Finisher or Flinger? by Mackenzie Crowne

For a lot of years, I couldn’t bring myself to quit a book I’d started until I’d read the words “The End”. My inability to set an unfinished book aside worked out just fine for the most part, resulting in many hours of satisfying entertainment. There were, of course, those times when the genre wasn’t my favorite, or the story was okay, just not my style. On other occasions, however, I’d find myself gritting my teeth and asking, “How the hell did this book ever get published?”

Trust me when I say I’ve read some really BAD books from cover to cover. I’m talking major stinkers that left me groaning and thinking, surely, I could come up with a more believable plot line and dialog that wouldn’t make readers cringe in embarrassment for the author. The excruciating hours I spent working my way through those books are partially responsible for my decision to finally do something with my writing compulsion.

But, I digress…

The birth of my boys changed me from a finisher to a flinger and I became very selective when choosing my next escape. With my personal entertainment window shrunk to stolen minutes and nap schedules, I no longer had the time to put up with stories that didn’t hold my rapt attention. I knew firsthand that judging a book by its cover is fraught with peril, which left the blurb. The trouble with that selection process is, an interesting blurb doesn’t always translate into a well-written story, nor does it always give an accurate representation of an author’s voice. But hey, I can’t come down hard on an author for a murky blurb. As someone who’s had to produce a number of them, I can honestly say that whittling a 100k story down to 500 words is a real bitch. 

But that’s a whole other story…

Bottom line, the only sure-fire way to know if a story is any good is to dive in and read. Then, if the story isn’t for you, go ahead and fling. Life is short, after all. On the other hand, don’t be too quick to break up with that book. You never know when you’ll stumble onto a little gem that starts out iffy only to end up an all-time favorite.

For me, one of those sparkling jewels is Warrior’s Woman, book 1 of the Ly-San-Ter series by Johanna Lyndsey. The sub-genre was my problem. I’d never read a Space Travel romance and wasn’t sure I wanted to, but I persevered. (Mostly because I was on a beach vacation and only had a couple books with me. I didn’t want to waste one – and I’m SO glad I didn’t.)

This book introduced me to one of my favorite authors. If you haven’t sampled Johanna, I highly recommend her. Years later, many of her titles, including the entire Ly-San-Ter series, hold a treasured place on my re-read shelf.

So, what about you? Are you one of those people who can fling a book to the side midway through the reading because it just isn’t working for you? Or are you the type who must always finish what you’ve started?

When Mac isn’t bashing her head against her keyboard as she struggles to write the blurb for her latest release, she’s busy weaving happily-ever-afters for her characters, like the heroes and heroines of her PLAYERS series available at Kensington Publishing and wherever e-books are sold.

The Art of the Blurb by Alison Henderson

By the time you read this, I will be deep in my edits, probably moaning and tearing my hair. However, at the moment I'm taking advantage of my last few days of freedom to work on the blurb for UNDERCOVER NANNY that will become my Amazon product description.

As you know, blurbs vary widely in length and level of detail. Some are mere teasers. Others spell out most of the main plot points. I've read quite a number of articles on how to write great product descriptions, but I'm not sure I got many useful pointers from any of them. Some were written by professional marketers, and others by authors discussing the elements and style that have worked for there. I'm not a marketing guru, but personal preference seems to play a major role.

So, what about you? When you're looking for a new book, what do you look for in a blurb? Do you want a brief description that gives you an idea of the tone of the book but only a broad overview of the characters and plot? Or do you feel more comfortable (and therefore more likely to part with your hard-earned cash) if you have a better idea of the story?

I don't think most readers like super-long blurbs, so I've written two potential options for UNDERCOVER NANNY: one with approximately 100 words, and one twice that length. I would love your opinion as to which would make you more likely to hit the "Buy" button.

#1

Kidnapping. Extortion. Antiquities smuggling. Add one light-fingered, bad-tempered monkey, and it’s all in a day’s work for novice bodyguard Casey Callahan.

She has been hired to protect the five-year-old niece of archaeology professor Alec Bainbridge from would-be kidnappers while posing as the child’s nanny—a task made all the more challenging by the escapades of Balthazar, a Capuchin with an attitude.

Amid break-ins, anonymous threats, and possible arson, Casey and Alec race to identify the villains before they harm the child or make off with a priceless Egyptian artifact. All the while, their growing mutual attraction becomes a complication too powerful to ignore.

#2

Kidnapping. Extortion. Antiquities smuggling. Add one light-fingered, bad-tempered monkey, and it’s all in a day’s work for novice bodyguard Casey Callahan.

Casey has been working part-time for an all-female bodyguard agency while finishing her graduate degree. In her first solo assignment, she has been hired to protect the five-year-old niece of a handsome archaeology professor from would-be kidnappers while posing as the child’s nanny. When she arrives at the house, she is startled to learn her duties will also include wrangling the little girl’s staunch companion, an impudent Capuchin named Balthazar.

Alec Bainbridge has been balancing excavation and teaching duties with single parenthood since the death of his sister. When a stranger attempts to take his niece from school, his fears push him to hire a bodyguard. However, the young woman who shows up is a far cry from the matronly type he was expecting.

Despite Alec and Casey's best efforts, the anonymous threats continue to escalate, sending them on a race to identify the villains before they harm the child or make off with a priceless Egyptian artifact. All the while, their growing mutual attraction becomes a complication too powerful to ignore.

Do you like either? Should I mix and match elements? I want to give readers enough, but not too much. It's a fine line, and any help you can give will be most appreciated.

Alison
www.alisonhenderson

Horrors! #Amwriting a Blurb by Rolynn Anderson

*#!@&^!
All of us swear when we write blurbs.  Some of us have blurbs thrust upon us by publishers (and commence swearing at first sight). We indies get to swear at ourselves for every wooden phrase or hackneyed term. Since we're all trying to use the same keywords, it's no surprise our teasers sound alike. After we place the polished blurb on the back of the book, we're still growling and groaning over this or that word choice.

I come begging for feedback on the blurb below. Many of you read my Christmas short story about Sable and Carter, so you have more insight about FIRE IS NICE than anyone else I know.  So have at this draft...even if you just tell me the phrase/idea you like and/or the phrase/idea you don't like.  My skin is thick and I need your objectivity.  Thanks!

Giant redwoods crave a scorching forest fire to release their seeds. What kind of heat will smoke poachers out of Sequoia National Park?

***

Criminals are stealing 11,000 year old animal bones from the caves of Sequoia. Ranger Sable Chisholm, assigned to collar the thieves, brings along her donkey and pig. Sable is a former L.A. Agent, recovering from a brain injury, which took away fear but intensified her other emotions. Ranger Carter Glass, devoted to applying logic and statistics to park problems, is Sable’s reluctant partner in crime-solving.

Then the bone-robbers start shooting rangers, deepening the mystery and pushing the stakes sky-high.

If Sable can’t control her fearlessness to team with Carter, her career is over.

For the ancient Sequoia tree, fire is nice, but Sable’s fiery personality could reduce two reputations to ashes.