Title: Stars In Her Eyes (Sparkstone Saga #1)
Author: Clare C. Marshall
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction/Adventure
Publisher: Faery Ink Press
Publishing date: May 13, 2013
Blurb:
Burn hot and cold.
Read minds.
Disappear at will.
Dream your own death.
Welcome to Sparkstone University, where some students are more gifted than others.
When Ingrid learns she’s been accepted at the hyper-secretive Sparkstone University, she is sceptical. It’s an honour to attend, apparently, and yet barely anyone has ever heard of the place.
And everyone seems a little too happy that she’s there: especially when she meets Sunni and her group of friends. They seem to already know Ingrid. As if she was expected. Expected to save Earth from an imminent alien invasion. Like she has superpowers or something.
As if magic and mutations exist. As if aliens are really planning to attack.
That just sounds ridiculous. There’s no such thing.
…right?
Wrong.
Clare C. Marshall grew up in rural Nova Scotia with very little television and dial up internet, and yet, she turned out okay. She has a combined honours degree in journalism and psychology from the University of King’s College, and is a graduate from Humber College’s Creative Book Publishing Program. She is a full time freelance editor, book designer, web manager, and publishing consultant. She enjoys publishing books through her imprint, Faery Ink Press. When she’s not writing, she enjoys playing the fiddle and making silly noises at cats.
Authors Links
Blurbs. The final frontier. These are the voyages of the author, Clare C. Marshall.
Her one-day mission: to impart strange new knowledge. To seek out new readers, book buyers, and new discussions with friends.
To boldly go where every writer has gone before!
Yes. Today I’m going to talk about writing blurbs--back cover copy--for your book.
Hey, I’m not a back-cover-copy expert. But people seem to really like my blurbs because it grabs their attention, along with my covers. So what’s my secret?
When I was in journalism school I learned a couple of writing tricks. Well, I sure hope I did, considering the money I paid to go there ;). Anyway, one trick I learnt is how to write for radio and television.
Radio and television? But Clare, what does that have to do with anything?
Well, kind of everything. In radio especially, if you don’t grab someone’s attention right away, they will change the channel. Only the sound of your voice, and the words coming from it, can save you from being shut off. So when you write for radio, you have to speak in simple, short sentences. Each sentence has its own idea. And the next sentence continues this idea, until the end of a paragraph.
Sounds simple enough, you might be thinking. But this is the tricky part: writing copy that at the end of a sentence, makes the reader ask a question. That question is generally: And then what happens? or Why?
Let’s look at the Stars In Her Eyes main copy.
The first sentence is: “When Ingrid learns she’s been accepted at the hyper-secretive Sparkstone University, she is sceptical.”
What is the natural question you’re asking at the end of that paragraph? It probably is: why is she sceptical?
The answer is presented in the next sentence: It’s an honour to attend, apparently, and yet barely anyone has ever heard of the place.
DUN DUN DUN.
If the reader isn’t asking a specific question at the end of each sentence, then the copy should be intriguing enough for the reader to continue reading. This is what the “teaser” copy is for. For Stars In Her Eyes, this copy is: Burn hot and cold. Read minds. Disappear at will. Dream your own death. Welcome to Sparkstone University, where some students are more gifted than others.
So right away, we know Stars In Her Eyes is about a potentially magic school where some students have supernatural powers.
The best way to write back cover copy or teaser copy for your book is to study your favourite author’s back cover copy. What about it makes you want to read the book? Now look at an author you’ve never read before, or may dislike. What about their cover copy turns you off, and what can you learn from it?
Fill your potential reader with wonder. Tease them with the greatness inside the book. Go boldly where no writer has gone before!
My Review
I really enjoyed Stars in Her Eyes. It was a quick, but action packed fun read. It was a sci/fi mix with paranormal too. I was caught up in it right from the start.
I connected with most the main characters pretty quick too. I thought one of the group, Misty was a bit harsh, and didn't really find out why exactly, but figure more will be revealed in the next book. Ingrid was pretty likable, she was curious for sure, where I would have been scared more than her, lol.
It was pretty short, but like i said, a great start to a new fun series. I don't want to give anything away with the story. The blurb is just right to tell you enough I think.
I don't think I would want these kinds of Aliens to come to Earth, that's for sure. Scary, lol
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a little sci-fi or paranormal with some sci-fi in their books. There is not really any romance at all. There is hint of a possibility. This all happens over a short time, like a few days it feels like anyway.
5 out of 5 stars. Try it out.
I was provided a copy of this book from the author for my honest review.
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