Hello, amazing fellow creatives! Here’s to more fun perusing the library’s new releases to see what strikes our fancy. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’ve retitled Story Cuppings to better fit the premise of the podcast.
As writers, we hear all the time that we’ve got to hook readers in just the first few pages or else. We’ve got to hook agents in the first few pages or else.
Whether you’re looking to get published or just hoping to hook your reader, first impressions are vital. Compelling opening scenes are the key to catching an agent or editor’s attention, and are crucial for keeping your reader engaged.
Jeff gerke, the first 50 pages
Well then, let’s study those first few pages in other people’s stories, shall we?
Today I snagged from the New Release shelf:
Now while this is new to my library, it’s the third installment of a longer series, so this should be interesting.
If you do not see the audio player above, you can access the podcast here.
This story had some beautiful details in it, but something about its characters really threw me off. Perhaps these characters’ actions and/or knowledge is better established earlier, but for a period novel, some things just didn’t ring true. AND IT’S PERIOD! I had no idea whatsoever by this paperback cover that this story is set in “Freud’s Vienna.” So I get rather sassy on this podcast near the end. 🙂
And as always, I love hearing what’s on the shelves of your own libraries. Libraries Rock!
Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!
Jean Lee's World 
WOW!! Great change of name actually.
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Thanks! I’m really happy with it. 🙂
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Cool name. Hope you are doing well. xxxxxxx
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There have been a lot of lousy days, but a few good ones. I hope you’re finding little reasons to smile! xxxxxx
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Sometimes I give a book up to 50 pages.
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It should definitely get good by 50 pages! 🙂
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There was something familiar about this as you were reading it and I realised that I’ve seen the TV series. I don’t remember much about it (that’s not unusual for me) but it was quite entertaining. Maybe one that’s better on the small screen than on the page? Still, it was fun listening to your exasperation 😉
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LOL! Oh, I have a feeling it was like SJ Higbee jumping into the middle of the series–I’m walking into a series where the character quirks and interactions have already been an established norm.
I still think that one girl was infuriating, though. 🙂 But I love historical mysteries, so I’m still willing to give the first book a go sometime!
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