First, Do Harm By Doing Nothing, NaNo Update... and Back-of-the-Book Blurb # 33

            I am about a quarter of the way into Jodi Picoult's newest novel, Small Great Things. The premise is an interesting one. An African American nurse is told by her hospital administrator to not touch or tend to a newborn baby (the parents are white supremacists). When the baby goes into cardiac arrest, the nurse hesitates to do CPR, the baby dies... and now the nurse has been arrested.

           It's fascinating so far, and makes me contemplate what I would do if I was in the same situation...

           As far as NaNoWriMo, I'm behind (I'm at 4,024 words) but hope to get some writing done today with my students. On Tuesday I'll share how my classes are doing with NaNo...
     

And now onto back-of-the-book blurb fun:

• Look at the photo below. That is the cover of your book.
• You choose the genre. A frothy romance? (Ugh.) A tall tale? A coffee table book on statues? You choose the genre.
• 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. She's become so successful as a novelist, she's finishing up her fourth one. (I think I have that number right... or is the fifth, and the fourth just hasn't hit the shelves yet?
• 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.

      Here is the book cover and my blurb (as silly as it is):

Two Wild and Crazy Women        

          Florence and Cicily had finally made it to their dream destination: Italy. They’d saved up their pennies for the trip by living on cheap canned ravioli so when they finally were able to wing their way across the Atlantic, they wanted to experience it all.

        And they wanted to fit in. Flo and Cic were determined to live like the eye-talians do.

        Since they’d heard that most Italians traveled through town without a car, they rented Segways. With their fanny packs strapped into place, and their cameras hanging down at the ready, the ladies were sure they looked like a couple of fun-loving Italians.

         Will they blend in? Will they end up big as barns as they eat their way across Rome? Will they bring home a couple of nice Italian boys? Join Florence and Cicily on their rollicking, bittersweet adventure. (141 words)



And for those usual suspects who like to work ahead and who play along, here's next week's book cover:

Hit the Road, Sioux (And Don't You Come Back No More No More No More No More)

        I got some news on Sunday that made me feel like I was in the middle of a theater, watching a horror film. Like I had looked up, and saw the shadow of someone stabbing me...

       My school is closing at the end of this school year. At least that's the recommendation that is being handed to the school board.

       Of course, teaching requires flexibility. Every class is different. Every day is different, and every year is different. That's wonderful if an educator has a rough year, because they think, Next year might be a great one.

        However, I don't want different next year. I want the same thing next school year that I'm experiencing right now.

       I'm in a wonderful place. Superb kids. A close-knit school family and a tight neighborhood community. My principal's super supportive. My teaching partner is a gifted teacher and an incredible person.

      So now I get to have the fun (again) of applying and interviewing. (Don't worry about me. I have one pair of high-heeled Crocs I save for things like job interviews. I'm a shoe-in for some job. I'll land on my feet. Or my Crocs, I mean.)

       If you have any job stories--stories about you making a change and thinking it was a bad one but it ended up being a positive experience--I'd love to hear them.

       Broken hearts want to know...