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Jim Potter, Author

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Jim Potter, Author

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“The Vigil: Manx Rules,” by J. Alex Potter

Jim Potter, retired deputy sheriff, is enjoying the change of pace which allows him more time for writing (that is, when he and his wife, Alex, aren’t line dancing in Hutchinson, KS).

He has just published his third book, Deputy Jennings Meets the Amish after his first novel, Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, became a personal and literary success. Now he’s busy getting the word out, looking for an expanded audience of readers.

Jim really enjoys creating his fictional characters and getting to know them well enough so that they can interact. Once the dialogue begins, the author likes to say, he can sit back and transcribe their conversations!

Alex, a sculptor, has mirrored this creative spirit by creating sculptures of characters in the novels. These three-dimensional people crowd the house—which resembles a fine art gallery.

In the novella, Deputy Jennings Meets the Amish, you’ll meet Deputy Sheriff Tom Jennings, a caring cop who is a patrol officer for the Cottonwood County Sheriff’s Office. He doesn’t understand the Old Order Amish and they don’t understand him.

After being assigned to investigate the theft of soil from a county ditch, Jennings meets Mrs. Rosanna Borntrager Yoder. Rosanna and Adam (her husband) help Jennings begin to learn how the Amish and the English are different, and alike.

The four core values that are embedded in the story include: faith, family, community, and simplicity.

Deputy Jennings first appeared in Taking Back the Bullet. The obese officer is described as “a mutant Idaho potato in a jiggling gelatin suit.” Other characters in the novel are James Odessa-Smith, with his schizoaffective disorder; and young Suanna Morningcloud, a person with albinism, half Nez Perce Indian and half Caucasian.

The three main characters, who meet in a Kansas community during a botched bank robbery, are searching for their identities and culture, asking themselves: “Who am I and where do I belong?”

Due to the tragedy and trauma of a single bullet, their lives are changed forever.

The multi-layered stories in Taking Back the Bullet explore the themes of stigma, identity, and self-discovery. The novel is an escape into reality.

Potter’s first book, Cop in the Classroom: Lessons I’ve Learned, Tales I’ve Told, is a police memoir. It has an abundance of police stories from his professional career as a deputy sheriff and school resource officer. The thirty-three chapters give an insider’s look at the emotional experiences behind the badge—and life lessons for us all.

Under the Radar, Race at School, Potter’s first play, has been used at appreciating diversity workshops and for classroom studies due to its thought-provoking points of view on race and culture.

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Testimonials

Karleen Wilson-Moon

Terrific story relevant to today’s social issues . . . well written . . . likable characters . . . insightful perspective from an insider in law enforcement.

Larry Kruckman, anthropologist

Jim Potter displays ethnographic skills in Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, creating vivid scenes and fascinating characters. The Greeks had a word for subcultures and people’s behavior: ‘ethos,’ or ‘ways of being.’ In colorful, sometimes marvelous detail, this novel captures various people and settings . . . the ethos of rural Kansas: a… Read more “Larry Kruckman, anthropologist”

Steve Becker

I’m impressed. It was an excellent read. . . . I hope you continue with more projects in the future.

Morgan Penner

Taking Back the Bullet is a novel that provides the reader with a window into the world of law enforcement. As the novel unfolds, the reader is able to see how split-second decisions alter the lives of the main characters in the story. Taking Back the Bullet also explores how humanity is impacted by mental… Read more “Morgan Penner”

Sean McArdle, Winchester, England

Retired police officer Potter’s novel centers on very disparate characters and through the tried and tested means of gradually introducing each one, builds a sense of anticipation about what is going to happen to them. This often used methodology is not easy to do well but is superbly handled by Potter who knows how to… Read more “Sean McArdle, Winchester, England”

Jane Holzrichter

I finished it last night around midnight. What a great piece of work. It kept me intrigued all the way to the end.

Deb Theis, LSCSW, clinical therapist/hypnotherapist

Jim Potter has done it again! After his book, Cop in the Classroom: Lessons I’ve Learned, Tales I’ve Told, Jim has written another great work. In Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery, Jim Potter takes us on an insightful journey into the lives and relationships of numerous characters. Jim is such a talented storyteller… Read more “Deb Theis, LSCSW, clinical therapist/hypnotherapist”

Diana Dester

Good story line, building the characters along the way. Great job!

Wynona Winn, PhD, retired school superintendent

Three main characters walk different paths but with the same destination – each coping with his or her self-discovery, self-identity, and self-realization. Much like their earlier counterparts – Huck Finn and Holden Caulfield – their journeys are often joyous, often tedious and often tragic.

Judy Hawk

. . . I was impressed with the Native American information as well as the depth of character development . . . .

John & Cindy Morrill, 20 years Air Force retired, 17 years law enforcement

I enjoyed your book. When I am looking for a new read, I always read the first page, last page and choose a random page somewhere in the middle before I decide to buy it. You had me on all three pages. I also like reading a book where you can relate to the characters… Read more “John & Cindy Morrill, 20 years Air Force retired, 17 years law enforcement”

Sheryl Remar

I enjoyed the different stories of this book because Tom, James, and Suanna, the three main characters, represent in their own way the different struggles with themselves and society’s idea of what is normal.

Rebecca Schillaci

As a former law enforcement officer, I found the story very relatable as it details the life of a law enforcement officer and the struggles some face throughout their careers. . . Taking Back the Bullet is a journey of understanding, respect, and forgiveness . . .

Dennis Perrin, educator

Masterful storytelling, exquisite character development, so real as to HURT and HOPE, a real page turner. Begs for stage, screenwriters, and visual episodic development a.k.a. TV series . . . Thanks Jim Potter for telling it like it is AND providing us visions of how it could be. Well done!

Rebecca from Proud Police Wife

Taking Back the Bullet is an emotional, yet captivating novel. Jim Potter does a superb job of intertwining each character and putting their individual identities on display. All law enforcement storylines are a true reflection of Potter’s years as a police officer because they are realistic and relatable. This is a book I highly recommend.

Denise Low, author of Jackalope (Red Mountain Press)

Jim Potter is a cop, retired, but he brings deep understanding of this job to his novel Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery. This layered novel has literary dimensions as characters explore crisis situations. Congratulations to this fine writer for his debut novel.

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Interviews with Jim Potter

Video interview with James Lowe outside Bookends Bookstore July 21, 2022

Print interview with author Bill Bush September 1, 2022

Print interview with author Cheryl Unruh February 28, 2019

Hutchinson Magazine Article

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