8 Sentences to Pique Readers’ Interest

Whenever I reread one of my novels – typically for editing purposes – I alternate between delight and dismay. Delight – well done, Mary! Dismay – come on, Mary, you can do better than that! Some teasers from my new contemporary thriller That Was Then.

• My mind, barely capable of thought, was strung between belief and disbelief, knowledge and denial, carefree and the dark, dead horror of the victim I’d become.

• The simple act of breathing became the sole affirmation of self. I breathe, therefore I am.

• Deep within my bones, I knew he would come after me. One snap of the fingers and he could deal with me. After all the articles I’d written, I knew enough about the furtive, illicit, seamy underbelly of business and politics to be certain of that.

• Something had to be done. Deep inside, a scream was building, a primal cry for justice that might soon erupt with unpredictable consequences.

• Emotion uncoiled like an unsettled serpent. 

• When she’d first arrived in Paris, she’d been awed by the city, her eyes and body perpetually in motion as she took in one sensation after another. Awe had turned to love—if it was possible to be in love with a place, she was in love with Paris. The city had filled her soul with promise and possibility. It still did.

• Regret may come later, she thought. Now it was time to commit. Time to slip over the edge and take a risk. 

• Fear crept through the door, slithered along the floorboards, stole beneath the blankets, and squeezed her tightly.

One of the first writing books I purchased is called The Writer’s Book of Wisdom by Steven Taylor Goldsberry. The subtitle is: 101 Rules for Mastering the Craft. Here’s a rule on sentences:

• Sentences are written like jokes: the punch line is at the end.

I hope I’ve put the punchline at the end of these! And I hope I’ve piqued your interest!! I’m excited that this novel – That Was Then – is now available for pre-order.

FOR MORE ON READING & WRITING HISTORICAL FICTION – AND MARY’S NOVELS –  FOLLOW A WRITER OF HISTORY. There’s a SUBSCRIBE function on the right hand side of the page.

M.K. Tod writes historical fiction. Her latest novel is THE ADMIRAL’S WIFE, a dual timeline set in Hong Kong. Mary’s other novels, PARIS IN RUINS, TIME AND REGRET, LIES TOLD IN SILENCE and UNRAVELLED are available from Amazon, Nook, Kobo, Google Play and iTunes. She can be contacted on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads or on her website www.mktod.com.