Pseudonym might be the best route!

[Guest]

Hi, everybody! I'm sending my ms in for a final look over to an editor before starting my self publishing journey through KDP and Barnes & Noble.

With that being said, I think it's time to narrow down what I want on the back of my book, as well as my author biography. ALSO: unsure if I should publish under a pseudonym or not- and if I did- what it would be. I am considering Leah Marie Brock, Leah Marie Nelson, or Leah Brock Nelson. I'm not sure which one, though. I just figure I'd prefer to keep my social media and upcoming archaeological career private from the public, so a pseudonym might be the best route.

I would really appreciate all input from you guys!

I read a couple articles and put together a blurb for the back cover of my paperback editions (and what I'll likely put in the online book description).

Here's what I have so far- I would appreciate feedback on the flow, level of interest, and if it works. My book is a mature YA urban fantasy involving shapeshifters.

My blurb:
Monsters can’t be real… right?
Arabella is on the move again. She can’t remember the last time she saw her mother truly afraid, but her fear is evident as she’s driven to their new home. All she wanted was to graduate with the friends she’d made at her newest school. After being called to the office in the middle of the day without warning, she didn’t even have the chance to say goodbye to her best friends.

Now off the coast of Georgia in a small island town, things aren’t any better. After meeting him on the beach, Conner keeps showing up everywhere she goes. He’s everywhere and she can’t escape his dark and brooding presence. It started to scare her until… She and her mother were attacked and Conner saved Arabella’s life.

Thrust into a world where monsters of myth and legend are real, Arabella must fight everything she’s ever known to adapt to a new reality. Things are after her, and she needs to be ready. With Conner’s help, she plans to find the creature that attacked her family and save her mother… if it’s not too late.

In a dark, gritty, fantastical adventure, Arabella faces impossible odds. With newfound friends and the determination to rescue her mother, she starts the hunt of a lifetime.

As for my author bio, I have no idea WHERE to start.

Here's what I've put together so far.

[Name] was born in Illinois and spent most of her young life moving every couple of years. She has lived in Kansas, Georgia, and California, where she is now settled. She began writing at thirteen years old, and finished her debut novel "Within My Skin" at eighteen.

She graduated with an Associates degree in English and Literature in 2020. Her interest in all things dark, mythological, and horror has inspired her writing career.

Thanks in advance for your time and input, everybody!

[Milton]

The back cover is supposed to be a description of the book with a few words separately about the author. The words should be very general. The author lives _____ with her (describe your family constellation). She began writing when _____ and this is her first novel. Nobody cares about the details of how many times you moved or whether the moving boxes were from Lowe's or Home Depot!

[Kathy]

Good Blurb- It grabs the readers attention right away, but gets a bit repetitive in first paragraph about the friends. I would skip the first sentence about Georgia and make the intro of the mysterious stranger the focus.
But in general, well done.