Thank you so much for your encouraging comments on yesterday’s “first scene.” I’ll put up the next scene, probably tomorrow.

I should add that this book is women’s fiction. Lately my books have fallen into three categories: historical (The Nativity Story, Magdalene), speculative fiction (Uncharted, The Elevator, Unspoken, The Novelist) and women’s fiction (The Pearl, The Debt, and Fairlawn, the WIP).

So don’t expect any talking gorillas or storms or uncharted territory (sorry about the pun). 🙂 This one is solid women’s fiction that could happen to any of us, though, as usual, I promise to take you to a world that’s not ordinary. In due time. 🙂

And–notice, if you please, that the scene gives a lot of information without a smidgen of BACKSTORY (defined as something happens before the present story moment.) Nancy and I harp on this when we teach, and our students resist us. But our rule is NO BACKSTORY IN THE FIRST 30 PAGES, and I’m trying my best to follow it. (You’ll find backstory if you look in my older books–I’m a recent convert to this rule, but now I’m absolutely religious about it.) You can give information, but you have to give it in present story time.

You might also notice that the heroine does not have red hair or green eyes . . . nor does the first sentence begin with the character’s name. (VBG)

Okay, so the last thing you need is another addictive computer game. But for your Friday fun, you have to try this one:

http://www.minijuegos.com/juegos/jugar.php?id=3751

Enjoy!

P.S. BTW, what do you think of the cover image for THE ELEVATOR? It’s still being tweaked.

~~Angie

14 Comments

  1. Connie

    I like it 🙂

    Reply
  2. Dana

    Oh my gosh, I love it. I can’t wait to get my hands on that book!! I read the premise either on your website or blog and I’m very excited to read it! The cover is great. 🙂

    Reply
  3. C.J. Darlington

    Wow. That is an amazing cover! I love it. I was just thinking today about when The Elevator comes out. If you’ve told us, I forget. What is its street date?

    Reply
  4. Angela

    The Elevator has been pushed back to summer 2007. Sigh. BUt it’ll be a great beach read. 🙂

    Angie

    Reply
  5. C.J. Darlington

    Too bad … I’m looking forward to it either way!

    Oh, I just thought of one bit of constructive feedback. The font for the title is a little hard to read. At first glance I could barely read it at all. Not sure if that’s what you want or not.

    Reply
  6. Angela

    Oops–I answered CJ’s comment on the wrong page! But the fonts are still being tweaked because the title IS hard to read.

    Not to worry, they have time to tweak. 🙂

    Angie

    Reply
  7. charruff

    Love the cover. I’m a total ‘cover girl’. Completely pick up a book or don’t at first glanced based on the cover. I know, that must bug you authors who i’ve heard have little to do with the cover, but it’s so important to have a good one. This one is good…current…and one i’d pick up.

    Reply
  8. Ruth

    I love the cover! It looks fantastic!

    Reply
  9. Anonymous

    I love it too!
    Brittanie

    Reply
  10. Rachelle

    The colors on the cover are fabulous! And the building is shown from a perspective that makes it look ominous. Awesome!

    Reply
  11. VAIL

    I like the cover, but, and I am no professional or anything, however the first thought I had was that your name was SO BIG and the title so small! Perhaps that’s a marketing thing, it just seems a bit . . . well, inflated.
    I am looking forward to your book, the commentary you had earlier this year on it got me very interested. I’ve only read one of your books so far (Magdelene) but am planning on making my way through them all. Thanks for a great website!

    Reply
  12. Deborah

    woo-hoo! i beat the game!! and it only took me 45 minutes (and a sore wrist). great cover. it reminds me of the tower of terror at disney world.

    Reply
  13. eileen

    Great cover, and the scene reminded me of MY life!

    Working on the no backstory now.

    Reply
  14. Ms. Gardener

    Fabulous use of color on the front cover.

    Reply

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