Author, Ghost Town
This week on “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Ira speaks with Dr. James R. Gregory, longtime branding executive turned full-time fiction author and creator of the gripping new psychological thriller Ghost Town.
James shares the story behind his remarkable career shift and his prolific creative output—often sparked by “concepts and seeds of ideas that percolate over a lifetime,” then written, as he puts it, “at the speed they want to be told.” He reflects on his memoir Small Fortunes, his ambitious Covid-era project Columbia: The Street, and the wide range of books that led him to fiction.
In this episode, James opens up about the childhood spark that inspired Ghost Town, the emotional connection he forms with his characters, and his commitment to uplifting stories filled with tension, humanity, and heart.
Set in the backwoods of western Pennsylvania and infused with historical touchpoints like the Johnstown Flood, Ghost Town delivers a haunting tale of Sulphur Creek’s last man standing—and the powerful tycoon who destroyed everything he ever loved.
A conversation about reinvention, creativity, and the stories that stay with us.
Dr. James R. Gregory has enjoyed a forty-year career as the cofounder of a highly successful corporate brand management firm headquartered in New York City with offices worldwide. Jim has written five business books on creating values with brands: Marketing Corporate Image, Leveraging the Corporate Brand, Branding Across Borders, The Best of Branding, and Powerhouse: The Secrets of Corporate Branding.
Since selling his company in 2013, Jim has focused his creative efforts on biographical books, Columbia—The Street and Small Fortunes, and short novels and novellas designed to be read over a weekend, earning him the designation of “King of the Short-Reads.” His most recent novels are Zephyr’s War, Killer App, and Artifacts. Now, he is proud to release his latest book, a historical novel called Ghost Town.
Dr. James R. Gregory Instagram