I'm so excited about this interview. Jack Flacco is a very talented writer, who like me, loves zombies. His blog features three popular subjects, but my favorite is Women Who Wow. Jack has recently published his book and it's already making news. Join me now as I introduce Jack Flacco, the brains behind Ranger Martin and The Zombie Apocalypse
Marie Gilbert: Hi Jack. It's such a pleasure to have you as my guest. Let's start off the interview with you telling us a little bit about yourself.
Jack Flacco: I feel awkward whenever someone asks me this
question since it requires some bragging. How about if I just say I write about
stuff and some of the stuff makes sense. How does that sound?
Marie Gilbert: I understand completely, Jack and I'll do the bragging for you. Jack is an amazing writer who lives in Ontario, Canada. He and his wife not only contribute to many charitable organizations, but they strongly believe in the importance of Universal Literacy. I could do more bragging about Jack, but I better get back to the interview. Jack, who or what was your inspiration for
this book.
Jack Flacco: I woke up one morning with a name on my mind—Ranger
Martin. Whoever he was, his name stuck with me. As I shaved that morning,
images swirled in my head of Ranger’s exploits fighting legions of zombies. It
became evident he would be the star in a book that I had yet to write.
Marie Gilbert: Tell us about Ranger Martin and The Zombie
Apocalypse and what makes this book different than the other zombie books on
the shelves?
Jack Flacco: My current reading material nowadays consists of
legal thrillers by John Grisham. I’m attempting to consume his entire bibliography
in chronological order based on publication date. I’m halfway there. Missing
from my bookshelf is a large swath of zombie literature to which I can compare
my book. If you find something you like in the series, let me know, I’m
interested in what the audience thinks. As an alternative, you can also read
the reviews on my site and on Amazon. Zombie fans would know more of what makes
Ranger Martin and The Zombie Apocalypse different than from what I can ever say
about the series.
Marie Gilbert: Side note to my readers: If you want an insight into Jack's thinking on zombies, check out his Mayhem Mondays on his blog. Back to you, Jack. Is the book available on Nook and Kindle?
Jack Flacco: It is available from Amazon as an eBook and as a
paperback.
Marie Gilbert: Will there be a sequel to Ranger Martin and The Zombie Apocalypse?
Jack Flacco: Yes.
Marie Gilbert: Well, I for one, will be anxiously awaiting the sequel. What publishing house did you use or is this
self-published? If self-published (I’m a fan of self-published if done
professionally). Tells us the cons and pros of getting the book to the finish
line?
Jack Flacco: For the eBook, I used Amazon’s Kindle Desktop
Publishing site to submit my manuscript. Once accepted, they take care of
distribution. For the paperback version, I used CreateSpace. The rules are
pretty much the same for both platforms and Amazon looks after the backend. It
makes for a seamless process. As for finishing the book, I had hard deadlines to
hit for every step of the way (writing, editing, proofing, etc.). Concept art
took months to finalize. In the end, it all came together without a hitch. I’m thrilled
to know my fans have embraced the book to make it their own.
Marie Gilbert: What suggestions would you give to other
aspiring writers to help them in their journey to being published. What have
you learned from your trials and tribulations?
Jack Flacco: Life has many distractions, remain focused.
Everyone has chores, car maintenance, school, work, and medical appointments to
keep. Make a commitment and follow through. Give yourself deadlines and
stick to them. Stay away from the dark side of the business. You’ll recognize
it by hearing others say phrases such as, “I’ve lost my inspiration”, “I feel
so down”, “I’m insecure with what I’m creating”, “I’m struggling here”, “All I
get is rejection”, “I can’t get an agent/publishing deal”, “I don’t feel like doing
anything today.” Put on the blinders and keep pushing forward. Forget about the
excuses. Your success is your own.
Marie Gilbert: Jack, In your opinion how has social media helped
writers.
Jack Flacco: Social media provides writers with the
opportunity to connect with their fans one-on-one. That’s the canned response.
My answer? Social Media’s a great way to have fun with the audience in order
for them to feel as if they’re involved in the creative process. I feel
privileged to have a supportive group of folks who forgives my posting silly
photos on facebook of trees, food, and other weird and wonderful things. They
certainly know how to brighten my day.
Marie Gilbert: I Love your blog and know the readers would
like to learn more about it.
Jack Flacco: Sure, you can find me at www.JackFlacco.com. I post three times a
week, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. My Monday Mayhem series deals with all
things zombie. Women Who Wow Wednesday features strong female leads in motion
pictures and TV. And I write whatever comes to mind during Freedom Friday.
Marie Gilbert: Jack, my last question, where can we find your book?
Jack Flacco: You can find it available worldwide exclusively
at Amazon.
Jack, I want to thank you for being a guest on my blog, and for all my zombie snacks out there, buy the book and tell me what you think. Make sure to check out Jack Flacco's Blog; you won't be sorry:)
