My book won a humor award but this is my life

I’ll be honest… I’m not sure how I feel about my book Utopia PR winning an IndieReader Discovery Award for humor.

For one thing, my co-writer — really more of a ghostwriter — Adam Bender has been taking all the credit! I never did sort out that mess where the publisher put his name on the cover instead of mine, Blake Hamner (the n is silent). Now Adam seems emboldened to cut me out entirely — and the awards community seems to be going along with it! Just read this IndieReader Q&A he did, or this recent interview on podcast Car Con Carne! Not one word about my contributions!

The other thing that bothers me is that my book won a humor award, even though it’s not a comedy. Utopia PR is actually a memoir about my life and struggles trying to manage crisis after crisis for the president — not the lightest task! This book is me at my most vulnerable. This book is my truth. People think it’s funny?

Foreword Reviews recently jumped on the bandwagon of not understanding me. They wrote in a recent review, “Sharp and witty, the novel Utopia PR is a free range political send-up set in a chaotic, perplexing, and familiar future world.”

I mean, what?

Look, it’s nice to win. It’s not like I’m going to give back the award (I mean, once I wrestle it out of the arms of that credit-stealer Adam Bender).

Just please know that, when you do read the book, I — Blake “The Hammer” Hamner — composed this thoughtful and contemplative work about my very real life. It’s a serious book. Please take it accordingly.

For what it’s worth, here’s the award:

Read the humor award-winning Utopia PR today!

About IndieReader

IndieReader launched the IRDAs in 2011 to help notable indie authors receive the attention of top publishing professionals, with the goal of reaching more readers. Noted Amy Edelman, author and founder of IR, “The books that won the IRDAs this year are not simply great indie books; they are great books, period. We hope that our efforts via the IRDAs ensure that they receive attention from the people who matter most. Potential readers.”