Last week, I typed the words “The End” on the first draft of my contemporary romance Always, Ella. There’s always a rush when I hit that point, quickly followed by the dread of knowing what comes next: edits. I usually give myself at least a couple weeks to a month to let the story sit before I start my first round of editing/rewriting. It’s during this downtime that I focus on other writing-related tasks, such as learning and development, branding updates, website design, and plotting new stories. This time, however, I took a few days to build out my blurb.
As with most writers, crafting a pitch, blurb, and synopsis can be tough. You’d think writing a couple hundred words would be a cakewalk compared to a 70k-worded novel, right? Not really. I found that writing a blurb before writing the actual book was a lot easier. Doing it that way allows me to elevate the main concept of the story clearly and concisely. If I write the story first, I'm so deep in the weeds that it can be hard to pull myself out to see the big picture. Unfortunately, I was so eager to get this story started that I didn't write the blurb first.
Whoops.
That’s why it’s taken me so long to share more details! Anyway, I finally found some time this week to flesh it out, and I’m excited to share it with you!
Blurb
How far would you go to save your reputation?
When her relationship advice blog accidentally goes viral, aspiring writer Elena Lucia lands a book deal that launches her career. But to make a bigger splash at the book launch, the publisher wants to finally reveal the identity of the perfect boyfriend Elena often references in her posts. Problem is: that guy doesn’t exist. Torn between coming clean or continuing to support her loyal readers, she reluctantly accepts help from her childhood frenemy to stop her career from going up in flames.
After traveling for years to grow his business, Jackson St. Julien is back home for an extended break. When he discovers his sister’s best friend—a girl he’s known most of his life—is in a jam, he offers to step in as her doting boyfriend. It's been years since Jackson’s seen her, and he fully expects Elena’s chilly response with how they last left things. But as he seamlessly plays the part, their “frenemy” status suddenly drifts into uncharted territories.
As lines blur between what’s acting and what’s real, will they see each other in a new light?
What’s Next?
While I let this story sit, I have a ton on my plate. My Christmas romance Saving the Winchester Inn is currently on submission which I’m super pumped about. I’m also in the process of self-publishing my very first book, a romantic suspense. This is currently going through developmental edits (I’m kind of scared to see the editorial letter) and cover design. Additionally, I'm working on my brand. Think new colors, logos, and website. And last but not least—because apparently I don't have enough to do—I'm starting to plot out my next story, which of course I can't begin writing until I get through the edits for Always, Ella. Sigh. So much to do, but all very exciting. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter so you know when new releases come out!
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