They say that a book stands or falls on its opening. Here are the first lines of my output so far:
The Mouse Triptych (2013, 2nd. ed. 2015)
‘This will do admirably, thought the mouse as he emerged from the corner where the green carpet didn’t quite meet the skirting board.’ A Stroke of Genius
‘Some months later, Otto Rupert Emmanuel Lichtenheld was having his Latin lesson.’ Polemikos
‘The door of Ten Downing Street is iconic, though I hate the word itself.’ The Downing Street Cat
The Swan Diptych (2015, 2nd ed. 2018)
‘In the backward little market town of Lincoln, in the East of England, there once stood a great and beautiful cathedral.’ How the Dean Angered the Swans
‘The pig turned evenly on the spit.’ The Patronal Feast
Come Away, O Human Child and Other Tales (2016)
‘When he was about four, Lucas kept a kiwi fruit as a pet.’ Hibernation
‘How long I’d been sitting there, staring at the newspaper cutting on my desk, I couldn’t say.’ Duck
‘Of course I hadn’t wanted to go in the first place.’ Just a Little Kitchen Supper
‘The first child disappeared in Lincoln, just outside M & S.’ Come Away, O Human Child
Martin (2017)
‘I suppose I’m very drunk, though it’s hard to tell these days.’
Humphrey and Jack (Work in Progress)
‘Like most males, Humphrey had an aversion to visiting the doctor.’
Cherries (Not yet published)
‘”Do you have cherries?” asked Bridget.’
The Pier (Not yet published)
‘”Well bugger it to Hell and back!” said Meg Carrington out loud.’
