Amy Christine Parker writes full-time from her home near Tampa, Florida, where she lives with her husband, their two daughters, and two very mischievous cats. Her latest novel is YOU'RE DEAD TO ME.

Amy's Tip

The opening of your novel is crucial. You must grab your readers’ attention as quickly as possible, then never let it go. This means crafting a killer first line. This single sentence serves as the gateway into your story and sets the tone for what comes next. It can be surprising, whimsical, or hint at who your main character is or how they see the world. What it can never be, is dull. I like to think of it as a sort of thesis statement for my novels. I want it to hint at the main idea of the story is some way. For YOU’RE DEAD TO ME, the first line is “Bennett Library is the perfect place to stalk my next kill: public and full of witnesses.” I spent a very long time crafting this sentence and it does exactly what I hoped it would. It lets readers know that there will be death in this story. It’s got a bit of a twist—the idea of stalking a victim in a public place where there are witnesses—which subtly foreshadows that the story itself is twisty and surprising. And it’s got attitude, which my main character has in spades. A strong opening line is an important part of the promise you make to your readers about the journey they are about to take. When done right, it’s an invitation into your story that they simply can’t refuse. 

DATING AND DRAGONS by Kristy Boyce

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Quinn Norton is starting over at a new high school and hopes that joining a D&D game will be the trick to making friends. The plan sounds even better when she’s invited into a group that includes Logan Weber, the cute and charming guy she met on her first day of class. But this isn’t your average D&D campaign— this group livestreams their games and enforces strict rules: no phones allowed, and no dating other group members.

Quinn is willing to accept the rules, even if it makes Logan off-limits. And she quickly learns that doing so won’t be a problem, since Logan goes from charismatic to insufferable as soon as she agrees to join. As their bickering—and bantering—intensifies inside and outside the game, Quinn can’t help wondering: Is Logan’s infuriating behavior a smokescreen for hidden feelings? Quinn is risking it all, and the twenty-sided dice are rolling!

YOU‘RE DEAD TO ME by Amy Christine Parker

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THE GETAWAY LIST (paperback) by Emma Lord

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The day of her high school graduation, Riley realizes two things: One, that she has spent the last four years trying so hard to be a Good Kid for her mom that she has no idea who she really is anymore, and two, she has no idea what she wants because of it. The solution? Pack her bags and move to New York for the summer, where her childhood best friend Tom and co-creator of The Getaway List — a list of all the adventures they’ve wanted to do together since he moved away — will hopefully help her get in touch with her old adventurous self, and pave the road to a new future.