James Gardiner Tracks Down the Hero Within

I had the pleasure of chatting with James Gardiner today on BCB about his personal and professional journey, his unique background, his new book, All In With Love – my journey to the hero within, and much more. Click HERE for book club questions to accompany the memoir. Welcome, James!

Tabitha Lord: Give us a little snippet of yourself and your book.

James Gardiner: As a champion for the inner child in all of us, I am a believer that the road to happiness lies within our younger selves. I am a Star Trek junkie, former high performance rower, former actor, and a former Chippendale that has amassed quite a lot of life lessons which can be found in my memoir.

TL: What were the key challenges you faced while writing All In With Love?

JG: Self-growth happens when we let go of insecurities and become transparent with the good, bad, and the ugly. In my life journey, I have been fortunate to experience many successes and almost as many failures, of which many have been devastating. Learning to accept these and share with others was a key obstacle to face.

TL: What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

JG: Honestly, my writing was more influenced by the films of Terrence Malick, Darren Aronofsky, Scorsese, and Spielberg. Being in the industry for years, my love of movies spurred on a creative landscape when writing. The book is divided into arena sections (major cities I lived in) and each is influenced by a specific director.

TL: You mention the ‘Oracle at Beavertail’ quite a bit in the book? What makes it so special to you?

JG: The ocean has always been my muse and sitting on the rocky bluffs staring out at the Atlantic has provided me with continual comfort as I have grown old in life. It is a special place, a magical place where I seem to always find the answers I need.

TL: How did you approach the writing process?

JG: Every author is different. For me, I knew exactly where I wanted to take this journey of a middle aged man who was on a road to reconnect to his younger self. Because of my film background, I had a storyboard of the book in my head as I sat down to write. When it was “go time,” I went.

TL: How long did it take you to write All In With Love?

JG: Two years. And with that, I wrote for the first 459 days straight without skipping a day. I approached the process from the standpoint of my high performance rowing days, striving for the podium takes consistent discipline and drive.

TL: Where can readers find your book?

JG: It is available at over 50,000 book sellers worldwide including: FriesenPress Bookstore, Amazon, IngramSpark, ITunes Bookstore, Kobo Bookstore, Nook, Barnes and Nobles, Chapters, and Indigo. It is available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats. To support the author directly order from www.allinwithlove.com

TL: Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title All In With Love?

JG: Well, the book cover was something I had envisioned based on my life and the journey within the book’s pages. To me, it made sense that my younger self would come and join me as we stood together at the only home we have ever known, the water’s edge. The title itself was something that is a common theme in the book: all my life I have gone all in on the things that I wanted but there was always a price to pay. Now, it is about going all in with love each and every day moving forward.

TL: When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

JG: Life is a rhythm. And writing a book is no different. I think the freshness comes in understanding the ebb and flow of storytelling, knowing when to surprise, when to go into specific detail, when to sprinkle in some humor or lightness, and when to allow the audience to breathe. Each author has their own brush with which to paint freshness to the reader and to themselves.

TL: Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb) you can share with your readers?

JG: Hahaha. Oh, there are lots truthfully. Living in New York and Los Angeles has allowed me to meet some pretty cool people and be in some unexpected situations. This book contains a lot of celebrity interactions and friendships as well as an interesting insight into the world of filmmaking, Chippendales, and murder of all things!

James Gardiner is a champion for conscious leadership and walking each day of adult life with our younger selves. With over two decades of hands-on experience in personal and business growth, he is motivated to help people face their challenges, uncover their truth, and reconnect to the wonder of youth so they can truly live the life of their dreams, by design. Most recently James has embarked on traveling and speaking about his powerful new memoir, All In With Love – My Journey to the Hero Within. The book chronicles his amazing life experiences and accomplishments as well as showcases how he turned poor choices and failure into a recipe for personal growth.