Tag Archives: Book

Going, Going, Gone… Lloyd Tackitt

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Lloyd Tackitt has a way about him. Everytime you talk to him, he has sold more and more books. You have to keep careful track of where his sales are. Multi-bestseller? Multi-MULTI-bestseller? I caught Lloyd for a few moments to reflect on the self-publishing business. It’s a brand new world– a creative hot spot where anything can happen. Guys like myself believe that there are no rules with this brand new landscape we call self-publishing. Lloyd agrees, and look what happened to him! The “Distant Eden” series has made him one of the best known self-published authors around with sales that would make a traditionally published company jealous. Let’s go pump him for information.

Q) I am told by many writers that you have to be talented to write worth a damn. Do you believe you have to have “talent” to be a writer? 

A)  Some talent I think might be required.  But there is a lot of craft to writing that can be learned.  The talent part is probably mostly in believing that you can create a good story, one that will keep the pages turning.  If you believe that, then I think you may have enough talent.  The craft part is like learning any skill–study and practice, study more and practice more.  Read a lot, a whole lot.  You learn from every book you read.  I believe a lot more people can write than are writing.  Hopefully they’ll give it a try. We all need more books to read.

Q) If you could have either high sales or be highly respected—which would you pick? 

A) That’s a hard question, hits me right in the ego.  Sales are a sign of respect, maybe?  The biggest thrill is when I get emails from readers that tell me they have recommended my book to someone else.  That’s as good as it can get right there.  If they liked it enough to encourage someone else to read it, all I can say is Wow!  That’s ultra cool, and it increases sales, too.  I love getting emails from readers and respond to all of them as soon as I can.

Q) You are a keen fisherman, you have an active life. Why writing? Is that just another addiction you have to feed? 

A) It must be, I keep doing itand it feels great when I’m on a roll.  Funny thing about writing…you know how when you’re reading you are transported into the story?  The same thing happens when I write; I get transported right into the story in the same way.  All of a sudden I’m not sitting in front of a computer tapping on a keyboard– I’m walking through the forest, hearing the sounds of birds and squirrels and smelling the pine scent. I hear the crunching of leaves with every step I take, feel a twig snap under my foot.  I’m there in a way that is as real as it can be.  I’m not aware that I’m typing. I’m setting a trap or stalking a deer, or sitting at a scarred old kitchen table deep in conversation with a cup of steaming coffee in front of me.  I can smell that coffee, raise the cup and take a sip, feel the heat and savor the taste.  I see my companion’s face, a face I’ve known for years.  His eyes are real and alert, there isamusement in those eyes.  I know his expressions, can tell exactly what he’s thinking as I’m talking to him.   Writing is great fun because it is a transcendental experience.  Later, when I’m rewriting and editing, it’s different. Fun in its own way though.

Q) I am told everyday that the writing world is overcrowded. Do you believe that?

A) Crowded?  Not a chance, there’s more than enough room for everyone willing to take a chance on failing in a very public way.  We need more writers, far more writers – who knows how many great books are bottled up in people’s minds right now – books I want to read.  There are literally billions of readers around the world so even if one in every ten people wrote a book there’s not just room but a welcome for them.

Q) You have built a successful career from self-publishing. What are your true feelings about the self pubbing trend? Do you believe, as I do, that is it is a new era,new idea and a whole new landscape for people to be creative with?

A) I do. There are so many people that have been liberated by self-publishing it’s incredible.  This is an awesome era to be in where you can write and get published without having to kow-tow at the gates of the traditional publishing houses.  My books would probably never have been published by the traditional method–they cross genres and the bookstores would have a hard time pigeon-holing them into one category–so the traditionals likely wouldn’t have been interested.  They are driven by a very tight and immutable marketing plan, and they don’t take chances.

 Q) Do those, big, hard-to-publish-with, giant publishing houses really know what will hit?

A) In some ways, yes.  They have a time-tested method of selecting and marketing books.  But they are limited by that system, they miss great books every day because the books don’t fit their formula.  Imagine if other artists were constrained that way, how many masterpieces would have been lost to us? Imagine if every painting had to be approved by a committee before the public could see it?  How many great works of art were out of sync with the  current culturally accepted modes?  If those works had been quashed would Dali’s works have ever seen the light of day?  The traditional publishers are going the way the slide rule manufacturers went when the first pocket calculators came out.  They are dying, struggling to survive, but dying.  And good riddance – they have already quashed millions of great books, books we’ll never get to read, and it’s our loss.

Q) It’s a trend right now to ignore the editor. Do you believe in a good editor for a good book? 

A) Absolutely, yes.  I work my manuscripts over and over and over before I send them to an editor.  And they still come back with so much red ink they look like someone was murdered on top of them.  Most of the edit suggestions I get back are very good, very sound.  Even then, with professional editing, mistakes still slip through.  Even the traditionally published books have errors in them.  I recommend to every writer to definitely get a good editor and pay them to do a professional edit.  They don’t have the blinders on that I get when I’ve written something. They see it objectively and call it like it is.

Q) How do you feel about your upcoming worldwide live interview?

A) Nervous! Seriously, I can’t wait to see what the world makes of Lloyd Tackitt.

You can find out more about Lloyd here and here!

Find Lloyd’s author page here!

Don’t forget a copy of Lloyd’s latest bestselling novel “Eden’s Warriors” today!

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Cliff Roberts Meet Tom Ufert!

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Cliff Roberts is a man accustomed to the public eye. He was a politician, a CEO, a businessman and a police commissioner. Now, retired, disabled and contented, he writes. He is a novelist.

 Tom Ufert, politician, world traveler, charity fundraiser and writer has met his own struggles with addiction, sexuality, illness and has turned them into strengths.

You don’t need to pity these guys, you can LEARN from them…

Chris Keys1

Cliff Roberts, a man at home with his family.

 

Nick: Thank you for attending this interview, guys. Cliff Roberts, meet Tom Ufert.

 

Tom: Thank you, Nick. It’s great to meet you, Cliff.

 

Cliff: Likewise, thank you for inviting me to be apart of this wonderful summit.

 

Nick: Now, you are both ex- politicians, correct?

 

Cliff: I claimed to be reformed.

 

Tom: Yes, EX. I recovered my brain and conscience.

 

Nick: Okay- no politics. Let me start with you, Cliff. You were a successful businessman, a wealthy politician, and you have run major companies in your time. Now, you are disabled, living in Tennessee, and you write. How do you feel about that?

 

Cliff: Being disabled sucks after having been a very active sportsman most my life, but I can’t just sit around whining, so I took up my first lover–writing.

 

Tom: Amen

 

Cliff: I know people who have just turned off and now just sit waiting to die, but I ‘ve never been that type.

 

Nick: Tom, you have a similar outlook. You struggle with several disabilities, and you have never given up. Do you think the time was right for you to write a book?

 

Tom: Well, I think that with the world in its present state of affairs, people need to be reminded that things can get a lot worse…we all need to be aware that adversity is part of life, and only your will to NEVER SURRENDER will keep one afloat.

 

Nick: You are a true inspiration, Tom. Cliff, do you think you are defying the way disabled people are usually perceived by many people out there? You seem to be throwing off the pity and striving for greatness, as you always

Tom Ufert, a man in thought.

have.

 

Cliff: I would like to say that I, like Tom, believe the same. I read the blurb on Tom‘s site about adversity making you stronger and it’s true. Every challenge changes you. It can be for the better or the worse, it’s up to you. That is exactly how I felt when I became disabled. It was just another challenge for me to overcome. I think too many people believe that disabled means unskilled, incompetent and unable to think and do anything. I may need an editor, but I’ll tell you a story you won’t be able to put down or forget easily.

 

Tom: RIGHT ON, CLIFF!

 

Nick: That was powerful, you really hit home there, Cliff. Tom, as a guy who suffers with HIV and MS, have you been faced with similar prejudices to Cliff?

 

Tom: Oh, yes! I prefer the PC term ‘physically challenged,’ Nick. I can tell you though one thing is for sure, being in a wheelchair means I don’t have to replace my shoes as often!

 

Nick: Do you two realise how inspirational you both are? You must realise that people can learn so much from your experiences.

 

Cliff: I don’t know about myself; he’s in a chair, I’ve hopefully got a few years before I’ll need one most of the time. I just try to do all I can and avoid getting down about it. You just have to keep plodding on and making the best of situations.

 

Tom: People need to remember we may not have all our physical attributes, but we’ve still got our minds. Take me–I have only use of three fingers on hand, two on the other, but can keep up with most typing fifty words a minute; plus, with modern technology like Dragon voice activated programs I can write damn well. What I do isn’t amazing; it’s just adjusting to what life has thrown at me, and I keep moving on forward. I try to inspire others to live life rather than just survive it! That’s my aim.

 

“I TRY TO INSPIRE OTHERS TO LIVE LIFE RATHER THAN JUST SURVIVE IT!” ~ Author Tom Ufert

 

Cliff: I never felt that I was anyone special having overcome my challenges until a local newspaper writer interviewed me and he claimed I was the most inspiring person he’d met in twenty years of writing his column. I should have been in a home several times I guess, but I refuse to quit. It’s just as Tom said, people think because your body is broken, your mind doesn’t work. As long as I can think I’ll keep doing all I can to reinvent myself as I need to. But writing is totally freeing. I can do the things that I’ve always wantedbut never was able to even if it’s just in my mind.

 

“Just remember, I don’t stand for handicap jokes…” Tom explains with a smile.

Nick: I think you are right, Cliff. Okay, Tom, your book “Adversity Builds Character” tells of your life and struggles. What do you think was the hardest obstacle you faced?

 

Tom: The will to live and make the world a better place is what keeps me going. For me, the greatest obstacle was having all three disabilities—MS, an incomplete spinal fracture, and HIV. Divine inspiration and a whole group of support covering my back kept me going. My ability to inspire others to help the less fortunate is the drive that spurs me on every day.

 

Nick: So inspiring. Cliff, let me ask, did you ever believe that you would be writing a book, at what could be described as the lowest ebb of  your life?

 

Cliff: No, I never considered it when I was able to function. I  was always looking for the next business opportunity and trying to build my world financially. I fought the changing of my body as long as I could without even thinking about whether it might be something other than getting old. Then one day, the doctors said I should stop and focus on living because what years I had left were going to be a struggle. To me, writing was just that thing I had tried when I was a kid in college. Now that I’ve got several books done, I can’t imagine not having written all along. I should have, but life got in the way.

 

Nick: Tom, if you were still fit and healthy, do you think you would have written the book?

 

Tom: I’m not sure, but writing about the other adversities–struggling with my sexual identity, drug/alcohol/sex addictions, my mother’s tragic death, being sexually abused as a child, being “adopted”,etc…certainly was a cathartic experience, and I can only hope my insights help others. I am enjoying writing, and with three additional books planned, I think it’s become a new niche to mark my place in the tapestry of humanity.

 

Cliff: Tom, will all the books be in the same vein, the same inspirational memoir genre?

 

Tom: Actually, no, Cliff. My second will– it’s a sequel to my first book “Adversity Builds Character.” The third book will be a kind of unique travelogue about my year studying in Australia, while the fourth is this a kind of philosophical text utilizing texting acronyms to guide people in our modern age.

 

Cliff: I’ll look out for them. I am really enjoying this interview, guys.

 

Tom: I am, too. My memoir was inspired by my godmother/grandmother who suggested my story could really help others. If I could survive all this in just thirty-four years of life, then others can survive their life struggles, too.

 

Cliff: Your website showed that you’re quite the world traveller with book signings and such all over the Far East. Have you considered motivational speaking?

 

Tom: Actually, my book is going to the Far East. I’m not. I’ve only travelled to Canada and Australia. I am, however, still young, and I am ready to travel anywhere to get this book to those who need help. I am working with my team to get a speaking career rolling. Do you know, Cliff? When I visited Australia, I gave twenty-six speeches, and I kept on speaking right through my political career. I have always enjoyed speaking in public.

 

Cliff: I know the feeling. I gave more speeches as a politician than I can even remember. I think it becomes second nature at some point. Your writing is inspiring, and you write very well. Nick, I am sure, is just sitting back relaxing as we do all the conversation.

 

Tom: Politics, the gift of the gab, not knowing when to keep quiet. Do you think your first book “Reprisal!” is your best?

 

Cliff:  No, I don’t think it is my best. My style of writing has improved from the blunt force approach that is “Reprisal! The Eagle Rises” into the books that I’ll be releasing as we go forward that are more subtle with better flow in the intrigue; but having said that, I firmly believe that “Reprisal!” is just as good as any action thriller you’ll read by anyone.

 

Tom: I have added “Reprisal!” to my reading list! They strike me as similar to other action thrillers I like in James Patterson’s style.

 

Nick: Cliff, do you think people will take to ‘Reprisal!’ in the same way they took to you as a politician?

 

Cliff: I hope they do. I won my election with a landslide victory!

 

Nick: Tom, what do you think makes your life fulfilling?

 

Tom: Community involvement. My adopted family and Jesuit educators stressed that. I have to say that family and friends are vital, but for me, sitting around and being complacent is a sin. I love contributing to my community, my nation, my world, and my species. In my opinion, it’s kind of what God had in mind when he made man in His image. Otherwise we’re just another animal struggling to survive which doesn’t live up to the higher power of human capabilities like Einstein, Motzart, DaVinci, and Christ Himself.

 

Cliff: NEVER QUIT!

 

When things go wrong as they sometimes will
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When life is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit!

Life is queer with it twists and turns
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit,
It’s when things seem worse,
That you must not quit!

~Unknown

 

 

Tom: Beautiful prose, Cliff.

 

 

Cliff: Thank you, Tom.

 

 

 

Cliff Roberts first published work is called “Reprisal! The Eagle Rises.” You can get this great book here!

 Tom Ufert‘s first book is called “Adversity Builds Character” and tells an important story. How did Tom overcome the traumas, trials and troubles he faced in life? How did he survive? You can get his book right now, right here!

 

 

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Author J.R. McLemore Spills The Beans…

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I always love taking the opportunity to meet other writers…

“I live in Rome, Georgia with my wife and daughter. I work as a computer programmer for an eCommerce company. I began writing horror stories because it was what I loved to read. Since reading more diversely, I realized that I no longer loved only one genre, but many different genres. I’ve stopped trying to label myself and fit within the confines of any one category. Therefore, I write stories that I find fascinating and fun. I just hope readers will find entertainment in the various books I write.“

Q: How do you feel about promotion?

A: I love the idea of promotion. However, I, personally, do not love promotion because I’m not very good at it. That’s why I’ve hired a PR guy. I think that promotion is extremely important now that there are so many different books available to readers. How else can a new author stand out in the crowd when everyone else is also vying for a reader’s attention?

Q: What would you consider a failure as a writer?

A: My answers could make for a lengthy list! I’d say the biggest failure that comes to mind right now is: the inability to learn from one’s mistakes, which, technically, can apply to most anything. I think it really applies to writing, though. As a writer, you need to have a thick skin in order to accept criticism, but that’s only the beginning. Once you receive that criticism, you should analyze it, learn from it. That feedback can help you strengthen your weaknesses if you address it. Unfortunately, too many authors let negative feedback hurt them emotionally and that’s where it stops. Once you take something personally, it’s a slippery slope to reacting in an equally negative way to offset that negative feeling. Remember that you are a professional. Learn from your mistakes, fix them, and move on with the intention of trying not repeat them. Now, if you ask me this question tomorrow, or five minutes from now, I might have a completely different answer.

Q: Do star-ratings really matter when you are trying to sell a book?

A: Hmm. Good question! I’m split on my answer; I want to say Yes and No. When I hear star-ratings, I think Amazon because, to me, they’re synonymous with that system, although, I know they didn’t invent it. I think that, initially, the star-rating system was a good idea. Everyone was on the honor-system and made honest reviews based on their experience with a product. Negative reviews were valuable in letting potential customers avoid the same pitfalls previous customers had to deal with. Positive reviews could alert others to superior products and/or service. All seemed right in the world. However, as the system trudged along happily, someone got wise that others were gaming that system, using it to bash their competitors or, worse yet, fabricating false reviews that would benefit them, and those people alerted the rest of us. How could some dishonest people abuse the system like that, taking something we all had faith in only to pervert it to earn a buck? Well, that question is easy to answer: the world isn’t a fair place. Maybe I sound cynical; I am, to a degree. Call it wisdom or whatever you want. I’ve been around the block enough to know the score.

Q: How do you personally cope with bad reviews?

A: This is by far the simplest question for me to answer. I ignore bad reviews. Well, that’s not entirely true, provided it’s a constructive bad review. As I said before, if the reader is telling you something, you’d do well to listen and change what you’re doing if there’s sense in doing so. If it’s a negative review without any constructive advice (i.e., the reviewer is just being mean), I ignore it and continue on my way. Just remember the quote: “You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.” That sums up reviews, I think. And, if you do happen to receive a particularly nasty review, for God’s sake, don’t respond! That only makes you look like a self-centered ass.

Q: Do you believe that the publishing world is overcrowded?

A: Are you kidding? Why, hell yes it’s overcrowded! It should consist of just my stories! Okay, that was obviously me being facetious. I wouldn’t say, necessarily, that the publishing world is overcrowded. Instead, I’d say that the world of books has grown exponentially with the introduction of self-publishing as we know it today. Now, anyone can publish whatever they want; and, boy, have they! I think readers have a harder time searching for good books among the mountain of choices that’s out there; and it just keeps getting bigger. Coupled with nefarious authors who are abusing the rating system just to earn a buck, the process of finding a talented writer is even more difficult. But, on the flip-side of that, more and more talented writers can publish their books directly to readers, bypassing the gatekeepers of old who only squashed those writers’ dreams and denied the readers a chance to enjoy some truly fantastic stories. If anything, the amount of competition should fuel every writers’ desire to produce the absolutely best work (s)he can.

Q: What would make you put down a book straight away?

A: A sure-fire way to make me put a book down right away would be glaring, colossal spelling and/or grammatical errors. If I find plenty of those on the first page, then I can rest assured that the writer most likely doesn’t know what (s)he is doing. Therefore, I won’t bother wasting my time proceeding any further. Also, in a similar vein (although, I won’t necessarily stop reading the book), it bugs me to no end when I encounter common idioms and/or phrases that are used incorrectly. For instance, a writer might say, “The hell with that!” when it should read, “To hell with that!” Moreover, I commonly hear people say, “safety deposit boxes”, which is actually “safe-deposit boxes”. Of course, these are probably petty things that annoy me and don’t bother most other people. But still, they grate on my nerves like nails across a chalkboard. Writers are supposed to be wordsmiths and perpetuating these kinds of mistakes bothers me. And, I don’t mean to come across a grammar-Nazi; no one likes a know-at-all who points out others’ mistakes, so I try to keep these annoyances to myself. Well, until now, anyway.

Q: Personality or writing talent; which draws you to a writer?

A: Definitely writing talent, because, in the end, it’s always about the writing. However, to keep me coming back for more, the writer should have a friendly personality. Some readers don’t care one bit about the writer behind the stories, but I’m not one of those readers. Since I also write, I like to know something about the person creating what I read; I like to have something in common with that person. For instance, there is an up-and-coming author (traditionally published) who is an amazing writer. I read his first anthology when he gave it away on Amazon and was blown away by his storytelling. I decided to follow his blog posts. Unfortunately, this guy’s notoriety went to his head and he started boasted about how great of a writer he was. Needless to say, I stopped following him and reading any of his work. He might be a great storyteller, but once you become full of yourself and make it public, at least in my opinion, that is the kiss of death. I can’t read anything of his now without thinking of his over-sized ego. I think a good trait for a writer is to be humble. We all put our pants on one leg at a time, people. It’s not like we’re solving the secrets of the Universe.

Q: Are you a writer who is affected by writers block at all? How do you cope with it?

A: Ah, the question of writer’s block; I was wondering when this would come up. Honestly, I don’t really have a problem with writer’s block, at least, not in the traditional sense of the term. I mean, I’ve had plenty of obstacles crop up while writing a story that’s left me stymied, but I haven’t let it stop me from writing and I haven’t experienced the inability to write anything because the words simply wouldn’t come. If I’m working on a story and I hit a wall in the plot, I stop working on that story and start working on another (I’ve got plenty of stories in various stages because of this). While working on the latter story, my mind is off wondering how to circumnavigate the wall I encountered in the other. Eventually, I’ll hit a wall in the second story, leaving me an opportunity to return to the first with a fresh perspective. Typically, this is when I see a way around that first obstacle. If not, well, I begin writing a third story and the process continues. Hence, the reason I have so many stories in various stages. Also, I’ll admit that I keep an “idea file” handy. Mine is a Word document that is over a hundred pages long and more than sixty-thousand words long (at last count). It contains all of the story ideas I’ve had since I’ve started writing. When I’m at a loss for what to write next, I open it and sift through my chicken-scratching until something piques my interest. I’ll turn the idea over in my head until I feel enthusiastic about pursuing it. Once I’m motivated, I start writing. By doing this, I find that I’m always working on something. And, by working on something, I mean anything book related. It doesn’t matter if I’m designing book covers or thinking of quirks some characters might have in some distant story on the horizon, I’m usually thinking of something that will make its way into one of my stories. And, if I don’t feel like writing, I don’t. I’m through with trying to force myself to sit and write when I’m not motivated. That used to work for me when I was younger, but as I get older, it’s counter-productive. I think during those down-times it’s just my creative mind’s way of recharging. During those times I am usually doing something entirely different, like learning math.

Q: Is your family supportive of your work?

A: Sure. Although, they simply view it as a hobby. I mean, my day job is what pays the bills and provides for us. Now, should that change, I’m sure they would be even more enthusiastic about my writing. My wife is an English Professor, so she’s always willing to support my writing endeavors. Also, in my family, we tend to nurture any expression through art. I’d also like to give a shout out to my wife for her contribution to my work. She’s my first beta-reader. Ninety-eight percent of the time, she is the first person, other than me, who gets to read one of my stories, which means she gets to point out some of my really horrendous mistakes. Hopefully, readers will read my work with wonder and awe, but little do they know that what they’ve read, in its initial stages, was an ugly duckling. I owe a lot to my wife for helping me transform my work so it is presentable to the public. She’s the only one who has actually seen my writing at its absolute worst.

Q: If you could go back and tell your 21 year old self any piece of advice, what would it be?

A: Buy a ton of Apple stock! [Laughs] Geez, where do I start? I actually got a chance to entertain answers to this question while writing The Old Royal. There’s so many things I could do differently (or better) knowing what I know today. I guess the biggest would be to persuade myself to start reading and writing sooner since I didn’t start either until I was well into my thirties. I didn’t know what I had been missing until I sat down with a truly good book one day during my lunch break at work. I’m a little bit of ashamed to admit that, until then, I hated reading and/or writing. Most authors, it seems, say that they have been writing from a very early age. I can’t make that claim. I think writing is a great form for expressing one’s self about dealing with worldly situations. The more you read and write, the better you get at it. Also, improved writing skills come in handy in daily life, too.

***************************************************************************************************************************************

J.R. McLemore’s latest book is called “The Old Royal”.

Anthony Jessup is a daydreamer who works at a dead-end help desk job. His greatest fantasy is to become a famous novelist like his idol, Roger Kurrey. However, Anthony’s stories receive more rejections than accolades from editors.

When Anthony receives an old Royal typewriter as a birthday gift, he soon learns that the typewriter is more than meets the eye. Armed with the ability to alter the past, Anthony realizes that he can fulfill his dreams. But, to do so comes at a cost.

If you could change the past, would you? If so, at what cost?

Get your copy right now!

Find out more about J.R at his official website and on the links below!

I’m on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/jrmclemore
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