Manchester Book Signing

Pics from today's signing at the Trafford Centre. I'm signing there again on Christmas Eve.

Shaun Attwood

Manchester Book Signing

Met some great people at the Waterstones Manchester Trafford Centre signing today, assisted by my friend Wild John. I'm back at the Trafford Centre all day tomorrow.



With Wild John

Shaun Attwood

North Nottinghamshire College Visit

Just did 6 talks at NNC - my last school visit for this academic year. Now I'm at my parents' house, wrapping Xmas gifts. My two weeks of Waterstones book signings start on Saturday. Click here for times and locations. Got the most number of Tweets ever to come in after a school visit from NNC students: https://twitter.com/shaunattwood

 Shaun Attwood

Woodlands School (Essex) Visit

Shaun Attwood

Greetings from the Abyss by Jack (Part 8)

Jack is serving life without parole, and has terminal cancer. Throughout my incarceration, Jack was a positive influence. He encouraged me to keep writing, to enter short-story competitions, and we proofread each other’s chapters. Jack is seeking pen pals, so anyone interested please email me at attwood.shaun@hotmail.co.uk for his details. 

I hope this letter finds you well, and not too overworked. I was so sorry to read about your niece Yasmin. Children should never have to suffer with any form of cancer. It’s traumatic enough for an adult to have to deal with, but a child shouldn’t have to go through it. I know that a lot of time, research, and money goes into trying to find a cure for childhood cancer, but in my opinion, it’s not enough. We spend so much effort trying to find new and more efficient ways to destroy each other that we neglect those things that are more important. Can you imagine the benefits that could be realized if the defense budget of the US was channelled into medical research for just one year? What a terrible waste of resources. Don’t get me wrong, I understand better than most the need for a strong military in today’s volatile environment. I just believe we unnecessarily squander large portions of the defense budget on items and projects that don’t work, and are only wanted by the very few who will realize a profit if they are funded.

I must say that I was surprised by how long your last letter was. I can’t remember ever receiving one that ran four pages front to back. I know you said not to expect another one of that length, but next time you feel yourself trapped on the train with nothing to do feel free to unburden yourself. I thoroughly enjoyed the brief glimpse into your thoughts. The opportunity to exchange ideas and thoughts with someone of your calibre is not something I take lightly.

Thank you very much for the secure pac [food package]. It was very generous and a pleasant surprise. I didn’t fill out the order form because I would never make that kind of presumption. Besides, part of the fun of a present is the surprise. Filling out the order form would negate that surprise.

Historical fiction is nothing more than a novel written around historical facts. I like them for no other reason than one is able to place the story into a concrete time and place, and assume that the characters could have interacted in such a manner as to have influenced or been a part of the actual incident.  

Always,

Jack 

Clickhere for Greetings from the Abyss by Jack (Part 7)

Shaun Attwood

Karate Update

Karate Update: Sensei Perry said the grading was exceptional and what we lacked in style we made up for in heart and spirit, so I left happy and assuming we passed even though I don't find out for sure for a few weeks. Got smashed in the ribs on both sides, so I'm going to have to brush up on my blocking skills.

Shaun Attwood

Karate Grading

Just finished my training at the Spectrum fitness centre till after Xmas as I go on the road up north on Tuesday for book signings and schools talks for 2 weeks. It was my last training before my karate grading in London this Sunday. Among the things I have to do is to fight 5 times. They usually stop the fight when someone scores, but these 5 fights are not getting stopped, its pure endurance, and the opponents are usually bigger than me, but my stamina's up for the fighting from doing two-hours of BodyPump and BodyCombat back to back for a few months, and my upper body strength is up from doing daily morning handstands in my yoga sun salutation routine. Sparring earlier in the year when I was much weaker, I ended up with 3 broken fingers and bruised ribs, and I couldn't exercise for a month, so its serious stuff. This belt (brown) is the last belt before black. I've got 2 xmas parties this weekend with fellow exercise fanatics in Guildford, but I'm only going to drink water and I have to get plenty of sleep for the karate grading. Where has the party animal gone? I hope to see some of my fitness friends at the White House pub in Guildford on Saturday at 7.30, where I'll be drinking water with our brilliant instructors, Tracey Debenham, Jon Hawkins and Tony Coker.

Part of the grading is also this kata: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWnVeAAcjRA&feature=youtu.be

Shaun Attwood

5: After Serving 29 Years, Mexican Mafia Hit Man Frankie Speaks to Shaun...

YouTube audio of me talking to Frankie who served 29 years, a Mexican Mafia hitman and chess champion who proposed a gay marriage to me in jail after he saw me applying antifungal ointment to the bleeding bedsores on my buttocks. Even though I thwarted his constant sexual advances, Frankie looked out for me in some hairy situations:

4: After Serving 29 Years, Mexican Mafia Hit Man Frankie Speaks to Shaun...

In this video Frankie also talks about the death of Two Tonys.

3: After Serving 29 Years, Mexican Mafia Hit Man Frankie Speaks to Shaun...

2: After Serving 29 Years, Mexican Mafia Hit Man Frankie Speaks to Shaun...

1: After Serving 29 Years, Mexican Mafia Hit Man Frankie Speaks to Shaun...

Paul Bassett Davies

With the hilarious Paul Bassett Davies in London yesterday. Paul's TV credits include Spitting Image: http://thewritertype.blogspot.co.uk/  I'm looking forward to reading his new ebook, Utter Folly.

Shaun Atwood

Bedales School Visit

At Bedales School with Vincent and Augusta, who're getting in character by pulling mean prison faces. I barely made it back to Guildford from Petersfield in time for karate last night. We did 3 1/2 hours of mostly jumping kicks. I still can't walk straight today.

Shaun Attwood

Tormead School Visit

Just spoke to over 100 sixth-formers at Tormead School in Guildford, and about to leave to do a talk at Bedales School in Petersfield.

Shaun Attwood 

Barton Peveril College Visit

News story about my visit to Barton Peveril College: http://www.wwgazette.co.uk/2012/11/former-convict-tells-students-harsh-jail-life/

Shaun Attwood

Postcards from T-Bone (2)

How goes it my friends?

Thoughts become words.
Words become actions.
Actions become habits.
Habits become character.
Character becomes destiny.

Pass that on to whoever wants to listen about change.
I will be in England some day.

Each one, teach one. Strength and Honor. Steel embrace.

Students at the T-Bone Appreciation Society, I love you,

T-Bone

Click here to read Postcard 1 from T-Bone: http://jonsjailjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/postcards-from-t-bone-1.html

Click here to read the the fight story, T-Bone v Scooter: http://jonsjailjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2008/06/12-jun-08-t-bone-v-scooter-t-bone.html 

Shaun Attwood

Epping College Forest Visit

For my third year in a row, I was back at Epping Forest College today.

With Glaci

With Jason

With Mollie

Shaun Attwood

Amber Foundation Visit

Today's news story about my visit to Amber Foundation: http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/2124745_troubled_youngsters_learn_from_mans_us_jail_lesson

Shaun Attwood

Thai Lady Boys of Bangkok

I couldn't resist getting on the stage last night with the Thai Lady Boys to get this picture taken to mail to my giant transsexual friend Xena in prison in Arizona. Six of them including the one to my left on the pic look just like female models. The question of the night among my friends was: is it gay to fancy a beautiful woman who used to be a man who no longer has her man parts?

Shaun Attwood

Tiffin Boy's School, London

I did two talks today in Kingston-Upon-Thames.

With Tom and Zack

With Ben and Matt

Shaun Attwood

Schools Tour Blog and Pics

I've been up and down the country in the last week at various schools. I left my laptop at Macclesfield College, crippling my Internet access. On Friday, I drove on an almost 6-hour round trip to Kingswood School in Bath the day before Bath was flooded, and a man drowned. I leave soon for a hotel for my next talk tomorrow.

Winchmore School, London

With Amy and Pat at Macclesfield College

With Jade and Ian at Macclesfield College

With Laura and Akif at Macclesfield College

William Beaumont School, Warrington

With Tia a brilliant reader at Winchmore School

 Shaun Attwood

William Beamont Community High School and Specialist Sports College, Warrington

Great reception in Warrington today, where I spoke to Years 10 and 11.



With Callum and Holly

Shaun Attwood

Question Time

Hi there Shaun,

I was at your talk at my college, and I have to say it hit a spot with me as I suffered from drug abuse years ago. When I was 17, my father died and I went off the rails, and ended up living with a girl in Manchester and all her friends who were much older than me, and was peer pressured into taking heroin, which I ended up addicted too. For a good while, I was binge drinking and shooting up and not spending money on food, and lost about 5 stone in weight. My family disowned me as I was always taking money, and I just become a shell of my former self. I hit my lowest point when I was stealing beer from shops and was with a group of my ex-girlfriends friends when they attacked a take away delivery driver with a knife, who was injured. Before I knew it, the police broke down the door and I was arrested for attempted murder, as they blamed it on me, and I took the blame for it. Eventually I gave a statement of what really happened, and was set free from the cells, but had to rebuild my life from there. I never took heroin again, but I suffered so much, and I suffered alone as I didn’t tell anyone I was a heroin addict. Now I’m 22 and I live with my partner and two kids and study media at college. My family speak to me again and forgive me, but I still suffer from withdrawal symptoms sometimes and have horrendously bad nightmares about that time. It was nice to hear your story as I could relate to it and it was nice to see I’m not the only person to make mistakes, and it showed me how lucky I am to avoid more serious consequences. I do have a question though. Do you still suffer from memories of your incarceration and drug abuse, and if so how do you cope with them? 

Thank you for the talk again! 

Tom 

My response: 

Thanks for sharing your story, Tom, which moved me deeply. Sometimes things happen in life that send us off the rails, but you’re back on track now, and that’s what’s important. You’ve emerged from the other side a much stronger and wiser person, and you still have most of your life ahead of you. It’s great that you’re in college, and channelling your energy into education.  

Yes, I do suffer memories and nightmares. I shudder when I think about some of the dangerous situations I put myself in while high on drugs, but I can’t change the past. I can only make the most of the future. To cope, I use yoga as therapy. I wrote a blog about it right here: 

http://jonsjailjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/questiontime-yoga-for-prison-recovery.html

 

I do a lot of exercise and keep myself busy all of the time. I’ve learnt to channel my energy into the right things. I really enjoy speaking to young people and writing books, so I consider myself lucky that I’m doing what makes me happy. After going through Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s jail system, I try to live each day with a smile on my face no matter what happens to me. 

Good luck in life my friend! 

Shaun Attwood 

Click here for the previous Question Time: http://jonsjailjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/question-time.html 

Connaught School Visit in Aldershot

Just got back from Connaught School. Every so often the students go wild, and it happened tonight. I don't mean wild as in feral. I mean feel-the-love wild. I ended up staying behind for 1 1/2 hours after the talk ended answering questions, getting pics taken with students, and signing books and scraps of paper. I drove home with a big smile, and I'm still smiling now thanks to all of the feedback coming in on my Twitter feed.

With Tilly and James, brilliant readers

Shaun Attwood

Postcards from T-Bone (1)

My friends,

Be at peace because everything is going to be fine. Please don't worry. I can't explain things now, but know this I swear to God I didn't do it. Stay strong. Everything is going to be fine.
Each one, teach one. Steel embrace.

I love you,

T-Bone

Please click here for the previous blog about T-Bone

Shaun Attwood

Party Time Cover

I love the new Party Time cover! I don't like the subtitle at the bottom, but that is going to be changed. What do you think? Also, please give Party Time a LIKE on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Party-Time-Shaun-Attwood/211408465606796?ref=hl

Shaun Attwood

Former convict tells students harsh jail life

Link to newpaper article: http://www.wwgazette.co.uk/2012/11/former-convict-tells-students-harsh-jail-life/

Shaun Attwood

Priors Field School Visit

Just got back from a talk in Godalming. The student in the pic, Meelie, came up to me with a group of girls as I was leaving, and said, "I want to thank you for such an inspirational talk today. It was great."
"What part of the talk inspired you the most?" I asked.
"Well, er, I didn't actually see the talk, but it's inspired me."
"Let me get this straight, you didn't see the talk, but its inspired you. How's that possible?"
"It inspired all of my friends so much that now I'm inspired too." And her big smile made it clear she wasn't kidding.

With Giacomo and Maddie

Shaun Attwood

Glyn Tech School Visit

Just did three talks in Epsom, Surrey, now heading to Priors Field School in Godalming to talk at their Big Think Day. 

Shaun Attwood