Gina G writes

How It Begin   I knew I wanted to be a story teller when I was a child. See once upon a time there was a library in an old stone building downtown. Stone steps lead to a large doorway where the children's area was. It was like a dungeon, a castle. Inside the walls were gray stone lined with shelves. The shelves were filled with books upon books upon books. Old glass windows--the kind that were rippled--let in light. When it rained the room smelled like water. I discovered dragons, unicorns, dinosaurs, and magic in this room. The feel of the pages, the words, the pictures, all called to me.  My mother encouraged our imaginations by reading out loud to us, drawing pictures and making up stories. She would play the piano and tell us the light higher notes were a fairy princess trapped in a castle trying to get out. The deeper notes were a monster climbing the stairs and searching for her. Hmm ... and she didn't want me telling my siblings scary stories? To keep my sister Ami...

 I picked this up on a whim. I was in line for coffee at Barnes and Noble and the title caught my eye. The cover ... not so much. I flipped the book over and the tag line grabbed my attention. "Three teens. Two bank robbers. One way out." Genre, YA thriller. I read the blurb on the back and opened the book. Inside the cover it read: "Perfect daughters commit perfect crimes." Interesting. Opening page intro: "Truth is a Weapon."  Now, would it pass the first line test? First line: "It was supposed to be twenty minutes." Hooked. I ordered my coffee, bought the book and read the first chapter while I waited.  The author Tess Sharpe has created a kickass protagonist with strength and flaws. The twists were unexpected. I found myself cheering, clapping, and gasping as well. I was one hundred percent immersed in the story. Tess Sharpe did a great job drawing the reader in and giving them a roller coaster of a ride. The plot is twisted. And bonus of bon...

The first line ... The first sentence of any story is crucial. It can make or break a novel. You need to have a hook. You want your readers to be intrigued and captured by the first line so they keep going. It doesn't matter what genre your book is, you need to hook your reader.  In the first line, paragraph, and page, you need to establish the setting, introduce your main character, and set the tone. You want to refrain from rambling on about the scenery or having the story start off with a dream or looking in the mirror. This is very important because if your reader is not interested, they will put the book down.  Here are four examples:    1) Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.  (Gone With the Wind) by Margaret Mitchell)  2) On the battered paper map that's carried the two of them across they're not sure how many American states now, this is Proofrock, Idaho, and the dark body...

 Best Laid Plans 3/4/2024 I am a list maker. I will admit that right off the bat. I like to make lists so I can cross them off and say they are done. Nothing is more annoying or frustrating to a list maker than to make a list and not be able to cross things off because "things" get in the way. Because of this, I have added "Best Laid Plans Derailed" to my daily list. This way, when life happens, I can still cross an item off of my list. Most of my "Best Laid Plans Derailed" happen at work. I work in retail. I manage a shoe department for a well-known department store. I have been the shoe manager since 2011. It is a day-to-day experience that I love. Yes, I am one of the crazy people who loves working in retail. I love setting up the floor, maintaining the floor, encouraging and educating my associates, growing a team, making my goals, and taking care of the customers. Every day, I start off with a simple goal: make the day. This can be derailed by several...