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| The Blue Phantom glows like a beacon in black space, appears and vanishes, and never registers on scanners. Rumors say it will save the righteous, the oppressed, and the downtrodden… and slay the unworthy without mercy. The space pirates fear it. Their victims pray for it… but its help comes at a price… |
The art of the cover blurb is to give a taste without revealing too much.
When I am half-way through writing a novel and I know my story and my characters better, I like to take the first stab at the cover blurb, a short paragraph of about 100+ words, to let the reader know what the novel is about.
First, I need to set the stage. What kind of world is it? In the case of my current WIP the feudal planet was almost destroyed two decades ago and is starting to reorganize itself. Many nobles covet the throne.
Writing the blurb also helps me refocus on the main themes, motivations, and conflicts of the characters in the story. It forces me to reconsider, and to pinpoint the larger scope of the novel beyond the step-by-step sequence of events. Is it about revenge? Thwarting evil? The challenges of doing the right thing? Resisting temptation? Never trusting appearances? Overcoming unsurmountable obstacles? Finding your true self? Coming of age? Seeking salvation for past mistakes? Is it about greed and corruption? Ambition? Intrigue?
Usually in my novels, it’s several of these, but I have to determine which theme dominates this particular story. Then, I can reinforce that theme throughout the book.
It's also time to define my characters in a few words for the reader. In my current project, I define my heroine as a “spiritual warrior woman.” I often have warrior women in my stories, Samurai, soldier, bodyguard, Avenging Angel, Valkyrie, bounty hunter… but this one is different. She adheres to a pure code of conduct, lives in a monastery, and practices meditation and Tai-Chi as well as lethal weapons. She respects all life, loves animals, never took a sip of a fermented drink, and is a strict vegetarian.
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| Avenging Angel |
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| Bounty hunter |
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| Samurai heroine |
The other side of that pure heroine is that she lacks life experience. Believing everyone is basically good and worthy is dangerous for a warrior confronting pure evil. That naivety can be her undoing… or her salvation.
But there are other constraints in writing the blurb. Usually, online shoppers on a retail site like Amazon can only see the first one or two lines of the blurb. So, the challenge is to hook the reader with the first words, hoping that he or she will want to click on “more” and read the full book description.
Here is my first try at the blurb for CHI WARRIOR, book 1 of the Protectors series. Look for it releasing from BWL Publishing in November 2025.
Blurb for the entire series, called: The Protectors
A few decades ago, a cataclysm devastated the feudal planet. Today, as simple life returns, an elite of mighty warriors protect the Celestial Gate, expecting benevolent Immortals to return from the stars. But they struggle against alien races with advanced technology, who covet their natural resources, and plan to enslave the defenseless population.
Chi Warrior – Book 1
A spiritual warrior woman faces a fearsome barbarian with a wolf, a double-edged prophecy, and a black cloud with wings.
Anila trained all her life in the monastery of the Celestial Gate, ready to take the vows of the mighty Protectors. That’s all she’s ever known, all she ever wanted.
When a barbarian horde descends from the north, Bayar Khan, their leader, seems unstoppable, determined to destroy everything in his path. Rumors of his cruelty make the most powerful princes tremble in their stone fortresses.
But in the inevitable clash, nothing is as it seems… blurring the lines between good and evil, an ancient enemy rises in the shadows, and the falling darkness threatens Anila and everyone she loves.
In the meantime, you can find all my available novels with strong heroines and brave heroes on my author page at:
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| "Phenomenal world building, characters the readers care about, and an intriguing mystery... all the elements one expects from a Vijaya Schartz story! Easily recommended!" Debbie - CK2sKwipsandKritique amazon - B&N - Smashwords - Kobo |
Vijaya Schartz, author
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For me, writing the cover blurb takes as long as it takes me to write the book. I start with a general one when I know the characters and the setting. All before I write one word of the story.
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