John Christian Hopkins

John Christian Hopkins, a member of the Rhode Island Narragansett Indian Tribe, is a descendant of King Ninigret, patriarch of the tribe’s last hereditary royal family. Hopkins is a career journalist who has worked at newspapers across the U.S. and has been a nationally syndicated columnist for Gannett News Service. He and his wife Sararesa live on her Navajo reservation in Arizona.

 


Hopkins, a member of the Narragansett Indian Tribe, returned to his home state of Rhode Island to speak at Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I. on March 6 2013 and the Tomaquag Indian Museum in Exeter, R.I., March 8.

“Carlomagno” is an imaginative “what-if” blend of historical fact and fiction. It tells the story of an American Indian youth that is sold into slavery in the West Indies, escapes bondage, becomes a pirate on the Spanish Main and fights for a chance to return to the American Colonies.

Hopkins’ newest work is “Loki: God of Mischief” (Blue Hand Books, 2014) just became available on Kindle March 4.  A paperback edition will follow soon, Blue Hand Books founder Trace Hentz said.

"We have remastered John's "Twilight of the Gods" (2011) with a brand new cover and new title, and if you like mythology, this is the book for you!"

Blue Hand Books is a Native-owned cooperative based in Greenfield, Mass.

Twilight of the Gods was republished as LOKI by BHB

LOKI: God of Mischief - buy now: LINK

TWO GUNS brings the wild west to life; WRITER ON THE STORM is a laugh-out-loud collection of witty commentary

In a new western fiction “Two Guns” aging gunman John Carrier Steele faces fading health, self-doubts and the toughest job of his career – to tame one last wicked town.
“I moved to Arizona nine years ago, with the intent of living in the west and absorbing as much as I could,” said award-winning author John Christian Hopkins, a member of the Narragansett Indian Tribe of Rhode Island.
A love for the western genre was born into him, he said.
“I remember my Grandma Brown watching westerns on TV with her glasses on upside down, and yelling at the screen to warn Hoss Cartwright that the bad guy was sneaking up behind him,” Hopkins said. “My dad would leave Louis L’Amour or Max Brand books on the kitchen table for me after he was done with them.”
With more than two decades as a professional reporter, Hopkins has a legacy of publishing humorous newspaper columns in papers from Massachusetts to Florida to New Mexico. In the early 1990’s he wrote a nationally syndicated column for Gannett News Service.
 
“Writer on the Storm” is a collection of irreverent observations on myriad subjects like the Kardashians, the Navajo,  and Duggars. The book captures the power, humor and sentimentality of Hopkins’ writing. It includes a bonus chapter on the legendary TARZAN BROWN, a famous marathon runner who is John's great-uncle.
“We could not be happier to release both TWO GUNS and WRITER ON THE STORM at the height of book buying season,” said his publisher Lara Trace Hentz. “These books will make great gifts for everyone on your shopping list. John is truly a prolific writer; he just keeps pumping out great books like his hands are on fire.”
Hopkin’s books are being published by Blue Hand Books, a cooperative of Native authors founded in 2011 by Trace Hentz (formerly DeMeyer.) His books are available in paperback edition or as a Kindle e-book through Amazon.com.
Hopkins, a member of the Narragansett Indian Tribe of Rhode Island, is a descendant of King Ninigret, patriarch of the tribe’s last hereditary royal family.
Hopkins is an award-winning journalist. He currently lives on the Navajo Reservation with his wife, Sararesa.
His other books include “Carlomagno: Adventures of the Pirate Prince of the Wampanoags,” “Loki: God of Mischief,” “Nacogdoches” and “Rhyme or Reason: Narragansett Poetry.”
 


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MEDIA: For book cover and author photos or free review copies, contact bluehandcollective@outlook.com
or leave a message (413) 772-6996

TWO GUNS: ISBN: 978-1502737366 ($9.99 ppbk/$2.99 ebook)
FREE PREVIEW of TWO GUNS: http://johnhop24.pressbooks.com/

WRITER ON THE STORM: ISBN: 978-1496144621  ($9.99 ppbk/$3.99 ebook)
FREE PREVIEW of Writer on the Storm: http://writeronthestorm.pressbooks.com/




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EARLY PRAISE for TWO GUNS:
"Once again John Christian Hopkins masterfully weaves a tale of history with heart as he shares this tale of a gunfighter seeking redemption. Hopkins lures readers into putting down their electronic devices in order to delve into life in the Old West." - Stephanie Henningsen, journalist.
"John Christian Hopkins' latest effort gets 'two guns' up! This book is a sure shot!" - Darrell Perry, avid reader
"John Christian Hopkins has a gift for taking historical facts and presenting them in a fictional setting that makes the characters come alive. In Two Guns he continues the tradition...he writes with blazing accuracy about a place that had a lively past, to say the least.  Hopkins reminds us of that with his own unique story telling style." - Bruce MacDonald, journalist




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ABOUT WRITER ON THE STORM:  Poopy politicians and head-hurting headlines, all that and more in 60+ short essays by award-winning writer-author-blogger John Christian Hopkins, a member of the Narragansett Tribal Nation of Rhode Island. ...one of the funniest writers in Indian Country? Yes, it's John Christian Hopkins (who happens to be an Indian)




SAMPLE:

When it hits the fan

When I first heard about what happened in Washington D.C. on September 26, 2012 my initial reaction was that the “stuff” really hit the fan this time.   Two federal employees were injured when a pair of toilets in the General Services Administration headquarters exploded.
Of course my first inclination was to make up some goofy pun about the situation. That was before I realized how serious an event it was. Therefore I decided that since someone had to be the adult in this tragic affair it might as well be me. After all, I am a John myself.
And besides, as a serious journalist, this was one story I couldn’t sit on. I hope I can convince you that explosive latrines are no laughing matter.   I understand how, at first glance, it is tempting to dismiss this event as a “commode-ity” of errors. But this could be a threat to our national security… Please, I implore you, take this fecal matter seriously. It may not be the most pressing problem we face these days, but it’s clearly Number Two.

John's TITLES:

His Books:  (click photo to buy on Amazon)


Other Title:   Nacogdoches (Fiction/Western) (on Amazon) LINK
 
 JOHN'S BLOG: https://johnchristianhopkins.wordpress.com/


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TWILIGHT OF THE GODS published on11-11-11 on Kindle

Welcome to our first interview with John Christian Hopkins, who wrote the brilliant brand new "End Times" murder-mystery TWILIGHT OF THE GODS.

Blue Hand Books is thrilled (and very very excited) about John's book being our very first title!

Read about this amazing writer and his process!

Blue Hand Books: Your new book Twilight of the Gods is a murder mystery and thriller about the End Times…Tell us about your writing process…

John C. Hopkins:      I think I’m always “writing,” even if it’s filing things away in my mind for later use. It seems like I live life with an ear out for a good quote!

BHB: Are you someone who writes all night?

JCH:      I used to be. I guess I’m getting old and can’t burn the midnight oil like I used to. I have always felt “plugged in” to the universe at night, between midnight to 4 a.m. or so. I feel more creative, like there’s magic around me.

BHB: How long did it take you to write Twilight?

JCH:      About a year. Once I started writing things just seemed to fall in place and line up for me.

BHB: Wakan Tanka and the Battle at Little Big Horn are woven into the storyline. How did you research your new book Twilight of the Gods and all the history and mythology aspects?

JCH:   I’ve spent a life fascinated by both history and mythology; I could never resist reading about the Norse gods or ancient Greeks. In ‘Twilight” you’ll see that I even pulled things from the Bible.

BHB: It’s amazing how you also tied in Jim Thorpe and famous baseball legends to the storyline. Do you love sports and particularly baseball?

JCH:      Oh yes, baseball! I used to wish that I could play for my Boston Red Sox someday, but being born with dislocated lenses sometimes rendered me virtually blind so I had difficulty picking up the ball. Tying in Thorpe, who also played professional baseball, was my way of giving a nod to my passion for sports and Native Americans! And I also mentioned Ellison “Tarzan” Brown, my great-uncle and 2-time Boston Marathon champ!

BHB: Not to give away the ending, do you feel that some forces are fighting for humans and their survival?

JCH:       I don’t know that I know the answer. I sometimes think that my life would have been much easier if I could act without a conscience. I see people in the news robbing and killing without remorse, and in a weird way it fascinates me. I could never knowingly hurt someone and I often wonder what is it that allows people to be deliberately mean? I mean for two decades I felt horrible because back when I was about 11 or so I wouldn’t share a Hershey’s bar with my little sister. I bothered me to the point that probably 20 years later I apologized to her – and, of course, she didn’t even remember it!

BHB: Twilight is a love story, too. Did your wife Sararesa inspire you?

JCH:  It may sound corny, but Sara inspires me every day. She makes me want to try to be a better person than the one I am.

BHB: It's interesting a reporter and newspaper are central to this story. How long have you worked as a journalist?

JCH:   I’ve worked at various newspapers, including USA Today, since 1987. I never particularly wanted to be a reporter, but it seemed the only way to write and earn a living.

BHB: You have another book on Kindle - tell us about that...

JCH:     “The Pirate Prince Carlomagno” is based on a true story; an American Indian youth sold as a slave in the West Indies. I am a relative of this child – who history robbed of a name and a life – so I decided to give him both. I sent a copy to Brad Pitt because of a dream I had. I’ll just have to wait to see if that dream comes true …

BHB: Blue Hand Books is planning to publish a collection of your poetry soon. What are your favorite subjects to write about?

JCH:       In poetry, I suppose it’s love. I’m a sappy romantic, but also a person who has felt intense loneliness and rejection. I like to put those feelings into words; and also sometimes just try to write something to make you smile.

BHB: Are you writing a new book now?

JCH:      Yes. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing a “book,” even in high school when I’d write “books” to myself that no one would ever see. I don’t write to live so much as I live to write.