My Third book The Blind Blogger’s NYC Adventures is finally here!

Hello again;

Today, I’m sharing the happy news that my third book The Blind Blogger’s NYC Adventures, How you Can Make Your Dreams Come True has been published!

After many months of hard work by me and my trusted faithful editor Lorraine Reguly you can now read about my amazing crazy solo trip To New York.

Don’t I look happy in that picture? There is something special about holding your own book in your hands, feeling the pages turn, smelling the paper and ink. I highly recommend it to other authors.

In addition to the emotional effects of having a copy of your book in your hands, you will be surprised by the effect these physical copies have on people around you. When you tell most strangers that you are an author, they think oh great not another one of these nuts. But when you can show them your work in print, it totally changes the tone of the conversation and the whole experience.

To me being a real writer means having the courage to say you are a writer without hesitation. It also means purchasing copies of your book, carrying them with you, and having the confidence to pull one out at the proper moment of daily conversations. And who knows you may even make a sale or two.

What It’s About

You can find out more about the Amtrak Writer In Residence program and how I came to be one of the winners of this prestigious writing award for 2016.

You can see my selection process and find out how I chose New York City for my destination and the Christmas and New Year’s holidays for the time I would travel.

You can follow me through the whole process from the time I thought about applying until I returned safely to my home in Houston Texas.

What To Expect

I’m told by many that this book is part travel story and part self-help book, but that it’s totally entertaining throughout.

It features the wide eyed wonder and appreciation for people, events, and experiences that I’m known for.

It includes a lot of the brutal honesty that readers have come to expect. For good or bad I just have difficulty holding back when I think sharing this could help someone else by their hearing it.

And there are many moments that will give you a view into the life of a visually impaired man trying to solve the daily problems of life both at home and away with creative solutions and a willingness to ask for and accept help from others.

I Learned Something About Myself

While editing this book, I’ve had the opportunity or necessity to reread a lot of what I wrote. I have come to a bit of an uncomfortable conclusion. I realize now that I’m pretty much shameless. What I mean is that I have no thought or very few thoughts about what other people are thinking. And the prospect of failure or looking silly just doesn’t enter my mind.

For example I fell twice while skating at the famed Rockefeller Center. I asked the skate guards who were guiding me for my protection and that of the other skaters if they would take a picture of me on my but. They refused saying who would want such a photo. I said I’m a life coach people like to have proof that falling down isn’t a bad thing as long as you get back up again.

I’m Unexpectedly And Unapologetically Proud

The book is an Amazing read. For my author friends, and for those who have known me a long time; you will understand that my saying that about my own book is a huge step forward for me.

This time there is none of that awe shucks it was nothing. I’m not going to try to tell you or myself that I was just doing what I do.

I know that going to New York City solo and having this grand adventure is a big deal. One that will be made all the more special if many people buy this book, read the book, and live the messages within it.

How To Buy

1: Purchase On Selz

When purchasing an author’s book from Amazon or CreateSpace, those huge companies keep a very large share of the income derived from the author’s work. (They take either 35% or 70%.)

By purchasing my book through Selz, I get to keep most of the money (about 90%).

E-book with color Images

$9.99

Signed print copies with black and white photos

$49.95

With each signed copy you will also receive a copy of the ebook so you can have the amazingly vibrant color photos.

2: Buy it on Amazon (in print or as an e-book)

Buy it as an e-book, or buy the print book.

The e-book is $9.99 (as are my other books) and the print book is $19.99.
The print book contains only black and white photos but, if you buy the print version, you can buy the e-book for only $2.99. What a deal, right! 😉

If you have questions, please Just Ask.

First Review And A New Challenge

The book has already made some sales, and I received my first glowing review from Anne Slater-Brooks of Travel The Globe 4 Less wrote an awesome post called How Brave Would You Need To Be To Travel If You Were Blind?

I love how she weaved her own travel experiences into the discussion of mine. She brings past friends into the post. You can tell she is sharing fond memories and wondering what they would have been like without sight.

She does a great job of making the case for why people should read the book. But I’m mentioning her here because of the challenge included in her post.

I’m often asked what is Max going to do next. I don’t usually have an answer to that because I’m an in the moment kind of person. Also, I firmly believe that by keeping my heart and mind open that next opportunity can show itself to me at the right time.

During my email exchanges with Anne she invited me to come visit her in her home in Sheffield England. From that offer grew this big crazy plan. And trust me it’s crazy.

RTW Challenge

The idea is that we are planning a Round The World tour for The Blind Blogger.

Anne has started reaching out to her blogging friends around the world. As a top travel blogger, she knows many who might be able to participate or at least offer good advice and timely suggestions.

Between her friends and followers and the wide number of people around the world who know, love, and are inspired by me; I’m sure we can make this happen.

She included a form with the post so that people can sign up and let us know they are interested. The more people we have committed to helping in some capacity the more likely this mad adventure is to be a relatively smooth one that will be yet another way for me to inspire people in their own lives.

We are calling it the Max Ivey Round The World Challenge, and we have a hashtag of MaxRTWChallenge. It says what it is, and we really couldn’t come up with anything better.

The plan is for me to leave for Sheffield England on December 20th the anniversary of the date I left Houston for New York City.

I’m seeking to visit as many countries, meet as many people, have as many new experiences, try as many new foods, and create as many new memories as possible.

I also plan to share my story along the way through conversations, book signings, and public talks.

Saying Thanks

Now, I firmly believe in the power of gratitude. If we don’t say thank you for the little things, the big ones will never appear. So I have to thank God. for giving me this opportunity and for seeing me through it safely.

I also have to thank those people who personally helped me along the way.

I thanked a lot of those people in the dedication to the book. I sincerely hope you make it a point to reach out to those people and invite them into your online world.

I really wouldn’t be here without their help and the support and encouragement of so many others. And I include you in that list. It’s your warm comments and willingness to share my posts that keeps me going during the slow or down times that every author, blogger, podcaster, artist, musician, etc goes through at one time or another.

It’s knowing that you appreciate what I have to share and even care about the outcome. I feel like many of you are just as happy when I succeed as I am.

I’m not sure you can ever know just how much that means to me and to every other online person that you follow and support. So, thank you my friends and followers.

And since I know just how lonely this can sometimes be, I hope you will have the courage to reach out to me. I’m always up to follow and support a fellow author, blogger, podcaster, etc. And I’m pretty good about sharing their content as long as they tag me to remind me.

I can’t believe the book is finally finished. I still have days when I wonder did that actually happen and did I actually do that. And then I have times like this week where I’m already involved in planning an even more difficult, more ambitious, yes crazier adventure.

That is the thing about accomplishing big hairy scary stuff. It leads to more opportunities and challenges.

I hope that someday soon you will be writing to tell me about your accomplishments big and small crazy and even normal ones if there is such a thing.

Until then thank you, God Bless you, and take care out there, Max