James R. Gregory
Hailing from Bradenton, Florida, Dr. James R. Gregory is an expert in corporate branding and its effect on Wall Street. The author of six influential business books, Zephyr’s War (Morgan James Publishing, August 13, 2024) marks his debut novel. Melding his real-life business background as the leader of an unconventional consultancy with the freedom the fiction genre affords, James is thrilled to present this fast-paced thriller which contains all the elements of business realism along with plenty of thrills to captivate and entertain.
Vacation druthers… City or Rural destination? Why?
I love city and rural destinations, so I like combining my vacations to experience both. I especially enjoy river cruises, which give you a variety of experiences in the country and cities
they visit.
Do you have another artistic outlet in addition to your writing? Do you sew? Paint? Draw? Knit? Dance?
I enjoy painting in addition to writing. My mother was an artist, and one of my most fantastic memories is of my mother, my daughter when she was about six years old, and myself sitting
back-to-back, doing landscape paintings together. My grandkids have joined the artist club, and we continue making memories together.
Is there a work of art that you love? Why? Have you ever visited it in person?
My favorite piece of art is that kidney bean-shaped chrome sculpture called “Cloud Gate” in Chicago’s AT&T Plaza. It was created by Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor and dedicated
in 2006. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most extraordinary sculptures I’ve ever seen. That gleaming chrome kidney bean caught my imagination the first time I saw it, and I cannot visit
Chicago without stopping to see it. I especially enjoy sitting back and watching how people interact with the sculpture. Nobody can ignore it, and it is fascinating to watch old and young
alike relate to it. I worked it into my new book, Killer App, which will be coming out later this year.
Not all books are for all readers…when you start a book and don’t like it, how long do you read until you bail?
I can tell if I will enjoy a book within a few pages. The author needs to grab me, and if I’m not intrigued by the first chapter, I’ll know whether I will read it to the end. I always try to get
something out of the book to understand what the author had in mind or to understand better some aspect of the book that got me hooked enough to purchase the book in the first place. I
write the kinds of books that I enjoy reading. My books are relatively short because I’m not trying to add empty pages to reach a quota. I write a story to its conclusion. Then, I move on to
the next story. My time and my reader’s time are valuable and should be respected.
What brings you great joy?
My greatest joy is painting with my grandchildren. We have such fun thinking of wonderful things to paint. I put their artwork on the walls of my home and always enjoy seeing them.
