What makes a Great First Line? #amwriting

What makes a great first line? For me, it's the one line that hooks you and makes you want to keep reading the book. Sometimes it can be simple. Other times it can be complicated. But each and every line that grabs my attention have been funny -- or intriguing -- or something I can relate to.

I've been reworking an introduction of a WIP and as part of my revision, I've scoured my favorite reads first lines. In honor of this, I'm sharing my favorites below. 

"Saying that she went to the annual Firefighter's Charity Breakfast for pancakes was like saying she watched baseball for the game  -- when everyone knew that you watched baseball for the guys tight uniform pants." - Always on My Mind, Jill Shalvis

"Kate Evans would've sold her soul for a stress-free morning, but either her soul wasn't worth much or whoever was in charge of granting wishes was taking a nap." Rumor Has It, Jill Shalvis

"Liz Kowalski's thirty-year-old shitbox, loaded down with everything she owned, went by the Welcome to Whitford, Maine sign trunk-first, bald tires hydroplaning as it headed for the ditch." - Love a Little Sideways, Shannon Stacey

"Rational thought and a working knowledge of hand-to-hand combat were useless when faced with the villainous power of the American house spider." Two of a Kind, Susan Mallery

"In the split second before hell exploded, Jackson Wilder picked up his weapon and pounded the bastard back." - Sweetest Mistake, Candis Terry

"Apparently, even spammers were bound and determined to shove her lack of a love life in her face today." - Falling for Her Fiance by Cindi Madsen

How about from my own novels? I spend a lot of time trying to form the perfect first line that will make you want to read more. Here they are:

One Lucky Night: Drink or Dare
"May your troubles be less and your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door," Killian recited the blessing his father taught him as he entered The Brazen Head.

Love and Other Games: Trouble with Gold
"Okay, buddies, this is the place," Chris declared displaying a wide grin under his retro beanie hat, splaying his hands out by his side.

Breaking the Rules
The minute Colin stepped foot into the middle school office, the sinking feeling dropped deep into the pit of his stomach.

Time Changes Everything (Temporarily unavailable)
Amanda's priorities for the evening did not include a night of playing hide-and-touch boy-toys with her friends.

The Boy Next Door (Temporarily unavailable)
With four words, Gabe ruined Amanda Larson's teenage life.

What is your favorite first line? Do you have a favorite author or one you've written in your own book? Please share in the comments!

Thanks for visiting,
Melinda

Authors Share Their Lucky Nights @KristinaKnight @Henningland @JoAnnAinsworth @STBende

To celebrate the release of my anthology ONE LUCKY NIGHT, I've invited several author friends to share about when they've experienced luck in their life. I hope you enjoy! 

KRISTINA KNIGHT

I am a firm believer that we make our own luck. And by 'making luck' I mean we create goals and work toward those goals to the best of our abilities. But there is still luck involved in that: I can sweat blood over a manuscript but if it hits an editor's desk right after she contracts a similar book…no joy. And I can make sure my self-published titles are edited and formatted as well as possible but if a reader doesn't connect with the characters…sadness.

So while I'm working to the best of my abilities, I'm also looking for those windows of opportunity – or luck.

Sometimes luck comes in dreams. This is going to sound a little bit woo-woo. But this is why I believe in working hard, making your own 'luck' and getting lucky:

Several years ago my husband and I were living in Nebraska – he worked at a local radio station, I worked at a local TV station. He called me one morning and told me he'd had a dream. In his dream, we played a KENO ticket and hit 8 out of 8 numbers (KENO is a lottery game). He said it was crazy but he really thought we should go buy a ticket and play the game that day. I said he was going to think I was crazy but I'd had a dream the night before – about our very conversation.

See? Woo-woo. I played the ticket for $20.

That night we went back to the restaurant where we bought the ticket. And we didn't hit 8 out of 8 numbers.

We hit 7 out of 8.

8 out of 8 would have won us $1000.

By hitting 7 out of 8 we turned our $20 into $475!

$475 isn't the same as winning a Mega Millions or anything…but for us, it was totally cool! 

Find more by visiting http://www.kristinaknightauthor.com

ST BENDE

My Lucky "Mistake"

My publishing journey hasn't exactly been the most straightforward, but I wouldn't change a thing about it. This sometimes farcically bumpy road was one the luckiest ones I've ever stumbled upon. Because along the way, I met this amazing community of readers and writers, who I rely on for pretty-much everything. They are my sounding board, my advice-givers, my beta-readers, and my cheerleaders on the inevitable dark days. I adore y'all, and I'm so grateful I lucked into this little corner of the writing world. Skal!!

http://stbende.blogspot.com

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21874581-elsker

JOANNE AINSWORTH

God was on my side when I left the beauty shop to find my passenger front tire low on air. I took it to Big O to have air added and the technician found a big nail in the tire that needed care right away. I signed in and arranged for the repair and an alignment/balancing before taking myself to lunch at a new Lithuanian restaurant. After a delicious and drawn-out meal of goulash and cabbage salad with Lazy chocolate cake for dessert, I walked back to Big O to be shown a tire with not only a nail but a torn section on the tire (which had been hidden by the metal rim). 

I'd planned a trip to Napa which included a half hour of tight curves. If the tear hadn't been discovered, the tire could have blown on one of those curves.

This got me thinking of other times when Life brought the right person or the right information into my life to prevent disaster. I said a prayerful "thank you" right then and there for those "taps on the shoulder" which keep me out of trouble.

For more, visit:  http://www.joannsmithainsworth.com.

GINA HENNING

My Lucky Night

One of my most memorable lucky nights was the first evening of my honeymoon in Costa Rica. Now hold on, I’m not sharing that kind of story. No, this is about getting lucky with my husband in a different way. We were staying at a resort with a casino on site but our luck wasn't about money. It was about something much different. As soon as we arrived and made our way over the marble floors of this gorgeous hotel, we noticed something a little strange. We were the only ones at the reservation desk. We were the only guests in the lobby and finally the only people in the pool! The resort was empty, other than the hotel staff. Of course, I thought it was a bit odd, but then I ordered a margarita from the swim up bar and realized that it was pretty freaking awesome to have the whole place to ourselves. Part of the reason the hotel was vacant was due to timing, as we were married over Labor Day weekend, which just happens to be during off-season. However, nothing could have been more on, and I consider it to be one of the luckiest nights of my life.

Find more about Gina at  http://www.ginahenning.com/blog

You can find ONE LUCKY NIGHT at all retailers. Here's a sample of what people are saying: 

http://goo.gl/XwrMlf

[RELEASE DAY] One Lucky Night #giveaway

Happy book birthday to One Lucky Night!

One night can change everything…

The crew at Boston’s Brazen Head Pub hasn’t been very lucky in love. Can a mysterious visitor inspire them to look past old hurts and misconceptions and give romance a chance? One Lucky Night is a collection of five sexy interwoven novelettes by Aria Kane, Grace Teague, Ana Blaze, Constance Phillips, and Melinda Dozier.

Lucky Break by Aria Kane
Four years ago, chef Derek Chase walked out of Andrea Rivera’s life after a tragedy neither of them were prepared to deal with. When she’s called to the Brazen Head to repair a dishwasher, old sparks ignite buried feelings.

Lucky Star by Grace Teague
When her life is threatened by a mugger, Charlotte Price realizes she's in love with her best friend, Tommy Leung. The Brazen Head seems like the perfect neutral place to confess her feelings, but nothing goes according to plan.

A New Tune by Ana Blaze
When it comes to dating, Holly Hall has one unbreakable rule: no musicians. Not even gorgeous ones. Especially not gorgeous ones. Dating them only leads to heartbreak. So why did she let singer-songwriter Cian O’Neill kiss her? And why is she thinking about doing it again?

Lexi’s Chance by Constance Phillips
As a bartender, Sean Whelan meets all kinds of women every night, but none turn his head the way that Lexi has. She’s been playing cat and mouse with him for weeks. Tonight, Sean’s determined to get Lexi to quit teasing and take a real chance on him.

Drink or Dare by Melinda Dozier
A bachelorette party Drink or Dare game pairs paramedic students, Rachel Robertson and Killian Whelan, in a flirting match. Soon, the dares threaten to turn their academic rivalry into something much more.

Goodreads | Amazon | iTunes | Other retailers
Check out the book trailer!

About the Authors

Aria Kane is a recovering mechanical engineer and romance writer. As a military brat, she grew up all over the country, but now lives in sunny Florida with a 60 lb mutt who thinks he's a chihuahua.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads
Grace Teague lives in Pittsburgh with her spouse, children and a cat named Mr. Sushi.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Ana Blaze lives near Washington DC with her charming husband and three cats who firmly believe they are royalty. Ana is a member of Romance Writers of America.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | Tumblr

Constance Phillips lives in Ohio with her husband, two ready-to-leave-the-nest children, and four canine kids. Her perfect fantasy vacation would involve hunting Dracula across Europe with her daughter, who also digs that kind of stuff.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | Tumblr

Melinda Dozier teaches English to middle schoolers by day and writes at night. She lives in Guatemala, Central America with her college sweetheart and three sons.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads


Giveaway

The authors are giving away two Amazon Giftcards!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Our Release Day Blitz has a swarm of AMAZING bloggers helping us out. Check it out at their blogs here:

Wednesday May 7	Release Day Blitz
	Susan Bishop Crispell	http:// susanbishopcrispell.wordpress.com
	Princess of the Light	princessofthelight.wordpress.com
	What I'm Reading	http://sillymelody.blogspot.com
	Little Read RIding Hood	http://littlereadridinghood.com
	Kristina Knight	http://www.kristiknight.blogspot.com
	Rage, Sex & Teddy Bears	http://ragesexandteddybears.blogspot.com/
	Robyn Neeley	www.robynneeley.com
	Katie L Thompson	katielthompson.blogspot.co.uk
	The Keeper Shelf	http://www.thekeepershelf.net
	VincentMorrone.com	vincentmorrone.com
	JM's Meanderings	http://blog.jmbray.com
	Book Freak	http://reviewsofabookmaniac.blogspot.com
	Renee Entress's Blog	http://reneeentress.blogspot.com/
	Caribbean Accent Book Reviews	www.caribbeanaccentbookreviews.com
	Throne of Books	http://throneofbooks.tumblr.com
	The Phantom Paragrapher	www.thephantomparagrapher.blogspot.com
	Stephanie Wardrop, YA AUthor	stephaniewardrop.com
	Diane’s Book Blog	http://dianelynchbookreviews.blogspot.com/
	Oh, The Things I've Learned	http://anjeasandro.blogspot.com/
	Miriam Smith	http://mirriamsmyth.wordpress.com
	Fiction Dreams	http://www.fictiondreams.com
	deal sharing aunt	www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com
	Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews	http://devilishlydeliciousbookreviews.wordpress.com/
	Short and Sassy Book Blurbs	http://shortandsassybookblurbs.blogspot.com/
	Fiona's book reviews	Http://nannyfi71.wordpress.com
	My Favorite Things	http://heffroberts.blogspot.com
	Writing from Corsets to Bustiers	www.christina-mcknight.blogspot.com
	Pages of Comfort	http://pagesofcomfort.blogspot.com
	Doing Some Reading	http://doingsomereading.wordpress.com
	MI Bookshelf	http://mibookshelf.blogspot.com/
	The Wormhole	http://wormyhole.blogspot..com
	My Reading Room	http://myreadingroom-crystal.blogspot.com
	BooksMoviesFandoms	BooksMoviesFandoms.wordpress.com
	Sharon's Book Nook!	http://www.sharonsbooknook.com
	Paperbacks & Pastries	www.paperbacksandpastries.blogspot.ca
	Angel Lawson	http://www.angellawson.com/
	Perusing Princesses	http://www.PerusingPrincesses.com
	At the Corner of First and Romance	http://onceuponahappywriter.blogspot.com
	Dames Unrestrained	http://damesunrestrained.blogspot.com
	Read Between The Lines	www.rbtlreviews.com
	Lusty Penguin Reviews	http://lustypenguin.com/
	You Gotta Read Reviews	http://yougottaread.com
	Bookie Nookie Reviews	http://bookienookiereviews.blogspot.com

What an Author Thinks on Release Eve! #OneLuckyNight

So, tomorrow is my newest RELEASE DAY for ONE LUCKY NIGHT, a group contemporary romance! 

Have you ever wondered what an author does on the night before release? I'm going to describe it in gifs, because what better way to understand the emotions and feelings than seeing it right before your eyes.

It all started one night way back in 2013 when Ana Blaze wrote me to ask me to join forces with a group of ladies to help write a novella about the Whelan family in Boston. Having worked with a few of the authors before, I immediately said yes! It really is fun!

YES, Yes, yes! 

After a few months of planning, researching and much discussion, we finally wrote our stories.

WORK, Work, work!

Our stories were finally finished, so we had to read each other's work, change any inconsistencies and revise. Sometimes this was a challenge, but other times it was super easy ... we'd even finish each other's sentences.

Now we're on RELEASE EVE ... our hearts are beating, our skin is prickling, our heads are buzzing with excitement!

What does an author do on their release eve? Well, here's what I do:

Run around in circles of excitement, forgetting about everything else I should be doing.

Telling everyone I meet that I have a release tomorrow. In the grocery store, at the gas station, walking down the hall at work. 

It's release eve! It's release eve!

And all the people around me, my kids, husband and friends are like, "Yeah we know."

And they don't get it. They need to be excited too. This is HUGE! 

Of course, I do have those friends and family who get it... and THANK YOU!

So, instead, I take a deep breath and pretend I'm not going to explode out of my skin. 

I hold it in until midnight. Yep! I stay up until midnight, because like a maniac, I've been checking and checking Amazon, and blogger links and anything and everything that has to do with my book. 

And some bloggers have the book up! 

Others have reviews up...We're told not to pay attention to them. Not to read them, but we all know we do it anyway!

I read a great review!

Maybe I'll read a not-so-great review...

But in the end, I fall asleep knowing that I have another book out, that I'm a multi-published author, that I followed my dream.

Not many people can say that they've written a book. I can. :)

So, to my writing partners, I say this!

I give ya'll a HIGH FIVE!

WE DID IT!

And I salute you all! Thank you for this opportunity to work with you again. Now, let's ROCK this release! 

And because it wouldn't be a blog post without a handsome hottie...

ONE LUCKY NIGHT

by Aria Kane, Grace Teague, Ana Blaze, Constance Phillips and Me

Join our Facebook party tomorrow night for fun, teasers, sneak peeks, guest authors and giveaways!

[COVER REVEAL] One Lucky Night by Ana Blaze, Melinda Dozier, Aria Kane, Constance Phillips and Grace Teague #giveaway

It's that time! My new cover for a rather LUCKY contemporary romance anthology that I'm taking part. 

I'm so happy today to share the cover and official blurb of One Lucky Night with you!

One night can change everything…

The crew at Boston’s Brazen Head Pub hasn’t been very lucky in love. Can a mysterious visitor inspire them to look past old hurts and misconceptions and give romance a chance? One Lucky Night is a collection of five sexy interwoven novelettes by Aria Kane, Grace Teague, Ana Blaze, Constance Phillips, and Melinda Dozier.

Lucky Break by Aria Kane
Four years ago, chef Derek Chase walked out of Andrea Rivera’s life after a tragedy neither of them were prepared to deal with. When she’s called to the Brazen Head to repair a dishwasher, old sparks ignite buried feelings.

Lucky Star by Grace Teague
When her life is threatened by a mugger, Charlotte Price realizes she's in love with her best friend, Tommy Leung. The Brazen Head seems like the perfect neutral place to confess her feelings, but nothing goes according to plan.

A New Tune by Ana Blaze
When it comes to dating, Holly Hall has one unbreakable rule: no musicians. Not even gorgeous ones. Especially not gorgeous ones. Dating them only leads to heartbreak. So why did she let singer-songwriter Cian O’Neill kiss her? And why is she thinking about doing it again?

Lexi’s Chance by Constance Phillips
As a bartender, Sean Whalen meets all kinds of women every night, but none turn his head the way that Lexi has. She’s been playing cat and mouse with him for weeks. Tonight, Sean’s determined to get Lexi to quit teasing and take a real chance on him.

Drink or Dare by Melinda Dozier
A bachelorette party Drink or Dare game pairs paramedic students, Rachel Robertson and Killian Whelan, in a flirting match. Soon, the dares threaten to turn their academic rivalry into something much more.


One Lucky Night will be available in print and at all major ebook retailers on May 7th. For now, you can add it to Goodreads!


About the Authors

Aria Kane is a recovering mechanical engineer and romance writer. As a military brat, she grew up all over the country, but now lives in sunny Florida with a 60 lb mutt who thinks he's a chihuahua.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads

Grace Teague lives in Pittsburgh with her spouse, children and a cat named Mr. Sushi.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Ana Blaze lives near Washington DC with her charming husband and three cats who firmly believe they are royalty. Ana is a member of Romance Writers of America.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | Tumblr

Constance Phillips lives in Ohio with her husband, two ready-to-leave-the-nest children, and four canine kids. Her perfect fantasy vacation would involve hunting Dracula across Europe with her daughter, who also digs that kind of stuff.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | Tumblr

Melinda Dozier teaches English to middle schoolers by day and writes at night. She lives in Guatemala, Central America with her college sweetheart and three sons.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads


Giveaway

The authors are giving away four print copies of One Lucky Night before you can buy it!

Enter here.

What's Next: One Lucky Night

I'm so excited to announce that I've been working on a super secret group anthology again since September! It's been so much fun hooking up with Ana Blaze, Aria Kane, Grace Teague and Constance Phillips. Now, we have one amazing book to release!

One night can change everything...

Five couples take a chance at love on one snowy Boston night at The Brazen Head Pub. One Lucky Night is a collection of five interwoven magical realism romance novelettes by Ana Blaze, Aria Kane, Melinda Dozier, Grace Teague, and Constance Phillips. 

I can't tell you too much about the book, yet, but you can get a little glimpse into the five novellas on Pinterest:

Release day is on May 7!

If you're a blogger and would like to help with the cover reveal on April 4 or the Blog Tour, please sign up HERE.

2014 is the BOMB! My Update & News!

Hello my lovely readers! It's been a long time since I've had the chance to sit and update on my writing. Last year was a beginning to a new me -- as a published author and following my dreams!
This year is all about holding on to my dream!

This year is definitely starting out with a BANG!

NEWS #1

First, I signed on with an agent, Dawn Dowdle at Blue Ridge Literary Agency! Woo hoo! I am super excited to work with Dawn and have already learned so much from her and her other clients. What a support group to be a part of! Hopefully there will be more news about New York Minute and my Manhattan Moments series this year. 

To find out more about my agency, click HERE.

NEWS #2

Love and Other Games is on another blog tour, to get us all ready for the 2014 Winter Olympics Games. You can follow the tour HERE

To celebrate our sexy new cover, the anthology is on sale for only 99 cents for a limited time! Don't miss your chance to join the excitement the Olympic Games!

News #3

I am super excited to share that I'm now working for Anaiah Press as the Public Relations Manager. This is the perfect job for me as I studied PR in college and I love to work with authors/bloggers/media. Check out this new faith-based press at www.anaiahpress.com

So, as you can see, this year has started out FANTASTIC! What is to come?

Again, I work with the #GoldenGirls from Love and Other Games, plus a few more fantastic authors that I'm very lucky to write with and publish a St. Patrick's Day anthology called One Lucky Night.

Not only that, but we have another anthology planned toward the end of the year called Covetous Curse. This is my first time working on a paranormal romance and my WIP takes place during the 1940's!

Besides that, you should expect to see great things come from my series, Manhattan Moments. BIG things are coming! I just know it!

I look forward to writing more on my blog this year and sharing all my great news! Please write me a note to let me know what you think of my plans, my work, my novels or just to share a joke. I'm fun that way!

Here's to a great 2014!