THE WILD ROSE VALENTINE BLOG TOUR!!

IT'S FINALLY HERE!!
Eleven TWRP authors have tag-teamed up for a blog tour of themes from the heart of writing. Meet some of the authors from TWRP and discover how their personal stories influenced their writing. Leave a comment on any of the blogs to enter to win a weekly prize. One commentator will be chosen from each blog each week. One random winner will be chosen from these 11 for a weekly double-or-nothing prize. Weekly chosen commentators who don't win the weekly prize will automatically be entered for a triple-or-nothing grand prize at the end of the tour. Winners will be posted on all the blogs. The more blogs you comment on, the better your chances of winning because you could be chosen more than once each week! I'll post the links to all the other Roses after we visit with my wonderful guest!

Today I'm happy to host Caroline Clemmons! I remember reading her story, BE MY GUEST, several, er, just a few short years ago. :) I immediately put it on my 'keeper' shelf. So if you haven't had the pleasure of reading Caroline's work, check out the snippets below. Links are provided if you like what you read;)
So grab a cup of coffee and get to know Caroline.

FIRST LINES: SO MANY BOOKS, SO LITTLE TIME

 

Ah, the meandering descriptions of the past. La la la, the breeze, the sky, the birds, the rippling brook. The sky was blue, the sky was cloudy, perhaps it would rain, it was a dark and stormy night. The family was impoverished, the family was wealthy and now impoverished, her dress was . . . you get the idea. Yawn.

If you read the classics or even many popular novels from the 20th century, you notice that usually time is spent building the world. Descriptions of scenery, mood, and time period may be lengthy. Authors of old sometimes used pages to set up the book and characters. Personally, I like these wandering set ups, but will most of today’s readers tolerate them? No, no, no!

Today’s reader is too busy for such lengthy niceties. Television, cell phones, and the internet have taught us to expect instant gratification. We are busy, busy, busy! Most of us live at a hectic pace with little time to spare for relaxation. Grab us from the start with action and/or dialog or we close the book (or e-reader) and move on. So, today on the Wild Rose Authors Blog Tour, we’re talking about the importance of first lines. Here are mine from two of my favorites of  books I’ve had published:

From THE MOST UNSUITABLE HUSBAND, now available on Smashwords at

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/37792?ref=CarolineClemmons:

“Sonofabitch! The bastards are burying me!”

Nate Bartholomew braced against the coffin sides and grappled the terror that pumped through him.

Do these lines would draw the reader into the story for answers? I certainly hope so. Why is Nate in a coffin? Why is he being buried alive? I wanted to raise questions to tantalize the reader to keep reading. Does it work?

From THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE, available from The Wild Rose Press at

www.thewildrosepress.com/caroline-clemmons-m-638.html and from Amazon and other online stores :

Dallas McClintock sprawled on the ground, three rifle barrels pointed at his chest. He reckoned his luck had run out, but damned if he knew why.

Again, I wanted to raise questions in the reader’s mind that he or she would insist on answering by continuing to read the story. Why had Dallas’ luck run out? Why was he on the ground? Who pointed rifles at him and why? Are you intrigued enough to keep reading? Again, I hope so.

Without a question to be answered, there is no reason for us as readers to continue unless we know the author and want to support a friend. If the first paragraph is dry and boring, we decide the rest of the book will follow that pattern, even though sometimes that’s incorrect. Occasionally a book gets off to a slow start, but becomes interesting later. Who will read long enough to find out? Perhaps a reviewer, but not me. As the saying goes, “So many books, so little time.”

First lines are the key to the rest of the book. They set the tone. Will this be an adventure, mystery, frightening ghost story, or searing romance? As you can tell from the lines above, my romances always include some form of mayhem. We live vicariously through the characters in books. Don’t we need an exciting time?

For my other recent release, the modern time travel OUT OF THE BLUE, please use the link above for The Wild Rose Press. For other back list titles, the contemporaries SNOWFIRES and BE MY GUEST, and the historical linked to the title mentioned, THE MOST UNSUITABLE WIFE, please check the Smashwords link listed above. Keep reading! And check my blog http://carolineclemmons.blogspot.com to read what Jill James has to say on this same subject.

Thanks to Jennifer for letting me guest on her blog today.

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Thanks, Caroline! Remember to leave a comment for a chance at the prizes!

Blog Tour Itinerary
Wednesday, February 2nd - Blog Topic - The Significance of First Lines
Meet contemporary YA an adult romance author Linda Kage at http://amielouellen.wordpress.com/
Meet contemporary, paranormal, and historical romance author Caroline Clemmons at http://authorjenniferjakes.blogspot.com/
Meet historical and paranormal romance writer Lilly Gayle at http://www.ajbooks.blogspot.com/
Meet Amie Louellen, author of fun and whimsical contemporary romance at http://lynneroberts.blogspot.com/
Meet erotic western historical author Jennifer Jakes at http://maevegreyson.blogspot.com/
Meet author AJ Nuest at http://amycorwin.blogspot.com/
Meet author Lynne Roberts at http://www.jilljameswrites.com/blog
Meet paranormal romance author Maeve Greyson at http://www.katduncan.net/writeabout
Meet author Amy Corwin at http://lindakage.blogspot.com/
Meet contemporary and paranormal romance author Jill James at http://carolineclemmons.blogspot.com/
Meet romantic suspense author Kat Duncan at http://www.lillygayleromance.blogspot.com