Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Writing Wednesday: Another site and another book


With my first book, “Invasive Thoughts” in pre-production (aren’t books technically in pre-production from the time you first think about them?) I’ve started the website for it.
http://www.publishedauthors.net/darrellbnelson/index.html there isn’t much to put in it yet, but I’ll work on it.

One of my goals for next year is to have at least one more book published (or at least accepted) so I worked on the back cover for my novel “Project Spare-Rib”. Using the same guidelines as the back cover for “Invasive Thoughts” I tried to boil down my 60,000-word book to 150 words. It should be easier as it’s a shorter book, right?

Project Spare-Rib:

Tom is an interesting fellow; he tastes sounds and sees numbers. He can make up mathematical theorems on the fly that challenge the math departments of the best Universities, but he has to cheat in order to hold simple conversations.

After a friend of his sends him a mathematical representation of a Nazi Hollerith machine he can’t resist investigating what it was used for.

He is thrown into a world of political intrigue as his investigations reveal that the Nazi’s were working with American businessmen in order to crack the secrets of the genetic code and create a superhuman.

His life is in danger when he learns the Project did not end with the Nazis but was continued by one of the most powerful families in America.

In order to save himself, he must rely on his friends who have been hurt by him in the past.

4 comments:

Stephanie Barr said...

I don't know about the last line, but the rest sounded interesting to a geek like me.

Darrell B. Nelson said...

Thanks, I struggled with that line. I wanted to indicate that there actually is a story in with my conspiracy that spanned 120 years (it takes place 40 years in the future) survived 3 wars and cost millions of American lives.
An alternate last line:

Now mankind's fate rests on Tom's ability to solve the ultimate calculation: The indomitable will of the individual.

Stephanie Barr said...

Better. What if you added an apparent contradiction to include both pieces, say tack on:

"Only he'll need a little help from his friends."

It carries on the thread of humor, too.

Darrell B. Nelson said...

Now mankind's fate rests on Tom's ability to solve the ultimate calculation: The true value of friendship.

That leaves 3 words to spare.
I used to always wonder if the people who wrote the jacket blurbs had read the book, summing up a book in 150 words is tough.
I like combining the two, it shows that he had both an inner and outer struggle.
Thanks.