July 30, 2013

Not-So-Wordless Wednesday: What's It About?

When you tell people you're writing a book, they usually ask, "What's it about?" Sometimes when you are in the midst of it, it's hard to answer. "Well, it's about this woman, and there's this dog, and... stuff happens."

As I said last week when I shared the cover for Rescue Me, Maybe (coming in September!), my short answer to "What's it about?" is to say, "It's a love story... for dog lovers." But you need a longer blurb than that (for Amazon, for the back cover, for sharing with bloggers, etc.) so you have to distill your 100,000 words down to a few sentences. I know I'm supposed to be wordless today, but I wanted to share those few sentences with you, plus a few photos of Abby (since the book has a fictionalized version of her in it). It just wouldn't be a Pooch Smooches post without pup pics!

Our gorgeous angel:



Here's the blurb (I might still play with it a bit... but this is mostly final): 

If you lost both your husband and your dog to cancer within weeks of each other, but you were sadder about the dog, would you tell anyone? Maybe your closest friends. Unfortunately, Jane Bailey’s closest friends are on the other side of the country. That’s where Jane plans to go now that she’s free to leave Philadelphia, the too cold, beachless, street taco-deficient city her husband dragged her to six years ago. But with no job prospects in her hometown of San Diego, Jane is roped into helping out temporarily at her uncle’s southwestern small-town B&B. En route to her new role as innkeeper and breakfast chef, she finds a stray at a rest stop. With her heart in pieces from the loss of her dog, she’s determined not to let this mutt worm its way into her affections. She’s also determined to have next-to-no interaction with the B&B’s irritating guests, and the even more annoying handyman who lives next door. Can Jane keep her sanity—and her secret that she’s not really a grieving widow—while trying to achieve her dream of getting back to the place she thinks is home?

Sorry I failed to be wordless, once again! Happy slightly-less-wordy Wednesday!

54 comments:

  1. Love the photos!
    And getting more curious about the book each time!

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    1. Thank you for the nice words and for stopping by!

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  2. Raises curiosity of your book ... LOVE the last photo. Happy Not so WW. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar

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    1. It's so hard to know if the blurb is "right" or not. Thanks for stopping by and reading!

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  3. Thank you so much for sharing. I understand sometimes it is not easy to be wordless when there's so much to say. Apreciate the share!

    WOOF

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    1. Yes, it's very hard to be wordless. (But it's funny cuz I am not super-chatty in real life. Just can't shut up on the blog...)

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  4. Wow we are hooked. We look forward to the finished piece. Have a wonderful Wednesday.
    Best wishes Molly

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  5. That blurb sounds really good. Whee are completely hooked. And those pigtures are just adorable!

    Happy Wednesday

    Nutty, Nacho, Buddy & Basil
    xxxx

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    1. Thank you for the nice words and thanks for busting out of the hutch to stop by!

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  6. Sounds good! With that gorgeous cover you showed us, it HAS to be good! Love those photos :-)

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    1. Oh, I hope folks will think it's good. So scary to put stuff out there!

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  7. I think the blurb is great - certainly has piqued my interest...love stories with dogs in them of course. And the pics of Abby, especially that last one, are great.

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    1. Thanks. I'm a sucker for stories with dogs too. I've been known to buy books just cuz of the dog on the cover. :)

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  8. Awww. There's our sweet Abby girl. We miss her. Glad you're working on another book!

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  9. we are never wordless ...never....my mom loves to read so she is looking forward to your book!
    stella rose

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    1. Good - I'm glad I'm not the only non-wordless one! Hooray for folks who love to read. :)

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  10. I don't have a lot of time to read, but this has definitely piqued my interest. Happy Wednesday.

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    1. Oh yeah - that's the goal. And I love a person who uses the word "piqued"!

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  11. Oooo. So tell me again why I have to wait till September to read this?

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    1. Well... because I'm trying to do this the "right way" this time. Last time I just pub'd my book w/ no lead up or fanfare. And then I learned after that you are supposed to have lots of lead up and fanfare... so I've got "advanced reader copies" that I'm sending to some folks (want one??) and hoping that by the time the book does come out in Sept, there will be some reviews/buzz already. It's all about the buzz, baby. (I'm terrible at generating buzz!)

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  12. I think "wordless" is just a suggestion for what to do on Wednesday. Your words have tapped into my curiosity.

    (Does she get it on with the handyman?)

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    1. Yes, I'm glad "wordless" is not a rule! Cuz I break the rule every week - which is funny cuz I'm normally a total rule-follower.

      Not tellin' what happens w/ the handyman! You'll have to read it.

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  13. Good blurb! Just enough info to draw us in :-)

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    1. It's so hard to know how much info to give/not give. Hopefully I've given just the right amount!

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  14. The blurb is great. Love the photos. Now your newest follower.

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  15. Love the blurb (and beautiful Abby!). I'm hooked!

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  16. Terrific blurb. Or, in the words of a shallow Hollywood parody character, "It's like Baghdad Cafe meets Lassie." :)

    Good luck with launching your book. I hope it gets lots of attention.

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    1. Too funny. Yes, agents and Hollywood types always want you to say what it's "like." For my last book, I wanted to say it was "'What Color Is My Parachute' [because the main character can't figure out what she wants to do with her life] meets 'Marley & Me'" but my agent didn't go for it!

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  17. I cannot wait to read your book. Loved "What the Dog Ate!!"

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    1. Thank you, that's so sweet! I hope you'll love this one too. So nervous to have it out there for folks!

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  18. I am with Carol above....I adored your previous book, this one is sure to be a winner too!

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  19. I would like to have a street taco in your honor. :-) My finger's ready to hit the Amazon trigger...

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  20. Love that third pic, the way the ears are. Blurb is great. I have to write mine, that part is almost harder than the book, you did a great job!

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    1. I know - it IS almost harder than the book! Good luck with yours! Hope you are going to share it soon!

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  21. Yay! Good job on the blurb... just enough to make me want to read more. Speaking of which, what would it take to get a signed copy of both books? I mean, after the new one comes out, of course. It's like... because I'm all sentimental and stuff. But shhh... don't tell anyone.

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    1. Signed copies are definitely doable - once I have the new book out. Folks just need to email me and we can arrange it! :)

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  22. I think we can always count on you to turn "Wordless" into "Wordy" Wednesday! :) Seriously, this book sounds great and I cannot wait for it! It will go to the top of my reading list when it comes out. And I love the photos of Abby....she was so adorable!!

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    1. Yes, I should just give up on the pretense of calling it "Wordless". Who am I kidding???

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  23. I want to read it! I sense two love stories afoot, one human and one inter-species...Is it wrong of me to say I'd probably miss the dog more too?

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    1. LOL! It's only wrong to say it if your hubs reads this...

      (The funny thing is that I've had several people say to me that they knew a woman in a similar position!)

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  24. Oh my gosh just your blub brought tears to my eyes, can't wait for it to come out.

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  25. The book sounds awesome. You've sparked my curiosity!

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  26. I saw the book cover and think that it looks really nice! I also like the "blurb" too. Sounds like a good book!

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  27. Beautiful, the pics and the blurb. ;-)

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  28. The book really sounds interesting, we are looking forward to reading it!

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  29. That's a great blurb! Sounds like a fun read, and would probably make for a cute "chick-flick" too. :-)

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