Back-of-the-Book Blurb Friday # 12

          Yes, it's Friday, which this week flew in so quickly, I was unable to post anything on Tuesday. My "real work" work piled up. Earlier in the month, I gave my school district my letter of resignation. I am retiring--from Missouri public schools--and will be looking for another teaching job in a private school in Missouri or a public school in Illinois. (I live minutes away from several Illinois cities.)

          I am not through teaching. However, collecting data is not my forte. Teaching writing to young people--now that's what I love, so I hope to be able to do it again soon.

         Anyway,back to blurb writing... If I've already lost you, I guess there's no point explaining this challenge. However, if you're still hanging on, hoping that something interesting and relevant will emerge, here goes:

• Every Friday a photo is posted. The photo is meant to be the front cover of a book. Your book. You choose what kind of book it is. 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 entice the reader into buying the book. It's engaging... and short, so being brief is key. For this challenge, your blurb should be 150 words or less.
• 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). You can also check out the other blurbs--there will be dozens hopefully at least one--and comment on them.
•  If you enjoy reading them/enjoy writing them, you should check out Lisa Ricard Claro's website. She was the writer who first had this idea several years ago. Sadly (for us, but happily for her) she got too busy and had to leave it by the wayside. You could thank her, but don't expect a "you're welcome" in response, as currently, she's living in a firehouse. Her WIP is a children's book, and she's researching the work of firefighters. She's teaching them how to start fires (if you've read her two romance novels, Love to Believe and Love Built to Last, and if you're fanning yourself over her upcoming Love to Win, coming out on July 30) you know what kind of hot, raging fires I'm talking about). The firefighters are teaching her how to cook enough chili for twenty hungry men and how to drive the firetruck. (She only driven over 7 curbs and flattened one squirrel so far.)

       Enough. On with the blurb, that goes with the picture at the top...

A Perfect Speci-Man

         Marvin couldn't understand it. He was a nice guy. He took pride in the way he carried himself and the way he dressed. Wrangler jeans and golf shirts on the weekend, and his postal uniform during the week. When he was lucky enough to have a date, he took them to only the finest restaurants in town--Denny's or Wendy's. 

         But in spite of all his pro's, he had not managed to con anyone into a long-term relationship. Marvin had no one to love. He had not found that special someone yet.

        A friend convinces Marvin that he needs to stand out. He needs to do something to make women notice him. His friend creates the perfect hat and glasses that is sure to make women stop and pay attention to Marvin.

        Will it work? What kind of women will Marvin attract? And will he eventually find true love? (150 words)

        And for those folks who like to work ahead instead of by the seat of their pants, here is the photo for next week:

Back-of-the-Book Blurb Friday # 11

This is a weekly writing exercise. But it's also supposed to be fun. Write a book blurb for the cover photo below. And you only have 150 words (or less) to do it.

• You choose the genre of your prospective novel. Is it a mystery? Chick lit? A romance? A sci-fi story? A horror story?
• Post your blurb on your post... and then link your blog, using the charming Mr. Linky below. (It's really easy. If I can do it, anybody can do it.)
• Make it enticing. A book blurb is crafted to seduce the reader into buying the book. But it has to be enticing and succinct.
• Check out the other linked blurbs, and leave a comment. You'd be surprised how different our inspiration is, given the same photo. 
• If you enjoy writing or reading these, head to Lisa Ricard Claro's site. Lisa was the brainchild behind this book blurb idea many years ago. However, don't expect her to reply if you leave a comment and say, "Thanks," because she's on an international romance writers' conference tour right now. Her keynote address--each time she speaks--is called, "They Don't All Have to Have Brimming-Over Bosoms On the Cover, Do They?"

      The photo for the next week is also included, so you have some think-time...

Dusty's Last Trail

         Dusty had been a cowgirl all her life. She rode. She roped. She strung barbed wire with the best of 'em. Her callouses, her sore joints, her skin as breeze-browned as an acorn... they were all proof that a woman's as good as a man. Most of the time.

         But when she celebrated her 35th year of life, Dusty wondered. What else did life have in store for her? When she got too stiff to climb into the saddle, what would she do?

          One day, her uncertainty overwhelmed her. She slid off Beckett--one of her favorite horses--and swatted his rear end playfully. "Go on Beck. Go home." Dusty jammed her hands into the pockets of her blue jeans, looked around, hung her hat on the first fence post she passed... and headed out on the biggest adventure of her life. (141 words)

       This is the photo for next week. It's from morguefile, just like the picture above. (Thanks, Cathy C. Hall). Hopefully some blurb will bubble up in your brain about this character...

Music: Now a Character

        My husband is not much for books. He thinks they are marvelous with barbecue... in the barbecue pit as a fire-starter, that is.

        However, even though he's not into books, he does know how to pick great ones--most of the time. He's stumbled a few times, but one of my all-time favorite books, Fevre Dream, by George R. R. Martin, came to me through my hubby. 

        He's also quite impulsive--which I love, when it comes to careening the Amazon shopping cart around.

         I finished Mitch Albom's most recent novels, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto. My husband heard the author talk about it, and rushed to order it, figuring I would enjoy it. I did. If I had to rate it, I'd probably give it 4 out of 5 stars. Why the low rating? A 5-star rating has to be reserved for my all-all-time favorites (I know, I gush a bit too much when it comes to books) like Freeman by Leonard Pitts, Jr., NOS4A2 by Joe Hill and Haunted by Chuck Palaniuk.)

         Albom's novel is narrated by Music, and follows the life of Frankie Presto, an incredible guitarist and artist. Albom interviewed a number of real-life musicians and singers (including Wynton Marsalis and Tony Bennett) so he could include them in the plot.

         My one complaint: it's a small size (as far as the perimeter) which makes it fatter than it needs to be, which makes it difficult to hold when I'm wavering between the world of literature and the world of drool (as I fall asleep, no matter how engaging the book is). 

       If you believe in the power of music, you might check out this book. The storyline might end up plucking you out of your world and into Frankie Presto's for a while as it strings you along--right up to the end of the author's note.

Back-of-the-Book Blurb #10

      Believe it or not, it's time for another stretching session. Stretch your writing skills--and have fun--by trying your hand at a book blurb. Here are the guidelines:

• Use the photo of the statue (the photo is mine) as the front cover of a book.
• You decide what kind of book it is. A sci-fi novel. A YA story. A murder mystery. A how-to book.
• You come up with a title and a blurb--the blurb is the bit that will appear on the back cover, prompting people to buy the gook.
• Your blurb should be 150 words or less (not including the title).
• You can jazz up the photo any way you'd like. You can put a title on it. You can also include fake reviews. 
• Post your blurb on your blog, and then link it to this post via Mr. Linky. If you have the time and the inclination, you can also check out the other blurbs, to see what direction they headed in...

       And if you enjoy reading these blurbs, go over to Lisa Ricard Claro's site and see what is going on with her. She was the writer who began this prompt a long time ago. Recently she hit the big time with a 3-book publishing deal. Just last week, Lisa was chosen by George R. R. Walker to put a bit "more romance" into the new Game of Thrones season. I can't wait. (Lisa--Can you bring back Jon Snow and Drogo? Pretty please?)

        Here is the book cover for this week. For a sneak peek at next week's cover, keep scrolling down.

Hide and Seek... Forever

      Barbie and Jerome loved playing games. Red Light, Green Light. Red Rover. Marco Polo.

      But it was a game of hide and seek that changed the two children... forever.

      One sweltering July afternoon, Barbie and her brother Jerome were hiding behind a wall. One of their friends was counting off. 1. 2. 3. 4. Soon, the voices, the sounds of the birds, the noises from the street--they all disappeared... along with Barbie and Jerome. 

        The whole town searched, but it was if the two children had simply vanished, like smoke disappearing in a breeze.
        What happened to Barbie and Jerome? Where did they go? And can anything be done to bring them back? (124 words)

          Here is the photo for next week. Mull it over. Drink in the details. And draft something in your head.

Hot Dog!

        Okay, I admit it: I resisted going with my first idea for a title, since in the picture I am a dog, and I am a female. But I went with "Hot Dog!" instead, to make sure this post is G-rated.

       That's me in the dog costume, standing in the median between the lanes of 94 in St. Charles, across from Fazoli's and the QT (if you know the area). Thankfully, it was a chilly April morning, so I was more comfortable in the "Gilda the Golden" costume than I usually am. *

       Love a Golden--the dog rescue group I volunteer with--was having a rummage sale. That explains why I was in the not-breathable and definitely not-flattering outfit. But what about the how?

        How do people step out of their comfort zone? How do people get out of their rut? How do any of us try something different--something we've never done before?

        By taking one step. No, I don't mean here's-the-one-thing-you-need-to-do kind of step. I mean a literal or figurative movement. Move a foot forward. Raise your hand and volunteer. Say, "Sure. I'll try it." Start a new document that's far different from your norm. Wade in at the shallow end. You might find you like it.

       I once tried to get into a romance anthology. It had a Christmas theme. Romance is something I never write and rarely read. But I wrote a short story, and put a Sioux-spin on it. Lots of snark. Healthy helpings of humor.

        It was quickly rejected. I enjoyed writing it, and the writers I shared it with thought it was funny. If I had been unwilling to at least attempt it, I would have missed out on the fun I had when I wrote it.

           I have a blogging friend who has (probably? privately?) scoffed at my love of Crocs. Most likely, she's seen my posts and photos of the BUS (butt-ugly shoes) and at least mentally laughed at my shoe choice.

      But then Shay--I mean my unnamed, anonymous blogging friend--tried on a pair. And she found out what I've known for years: wearing Crocs is like wearing a pair of slippers.

       So what are you going to try that's out of your comfort zone? What are you going to raise your hand and say "yes" to?

        This "hot dog" wants to know...

* Also thankfully, the person who took this picture did not catch me when I was doing my "pointer' routine. To grab more attention, I also danced (in my usual, herky-jerky Elaine Benes dance-style) and also sometimes acted like a pointer dog. I'd lift one leg up and try to hold it straight out while at the same time, I'd also lean forward and "point" with one arm. Being old and fat and out of shape, this resulted in comical results. I'd lose my balance, stumble a bit, and then try to see how close I was to the road. I'm sure I was responsible for some chuckles on that cold Saturday morning...

       




        

Back-of-the-Book Blurb Friday # 9

 It's book blurb time. Time to be brief and, at the same time, enticing. Here's the basics:

• Use the photo of the cat (the photo's from morguefile) as the front cover of a book.
• You decide what kind of book it is. A sci-fi novel. A YA story. A murder mystery. A how-to book.
• You come up with a title and a blurb--the blurb is the bit that will appear on the back cover, prompting people to buy the gook.
• Your blurb should be 150 words or less (not including the title).
• You can jazz up the photo any way you'd like. You can put a title on it. You can also include fake reviews. 
• Post your blurb on your blog, and then link it to this post via Mr. Linky. If you have the time and the inclination, you can also check out the other blurbs, to see what direction they headed in...
• And if you enjoy reading these blurbs, go over to Lisa Ricard Claro's site and check her out. She was the writer who began this prompt a long time ago. Nowadays, she's a big-time, multi-book author. (Lisa is so big-time, one of her books is going to become a movie... and Viggo Mortensen is going to star in it. (Yummm.)

       The above photo is the cover for this week, and here is my blurb:

The Adventures of Kitty O'Connell

           Kitty, Linda O'Connell's cat, has a secret. A secret that Linda is scrambling to keep buried.
        Everyone admires Linda's writing skills. People come to her for advice about their drafts. They envy how prolific she is.
         But unbeknownst to everyone, it's not Linda who's racking up all the Chicken Soup credits. It's Kitty. While Linda lollygags on the beach, Kitty's paws fly across the keyboard. It's Kitty who's responsible for Linda getting published in over 25 Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Kitty just coughs up a hairball and voila! It gets snapped up by an editor.
         Now, Kitty is tired of all the attention Linda receives. She wants to unravel the truth.
         How will Linda react? Will she embrace her as Kitty steps into the spotlight? Or will she threaten Kitty with a room at the local shelter... and then follow through? (142 words)

      Join us. Think about it. Play with us (have fun). And take a gander at the photo (below) for next week.