Back Cover Blurb - AWEN RISING

"Blurbs are those few paragraphs that tell you what the book’s about and give you a compelling reason to buy." ~ excerpt from AuthorUnlimited.com article by Ian Chandler

Howdy Rebels! I've written a new back cover blurb for Awen Rising. After my last attempt, my cover artist (and author), Lauren Willmore, gave me some excellent feedback and took a stab at the blurb. I've shaped and polished, and like it better than the one I posted earlier. Thank you, Lauren!

According to my research, a good book cover blurb should present the situation, the problem, the hopeful possibility, and set the mood for the book*. I think this encompasses all four points without giving away too much. What do you think? 

Unbeknown to humanity, evil reptilians scheme to conquer planet Earth. For eons, the druids and their dragon keepers have secretly squelched such threats. Now it’s 2042 and Emily, the druid heiress, is missing.

In her Venice Beach hideout, everything is going wrong for Emily. She’s lost her fiancé, her nerve, and her job as disaster specialist. Now she’s stalked by an omnisexual shaman sorceress and needs a new identity and somewhere to run.

A registered letter arrives from Atlanta, prompting dreams of an ancient past. Emily is the druid priestess Awen and must save the planet—by snatching a young William the Conqueror from death.

Could the druids be the answer to Emily’s plight? Or would Awen’s destiny mean Emily's demise?

What do you think, dear rebels? Please give me a shoutout in the comment section below, or on Facebook or Twitter if that works better for you.

That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

O.J. Barré is author of the Awen trilogy, an urban druid sci-fi fantasy set in 2042, steeped in current, ancient, and future history twists. Book One, Awen Rising, is to be released October 1, 2019. Book Two, Awen Storm, will be released in 2020. And the first draft of Book Three, Awen Tide, is in process.

*From Kindlepreneur.com

Awen Rising, Debuting August 1, 2019

My new, fabulous, eye-catching front cover by artist/author Lauren Willmore is nearly complete. And I found an editor, yeehaaa! I'll share more when they're done. But I wrote a blurb for the back cover and I am itching to share.

The first attempts were wooden, mostly facts, and after two author critiques, it's singing more. It is not done. I may throw it out and start over. But I've been researching 2019 SciFi Fantasy release blurbs and living within that for the last few days. My inner guidance led me here. To the big picture. The part that should trickle through in the book.

So here it is, dear readers. My rebel family. What better way to know if I've done a good job? If the blurb grabs your attention? Or if I'm blowing smoke?

BTW, it's too long for a cover by twenty-ish words, but fits nicely for an ebook.

Awen Rising, Available August 1, 2019

The druid queen watched from Maldek as two of the arriving planet-ships moved closer to Sol. The third carrying the Great Ones locked into orbit beside Maldek, along with a sphere transporting reptilian thugs. 

The queen looked on, helpless to stop the rogue sphere as it passed too close, sparking a massive explosion. Hosts to the Great Migration, the Maldekan humans became refugees themselves. Led by the queen, they fled to planet-ship Earth. So did the surviving reptiles. 

When war broke out, the Great Ones intervened. They divided their planet and imposed a memory veil to keep the humans and reptilians separate and apart. Eons later, the Great Ones have all but disappeared. The druids and their dragon keepers, gone and forgotten. 

In 1042CE, Awen, one of the few remaining druids, pierces the veil for a glimpse of a catastrophic future. Risking her life, she saves William of Normandy. The disaster is averted and the bloodline is assured, but with each new incarnation, the veil grows stronger. 

Now it’s 2042CE. Earth is besieged by storms and geologic events. The fight for the planet is about to begin. Aware of the danger, but not its origins, the druids prepare from their base in Atlanta. Only Emily is missing. And without Awen’s descendent, they don’t stand a chance.

So, what do you think? Unfortunately, my comment thingy may be broken. I'll check with you rebels on Facebook and Twitter. Deal? Deal. And by the way, if my Blogger comments DO happen to work, would you step out of your comfort zone and leave a comment so I know?

Thanks, darlin's!

That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

P.S. For those who wondered, it's been a good day. HALLELUJAH! Since Bugsy's diagnosis, I've had a few not-so-good ones. Yesterday was the pits. I woke up sad. And depressed. And consumed by that feeling of impending doom every self-respecting 12-stepper understands. But I muscled through. Read Psalms 91. Put my head down, got some work done, made a couple calls. I made it through.

O.J. Barré is author of the upcoming Awen trilogy, an urban druid fantasy set in 2042 steeped in current, ancient, and future history twists. Book One, Awen Rising, will be released August 1, 2019. Book Two, Awen Storm, is currently in edits. And the first draft of Book Three, Awen Tide, is in process.

Going Dark

Going dark tonight, dear rebels.

I took my Bugsy to the vet today and got bad news. Feline leukemia. And his pancreatic enzymes are eating his pancreas and liver, with some trickle over into the kidneys. Not good news at all.

Bugsy with Strawberry Juice on His Face

We have maybe a month. Maybe two or three.

Bugsy has been my rock. My person. A love of my life.

On the Porch Rail in Villa Rica

Soon, he'll be gone. And though I've known it was coming, I'm not ready to say goodbye. Not yet. I really, really need some more time with him, God. Please don't take him. Not yet.

But don't let him suffer, either.

Seriously, Mom?

Goodnight, dear ones. I'll be back as soon as I can pull it together. In the meantime, prayers and good thoughts are welcome.

If no one has told you they loved you today, let me be the first.

I love you, Olivia

P.S. Death. Talk about a negative, monumental, life-changing event.

O.J. Barré is author of the upcoming Awen trilogy, an urban druid fantasy set in 2042 steeped in current, ancient, and future history twists. Book One, Awen Rising, will be released October 1, 2019. Book Two, Awen Storm, is currently in edits. And the first draft of Book Three, Awen Tide, is in process

Handling Positive, Monumental, Life Changing Events

Welcome to 3000 Questions About Me. Or rather, About You. The rules are, if you stay to read, you have to promise to answer the questions yourself. You can share* with us if you so choose. Or you can not share, too. That's entirely up to you. But do read the comments, if any are there. That's often the best part.✨

Today is Saturday, and as I'm making this game up as we go, I'm declaring Saturday as a Bonus Day. An extra question that I'm pulling out of a hat. Or rather, out of my, um, my ask.

First off, I am exhausted. Not so much physically, though there is that, too. But mentally and emotionally. Like that sucked-dry feeling you get when riding a high—running on adrenaline and excitement and endorphins—and then wham bang, you crash.

It has been a whirlwind week, and not that many days since I made the decision to self-publish Awen Rising. After setting the release date and sharing my news with family and Twitter, holy WOW! The momentum yanked me up and slung me forward, which is a blessing and a curse. While long awaited, the reality has left me reeling. Which brings us to the question.

Bonus Question #1: How do you handle positive, monumental, life-changing events?


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I don't have to look in the rear-view mirror for this question. I'm living one now, walking on air, mind going ninety miles-an-hour, looking at the world from the clouds. It's better than sex, and a LOT better than drugs or alcohol. Chocolate? Who needs chocolate? I'm going to be published. AND SOON.

But I've been pushing too hard. Staying up too late. Getting up too early. Not eating enough. Hence, the crash and burn.

But that's kinda my cycle. Run like crazy, hit the wall like Wile E. Coyote, slide down it and lay crumpled in a heap. Only my second-favorite cartoon character is more resilient than I. He leaps up and chases after his quarry with another hair-brained magnificent idea. I, on the other hand, must wallow a while and am slower to rise and dust myself off.


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Negative life-changing events I handle the same, only it's easier and faster to recover from the positive ones. The negatives linger. Sometimes for years.

This afternoon, post day-job, I saw Bohemian Rhapsody. The opening chords had me in tears before the picture appeared. Happy tears. Sad tears. Tears for a tortured soul—and not just Freddie's. If you grew up in the seventies, or even if you didn't, I recommend seeing it, just take tissue. But you'll clap for Queen and want to sing along. And your chest will swell with pride. And for two and a quarter hours, you will dwell in remembrance of a time that was simpler, yet more complicated.

While I miss those times, and my fleeting, fleeing youth, I am grateful we have the music, the books, and the movies to remind us. We were young once. And still are, in our minds.

How do you handle positive, monumental, life-changing events?

Please leave your answers in the comments below and read what others have to say. And don't forget to check back on Monday to play another round of 3000 Questions About Me. Tomorrow I'm making room for writing time, most likely entering edits for Awen Storm.

~ That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

* If you'd like to share, click on the comment link, select the option of how you'd like to share (Google account, name/URL, or Anonymous), then type your comment and send. If you would like to receive a notification when others comment, there's an option for that, too.

O.J. Barré is author of the upcoming Awen trilogy, an urban druid fantasy set in 2042 steeped in current, ancient, and future history twists. Book One, Awen Rising, will be released October 1, 2019. Book Two, Awen Storm, is currently in edits. And the first draft of Book Three, Awen Tide, is in process.

Going Indie, Baby!

Tonight we're skipping the official 3000 Questions. After a long day at work and not enough sleep, I need a Netflix break. Plus, I wanted to sneak in the writing update I started the other day.

My self-publishing research has led me to Kindle's publishing arm, KDP. They charge nothing up front, and take thirty percent of sales. I will have to hire a professional editor and a cover artist. I think I can get by without an interior designer/typesetter—Reedsy has a virtual book editor that will format my content for free.*

Over the last few days, I've received nudges from several editors on Twitter. One is even in Ojai, CA, my old stomping grounds. I'll be looking into each before making a decision. I also met a delightful graphic artist who's branching into cover design. She's building a portfolio and guess what? The first cover will be gratis! So far I'm loving her concept, and if it works out, I'll be using her for all three.

I also scored a new critique partner. She'll be reading Awen Rising in February, so that's another pair of seasoned eyes upon my manuscript, pre-editor.

As for Books 2 and 3, the hand-edits for Awen Storm are complete and waiting to be entered. And while having a lone lunch at Freddy's on New Year's Day, (rather than sitting in the theater with half of Nampa), I got an idea that unstuck me on Book 3, Awen Tide. Not that I was stuck, so much as needing free mind-time to let the creative juices flow.

But you know what that means, right? It's time to finish the last book of the Awen trilogy, yeehaa! New words!

So, to recap:

• I'm going indie and have likely found my publisher/distributor—KDP.
• I'm working with a cover artist and LOVE her concept/first attempt.
• I'll be doing my own interior design/typesetting.
• I scored a new reader/writer critique partner (another set of eyes pre-editor).
• I have the names of a slew of professional editors from whom to pick.
• The hand-edits are done for Awen Storm, and awaiting entry.
• AND finally, the roadblocks to completing the final book, Awen Tide, are disintegrating.

Thanks for stopping by! We should be back to our 3000 Questions tomorrow. Until then, ta ta!

~ That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

* If you're interested, check out Reedsy's article, it was the simplest and most comprehensive I found on the costs of self-publishing.

O.J. Barré is author of the upcoming Awen trilogy, an urban druid fantasy set in 2042 steeped in current, ancient, and future history twists. Book One, Awen Rising, will be released October 1, 2019. Book Two, Awen Storm, is currently in edits. And the first draft of Book Three, Awen Tide, is in process.

3000 Questions - What is a Promise You Won't Break?

Welcome to 3000 Questions About Me. Or rather, About You. The rules are, if you stay to read, you have to promise to answer the questions yourself. You can share* with us if you so choose. Or you can not share, too. That's entirely up to you. But do read the comments, if any are there. That's often the best part.

Alrighty then. Time to dive into today's questions.

For me, the first was one of those, "hmm, let me think" questions. The second was more of a no-brainer. So we'll do them in reverse order, which means second one first.

Question #2067: What news story are you tired of hearing about?

All of them. No, seriously. I haven't watched or listened to the news in years. I used to say that if the world was coming to an end, someone would have to tell me. That's not true today. I see events in my Twitter feed, or in the Twitter news of the day, and if I want to read more, I surf the hashtag for related items.


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As a writer, a medical professional, and an otherwise curious sort of person, I've done a lot of research over the years. What I invariably find is that every station, webpage, article, etc, is a regurgitation of what someone else reported. Oftentimes, it's impossible to tell where the story originated. But after reading the same words over and over, it can get frustrating.

I am certainly not a news expert, and I'm not here to debate fake news, faux news, whatever you want to call it. We know it's happening, and even real news can be suspect. But I tire quickly of newscasters' (or organizations') endless speculation and opinions. I admire the BBC and similar stations for reading bullet points without commentary. But let's face it. The news is depressing. And I'd rather not dwell in depressing things. Not when I've got enough on my own plate.

What news stories are you tired of hearing about?

Question #2062: What is a promise you know you'll never break?

I am no longer stumped on this, and there are likely other answers. But I'm going with the one that came first to mind. In 1991, after my third DUI in fifteen years, the judge sent me to AA. It took months of several meetings a week getting a court paper signed, but AA's principles took hold. I finally got that if it looks like a duck, it walks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck. And that those who are not alcoholic, generally don't wind up in an AA meeting.


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My mom was an alcoholic. My dad was an alcoholic. Both their fathers were. And most of my aunts and uncles on Mama's side, and all my dad's brothers, were alcoholics. The disease took my daddy in '79. My brother in '92. And my mother in 2006.

So, yeah. I'm an alcoholic. But I'm in recovery, and haven't had a drink in twenty-eight years come January 8th. Did I promise someone I would never drink again? No. But I did say I won't drink today. And as long is it's today, I won't be drinking. That's as good as a promise, right?

What is a promise you know you'll never break?

Please leave your answers in the comments below and read what others have to say. And don't forget to check back tomorrow to play another round of 3000 Questions About Me.

~ That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

* If you'd like to share, click on the comment link, select the option of how you'd like to share (Google account, name/URL, or Anonymous), then type your comment and send. If you would like to receive a notification when others comment, there's an option for that, too.

O.J. Barré is author of the upcoming Awen trilogy, an urban druid fantasy set in 2042 steeped in current, ancient, and future history twists. Book One, Awen Rising, will be released October 1, 2019. Book Two, Awen Storm, is currently in edits. And the first draft of Book Three, Awen Tide, is in process.

3000 Questions - Have You Googled Yourself?

My New Year's day was fantastic! How was yours? The energy shifted, can you feel it? There is a landslide of momentum and I'm riding it, baby. Here goes!

It's time to begin 3000 Questions About Me. I'm picking them at random from the book of the same name, and will answer them here. If you'd like (and I hope you do), you can share your own answers in the comments section at the end of the post.

My plan is to tackle a couple each day. Here are the first two, neither of which are extremely personal. But there are plenty of those to come.

Question #1038: Have you ever googled yourself or a family member?

Yes and yes, though not lately. In the past, I've mostly encountered references to my chiropractic practices, including crap that's been out there since 1999. There is waaay too much out-of-date junk on the net.

Years ago, I lost track of my ex-husband. By googling, I found that he'd been diagnosed with Parkinson's, but no contact information. I have no idea what Mike's up to these days, or if he's alive. I'm a bit afraid to google, but maybe I should.


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I have also googled prospective dates to make sure they're real people (i.e. not using an alias, etc). The last was one I met when new to Twitter. His profile said he was a doctor doing a stint in Afghanistan. He followed me, then struck up a conversation via direct message. One day in, he told me he loved me.

HUH?? You don't even KNOW me, dude. How could you possibly LOVE me? On googling him, I found absolutely nada. Not one darn thing, other than his Twitter profile. Then the scam came. He told me he couldn't get his money out of Afghanistan and needed to send it to someone independent. Someone with a bank account.

UH. NO. Just, no. I blocked and reported him to Twitter and am the wiser for the exchange. Now when those scammer-types follow me, I ignore them.

How about you? Have you ever googled yourself or a family member? Do you have a story similar to mine? We'd love to hear about it. It could help others in the same situation.

Question #1041: How many times a day do you check Facebook?

Once or twice, though there was a time when I was off and on Facebook all day. There was also a year or two (or three) when I only checked it once a week, or once a month, or never. Facebook is no longer my go-to social fix. Instead I use Twitter, and mostly follow writers and other creative types.


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How many times a day do YOU check Facebook? Please leave your answers in the comments below. And don't forget to check back tomorrow to play another round of 3000 Questions About Me.

~ That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

O.J. Barré is author of the upcoming Awen trilogy, an urban druid fantasy set in 2042 steeped in current, ancient, and future history twists. Book One, Awen Rising, will be released October 1, 2019. Book Two, Awen Storm, is currently in edits. And the first draft of Book Three, Awen Tide, is in process.