An inventor takes his best shot and does well

For Mike Lloyd of Zion the life of an inventor certainly has its ups and downs.

Lloyd, who has invented an acrylic device that allows homeowners to easily display pictures in the corners of rooms, thought he had his big break when he showed it to the self-acclaimed "Infomercial King," A.J. Khubani, at the recent International Home & Housewares Show.

Lloyd showed up at 4:30 a.m. to get in line for Khubani's open call to inventors.

Selected deals would get advertising trials on television, said representatives of TELEBrands, Khubani's company.

After that, the sky's the limit, including retail distribution. TELEBrands' products include Crazy Critters, a dog toy without stuffing; Pedi Paws to trim pets' nails; and Heel-Tastic, which you can roll on dry feet to remove cracks.

Khubani and his wife, Poonam, a Bollywood actress, and son, Jahan, seemed to like the idea. Lloyd, who made a prototype with the help of construction business partner, Matt Koeune of Lake Villa, was ecstatic.

Lloyd went home to await word. Instead of a contract arriving in the mail, Lloyd received a form letter, rejecting his idea, according to his wife, Cindy Lloyd, who took my call.

No word yet on the next plan for the picture-hanging device.

-Deborah Donovan