Johnny Russell, PSWA Writing Contest Winner




Marilyn: Since you are a PSWA member I haven't met yet, I'd like to know something about your back ground.

Johnny: About my background, okay, we’ll let’s see. I’m starting my third year of membership with PSWA. I have had a thirty year career as a San Diego Police Officer. In the interim I have published several articles in the SDPD and SDPOA publications. I have a private pilot’s license and a brown belt in the art of Shotokan karate. I also hold a patent for a sealed mailbox invention called, Prismmailbox.com. I am married with five adult children.

Marilyn: What brought you to PSWA?

Johnny: After finishing my manuscript, I looked online for writing competitions in which I could participate. I looked at a lot of ‘em including Writers Digest and Narrative Magazine. PSWA was the most appealing. It not only offers writing competitions, but a manuscript review, tips, resources, members pages etc., all for the cost of membership…No brainer!

Marilyn: How long have you known you wanted to be a writer?

Johnny: Since I was elected editor of the high school newspaper.

Marilyn: What are you interested in writing?

Johnny: Screenplays. One of them received honorable mention in the 2009 PSWA Writing Competition. I plan to enter my new screenplay in the 2010 PSWA writing competition.

Marilyn: If you have a book, tell me about it and where my readers can find it.

Johnny: Yes, I‘ve written a book inspired by true events. The logline is: One man’s voyage from troubled youth to street gang messiah, edited by the Queen, Marilyn Olsen. It is an award winning novel called First Blood. It received second place in the Fiction Unpublished 2008 Public Safety Writer's Association Writing Competition. ISBN 9780595503872.

The book is about a woman who lived in Littletown, Texas. She had six children and did not believe in discipline. In the 1960s she and her husband split and she moved to California, settling in the city of Compton. There she paid the price. Her baby boy grew up committing crimes, spent time in and out of the criminal justice system and started a notorious street gang who we now know as the Bloods.

First Blood is available online at http://www.firstbloodnovel.com/ as well as Amazon, B&N, and Indiebound. Also locally at The San Diego Police Officer’s Association and The San Diego Police History Museum. See the book trailer: http://johnnyrussell.net/aboutthebook.html

Marilyn: What else would you like people to know about you?

Johnny: I’m excited about my new screenplay. It’s an action fantasy adventure called, The Eyes of Bradley Ashe. Let me tell you a little about it.

Imagine you are at war in Afghanistan, while millions of miles away an interstellar battle is also taking place. Except for one lone survivor, both sides are destroyed. The survivor, an alien life form wanders to Earth.

During combat, a jeep is blown in your direction. You are flung down at ground zero. The jeep soars at you but the creature appears and stops it midair. It catches and throws the jeep aside.

This happened to Private Castillo, who had no way of knowing that together with the alien, both sides in the battle would soon have a twenty-four hour window to defend the world from annihilation.

The only question is...why is the FBI trying to hide it?

Marilyn: Are you considering coming to the PSWA conference so we can meet you in person?

Johnny: I do plan to attend the conference.

Marilyn: Great! Thank you, Johnny, for taking the time to satisfy my curiosity.

Johnny: Thank-you, it was my pleasure. And thanks for autographing my copies of Tempe Crabtree’s adventures.

http://johnnyrussell.net/aboutthebook.html

Comments

M.M. Gornell said…
Marilyn and Johnny, what an interesting interview. Looking forward to meeting you in June!
Victoria Roder said…
Johnny,
Congratulations on the great interview! I enjoyed learning more about you and your writing. I've added First Blood to my TBR pile.

Best to you,
Your friend from CrimeSpace
Great interview Marilyn and Johnny! I've added First Blood to my reading list and the new book sounds very intriguing.
Johnny Russell said…
I guess I was on the late train. Hope I'm not too late though. Thanks everyone for the kind remarks!

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