By DeAnn Lubell
Photo credit for profile: Kathryn Berenbaum for AIN’T “U” GOT NO MANNERS cover: A Vegas Publisher (Deborah Bradseth, designer) KINGDOM OF TREASURES SEELIE ISLANDS: Asmaa Jamil and Kristin Johnson THE LAST MESSENGER: Dorrance Publishing Team
She is an accomplished prize-winning poet, screenwriter, novelist, fiction and non-fiction writer, blogger, ghost-writing/creative writing consultant, and editor. I don’t think there is anything that word wrangler Kristin Johnson can’t master. For example, first place winner out of 50,000 entries for the Mountain Arts Tri-Annual Poetry Contest. She truly is the “it” girl of the literary world.
As a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing Program from the University of Southern California, Kristin earned her bachelor’s from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. After graduation from USC, she moved to the Coachella Valley with her family to the desert and has been here ever since.
“Our desert has inspired me since the moment my family first came here on a business trip when my sister and I were growing up,” said Kristin. “The natural beauty is unmatched. I love the lifestyle as well as the warmth of this community.” As a young inspiring writer, Kristin loved what her late mother called dreamtime. A special timeout when she could relax, think and let her imagination soar. “Dreamtime is still a vital part of who I am. A writer needs dreamtime like the desert needs water and sunshine.”
Kristin has written and collaborated on several books, including: Butterfly Wings; The Last Messenger and The Divinity Protocol with Berkeley Johnson; the Kingdom of Treasures series with Asmaa Jamil; Ain’t “U” Got No Manners (called “The Bible for social media” by KESQ’s Patrick Evans); Christmas Cookies Are For Giving with Mimi Cummins, The High-Tech Gooseneck Putter with Samuel DiMatteo; and Ordinary Miracles: My Incredible Spiritual, Artistic, and Scientific Journey with the late Sir Rupert A.L. Perrin. She has contributed to and edited several books in the Speaking From Our Hearts series by Paul D. Lowe as well as Mastering the Game of Life and Mastering the Game of Life 2.
She has ghostwritten several books and scripts for clients. Her clients are located all over the world. She has worked on projects that range from a children’s fantasy set in the Ice Age to a biography about a sports hero to a book on bringing down high blood pressure. Her one-act play “Greetings and Salutations” was nominated for several Desert Theatre League Desert Stars Awards. As a member of the Palm Springs Women in Film and Television Filmmakers Lab, she has co-produced two short films, “Accidental Date” and “Aftermath,” which have been award winners, award finalists or semi-finalists in several film festivals. A third short film, “The Splendor Of You,” is in pre-production.
Kristin has adapted books to screenplays/teleplays including my own historical novel called The Last Moon (the teleplay was recognized in the Amsterdam Film Festival Van Gogh Awards). She has also worked on screenplay/teleplay stories with Asmaa Jamil among other collaborators.
A longtime member of Palm Springs Women in Film and Television and a director of World Game-Changers, Kristin has given well-received talks and workshops for the Desert Screenwriters Guild. She served as a past First Vice-President and Contests and Grants Chair for the National League of American Pen Women-Palm Springs Branch.
You can find out more about Kristin by going to http://www.kristinjohnson.net http://www.twitter.com/AuthorKJ https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKristinJohnson/ or emailing her at kristin@kristinjohnson.net
