Glenn Langohr, the Best Selling Prison and Drug War Author Talks About His Reality TV Series

To check out my best selling Prison Books in Audio Book for a FREE sample/purchase go here~ http://amzn.to/128HxTE Also available in Print and Kindle! Message me for interviews/reviews.

Glenn Langohr's Prison Book Underdog Got Another Great Review From One of Amazon's Top 500 Reviewers!

 

Ionia Martin "Ionia" - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: UNDERDOG, A True Crime Thriller of Prison Life (Prison Killers- Book 4) (Kindle Edition)

I find this a difficult book to review--at least for me personally--let me preface this with the reasons why. I want this review to be fair and honest so I would like everyone who reads this to understand my position.

This is not my genre, nor is it my standard reading material. I tend to review literary fiction, genre fiction, non-fiction historical, and classics. I teach English Literature. I am not familiar with the writing style of this author or the subject matter at hand, and I lived in Crescent City, California so I may have a bit of a preexisting opinion of the City and Pelican Bay from that. I will do my best to offer an impartial review regardless.

Glenn Langohr has written a gritty book filled with truth about the side of prison life that we don't see from the outside. He writes from a position of authority, having lived what he writes about first hand. This makes his writing very honest, but also difficult for me to judge by my usual standards. I can't say that this was the most refined writing I have ever read, but the honest truth is--it didn't matter.

The tale this author weaves begins in a way I hadn't expected, and I wasn't sure what to think. The first chapter fumbled a little in my opinion, as though he was trying to find his legs beneath him. After that, the book really took off and it was impossible to put down after that. The story he tells of how inmates are treated at Pelican Bay was difficult for me to reconcile as I do know what a boost to the economy the prison brought to one of Northern California's most desperate cities. I do believe his story, and I feel for those who have had to live through the things he spoke of, but sometimes it is hard to accept reality--especially when you are used to seeing the other side of the coin.

What I liked about this book the most, and what I felt earned this book the four stars I gave it, was Glenn's ability to retain the reader's interest. He may not have attended a fancy university to hone his craft of writing, but there is such a human element to his words and his ability to connect with you as you read his story on a personal level made this the kind of book you want to keep reading and tell your friends about. His message at the end of the story is both compassionate and detailed, which added a lot to this book in my opinion.

The one negative I will mention, and it is just my opinion of course, is that I don't get the cover. It somehow reminds me of 'Joker' from batman, and I don't really get what it has to do with the story. It looks cool, but I also think it might make this book seem a little more fantasy than reality and might frighten off some of the more mature people who would ordinarily pick this book up and give it a try.

** Update: I have just discovered that the cover I am looking at is only one of the covers. So, disregard this last part if you have the orange and black cover, which is perfectly appropriate for the story.
Overall, this was short, unexpected and something that I think has a lot of value, both as entertainment and a dose of reality.

This review is based on a digital copy from the author. My opinions are my own.

Attention All Authors and Readers of Great Books: authorsdb.com is the Hottest New Site

Attention All Authors and Readers of Great Books: authorsdb.com is the Hottest New Site

authorsdb.com

Authors DB is a great way to find a hot new author and book to read and it is also a great place for authors to share their books.

At Authors DB I was able to not only give my newest Prison Thriller Books a place to show off all my greatest review, book covers and awards, I am also able to update any new videos that relate to a book on youtube! Check this one out I posted:

I highly recommend dropping by Authors DB to meet hot new authors and to find something great to read! Stop on by authorsdb.com 

Another Great Review For My True Prison Story Prison Riot!

Prison Riot by glenn langohr review From http://www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com

I was not too surprised when I read Glenn's latest book Prison Riot. I previously reviewed Underdog here !
This book was about what happens after a prison riot. The prison dynamic is a  hard one to follow, and is not for the faint of heart. Being in lock down was horrible. They do not care if they get your name right, or your information right. The main goal is to keep the prison safe. What has to be done to ensure your own personal safety was a little surreal to me. We take for granted how we live, and our freedom. The thing that I took for granted the most was showers. It is a good thing that these prisoners were not afraid of small spaces. I would be terrified. The guards own you, and everything you do. This is a true story, and that made me feel even more for the innocent prisoners that were not involved in the prison riot. I recommend this to crime buffs everywhere so that they can see the other side of law enforcement. I am Giving this book a 5/5, because I am still interested in reading more from this author. Even though I have already read two of his books.

Check Out This Interview: From Ex-Con To Best Selling Author

Check Out This Interview: From Ex-Con To Best Selling Author http://www.authorscourtwithme.blogspot.co.uk

Glenn T Langohr - Ex-con to Best Seller Author Life Story Book Interview

Interview Highlight 

 

I'm honored and thrilled to be interviewing Glenn Langohr author of Roll Call, Upon Release From Prison, Race Riot, Lock Up Diaries, Gladiator, Underdog, Prison Riot and Pelican Bay Riot, on I Am Darmie Orem and Authors' Curtilage with Darmie Orem.

Welcome Langohr.

“Thank you, Darmie.”

Langohr, 42, has spent 10 1/2. Years -   approximately a quarter of his life - in prison, the result of drug - related convictions which has evoked his desire to write and write and write some more about the story of his life after he found God and a calling as a writer.

The salvation found well-built author ran away at 12. By 15, he was selling pot supplied to him by Mexican Smuggler. By 18 he was serving his first hold in jail. When he got out he resumed dealing drugs, this time he became one of the busiest amphetamine dealers in South Orange County and also became addict.

Langohr in all has written eight books. He has been invited to speak before criminal justice classes at colleges.

His most recent book Underdog, a crime thriller true story opened with: Sergeant Torrez crowding the convicts’ cell door with a smirk on his face with six IGI Gooners behind him.

Glenn as the character Bj in the book said, they called the inmate Gang Investigators Gooners because they wore similar uniforms to the regular prison guards and had additional black stitching on their shoulders and chest that resembled tattoos to signify they were in charge of deciphering; who the gangsters were, usually was based on their tattoos...

Using the experiences of one's life and transforming them into fiction can be a great challenge. Langohr, how were you able to pull this off?

“I use the true colors of life and paint on a fictional landscape to protect the innocent and the not so innocent. “

From the opening of Underdog one could see that the story is tight and compelling. Did you have some sort of writing courses during your years behind bars?

“No. That is what we need to do as a society. Help prisoners get instructional writing guides and more learning power. What I did is pray and read the Bible every day. I also read everything else I could get my hands on. God answered my prayers and led me to write. Out of the blue, I got a letter from a Pastor by the name of David Hocking from the church, Hope For Today. From that point on I communicated with him and he sent me information on how to publish books and make movies. That lit a fire of encouragement inside of me and I kept on writing with new vigor.”

Obviously, you consider your life as some big book and ain't ashamed to go on talking about it. Why did you use life as novels?

“I wanted to change the destructive path I was on. When I ran away from a divorced family at the age of 12, I was hurt emotionally and had to find a way to soothe the pain. The streets and the drug world was an exciting distraction at first but always ends with prison, insanity or a coffin. I will use a quote from my novel Roll Call to make the point. "Sow a bad thought and reap an action. Sow an action and reap a habit. Sow a habit and reap a character. Sow a character and reap a destiny." I wanted to open up people's eyes that God can turn any life around, even those that society has cast aside as the worst of the worst. It all starts with changing your thoughts.”

When did you first get down events in your life on the paper? Did you start by keeping a journal or simply started writing it as a book?

“I started writing from a prison cell in solitary confinement with the hope that I could write a novel about the drug war that would turn into a movie or TV series. I woke up at 4 AM and wrote sporadically all day and night. ”

How did you act when it occurred to you that you could turn your life experiences into books? Or was it somebody that opened your eyes that you could do that?

“After a year of writing I saw the light. I knew the content I was writing about was destined to be read and understood. I got excited and started pacing the length of the cell back and forth and it helped me think even deeper.”

What's the central conflict of the novel Underdog?

“In California and other prisons in the U.S, prison tattoos on inmates are being used as evidence to classify prisoners to solitary confinement where they don't get to see the sun ever again. While I was in prison the Criminal Justice system sent way to many people to prison for drug crimes. That filled the prisons up to double their capacities. It made prison a more violent place and a bigger breeding ground for gangs. It was harder and harder to keep the peace and disputes arose over who could use things like tables, work out bars and showers. More and more riots happened. I was involved in a few that I did everything I could to avoid. When I went to the hole, solitary confinement, I saw first hand how the prison was falsely labeling prisoners as bad influencers based on their tattoos. I published Underdog one day after a prisoner died in a hunger strike over the same issues. “

You've been quite creative in transforming your life experiences into books. Any tips for those willing to also put out their life stories?

“Write every day until you are waking up before everyone else. Write before you get distracted! Don't worry about it being perfect or you will never get started. Keep in mind that you have to develop conflict and characters early. Always remember that any script must have a beginning, middle and end. So break it into those pieces and it will come together eventually. Know that you have to rewrite the script many times so the first time don't hold back. You can cut pieces out later. Just do it.”

Is there any word of advice for strayed children doing drugs?

“Don't do it! God is so amazing and He made us in His image. Drugs are poison and pollute the brain and worse, they stain the very soul. You only have one brain, one soul and one body, treat yourself like a Holy temple for God. If you are a child who is lost, ask for help! Go to all the churches and boldly tell them your problems. If nobody is helping you, don't worry. God will! While you are suffering, look at it as an opportunity to help other people who are suffering and you won't be suffering as much!”

Now that you are reborn again into a clean path, what sort of man would you describe yourself?

“I used to have to work out for 4 hours a day to deal with life and feel good. I found a way better way. If you sing worship songs to the Lord you feel the same way and get even better looking at the same time! It's true; singing makes your cheek bones more beautiful. The older and wiser I get, the more I realize I need God to direct my path.”

Are there any life's failures which could make you go back to your old ways?

“There is no way! I'm still hyper sensitive and all the same pains and temptations still exist, but I don't want to lose this connection I have with God. The Bible has proven itself to be the Holy Word of God by how many prophecies have been fulfilled. With that said, I believe the end is near and all this craziness is the last gasp of a fallen world. I want to be about God's Kingdom, not the devils.”

Please provide links to your Website/blog, your social media profiles, and links to purchase your book (s).

“Here are links to all my books in the U.S. in print and kindle”

Books in Print and in Kindle 

Kindle 

Books in Audio 

 Glenn's Friends' Facebook Page

Facebook Fan Page 

Glenn's Google Site 

His Wordpress Site 

Besides turning your life story into books, do you have plans of selling them to filmmakers for movie adaptation? I think you should contact FeatureWorld and see what they have to offer you if you've got any plans like that. Or you market all your stories at TVFilmRights

TV film rights is the Film, Television, and Publishing Industry's premiere online source for selling different kinds of scripts. There are always producers scouting movie ideas and screenplays on the site.

“Thanks for the links to sell the stories to the movies!”

Have you read through Glenn T Langohr interview? What do you think of him? Don't you think he's a product of grace everyone should reckon with? Feel free to submit questions for him at his email address and he will reply them promptly.

Once again Glenn, I'm honored and thrilled to have you stop by at my blogs.

“The pleasure is all my. Thank you, Darmie.”

PRISONERS FAMILIES VOICES UK: Prison is a waste of money? - By Jan

PRISONERS FAMILIES VOICES UK: Prison is a waste of money? - By Jan: Festive greetings! I don't have a loved one in prison but I take an interest in the criminal justice system so hope you don't mind me con... This is a great point. It is good to see regular citizens who recognize that prisons are not serving their intended purpose, to rehabilitate!

Glenn Langohr's New Youtube Video For His Drug War and Prison Books

Glenn Langohr's New Youtube Video For His Drug War and Prison Books. My good friend and video pro Steve put together another promotional video for my drug war and prison books. This one focuses on how God had taken my life at the lowest point and brought it to His good!

Glenn Langohr: The Path Into Solitary Confinement in Prison is Wide and the Path Out is Narrow

Glenn Langohr: The Path Into Solitary Confinement in Prison is Wide and the Path Out is Narrow. Glenn Langohr spent over 10 years in some of California's worst prisons on drug charges, with 4 years in solitary before turning it into research as a writer and expert on prison culture. For a complete list of his drug war and prison thrillers in audio go here- http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=glenn+langohr%27s+audio+books You can also download the books to your phone, tablet or computer in minutes for free and buy them in print as well here- http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00571NY5A

"The path into solitary confinement is wide for this reason. We have to many laws and send to many people to prison these days. It used to be, in the 1980's, that you only went to prison for murder, rape and robbery for the most part. Tough on crime political platforms and the drug war took over and now we are paying the price with a prison population that is exploding at the seams.

To expand further, now that we send people to prison for poverty crimes like stealing to survive "Petty theft", and not being able to pay for probationary costs, and for being addicted to drugs, we have an overburdened prison system that frankly, has a lot of mental issues. Imagine being in prison as a drug addict or an orphan of poverty, on a packed prison yard, where the inmates are comprised of every race, color and creed. Now mix in hundreds of different street gangs and some predators. But please don't forget to add in a percentage of outright mental cases. Add all of that up and you have a recipe for violence, the slippery slope into solitary. This is where you have to look deeper. As an inmate trying to fit in, and avoid that violence in a predatory environment, one of the easiest masks to put on is in the form of tattoos. Human beings often enter the prison system as innocent, young drug addicts, and out of fear, try to fit in by blasting their bodies with ink to look formidable. This is the main reason that the path out of solitary is narrow. Since the path into solitary confinement and the path out aren't regulated by a court of law, dubious evidence is used that has to do with certain tattoos meaning certain things. Other dubious evidence is second hand information from other prisoners, and the one that hurts my heart the most, self admission.

What most people don't understand is that as a new arrival to a prison, the prison administration has to run a check to clear the inmate for mainline population on the "Big Yard". During this process the inmate is under the microscope like an insect under a magnifying glass. He or she is asked questions like, 'What gang do you run with? What do they call you? Do you have any enemies?' These questions make a new inmate feel like joining a gang is the answer! A great percentage of lost misfits pass the tipping point and claim something. In my case being a White inmate they asked, 'Are you a peckerwood or skin head?' I saw the verbal bait on a hook and responded, can't I just be a White man without any affiliation? For those who take the bait and claim where they're from in the form of initials to their county like S.J.C, for San Juan Capistrano, just gave someone's pen the power to keep them self in solitary forever.

My Friend Steven Smith, A.K.A. "Giant" is in My Book Prison Riot in Print, Kindle and Audio Book

My Friend Steven Smith, A.K.A. "Giant" is in My Book Prison Riot in Print, Kindle and Audio Book. It's found here in audio book~ http://amzn.to/UD9EZa To find it in print or kindle go to the side bar. Remember, you can download a kindle free in 2 minutes to your phone, tablet or computer.

I met Steve in a northern California prison and immediately called him "Giant". As with most prisons, the White inmates were heavily outnumbered. Giant was similar to me and most prisoners, he was doing his time for drug related charges. In both of our cases, we were addicted to the power that being a drug supplier brought. Thank God we outgrew that. I turned into a writer and philanthropist and Giant turned into a hooker. Just kidding, he turned into a prolific artist and mentor to wayward kids. Here's some pictures of him in the "Feds".

Both Giant and I did our time by working out a lot and playing handball and basketball. Those areas on the yard were heavily regulated by the Black inmates and the northern California Mexican inmates and we didn't have much airspace. The book, Prison Riot, A True Story of Surviving a Gang War in Prison eventually happened... Buy it, gift it to inmates and families of inmates, review it, share it, I love you.

Professor Keramet Reiter Gave Glenn Langohr's Prison Book: Pelican Bay Riot, A Five Star Review

Professor Keramet Reiter Gave Glenn Langohr's Prison Book: Pelican Bay Riot, A Five Star Review. Glenn Langohr contacted all the top Criminal Justice colleges in the U.S. and found Professor Reiter at the University of California Irvine to review one of his books, Pelican Bay Riot. After reading Glenn Langohr's book, she met him for an interview and asked him to speak to her class of 100 students as a guest Lecturer. 

To check out an excerpt or purchase, Pelican Bay Riot by Glenn Langohr in print 12.99, kindle 4.99 or audio book go here- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007G1SE7M

Here's the review- "This is a page-turner of a read about life inside the California prison system, told from the perspective of an experienced and thoughtful former prisoner, who describes unaffiliated with the various prison gangs, but collaborating and mediating among them to maintain peace on the prison yards. This first-hand account of the California prison system is not only interesting, but provides a useful counterpoint ( and compliment ) to more academic accounts of prison life." U.C. Irvine Professor Reiter

Glenn Langohr 

Glenn Langohr is available for interviews and copies of his books are available for review here- rollcallthebook@gmail.com For a complete list of his drug war and prison books in print, kindle and audio book go here- http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00571NY5A

Glenn Langohr's Novel Roll Call, A True Crime Prison Story of Corruption and Redemption Got Another Great Review

Glenn Langohr's Novel Roll Call, A True Crime Prison Story of Corruption and Redemption Got Another Great Review. A Criminal Justice Professor Glenn met on facebook reviewed his drug war and prison novel. 

Here is part of the review that can be found here- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056C0LW4
"The author captures the little-known nuances of prison life in a vivid and accurate way. Not only do these motivate the story and dazzle the reader, they also testify to the author's experience and knowledge in California prisons. Only people who know the inside can describe the importance of paperwork, kites and gang politics in the way the author has..."

Roll Call, A True Crime Prison Story of Corruption and Redemption can be purchased in print for 16.97, kindle for 2.99 and audio book for 13.97. To check out Glenn Langohr's complete list of drug war and prison thrillers that include: Race Riot, Lock Up Diaries, Gladiator, Underdog and Prison Riot go here- http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00571NY5A

Glenn Langohr's Video Trailer For His Drug War and Prison Novel Roll Call, A True Story Crime Prison Story of Corruption and Redemption

Glenn Langohr's Video Trailer For His Drug War and Prison Novel Roll Call, A True Story Crime Prison Story of Corruption and Redemption. Available in print for 16.99, kindle for 2.99 and audio book for 13.97 all found on Amazon here- http://amzn.to/nxQt3A http://