Beginnings

Happy New Year, everyone. Hope your holidays were wonderful. I got to see a lot of family, which filled me with the joy of the season.
Since we seem to be on a theme here, beginnings stuck in my head when I sat down to blog. Probably because I've started writing a new book, "beginnings" to me means the first line or first chapter. So I looked up some of my favorite books to see if their first lines drew me into the story. Of course everyone knows the first line of REBECCA by Daphne DuMaurier because it's quoted so often. Here's a sample from my shelf.
Father must protect me or I am dead. From HER ONE DESIRE by Kimberly Killion, Kensington Zebra.
It was a proposition that would tempt a saint. From MOON IN THE WATER by Elizabeth Grayson, Bantam Books.
"I ain't hirin' no baby killer to work in my store." From MAN WITH A PAST by Kay Stockham, Harlequin SuperRomance.
Each of these uses a different technique, but all drew me in. Whether it's a direct thought, narrative or dialogue, they effectively made me read on. These are on my keeper shelf because the stories are as wonderful as their first lines.
When I buy a book, I notice the front cover art, title and author's name. If I'm interested in one of those, I'll flip to the back or cover flap to read the blurb. Seldom do I read the first line to determine whether to buy a book. But when I'm reading, the impression that first line makes sticks with me. Did it grab me? Draw me on? Make me eager to find out the answer?
What about you? Do you have any favorite first lines? Or don't you think they're relevant?

Megan Kelly
megankellybooks.com