Interview With Inspirational Author James David Ivey, MSM

1. What inspired you to write this book?

My book states a problem common to ALL people (emptiness, lack of fulfillment, disappointment). The impact of this common problem: practice, habits, traditions, vices, addictions, cycles. The remedy: a step-by-step guide to find God’s love and help.

The result: God’s abundant life, hope and purpose. From the imminent brink of mental breakdown and suicide, with the loving Grace and guidance of Jesus, I was able to turn my devastatingly, dysfunctional, empty life into success and happiness. James Ivey’s new book provides a roadmap for readers to understand the necessary steps towards turning one’s life around and working through dark times to discover the divine guiding light of the Lord at the end of the tunnel.

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for?

Regardless of your current life situation, everyone has an emptiness that creates doubt, disappointment, sadness, loneliness, pain. The emptiness continually surfaces, always stalking you, causing personal questioning, self-doubt, confusion, that can cause discouragement, conflict, turmoil, anger, aggression, depression, rejection, self-harm. 

It matters not your age, race, physique, education, finances, or social affluence--popular or neglected, everyone is continually haunted by their emptiness. The people around us and our environment influence our reaction to our emptiness. We seek to fill our emptiness. We try anything and everything that we are exposed to in an attempt to achieve happiness, success, fulfillment. 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?

There is only one answer and choice to truly, continually, and successfully filling your emptiness with what provides the life of acceptance and the everlasting love you seek.

God says, You know that in the past the way you were living was useless. It was a way of life you learned from those who lived before you. (1 Peter 1:18 ERV). This way of life was handed down to you by your own people, but, I set you free from this empty way of life. (1 Peter 1:18 NIRV). I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. I have continued loving you with a kindness that never fails. (Jeremiah 31:3).

God's will and plan for your new life:  Jesus said, "I came that you may have life and have it abundantly. My purpose is to give you a rich and satisfying life." (John 10:10). Read this book and behold the love and abundant life James finally was gifted and now shares with others. His loving wife of over fifty years, three successful sons, and nine wonderful grandchildren are his abundant life.

As a husband, father, grandfather, businessperson, entrepreneur, designer, educator, and author, James has now had college degrees, successful businesses, major national corporate positions, and professorships at numerous recognized colleges and universities.

He was shown how to break his cycle and create a new life!

Yes, everyone—even you—can break your cycle and create a NEW LIFE!

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?

The cover is designed to demonstrate that EVERYONE at some point in their life struggles and lacks understanding and guidance and feels unfulfilled and disappointed.  We seek to fill our emptiness by overworking, overexercising, over-entertaining, overeating, social media addiction, shopping addiction, gambling addiction, alcohol, drugs, opioids, pornography. None provide the long-lasting happiness, self-worth, or fulfillment we seek. Many of our repeated practices become habits, addictions, cycles. ALL people try to project an image of success, happiness and fulfillment. They believe the answer to a happy and successful life is a wealth of material possessions. They work themselves to near death to have everything material believing it will give them everyone else’s respect, admiration, envy and service. They sacrifice their well-being, family and life, only to realize they have NOTHING of meaning or lasting worth. “People may spend their whole lives climbing the ladder of success only to find, once they reach the top, that the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall.”

Thomas Merton

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?

Listen and record everyone’s advice and suggestions. Study your favorite authors’ writing styles. Choose your “day of beginning” and thoroughly review ALL of this research. Then, get a good restful night’s sleep in preparation for your next day beginning. The next day should be cleared of distractions. Gather all your research. Then, set aside all of that confusing “help”! Relax! Be patient! A story worth telling, takes a “season”. A Masterpiece cannot be rushed!  Then just WRITE! Fast and furious and slow and methodical; put it to “paper” as it comes. Get it ALL out and recorded. On future days you can review, edit and organize. “Clean up/editing” can be done any day, but creativity only comes when inspired and when unencumbered! That is the “easy” part.  

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? 

The world has morphed into a digital wonderland and maze. Yes, there are still a few works worthy of the hard cover and a minority of those whose hands cradle our messages. The world is a rapid paced business world of commerce to politics to spirituality. You want to master the digital tools if only to allow you the benefit of efficiency that will assure more of your creativity to be captured and shared; as its loss is tragic. Again, that is the “easy” and self-rewarding part. The hard, yet critically important part, is mastering the marketing and distribution world of notification and ease of availability for your creations to reach the “literature hungry” world! Ebooks, audio books, digital copies, etc., are just the beginning of this new transformed world of literature. You must secure the interest, help and dedication of a literary prophet, like Brian Feinblum. Don’t be hypnotized by the eager vultures that will immediately circle your innocent self-accomplishment. Beware those who immediately promise the rapid ease of producing your “print”. Beware those who make promises and assure they can meet all your needs for success, without asking one personalized question to truly learn who you are. You need someone who is not in a hurry! They need to know you to help you. They need to ask more questions about you than about your profit margin. The right “helper” works WITH you! They insist that YOU have the final approval. Do not rush your destiny!

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? 

My experience in personalized literature was a result of a personal agonized misery that needed a safe method of venting rather than a dramatic explosion. Writing became my spigot for questioning and self-expression and explanation. Where and when I was not allowed to question or was censored, I instead, would record my anxiety to paper. This diffused the building pressure that for others might result in eventual mass mayhem. My literary recording was my saving grace; if style, so be it. My book provides two of my early poems, “I Am god’s Error” and “Faith”, that demonstrate the bookends of my spiritual quest. These and the many poems and prose in-between, record my experienced life confusion. Not having a guiding life mentor prevented confusion and anxiety of life contradictions without explanation, reasoning or “politics”.  The two poems importantly demonstrate a positive ending note of perceived hope. Hope is what provides everyone a reason to get up and face tomorrow. 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to?

Influence that attracted me included Bob Dylan and John Lennon. Their questions offered me a friendship and companionship. I found in their messages my own search for answers to questions I, too, was told not to ask. I found truisms that were not allowed to be discussed. I found the same life contradictions that no one would explain. I recognized that someone else, too, was seeking hope, fulfillment and happiness. 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?

The immediate challenge was “not knowing what I did not know” about the governed world of writing. I realized that the challenge was again only the world’s common method of marginalizing the common person’s attempt to take their place on “stage”, be part of the “big show”, participate in the curtain call.  I, as was my common pattern, disrespected literary authority and its rules and regulations and, with reckless abandon and disregard, “cut loose” with my inner soul. I captured everything that worked its way through the mental abyss.  Later, I attempted to assemble the many “pieces” into some type of single read. Keeping my standards low, I eventually allowed my person of inspiration to privately read my inner soul. Upon conclusion, with tears in eyes, responded, “Yes!, You are now free! Tell the world more! They will later decide how the pieces fit together to show the “picture”, if that is what is meant to be!” Over time, the literary editing took care of its own necessity.

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?  

Celebrity suicides are rampant. Everyday people are unfulfilled, sad and empty. People have lost their HOPE! There is only one answer and choice to truly, continually, and successfully filling your emptiness with what provides the life of acceptance and the everlasting love you seek. This book provides a step-by-step guide to find God’s love and fulfillment.  Everyone needs to read and share this book.

  

   Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.3 million pageviews. With 4,400+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.