The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Friday, July 1, 2016

Back-of-the-Book Blurb Friday #15

 Perhaps you're not one of the hundreds of three people the one who've participated in this book blurb stuff. Maybe you're wondering what I'm talking about... If that's the case, read about how you join in the fun and find out exactly what it is:

  • Every Friday a pic is posted. Well, not every Friday. I took a month off in June to find a job and write a synopsis and work on finishing a WIP. 
  • The pic is meant to be the front cover of a book. Your book. You choose what kind of book it is. A horror story? An informational book? A sci-fi thriller? A beach read? 
  • You choose the title. And you write the blurb.
  • The blurb? A blurb is that text on the book cover (often on the back) that is crafted to lure the reader, making it impossible for them to resist buying the book. It's engaging... and short, so being brief is key. For this challenge, your blurb should be 150 words or less.
  • Lisa Ricard Claro started this exercise a long time ago. You may think this is just writing without purpose, but you're wrong. When you condense a book (even a nonexistent one) into just 150 words, it limbers up your succinct muscles. At some point down the road, after doing weeks of this book blurb stuff, you find yourself needing to write an elevator blurb for a prospective editor who you're stalking will be at a writing conference... and voila! You're able to do it because you've had lots of practice at distilling. 
  • After you write your blurb, post it, along with the photo, on your blog, and link it to this post via Mr. Linky (which is quite simple to do--even my not-very-bright golden retriever can do it). You can also check out the other blurbs--there will hopefully be at least one other one besides mine that you can check out. 


Here is the link:



And here is my blurb:


Terror on Four Wheels

Everyone knew the old blue Durango. It coughed down the street, having shrugged off its muffler long ago. Everyone knew the house it belonged to as well. It was the only two-story on the street, the only one with peeling siding that flapped hello with every burst of wind, the only house with all the windows covered in yellowed newspaper.

However, no one knew much about the driver of the Durango. He was rarely seen, and then, only at night, as he scurried along the worn path in the yard.

But people strolling through the neighborhood start getting chased off the road by a dark vehicle. Some think it's the Durango because they get a glimpse of the license plate as it speeds by, belching dark smoke.


What does that license plate mean? Why is someone terrorizing their neighbors? And when will it end? Read the story to find out...

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

25 Days in the Hole

         Yikes! It's been 25 days since my last post. For those two people who are so desperate for entertainment that you read my blog, here's what happened in the past 25 days:


1. My son went to Norway and came back--safely. (That's him on top of that rock.)  

2. I created a synopsis for my manuscript, and then sent it off (along with the first ten pages) for a critique. On time.

3. I am almost finished with the above-mentioned WIP. Within the next couple of days it will be a WIF (work is finished) instead of a WIP.

4. I've spent the last month with 15 amazing writers-teachers. Sadly, that is about to come to an end.

5. I found a job. A language arts/reading job. A dream job. A job that is sure to make me glad I retired from the public school.

          For those who forgot me over the last 25 days, I understand. But for my two followers, I only have two words:

                     I'm back.