Off and Running In 2018

Welcome site at the end of a snowy hike this week

No New Year’s Resolutions for me this year. I have tried them in the past but never followed through. I do like seeing others with resolutions and hope they do well with them. But, I do have hopes for the new year.

Unintentional Slow Down - After publishing four books in 2014-2015 and four more in 2016, I finished one last year. So here I go with my non-resolution, resolution – I need to get back to four again this year. Shouldn't be hard, as my faithful readers know, I have two finished, and being edited now, that means I need to finish the other two I have stated.

New Things in 2018  -  I do have a new Author Page on Facebook 

& I still have my long-time author page on Amazon

I have great hope that the new page will add to my author exposure, and eventually to more book sales.

Working On - The first week of the year most of my work has been on my nonfiction book. This one takes more time with footnotes and so many sources, but I am having fun with it. Not sure when I will finish, looks like it could go five or even six-hundred pages. When this one wears me out I will go back to one of my other projects.

An old-time dugout in the snow

Happy New Year and wishing you Luck with your 2018 resolutions. 

Think Spring

Long Night - Short Day

Short Day – Long Night, and Our 48^th Anniversary - December 21, the shortest day and longest night of the year. That means days will start getting longer tomorrow and we can start counting down to spring. As gardening is one of my passions, I need only countdown to February 15 when I start planting inside. Today is our anniversary also, and how could it be better, with half of our six grandkids here to celebrate with us.

Winter Sky

Selling Books - On the seventeenth I started a five-day promotion, selling my book of 14 Christmas tales for .99 cents. Results have been mixed, sold very well the first day, not bad on the second, and then back to normal, still fun.  Still, time to get a copy if you are interested just hit this link.

100-year-old house and three or four-year-old buck (my estimate of years) 

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch -  I am still trying to get a bit of writing done, but with shopping, and lots of time with kids and grandkids it will not be much – but I’m not complaining. Love this time of year. I often read sites where writers talk about locking themselves away to make sure they get their work done, even over the holidays. Not me, love to write but, for me, it's family first.

Winter at Laramie Peak

2017 Resolutions - Now as I have mentioned before it is time to get my writing goals for the next year down on paper. For me, it is never too soon to start giving up or cutting back on my yearly resolutions. Especially the loose weight and exercise more ones!

One year ago Guernsey Lake

Merry Christmas everyone!

Santa's Reindeer Getting ready for trip

The First Line

Great Opening Lines

Much has been written about how important the first line of a novel is. Google it, and there are several pages about famous first lines. I read through a list of well-known books and the first line from each. These were taken from a survey of some sort and titled the best first lines from 100 famous novels, or something similar to that. Most were okay, some were terrific and some, well, I didn’t get why they made the list of great lines. I scratched my head and decided to check out the first lines of my five books. I changed it to four decided to skip my nonfiction book that opens with a very nice quote from President Roosevelt (FDR). I had to check mine out who knows, maybe, some were terrific.

My Opening Lines

I came up with six using a second, first line, (hey I like the sound of that)  from my collection of Christmas Tales. I also used one from an unpublished novella with a great title. So, here they are.

  If the young cowboy had but one wish, it would be to live. 

From my western mystery, Commitment. Not bad, I like it.

.The old mountain man was starving, but not for food. 

This one is taken from a story in my Christmas book, nice hook. What was he starving from? Sorry, no spoiler here.

The street I lived on was red brick, and our house was white. 

Not sure why but I really like this one. It is from the first of my two children’s chapter books, Melvin the E Street Ghost. 

Moose and I laid in the shade of a bright summer sun under an apple tree in my backyard. 

My second chapter book, soon to be the second of three with publication hopes for late May of the third in this series. This one is titled, 

Then Mike Said, “There’s a Zombie in My Basement.

Hardy Galloway pulled up rein, placed one knurled hand over the other on top his saddle horn and pushed back in an attempt to straighten his back.

 The opening line from my book of Christmas shorts. 
Under Western Skies, 14 Tales of Christmas. At my age, I am partial to stories that have someone as old as me, so I like it. 

    The old man thought about the question then nodded yes, he shook his head no at the next. Simple but interesting. This is from my yet to be published novella of about 20,000 words. 

 There you have it my opening lines. Good luck with yours and keep writing.