Tag Archives: Writer

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Kelley Harrell Tells All!

I have a very special interview to share with you all. Ms Kelley Harrell asked me to interview her for Novel Ideas. How could I refuse such a great request from a writer who has so much to say? I tried to get the real Ms Harrell down on paper, or blog paper anyway, for you to read about. Her book “Gift of the Dreamtime” is a really great read and I think after this interview, you will want to check it out!

Q) Welcome to Novel Ideas, Kelly! Let me start by asking you to tell me what drives you as a writer?

A) The burning cells in my head drive me to write. I can never write enough to soothe them, though the only solution seems to be to keep writing. They quiet every now and then, and it’s a nice reprieve, albeit a little boring. Then they sneak back up, taunting scenes and characters so flawed I have to plot them out of my head.

Q) Do you feel that a good story is more important than a good writing style?

A) No. I confess, I will read a topic I’m not interested in if it’s well-written over a sloppy guilty pleasure, any day. I cringe over a lot of what sells well, just because it’s cornered a market or hits on particular buzz topics. I really have such limited time to read that I can’t shove myself through something that’s not a joy to read. Those rare times that a book both conveys a great story and is well-written–they are Nirvana.

Q) How do you approach your writing? Late nights slaving over a laptop? Long days with the iPad? How do you like to work?

A) I  used to write every spare minute, often to the detriment of other things that needed to be done–little things like eating, laundry, sleep, interpersonal communication. Now that I have small children, I’ve learned thatancient maternal skill of compressing and expanding time. I can squeeze hours of productivity from a few minutes and still wonder where the day went. I set aside time daily to write, and even though it’s hard to stop on time, I honor my boundaries. As a result, I write cleaner and more efficiently, yet with even less rest…

Q) How would you personally describe your book “Gift of the Dreamtime?”

A) My memoir is about a period of my life during which I’d exhausted all the conventional healing approaches for PTSD and depression. I’d felt for well over a decade, at that point, that soul healing was needed, though such a novelty was hard to come by in rural North Carolina. I did everything I could on my own, along that line. When finally I did engage such a healer, my life changed dramatically. Not only did I feel relief for the first time in my life, I felt a responsibility to carry that healing forward to others.

Q) Do you think your book is unique? What makes you think so?

A) “Gift of the Dreamtime” is unique in that it takes place entirely on the other side of the veil–the spirit world destinations shamans travel to in order to bring back healing. No other book has accomplished that, and I’m extremely proud of that fact. That odd travel gives the book a fantasy-like quality, though the reality of what’s happening in it is quite tangible, deeply accessible by readers.

Q) I have learnt that different things excite different writers. What excites you as an author?

A) What doesn’t? I guess it’s exactly that. I am so inspired by the teasing plots in my head that I have to cull out which ones really want to play. Which ones stand the test of time (and synapses), and actually evolve as they work their way into words. Some don’t. They’re just indulgences, like personal TV shows–brief dalliances, pretty, saucy, but ultimately distracting fluff. The plots that bare themselves and refuse to leave until I can formulate them into peace–that excites me. That’s a kind of math I can actually do.

Q) Let me ask you something many interviewers wouldn’t care to ask. So, are sales or fanmail more important to you?

A) I’ll take both any given day, though what I remember most are the letters from readers. “Gift of the Dreamtime” is wide-open intimate, personal exposure, yet it demands the same of the reader. I feel very honored that people trust me enough to take the time to write, tell me their stories, and to share how the book moved them to a new place in their own healing.

Q) How was “Gift of the Dreamtime” received by readers?

A) It’s been wonderfully received, and that thrills me beyond words<—–rare. As a writer with an ego, I’m just over the moon that the book has reached the audience I intended it to, and as a modern shaman, I’m pleased that it is recognized as a contemporary healing story, inspiring others to tell their own.

Get your copy of “Gift of the Dreamtime” today!

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With No Regrets: Lloyd Tackitt Speaks

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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Lloyd Tackitt Is Touring? HOT DAMN!

 

lloydtackittThe first stop on the Lloyd Tackitt blog tour is… Novel Ideas. I borrowed Lloyd for a few minutes to ask him a few questions. Now, how can you borrow Lloyd? Easy! You just wander up to him and ask nicely if you can talk to him for a few minutes. Lloyd is one of the most down-to-earth people I have ever met. A bestseller? Sure! Just don’t expect him to tell you that…

Let’s go and see what Lloyd had to tell me about the ingredients of a bestselling book.

Q) Let me start by asking you, Lloyd, when someone uses the word “bestseller” to describe you, how does that feel?

A) It feels disconnected from me. When I started writing my first book a little over two years ago, I had hopes of selling a couple of thousand books at the most. I thought that was a fantasy, an over the top kind of hope. When I published it I was happy just to see it up for sale. When I got the first paperback in my hands it felt like a dream, and it still does. It’s crazy how the book sold–far, far better than I was ever willing to let myself hope for.

Q) What is the ultimate for you as a writer? The publishing process? The last line? What makes you contented and happy?

A) There are a series of high-points along the trail. Writing the first line, finishing the first draft, finishing the final edit, seeing the final cover art, getting the book published and out in the public. But I think the very best is the first positive review. Then, and only then, can I tell myself that at least one person enjoyed it. If one person enjoyed it, then it’s a success to me. I push myself to write because I enjoy spinning a story out and entertaining readers. I guess that’s because I am such an avid reader myself and enjoy a good book more than just about anything else in the world, so it’s a thrill to be able to give someone else that reading pleasure.

Q) Do you believe all writers can be as successful as you?

A) I would really like to say yes to this, but I’ve read quite a few self-published works that tell me otherwise – at least initially. I believe that with persistence and practice ninety-percent could, even if it comes to them only after writing several books.

Q) Is it a case of practice makes perfect? Can writing be learnt by trial and error?

A) There is quite a bit of scientific study that suggests that it takes ten-thousand hours of practice to become a master at any craft or art. I don’t know how many hours I have in, but it is in the thousands, several thousands. I’ve seen, and the reviews that readers have left for me say, that I’m getting a bit better as I go. I hope to be writing for years to come and hope that I grow as a writer with each step. So, yes, I think most writers can be successful if they persist and grow.

Q) What has been your worst experience as a writer?

A) It’s that period of time when I’m editing…I’ll start getting doubts about the story. It’s a bad feeling. I think it comes from living with the story for so long that it has ceased to hold surprises for me. This is generally after completing the first edit and before the final edit. I’ll have gone over the text dozens of times looking for errors, finding better (hopefully) ways of writing certain passages, then I start to feel a doubt that anyone will find this story interesting. I eventually come out of it again, generally about the time I send it off for professional editing.

Q) You are on a desert island… Which three books do you choose to take with you?

A) What a question! Okay, 1: To Kill A Mockingbird; 2. Simplified Boat building Techniques And Tricks; 3. Astral Navigation For Dummies. Yeah, I think that would work.

Q) Okay, Lloyd for a million dollars answer this one– What do you think is the main ingredient to a bestseller?

A) I have no idea. It’s not like I have a detailed roadmap or game plan. I think all you can do is write to your best ability and put it out there; then immediately start on the next book doing your very best with it. Then repeat, and repeat…

Q) Wise advice!

A) Thank you, I hope I won the million dollars.

Q) Well, let’s see if you get the bonus question correct, first. Why do you think the “Eden” series has been so successful?

A) My guess? My guess is that it’s mostly the niche within which I tell a story. I think that all thinking people give at least a passing thought, every now and then, to what would it be like to live through an apocalyptic event, survive it, and live on in that post-apocalyptic world. I’ve tried to think through, in a logical and consistent way, what that world would be like, what it would take to survive, and how it might turn out – and I try to make it an interesting story along the way. That’s what I think – but I don’t know that for certain.

Q) Thank you for your time, Lloyd.

A) You are most welcome.

 

With that last question, Lloyd left with a smile. I think we can all learn from the answers given by a true, bonafide bestselling powerhouse of a writer. Let me know how the answers worked for you…

Get your copy of Lloyd’s latest bestseller “Eden’s Warriors” now!

 

 

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Don’t Go Drink Driving! A Deal With Michael Haden

 

Michael Haden is a writer with a message. He wants to spread the word about drink driving. I think his intentions are honourable, and when he approached me for this interview, I knew that it could well be one of the most thought provoking things I have ever written. Michael has taken the life of one young girl he coached, who was sadly killed in a drink driving accident, and has written the rest of her life. He has taken all the would-be questions and turned them into a story with a moral. The book is called A Deal With God. Is it a fascinating read? Yes. A bestseller? Sure, 30,000 copies and rolling. I think most of all, this book is a book that asks why we continually drink and drive? Why do we have to endanger the lives of others? Why can’t we be responsible enough to take a taxi or walk? I think Michael is an excellent writer with a great book, but I am pretty sure he would be the first to admit that he wishes he never had to write it…

 

Q) Hi, Michael, let me start by asking what helped you make the decision to become a writer?

 

A) I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications. I am a Public Relations/Writing for the Mass Media major. In college, my ACT score on the essay writing part was the highest in the state of Florida. I pursued a profession, water conditioning, because I was starting a family and it was far more profitable. But my passion is writing, even if it is only a one liner in some ad copy.

 

Q) That qualifies you to be a fiction writer? Would you say some of the news we read and hear in the mass media is made up? Like fiction?

 

A) Any story, fiction or non-fiction, is better when embellished a little bit. It is the seasoning to the story. People want to enjoy reading your writing or they won’t come back for more–kinda like a restaurant. The majority of the people that read my book said they read it in two days because they couldn’t put it down.

 

Q) Which “seasoning ingredient” do you think makes your book so readable and addictive?

 

A) The way I developed the characters. If you don’t love Deana Murphy by the end of the book, you are heartless.

 

Q) Tell me more about the character of Deana. Who is she?

 

A) Deana Murphy is a girl I coached in soccer about ten years ago. She has a near unbelievable biography and was one of my best and favorite players. I got her a full-ride soccer scholarship, and she dominated her very first year. She almost made All-American, she was that good. Deana was killed by a drunk driver two weeks before her twentieth birthday while she was home working during summer break.

 

Q) What drove you to write her story, Michael? What really touched you about Deana?
A) She was killed the summer between her Freshman and Sophomore year. She was an orphan and had no survivors. We all loved her dearly and were devastated by the loss. I didn’t want her death to be in vain. When I appeared on Studio Ten, over one million viewers found out her story. If my promotion of her story stops one impaired person from causing a fatal car wreck, my project is a success.

 

Q) I guess one of the key points you are trying to drive home is the danger of drink driving. Do you think people really realise how dangerous it is to do that?

 

A) I know some people read the story in the newspaper when it happened and thought it was sad. But the average person does not understand how exponentially tragic the loss really is. That is why I wrote the book. The books answers questions in her life– the questions that tell the story of what might have been.

 

Q) How did you approach the “what might have been” questions regarding her life?

 

A) I took all of Deana’s amazing aptitudes and rolled it into a mission from God mandate. I wanted to show how much she could have accomplished if it were not for someone’s gross negligence. Within ten years, she drastically and positively influences the lives of over 1000 people. She helps an an entire town with her faith, devotion, and lifeskills.

 

Q) What was the most difficult part of writing a book that really could have gone anywhere and taken her to great heights or great lows– many of which are outside of the reality of her life?

 

A) The mandates from God were very difficult and complicated. She told God she would do anything if He would send her back. He forewarns her it will be a difficult life in a take-it-or-leave-it proposition. She takes it, not knowing how tough it will actually be.

 

Q) It must have been tough for you to write this book. I can imagine it being an emotionally draining experience to write the story of someone you knew and respected so much. How did you personally find the process of writing a book with such an emotional attachment to yourself?

 

A) I lost twenty-five pounds during the actual three months I wrote the crux of the book. I broke down multiple times, especially writing chapters 11 and 13.

 

It was a really creative experience though. I remember once, when I was in my truck on a long drive to a job far away, and a cool story line came to me. It was like a movie playing in my head. It was very engrossing and I starting telling the story to my friends and relatives and they all loved it. I would spend all day thinking about what I would write that night, write all night, then type and edit it in the morning.

 

dealwithgod

 

Q) Many writers say that the process of writing a book can be compulsive. Would you say you had a compulsive need to write?

 

A) That would be a good way to put it.

 

Q) Let’s talk about the actual publishing experience you went through. How did you find the process of getting your book into print?

 

A) I self-published the book. We tried getting an agent to get us a major publisher, but it is like pulling teeth. We–me and my IT guy Adam who formatted the book–got fed up with the process and did it ourselves.

 

Q) What would your advice be to a newbie writer? Traditional publishing or self-publishing? Which one would you promote?

 

A) It depends on your appetite to market the product yourself or have someone else do it. I enjoy marketing, so it worked for me.

 

Q) As a self-published author, how have you found sales so far?

 

A) Over 30.000 people have read my book and over 90% have absolutely loved it. A few people on Kindle library and tried to speed read weren’t as happy, but that is because the book has five sub-plots. If you speed read the book, you will miss them. Everyone that read the whole thing and understands what I am doing with the project loves it.

 

Q) I have to ask, Michael. Have you got a new book on the way?
A) It depends how successful this one is. It does have the potential to be an interesting series. I have Deal II’s story line all written. I just have to do the research.

 

Q) Thank you for your time, Michael. It has been a pleasure!

 

A) Thank you, Cliff.

 

You can connect with Michael at his website and on his Facebook page for A Deal with God.

 

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