Tagged Again!

Tag! You’re it! Or rather, I’m it as fellow author and Twitter friend, Mindy Levy, tagged me and asked me to participate in this fun blog game. Mindy shares her extraordinary tales of the ordinary in her book, Mindy’s Musings, where she makes the mundane magical.

For those who have followed The Mess for awhile, you will remember that I was tagged back in November by a couple of great writers. My WIP (Work In Progress) back then was Reaping the Harvest, which is now out and available through Smashwords, Amazon, and Barnes &; Noble. (A Shameless plug, I know, but hey, I have to drum up sales somehow.) My next book out, or my current WIP to stay with the theme, will be the topic of this tag.

First, however, some rules for the game. Give credit with a link to the author who tagged you, as I did above for Mindy. Next, play by the rules and put the rules in your post. Third, you must answer all ten questions. After all, what’s the point of playing the game if you’re going to skip part? And finally, choose five other authors to tag and add their links to the end of your post so that this game of tag can continue.

Now, on to the questions.

1.      What is the title or working title of your WIP?

A Confused Life.

2.      What genres does your novel fall under?

Essays, humor, family, non-fiction, and personal humiliation. I added that last one because the book makes fun of my own downfalls and points of view. My motto? Make fun of yourself before others do it for you.

3.      What actors (Dream Cast) would you choose to play the characters in a film version?

The book doesn’t lend itself to a film version, although I could see Bob Denver (Gilligan) portraying me in quite a few scenes. Or Rodney Dangerfield.

4.      What is the main outline of your book?

A Confused Life

There is no true outline. It’s a collection of essays, some new for the book, and some not so new from The Mess that Is Me. However, those that have appeared on the blog have been enhanced with new material. I like to say it’s The Mess on steroids. The main theme behind A Confused Life is that our journey through life doesn’t have to be like everyone else’s. We are meant to be different.

5.      Will your book be Indie published/self-published or represented by an agency and sold to a traditional publisher?

As with reaping the Harvest, I will be publishing A Confused Life on Smashwords.

6.      How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

 Two plus years. I have selected essays from The Mess from 2010 through 2012 and have added a couple of new ones this year.

7.      What other books in the genre would you compare your book to?

I would like to compare it to the writings of Erma Bombeck and Dave Barry, but then I think higher of myself than I should. The question would be best asked to those who keep returning to the blog.

8.      Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I love to share stories, especially those that will make people laugh. However, I love to make people stop and think, as well. We start our journey through life being told what to think and how to behave and sometimes we get too far into our journey before we stop and say, “Wait. I don’t agree with that.” A Confused Life is a combination of those ingredients. Just like The Mess, it’s to be a thought-provoking laugh.

9.      What else about the book might pique readers’ attention?

It’s meant to show that we’re not alone in our awkwardness and our frustration at life. At times we think we’re the only screwed up person on the planet. A Confused Life shows we’re all screwed up in some way. We all feel awkward at times and we don’t have to be like others or fit in the box that they tell us the majority fits into. We are meant to be unique and as we find our way into our own skin, we stumble at times. I’ve stumbled quite a bit and this book looks back on some of those moments.

10.  Name five other Indie Authors you have tagged.

Margie Miklas

Stephanie Neighbour

Gary Alan Henson

Taylor Folks

Mary Papas

Now let the game continue!

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For Further Reading ~ The Next Big Thing
                                 What's Next? A Confused Life

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