A New Book Means a New First Line

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal 22 Comments

A first line of a story is the baited hook an author hopes will catch a reader’s interest so they will want to read the second line and on and on until the last line on the last page. Some readers will check out that first line before they decide if the book is one they want to read. I’ve …

What Makes Characters Come to Life for You?

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal 27 Comments

Do the characters in the stories you read come to life in your head? And in your heart? Is there some special something about the book or the characters that makes that happen for you? A few years ago I got a very nice note from a reader who had gone to Rosey Corner. She hadn’t read the first book, …

Happy Happy Book News!

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal 10 Comments

Happy happy! That’s me after last week. An author spends a lot of time shut away in her office with imaginary friends. Sometimes those friends don’t play nice and make the writing hard. Other times the writing goes well and you meet your deadlines and goals. I sent off my work in progress on my readjusted deadline, a month later …

From South Africa with Love – A True Life Love Story

Ann H GabhartOne Writer's Journal 3 Comments

Don’t you just love a great love story? You all know how much I enjoy how you share your stories with me when I have a contest of some kind. Your stories make me the big winner in those contests. (I’ll be having a birthday contest soon.) I enjoy hearing from you in between contests too and I’m always glad …

On the Hunt for Bargains

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal

Bargain – a thing bought or offered for sale more cheaply than is usual or expected. Folks all along US 127 have been either offering or looking for bargains all week. The worlds longest yard sale goes from Alabama to Michigan with Kentucky right in the middle. Last week, scenes like the one above were scattered all along the road …

Countdown to Rosey Corner #3

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal

Are you ready to go back to Rosey Corner and see what’s going on with the Merritt sisters? I hope so because my new Rosey Corner book, Love Comes Home, will be releasing soon. (Available for pre-sale now on Amazon and other sites.)  In fact, reviews are already popping up. The first one right off the bat was a nice one …

That Winning Feeling – A Shaker Christmas is Here

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal

When the delivery guys bring me a carton and I open it to see a new book spill out, I feel like a winner. So I’m giving away a copy of the just arrived Christmas at Harmony Hill to share that winning feeling. Keep reading to see how to enter your name in a drawing. As a fiction writer, I …

Mystery Picture Contest

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal

Mystery picture 1 Mystery picture 2 Mystery picture 3 How about some fun with a few mystery photos? You guys are so good at this that I’m sure I won’t be able to stump you, but we can still have fun. And to make it more interesting, I’ll give the winner (drawn from all the entries) his or her choice …

Hometown Reading Friends

Ann H GabhartAnn's Posts, One Writer's Journal

Do you like to talk about books? Well, then you should check with your local library or bookstore and see when an author is coming to town, because if those writers are like me, they’ll be talking books. That’s what I did today. When Scent of Lilacs first came out in 2005, I decided that since I had used my …