Blurb This! - Ends 11/19

Enter to win a copy of Forbidden the Stars!

To enter you must be a member of the NOR newsletter, leave the first bit of your email address on the post, and leave a meaningful comment. Contest Ends 11/19/2010

***

Blurb This! by Valmore Daniels

One of the most difficult jobs a writer has to do is to summarize their hundred-thousand-or-more word novel into a few paragraphs. It is, however, one of the most essential marketing tools a writer or publisher has at their disposal. Whether you are promoting your novel to the world, or promoting to a prospective editor or agent, the paramount question on everyone’s mind when they first look at your book is: what is it about?

For a writer who has spent months or years developing their story, pruning all those intricate storylines and shearing all those complex characters into a short blurb can feel like you are stripping away all the important elements of your novel. Without a short description (or blurb) however, a writer is severely hampering their ability to attract new readers, editors, or agents to their material.

When creating a blurb, try to ensure it contains the following elements: protagonist(s), flaw, antagonist, conflict, battle, and teaser.

Breaking down the short description of Forbidden The Stars, the main elements are identified as follows:
At the end of the 21st century, a catastrophic accident in the asteroid belt has left two surveyors dead. There is no trace [CONFLICT] of their young son, Alex Manez [PROTAGONIST], or of the asteroid itself.

On the outer edge of the solar system, the first manned mission to Pluto, led by the youngest female astronaut in NASA history [PROTAGONIST], has led to an historic discovery: there is a marker left there by an alien race for humankind to find. We are not alone! [CONFLICT]

While studying the alien marker, it begins to react and, four hours later, the missing asteroid appears in a Plutonian orbit, along with young Alex Manez, who has developed some alarming side-effects [FLAW] from his exposure to the kinetic element they call Kinemet.

From the depths of a criminal empire based on Luna, an expatriate [ANTAGONIST] seizes the opportunity to wrest control of outer space, and takes swift action [BATTLE].

The secret to faster-than-light speed is up for grabs [CONFLICT], and the race for interstellar space is on! [TEASER]

About the Author

In true nomadic spirit, Valmore Daniels has lived on the coasts of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans, and dozens of points in between. An insatiable thirst for new experiences has led him to work in several fields, including legal research, elderly care, oil & gas administration, web design, government service, human resources, and retail business management. His enthusiasm for travel is only surpassed by his passion for telling tall tales.

You can visit him at his Website,  Facebook and Twitter.

Forbidden The Stars is available at the following retailers:

Paperback: Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA / Barnes & Noble

eBook: Amazon US / Amazon UK / Barnes & Noble / Kobo