Today I have the pleasure of welcoming JR Weaver to Chat About Books! His book, The Addiction Manifesto, is something quite unique and I’m sure you’ll agree, after reading the following interview, that it sounds like an inspirational read.

Hi JR Weaver….

For those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourself and your book(s) please?

Hi Everyone, I’m JR Weaver, author of The Addiction Manifesto.  I am a person in long-term recovery from mental health and substance use disorders.  I am (or was) what you would have called addict or junkie, because I had let my addictions control my life.  For the last 27 years I led a life that took me to jails, prisons, living on the streets, I had burned my personal relationships in the pursuit of something that was destroying me.  I am a believer that we all have a story to share and I’m blessed to be able to sit here and tell the world my story in hopes that it will help the next person find their own way back from addiction.  Want to know why so many former addicts believe in God?  Because we have seen the gates of Hell in our addiction. 

Where did/do you get your ideas from? 

When I started writing about my addiction I was really surprised about what I had learned about it thru surviving it.  Maybe it thought it had controlled me enough to let me know its true motives and it’s those motives that I was able to put down in The Addiction Manifesto and how to prepare myself (mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually) to battle back against my demons. 

Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?

Yes, and here’s the crazy part, its about the 2 versions of myself, the good version and the bad version.  I’ve learned that we all have 2 versions of ourselves, and both gotta eat, so we’re faced with a lifelong internal struggle between the 2 versions, which side will you feed? 

Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?

I started writing in jail, facing 4 serious felony charges for burglary and they had all the evidence they needed to lock me away for 10-15 years (they had pictures).  Something inside me changed, I was really down and out, my life was a train wreck and I had to know how it got to this point.  I started writing and I had to deal with the elephant in the room, my addiction.  I spent about 90 days locked up but it was really a blessing in disguise because this was my absolute rock bottom, I had written about 77 pages that proved to me that my addiction was out of control.  I had written the premise for what I was calling my own personal ‘hope manual.’  Long story short, my new felony charges were rolled up into my drug court plea and I was released to the program.  I graduated the hardest program with no sanctions, I continued to write and The Addiction Manifesto was born.  If this book could save a guy like me then I knew it could save others. 

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Matthew Reilly, James Patterson, Brad Thor, Vince Flynn, Mark Greaney

If you could meet any author, who would it be and what would you ask them? 

Ryan Hampton (American Fix), how does he stay motivated to fight against a system that doesn’t want to hear our stories?

Were you a big reader as a child? 

I remember the first set of books that I read as a child, JRR Tolkiens Lord of the Rings. 

When did you start to write?

It’s ironic that I never really had the passion to write until my life depended on it, today I write to reach other struggling addicts with the purpose of bringing them back.  I want them to know that they can recover from anything and return to live amazing lives. 

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?  

Un’broken

Tell us a random fact about yourself

Army veteran that was stationed in Berlin when the wall came tumbling down.  And another random fact is that I am currently employed at the same hospital that I was once arrested at 😊 

What are you working on right now?

Book marketing, lol, who would have guessed that its tougher than the actual writing. 

Tell us about your last release? 

I had a free ebook promo last weekend that hit #1 in 2 of my amazon categories. 

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

I cut the grass, I have learned to stay humble and focused on the long road ahead.   

How can readers keep in touch with you?

Facebook, twitter, Instagram, if I can help out anyone please drop me a message. 

Is there anything else you would like us to know? 

It’s a great book, it may not get the publicity that other books get because I do write about the dark side of life that society wants to ignore, but its really a book of hope and one helluva comeback story. 

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Jerry.

2020 International Book Awards Finalist for Health: Addiction & Recovery

“Some people won’t believe in you, and that’s ok, this journey isn’t about them. It’s about you.”

The Addiction Manifesto has been uniquely designed to provide you with a new perspective on recovery and will show you that anything is possible. In this deeply personal book, JR Weaver has crafted a raw insight into his life and how he’s been affected by substance abuse over the past 20 years. He details his recovery process and how he’s dealt with loss.
With this book he wishes to help people on their journey to recovery. His realistic approach details his journey to try to have a normal life again.

If you’re going through addiction recovery or want to help someone who is… This book allows you to gain a greater understanding of substance abuse and its many challenges.

available now on Amazon