Beginnings

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Now that is truly a great beginning in so many ways. But the classics in literature have not always been so wonderful.

Moby Dick: "My name is..."

David Copperfield: "I was born..."

If we started off books like this today, do you really think they would sell? Nope. No way. Granted, the classics got nice and juicy after you waded through the monotony of the first two to three chapters but, in our world, there is a whole lot of competition. We have televisions, movies and video games. On top of that, we have to compete with all the other talented writers.

Writers know that the first line in our story is our one big chance to snatch a reader's interest and the first paragraph must reel them into wanting to know more about our story. We worry over it and suffer if we don't get it right.

I'm right there with the rest of the authors wanting the reader to find my stories entertaining and interesting.

Here are the first lines from my books:

THE VIOLIN: "Genevieve tossed restlessly in the bed, her breath quickening as she fell into the familiar dream."

THE DARK ISLE: "Deep, deep beneath the ancient crumbling stones of the black castle, seated on the Dark Isle in the middle of the Lake of Sorrows, there below the dust and cobwebs lay Mahara, the creature of the Black Blood and the Old Clan."

LAKE OF SORROWS: "Hawk leaned back in his chair and propped his booted feet on Noratuke's saddle.

LIGHT OF VALMORA (WIP): "Death whispered to him its dark, seductive song."

Harmonica Joe's Reluctant Bride (WIP): " 'This place is spooky as hell,' Lola whispered to herself as she climbed the narrow span of wooden stairs in the back of the closet that led up to the attic."

Some of my opening lines are good and some, not so much. I try to improve as I write.

So I invite you to reply with your favorite first lines whether they are your own or by someone else. What grabbed your attention to the book you are presently reading? Did the first line in the beginning make a difference to you?

I look forward to hearing from anyone out there who cares to respond with their favorite first line.

All good things to your corner of the universe.

Sarah McNeal

http://www.sarahmcneal.com/

Progress on Destiny's Decisions...

Well I've been making some pretty good progress on Destiny's Decisions, this one might actually wind up being quite a bit longer than Destiny's Choices which I think will make fans happy. Especially since so many expressed interest in knowing more about Tiana and James and their lives. I at first didn't think I had much more of their story in me, but as I've been working on the piece I discovered that those who expressed this interest were right, there was more! Amazing how a little thing like a tiny kernal or a few words from those who read the first book could take root and then blossom into a whole other sequel. I may actually finish this one in the next month or so and then it's back to Doomed to Be Charmed.

Stay tuned for an exerpt here pretty soon. :-)

Too Hot To Handle Published!

Too Hot To Handle/Linda Sole/Eternal Press
Sylvie is Vulnerable. Rafe is angry. Sparks will fly!
Available from http://www.eternalpress.ca/

Published 7th June

Enjoy!

Sylvie knew that most of her friends settled for sex and a mutual liking, companionship and someone to share their lives. They went in for relationships that were never intended to be permanent, which might last for a few months or a few years, but would eventually end as one partner moved on to a new relationship.
"Marriage doesn’t matter anymore," was the general theory, and Sylvie had gone along with it, but in her heart she couldn’t help wanting more.
Well, you’re not likely to find it with Rafe Wilde, she told herself firmly. He simply isn’t the marrying kind.
She sighed, then smiled at her own thoughts. Mr. Wilde was just too attractive for her peace of mind.
And yet there had been a moment in his arms when she would have given herself and not though twice about it. Even now there was a tender, sensitized feeling between her thighs, a need that she had never felt before.

http://www.lindasole.co.uk/

Come and friend me at myspace!

www.myspace.com/lindasole

Too Hot To Handle Republished

Too Hot To Handle/Linda Sole is published on June 7th by Eternal Press. This is a contemporary romance, level three. the book was first published last year by another publisher that closed shortly afterwards. It went to number one in the contemporary section, but I never did get to know how many books sold. I am hoping it will do well for the publisher this time.

I have another book - Trial by Fire/Anne Ireland coming from Eternal Press in September.

The Homeless Heiress is out with HMB in July in paperback. I now have some books to give away. Visit my website at http://www.lindasole.co.uk/ and enter the competition to be in with a chance of winning. I have quite a few so you could be lucky!

LOL Linda

Patience, Premonitions, and Open Doors

I love my profession. I really do. But there's one thing I could do without: the waiting.

It's a simple fact that the higher up the "food chain" you move, the slower the process becomes. My first book, Svetkavista, was accepted for publication before it was even finished. I began writing it in February 2006, and it was first published in ebook late July of the same year. Leading Her to Heaven was published a few months later in September.

In 2007, I wrote "A Scandalous Arrangement," specifically for a submissions call at Freya's Bower, for a BDSM anthology. About a week after I submitted my story, I received an acceptance. That was one long week!

This past March, I attended the Southern Lights Conference here in Jacksonville, held by my RWA Chapter. I pitched my latest novel, Reckless Liaisons to a few editors and agents. One agent in particular seemed very excited about the idea, and requested a partial with a synopsis, which I rushed home and promptly sent out. The wait this time was over two months.

She got in touch with me last week and passed. It was disappointing, of course, but honestly I think it was the right thing. While she seemed to like my voice and style, she wasn't sold on some of the plot points, but she did ask me to send over anything else I might be currently working on to look at. Unfortunately, I don't have anything at the moment.

But here's why I'm not upset: every author gets rejections. It's a natural part of being a writer. When I was growing up, I rode horses. My trainer used to tell me, "you're not a horseback rider until you've been thrown off at least three times." You fall down, you get back up. I officially have my first rejection! Rather than being crushed I'm thinking, "phew, now that's over with." Will I get more? Probably. But at least that very first one is now out of the way.

Several months ago, good friend Stella Price was interviewed on a radio show, and for the life of me I can't remember the name of it. The host was a tarot reader, and Stella was talking about her own knowledge of tarot. I called in to say 'hi,' and they did a reading for me. The host (whose name I can't remember either) asked if I was working on a book currently. I was working on Reckless Liaisons and had been for some time. Her prediction, based on the cards, was that my current project would be a big stepping stone for my career, and would help take it to the next level.

Perhaps you don't believe in "that stuff." I do. I also feel in my gut that she is right. So rather than be discouraged by Ms. Agent's rejection, I set to work sending out queries to various publishers and agents that very afternoon.

Within two hours I had a response from a certain NY publishing house (which shall remain nameless for fear of jinxing myself), requesting the full, complete manuscript. I could hardly believe it. That old cliche whispered in my mind: When one door closes, another opens. In this case it was certainly true. I rushed into my office, laptop precariously balanced in hand, and printed out all 200 some pages (I'd just bought a new printer the weekend before. Coincidence?) signed my cover letter, scribbled "Requested Material" on the envelope and away it went.

I have hope. I have confidence. I could probably use a dose more patience. All I have left to do now is more of that blasted waiting.

Journals And Journaling

Back in the day, we used to write in diaries. Later, we journaled. It sounds so much more sophisticated to write in a journal than in a diary. My dad was a devote journal writer. I don't know when he started, but he must have started somewhere in his teens. I can't even imagine my dad as a teenager. Anyway, he wrote daily about things like the weather and when he went to work then added only those events that were most remarkable like birthdays, somebody died or someone was born. He was very succinct, no frills or personal opinions allowed. My dad believed so deeply in the importance of journaling that it became a tradition for him to give my sister, Mary, and I a leather bound pocket journal every year at Christmas in preparation of New Year's.

In the beginning, I wrote about boyfriends and the tyranny of my parents. Later, I attempted to write in French to improve my language skills and to keep my sister from being able to sneak a peak and tell my parents of any transgressions from house rules. I gave that up when I discovered I couldn't express myself as deeply in a foreign language.

I saved all my journals in my trunk until I discovered a breech in security and an invasion of my privacy and burned every single journal except the one I wrote in about my father's death.

I started a writer's journal. I find it very beneficial for story ideas. If I see something strange, hear a snatch of conversation that's interesting (yes, I ease drop-LOL) or I observe an intriguing situation, in my writer's journal it goes.

My personal journal has changed tremendously. I only write a few words now and then because the majority of my journaling is done with drawings. I'm no artist. Sometimes I use stamps and stickers but I do draw pictures. I don't do it every day, only when deep feelings come into play and I do most of it in artist's notebooks because they're big enough to really draw feelings. I use colored pencils often. I find that I can relinquish feelings that would otherwise fester and I can do it in a very satisfying way by draw-journaling.

Do you journal? What is your favorite kind of journal--a notebook, a leather bound tomb, a pretty pink journal? Have you ever tried different means of journaling? What kind satisfied you most? I'd be glad to hear your thoughts on the subject.

All good things to your corner of the universe.

Sarah McNeal

http://www.sarahmcneal.com/

http://amirapresssays.blog.com/

May Contest Extension...

Well originally I was going to choose a winner for my promo goodie package today, but I decided last week that I really want to add more goodies to the package. So...I'm extending my May contest to June 30, 2008 and I hope to get lots more entries and add lots more goodies! Some examples of goodies that will be included are bookmarks, and a CD with several desktop wallpapers created by me in Poser just to name a few. The rest will of course be a surprise! So if you like promo goodies or any kind of goodies and you like to win, then by all means enter my contest, you can find the details on my website in the contest section.

Oh, and don't worry if you live in another country, I don't discriminate. ANYONE can enter my contests. :-)