#AuthorLife by Joe Zagets My rating: 5 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#AuthorLife by Joe Zagets is a dark tale, full of surprising revelations and twists. It is also a fun, entertaining and satirical look at the publishing industry from the perspective of Mackenzie "Mack" Lane, a down on his luck author, who's hiding the extent of his financial difficulties from his wife, his extended family and his friends. While he had some success with his debut thriller years ago, his more recent books were received with much less enthusiasm and commercial success. The lower sales, along with some poor financial decisions, have left Mack on the brink of bankruptcy.
Desperate to boost sales and fulfill his dream of being seen as an "important" author, he comes up with a plan (his "Daring Scheme") to increase the buzz around his upcoming novel, and enlists the help of his agent, who reluctantly agrees. Mack knows his plan will cause pain and anguish to his wife and teenage son, but rationalizes that the reward will outweigh the cost in the long run.
I loved the book, although I must admit that I really didn't like the main character very much. It seems like every time he did something that might help someone else he had an ulterior motive. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME! And to say that he doesn't make the best choices given his situation is a vast understatement... I found myself going between feeling slightly sorry for him, then thinking maybe he might have some redeeming virtues, and eventually just wanting to give him a (proverbial) slap across the face while shouting, in the words of Will Rogers, "When you find yourself in a hole, STOP DIGGING!".
#AuthorLife is a fictionalized, "behind the curtain" look at the publishing industry and some of the challenges authors and agents have, and the lengths to which they might go to give their books the best chance of success. It was fascinating and thought provoking, irreverent and, especially in the later chapters, a roller coaster thrill-ride!
Many thanks to Bad Hand Books for providing an eARC to review. #AuthorLife releases on Sept 22, 2026.