Next COTT Champ

Naomi Musch and the opening paragraphs from her historical novel, The Green Veil.

CONGRATULATIONS, NAOMI!

Naomi takes the title in her clash against the very worthy runner-up, Karen Baney, author of A Dream Unfolding.

A snippet from Naomi's winning passage:

Pain seared Colette's temples, neck, and shoulders. Behind her eyelids, everything blazed like a powder keg of dynamite going off inside her. Explosions roared and blasts glared - red, and now and then a streak of hot white. She stirred on the bed, and her satin dress rustled.

(read the full excerpt here)

Naomi says her best ideas come from overlooked portions of history she stumbles upon and in The Green Veil those include lumberjacks, land barons, and mill owners racing to control the pine lands in 1840s Wisconsin Territory. To read more about the book and find out what her favorite reads of the last year were, check out her interview ith COTT's Senior Editor April Gardner here.

What did readers have to say? A few comments from our voters:

"Excerpt A grabbed my heart. I found myself hurting for Colette, wishing there was something I could do to save her from her plight. Beautiful work."

"I wished I could pick both. I chose A simply because of the references to the book of Esther, one of my favorite accounts in the Bible."

"Wow, I really enjoyed that pine book."

Naomi responded to her win:
Oh WOW! Thank you to everyone at COTT for allowing me to be part of this month's clash, and for all those who stopped by and voted for either mine or Karen's book. What a way to start the Easter weekend! 


There are two more Opening Hooks to vote on this week, so head over to Clash of the Titles and let your voice be heard! A free copy of each competing book will be given away to two lucky readers--you can increase your odds by voting, commenting, sharing our link, or joining our Blog Alliance.  Tell us whose blog sent you here to give them an extra entry too!

Have fun!

bio: Michelle Massaro is a homeschooling mom and aspiring novelist, as well as Assistant Editor for the literary website Clash of the Titles . Connect with her on twitter @MLMassaro, facebook, and her blog Adventures in Writing

Hook, Line, or Stinker?

Authors and readers agree, those first words of a book are of vital importance. Some allow several chapters to convince them, others—no more than a few paragraphs.
Authors feel the weight of this responsibility as they sit down to pen those first lines. At least they should!
The older I get, the pickier I become about which novels I finish. I realized this last month, when I started a book and was struck by the lack of white space—those gaps between paragraphs. More white space = more dialogue. I flipped through the first chapter, then the book, and when I found massive paragraphs dominating the pages, I tossed it in my “donate to library” pile. Apparently, I like dialogue--so much, that a lack of it made me close the book before finishing the first page.
I used to feel compunction over setting aside a book that didn’t hold my attention.  Now, my free time is more scarce and thus, more valuable. When I only have an hour a day to enjoy a book, I want it to be a good one. I want to be swept away to a foreign land or time. I want to be kept there until The End forces me home.
The more I read, the more I define which styles of writing I enjoy and which I don’t.  This process is shorter and shorter every year, which means books have less time to grab my attention.
I’m curious. How much weight do you, dear reader, put into the first pages of a book? Do you feel obligated to finish it once you’ve started?
Below, you’ll find a survey that will remain open for at least the next week. Let’s have some fun! And be sure to visit Clash of the Titles throughout the week to read our author interviews!
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Article by April Gardner: A military spouse, April has performed the art of homemaking all over the world. Currently, she lives in Georgia with her children, while her husband serves a tour in the Middle East. In her free time, April enjoys reading, gardening, and DIY. In no particular order, she dreams of owning a horse, visiting all the national parks, and speaking Italian.
She is the best-selling author of Wounded Spirits.
Contact April: aprilgardnerwrites (at) gmail (dot) com
April's blog. Find April on Facebook.

COTT: Clash Conqueror

Attention! Ann Gaylia O'Barr has been crowned CHAMPION at

Clash of the Titles!

For her excerpt from Singing in Babylon, Ann Gaylia O'Barr garnered favor in a Clash against fellow contender Dee Smith for Best Antagonist. Both excerpts showcased sinister adversaries.

As one reader put it:
Both antagonists were well described, and both gave me a chill up my spine.
Another assures us:
Both are VERY creepy!
But only one can claim victory, and that honor falls to O'Barr this time around. How did she do it? Ann believes a good antagonist elicits a measure of sympathy from the reader so that we are both drawn to and repulsed by his character. It must be true because it secured her the win.
In her interview with COTT staff member Amanda Flower, Ann shares how she spent years country-hopping for her work as U.S. Foreign Service officer and collected plenty of raw material for her antagonists by her immersion in Muslim-dominated culture. Wow!
Want to know who her favorite fictional bad guy is? Read her interview to find out.
Ann says: I've thoroughly enjoyed the contest. Answering the interview questions sharpened my ability to explain the novel. Writing is a continuous learning expreience, and I love it!
About her book:
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Singing in Babylon:
Recent grad Kate McCormack, saddled with college debt, has limited options…until she accepts an offer to teach English in Saudi Arabia. Plunged into a foreign world, she’s homesick and lonely, stuck in a gilded prison where women aren’t even allowed to walk around the block by themselves. The future stretches before her like a leaden sky.
Journalist Philip Tangvald, on the trail of a story about illegal immigration routes through the Middle East and North Africa, is intrigued by the feisty Kate, but wonders if he deserves to find love again. Too much loss and betrayal has burdened his life. First, his father, when he was eleven. And, a year ago, his wife. Now he’s free of everything—except the guilt from his past—and wants to stay that way.
Two worlds, two hearts in exile, are about to collide. And when they do, might they find a new song to sing … in Babylon?
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Read more about Ann and her body of work at her website
COTT's current Clash is on Best Opening Hook. Visit today to read the two selections, vote for your favorite, and enter to win one of the competing titles! (Mentioning my name gives me an extra entry, so if you don't mind I'd appreciate it!)
bio: Michelle Massaro is a homeschooling mom and aspiring novelist, as well as Assistant Editor for the literary website Clash of the Titles . Connect with her on twitter @MLMassaro, facebook, and her blog Adventures in Writing