The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Monday, September 18, 2017

Silence is NOT Golden... Back-of-the-Book Blurb #76... and Radar's Got Some Bling

       The late comedian and activist, Dick Gregory, once said, "You must have agitation. Think about it. You put water and soap into the washing machine. If you don't have any agitation, you just end up with a bunch of dirty laundry." (This was the quote to the best of my recollection. I heard him say it on an interview that I watched on TV.)

        In St. Louis, we have a bunch of dirty laundry that has never been fully aired... and some people wonder if agitation is truly necessary.

       Since Friday, St. Louis has been on fire. Protests. Face-offs. Concerts have been cancelled (U2 and Ed Sheeran). Shops have closed down early. Malls have filled up with protesters. Business has been disrupted.

        Some people wonder if "all that" is necessary.

        I wonder what's going to work...

        Mere conversations haven't worked. Marching in the streets hasn't worked. Chants. Signs. Collaborations between communities and churches and community representatives haven't worked.

        As the Cuba Gooding, Jr. character in the movie Jerry McGuire says, "Show me the money," perhaps it might make a difference if St. Louis residents don't show the money. Back in Montgomery in 1955 and 1956, the bus boycotts worked because they disrupted business. Business-owners' pocketbooks were hurt... and a change came.

        A sign I saw (via the televised news) this weekend gave me a hard nudge. "White silence = violence." I know what they're saying. However, I might be tempted to make the plea to change "violence" to "acceptance," although I know that silence/acceptance leads to the violence.

        I am going to have to start opening my mouth...




       Before we get to the book blurb (which is late, I know, I know), I wonder: What is your BHAG? If you wonder what a BHAG is, check out my post on The Muffin. (Hint: It involves the brilliant and talented Renee Roberson.)

 And now onto our book blurb of the week.

            Look at the photo below. That is the cover of your bookYou choose the genre. Is it an insider's story by Michael Moore? Is it nonfiction book about the meat industry? You decide.

         Write an enticing blurb--150 words or less. (The title doesn't count in the word count.) Blurbs are those enticing bits that prod you into buying the book. Sometimes they're on the back cover of the book. Sometimes they're on the inside front cover. What they always try to do is lure you into purchasing the book. 

          Lisa Ricard Claro was the original creator of this writing challenge. She moved to Florida, and is too busy to host a weekly book blurb. Her first romance novel, Love Built to Last, just came out as an audio book. She left Florida temporarily, supposedly because of Hurricane Irma, 

          Okay, back to book blurb stuff.
       
          Include your blurb in a blog post. Include a link to this post. Also, link your post to Mr. Linky. Mr. Linky is easy. If you've never done it, you'll be impressed with how simple he is. And then, check out the other blurb(s). It's interesting to see the different directions writers take, given the same photo.

        Here's the book cover, along with my blurb: 
   
     
   


The Newest White Meat on the Block


“Not all of those wackadoodles are vegans. Some of ‘em just like to play around with knives and swords and run around in kilts and puffy shirts. And most of those crazies love meat.”


It was Renaissance Faire time. The time when women hoisted up all the cleavage they could summon… so they could put it on display. The time when lute music wafted through the woods. The time when mermaids, unicorns and jousting collided in one wacky weekend.


           Walter Theodore Franklin and Ima Knot Kidding wanted to offer a new taste sensation to lure an even bigger crowd than last year--and they found what they figured would be a winner. Unicorn meat.


They got the meat certified (by a butcher that was certifiably crazy), thanks to some plaster-of-paris and duct tape. Now all they had to do was create some delicious dishes…

… and hope for rave reviews. (149 words)






Love a Golden Rescue had their reunion picnic on
Saturday, to celebrate the families who've adopted our dogs.
The theme was "Doggywood" so the girl dogs got carnations to
clip onto their collars and the boy dogs got gold lame' bow ties.
Unfortunately for Radar's tres macho reputation, the bow tie
was so small, it was eclipsed by his ruffly fur when worn the
way it was supposed to be worn... hence the more feminine
positioning...


         For those folks who want at least a few days to work on the blurb for this week (since it's Monday already), here is the picture for the next book blurb:






19 comments:

  1. Radar does not look like he enjoys being a model. But he IS photogenic. I'm not going to call him "breathtaking."

    Unicorn meat at the Renaissance Faire? They could charge extra for the horn part. No crazier than walking around gnawing on a giant turkey leg...

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    1. Poor Radar. He probably didn't enjoy wearing that bow "girlie-style."

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  2. The funny thing is that I just went to my first Renaissance Faire this past weekend. We had a great time and I can even imagine someone selling unicorn meat there. I don't think I would try it but I do wonder what it would taste like. :)

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    1. Pat--The first (and only) renaissance faire that I went to (last year) did feature both a unicorn and several mermaids. The mermaids didn't have very good taste when it came to their outfits...

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  3. Well this post was hysterical. Love your opener. What a hook sentence. Doggywood sounded like a good time. Hope you had a kissing booth. And the granny pic is hoot.

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    1. Linda--Thanks. The bingo pic reminded me of my mom's bingo games, when she lived in the nursing home. Those ladies got cut-throat over cheap stuffed animals. It was funny and scary at the same time.

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  4. I don't know all that I should about what's going on in St. Louis but I hurt for the people and this city!

    As for my BHAG--and I just zipped over to read that Muffin post!--it's changed a bit in the last year or two. What was once so important doesn't seem so important, now. I'm not so much about getting the book published as I am writing the book that matters.

    Not sure if I have that book, yet. But I'm getting there!

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    1. Cathy--I too have found some wisdom over the years. The piles of poop I've written. I just bag 'em up and save them... so I remember what poop smells like. However, when I really believe in the value of a project, I try to not give up.

      As Harry Chapin sang, "It's the goin', not the gettin' there, that's good."

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  5. Your post at the Muffin is going to keep me awake nights. And Ima Knot Kidding...hahaha!

    It was definitely Irma that sent us north. We're happy to be home again. :)

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  6. Uh...really not kidding about the Muffin post. I might need a Benadryl to get me to sleep tonight. (The Ima Knot Kidding struck my funny bone...still laughing.)

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    1. Lisa--Whoops. I left that sentence unfinished, about the rumors of Irma. I guess everyone is lucky I forgot to finish it.

      And blame Renee. It was her brilliance that inspired this post.

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  7. I'm heading overto The Muffin to readyour post.

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  8. I might be able to eat unicorn meat, but not MY unicorn. That would be a bit much even for this omnivore. Long ago and far away I went to the Renaissance Festival every year. The Rat Catcher was my favorite character, but I don't think he was an actor.

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  9. Thought provoking post although I admit to keeping my opinions to myself-especially on social media. Things get ugly too fast and I've yet to see anyone's post sway the opinion of someone on the opposite side. It only seems to make them angrier. Civil discourse is apparently impossible.

    Off my soapbox and on to your Muffin post which I loved!

    Pat
    www.patwahler.com

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Thanks for your comments. I appreciate you taking the time to stop by...