Troy Gathers is an inspirational author from Charleston, SC. In this interview he talks about his first book of quotes, Take Me With You.
Reading has been your passion for a long time. What do you usually read?
Reading is necessary if you’re grooming yourself to become a leader. Books that I love to read are based on leadership, goals and inspiration. I am also huge on books based on history and how things work behind the curtains.
How do you balance fiction and non-fiction in your schedule?
That is a great question. Majority of what I read is non-fiction. Don’t get me wrong, I love a great CSI or Law and Order episode but on a regular basis I’m reading a book directly related to a short or long term goal.
How should books be viewed: Solely for entertainment or should there be a learning curve involved too?
It depends on the purpose of the book. If the author composed a horror story, I wouldn’t be searching for many jewels in that book. There is a time and a place for everything and in the literary world, being creative is key. Some books are written to teach and others to catch your attention. As a reader just be mindful of what you internalize as truth.
How did you come with the idea of putting together your favorite quotes in Take Me With You?
While in undergrad, I said I would write a book but didn’t know which direction I was going in with the subject matter. The idea was still in the back of my mind but I was full-time with my business endeavors. Over the past 10 years I have been composing my own quotes and words of wisdom. Now, 10 years later I have all these quotes in front of me. I saw it as divine intervention. I was writing this book the entire time and didn’t realize it.
How did you go about choosing the quotes?
That process was difficult because I had thousands of quotes to choose from. First, I composed the chapter titles: Friends, Family and Faith. After the chapters were created, I searched for the best quotes that closely dealt with the subject matter of the chapters. There will be additional volumes to Take Me With You, this is volume 1.
What makes a good quote book?
A good quote book will provoke change in your life. Today especially, people fight for the right not to change. Quotes should inspire and move the reader. Words have power and should be used ultimately for the good of your fellow man.
There are so many books of quotes out there, what makes yours special?
Perspective. The reader gets a new insight from someone that has a passion for helping others and has clarity on the road ahead. After reading this book, the reader will do some soul searching. I love this book and you will too. It’s available on Amazon.com now. Be sure to pick it up.
Thank you for your time.
