 years’ worth of experience working in the Criminal Justice system, we are using the School Resource Officers as the primary source for dealing with issues of conflict and student disobedience. Rather than a 100 sentences we not give a child 100 days behind bars. Pre-K children in New York are being suspended and expelled just because they have bathroom accidents while children in Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, and other states are being arrested and charged on felony firearms violations for using a french-fry as a toy gun. The madness of it all is stranger than any fiction presently in print.


3 What changes do you feel need to be made in corrective programs or conflict dynamics?

It all begins and ends with what I call a “community of care.” The old paradigm of “community” used to be based off of a similar race/ethnicity, shared history, shared beliefs, similar levels of income, etc. But, today, we are nomadic with many Americans not staying longer than five years at a given location. So, the community of care gives to today’s students what we used to enjoy as children. This ultimately makes them more accountable and more attuned to social protocols.

The programs that I discuss also forces the schools to look at contributing issues. For instance, is there abuse/neglect at play? Does the offender have the means to make amends in his/her current state? Are there resources outside of the schools, and in the community, that can be used as a catalyst for positive change? By addressing these issues, in addition to the initial offense, future harms might be stemmed.

Best yet, what I discuss in my book deals at length with atonement for one’s actions, forgiveness, and reassimilation once a harm has been rectified.  We use too much stigmatic shaming in our society – telling children that they are bad people who will never amount to anything. I show a way to use non-stigmatic shaming that teaches the child that they have tremendous value and it is their wrongful actions that need correction. I contend that you can be tough and still loving. Unbroken Circles for Schools shows how to do this safely and effectively.


4 What inspired Unbroken Circles? Would you say that writing the book gave you any new perspectives on your existing ideas?

I grew up a child of the 90’s. More students were arrested in the 1990s than all previous years of US history combined. As I got older, society became more and more oppressive towards our youth. It was only by providence that I didn’t end up like many of my fellow classmates. Instead of dropping out of school, which was my plan, I ended up going to college at age 16. Then I was later made and ambassador to the college where countless applicants were barred from enrollment because of their convictions as a juvenile. Afterwards, I took up the substitute teaching  job and saw things were only getting worse. Then in the court system, having to see former students being led away in shackles and chains. It all got to me!

The Supreme Court of Florida’s Dispute Resolution Center and the Restorative Justice program at the University of West Florida gave me focus and insight.  They challenged me in ways that I had never dreamt while also offering common sense alternatives to the strife I was seeing daily.

The writing of the book only affirmed feelings in me. The more I wrote about my program, the more I knew that I needed to write about it. Right now, the need for it has never been greater!


5. Who do you hope to reach with Unbroken Circles and its new methods? Is this a program that schools can readily invest in without a large cost?

First and foremost, I want to reach the communities with this book. Unbroken Circles for Schools really was written with a mindset that any meaningful change will have to come from a community that is fed up with what has been happening and wants true change for the better.

An average plan, like what I propose, would typically cost a school system millions of dollars. These costs would have to be paid out to a specific company owning the program, their trainers, etc. However, what I showcase in Unbroken Circles for Schools is free. Aside from any minor royalty payment from the book being sold, I don’t benefit in any other way. From firsthand experience, I knew that schools are always strapped for cash and so this was my gift to America’s future by taking away the millions of dollars that would typically bar a school system from changing over to a less retributive system of handling wrongful behavior. What little startup costs there are to the program involve in-house training – which is often the cheapest and most effective training possible.

In the end, improved grades and civic behaviors in students lowers the operating costs of schools. This puts money back into programs meant to enhance education rather than being siphoned away to handle issues of conflict. So, all in all, the program more than pays for any outlay of cash put into it with immediate returns on investment often seen within the first year.


6. Do you think this program can help at risk kids who may already be facing major criminal charges?

At risk children especially can benefit from Unbroken Circles for Schools. Think about it – they are about to be thrown away by society. If your life, as you know it, was about to be permanently changed for the worse – wouldn’t you be exceptionally attuned to the caring, understanding, and reassimilation that this program espouses? Once you show that you care, once you show that they have to be accountable, and once you show that they can be extended mercy – children pick up on this and become meaningfully transformed.

7.Will there be other books on this and other programs from you in the future?

By nature, I am a writer on culture and conflict. For me, the two are inseparable. So, my readers should expect to see future works talking about these two topics in a myriad of ways. Many people may not realize it but I also have an MBA degree under my belt. Lately, a lot of need for a similar program has arisen in the business world. My colleagues have especially latched onto my ideas of anabolic (good) conflict acting as a catalyst for growth and using organizational architecture as a way to create a community of care.



https://www.facebook.com/AmericasCulturalist
https://twitter.com/KenJohnsonUSA
https://www.goodreads.com/Author_Ken_Johnson 
https://www.linkedin.com/profile/public-profile-settings?trk=prof-edit-edit-public_profile
http://www.crokes.com/kenjohnson/
http://kenjohnson.americasculturalist.tripod.com/

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Author Interview with Christopher St. John Sampayo

1/16/2015

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Bio: 
Author Christopher St. John Sampayo grew up in Louisiana in the Toledo Bend area. He now resides in San Antonio, Texas. Christopher started writing and directing plays in San Antonio and eventually started his own theatre company. After spending several years writing and directing short films he had his first novel Haunting of Rosehaven published through J. Ellington Ashton Press in 2013. He currently has two additional novels available. They are titled Ghosts of Glass and Fields of Frozen Stars. His fourth novel will be available in 2015. 



Read more about Sampayo and his books at his website: http://christopherstjohnsampayo.weebly.com/





Your books contain elements of supernatural horror, science fiction, and urban fantasy, you have a very nice literary storyteller’s tone. Do you know where some of this voice comes from?

I was a kid who got dazzled by movies. I like that idea of being carried off to magic places. Horror, Science Fiction, and Urban Fantasy all have elements of this. I also love words. I’ve always been fascinated by theatre and narration. I try to find those kind of tones in my writing. I think there’s something interesting in the idea of being carried away by words.

Do you any major influences? What elements from these influences do you draw from?

Probably the two biggest influences for me as a writer are Clive Barker and Neil Gaiman. Their work has a very modern day fairy tale like quality to it and I love that. I like the idea of telling stories about everyday life with something just out of the ordinary.

Your first book, Haunting of Rosehaven, is based on your hometown in Lousiana, what elements made it into the book? Do you have a favorite part in the book?

The area I grew up is near Toledo Bend in Louisiana. That plays a very important role in my story. In Rosehaven I started to find my voice as a writer. There are sections where I talk about the beauty of the moment and I think that’s something I focus on a lot in my work.

You’ve said in past interviews that you really have to feel invested and influenced by an idea to write it, does this ever leave you feeling adrift in between books?

I’ve been very lucky that the ideas just kind of keep coming lately. I think a lot of that has to do with my publisher J. Ellington Ashton Press and their tremendous support. Knowing that you have a publisher willing to invest in you really allows you to keep running with your ideas. There’s now a good reason to get creative and keep pushing the ideas where they may go.

You have a strong background in theater and plays. Do you think that this helped you to be more relaxed and open to critique as a writer? If so, what elements helped you to develop?

Life is a learning process. I think with writing it will be a continuous process of hopefully progress. I want to get better and better. I also want my work to get more ambitious in the sense of creative ideas. I want to try to always think outside the box with my work. So with that as my goal having constant critiques help you to get better. That’s how I look at it.

Ghosts of Glass is a bit more fantasy than your other two books. What inspired it and was it a difficult book to write?

With Ghosts of Glass I was just like…screw it. What have I got to lose? I’m gonna throw everything I’m interested in all into one book and see what comes out. I just wrote things I wanted to talk about. In hindsight…I’m actually surprised it worked out. It was basically one big story blender. Luckily the readers have enjoyed the concoction.

You have a unique link with your fans and interact with them regularly. What do you think this offers to you as an author and to your fans as readers? Does it influence your writing in any way?

I recently told someone that as a writer “words are given their vibrancy by the reader.” I find this very true. What would be the point of having the best hundred thousand word manuscript if you didn’t have 1 reader? I feel very fortunate that people are willing to spend their hard earned money on my work and their time reading it.

Tell me a little about your latest book, Fields of Frozen Stars, where did the idea for the book come from? Do you think the ideas you started with came through in the finished book?

The idea that was the primary basis for Fields of Frozen Stars involves what I think is a very important question in 2015. That question is what is a connection and what can we label as friendship. I have met a lot of great people through the internet and developed what I consider good friendships. These are not friendships in the traditional sense. I’ve never met most of these people. But I interact with them very regularly. So I think in this internet age we have to ask ourselves what do we define as real “friendship?” Is it day to day interactions? Even if these interactions are just
Facebook posts and emails? I think the book does a good job of making the reader ponder that question. At the end of the day that’s all I can really hope for. To raise the question in a person’s mind resonates more than me giving them my answer.


Many writers focus on building a brand with an eye toward marketing to readers rather than directly addressing them, do you think your style works better? If so, what have your learned that made this true for you?

I can’t say my style “works better” than any other particular style. I haven’t cracked the New York Times Bestsellers list yet. I think though a lot of it has to do with personal philosophy for life. I think some might think fans are fortunate to have them. I feel that I’m fortunate to have fans. I’ve worked in music, with film, and now I’m a writer. There were periods where I was eager to have anyone listen to or see my work. Now that I have people who are willing to spend their time and money on my work I appreciate it and never take it for granted. I want my fans to know that.

Do you have any books in progress at the moment? What sort of stories can we expect to see in the future?

I’m currently in the final editing process of my fourth book. I’m kind of patching together ideas and questions for the fifth book. When it comes to my future work I’m obsessed lately with coming up with ideas that aren’t lazy. I need to feel that I’m working hard to be able to think outside the box and push myself. I never want to feel like I’m phoning it in, so to speak. If I ever reach that point where I feel I’m just being lazy and writing just to write then I will be very let down.



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Interview with Ash Hartwell  Author of Zombies, Vamps and Fiends

1/15/2015

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Zombies, Vamps, and Fiends is a short story collection that gathers several of your stories together. Were they ever published before?

A couple are re-writes of previously published stories but the others are completely new and unpublished. I wanted to write a collection of fresh material so the reader didn’t feel cheated. There’s nothing worse than buying an anthology and finding you’ve already read half of it. The two that have been re-written are stories particular favoured by family members and are therefore there almost by request.

This is a story about monsters, what inspired you to write it?

I didn’t write them as monster stories and never considered them as such until you asked me about it. They’re stories about society and the monsters that lurk there, not the monsters themselves. Is Frankenstein about the monster or Dr Frankenstein’s obsession with creating (re-creating) life? The first story involves zombies, but they are not the horror. The horror is the never-ending war and a teenage girl’s survival in the trenches. The zombie simply depicts the inhumanity of war.

As for the inspiration, I wanted to create an anthology that crossed styles and genres to give the reader an insight into my writing. I think there’s something for everyone in here, but hope the reader enjoys all the stories. If the stories make them think a little about what’s between the lines, then so much the better.

Do you have a favourite monster?

What in this collection, or generally? I’ll give both answers, Amanda. In this collection, I have two. The voices inside Marianne’s head, and the Biogulag’s official. Both represent something intangible, yet powerful, twisted and seemingly invincible.

My wife, Nicki, on the other hand, has a soft spot for the zombie, Pendragon.

My favourite monster is probably Dracula. He is the personification of evil, yet somehow a small part of you wants him to triumph. I must also give an honourable mention to The Blob from the original Steve McQueen film. Probably the first horror I saw and the alien goo was also symbolic of the fears of American society at the time.

While there are several straight horror tales in ZV&F, there are a few satirical and humorous ones, do you enjoy writing these as much as the horror titles?

Yes I do. I think mixing humour, especially dark humour, and horror gives each element more strength. Referring you back to my previous answer, then horror and comedy are all part of the rich blend that is ‘life’ and the society in which we live those lives. I think the particular story you refer to as satirical gives a gentle rib-kicking to the world of dog shows and beauty pageants. Yes, I did enjoy writing that one, and yes, they do deserve it. Some pageants are nothing more than modern-day freak shows.

Do you have a favourite story in the collection? What do you like about it?

It’s hard to pick just one because they are all so different, but The Serpent’s Charm holds a special place for me as I wrote it in homage to Arthur Conan Doyle who was a particular favourite of my late father. The story has an emotional edge over the rest for that reason.

There’s a classic horror tone to the book, is this your preferred horror style or just the tone for ZV&F?

Good question. I have no idea. I wrote each one differently with a different style and genre. Apocalyptic(ish), Gothic, sci-fi, splatterpunk and Psychological featuring Zombies, depression, deranged killers, bi-polar disorders and more. I think to a degree I was experimenting with my own style, a voyage of discovery with the reader coming along for the ride. If it turned out to be classic then I guess that’s how I wrote, but I wouldn’t like to pigeon-hole myself. I write what appeals to me at the time in the style I feel comfortable with for that particular tale.

What other projects do you have in the works or are hoping to begin in the near future?

I’m slowly writing a novel length story, my first, which is terrifying (the writing off it, not the story itself) It’s an alternative history story based on one of the initial stories submitted to JEA but not included in Zombies, Vamps, and Fiends. I have just begun editing anthologies for 13 O’Clock Press, at Horrified Press and I’m still writing short stories for various anthologies.

I already have notes for my second novel so I’d better get back to writing the first.



Links: 

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ash-Hartwell/221249414606956?ref=bookmarks 

Amazon: 
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00L0FET0G

Website: 
http://79.170.44.151/ashhartwell.co.uk/


Bio: Ash Hartwell was born in Maine but grew up in England where he still lives with his wife and four children. Having spent over a decade working in customer service he enrolled in University and trained as a nurse, spending a number of years working in an intensive care unit just outside London. He now breeds Cavalier King Charles spaniels with his wife, while writing his tales of horror. He is currently working on his own novel as well as writing short stories for a number of anthologies.
Ash Hartwell is a Fictioneer and member of a number of horror related Facebook groups, he is also a supporting member of the Horror Writers Association



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Please Join Us for JEAPalooza January 5th Through the 11th! 

1/1/2015

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We have a charity glass auction with 20% going to The Trevor Project, suicide prevention and support for LGBT teens, we have a Rocky Wood memorial page where you can donate the the ALS foundation and there is a kissing booth for donations to St. Jude. We have the ApocaCon pannel with David Forsyth tuesday, Haunted Nights Live on Thursday, and, between all participants, there are 37 giveaways, lots of blogs and more fun things! Well worth attending!
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    Amanda M Lyons

    Ms. Lyons is an author of fantasy, horror, and an avid reader of all genres.

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