YvonneJerry got out of the car, closed the door, and stretched. He bent down in front of the side-view mirror to check his hair. Satisfied, he straightened up and casually patted his right pants pocket.
Incredulous, he patted it again, and again. Then his left pocket. He did a quick search through his coat pockets.
“Shit,” he said under his breath and flung open the car door with such force that it rocked back and forth on its hinges. Inside, he searched like somebody was holding a gun to his head and running out of patience. He rummaged between the seat cushions, under the seats, and under the floor mats on both sides of the car. Then he crawled between the front seats to the back and repeated the process …
Clicking on the book’s cover image, will take you directly to its Amazon page.
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WHAT IS ‘BOOK BEGINNINGS’ AND HOW CAN YOU JOIN IN THE FUN ?
Would the first few lines of your book make you want to read on?
If so, would you like to share them with us, (without revealing too many spoilers of course) ?
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I can’t wait to do a little blog hopping myself and check out all the great Book Beginnings you have!
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I am so curious about what he is looking for. 🙂
sherry @ fundinmental Friday Memes
Hi Sherry,
When the first few lines of a book are left so enticingly poised, who wouldn’t have to keep reading. All of us have a slightly nosey (I mean inquisitive) streak, don’t we?
Thanks for stopping by this week and have a great weekend 🙂
I am hooked. I want know what he’s looking for. Good pick. Enjoy!
Hi Heather,
Thanks for taking the time to visit this week, I appreciate it 🙂
I think that even if I subsequently decided that this wasn’t a storyline for me, if I started reading lines which were so intriguing, then I would have to discover exactly what it was that Jerry was looking for before I finally closed the book 🙂
Not knowing what he’s looking for, it’s easy for me to smile and think “been there, done that”… but I have a feeling it’s something awfully important – not a laughing matter. I would definitely read on to find out what!
I’m currently reading some “fluff”. 🙂 Here’s the beginning to Ming Tea Murder by Laura Childs:
“With drums banging and the sweet notes of a Chinese violin trembling in the air, the enormous red-and-gold dragon shook its great head and danced its way across the rotunda of the Gibbes Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. It was the opening-night celebration for the reconstruction of a genuine eighteenth century Chinese tea house, and the crème de la crème of society had turned out in full force for this most auspicious occasion.”
Hi Kelly,
I know what you mean, but I’m almost certain that it isn’t his phone or wallet that Jerry is searching for. I did read on for a couple more pages and whilst the search seems to become more frantic and urgent, there is still no indication as to what has gone missing. I didn’t want to spoil my reading of the story when it finally gets to the top of my list, so I gave up at that point!
“Fluff” indeed 🙂 It does me good not to have to think too deeply about a story every once in a while, however I must admit that I couldn’t read ‘cozy’ mysteries all the time. Also, they do tend to involve very lengthy series, although reviewers of this book seem to think that it works well as a stand alone story?
Either way, those first lines do sound rather good and I hope that you enjoy the rest of the book 🙂
I like how the opening to the book you share here kind of lulls you into a sense of relaxation and then quickly ratchets up the tension as the guy searches for something he’s lost.
I don’t have it next to me, but I’m reading Daniel Deronda now. At least one character looks like she’ll soon enter a depressing marriage to someone who’s emotionally abusive.
Hi Hila,
What’s great, is that the tension keeps building over the next couple of pages and yet we still don’t discover exactly what Jerry is searching for, only that there seems to be another person involved, who has been in the car recently.
This is a good opening, keeping you hooked just long enough that you are already well into the first chapter and probably wouldn’t give up on reading at that stage.
I must admit that I am still very lacking in my knowledge and reading of the classics, which is really quite shameful, as some of the writing is very nuanced and skillful. Things don’t sound very hopeful for Gwendoline and I am guessing this is who you are referring to in your comment. Surely better to be in a loveless marriage, than an abusive relationship – although preferably neither!
Thanks for taking the time to comment and I hope that things work out for Gwendoline in the end 🙂
I wonder what he is looking for…and it sounds like it is something very important. Enjoy!
Hi Naida,
I think this is one book beginning it would be difficult to ignore, as who wouldn’t want to know what Jerry is searching for.
I wonder if Ed deliberately thought of the opening lines in this way, or if it just turned out like that when he started to write?
Looking forward to reading this one 🙂
Hello Everyone,
I hope I’m not intruding or violating any rules of etiquette by commenting on my own novel, but I just wanted to thank you all for the kind words regarding the opening of the novel. I won’t reveal anything here, except to say that the item Jerry is searching for is indeed very important to the story. If you get a chance to read it, I hope you enjoy it and that you’ll watch out for the second in the trilogy, hopefully in the spring of 2017.
Best,
Ed
Hi Ed,
Far from violating any rules of etiquette, I for one (and I am quite confident that many of my regular commenters would agree), am really grateful when an author actively participates in postings and promotions of their books.
It shows a genuine interest and appreciation of what a typical readership, thinks and feels about the characters and storylines you are writing about. Right from the off, Jerry and his behaviour is obviously arousing quite a lot of intrigue amongst readers, so by the time I get to share my ‘teaser’ lines as I am reading the story, I am hoping that his character will have been more clearly defined and fleshed out.
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
The pleasure is all mine. It’s gratifying to know that the setup in the opening pages achieved its purpose.
Best,
Ed
Looking forward to setting up your guest post. Will let you know when I plan to publish 🙂