Tell Me About Quotes...and WIN A BOOK!
My newest release, To Catch a Cheat, is on the shelf — yea! Unlike my previous books, this one has each chapter beginning with a character quote. When I first wrote the manuscript, I had song lyrics at the beginning of each chapter. But as the book progressed, I wanted to make the quotes even more relevant to this particular book, and the characters in the book. What ended up happening was the characters really wanted to “show off” with their quotes. And I had a whole lot of fun with them, let me tell you.
Examples from To Catch a Cheat:
“Cheaters never win, but they sure can piss you off.” ~ Marissa Kincaid
“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and a scorned woman can be great for publicity.” ~ Trent Jackson
“In the same manner that a red tie defines power for males, the red dress defines power for females. Power…and sex. ” ~ Amy Brooks
“A man wearing a towel—and only a towel—should never be trusted.” ~ Marissa Kincaid
One of my favorite book openings was a combination of two quotes, one from Friedrich Nietsche and the other from the book’s author. Linda Howard begins Mackenzie’s Mission with this combination:
“Man must be trained for war, and woman for the relaxation of the warriors; all else is folly.” ~ Friedrich Nietsche
“Hogwash.” ~ Linda Howard
I absolutely loved that opening! So, now my questions for you…
Do you enjoy a unique quote or original type opening to a chapter or book? Have any insight on something that an author did that pulled you in even before the chapter started? I know that I have truly enjoyed the fairytale pieces that Elizabeth Hoyt uses to begin the chapters in her “Prince” series. Very original, and a whole lot of fun! Have you seen anything unique like that? Or quotes that pulled you in from the get-go? Or tell me about something different that authors have done that helped you truly connect with the story. Hey, inquiring minds wanna know :)
And the big news — one commenter will win an autographed copy of TO CATCH A CHEAT — so you can read all of those character quotes and see just how outrageous those characters can be when I let them have their way :)
Kelley St. John
Caren Johnson Estesen
in Kelley St. John
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3 Comments
Reader Comments (3)
I just wanted to drop a quick word about using quotes in books: it's sometimes more trouble than it's worth to get permissions and the like to use in books, but done right, they can add to the strength of the story. I love that combination of Linda Howard and Nietsche and I think it sets the perfect tone for the book. But with Kelley's book, pulling out quotes from the characters is brilliant. It sets a certain tone for the whole book--it's fun and funny. I've seen a lot of people include quotes from their favorite authors that have nothing to do with their book past the fact that the author thought it sounded cool. My word of advice is to be cautious about what you put in your book and give to your readers. Don't just do something to do it; make sure you know why you're doing it--and then have a good time.
Great post, Kelley! I once tried adding a quote from a television series to the beginning of each chapter. (The heroine's mother was addicted to TV, so it made sense.) And, hey, it worked great for the first six chapters. Then I realized I'd have to do it for every chapter in the book. Arrgh.
I definitely think it's bettter to use quotes from your own characters. Can't wait to read TO CATCH A CHEAT!
Faye
I agree -- quotes, when used effectively, can be a great tool for grabbing reader attention.
Faye -- shoot me an email (kelley@kelleysbooks.com) with your snail mail address, and I'll send your autographed copy! Congrats!
Kelley