The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Yikes! A Day Late (and Always) a Dollar (Or More) Short and Back-of-the-Book Blurb Friday # 42

 Sorry. Things have been hoppin' around here. There are a few reasons why I am a day late with this. I'm late because:

  • Report cards were due on Thursday, which meant a new quarter was beginning. I always have great intentions of keeping on top of the grading at the beginning of each quarter, and those intentions keep the momentum going for... well, usually it takes about 3 days before I fizzle out. So last night, instead of working on the post, I stayed at school and got some grading (and inputting of the grades) done.
  • My son is getting married. In May. Thankfully, my husband and I are just responsible for the rehearsal dinner, but it will be a big one. I just hope I don't turn into a Mom-of-the-Groomzilla before we say our last toast at the wedding... (And I'm thinking our golden retriever will make a wonderful ring bearer. We can strap a pouch with the rings to his collar, and Radar can run up and down the aisle--multiple times. Don't you agree all weddings need a touch of class like that?) 
  •  I'm almost finished with the book The Round House by Louise Erdrich. When I should have been writing this post, I was reading.
And now that I'm finished whining, here's (finally) the book blurb... for those 1.5 people who actually read my blog:

Look at the photo below. That is the cover of your book. You choose the genre. A book on art techniques? An artist's biography? 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 project  and this past summer, her third novel Love to Win debuted. Check out her website.  You'll be glad you did. She writes. She edits. She inspires.

Include your blurb in a blog post. Include a link to this post. Also, ink 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. And then, check out the other blurb(s). It's interesting to see the different directions writers take, given the same photo.

Above all, 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's the book cover and the blurb:

     



A Life Transformed

He tried to find himself in his everyday existence for years. He tried finding his way along a traditional path. But it was all in vain. No matter what direction Brian turned, no peace was in sight.

Changing clothes, different hairstyles--wasn’t near enough.Tearful nights. Rage-filled mornings. Lonely weekends. Brian became so despondent, he thought of taking his life.

But then hope came, in the form of a paintbrush. Brian took an evening art class, and began painting the life he dreamed of.

He painted the ocean, with tiny beach houses dotting the rocky shoreline. People in colorful clothes dining at outdoor cafes appeared in his paintings. Finally, peace was seeping into Brian’s soul.

And then, he began to paint the person he--deep down--was.

Will Brian ever find his way? Will he ever find joy and fulfillment? Or will a canvas be the closest he ever gets to feeling whole? (150 words)



And for those who want to work ahead (unlike me, who tends to work behind, not on my behind), here is the photo for next week:







Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Hoping for Some Snow (Days) and Other Things

       Like just about every teacher I know, I'm dreaming of a white school day... a day when I get a phone call or see my school's name, trailing along the bottom of the TV screen... a day when the roads are snow-covered or icy.



      And before you start protesting about the danger of snow and ice, I'm not asking for the entire city to be blanketed with slick stuff... just certain parts of our town.

       Today it's supposed to get colder and snow is slated (so close to "sleeted") for this evening. This afternoon I'm having a mock interview with one of my students after school. He's hoping to get into a certain high school, and interviews are part of the application process. I'm walking him part of the way home, hopefully before any precipitation begins.

      Also, I have 40 or so more pages before I finish this novel by Louise Erdrich. It's an interesting plot. A Native American woman gets attacked by a white man. The family instantly starts to fray. As they try to piece together their family--as they knew it--they also try to get justice. However, since the details are slow in coming and the boundaries are blurred, getting justice might not be possible. And if it is possible, at what cost? How far will the 13-year old son go to get revenge? 



      I'm hoping the book's ending is as good as the rest of it.

      What are you hoping for these days? Optimistic (most of the time) minds want to know...