I’m a sucker for big cities: Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle – I love them all. There’s an energy in these cities that you just don’t find in small, sleepy towns. Each of these cities also have a feeling that no other city has…one that’s uniquely its own.

Read the rest of this post at THE NOVEL GIRLS!

I’ve been fighting a cold / flu the past week, and it’s dragging me down badly. It’s one of those where you think you’re feeling better, but fifteen minutes after pulling yourself off the couch, you realize you really don’t. I hope to be back to normal soon, but until then, forgive the quiet blog!

Another great review! Coffee Time Romance gave A Taste of Magic 4 cups! Lototy says, “A little magic and a lot of fun will lift anyone’s spirits, and A Taste of Magic is the perfect combination. Lizzie is wonderfully whacko, and her grandma is even better…”

Read the rest of the review HERE!

Don’t Forget!

All week, The Novel Girls are talking about our favorite places to travel! Stop in each day and say hi!

Read A Taste of Magic and leave a postive comment any time through March to be entered in a contest for a chance to win a $25 Borders Gift Card!

Subscribe to my newsletter in March and be automatically entered into a drawing for a chance to win SIX Dorchester Love Spell books! Also, newsletter subscribers will get the first peek at A Stroke of Magic with the first chapter excerpt in April!

The days are slowly warming, and though we might have another cold snap (or two) in Ohio, Spring has officially arrived.

When I think of Spring, I think of new beginnings. Flowers bloom, grass turns green, leaves burst out of tree branches, and the scent of the season is fresh and alive, almost energizing. And, frankly, that last part (the energizing thing) irritates the heck out of me.

Read the rest of this post at THE NOVEL GIRLS!

Don’t Forget!

All week, The Novel Girls are talking about Springtime!

Read A Taste of Magic and leave a postive comment any time through March to be entered in a contest for a chance to win a $25 Borders Gift Card!

Subscribe to my newsletter in March and be automatically entered into a drawing for a chance to win SIX Dorchester Love Spell books! Also, newsletter subscribers will get the first peek at A Stroke of Magic with the first chapter excerpt in April!

The other day, I talked about how first lines in novels can hook me, and I gave a few examples from books I’ve recently read that did just that. So, as a reader, I definitely pay attention to the first line. But what about as a writer?

When I’m beginning a new book, I can’t move forward until I think I have the right first line. Sometimes, this is easy as my brain will immediately reach into the ether and pull out the perfect words, strung in the perfect order, to give me the perfect first line. Other times…well, let’s just say it’s not always so easy.

In fact, my first draft of A Taste of Magic is a perfect example. I started with the *wrong* first line. Who declared it as wrong? Me. My original first line was:

• Today could very easily be the worst day of my life.

The first line itself, while not amazing, isn’t horrible, and it certainly felt right when I originally wrote it. But that initial line set me on a course of telling *why* it was the worst day of Elizabeth’s life, instead of showing. And while that first line stayed for the entire writing of the first draft, by the time I was done, I knew it had to be changed. As did the first several pages of chapter one. 

For me, finding the *right* first line is about more than what sounds good, it’s about putting my head in the place it needs to be in to develop the novel’s best opening. I learned a lot from writing A Taste of Magic, and while it took several tries, I did – eventually – find the first line that worked.

• “You married a lemon, Elizabeth,” said Grandma Verda, as if that explained everything.

For me, as the writer, the reason the second *first* line worked better, is it stopped me from “telling” why it was the worst day of Elizabeth’s life, and forced me to “show” it. Luckily, the majority of chapter one didn’t need much tweaking, but the first several pages were a complete rewrite. And, in my opinion, the book is better for it.

When I started writing A Stroke of Magic, the *right* first line didn’t come to me immediately, either, but I was unable to truly move ahead until I had it. I had written a scene I thought was going to be the first scene in the book, but it didn’t feel right. I fiddled around for a while, writing several possibile new scenes, but none of them felt right. Finally, this line dropped into my head:

• Pregnant women had taken over Chicago.

And once I had that line, it was as if the *real* opening scene made itself known to me. What I’d originally thought was going to be the first scene, became the second scene (with a little tweaking). 

While writing the proposal for what I hope will be book three in this series (A Breath of Magic), something different happened – the first line came to me immediately. As did the first scene, and the second. Again, finding the *right* first line helped me develop the opening of the story correctly, as soon as I found it. 

What’s interesting to me is how a great first line in a book will hook me in, so I have to read more, but as a writer, a great first line will put me on the right path to telling the story I want to tell.

At the moment, I’m working on another proposal, and yep–I’m going round and round about what the first line should be. I think I found it, and I can’t wait to get back into the story today to see if the words, the story, is flowing as well today as they did yesterday.

In other news, another great review is up! Heather from Night Owl Romance gave A Taste of Magic 4.5 stars, and said:

“Ms. Madison has woven a delightful spell to enchant readers that are sure to keep them coming back for more. She has blended an intriguing plot with interesting characters, and tossed in a dash of magic. Her characters are believable, intelligent, and seem to remind me of a few people that I know. This book is a page- turner that you won’t want to put down and leaves you craving more. I am adding this book to my keeper shelf and I definitely recommend this book to everyone.”

Read the entire review HERE! 

Don’t Forget!

All week, The Novel Girls are talking about St. Patrick’s Day!

Read A Taste of Magic and leave a postive comment any time through March to be entered in a contest for a chance to win a $25 Borders Gift Card!

Subscribe to my newsletter in March and be automatically entered into a drawing for a chance to win SIX Dorchester Love Spell books! Also, newsletter subscribers will get the first peek at A Stroke of Magic with the first chapter excerpt in April!

I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for first lines. I’ve bought books soley because, when I cracked the book open at the book store, the first line grabbed me. Some first lines have made me laugh, others have startled me, and still others have simply blown me away with their brilliance. Whenever I read an excellent first line, I realize again how powerful words are, and how in one sentence an author can hook me.

Here’s a few first lines that grabbed my attention right away:

1.  From FACE TIME by Hank Phillippi Ryan:

• It’s statistically impossible that my mother is always right.

Okay, this line made me laugh, because I’ve had that same thought multiple times over throughout my life. So in this case, while the humor shines through, what hooked me was that I immediately identified with the narrator. Before I read another word, I knew there was at least one connection between me and the heroine, Charlotte McNally. Which, naturally, made me want to read more. The following two sentences read:

• So why doesn’t she seem to know it? Besides, it’s demonstrably true that I’m not always wrong.

These two sentences strengthened the connection the first line gave me, and that was that. I had to know more about Charlotte McNally. FACE TIME is actually book two in Hank Phillippi Ryan’s Charlotte McNally Mystery Series, and you can bet I bought the first book post haste.

2.  From THE LAST TWILIGHT by Marjorie M. Liu:

• The monkeys began dying at dawn.

Obviously, I didn’t feel a connection to the dying monkeys in this first line, so what grabbed me? This first line is compelling, and so very interesting. I’m drawn by the question of what is happening, and that pushed me to read a little further. The rest of the opening paragraph reads:

• Only the children noticed. They were playing a game of soccer, just within sight of the refugee camp. The river was nearby, the jungle wall thick and hoarse with crying shadows. Birds jammed the air. 

The rest of the paragraph not only increased my curiosity about what happened to the monkeys, but it also gave a sense of atmosphere. I could hear the kids playing. I could see the shadows lurking within the jungle, and the birds freaked me out a little. (Okay, yes, I watched too much Hitchcock at one time in my life). Again, I was hooked. I had to know what was going on.

3.  From DIVORCED, DESPERATE and DATING by Christie Craig:

• The worst part about murdering someone was planning exactly how to do it.

I’ll admit because I’ve read Christie Craig before, this first line made me laugh. I know Christie’s sense of humor (and I love it), so I knew with that first line, I was in for a treat. But if you hadn’t read a Christie Craig book before, and someone read that line to you…what would you think? It’s an evocative line, even without the humor I took from it. The rest of the first paragraph reads:

• Not that this was Sue Finley’s first. She’d whacked at least ten people, but it never got any easier.

Again, how evocative is that? It’s a compelling opening that becomes even more compelling when you realize that Sue Finley is a mystery writer, not a murderer. It’s a great opening to a great book.

4.  From HER ONLY PROTECTOR by Lisa Mondello:

• Sonny Montgomery had an itch she couldn’t scratch.

This is one of my very favorite first lines. Be honest, what do you think when you read that? I know what I thought. <G>. And yep, it was enough to hook me, and I totally expected to see Sonny gaping at a hot man, or thinking about her ex, or the lack of romance in her life. I was wrong. Way wrong. But the rest of the first paragraph is what really sucked me in. Here it is:

• It sat dead center between her shoulder blades, just out of arm’s reach. Like a persistent mosquito buzzing around her ear, it nagged at her. But she couldn’t stop to deal with it. Even a small move like that could attract unwanted attention on these South American streets.

Oooh, right? This one is a combination of character and plot that pulled me in. I wanted to know more about Sonny, but I also needed to know why she was worried about attracting attention, and what the heck she was doing in South America. And even though the moment is serious, I still laughed at the genious of making me think one thing in the first line and then pulling something I didn’t expect out of a hat. Words, when put in the right order, are simply magic.

I LOVE all of these first lines for different reasons, but they all did the exact same thing. They made me want to read more, they helped pull me into the story being told, and they filled my head with questions I needed to have the answers to. Beyond that, each of these talented authors created characters and worlds I became completely engrossed in. If you haven’t read these books, you should definitely check them out.

What about you? Do you get excited by first lines? Do you have any favorites? If so, I’d love to hear about them (and the books they belong to).

Don’t Forget!

All week, The Novel Girls are talking St. Patrick’s Day! Check back each day to see what we all have to say!

I blogged at the Ohio Romace Writers MySpace on Monday about why I like questions, go check it out!

Read A Taste of Magic and leave a postive comment any time through March to be entered in a contest for a chance to win a $25 Borders Gift Card!

St. Patrick’s Day

I didn’t grow up in a household where St. Patrick’s day was celebrated. Well, except for the year where we had corned beef and cabbage for dinner, and my mother, hoping to convince my brother to eat, went on and on about how she’d made it special for St. Patrick’s Day. I’m not sure if she really did. Likely, the grocery store had a special that week because of St. Patrick’s Day, and that’s why she made it for dinner…

Read MORE at The Novel Girls!

Asking Questions!

Lately, I’ve tried explaining to various people how I “come up with my ideas,” how I “write a whole book,” and how I “keep it interesting.” These are not things that are easy to explain to folks who aren’t writers, because I often have no idea where a story idea comes from, I write an entire book by sitting down at my desk and you know — actually writing it, and as far as keeping a book interesting…well, I can only hope I’m managing to do that!…

Read MORE at Ohio Romance Writers MySpace!

And, over at Colleen Thompson’s blog today, Boxing the Octopus, check out this fabulous interview with Erin Galloway, Marketing Manager from Dorchester Publishing.

Don’t Forget!

All week, The Novel Girls are talking St. Patrick’s Day! Check back each day to see what we all have to say!

Today, I’m at the Ohio Romace Writers MySpace, blogging about why I like questions.

Read A Taste of Magic and leave a postive comment any time through March to be entered in a contest for a chance to win a $25 Borders Gift Card!

Subscribe to my newsletter in March and be automatically entered into a drawing for a chance to win SIX Dorchester Love Spell books! Also, newsletter subscribers will get the first peek at A Stroke of Magic with the first chapter excerpt in April!

It’s Friday, and wow, what a week I’ve had. I’m in need of some fun! So for a little fun today, I have three videos to share. One is funny and oddly mesmerizing, one is funny in a cute and emotional way, and the other is tantalizing. We’ll start with:

Funny and oddly mesmerizing. If you watch TV, you’ve likely seen this McDonald’s ad for their filet o’ fish sandwich. The first time I saw this commercial, I laughed but mostly just thought it was kind of stupid. The second time, I laughed a little harder. After the third time, the dang song refused to leave my head–so now I’m rethinking my original declaration of how stupid this commercial actually is. It can’t be that stupid if the jingle is jangling away in my brain…

What do you think? I bet you’ll be hearing that fish all day.

Next up, a video I’ve seen in a couple of places this week. It’s a long one – about 12 minutes, but trust me, it’s a great way to spend 12 minutes. This video sort of amazes me, because there isn’t any real verbal dialogue going on, but the emotions (sadness, hope, frustration, humor, excitement) are all there. Seriously, you have to watch this:

Pretty amazing, huh?

And now, because I was SO excited to watch a new episode of Supernatural last night, here’s the promo for next week’s episode, On the Head of a Pin. I can’t wait!

That’s it for today! Have a fantastic and SAFE weekend, and I’ll see you on Monday.

Don’t Forget!

All week, The Novel Girls are talking about promoting as an author. Check back each day to see what we all have to say!

Read A Taste of Magic and leave a postive comment any time through March to be entered in a contest for a chance to win a $25 Borders Gift Card!

Subscribe to my newsletter in March and be automatically entered into a drawing for a chance to win SIX Dorchester Love Spell books! Also, newsletter subscribers will get the first peek at A Stroke of Magic with the first chapter excerpt in April!

I knew before I ever sold that I’d have to promote my books. In author-land, this fact is pretty much nailed into our heads while we’re writing, trying to find an agent, and waiting to hear if we’ve sold our book(s). Promotion isn’t scary, but trying to figure out what works, what doesn’t, what results are worth the time and money can be a little overwhelming.

Read the rest of this post at The Novel Girls: HERE!

New Review! Katie at Babbling About Books, and More said:

“A Taste of Magic is a cute read that has its moments of hilarity. Tracy Madison has written some engaging characters and Elizabeth is a woman you can sympathize with. I liked how Tracy wrote the interactions with Elizabeth and her family and friends. It was also fun the see how Elizabeth juggles both Nate and Kevin…”

Read the entire review HERE!

Don’t Forget!

All week, The Novel Girls are talking about promoting as an author. Check back each day to see what we all have to say!

Read A Taste of Magic and leave a postive comment any time through March to be entered in a contest for a chance to win a $25 Borders Gift Card!

Subscribe to my newsletter in March and be automatically entered into a drawing for a chance to win SIX Dorchester Love Spell books! Also, newsletter subscribers will get the first peek at A Stroke of Magic with the first chapter excerpt in April!