13 August 2008

13 Multiple Choice First Lines from Samhain

Here's a fun little game. See how many second halves to these fantastic first lines by Samhain authors you can guess! I'll list the answers and the names of the books/authors on Friday in the comments section.

1) "Not to sound dense here, but I assume

A) you can't hear me with those headphones on."
B) the wedding is off."
C) you told Mother about the gun."

2) The skinny, bald guy's fur boots and matching

A) hat smelled like dead yak.
B) facial hair were the only unusual things about him.
C) fur condom weren't that unusual by the standards of Atlanta's Dragon*Con.

3) "I hafta

A) give it to you, buddy."
B) go potty."
C) get uh get uh get uh...get down!"

4) Caramel cake. How could mama be

A) dead when a freshly baked caramel cake waited in the kitchen?
B) so cruel as to offer me caramel cake when she knew I had a wedding dress to fit into?
C) hungry after a dinner like that?

5) Help

A) me.
B) was on the way, but I didn't know it at the time.
C) of the good variety is hard to come by.

6) I woke from a fuzzy trance with my mead-filled head ringing and

A) four Hain Guards seeking to separate said head from my shoulders.
B) a man I didn't recognize naked in the bed beside me.
C) my face half in, half out of the gutter.

7) The gust of wind sent

A) the smell of woodsmoke straight to our unkind pursuer.
B) her stumbling into the trees.
C) half the leaves still on the tree tumbling through the air.

8) Throughout dinner, Liz had stared

A) at the strange blinking light that seemed to be embedded her companion's left eye.
B) at her plate without touching any of the food.
C) out the huge bay window instead of at her boyfriend.

9) Shanghai--two hundred

A) years from tomorrow.
B) reasons to return but four million to stay away.
C) bucks for a round trip ticket.

10) "I will not sleep with

A) the man, no matter how much you pay me!"
B) you in my bedroom!"
C) so much racket going on in the next apartment."

11) The city was

A) dressed up like an old whore--blinking lights, shades of red and lace curtains blowing in the slight breeze from the ocean.
B) full of life.
C) still twenty kilometers away according to the road sign.

12) His name was

A) lost in the mists of history.
B) Eugene Jerome, and his reputation had preceeded him.
C) Raven.

13) Anxiety is a

A) bitch of monumental porportions.
B) necessary emotion, but then, so are the little white pills necessary to get through the day.
C) lack of knowledge combined with lack of power.

Bonus:

"I need

A) a new tooth."
B) a better first line if I want people to read this book."
C) to tell you something," whispered the old man on his death bed.

****

How many sound familiar to you? If the answer is zero, you might need to check out some of Samhain's fantasy and paranormal goodies the next time you're in a reading mood :). Of course, it might also just mean you have a terrible memory, like I do, so forget I said that, which should be easy for you with your memory and all.

Jody W.
http://www.jodywallace.com
SURVIVAL OF THE FAIREST--Available now, Samhain Publishing

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13 comments:

Anonymous said...

If I'm not scoring a zero it's only because I'm guessing. But I do like the way these lines mix together.

Lindsay said...

THis is a great idea!
I may steal this one!

Anonymous said...

I love the quiz. I won't admit how many I got my wrong though :)
Happy TT

Anonymous said...

*snork*
'B' for the bonus question hits a little to close to home for me at the moment. *G* Great post, Jody.

Carolan Ivey said...

Hmmm, let's see, I'm going to be guessing on some of these, and deliberately choosing the funniest answer on some!

1 - B
2 - C (fur condom...snerk)
3 - B
4 - A
5 - A
6 - A
7 - B
8 - A
9 - A
10 - A
11 - A
12 - C
13 - A
Bonus - B! :D

Jody W. and Meankitty said...

Carolan, wow, you only got 4 wrong! Hehehe -- did you and your buddies write some of these books or something? :)

JW

Carolan Ivey said...

REALLY?! That many! Okay, I admit I have read a couple of these and actually WROTE one of them (blush) but I chalk the rest of it up to knowing what a bunch of smart-@sses most of the Samhain authors are. [grin]

Dana Marie Bell said...

Okay, I gotta give this a shot...

1: B
2: C
3: b
4: A
5: B
6: A
7: C
8: A
9: B
10: B
11: A
12: B
13: A

Bonus: B. Because I don't know how many times I've agreed with it when I start a new story. :D

Jody W. and Meankitty said...

Dana, you broke even -- 7 right, 7 wrong :)

Jody W.

Dana Marie Bell said...

Woo-hoo! I broke even! That's better than I thought I would do, since I was totally guessing, lol!

mamasand2 said...

I loved the questions with the possible answers. But there is no way in @#$% that I am guessing and displaying my ignorance/poor memory.

Fun quizz though. Are you going to post the answers and the source later?

I want to read some of the stories those came from.

sandie

Jody W. and Meankitty said...

Yes, Sandie, I'll tell all tomorrow!

Jody W.

Jody W. and Meankitty said...

ANSWER KEY!

1) "Not to sound dense here, but I assume B) the wedding is off.”
Forget About Tomorrow by Liz Kreger

2) The skinny, bald guy's fur boots and matching C) fur condom weren't that unusual by the standards of Atlanta's Dragon*Con.
With Nine You Get Vanyr by Teri Smith and Jean Marie Ward

3) "I hafta B) go potty."
Night Song by Sharron Cullen

4) Caramel cake. How could mama be A) dead when a freshly baked caramel cake waited in the kitchen?
Winter's Daughter, J.C. Wilder

5) Help A) me.
Beaudry's Ghost, Carolan Ivey

6) I woke from a fuzzy trance with my mead-filled head ringing and A) four Hain Guards seeking to separate said head from my shoulders.
Steelflower by Lilith Saintcrow

7) The gust of wind sent B) her stumbling into the trees.
Dragon's Birth by Jennie Andrus

8) Throughout dinner, Liz had stared C) out the huge bay window instead of at her boyfriend.
Otherness: Rift by Rina Slayter

9) Shanghai--two hundred A) years from tomorrow.
Like a Thief in the Night by Bettie Sharpe

10) "I will not sleep with B) you in my bedroom!"
Poseidon VII by S.J. Willing

11) The city was B) full of life.
Lights, Camera...Monsters by Lila Dubois

12) His name was C) Raven.
Sword and Shadow by Saje Williams

13) Anxiety is a A) bitch of monumental porportions.
Tiger by the Tail, Kaye Chambers


Bonus:

“I need A) a new tooth.”
Survival of the Fairest by Jody Wallace