The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Friday, July 8, 2016

Back-of-the-Book Blurb Friday # 16

 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. The pic is meant to be the front cover of a book. Your book. You choose what kind of book it is. A romance novel? 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 book-blurb stuff up, but now she's busy with her next book. Love to Win will be coming out on July 30. I thought, once you've sold a series of books, you just lay around on the couch poking out the bottom of the chocolates in the Russell Stover assortment box (to avoid those yucky nougat-y candies) but I guess there's more to this publishing business than meets the eye.


  • 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 very-handsome 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's the photo (book cover) for this week, along with my lame pathetic finished blurb:



The Rufus Way

Rural philosopher Rufus T. Brooks shares how he climbed to the top of his mountain of... well, to the top of where he is now. Thanks to Rufus' family, who painstakingly recorded Brooks' words as he spewed, everybody can strike out into the world the Rufus way.

Some of the sure-road-to-success chapters include:
  • No shirt, No Shoes, No Service? No Place for Me!
  • Taking Overalls from Business Casual to Cocktail Parties
  • Bits of Dropped Food + Beard = A Tasty Snack Later On
  • Tattoos Guaranteed to Impress the Boss
  • Size Does Matter: The Key to Growing An Extra-Long Tooth (In Front)
  • Beards: When Scraggly Becomes Sexy
        If you're a Honey-Boo Boo fan, and wonder how you can reach the same pinnacle that Mama June has, this is the book for you. (140 words)

       

        So join in on the fun. Participate. Write a blurb. And check out the photo for next week's blurb:


This is the photo for next week's book blurb. It will be posted on July 15,

News flash: I'm going to a writing conference a week from tomorrow, and I'm gonna make a pitch. I've pitched many softballs and baseballs and each time, the ball would go in wild, unpredictable and sometimes lawsuit-worthy directions. Hopefully my book pitch will be different...
  

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Getting Back in the Groove

         Here's what has happened in the last week:


  • I forgot to include a picture for the next week's Back-of-the-Book Blurb Friday, but I'm including it now. (Scroll down to the end of the post.) Of course that means that the dozens of writers who participate now only a few days to ponder their blurb, instead of an entire week. 
  • I did not finish my WIP by the end of June (like I planned on) but I am hopeful praying that it will happen this week. And I came up with a marvelous decent better title than was originally stuck on it. (The WWWP Critique Society. That was what I originally slapped on this pile of papers. Doesn't that sound like a confusing snoozer?) 
  • I finally used one of those digital random-izers scrawled names on scraps of paper, closed my eyes and picked on so the winner of a copy of Fevre Dream could be ascertained... and the winner is 
Cathy C. Hall.

  • I finished my Dexter binge-watching (very disappointing from the fifth season on) and am now onto Downton Abbey. (I know. They don't go together at all.) I finished Augusten Burroughs' latest (a great read). I get to work on a project tonight that involves drawing/zentangling. Hip hip hooray!
       Hopefully next week I will be fully back on track. But I wouldn't put money on it... (And please come back on Friday.)


This is the cover for your next fake book.
Think about it between now and Friday.
For some of you, this guy might look too close for comfort...