In a world where success is often measured by external achievements, many find themselves asking, “Why does something still feel off?” Josh Wintermute, a pastor, life builder, and author, addresses this question in his new book, Winning the Wrong Game, released today. Drawing on over two decades of pastoral ministry and personal trials, Wintermute offers a practical and honest guide to examining the foundations of one's life.
Wintermute's journey through physical, mental, financial, and spiritual challenges led him to a crucial realization: “The problem wasn't simply my circumstances. The problem was the foundation I was building on. Once I began addressing what was happening beneath the surface, everything started to change.” This insight forms the core of his book, which focuses on three foundational areas: the heart, the home, and the culture. Rather than offering quick fixes, Wintermute challenges readers to identify what is broken, do the difficult work of restoration, and build something stronger.
The book's relevance is underscored by a culture that often celebrates achievement while neglecting the health of the person behind the success. Wintermute believes many people are silently carrying burdens that success alone cannot solve. He writes, “You are not as stuck as you think. You are not as alone as you feel. And you are going to make it.”
Wintermute, founder of Quiet Winters, has dedicated his work to helping leaders, families, and organizations establish healthy foundations. His ministry has walked alongside hundreds through seasons of grief, transition, and renewal. Interestingly, becoming an author was never part of his plan. “Honestly, I never wanted to write a book,” he admits. “For years people encouraged me to do it, and for years I pushed the idea away. Eventually I became open to the possibility, started writing down some thoughts, and God began opening doors.”
Wintermute describes his writing journey as one of obedience, surrender, and faith. The biggest challenge was “taking the thousands of thoughts in my head and narrowing them into something clear and useful for readers.” He credits outside perspective, coaching, and editing for shaping the message into something practical. Influenced by authors like Simon Sinek, Seth Godin, and N. T. Wright, Wintermute's work combines practical wisdom, spiritual insight, and personal vulnerability. “What sets this book apart is the honesty,” he says. “I talk openly about my failures, shortcomings, and struggles because that's where God did some of His greatest work in my life.”
When not writing or coaching, Wintermute enjoys time with his wife of over twenty-five years and their three sons, fishing, golfing, and investing in his clients. For aspiring authors, his advice is simple: “You can do this. Start dreaming, surround yourself with people who know more than you do, learn from them, and begin writing.”
Winning the Wrong Game is an invitation to stop patching cracks at the surface and instead rebuild from the ground up. Sometimes the breakthrough people seek is not in doing more but in building differently. The book is published by Lucid Books, an independent hybrid publisher in the Houston area.
