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I Was Playing Checkers While God Was Playing Chess: The Power and Presence of God in My Life
James Bass’s I Was Playing Checkers While God Was Playing Chess is a raw and vulnerable memoir that chronicles the author’s journey from deep childhood trauma to spiritual awakening and redemption. Drawing on vivid metaphors from the game of chess, Bass uses each chapter to map out pivotal “moves” in his life—moments of heartbreak, divine intervention, and personal growth. Through the lens of abuse, addiction, love, and faith, Bass tells the story of how God’s unseen hand was guiding his life’s trajectory, even when he could barely keep his own head above water.
Bass’s writing isn’t polished in the traditional sense—it’s honest. Honest like a wound still healing. There’s power in that. His voice jumps off the page, not like a preacher, but like a man who’s been through the worst and is just grateful to be alive. The early chapters, especially those about his Abuelita and the horrifying abuse he endured as a child, were painful to read. But that pain is the point. You can feel his desperation and confusion, and then—slowly—his transformation. The chess metaphor could’ve easily been gimmicky, but here it’s brilliant. It gives shape to his suffering and makes it feel like maybe all our worst days aren’t just random punches from life.
Where the book really shines, though, is in the sections about Crystal—his wife, his partner, his mirror. Their love is not a fairy tale. It’s messy, cracked, and sometimes brutal. But it’s also real. Bass’s depiction of being a caregiver to someone with a severe mental illness is unflinching and brave. He doesn’t sugarcoat it. And that’s why it works. His sacrifices don’t feel like grand gestures. They feel like daily choices to love someone no matter what. That kind of love—resilient, imperfect, relentless—feels holy. And when he finally connects his childhood reading struggles to his ability to advocate for Crystal later in life? It was powerful. You can’t make that stuff up.
This isn’t a book for people looking for tidy answers or happy endings wrapped in bows. But if you’ve ever asked God “why?”, if you’ve ever looked at your life and felt like nothing made sense, or if you’ve ever wondered whether your pain had a point—this book is for you. It’s a reminder that you don’t have to know the next move. You just have to trust that the board is in the hands of a Master. I’d recommend it to anyone navigating trauma, caregiving, broken family dynamics, or just plain soul exhaustion.
Pages: 78 | ASIN :
I Was Playing Checkers While God Was Playing Chess: The Power and Presence of God in My Life
I Was Playing Checkers While God Was Playing Chess is part memoir, part testimony, and all heart. It’s the story of a man who lived through a mountain of trauma. Abuse, racism, addiction, marital struggles, and found God moving in places he didn’t expect. Every chapter uses a chess move to explain a turning point in his life, like how his grandmother giving him an encyclopedia set as a boy set the stage for him to one day decode complex psychiatric info and care for his wife. It’s deeply personal, packed with emotion, and reads like someone sitting across the table, telling you their truth.
One chapter that really hit me was “The Fork” about his abuelita. She steps in during his horrible childhood, gives him love, and literally hands him books when no one else believed in him. That whole section had me teary-eyed. It reminded me how sometimes the smallest gestures change everything. And the way he ties it back later, like decades later, to how he understood medical texts to help his wife, was amazing. That’s not just a good story. That’s fate with a plan. I could feel how much those books meant to him. It wasn’t just about reading. It was about survival.
Then there’s Crystal. She’s not just his wife. She’s a whole force of nature. That part where she tells him, “I love you for the man you’re going to become,” after he’s cheated and blown up their marriage? I had to put the book down for a second. That line wrecked me. You feel the weight of what they’ve been through, but you also feel the hope. The love between them isn’t pretty or easy, but it’s real. The mental health stuff is raw, too. He talks about psychosis, ER visits, and disappearing acts. And yet there’s faith threaded through it all, like a lifeline.
Later on, when he talks about writing his first book and speaking publicly, it’s a total shift. That’s when you realize the guy who used to think he was worthless is now lifting other people up. There’s this full-circle moment when he reconnects with an old boss who turns out to be a pastor. The way it all lines up? It’s wild. It feels earned. I could see the gears turning in his life even when he couldn’t. That made me look at my own life differently. Like maybe all this chaos has some kind of pattern.
If you’ve ever felt like you were getting hit from all sides and couldn’t see the bigger picture, this book is for you. If you’ve ever loved someone who was hard to love, or were that person yourself, this book is for you. It’s not fancy or polished. But it’s real and full of heart.
Pages: 78 | ISBN : 978-1963737240
Step-By-Step Framework
Mastering Emotions for Men is a direct, honest, and refreshingly human guide to emotional intelligence designed specifically for men who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or just plain numb, that walks readers through reclaiming control over their emotions in a way that feels more like a conversation with a tough-love friend than a clinical self-help manual. Why was this an important book for you to write?
In short, because I lived it. For a long time, I did what so many men do: I pushed through. I kept my emotions on lockdown, focused on success, and told myself that strength meant silence. But underneath the surface, I was burnt out, disconnected, and constantly battling this sense that something was missing. The truth is, no one ever handed us a playbook for emotional resilience. We were told to be strong, but not how to be whole.
Mastering Emotions for Men was born out of that tension, the gap between what we’re taught and what we actually need to thrive. I wrote it because I was tired of seeing good men stuck in patterns that were silently destroying their confidence, their relationships, and their health. And I didn’t want to write another polished, overly academic book that talks about emotions without helping readers do something with them.
This book is personal. It’s raw. It’s direct. But more than anything, it’s practical. I wanted it to feel like the reader is sitting down with someone who won’t let them off the hook…but also won’t let them fall apart. Because we don’t need more theory. We need tools that work in the heat of real life.
Men are craving MORE than survival. We want a deep, honest, and loving connection with others. Purpose. Control over our own minds and emotions. This book gives men permission and a proven path to develop that emotional strength without sacrificing their identity. That’s why it matters. That’s why I had to write it.
What is the RESPONSE method that you have developed, and how does this help men develop emotional intelligence?
The RESPONSE method is a step-by-step framework I created to help men move from emotional reactivity to emotional mastery. For so many of us, emotions either feel like something to avoid or something that hijacks us. We either shut down, blow up, or numb out. RESPONSE gives men a new way to examine what it means to be both masculine and emotional.
Each letter in RESPONSE stands for a key moment in that process:
R – Righting the Societal Wrong
Challenges the outdated narratives that have taught men to suppress emotion. This chapter reframes masculinity and sets the foundation for why emotional intelligence is essential.
E – Emotional Intelligence 101
Introduces the core components of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, motivation, and social skills. It explores how men can develop and practice them.
S – Science Behind the Emotions
Explores the neuroscience and physiology of emotion, explaining how feelings are formed and why they affect the body and brain the way they do.
P – Pause for Self-Reflection
Equips men with tools to stop reacting on autopilot. It focuses on identifying emotions as they arise and learning to reflect before responding.
O – Overcoming the Urge to React
This is where self-regulation comes into play: learning how to manage intense emotions and avoid impulsive or destructive responses.
N – Navigating Relationships with Empathy
Applies emotional intelligence to interpersonal dynamics, such as how to listen, relate, and respond with empathy to deepen trust and strengthen connection.
S – Self-Care for Stress Relief
Teaches men to protect their emotional bandwidth by building healthy coping strategies: stress management, physical well-being, and emotional replenishment.
E – Effective Communication and Conflict Management
Wraps it all together by guiding men to express emotions clearly, set healthy boundaries, and resolve conflict with strength and clarity.
It’s not therapy jargon. It’s a battle-tested framework built for real life, whether you’re in an argument with your partner, facing pressure at work, or just feeling that vague sense of frustration or numbness you can’t name.
This method trains men to respond instead of react. It creates space between what you feel and what you do. And in that space, you get your power back. You gain clarity. You build self-respect. Over time, you rewire your default settings. So, instead of anger, avoidance, or self-doubt, you respond with strength, awareness, and confidence.
That’s emotional intelligence in action, not just knowing what you feel, but using it in a way that moves your life forward.
What is one thing that people point out after reading your book that surprises you?
One of the most surprising things readers tell me is how much the book feels like a conversation with someone who gets it—not like a lecture or a therapy manual. That wasn’t something I intentionally set out to do at first—but it’s become one of the book’s most powerful strengths.
Men will say things like, “I felt like you were in my head,” or “Finally, someone put words to what I’ve been carrying for years.” And that means a lot to me. Because most guys aren’t walking around saying, “I need more emotional intelligence.” They’re walking around saying, “I’m tired of snapping at the people I love,” or “I don’t know why I feel so numb.” This book speaks to that guy.
Another thing that surprises people—and honestly, it’s one of my favorite reactions—is how the science lands. Guys have told me, “The chapter on how the brain fills in bad data based on perceived threats during emotional stress? That blew my mind.” Once they understand why they react the way they do, the shame starts to lift. And that’s huge. Because when you stop beating yourself up, you finally have the freedom to grow.
But what probably surprises readers most is how doable it feels. They come in expecting a bunch of abstract advice—and what they get is real tools. Quick wins. Micro-habits. Stuff that actually fits into real life. And when they see that even small shifts—like saying their emotions out loud or doing a two-minute check-in—can change how they show up in their relationships, that’s when they start to believe, “Maybe I can do this after all.”
And that? That’s the spark that makes all my research and writing worth it.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from Mastering Emotions for Men?
I hope they walk away knowing this: you can be emotionally strong without losing your masculinity.
For too long, men have been taught that emotion is the enemy, that strength means silence, and that vulnerability equals weakness. Those lies have cost us our relationships, our health, and our peace of mind.
Emotional intelligence isn’t about becoming soft. It’s about becoming sharp—clear, calm, and in control. It’s about reclaiming your power without letting your emotions drive you off a cliff.
If a man finishes this book and says, “I finally understand what I’m feeling and I know what to do with it,” then I’ve done my job.
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress. And if they take that first step then everything can start to change.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
This is your turning point.
In Mastering Emotions for Men, you’ll discover the key to unlocking the emotional awareness and control you’ve always been capable of. No fluff, no endless psycho-babble—just practical, proven steps to take you from emotionally disconnected to powerfully in-tune with yourself and those around you.
This book equips you with the RESPONSE method, a game-changing approach that transforms emotional reactions into healthy, confident responses. Through clear, actionable guidance and real-world stories, you’ll learn how to break down emotional barriers and step into a new level of personal power and connection. Here’s what awaits you:
From confusion to clarity: Learn to identify and manage your emotions with ease so you can handle stress, frustration, and conflict like a pro.
From isolated to empowered: Rebuild your self-worth and experience a sense of belonging by learning how to trust and express yourself authentically.
From distant to deeply connected: Strengthen your relationships by mastering the art of empathy and assertive communication.
From stalled to unstoppable: Create momentum in your career by applying emotional intelligence to your leadership, decision-making, and problem-solving.
By the end of this book, you’ll go from feeling frustrated and disconnected to being emotionally grounded and thriving, equipped to handle life’s challenges without feeling overwhelmed.
In just a few minutes each day, you’ll discover how to:
Reconnect deeply with the people who matter most, reigniting your relationships.
Handle high-stress situations with emotional intelligence and control.
Turn emotional vulnerability into your greatest strength for lasting success in both personal and professional life.
Ready to transform the way you connect, communicate, and live? Start your journey now—and become the man who not only understands his emotions but turns them into productive tools building the life, relationships, and destiny that you desire.
LITERARY TITAN 