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Cut Reality - Book Tour and Giveaway

4/16/2019

66 Comments

 
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Cut Reality
by Zack Hacker
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Suspense

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When the specter of death comes to reality TV, who's to blame?

After a reality television competitor dies during filming, it sends the cast reeling. Follow Jason Debord as he takes on the role of amateur detective to gain clarity into the death of a reality TV co-star and ends up uncovering criminal conspiracy.

When Jason returned home from competing on Beached, he'd lost weight, couldn't sleep, and felt more alone than ever. But he expected those changes. Jason had no way to predict that one of his fellow competitors would fling himself from a cliff. Unless he didn't. Jason can't believe it, but the network presents coverage of the alleged suicide to the world.

Seeing motive in every crew member's movements, Jason compiles evidence of conspiracy, only to be met with resistance from the cast and network alike. He persists only through the support of his developing relationship with Blake, a psychologist who observes alarming similarities between her patient and her partner. Events in Cut Reality have a variety of interpretations. Ultimately, Jason has to decide while under the watchful eye of the public: is his understanding too coincidental to be believed, or so shocking because it's his new reality.

Zack Hacker's debut novel will please fans of reality television and psychological thrillers alike. If you enjoy Survivor, Big Brother, The Amazing Race, MTV's The Challenge, or other works of character-driven suspense, don't miss this highly anticipated release.


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​PROLOGUE
Jason closed his eyes to get a break from surveilling the woman in 31E. He should have felt more comfortable than he had in over a month. No videotapes, no microphones. The show was over. Instead, he was aboard a twenty-five-year-old
aircraft with a discount airline, traveling 500 miles per hour at an altitude of nearly 30,000 feet.
He never asked the producers how bodies were returned to their country of origin. He imagined Billy's body propped up next to his luggage in the cargo hold.
The woman dug her index finger against the side of her cup, forcing the cheap plastic to buckle with a small crack. She was no threat to Jason, and, thanks to the jet engines, he could barely hear her nervous crinkling.
Or, was Billy buried on the island? No, they would have cobbled together a ceremony or at least mentioned it to the cast.
After a few dragging moments, Jason sighed and opened his eyes again. Sleep would not come.
Nervousness was contagious.
She was now shaking the ice in her cup before chewing it.
Piece by piece.
Jason glanced around to see if anyone else was stirring, but the flight had been long and smooth.
He pulled his journal out of the netted seat-pocket in front of him. The book fell open from creased memory to the end of the last entry Jason had made, and he flipped the page back to the entry's beginning.
I should have seen this coming instead of worrying about what food I missed the most. This experience really skews priorities. I guess that's what happened to Billy. The signs were there, but I can't wrap my head around it. He was my closest friend out here. I needed to be there for him, and so did the producers. I think I'm to blame. I can't believe he did it.
And what can we do now?
His jaw clenched. Jason had to stop. Reading the words was harder than he had thought it would be—unavoidable words that he had written and could no longer face.
By the time he reached the end of the last entry from his time on the island—a mere page, front and back—tears had accumulated in the corners of his eyes, but he didn't wipe them away. He sat there, glazing over. Numb but alert.
The soft tone of the seatbelt lights illuminating cut Jason's trance short.
He tore the page out of the journal, careful to rip as close to the binding as possible so the page left no trace. His hands,
however, were still too unsteady to pull this off.
"Fuck," he swore under his breath.
He took the page, now removed from the journal, and folded it first vertically, then horizontally. Stray sand littered the floor as he removed his sneaker. The sole was burnt from sitting too close to the fire and the shoe-string had been tied together after it had snapped.
Jason considered the pairs of Vans he had worn to shreds. A white pair he abandoned in London after he and Blake stayed out all night, walking in the rain. A brown pair that he had worn to run a 10k with his more fit friends while finding out in tedious detail that they were inappropriate footwear; and another brown pair he had to throw out after he wore them canoeing in Puerto Rico on a trip with friends to celebrate Blake's completion of her Psy. D.
Here he was again, with another wrecked pair of canvas shoes. These were black, and probably in the worst state of any pair he had owned. But, these would be saved, not thrown away. These were his island shoes, subjected to weeks of sand, sea, sun, and sweat. As unique as those other memories were, these were more significant. Maybe they'd go on a shelf, preserved in a box in the attic, or maybe he'd eventually sell them on eBay.
The shoe felt tacky and damp in his hand. Jason pulled back the insole, feeling more sand and grime come with it. He laid the folded paper underneath the remnants of cushion. To his relief, his writing vanished into the shoe. The paper was unnoticeable, and he was confident it would stay hidden until he could discard it later.
He slid the shoe back on with little effort. Jason returned his focus to the journal. As he opened the book, this time to the
beginning, the stranger sleeping in the adjacent seat snored. Jason again glanced around. Even the ice-cup lady seemed to be asleep. To be the only person awake on a plane didn't feel eerie.
He analyzed every entry, page, and word—trying to figure out what Blake would think of it—what anyone would think of it.
Through his writings he relived the most traumatizing parts of the last month of his life. Fending for himself on the island,
competing against thirteen strangers, being filmed non-stop.
Now he was returning, but he needed to decide how to tell the story. The show, the network—they would have their story, but he needed to have his. If he was to share the entries he had made in his journal while on the island, then they needed reviewed. Guaranteed to be safe. Unlike the last page, now in his shoe, which no one would ever read. That story was his.


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Zack Hacker was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he currently teaches English and Creative Writing. He is a graduate of Mount Saint Joseph University and received his M.A. in English from Case Western Reserve University. He lives with his wife and three cats, watches too much reality TV, and plans travel experiences. Cut Reality is his debut novel.


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66 Comments
James Robert
4/16/2019 03:39:41 am

My family and I all appreciate you bringing to our attention the book description of another great book to read. Thanks so much!

Reply
Zack Hacker link
4/16/2019 12:56:28 pm

James, I'm glad the book caught your attention. I hope you get the chance to check it out. Thanks for stopping by.

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Janet W.
4/16/2019 06:27:44 am

I love to read a good thriller!! Sounds like a great read!!

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Zack Hacker link
4/16/2019 12:55:22 pm

Janet, I'm glad to hear that Cut Reality sounds like something you'd like! If you check it out, let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy it.

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Kelly D
4/16/2019 08:43:00 am

I like the cover. The bold print and graphics stand out.

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Zack Hacker link
4/16/2019 12:52:32 pm

Thank you - I'm really impressed with what my designer came up with.

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Shirley Ann Speakman
4/16/2019 09:14:01 am

Congratulations on your debut novel Zack. The book sounds very intriguing and I've added it to my wish list.

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Zack Hacker link
4/16/2019 12:50:51 pm

Thank you very much. I'm anxious, but thrilled to finally be here. I'm glad Cut Reality sounds like something you'd like!

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Calvin
4/16/2019 12:07:21 pm

Somehow reminds me of the movie requiem for a dream, gotta love these kinds of themes

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Zack Hacker link
4/16/2019 12:47:21 pm

I hadn't thought about that connection, but you're spot on! Excellent observation.

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Sara Zielinski
4/16/2019 12:15:42 pm

I think this book has an awesome cover.

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Zack Hacker link
4/16/2019 12:53:52 pm

Thank you. I'm really happy with the design, too. Glad it stands out!

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Rita Wray
4/16/2019 12:34:48 pm

Sounds like a good book.

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Zack Hacker link
4/16/2019 12:45:34 pm

Thanks, Rita, i appreciate it. If you check it out, let me know what you think!

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Elaine G
4/16/2019 12:58:18 pm

Sounds like an interesting book.Thanks for sharing the excerpt.

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Zack Hacker
4/19/2019 04:34:14 pm

I'm glad! I hope you get a chance to check it out. Thanks for stopping by!

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Kristen
4/16/2019 01:18:29 pm

The cover had a cool noir look to it.

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Debbie P
4/16/2019 01:54:52 pm

This book sounds like a very intriguing read. Cool cover.

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Betsy Barnes
4/16/2019 01:59:54 pm

The cover is cool, reminds of old school crime covers. I am a hug fan of psychological thrillers, this is definitely going on my to be read list.

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Zack Hacker
4/19/2019 04:29:07 pm

I'm glad to hear that - I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by.

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heather
4/16/2019 02:20:42 pm

This sounds like a fun read and one I would like. Good luck on the tour.

Reply
wendy hutton
4/16/2019 03:48:30 pm

good luck with the book the excerpt sounds very interesting

Reply
Zack Hacker
4/19/2019 04:29:43 pm

Thank you - it's a wild feeling having my book out there in the world. Thanks for stopping by.

Reply
Ellie Wright
4/16/2019 04:36:49 pm

Sounds like a great book. I'm looking forward to reading this.

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Zack Hacker link
4/19/2019 04:28:22 pm

Thanks - I hope you enjoy it! :)

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Victoria
4/16/2019 06:04:24 pm

Sounds like a good book and thanks for the great giveaway :)

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lynn clayton
4/16/2019 07:19:13 pm

love the cover looks like a really great read

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Dale Wilken
4/16/2019 10:23:08 pm

Sounds really great.

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Edward Reinholtz
4/16/2019 11:46:15 pm

The Cover is an interesting one , A Man Staring into a blank TV screen with some Cameras above him would be a cool reality show . I was in the AV department in Highschool and actually have a friend that won an award for investigative reporting . Book looks like a great and suspenseful read ....

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Zack Hacker
4/19/2019 04:32:03 pm

Thanks for your thoughts - I'm a big reality TV fan and have also worked in AV. If you check it out, I hope you enjoy Cut Reality.

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Mary Cloud
4/17/2019 08:29:28 pm

No questions - the cover is nice

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Amy F
4/18/2019 09:01:46 am

The cover design is very striking! It sounds like a great read.

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Beyond Comps
4/18/2019 01:24:43 pm

Great looking cover!

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Lisa Ellison
4/18/2019 02:15:20 pm

the cover looks interesting, very original!

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Kelly Nicholson
4/18/2019 04:10:50 pm

What do you think of the book or the cover?

it's interesting how many people glue themselves to tv

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Zack Hacker
4/19/2019 04:33:32 pm

Thanks for stopping by - I hope that I'm able to present some musings on TV without coming across as too damning.

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Marcy Meyer
4/18/2019 05:20:17 pm

Interesting cover. Sounds like a good read. Thanks for sharing.

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Zack Hacker
4/19/2019 04:30:44 pm

Thanks for the interest and thanks for stopping by!

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Terri Quick
4/18/2019 11:44:55 pm

Thanks for this giveaway

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Allison Swain
4/20/2019 01:25:55 am

I really like the cover a lot! This sounds like a fun read for me.
Thank you for the chance to win :)

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Amy Green
4/20/2019 01:40:18 pm

My questions for the author are: Is there any special music that you listen to when you want to become inspired to write? Are there any actors you would like to see portray your characters?

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Zack Hacker
4/30/2019 07:54:00 am

Those are great questions! I really had to think about the actors - I see Jason as being played by someone along the lines of Jake Gyllenhall and Blake could be played by Rachel Weisz.

As for music, I listened to a lot of Moonweather, Phoebe Bridgers, Mount Eerie, and Jeffrey Lewis when I wrote Cut Reality. I definitely use music to inform my tone when I'm writing.

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Mya Murphy
4/20/2019 02:09:04 pm

Interesting cover...and the excerpt was amazing!! I can't wait to read this!!

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Zack Hacker
4/30/2019 07:55:12 am

I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed the excerpt! I hope you get a chance to check the rest of Cut Reality out. Thanks for the support!

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Barbara Montag
4/20/2019 05:02:04 pm

Psychological Thriller, Suspense - my kind of book - love it already!
And a wow cover.
thank you

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Zack Hacker
4/30/2019 07:55:40 am

Thanks for stopping by - I hope you enjoy Cut Reality!

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Sarah L
4/20/2019 11:25:08 pm

Looks like an interesting book.
Thanks for the contest. 

Reply
Kelly Skibbe
4/21/2019 08:39:29 am

I think the cover is intriguing with some mystery.

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Mood Reader
4/21/2019 09:23:14 pm

Sounds cool. :)

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Lavender P.
4/22/2019 06:45:50 pm

Hmm, I don't get the Reality TV hype, but if the writing of the story is good, I'll keep an open mind. I remember a similar premise on Psych once and I liked that... all thanks to the cast of characters. :P

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Kayla Harmon
4/22/2019 09:11:05 pm

Great cover

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Kathy Cozzarelli
4/22/2019 11:32:36 pm

I like mysteries, and I watch some reality shows. I'm looking forward to reading this.

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Robin Abrams
4/23/2019 06:24:43 pm

The cover is very interesting. Sounds like a good read

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Denise Higgins
4/24/2019 01:50:23 am

Love the cover

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Sandra Dufoe
4/24/2019 05:04:55 pm

Love a good thriller.

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Angela Pratt
4/26/2019 02:05:14 pm

Book sounds good. Can't wait to read.

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Paula Ball
4/26/2019 03:16:27 pm

It's quite intriguing in its starkness . This is my favorite genre so definitely gonna check it out.

Reply
Zack Hacker
4/30/2019 07:58:20 am

That's a fitting way to describe the cover (and, I think, sections of the plot). I hope you enjoy it!

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bn100
4/27/2019 07:23:37 am

nice excerpt

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Nikki
4/27/2019 11:46:52 pm

It's plain but in a good way. It screams sci fi or at least something that makes you think.

Reply
Zack Hacker
4/30/2019 08:00:15 am

Thanks for stopping by to check out Cut Reality. It's not sci-fi, but reviewers have noted the philosophical/psychological elements that encourage introspection.

Reply
Wendy Jensen
4/27/2019 11:49:12 pm

The book cover makes this look like an interesting read.

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Daniel M
5/9/2019 07:26:38 pm

like the cover

Reply
Heather
5/12/2019 12:08:49 am

The excerpt was interesting.

Reply
Karla R.
5/14/2019 11:07:35 pm

I love a good crime novel, sounds very interesting!

Reply
Cassandra D
5/16/2019 09:56:17 pm

The excerpt is very interesting.

Reply



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