Tuesday, August 9, 2016

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros #6 - Behind Closed Doors, Terror in Taffeta, Book of Beloved

How's everyone's summer going? Mine has been pretty crazy so far. Unlike most teachers, since I work in the education/tourism industry, summer is peak season, so I haven't been able to slow down and relax at all. Throw in weddings and wedding-related activities, birthdays, festivals, author events, etc., and you can imagine how exhausted I've been lately.

Unfortunately, that's definitely affected my writing. I started this blog after I got sick of staring at my manuscript and needed a break, but wanted a way to write every day, even if just a short blog post. Somehow even that has become a bit of a chore, as all I want to do when I get home is lie on the couch with a cup of tea, a book, and an episode of The Great British Baking Show in the background.

I'm trying to get out of my funk, since I really want to finish the first draft of my novel by November, but it's proving to be a bit of a challenge. What do you guys do when you get in a writing funk?

In better news, I got two packages yesterday: one was a book I won in a Goodreads giveaway and the other was the cutest tea infuser ever. Nessie will definitely brighten up my reading time ^^

Seriously, how cute is that?

Cup of tea, zucchini bread, and a suspenseful read


Hosted by Diane @ Bibliophile by the Sea

Every Tuesday, I share the opening paragraph(s) of my reads for the week.

First up is the book I won on Goodreads, and also the August read for the Women of Mystery group.

Behind Closed Doors; B.A. Paris
MIRA - 2016

PRESENT 
The champagne bottle knocks against the marble counter, making me jump. I glance at Jack, hoping he won't have noticed how nervous I am. He catches me looking at him and smiles. 
"Perfect," he says softly.
Ooh, so simple and yet it already hints at so much.

Next up is my NetGalley pick for the week:


 The Book of Beloved; Carolyn Haines
Thomas & Mercer; 2016

In Savannah, George, two things could be counted on without question - the heat of summer and Alfred the mail carrier's regular arrival six days a week. I had come to anticipate his knock at four each afternoon, as regular as the milkman and the daily newspaper delivery. I looked forward to Alfred's arrival, not because I carried on a great correspondence with anyone, but because I needed regularity, routine. Death had taught me the power and stabilizing influence of routine. Alfred's arrival meant the world continued in an ordered fashion.
Hmm, a bit of a slower start, but there's potential.

Lastly, a book that I won during the Save Our Cozies Readathon:


 Terror in Taffeta; Marla Cooper
Minotaur Books - 2016

The sea-foam green bridesmaids' dresses had been a mistake. Not for the obvious reason - that seafoam-green bridesmaids' dresses are almost always a mistake - but because they added a sickly tinge to Nicole Abernathy's three very hungover bridesmaids.  
I'd warned them not to overindulge the night before the wedding, begged them to have their bachelorette party back home instead of waiting util they got to San Miguel de Allende, but no one listens to the wedding planner when it's time to start drinking.
Always gotta throw a cozy in the mix, and for once, not a culinary cozy. I won this one in the Save Our Cozies Readathon, so here's hoping I can give it a positive review. 
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What books are you most looking forward to? And don't forget, give me your tips on how to break out of the writing blahs!

12 comments:

  1. I've got a copy of Behind Closed Doors that I hope to start reading soon. And I'm off to hunt down a copy of the cozy you featured.

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    1. It's a really fast read. With most psychological suspense, it takes me time to get through them because they're so dark and I need time to mull things over. While this was sufficiently disturbing, the suspense kept me turning the pages.

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  2. Behind Closed Doors looks good... and the tea infuser is adorable! I've never seen anything like that.

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    1. Thanks! My friend got me the Nessie soup ladle for Christmas, so when I saw that tea infuser on Amazon, I knew I HAD to have it. The holes are a bit large and some tea leaves leak out, but I'm a sucker for cuteness.

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  3. I have been wanting to read Behind Closed Doors for ages, it seems...and yay! Today I downloaded it.

    Thanks for sharing...and here's mine: “THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR”

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    1. The Couple Next Door is on my TBR list, but I might need to wait a bit as it seems somewhat similar to Behind Closed Doors.

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. You do sound busy! I hope you are finding some time to relax in between all that work and activity. I hope you are able to find your way out of your writing funk. I feel for you, Mia.

    I've been hearing good things about Behind Closed Doors. I may have to give that one a try myself. Hopefully The Book of Beloved will pick up for you. Terror in Taffeta looks like so much fun!

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    1. Thanks! I've decided to not beat myself if I don't meet my word count and settle for just jotting down ideas and attempting an outline and see where that takes me. I'm usually more of a pantser, but that method doesn't seem to be helping me lately, so maybe some organization is what I need.

      Behind Closed Doors was a great, suspenseful read. Think I need to follow it up with a nice cozy and get all that darkness out of my head ^^

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  5. They all sound good! Thanks for participating today.

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  6. Behind Closed Doors is calling my name. I like how it starts.

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  7. Sounds like you need a break lady!

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