Lucky 7 Lines: From Two Justin Bog Books
There is something talismanic about the number 7. Do you believe this is a lucky number? Do you believe in numerology? I have a repetitive love of the number 8 . . . the infinity thing. Life.
I’ve been tagged before, nominated for blogging awards, and, once, was even handed a Manly Man Award ~I blushed and accepted that golden statue of a platter of chicken wings with as much macho swagger as I could conjure up — I took pointers from Eartha Kitt’n to master that particular walk — & after the award ceremony finished I went home and leapt about with Kipling and Zippy~ and I know I’ll never achieve such heights again no matter how hard I try, but try I must. Here is a photo of Lyda Blue Heron flying away from Zippy
So, both Tonya Cannariato, the swift herder of Huskies, and Dionne Lister, the Tasmanian Speedster, got close enough to tag me with the 7 don’t-break-the-chain Game, and it would be doubly unlucky of me to let time pass and not fulfill the promise of such a showcase-ready event. Here are the rules which I will change slightly:
Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscript
Go to line 7
Copy down the next 7 lines as they are (no cheating)
Tag 7 other authors
Since I was tagged twice I will give you 7 lines from my first two books and include the mock-up covers (I am tinkering around with all aspects of the covers to both books) . . . I begin the 7-Tag with my first eBook Sandcastle & Other Stories. This book is a series of ten short stories and will come out at the end of April, 2012. These stories have grown deeper over time and mean a lot to me. The book is dedicated to my parents.
Here are the 7 lines I found on page 77 of Sandcastle and Other Stories from the short story Poseidon Eyes, a tale of a woman who refuses the advances of a certain sea god:
Then a picture forms across the wall and I watch as a younger Melanie, a teenager again, runs along blinding white beach searching for her own mystic entrance to the water. She dances with the edge of the surf, and finally wades in up to her waist. Letting the waves bob her gently back and forth, she coasts along the shore almost out of reach from the undertow. Thinking: come and get me — try to find me, in and out, in and out, bobbing along, belly hovering with surf, rising with the crest, gliding effortlessly, the bubbles dipping and ladling her out farther, passing the line of undertow. Saying: catch me by the ankles and pull me deep where I won’t have to watch anymore, see the world through my Poseidon eyes. She swims out farther with the waves calling her back as they pass in the opposite direction: you must not, you break our rhythm, you will find nothing, pleading with whitecaps, speeding towards the beach to ricochet and journey back with her.
Here is the mock-up cover art for Sandcastle and Other Stories:
You’ll notice a change in pen names here in this post from one book to the next, but Wake Me Up will get the new name change, from G. Justin Bogdanovitch to plain old Justin Bog, once the book comes out in November 2012 (barring any gremlin and goblin Halloween pranks). I love Bogdanovitch — it means ‘gift from God’ or approximately that — but Bog says it all; it’s easy to pronounce, spell, and remember, and, besides, that’s what friends call me, Bog, Boggy, J Bo . . . just don’t call me late for dinner, yuck yuck.
Here are the 7 lines I found on page 7 of Wake Me Up, a tale of a horrific crime and how this crime changes one family in Missoula, Montana:
The namecalling breaks my stare and I get one more look into Ellis’s shadowed face before one of them punches me in the stomach and I huddle over clutching from the blow. All my oxygen disappears and I stumble onto my knees sucking wind, spittle and rain as the second bully hits me with the bat. I see it coming and try to deflect it with my right arm and the bat crushes my elbow and I see brilliant flecks and sparks of light and an overpowering blackness for a split second. The pain is enormous and I struggle to remain aware as the bat passes to someone else. I don’t know who has the weapon now but when I open my eyes I’m on my knees searching for Ellis.
That very morning I watched Ellis as he dressed in gym class. His aloofness brought people to him, his looks being judged on a higher scale — and not just by me; his newness was not off-putting; he made friends at an enviable rate.
Here is the mock-up cover art to Wake Me Up:
Now I must fulfill my end of this 7 game and tag 7 others, and, to quote Dionne: eenie, meenie, minie, moe:
1: Cathy Dreyer (payback hehe)
2: Angela Scott (great to choose from your new book)
3: Charity Parkerson (because the sentences you choose will surely delight)
4: Damien (newbiewriters podcaster supreme will have to dust off that tome and put 7 sentences together)
5: Catharine Bramkamp (the publisher and producer of newbiewriters and one cool cat with novels to share)
6: Jessica Kristie (the poetry master can share the best lines of wonder)
7: Eden Baylee (who is working on a new book)
Please click on each member of the lucky 7 to visit wondrous blog worlds. Who knows where the gang of 7 will take us next?
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My dear Justin, thank you so much for including me in your esteemed list. I’m honored, truly. As my time right now does not permit me to play, I’ll do the following instead.
I trust your choice of writers and people you deem worthy of sending this to, so I’ll definitely check out their blogs and follow them. It’s a great way to make a connection when it’s referred by you. Will do this over the next couple of days.
Hugs, lovely,
eden
Eden, thank you very much . . . you are so great to change up the 7 Chain (and the chain is meant to bend and break) and, like Fleetwood Mac sings: go your own way. I love that and your kindness in finding out about some other wonderful writers who I am very fond of. You do rock.
Justin it was so fun to be able to read those little excerpts from your books and see your cover mock ups, both of which I like, btw.
Wondering if the release date can hurry up and get here so I can read them. Big hugs!
TY very much Nicole for your input. I take your advice with a good weighted thought. I hope the books get out at all at this point . . . so many ducks to place in a row and the ducks around here tend to fly across the room when Kipling barks outside the door.
LOVE the Sandcastle cover, Justin. How exciting!
Judy – I am really excited at this point and hope the interior of the book is just as stunning as my father’s painting used for the cover. Thank you mucho.
I agree. I love the Sandcastle cover — super cool! It works.
On the second cover, can I be a little honest, I love the picture. It’s beautiful and because it is so beautiful, make sure your title and name blend with it to enhance it. For me, and it could just be me, they seem to distract. Maybe play with the color and font a tad more. There is a perfect blend out there that will give you the desired effect and work with the gorgeousness of the cover. But if no one else agrees with me, then leave it. I am but one person.
Thanks for including me in your 7/77 fun. I loved reading both your excerpts. Very nice. I will work on getting mine put together very soon
Really terrific, Angela. I love your feedback on both covers. I will be messing with the Wake Me Up cover a bit more when that project approaches. I like the mirror image trees reflecting two worlds — the book is about someone living on the edge of two worlds and trying to find a lost light. I do agree the color/font need to change.
Best of luck — lucky 7 that is — on your own novel excerpt.
Hey Justin!
Hmm page 7? I don’t think I even have that many pages. I do however have a page or so of something new that i will post up/read out on our show! Stay tuned!
Also, those you listed. I’ll give a shout out to.
Damien