Tag: comedy

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:

Utopia PR won best humor book in the 2021 IndieReader Discovery Awards. "Adam Bender’s UTOPIA PR is not a story about a dystopian future, politics, nor morality but mainly about the power of the word–of information, of rhetoric, of argument–and the ability to persuade people. Narrated by a skilled and intelligent protagonist who speaks directly to the reader/viewer, it is a fun and efficient book, but also scary: like all good fiction, it uses sarcasm to make readers think about the world outside."

Read the humor award-winning Utopia PR today!

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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.”

No, it’s not #fakenews… It’s the Utopia PR book cover reveal!

Blake Hamner here! I’m excited to reveal the cover for Utopia PR, my new book coming Feb. 22, 2021!

Cover for Utopia PR by Adam Bender

While it might read like a dystopian satire, it’s actually a memoir of my time handling crisis communications for Our Leader. It is definitely not #fakenews or a science fiction novel. This book represents my total, unvarnished truth. You can trust me because I’m in PR.

You can preorder it today!

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Bailey McGinn designed the beautiful cover for Utopia PR. We wanted to go for something simple and iconic. The image highlights one of my greatest PR accomplishments during my time working for the president: turning one of his killer robotic hounds into the hero pup who’s now universally beloved by the nation!

You might be wondering why the cover lists Adam Bender instead of Blake Hamner as the author. I think this was my publisher’s error. See, Adam is my ghostwriter. He helped congeal my wildly brilliant thoughts into coherent sentences and chapters. Don’t panic: I’ve submitted a customer support ticket and am promised a response within 3-5 business days.

In any case, here’s a book summary…

Public-relations extraordinaire Blake Hamner (the “n” is silent) put off his honeymoon for his big break: joining a major political campaign for president. Now, the “Hammer” struggles to make time for his marriage as Crisis Communications Manager for Our Leader, who since taking power has become increasingly mad and totalitarian.

The Hammer starts to reconsider his career choices when one of Our Leader’s savage steel hounds attacks the Comms team at a press conference. When a revolutionary called Jetpack levels grave allegations against Our Leader—and implicates Blake for the cover-up—the PR rep who thought he could talk his way out of any crisis finds himself utterly trapped in a dystopian job.

Please subscribe to my mailing list below for updates on when the book becomes available for preorder. It will available soon as both a traditional paperback and digital eBook. Also, please leave a comment — I’d love to hear what you think of the cover.