The Power of Scents... and Back-of-the-Book Blurb # 103

         This week I was reminded of how powerful scents are, how they can trigger memories or inspiration.

      A couple of weeks ago I was given a scarf by a friend. The scarf belonged to her daughter. Her daughter died in a tragic way back in February. It was their only child. I cannot imagine the sorrow she felt as she sorted through her things... the grief she feels every day... the sadness she'll feel forever.

      I felt honored. 

      A few days later, I unfolded the scarf to see how I could drape it around my shoulders to best display the gorgeous colors. As the scarf leaped up into the air, I caught an unmistakable odor from the fabric.

     Sunscreen. Her daughter had used this scarf as a pool or beach cover-up. And with just that smell, it triggered the need to write.

     How many trips to the pool, to a sandy beach, will this woman miss out on, now that she's no longer here? How many experiences will never be enjoyed, now that she's gone?

      They say that our sense of smell is the most powerful one... the one that can evoke the most memories.

       For me--when I smelled all that lost potential embodied in the scarf--it certainly brought up memories that will never be...

       And now onto something a bit lighter--looking at how writing an imaginary book blurb can prepare us for when we really need to write a real one:  

         Look at the photo below. That is the cover of your book. You choose the genre. Is it a coffee table book on tiny dogs who menace the community? Is it a photo collection of wiener dogs? 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. Check out her blog, along with her books. Time and time again, she's proven herself to be encouraging--when it comes to both personal and professional things.  

     

          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:

      Wiener Dogs Gone Wild

Their legs were short, but these were powerful dogs. The dachshund was bred to ferret out badgers, after all… which made them logical partners for Madge.

      Madge would sashay into the bank, her pack of furry thugs trotting in front of her as she dismissed the insistent cries of, “No dogs allowed.” The lead dog: Libby the Tiny Terror. She looked sweet, but could bend people to her will with just a look… or a snarl.

    Once Madge let the leash loose, the dogs would swarm around one teller. After they attacked the bank employee’s ankles, Madge handed over the note demanding money, a bag of cash would exchange hands… and they’d scurry out, too quick to get caught.

    But then Libby the Tiny Terror screwed up--threatening to end their crime spree. Will they be end up in prison and crates forever? Read Wiener Dogs Gone Wild to find out. (150 words)

(Note: This story was inspired by the recent news story about a woman mauled by a pack of dachshunds. Here is the link if you'd like to read about the incident. And, since I don't want anyone to leave with a negative opinion of dachshunds, here is a video of dachshunds to make you smile.)

And for those who want some time to think ahead, here is the photo for next week:

My Grandpup... and Back to Work

Now that my granddaughter (a gift from my daughter) is 12, it's time for another grandbaby--one from my son.

Unfortunately, my son and daughter-in-law's baby has breathing problems. (His face is all smooshed up.) He's malformed. (He has 4 legs instead of 2) And, he has a strange name (Dewey, named for my son's favorite pizza chain).

Google image

I had to snag this image from Google, because Dewey's too fast--he refuses to pose for a picture. But seriously, don't all pug puppies look alike? He's three months old, has puppy breath and those needle-sharp puppy teeth.

He really is cute (almost all puppies are cute--but there are a couple of breeds I would label "breathtaking"). This weekend there was a combination 30th birthday/graduation party for my son, and Dewey enjoyed some taste-treats outside of his normal dog food choices. I saw him eat a blueberry that had fallen onto the patio, and he drank something that could make him tipsy. (I looked down, and he had his whole head in the red Solo cup that belonged to the person next to me. Dewey was slurping away--for how long?--before he was caught, and the cup taken away.)

Today I'm back at work. I've had a week off, haven't vegged out too much, but am looking forward to the next month. (I'm working with teachers, and we're going to be writing and sharing for all of June.)

I'm also working on my manuscript. I'm revising, casting aside sections and reworking others.

What are your plans in June? Truly nosy people (like me) want to know.

 

Where I'm Going and Back-of-the-Book Blurb # 102

Oh, don't get excited. This summer I'm not going to Turkey (again)/France (I wish)/stalk Viggo Mortensen (any more). I'm not going to quit blogging. (Sorry!) The place I'm going this summer is into my head and on paper.

I recently served up my beautiful baby manuscript to an editor I hired. The pregnancy lasted a couple of years. It was a C-section--that baby was stuck and didn't want to come out. When it was finally delivered, I thought my stack of papers was ab. So. Lute. Ly. perfect.

However, Margo Dill didn't score my baby a perfect 10. (Gasp!) There were problems. Major problems. However, they were fixable problems... and Margo has given me a handbook to ensure I raise this baby up right until it can toddle off on its own.

To be completely honest, I was not thrilled with hiring an editor. I'd heard from writing friends how good Margo was, but really... What was she going to tell me that I didn't already know? It's brilliant? It's engaging? I already knew that. (Ha!)

Margo honed in on the strengths and the weaknesses of my manuscript with the accuracy of a laser. As soon as I read her thorough and detailed critique, I knew she was right.

So, this summer I'm headed off to more research... lots of writing and lots of revising... and I'm so excited. Margo's specific suggestions have energized me and encouraged me to make this story the best one it can be.

If you'd like to read about some of her suggestions and get an idea of how eagle-eyed she is when it comes to editing, check out my post on The Muffin. 



And now onto back-of-the-book blurb stuff...

          Look at the photo below. That is the cover of your book. You choose the genre. Is it a coffee table book on why Speedos and skimpy suits for men are bad fashion choices? Is it a photo collection of deranged old men? 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. Check out her blog, along with her books. Anything she writes is wonderful, and not only is she a gifted writer, she's also a generous friend. She has several new books in the works, and that, along with walking the beach on a daily basis, fills up her days.

     

          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:

Marcia had gotten rid of her man. All he did every evening was watch Swamp People (a show that provided a translating caption for viewers, even though the stars supposedly were speaking English).

“Shootem, Libeth. Shootem!” fill the void between them every night.

Now that Barney was out of her hair, it was time for his left-over junk to go as well, so Marcia Magic marked up a big sign. She dragged the stuff out to her front yard. And she waited for the cars to drive up, stop and unload… because (she hoped) the stuff was too good to pass up.

Stuff like a complete set of dribble glasses… a Lost in Space chess set… a Miami Vice (signed) poster… a miniature Ice Road Truckers truck.

Will Marcia make money from this left-over junk? Or, will she make Goodwill happy when she carts the unbought stuff over to them? (150 words)

And if you want to play next week (because I've finally gotten my rear end back on track), here is the next photo/book cover:

I'm Baaaack

I'm not going to look at when I posted last, because it would be embarrassing. It was more than days ago, but I'm hoping it was weeks and not months.

I've been busy. (Uh oh. Here comes the string of excuses.) My son graduated from med school in May. It was a 3-hour drive to the ceremony, and ended up being a delightful family gathering. He also turned 30 this month, which is hard to believe, I know, since I am only 42. Okay, 52. Well, not 62... at least not yet. 

My son's the one in the middle.

But the big news is I hired an editor to give me some feedback on my manuscript. It was quite an experience. I'll be sharing who the editor was and how they stopped me from writing on Friday--or you can check out my post on The Muffin this Thursday, because I'm going to tell all then as well.

The end of the school year was hectic (more whining) and I'm still not finished. (In fact, I'm writing this post to procrastinate a bit when it comes to my report cards.)

This month I took my granddaughter to see Phantom of the Opera. (It was the best Phantom I've ever seen.)

Sadly, I've missed out on some wonderful posts, because in the time frame when I was absent from the blogosphere, I haven't read any blogs. There's no way I can backtrack and read all the news I've missed. Sooo... Do you have any huge news? Did you get a bunch of stories/manuscripts accepted? Because the empty nest is such a sad place, have you found yourself (Surprise!) pregnant? (I'm talkin' to you, Val.) If you have some juicy tidbits to share that I missed, due to my slothlike blogging habits, please note them in your comment.  

Dog Stuff, Turkey Stuff and Back-of-the-Book Blurb # 100

For the past week we've been fostering Sasha (who will be Bella in couple of weeks, when she's adopted). This sweet golden mix is getting used to being a pet. She's never been in a house before, and has not yet had a single accident. We tried putting her in a crate when we were at work, but that only lasted a few hours... My husband came home at noon and found her shaking with fear, and let her out. She hasn't chewed anything, and is (so far) not letting Radar aggravate her too much.

This is Sasha (Bella) in the foreground, in our combination living room-dining room-
entertainment center-family room.

This is Sasha when we first saw her. She had a hole dug into the dirt
next to the house where a family was looking after her.

This is Sasha (Bella) on the porch of our Turkish friends.

I posted a bit about my trip to Turkey, so if you'd like to find out how I ate my way across the country, from Istanbul to Gomec, check out my piece.

And now, onto book blurb stuff (and yes, I skipped the 99th one due to my travels).

And now, onto back-of-the-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 on why Speedos and skimpy suits for men are bad fashion choices? Is it a photo collection of deranged old men? 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. Check out her blog, along with her books. Anything she writes is wonderful, and not only is she a gifted writer, she's also a generous friend.

     

          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:

Club Dead-No-More

Henry was stuck in what his kids thought was a wonderful resort-style senior citizen community. Club Dead. His daughter loved the show The Walking Dead and fell in love with the place just because of the name.

Yeah, there's somebody taken away in a slow-moving ambulance every week, but Henry's determined it's not him... at least not for a while.

Spending his days sunning on the beach is boring, until he opened one of the abandoned oil drums. Floating in a green liquid was a baggie full of blue pills.

After taking one, Henry discovered an alertness he'd been missing for decades. Suddenly parts of him were attentive that had been slumbering for so long. 

Henry's sudden zest for life, combined with the botox-ed beach biddies who were so pumped with silicone they could be used for life rafts... well, let's just say the beach is now a busier place. (150 words)

For those who are curious, what Lisa Ricard Claro promised to happen did happen. After doing a hundred of these blurbs--even if they're silly and not for real blurbs--they've gotten easier. And for those who'd like to play along, here is the photo for the next back-of-the-book blurb:

Traveling Turkish-Style, Being "Too Cool" Results in Being Cold and 6-Word Memoirs

I got back this weekend from Turkey. I saw lovely countryside, ate delicious food and we ended up bringing back four golden retrievers. I'll write more about the dogs on Friday, and tell about a dog we rescued while I was there--her name (for now) is SueJan (named after the other Love a Golden volunteer who traveled with me, and me... Yeah, I know, but "SiouxJan" would be too hard to verbally navigate).

This is Danny, one of the goldens we brought from Turkey to
Chicago and then to St. Louis. Our flight from Istanbul got in late
on Thursday night, so we spent the night at La Quinta, which is a
dog-friendly chain. Each of us had 2 dogs in our room. Danny is
used to sleeping in a bed since he was rescued in January, and
has been spoiled (as all dogs should be) by his Turkish foster mom.

I brought clothes that could be hand washed and hung up or laid out to dry, since I was going to be in Turkey a week and I was only bringing a small carry-on bag. I didn't need no stinkin' coat or jacket. I was going to a warm country, after all.

That is me on the right. We're in Aya Sofya,
a church (now a museum) built in 400-something AD.

Well, one evening in Gomec (a small town about 5 hours from Istanbul) I had to borrow a hoodie. It was a bit too cool. Other than that, I was fine with my lack out outerwear...

... until we got to Chicago. It was snowing. And in the 30s. And blustery. When we stopped to let the dogs out, midway, on our car trip to St. Louis, I was bare-legged (with a skirt) and had only a t-shirt and long-sleeved shirt over it. Both Jan and I begged the dogs to quickly pee and poop. They weren't completely cooperative, but I can't blame them. They'd been cooped up crates and were thrilled to be able to walk around and sniff. 

 Here's a 6-word memoir that pays homage to my favorite kind of shoe--especially when traveling.

Hose off Crocs... They're good again. 

Here is one about a delicious dessert we had. Some of their food was so rich, it wreaked havoc on our digestive system. One of our hosts called helva a "bomb" due to its richness. My stomach agreed... and yet I still could not resist.

Helva: heavenly-tasting, hell on intestines

How about you? When did you pack for a trip in a way that caused you regret? What foreign food can you not stay away from? Curious minds (like mine) want to know.