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The JUST (e)STATE mystery series (whodunnits), published by Texas' Black Rose Writing include Just A STILL LIFE & the multi-award-winning
Just A STALE MATE
the following is a 2-min. video of pre-release reviews of Just A STILL LIFE
for Just A STILL LIFE
for Just A STALE MATE
for musical Rough Notes (after Oct. '22 professional workshopped performances)
the below 3 testimonials are extracts from video interviews by Melinda Kavanaugh
2023 Maxy Awards Runner-Up - Mystery & Crime Fiction
& May, 2023 Literary Titan 5-Gold-Star BOOK AWARD
"Just a Stale Mate is a polished and sharply written novel that showcases Johnson's skill in crafting a compelling murder mystery." -Literary Titan (5 star review)
"Secrets reaching back a quarter of a century merge with a criminal enterprise set in the present day of 1969..." -Karen K. Brees, author of the WWII MI6 Agent Katrin Nissen series
"...a rich mix of humour, action and mystery." - His Excellency Leigh Turner, author of thrillers
Blood Summit and Palladium
"Thoroughly enjoyed this clever mystery... the characters are charming, diverse, and well-developed, and the story keeps you turning those pages!" -Sherry Hobbs, author of MAC and Bird of Passage
"Set in a traditional 'country house' that is meant to rehabilitate, not exterminate, the intrigue and deception here make it a real whodunnit with many hidden literary clues." -Remy C. Garner, author and former social worker
FROM Amazing Stories/Clubhouse Reviews by R. Graeme Cameron:
A March 2020 review
of Iron Bone (in NWU )
June, 2021 reviews and comments on Third Estate Art's release of "Seeing Red", (as well as link to the poem itself) may be seen below, by just clicking the image
"Iron Bone – by J. Ivanel Johnson
Premise:
Fiona was born with spondylolisthesis, a condition where one vertebrae has slipped down over the next such that she has never been able to straighten up. Nevertheless she managed a career as an equestrian event rider, even occasionally interacting with members of the British Royal family, who are quite active in horsey matters. Her profession is not kind to her spine.
Review:
This would seem to be an exercise in over-compensation, or perhaps denial utilized as a tool to achieve accomplishment at the level of an athlete.
As a Canadian, who once swore personal allegiance to her Majesty in order to land a job at Canada Customs (I figure she owes me a dinner at Buckingham Palace), I appreciate the wry humour of the digs at the Royals, particularly the description of Prince Philip, notorious for his knack of insulting whomever he is talking to in the most 19th century manner possible. Taking pot-shots at the Royals is part of the fun of being a loyal subject. In this story the writer’s interactions with the Royals are both credible and amusing, and rather original in tone.
Likewise Fiona’s acceptance of the collateral damage brought about by doing what she wants to do. This is rather refreshing. It is as if she is saying “Yes, I’m handicapped. Yes, what I do makes things worse. But I don’t care. It makes me happy.” Could it be that this is the best approach to dealing with a significant disability, the best attitude to charge at life despite the lousy hand produced by the luck of the draw? A bit reckless, perhaps, but you only have one life to live, so why not?
Another optimistic story, potentially inspirational. "
At the end, Mr. Cameron adds re: the entire Nothing Without Us anthology: "All the remaining stories are equally impactful. I think this is an important and significant book. Certainly memorable. You won’t forget what you’ve read when you put it down. This anthology deserves an Aurora Award, in my opinion. It’s that good. "
“Too often do reviewers remind us of the mob of Astrologers, Chaldeans, and Soothsayers gathered before 'the writing on the wall' and unable to read the characters or make known the interpretation.”
― Charlotte Brontë
Various Acting/
Playwrighting Clippings
1989-1995
1996, front page Ottawa Citizen, re: essay contest
Recent reviews for various works of New Brunswick author/playwright J. Ivanel Johnson
GENERAL REVIEW: “She knows exactly how to tell a story with flair, humour and a whole lot of heart. Her passion for what she does instilled in me a creativity and joy that has not dimmed in the slightest over twenty years later.”
-former student, the poet Phil Mellor, https://phillipmellor.com/
Re: the edits for epic poem “The Door To Gwunvaler” in the anthology Cat Ladies of the Apocalypse ( Camden Park Press, 2020) “…I don’t like to touch poetry much, and this one is practically perfect just as it is… I read the first page of your poem to a couple of my colleagues and they LOVE it as much as I do.” and as a forward in the book: “You never know what you’re going to get when you ask for submissions – and I certainly never imagined this – but I’d barely gotten through the first verse of J. Ivanel’s wonderful poem before I knew it was exactly what I didn’t know I was looking for. Read this one aloud, and let your imagination soar.”
- Lynn Worthen, editor, Camden Park Press
On the short story “The Comedy of Airs ‘n’ Orrs”:
“I found the writing lively and interesting and enjoyed reading it”…
-Emma Copley Eisenburg, editor AGNI Literary Journal
On historical NB/ON-set musical (in dev’t) Rough Notes:
“It’s fresh and a lot of fun!... The characters and situations are truly endearing and have really stayed with me. It’s a gem of a creation!”
-International Musical Theatre/Opera &Film Actor/Singer Curtis Sullivan
"This musical is EPIC! The characters’ voices are distinct and there is an emotional pull to the whole thing that just works. An impressive achievement.”
-Fredericton, NB-based Professional Playwright/Actor Ryan Griffith
On the audiobook format of the non-fiction “How To Teach Drama To Kids” (HowExpert Press) Listened to this back and forth in my car on my way to teaching drama classes at a new junior high. Was taking over for a maternity leave - I'm a geography teacher, NOT a drama teacher, so found this very helpful and it gave lots of great game/ideas/exercises. The audio was excellent.
-Erich Chapman, B. Ed., from Amazon Audible
TESTIMONIAL
TESTIMONIAL
Feb. 2020 , an email from editor