"Tag, You’re Dead"

J.C. Lane is the author of the new thriller Tag, You’re Dead. She also writes mysteries as Judy Clemens, including the Stella Crown and Grim Reaper mysteries. She is a past president of Sisters in Crime, and loves hanging out on-line or in person with other people in the book industry, because they are awesome. She lives in Ohio, where she attends lots of soccer games, bakes as much as she can, and runs when she feels like it.

Lane applied the Page 69 Test to Tag, You’re Dead and reported the following:

Page 69 of Tag, You’re Dead details a conversation between Charles Akida, one of the “Its” in the Game of Tag, and the Referee, who is overseeing the whole thing. Charles is not happy with the way the Game is progressing, and informs the Ref that the problems need to be fixed or he will be taking back his player fee -- a huge sum of money – and ending the Game.

It is so interesting to me how this really does encapsulate what the book is about. The Its want something from the Ref they cannot receive any other way, and the Ref, while the creator of the Game and in charge of its mechanics, is beholden to make sure the Its are satisfied. Tag, You’re Dead is filled with angst, wishes being fulfilled (or not), opposing forces, and the question of who, exactly, decides a person’s fate. Do we create our own story, or do we allow others to dictate what happens to us? Do we allow anger and fear to channel our decisions, or do we use our unique skills and personality to fight against the obstacles put in front of us? Who do we become when faced with adversity? Six people in the book must decide the answers to these questions, which means there are six separate ways the questions are answered.

Visit J.C. Lane's website.

My Book, The Movie: Tag, You're Dead.

Writers Read: J.C. Lane.

--Marshal Zeringue