What it’s about—the short version
I wrote a book on my own. It’s called My List My Rules and it’s about a year I did 101 things in 365 days. Initially, I created this list just because. But as the year progressed I realized that this checklist was life-altering. Not like open heart surgery life-altering or near-death life-altering but like a tuner on a radio or a volume dial. This list tuned me into the preciousness that is my ordinary life. I’m kind of proud of it—my little life and this book. A year of doing and not knowing why the doing happened, exactly. Don’t we all walk that path sometimes? Just kind of moving forward, hoping we figure it out?
And along the way alternately completing tasks I’d visited my therapist. Counsellor. Active listener. Not sure what title he prefers. And somewhere in there, I figured out a few things. Not all of them. Just a few. And, one of those things was that I wanted to problem-solve the dilemma of the gaps in my life.
And that’s it. That’s the short version of this book.
Other books
I’ve written four books with David Gane. He’s my brother-in-law and my writing partner. We’re working on the fifth one in The Shepherd and Wolfe Mystery series. They are award-winning. They are good. And, I am proud of them. However, this book—My List My Rules—I created all by myself. There is no co-writer. No co-decision maker. No weekly debater. It’s just me. All me.
How does this feel?
It feels amazing and scary at the same time. You know, like, there’s no one to negotiate with. That’s the plus. I can do what I want but that’s also the minus. There’s NO ONE TO NEGOTIATE WITH! Every decision was, is, and will be mine.
In addition…
It’s not only a solo project but it’s a creative non-fiction book. Non-fiction. A memoir. A memoir! That’s about me. Yeah, me. I’m not only putting my own project out there with no one to blame but myself but I’m putting a personal story out there for the world to judge and read and formulate opinions on.
And…so, what if?
What if the readers love it? What if they connect with it? What if they laugh in all the parts I hope they laugh and what if they cry where I cried. What if they are inspired—those readers who took a chance on this book? What if I inspire someone to make a list and dig their way through their uphill experiences. That’s the point, isn’t it? To entertain. To inspire. To move folks. Yeah. That’s it.
So, ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to my little 6 x 9, 300-page pulpy bundle of joy. I hope you love it.
And, as always, thank you for reading lovelies.
Angie Counios 
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