John Atkinson

P.O. Box 82, Gwynn VA  23066

Tel: (804) 725-5925

Born in Richmond, VA many moons ago, John Atkinson now lives on Gwynn’s Island with his wife, Renee. John’s days are devoted to writing. His short story entitled "Voodoo Man" won first place in adult fiction at the 1998 Chesapeake Writer’s Conference. Since then, he has authored a novella (scroll down), two unpublished novels and his soon-to-be released novel, Timekeeper.

"Voodoo Man" and "Day of Reckoning", an exerpt from one of the novels, were published "In Good Company (Volume 5)". This collection of short stories is available for purchase from Live Wire Press. Many of his other short stories (nonfiction) have appeared in Chesapeake Bay Magazine and in area newspapers.

John's new book, Timekeeper, a gripping novel chronicling Atkinson's incredibly gutsy "trek across America" at age 14, was released  in January 2008 by Fisher King Press and is already in its second printing.  Click here and read the Review . And for even more about the future of this book on the literary landscape of America, read the review from Amazon.com's critic: Grady Harp, (Amazon Top 7 Reviewer).

Click Here to Play January 2008 recording: Neal Steele interviews John Atkinson on XTRA 99.1FM

Read Chapter 1 of Timekeeper on Atkinson's Blog Site   

"It's more humane to face a firing squad than a classroom, humiliated because of illiteracy**. One is swift, the other leads to a lifetime of isolation and hardship. Timekeeper is my triumph over letters. Parts of my journey are no longer clear. Forty-eight years later, I have re-imagined events that seem most consistent to my memory. In 1959 ground swept under my feet like a starving man scrambling for his next meal. I'd fled a dysfunctional family in Virginia. I met many people along the way, but no one could compare with Chief in Oklahoma. He filled a void in me and taught me how to join together the many pieces of life. Chief wasn t surprised that I'd crossed the country at the age of fourteen. I was a big kid and had become hardened to the ways of the streets. Right away Chief understood why I didn't fit in. The main thing was, I couldn't read. He looked into my soul and saw the suffering I'd endured in the white man's world. He also saw into my future. Anyone with a lick of sense would ve been frightened of Chief, an old medicine man with strange powers. But after everyone else had given up on me, he saw how I could help myself. At first I thought he was foolish as a fish flopping on a riverbank when he said I should go north to a place he'd visited as a boy. Hell, that was back before we had automobiles. But he said I would go with a great power. I couldn't imagine where the power would come from. I thought it had to be a strong car, a big Buick Road Master. Every boy my age wanted a car. But the old man gave me a name, Timekeeper. I was no longer Johnnyboy, the affectionate name my Mama had called me. But the gift of the new name stayed a mystery for forty-eight years, the time it took me to figure out Chief's predictions. For all those years I've searched for his meaning, and now I know."

**  [Ed. Note: Dyslexia was a learning disability often mistaken for illiteracy at the time Atkinson was enrolled.]

TIMEKEEPER ENDORSEMENTS   "The first sentence of Timekeeper, a memoir by John Atkinson, drew me in and wouldn’t let me leave until I finished this wonderful book.  The writing is first rate and made even more impressive by the fact that the young Atkinson (an undiagnosed dyslectic) was thought to be stupid by his teachers, unable to be taught how to read like everyone else.  It is a story about abuse and a boy leaving on his own at 14 to find answers, and ultimately finds redemption.  I’m thankful he takes us along with him.  This is a deeply moving book and you will be the better for reading it." - Sharon Baldacci, author, A Sundog Moment. "John Atkinson’s Timekeeper is an engrossing, heartfelt account of a young man’s quest for self-discovery and a place at the table of life.  Johnnyboy’s evolution into Timekeeper will have you rooting for this engaging underdog." - Howard Owen, author of seven novels, including Turn Signal and Littlejohn "Atkinson's Timekeeper  is a riveting saga of inspiration, great characters, high adventure and a story tailor-made to the classic mythic journey. It screams for adaptation to the big screen at every turn of the page." - Mary Ann Carr, author of the award-winning One-Hour Mysteries series and The Best Parent's Toolkit "Award winning author John Atkinson tells an intriguing tale of a boy’s coming-of-age with this fast-paced memoir that reveals the toughness of youth as well as its vulnerability. No one with any feeling in their makeup could resist this engaging young man’s journey to freedom and a wild dog’s devotion and uncompromising love and sacrifice." –Jean C. Keating, award winning and Pulitzer nominated author of the Genna Kingsley and Sky dog mystery series. "In Timekeeper, John Atkinson tells a story that is uniquely American, evoking the best of literature. This work is a coming-of-age story that shows man at his best and worst. He also manages to connect his incredible journey to the traditions of native people, a mixture that young adult readers will find compelling." - Lee Irby, author, 7000 Clams and The Up And Up   "Timekeeper is the story of a troubled young boy locked within himself. It's the story of a youngster who has no-one to rely on but himself and by trusting his instincts, he meets one person after another - each one a possible doorway to a new life. True to himself, he follows his heart, gratefully using the gifts that each teacher offers." - Pat Adler, Publisher, Live Wire Press

Mercy Me:  2001 Nominee for a Library of Virginia award

 “Mercy Me grabs the reader from start to finish” – Richard A. Ughetto, former Director of Continuing Education and Workforce Development, Rappahannock Community College

 “Atkinson uses gritty characters to provide a glimpse into lives of two very different people.  The slice of human drama leaves the reader wanting more.  What an ending!” – Melissa Simpson, Daily Press

 “A heart warming story, good at Easter time or any time during the year. Mercy Me reminds me of some of the works of Og Mandino.  It’s well written and Atkinson’s message well make your day,” - Charles F. Finley, Jr., Verbatim Editing

 “Amazing!  Fun!”  -  Elsa Cooke Verbyla, Managing Editor,- GAZETTE-JOURNAL

 “…as usual, John’s story grabs you and pulls you right along through the pages.”  - Tom Nesbitt, Poet

Click here to order  In Good Company (Volume 5)

   "Mercy Me" is SOLD OUT: SORRY