World Premiere of Me

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is The World Premiere of Me About?

A: Hollywood billionaire movie producer Grayson O’Day has a plan to rid the world of poverty through the power of imagination.  He relocates his operation from Hollywood to The Hamptons, and spends a small fortune to build a prototype movie studio.  With construction complete, O’Day needs only one thing to fulfill his vision: a test subject.  The World Premiere of Me is the story of Duncan Ferris and his unlikely journey from classic underachiever to forerunner of the final age of man: The Age of Mind.  The broad theme of the story is: God has a plan to rid the world of poverty, and that plan travels through the imagination of man.  The story is told as an allegory, wherein all the main characters represent one aspect of the theme.  These include Grayson O’Day (God), protagonist Duncan Ferris (man), antagonist Fenton Hardaway (death), and Bud “The Colonel” Stratton (reason). Much of the action takes place in Eternal Sunset Productions studio, which represents the Mind of Man and within the studio there is a 22-acre section known as The Unchartered Territories, which represents Imagination.

Q: This book is unusual in that it uses self-help and spiritual principles to tell the story. What inspired you to write it this way?

A:  While training to become a certified LifeSuccess Consultant, I was urged by Bob Proctor (from The Secret) to write a book.  He suggested that a book is a great way to gain credibility as a speaker and life coach.  My hesitancy to write a nonfiction book about self-help and spiritual principles was due to the glut of such books on the market. I simply didn’t think I could contribute an original or unique book about these topics.  I ultimately combined my love of both self-help/spirituality books and fiction/literature to create a story that weaves spiritual principles into the narration. As a result, I believe The World Premiere of Me is, indeed, a unique and fresh contribution to this genre. My dad, who edited the first draft, said the book was a “modern day morality tale.”  Much of my inspiration was derived from similar books, including The Alchemist, The Shack, and many of the stories authored by Og Mandino.

Q: What were some of the sources of your ideas, principles and concepts weaved into the story?

A: I have been a serious student of self-help and spirituality books since the mid-1990’s.  I’ve read more than 200 books on these topics and I employed the principles, ideas, and concepts of many of these books in The World Premiere of Me.  The most influential books, and those whose ideas were most prominently on display in my book were Your Invisible Power by Genevieve Behrend, Three Magic Words by U.S. Anderson, Wishes Fulfilled by Wayne Dyer, The I Am Discourses by Saint Germain, The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity by Catherine Ponder, The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles, Directing the Movies of Your Mind by Adelaide Bry, and Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.

Q: Who is your favorite character and why?

A: My favorite character is Duncan Ferris, the protagonist. The reason I love Duncan is he is a classic underdog and he overcomes his obstacles through uncommon persistence.  I also enjoy his sarcastic wit.

Q: According to the book, what is The Age of Mind?

A: Napoleon Hill said: “Imagination is the most marvelous, miraculous, inconceivably powerful force the world has ever known.”  The Age of Mind is the final age in the evolution of man, wherein mankind taps the powerful forces of imagination to transcend all worldly limitations such as poverty, disease, war, and labels.  One Power (God), countless perceptions, harmoniously creating a world of abundance and peace for all, perfectly aligned with the broad theme of this story.

Q: This book depicts ideas and concepts with religious and spiritual roots. How did you incorporate your beliefs in a way that would speak to the masses?

A: It was my intention to create a protagonist who was flawed and relatable, and one who had lost his faith in God. We all walk different paths, but we share common experiences—grief, tragedy, illness, disappointment—that challenge our faith. As such, our concepts of God and prayer differ slightly from one person to another.  No book could possibly explain the complexities and mysteries of death, prayer, or the nature of God.  Even the most learned preachers have inadequate explanations of God’s role in such things as war or children with cancer.  But I believe the masses are infinitely seeking enlightenment on these topics, so I intentionally incorporated my personal spiritual beliefs into Duncan’s story in order to give that dimension to Duncan’s journey while simultaneously providing fresh perspectives to readers.

Q: You describe a lot of different technology, where did you come up with the concepts?

A: A lot of the technology in the book came to me through formal visualizations. Eternal Sunset Productions movie studio came to me in vivid details while visualizing. In fact, the title of the book came to me while visualizing. In my mind, I was seated at the shoreline of a beautiful ocean beach when suddenly a bottle washed ashore.  I grabbed the bottle and noticed a furled up piece of paper inside.  I got the paper out, unfurled it, and read the words printed on the page: The World Premiere of Me.  My first instinct was: What a GREAT title for a book!  That was the first of many ideas that found me during the eight years I wrote this book. 

Q: What is your favorite part of the book?

A: My favorite part of the book is when Duncan is introduced to his Mastermind writing team: fully interactive holograms of William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway, L. Frank Baum, Walt Disney, and Cecil B. Demille.  I have a similar virtual mastermind group that has been highly beneficial—at times magical—in my own life. The Mastermind chapter of The World Premiere of Me was my way of sharing with readers this wonderfully imaginative and highly powerful concept, introduced to my mind by Napoleon Hill.

Q: Whose work inspires you the most?

A: Og Mandino’s work is particularly inspiring to me because he combines spiritual concepts and fiction to tell his stories.  In his book The Greatest Miracle in the World he has chapter titled “The God Memorandum” which was the most inspirational chapter of any book I’ve ever read.  I also find great inspiration in the books of Victor Hugo, John Irving, and John Steinbeck. 

Q: Where can the book be purchased?

It will be available in print only through 3L Publishing, but the ebook version will be on Kindle, Nook, and iBooks.