Crimson Dahlia Blurb

Back cover of Blue Violet

Okay… book blurb time. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I intensely dislike writing the blurb for the back of the book (and book page on  retail websites). Seriously… it is one of my least favorite aspects of self-publishing. I struggle with the balance of revealing too much or not enough, creating enough tension without confusing people or being too vague, covering key concepts of the book but not too many, and so on. You don’t want to make it too short or too long. And – most importantly – it must inspire readers to buy the book. So… no pressure, really.

I’ve looked up various articles and websites on the topic and received tips from fellow authors. One of the more helpful articles I’ve read is from Karen McQuestion. She gives some basic rules of thumb like establish the main character and current situation, describe the “change”, and allude to what happens next in vague but exciting terms. I’ve also received tips along the lines of not including (or limiting) back story and not writing in past tense.

My approach to tackle this arduous task is to write and rewrite the various elements of the description as separate phrases and then combine those phrases until I like it. For Crimson Dahlia I wrote all my phrases and then asked some friends and family to vote on their favorites. I think combined those favorites to come up with 3 possible blurbs.

Now I would love feedback from my readers. Which of the three blurb options below is your favorite?…

Option #1
Ramsey Pierce has pushed Lila Jenner away all their lives – never allowing love to be a possibility between them – constantly terrified that the raging fire inside him would consume them both. So Lila walks away and tries to make a new life for herself without him.

When an old enemy resurfaces and Lila suddenly disappears, Ramsey realizes that he’ll do anything to win her back and keep her safe beside him. But Maddox is stronger than any of them realizes, with a centuries-old quest for revenge renewed by what Lila alone can give him.

Option #3
Lila Jenner leaves her family and friends to start a new life for herself, and Ramsey Pierce lets her go. Determined that the fire raging inside him will never harm her, he denies the magical bond that could be theirs alone.

When an old enemy resurfaces and Lila suddenly disappears, Ramsey realizes that he’ll do anything to win her back and keep her safe beside him. But Maddox is stronger than any of them realizes, with a centuries-old quest for revenge renewed by what Lila alone can give him.

Friends and enemies must band together against this shared threat if any of them are to survive. Even then, they may all discover too late that one dragon is not always enough…