No More NaNoWriMo and Back-of-the-Book Blurb # 87

           Since November is over, so is NaNoWriMo. With just a few exceptions, all of my students reached their word count goal. (They were 6,000 for the 8th graders, 5.500 for 7th, 5,000 for 6th grade, 3,000 for 5th and 2,000 for 4th. Those last two were too low, I found out.)

       Mine, you ask? I've racked up 23,030 words. Right now I'm just seeing the trees. There's no way I can see the forest. I even wonder if there is a forest...

            (In other words, I'm not sure if it's any good. Is there too much stuff about the other kids and the real story is getting muddied? Or, is the stuff with the other kids disjointed? Also, is the tone too preachy or lecture-y, like I'm bent on bringing this bit of history to light and discarding the craft, the story, along the way?

I'm not sure. Time will tell. At the end there has to be an incident of bullying, and an organic idea has not come to me yet.) 

And now onto book blurb business...

      Look at the photo below. That is the cover of your book. You choose the genre. Is it a coffee table book of fashion trends? Is it a photo collection of mentally-ill patients and their clothing choices? 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's quite busy these days. Not only is she a prolific writer, she also runs an editing business. (I hope someday I will have need to hire her.)

          
          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:

A Dog’s Dream

            Hansie used to get dressed up like a horse, and his little girl would put a Barbie on his back. Off he’d trot in circles, like a show pony.

            That was when he was a young pup. He’d dream of having long legs and a flowing mane.

            When he was a little older, Hansie would ride around in a stroller. He’d wear a bonnet and a blanket would surround him like a cocoon. Life was sweet for a well-loved dog.

             But lately, his dreams had gotten bigger. No longer content to canter around or be bumped down the sidewalks, Hansie fantasized about being surrounded by children. He’d rise to the responsibility and get them all there safely.

              Hansie dreamed of being a school bus. He wanted to be draped in yellow, to be filled with screaming, gum-chewing brats, to puff down the streets belching black smoke.

              A bus he’d be… (150 words)

And for those who'd like to play along next week and also like to work ahead, here is the photo for the next blurb: