Author Inez Lola Johnson Has a Story to Tell

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Amanda (Mandee) Burgess, born Amanda Inez Johnson uses the pen name, Inez Lola, to pay tribute to her late grandmothers who molded her into the woman she is today. Grandmother Inez taught her to have compassion for others and, as her comforter, she would often sing Amanda to sleep.

Even though Amanda didn't get to spend a lot of time with her Granny Lola, she did learn from her what it was to be a virtuous Child of God. According to Amanda, "She kept her house in order. I never heard her cuss or gossip. And she was an awesome cook. One of her greatest qualities was her faithfulness to God coupled with a powerful prayer life."

Holding a Bachelor and a Master of Science from North Carolina Central University, Amanda specializes in identifying the source of problematic behavior that leads to criminality. Additionally, she is skilled in assessing the risks and needs of individuals who display patterns of criminal behavior. As the mother of three, she uses her experiences with teen parenthood, child rearing, and a previous marriage to educate others on how to cultivate healthy relationships. Additionally, Amanda is an advocate for teen pregnancy prevention.

Amanda is currently working on developing a non-profit organization called Project Downshift. The goal of Project Downshift is to empower men (with special emphasis on building them up) and women to support each other mentally, physically, and fiscally while building strong households and healthy children. It is based on the belief that empowering the family spiritually and financially is imperative to their success.

Amanda co-authored her first book, "Flag On The Play: A Woman’s Guide to Finding Mr. Right in a World Full of Mr. Right Nows".