The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Friday, October 14, 2016

Two Years Later... and Back-of-the-Book Blurb Friday # 30


A little more than two years ago I finished this... It was a second or third or fourth draft, depending on how you look at it.  Since then it's been through another couple of revisions and a rejection.



      A little more than two years ago we got this. He makes sure he's never rejected. If you have a hand, he's nosing it and nudging it and backing his butt up to it, all in an effort to get petted.

      Two years can bring a heap of change.

      In two years I endured some awful experiences as a teacher. Frustrated, I retired. I've recently found a dream-come-true job in a fabulous school. Every day is a delight. 

      In two years my husband survived some heart procedures and a diagnosis of congestive heart failure. Now he's making some wiser choices, sodium-wise.

      In two years I finished a manuscript--my first novel-length one--and discovered that writing can be quite healing. Some family dysfunction--worthy of being highlighted in the Guinness World Book of Records--had been weighing me down for the past five or six years. However, I wrote about it in my manuscript, changed the ending, and found forgiveness...

      What a difference two years make.

      And now, onto fun with book blurbs...


  • Look at the photo below. (Whoops! Blogger is not allowing me to insert a photo right now. You can go to this link, scroll down to the end of the post, and you'll see the photo.)That is the cover of your book.
  • You choose the genre. Chick lit? A romance? Nonfiction? You decide.
  • Write an enticing blurb--150 words or less. (The title doesn't count in the word count.) Lisa Ricard Claro was the original creator of this project  and this past summer, her third novel Love to Win debuted. Currently, Lisa's too busy to host Book Blurb Friday anymore. Her baby girl is getting married. Perhaps the wedding will inspire Lisa to write a novel where a Florida wedding--in the middle of a hurricane--is the centerpiece?
  • Include your blurb in a blog post. Include a link to this post. 
  • Link your post to Mr. Linky. Mr. Linky is easy. You don't have to buy him a drink or anything. If you've never done it, you'll be impressed with how simple he is.
  • Check out the other blurb(s). It's interesting to see the different directions writers take, given the same photo.
  • And have fun with it. Think of it as a way to take a break from the truly important writing you do... like a bit of a warm-up.




The Stalker and Their Prey

Emmylou Harris was an international folk singer goddess. She toured all over the world… except for Michigan. The European continent. Asia. South America. Africa. Her bell-like voice filled halls night after night. But never in Michigan.

A certain poet had set their sights on Emmylou and the stalking ensued. Letters. Love poems. Epic pieces pining for her. Flowers. Bottles of Bolthouse Chai tea. Photos of an adorable dog. The songstress got deluged with things in the mail and packages delivered backstage.

Harris’ agent refused to even let her consider doing a concert in Michigan, since the FBI was reasonably sure they’d pinpointed the stalker’s location, and Emmylou was content to be safe rather than sorry.

But then the stalker made an offer Emmylou could not refuse… and life as she knew it changed. Forever. (134 words)



And for those who want to work ahead, here is the picture for next week:







Tuesday, October 11, 2016

It's in the Eye of the Beholder

               Last Friday my day was full of art.

            First off, I spent most of the morning and afternoon at the art museum. The middle-schoolers had a tour led by a docent for part of the time. The rest of the afternoon (after a picnic lunch outside) I led the students in some guided writing activities.

            Here is one piece that caught my eye:


            I think it was the dripping fountain pen that initially did it...

            Then after school I got to a sculpture event in time to see Lynn's daughter's award-winning sculpture. (Jessica won second prize.) All three of Lynn's children are gifted artists. Jessica is a sculptor and had to weld (the mold, I think) to create this piece.

            I arrived as the sun was at the perfect angle, because the 3-piece sculpture actually glowed. It was luminous but unfortunately, my photographic skills failed to capture its beauty.



         Here are a close-up:



                  And another close-up:




                   What is one of your favorite pieces of art--whether it's a painting, a sculpture, a song or a book/poem/play? Curious minds like mine want to know...