Tell us the book title and your author name.
Thank you Nikki for the opportunity to have this interview. I’m always grateful to share. It’s not a question of selling books because the economy has soured and people are hurting. Message and empowerment are the motivating factors. The name of my spiritual memoir is Divinely Inspired: Spiritual Awakening of a Soul. My name is Jerry J. Pollock. The book was originally published in 2003 and it was just reissued in 2009 along with my debut spiritual novel, Messiah Interviews: Belonging to God.
What inspired the book?
Who rather than what? It was God. I don’t mean directly. He never told me that I should write the book. Nor have I had conversations with him. However, I’ll be bold and tell you that I did hear His Voice twice in 1982 and once again at the end of 1998 when I was blessed to have a series of spiritual miracles come into my life from the Creator. The miracles continued into 1999 and thereafter. There are some that were not written in Divinely Inspired but are described in the Messiah Interviews.
What makes this book special to you?
That I am giving back to my Creator for His Divine intervention into my life.
What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY?
I believe in our God-given gift of free will, so nobody must read this book. Not that this wouldn’t be a bad thing because when we read about other peoples’ experiences we can learn something. In this modern world of mass media, we are bombarded by sounds and messages. Most we ignore, some we hear, a few we actually integrate into our brains and in a rare instance, the message can change our lives. The messages that I received from the Creator have changed me for the duration. I’m hoping that I can pass this exhilaration onto whomever so chooses to seek God’s spiritual path.
There are many books out there on spirituality and there are as many preachers as there are stars from all kinds of religions and beliefs. However, I’ve been a foot shoulder in the trenches and what I pass on comes from actual personal Divine experiences. I’m just not spouting theology or making up stories. Even Messiah Interviews is a ‘not so fictional, novel. I feel that puts my books in a very different category. Being a scientist, I see not only the whole picture but all the details and my books are therefore research oriented and provide knowledge to the reader. You cannot separate the science in me from my unshakable belief in God. I believe God is the master scientist and that both Evolution and Creation lie in His domain. I believe that He has always had a failsafe plan for humankind, the Messianic Age where those who are worthy shall live again. Readers can read the Messiah Interviews first and then go back and read the prequel, Divinely Inspired.
What people NEED to read this book and WHY?
There is a biblical saying, “God leads people in the direction they wish to go.” It’s ironic that God’s gift of free will was purposely meant for the disinterested party who would use that gift of free will to choose to disbelieve in Him. I believe God set it up this way so we would discover faith on our own. His intention was to create an interesting world.
That being said, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for people who have grown up in a dysfunctional family or who have been unfortunate to acquire mental illness to read Divinely Inspired. Neurosis and Bipolar disorder have been part of my membership clubs, although I have moved on in my life through spirituality. People should know that the down spiraling in life is actually part of a greater upward ascent. In March of 1995, I swallowed 200 pills and by right I should be dead now. Had I not survived, I never would have appreciated that from the deepest darkness, there is light especially God’s Light if you have faith.
I would want my books to be a message of Hope for those struggling in these difficult times. Sometimes you just cannot solve problems on the material level until you bring in the spiritual. Being Jewish, it’s ironic that the Jewish community on the whole seems indifferent to my books. I’m not surprised because on the one hand I am spiritual and do not lead a religious life and on the other hand, only 30 percent of Jews believe in God. I think Jewish people should read Divinely Inspired (and Messiah Interviews) because our whole heritage is tied to God. I think the same holds true for Christian people. I don’t know about hard core atheists but there is hope for those who are sitting on the fence with their faith
What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity?
It’s interesting that you asked this question because I do think about this but I’ve never put my thoughts down on paper. So here goes. Creativity is not intelligence. I view intelligence as being static; that is, unchanging. Creativity is, however, more fluid and dynamic. Part of Creativity is genetic, but I think it is true that we use only 5 percent of our brains. That means that we can still tap into 95 percent more of our creativity, even if we were not initially blessed to have smart parents or ancestors.
In the bible, Job says it best, “Days speak and a multitude of years speak wisdom.” It takes time to acquire wisdom. Yet, wisdom I feel is not intelligence. It is the creative thought process that unfolds when you look past the material world into the spiritual world. King Solomon was not as intelligent as Einstein but he was probably wiser, because he looked for his answers in the spiritual world as well as the physical world. We tend not to do that.
I would suggest that others begin their climb on the spiritual ladder. I recently wrote an article on The Spiritual Ladder and how to begin the climb. You can find the article on my blog on my website. Go to either www.thirdtempleinfo.com or www.shechinahthirdtemple.org
What has been the biggest stumbling block in your writing? Can you share some tips to help others get past similar problems?
I don’t really have any stumbling blocks. I always told my kids to do something in life that they like and what comes easy to them. I’ve been blessed that writing serves both aspects for me even though I started out as a scientist and not a writer. The research for writing the books is much harder for me. I spend years on the research. My advice is to write about what you know and what you have experienced. If you haven’t experienced much, it’s time to start. Good writers leave a part of themselves in their books, not that I am claiming to be a good writer.
What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry?
Everyone seems to be writing a book. I guess there is at least one book in everyone. I originally wrote Divinely Inspired for mostly my own ego and partly to give back to the Creator. With Messiah Interviews, those reasons have been reversed and there is much less for myself. I didn’t, however, realize this until recently when I would examine my motives for writing the books. Some people are motivated to see their name in lights while some have a genuine belief that they have something to offer. It’s a mix.
Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books?
It may not seem unusual, but at 67 I started a blog. I’m just learning and I hope to be on all the social networks for the books. One plus of the learning process is that I will be able to keep up with my grandchildren who are flying on a different airplane in this technological age. I’ve also been thinking about two other ways to promote the books that are different than the usual ways. My editor had suggested that the Messiah Interviews would be a good stage play. I would love a playwright to write a play based on the book. If I don’t find anyone, I’ll have to learn and do it myself. I just also said to my wife that I thought I might write a newspaper column to promote the books. Perhaps on this last one, I’m whistling in the wind.
NON FICTION - Why are you the BEST person to write this book? What in your background or in your research makes you qualified to do justice to this topic?
As I wrote above, I’m the one with the actual spiritual experiences. Of course, you can be President of the
NON FICTION - If a potential reader thinks that your book wouldn't interest them, what would you say to convince them to buy? I'm thinking something better than "It’s the greatest book ever." Give me something more specific :)
That’s fine brother. It’s your choice but you might be surprised at what you might gain in reading my books. These books of mine can empower you to improve your character in this lifetime for a possible chance to live again in the Messianic Age.
NON FICTION - Why does the topic of your book interest you? Why would it interest potential readers? Give us a hook to reel in new readers.
Everyone is interested in God whether we believe in Him or not. God is shrouded in mystery. He is the greatest mystery of civilization. Divine
My hook for readers is my own quote in the Messiah Interviews. “Man achieves the possible. God accomplishes the impossible.” King Solomon says that if you return to God, He will return to you. It’s time to read the books and take the first step.
NON FICTION Is there a way to tie your book topic to current events? If so, tell us about how you could do that. I have a blog to feature information and examples about tying books into current events that might be a good place for you to promote your book.
Yes, we have been discussing bits of this relevance in this interview. I have articles I have written on a variety of subjects for the blog tours that I would be happy to share with your readers. If there is anything I can do to help, I will.
If there's anything else you would like to share, this is the time and place.
I read this recently. It’s beautiful. Someone once asked Michelangelo how he produced such beautiful sculptures, He replied, “I saw an angel trapped inside the marble and I carved to set her free.”
Thank you for visiting with me and in closing, give us your website address and a link to order your book.
The links for ordering eBooks or the paperbacks are given on our website and Blog, which I repeat from above www.shechinahthirdtemple.org. Readers can go to Amazon or make a request at their local library or bookstore. We soon hope to have an audio book of the Messiah Interviews. Shechinah means Divine Presence in Hebrew.
