OFF TOPIC...
Please tell me what you all think of these as blurbs for the backs of books. Would they entice you? Is there something you would change? Any problems you foresee?
Number 1:
Washington, D.C. attorney Alexander Corbin thought he had devised the perfect twenty-first century crime. The only catch? His nervous co-conspirators can’t get along. Complicating matters, Corbin finds himself in a cat-and-mouse game with a suspicious female coworker. But his real problems begin when an innocent man gets framed for his crime.
Drawn from the author’s sixteen years as a litigator in various state and federal courts, Without a Hitch is a contemporary crime story/legal thriller about a high stakes courtroom drama which plays out amidst the desperation and uncertainty of a plan gone horribly wrong.
Number 2:
Attorney Scott Blakely put his practice on the line when he took on the wrongful death case of Jeffrey Tashard. Medical malpractice cases are difficult and expensive, but sometimes justice requires taking the risk. That’s what Scott thought. But as Scott was about to discover, nothing about Tashard’s death was what it seemed, and this extraordinary case might require an extraordinary solution.
Based on the author’s sixteen years as a litigator, Wrongful Death is a contemporary legal thriller about a sole practitioner who finds himself trapped between doing what is right and doing what is allowed as he struggles to learn what really happened to Jeffrey Tashard.
The @#$%?! I thought your book was about making conservative films?!
ReplyDeleteOther book. There are three books. Two finished, one I'm working on -- the conservative film book.
ReplyDeleteWhen you become a famous author, will you forget the little people at Commentarama, or in the alternative, will you pay us to be your friends?
ReplyDeleteBev, I will definitely pay you all to be friends. LOL!
ReplyDeleteAny thoughts on the books?
Andrew, Number 2 sounds pretty good. My one concern with Number 1 is it's not clear who the protagonist is, or why the reader should root for them. But maybe that's the way you want it, so that's all I've got.
ReplyDeleteMy required rate to be your friend post-publication is $10.00/hour. And also any stray kittens you might come upon.
Hi Andrew!
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of the books! I had a friend who wrote military mystery/thrillers and his wife (my friend) would edit them. I didn't realize that the author wrote the blurb on the back. I like them.
Thanks T-Rav.
ReplyDelete$10/hour, huh? Let me talk to my accountant.
Cris! Excellent, thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt depends. Some publishers do it, but some authors do it. I'm going on my own (for reasons I'll put into a post at some point), so there is no publisher. So I'm doing it all myself, which has been an interesting experience.
Mindy Macready a.k.a. "Hit Girl"
ReplyDeleteLoved borh books. Like the name change :)
Thanks Jed!
ReplyDeleteGood call on Hit Girl. That was a great character.
Oh, I think the blurbs work fine. Now, just get permission to use artist renderings of Fabio on the covers posing as an an attorney :)
ReplyDeleteJed, Believe it or not, I've got covers... actual professional covers. :)
ReplyDeleteSo no photo-shop Fabio. LOL!
They are both okay - neither grab me. But I don't read that genre much anymore.
ReplyDelete"WTFVision" - hysterical AND true!!!!
TX finally has a date for our Primary: May 29th - Tuesday after Memorial day!?!?
Superheros
Movies (& the few comics I read - including the Dark Knight series): Batman (Dark Knight version) - most nuanced, strongest character
TV/Cartoons: Wonder Woman - she has an invisible plane, the other super-guys fight over her, and she kicks butt.
Thanks rlaWTX, Any thoughts on how to make them more "grabbing"?
ReplyDeleteWonder Woman and Batman? No love for Aquaman?
Aquaman? mmmm-no. Although riding dolphins was pretty cool. Superman, even Robin (Superfriends version) And the Wonder Twins, of course!! "Wonder Twin powers activate!" lol
ReplyDeleteof the 2, the first is more initially interesting. But I OD'd on Grisham back in the mid-90s, and haven't gone back to legal thrillers.
"WTFVision" That stands for "Win the Future," right?
ReplyDeleteThe first blurb grabs me a little more than the second, but the last sentence in the first paragraph needs to tell more.
I am my own favorite superhero.
I always tended toward Superman in comics because no matter what the twist, it had a basic story that "I knew", not like Green Lantern where I had to learn the story.
ReplyDeleteFor the movies, I think Batman has won. (I loved Superboy (Smallville on TV))
Oh, right, favorite superhero. Um, I really like Spider-Man, not just because of the movies (well, the first two), but because there's an Everyman quality in his backstory. Ordinary guy gets superpower, has to decide how he's going to use them, lots of moral decisions to make. Plus, I kinda identify with Parker's nerdiness.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your second book. I hope it's the "anti-Grisham" novel of the decade. In other words, not another evil corporation book.
ReplyDeleterlaWTX - Has there been a decision regarding the new congressional districts yet?
ReplyDeleteLawhawk, Neither one is very much like Grisham at all. For one thing, they actually use real law, not the made up stuff. And the characters actually act like real people.
ReplyDeleteNo evil corporations either, just the kinds of lawyers you actually find... good, bad and ugly.
rlaWTX, I'm probably going to do a science fiction book next, if that helps? :)
ReplyDeleteThe first book is actually my favorite of the two for a number of reasons.
tryanmax, That's exactly what I was thinking when I wrote it. Winning The Future! ;)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite superhero was actually Green Lantern growing up. Not sure why. Probably just because he seemed different than the others.
Bev, IDK - I'll look. I stopped paying attention because it was all driving me nuts.
ReplyDeleteYAY scifi! I think they might be shorter than I am used to. But, I keeping finding the blurbs emphasizing exactly what is least important in the story... doesn't stop me from enjoying the book, but it's a little annoying.
yeah, Winning the Future - THAT's what you meant, umhm. I like Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Vision personally...
Andrew,
ReplyDeleteSee, I read Green Lantern but can't for the life of me remember his story. What was it? Did you see the movie?
Cris, I haven't seen the film (it looked HORRIBLE so I decided to wait for HBO), and I also can't really remember much of the story. He was a test pilot who found a dying alien. The alien gave him his ring, which turned him into a member of the Green Lantern corp. Beyond that... it's all hazy.
ReplyDeleteI have to step out for a bit, but first some projections for tonight:
ReplyDeleteTen states voting, either caucus or primary. Romney will definitely win Massachusetts, Vermont, Virginia, and probably Idaho by a large margin; he'll probably win a small majority of delegates in Ohio, and lose in Georgia, Oklahoma, and probably Tennessee. I have no idea about Alaska or North Dakota but I would expect him to at least be competitive. In my opinion, the only important ones to watch are Ohio and then Tennessee and Oklahoma, where Gingrich and Santorum will be slugging it out for the Southern vote. If he gets a 7-of-10 sweep, then that's probably it.
rlaWTX, That's one of the problem with doing the blurbs. Both of the books above have some fascinating twists and turns, but I don't want to mention them because I don't want to ruin the book for anyone. So you kind of have to talk around them. Unfortunately, that doesn't really give you a full sense of what's in the book. But I have tried to hit the essence of it.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to the sci-fi stuff. I just have the conservative film guide to finish first.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? What's that? ;) LOL!
T-Rav's always on task! It's got to be all these years of herding cats! ;)
ReplyDeleteT-Rav-
ReplyDeleteAs Ohio goes, so goes the nation...
Watching Ohio (not just b/c I lived there for a few years) :D
T-Rav is big on responsibility!
ReplyDeleteI predict Romney gets 7/10 and might score Tennessee.
Newt wins Georgia and Santorum wins Oklahoma and possibly Tennessee.
Paul will do surprisingly well in Virginia, but it will be because of low turn out.
CNN has projected Newt will win Georgia.
ReplyDeleteCNN calls Virginia for Romney.
ReplyDeleteAs a physician the second one made me a little nauseated, but I might be biased. Based on your description it might be an interesting read to sort of understand the "other side". For the first one, I thought you were describing Newt's career. I won't read them without multiple dues ex machina. :)
ReplyDeleteAs for keeping friends, I will be happy to be your friend for free if I can get free, informal legal advice at any time.
One sign that things are out of control? How many lawyers to each of you have or use? I think I am up to three. And I haven't been divorced nor involved with any criminal mischief.
Five minutes to Ohio.
ReplyDeleteOh, I forgot.
ReplyDeleteWonder Woman for her big...responsibilities.
No, really I have always been a Batman fan. I love the fact that he is human with flaws, yet can do great things. Although the Superman vs. Doomsday was pretty awesome.
Just because I promised to keep everybody up to date on Ben Nelson's soon to be vacated Senate seat. After much himming and hawing, Bob Kerry, who has a pedestrian bridge named after him, decided to jump into the race at the last possible second. Since he doesn't actually live in Nebraska, he registered using his sister's address. NEGOP has challenged this, results pending, but the Kerry camp is doing its level best to pretend that Kerry is not a New Yorker. There's even a brand spankin' new mailbox outside his sister's guest house.
ReplyDeleteIn polling news, Kerry polls 22 points behind very likely GOP nominee, Jon Bruning in a Rasmussen poll. The same poll also shows Kerry 12 points behind virtual unknown Deb Fischer, who does not have a pedestrian bridge named after her.
Koshkat, Glad to hear it! Free friends are good!
ReplyDeleteAs a doctor, I think you would find the medical one rather interesting because you see it from several legal perspectives -- plaintiff's counsel and two competing defense counsels.
It's loosely based on an actual case I had about aortic dissection, though it moves off well beyond that. I don't really want to say more because I don't want to spoil it, except that it deals very faithfully with how attorneys handle these cases and the problems they run into as the facts start to reveal themselves. And so far everyone who has read it said they really enjoyed it.
Oddly, I've never needed a lawyer yet. :)
CNN calls Vermont for Romney.
ReplyDeleteI'm on my second lawyer, but divorce followed by bankruptcy will do that to you. Technically, I've had three lawyers, but the third was provided by my auto insurance company b/c of a fender-bender I had at 16. I think I was 20 before the lady I collided with let it go.
ReplyDeletetryanmax, The mailbox makes all the difference. LOL!
ReplyDeleteNEVER NEEDED A LAWYER?
ReplyDeleteI have used a real estate lawyer, a malpractice lawyer (fortunately only for advice), a contract lawyer and a tax lawyer. Not too mention there are a couple of corporate lawyers for the companies I am associated with.
Koshcat, Ok, I guess I did technically need a title lawyer when I bought my house back when. But I never met the guy -- just used a title agent. Beyond that, I've never needed one.
ReplyDeleteSo according to CNN, you need 20% to get any delegate out of Georgia or Mass.
ReplyDeleteAnd Santorum will come in THIRD in Georgia.
I realize Paul and Romney were the only candidates in Virginia, but Paul has a pretty good showing there, all the same.
ReplyDeletetryanmax, That's the result of low voter turn out plus the rump of the ABR contingent, since voting for Paul was essentially a free vote.
ReplyDelete71% of voters in Tenn and 72% of voters in Ohio are born-again. That is the group that breaks 51% to 18% for Santorum, which explains why he will probably win those states.
ReplyDeleteCNN calls Mass for Romney.
ReplyDeleteCNN does not yet call Tenn, but 35% Santorum to 25% Romney.
CNN does not yet call OK, but it will be Santorum by 38-25%. Poor showing for Ricky.
This is classic. CNN has been saying "Ohio is a bellwether and if Romney can't win there, then he can't win."
ReplyDeleteNow they suddenly said, "but even if Romney wins, it doesn't mean anything for the general election because the Republican voters today are not very representative of America."
So it's a bellwether if Romney loses, but not a bellwether if Romney wins?
Andrew,
ReplyDeleteis Donna Brazille over there at CNN? hahaha! They are crazy libs!
Cris, That's her. I actually had to mute her because she was spewing so much gibberish I thought my brain would turn to goo.
ReplyDeleteWow, Wolf Blitzer just admitted that there were some "vile" words used against Palin. Imagine that. And Palin just stood up for Rush and called the left hypocrites. Good for her!
ReplyDeleteCNN is now pimping Sarah Palin for the "open convention." That won't happen.
ReplyDeleteI'm a conservative, of course I'm big on responsibilities!
ReplyDeleteHmmm. I see the spread for Santorum in Oklahoma is a bit smaller than expected--though larger than expected in Tennessee. And how did Rick manage to get 24 percent of the vote in Vermont?
Ed, She did a good job. I thought it was interesting she continued to endorse Newt without endorsing him. She seemed to have no interest in Santorum.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, to be technical about it, you need 20% in a congressional district to be entitled to at least one of their three delegates. So it's possible Santorum could pick up a few delegates in Georgia, though certainly not many. I don't know how Massachusetts works by district, but in any case, I can't imagine he has enough of a showing to win any.
ReplyDeleteT-Rav, My guess is Vermont is probably Democrats. He got 12% in Mass, compared to Romney's 70%.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting that Santorum is not doing so well in Oklahoma. That's probably Coburn's endorsement. Tennessee is a bit of surprise and tells me Newt is finished.
T-Rav, I'm just repeating what CNN is telling me.... and they are never wrong. LOL!
ReplyDeleteI'm watching FOX and they're talking about Romney's 2009 USA Today op-ed, except I'm pretty sure none of them have actually read it.
ReplyDeleteCNN calls Tennessee for Santorum.
ReplyDeleteWow. Did Blogger really just eat my comments? Grrrrr.....
ReplyDeleteOh, never mind. They're back up.
ReplyDeletetryanmax, I switched over to Fox. What are they getting wrong? I haven't read it?
ReplyDeleteT-Rav, which comments?
ReplyDeleteAt this point, the only interesting states left are Alaska, North Dakota and Ohio, but mostly Ohio.
ReplyDeleteI do not like Newt's wife. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteT-Rav, Palin implied on CNN that Romney would win Alaska with a strong Paul showing.
ReplyDeleteCNN implies Paul was doing well in ND, but didn't really say anything.
In Ohio, they said their exit polling showed Romney by 4%, which is what Rasmussen had as well.
Andrew, which wife?
ReplyDeleteNewt is using Hulk Hogan's entrance music.
ReplyDeleteArrroooooo!!!! Noot-noot-noot-noot.....
ReplyDeleteWow. Ed Rollins says that Romney can't win. Remember he is the guy that worked for Bachmann and went after Palin early. Lost a lot of support for Bachmann.
ReplyDeleteThis is the most whiny speech I've ever heard from Newt. My dislike for him just returned 100%.
ReplyDeleteSomething to keep in mind from the MA exit polls about Romney and conservatism. Fully 50% of those polled said RomneyCare had gone too far, which is hardly a good sign in the state where it was implemented. However, a plurality said the most important quality in a candidate is the ability to defeat Obama, and 87% of them voted for Romney.
ReplyDeleteIf only Pawlenty or Cain had knocked Gingrich out of the campaign. If only....
ReplyDeleteJoel, "Romney can't win"? That's insane. Rollins must be working on getting his idiot card punched so he can get a free sandwich.
ReplyDeleteEd, pretty much all of it. It's been bouncing around the media for the last couple of days as "support for a national mandate." It is not. More than anything, it is an admonishment to President Obama not to ram any healthcare legislation through quickly and to reign in the cost. Rather than likening Obamacare to Romneycare, he contrasts the two, stating that his legislation took two years to work on, took both parties to pass, and did not add to the budget. In fact, the only mention of a mandate in the column is clearly speaking against such a thing.
ReplyDeleteBut some columnist asserted differently in NY Magazine and now that's what's true. But if it were so, don't you think something as prominent as an op-ed in USA Today from less than three years ago would have surfaced sooner?
LINK
Joel, Ed Rollins is a political hack, pure and simple. No one should take him seriously.
ReplyDeleteElite bankers hate me. That means I'm perfect. I am goodness personified, unlike all those rotten bastards who hate me.
ReplyDeleteNewt is the most arrogant pr*ck on the planet isn't he?
ReplyDeleteNewt's speech is like a speech by a man who can't decide if he's God or if God is out to get him?
ReplyDeleteNewt is worth $2.50 worth of gas.
ReplyDeleteI know, T-Rav and Andrew. Rollins lost any and all credibility when he went after Palin for no other reason than her being a possible candidate. It was early and no one had even started vetting candidates, Palin hadn't decided yet and he went after Palin? That means to me, he really wasn't going to help Bachmann at all, he just didn't want Palin to win. He is just a hack at best and his 15 minutes of fame were over before he signed on to Bachmann.
ReplyDeleteIf Newt says "Imagine" one more time, I'm gonna start having hallucinations of John Lennon.
ReplyDeleteProjected that Kucinich has been defeated by an upstart Democrat.
ReplyDeleteI can't find an official notice yet, but Dennis Kucinich appears to have lost his primary bid in Ohio.
ReplyDeleteOut: $2.50 a gallon gas.
ReplyDeleteIn: $1.13 a gallon gas!
Nooooooooooooooo! Not Dennis! I'm going to miss him. :(
ReplyDeleteCNN calls Oklahoma for Santorum. No surprise. But CNN is trying to make it sound unexpected... "an important win."
ReplyDeleteJoel, Rollins pretty much proven to be a fool time and again.
ReplyDeleteThe CNN token Republican just said about Newt's speech, "I think we see tonight why Newt is one and nine. This was an example of how not to give a speech."
ReplyDeleteYep. Arrogance and whiny personified.
Sorry, I blacked out during Newt's speech. I always get a bit woozy around megalomania.
ReplyDeleteHey, I could always make another presidential bid!
ReplyDeleteOuch. Brit Hume: "Newt just gave the longest-ever victory speech for a guy who's gone 2-for-18 and only won his political home state and the one next door."
ReplyDeleteThat seems to be what everyone is saying about Newt.
ReplyDeletefyi, It sounds like Paul might win North Dakota.
Ricky's going to whine... er, speak.
ReplyDeleteStuebenville sucks. It is a sh*thole.
ReplyDeletePointless Trivia, Episode 18.
ReplyDeleteSo....many....sweater vests....(thump)
ReplyDeleteSo Rick thinks he won all the states again. Someone should explain the difference between "win" and "lose" to him because he doesn't get it.
ReplyDeleteThis is like Chinese Water Torture having to listen to these people.
ReplyDeleteThere goes Rick lying again. His Bible must be missing some pages.
ReplyDeleteLIE!
ReplyDeleteFalse witness. What's that?
ReplyDeleteRick, Uh, that's you buddy.
ReplyDeleteWhatever, I translated my own Bible. Can you say that?
ReplyDeleteAren't these song lyrics?
ReplyDeleteWhy would anyone vote for this assclown?
ReplyDeleteI swear it sounds like he's saying "Stupid-ville"
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Santorum appears to be winning handily so far in North Dakota.
ReplyDeleteT-Rav, Santorum was quoting a song? I thought he was just babbling.
ReplyDelete'Tain't our-uns fault, we lived under them powre lines!
ReplyDeleteAndrew, maybe I just got a contact high listening. It sounded like song lyrics for a second there.
ReplyDeleteT-Rav, That could be. My brain has gone numb from all of this.
ReplyDeleteReally? You're touting an endorsement from Lisa Murkowski? Really?
ReplyDeleteNo whining, that's a good thing.
ReplyDeleteT-Rav, She is certainly not someone I would tout as an endorsement.
ReplyDeleteThomas Jefferson, eat your heart out.
ReplyDeleteBut Romney never attacks Obama, right?
ReplyDeleteNorm, eat YOUR heart out.
ReplyDeleteThomas, I love your lightbulbs!
ReplyDeleteIn the event that Obama gets reelected, I am officially dubbing his second term "Obama: Unleashed!" I called it first.
ReplyDeleteI would prefer Obama re-leashed.
ReplyDeleteOhio is getting interesting. It's over 40% and Santorum is still leading by three points. It could just be that the urban/suburban areas haven't reported yet, but most of the counties Santorum's won, he's won by a lot. This could be a nail biter. Of course, the fact that Rick didn't qualify in three congressional districts doesn't help him any.
ReplyDeleteHey, I don't see the AMT and the death tax get much mention. Good on Mitt.
ReplyDeleteT-Rav, Ohio is turning around.
ReplyDeleteHe said the thing about the ATM and the death tax last time.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like Santorum will win ND and their 0.5 delegates.
ReplyDelete*cough* Democrats voting in Ohio primary *cough*
ReplyDeleteCNN just projected ND for Santorum.
ReplyDeleteT-Rav, What Democrats in Ohio?
ReplyDeleteRick Perry is going to be giving his take! I can't wait!
ReplyDeleteEh, I forget.
ReplyDeleteRick Perry is an idiot.
ReplyDeleteSo far, it looks like Romney is cruising to victory among the Idaho potatoes.
ReplyDeletePotatoes are yummy.
ReplyDeleteEd, how dare you. Rick Perry is or was the ONLY TRUE CONSERVATIVE in the race, and if you say otherwise you are a filthy, filthy RINO.
ReplyDeleteI guess I ain't got no hart cuz I don't like Rick Perry.
ReplyDeleteI swear, if I hear about Ohio being a bellwether state one more time....
ReplyDeleteWhat? No love for us?
ReplyDeleteBut it is a bellwether until it no longer fits the narrative.
ReplyDeleteMaine is for lobsters and lumber, not potatoes.
ReplyDeleteI like Megyn Kelly and all, but I don't know how much more of this banter I can take.
ReplyDeleteCNN says Romney is about to get a big jump from Hamilton County -- +6,000 more. And he is likely to get another +7,500 form Cuyahoga.
ReplyDeleteI am Cleveland, hear me roar
ReplyDeleteLOL! Nice.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, that might be right for Cuyahoga but not Hamilton. Not based on the numbers I'm looking at.
ReplyDeleteTake it up with CNN. He's down to 7,000 now.
ReplyDeleteBTW, those CNN numbers were before they were reported. Their reporter was looking at the raw numbers.
ReplyDeleteWell, I can't take anymore. I'm out.
ReplyDeleteSee ya on the flipside tryanmax.
ReplyDeleteIt may just be extrapolating outward from previous data but I think Romney's probably tapped out in Hamilton by now. What's left, together with the remainder in Cuyahoga, ought to bring him about even with Santorum. I think the two counties to look at now are Medina (Cleveland suburbs) and Clermont (Cincinnati suburbs).
ReplyDeleteGood night tryanmax!
ReplyDeleteHere goes Gloria Borger with the "Romney underperformed". And her analysis is total crap. She's claiming Romney losing by 6% in OK was a poor showing. She thinks he should have won Virginia bigger, and Tennessee. She skips all the other races.
ReplyDeleteOhio -- Santorum + 6,000.
Ohio -- Santorum +2,700
ReplyDeletedown from 16,000
ReplyDeleteHamilton County just gave another huge chunk to Romney. (49% to 29%)... 16,000 vote difference. So plus +6,000.
ReplyDeleteCoyahoga still has 7,000 more coming for Romney.
ReplyDeleteDear Ohio: Please just report the precincts already. It's been three freaking hours.
ReplyDeleteCNN has Romney pulling ahead, though the official numbers aren't there yet.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why they can't do this stuff quicker.
ReplyDeleteSome moron on the TV in Memphis: "I didn't see a single sign for Romney in the county, and I just thought to myself, how can you vote for a person who didn't even care enough to come campaign in your state?" (facepalm)
ReplyDeleteT-Rav, People are stupid... very, very stupid. And the things they base their decisions on are often stunning.
ReplyDeleteRomney now ahead by 1,400.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, Fox just confirmed it.
ReplyDeleteI've got to say it... thank God. CNN also says there's still at least 6,000 more coming for Romney shortly.
ReplyDeleteIt turns out, Idaho is insane. They've got 9,000 people who will be voting in multiple rounds as they eliminate candidates.
ReplyDeleteUnless I'm very mistaken, Romney will win Ohio--by a considerably smaller margin than expected, but it's still a majority of delegates plus bragging rights for him. I need to get off this now before my eyes bleed; plus I have some schoolwork I should have been attending to. But I just care too much.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to bed too. Good night.
ReplyDelete'Night Andrew!
ReplyDelete