I don't normally participate in these kind of blog-tagging parties, but when fellow Book Pregnant author Erika Robuck sent out the invitation, I couldn't resist playing along. By the way, before you do anything else, head on over to take a look at Erika's novel, Hemingway's Girl, which comes out on September 4--the same day as my novel, Fobbit. Set in Depression-era Key West, it tells the story of Mariella Bennet, the daughter of an American fisherman and a Cuban woman, who goes to work as a maid for Hemingway. The climax of the novel involves a hurricane (and, possibly, some six-toed cats). I've pre-ordered it and can't wait for it to arrive. Now, without further ado, here are the rules:
1. Go to the 77th page of your work-in-progress or latest book.
2. Count down 7 lines.
3. Copy the 7 sentences that follow, and post them.
4. Tag 7 other authors.
Since I don't have a finished copy of Fobbit at hand, I turned to the uncorrected proof. These lines may not end up in the finished book on page 77, but they'll be pretty ding-dang close. In this scene on Forward Operating Base Triumph in Baghdad, the company's top enlisted man is addressing his men as they stand in formation in the courtyard of Saddam Hussein's former palace, now an Army headquarters:
As the company first sergeant, a barrel-chested black man with a voice like raspy thunder, was fond of saying, “This is a ding-dang war, gentlemen, and don’t you ding-dang forget it.” (First Sergeant was a semi-devout Baptist who avoided profanity whenever possible.) “The ding-dang hajjis out there don’t give a hoot whether you want to be here or not. They still be here when we’re packed up and gone home."
Now I'll tag these 7 awesome authors to give us a taste from their books:
1. J. R. Angelella
2. Linda L. Richards
3. Susan Henderson
4. Sandra Gulland
5. Jenny Lawson
6. Claire Bidwell Smith
7. Myfanwy Collins
They may not have time or inclination to do a similar blog post (we're all busy these days, so I can hardly blame them if they don't), but I urge you to check out their blogs and their books. Fine writers, every one of them.
Fun idea! For what it's worth, here's the 77-7-7 sampling from my own work in progress—"Iduna's Apples" (volume 2 of "Valhalla"), due out this summer:
ReplyDeleteMaggie frowned. Geirrod seemed courteous enough, and it would be easy to be swayed by his appearance of concern and chivalry. But Iduna was right. These things had had abducted her, right from Heimdall’s side. And he’d made it quite clear he had no love for humans.
Maggie sank down to her knees on the cool, stone floor—the same dark gray color as the walls, the ceiling and even the stone slab which served as Loki’s bed. Her gaze fell on the thick socks someone—Geirrod?—had slipped onto her feet while she was unconscious, and she wondered where her shoes were.