#FirstLineFriday #GiveawayContest #FreeDownloads

/ Marcia Meara

Time for another #FirstLineFriday folks, and just to keep you on your toes, I’ve chosen  an opening line from well-known classic. Let’s see how you do. 😀

PLEASE READ these simple rules, just to refresh yourself on how this should be done. Thanks.

  1. Be one of the first five people to email me before the game ends at 4:00pm, with the title and author of the correct book. 
  2. Do not reply here on the blog. Email only: marciameara16@gmail.com
  3. Honor System applies. No Googling, please.
  4. Submissions end at 4:00 P.M. EST, or when I receive 5 correct answers, whichever comes first.
  5. Winners who live in the U.S. may request a free download of any one of my books for themselves, or for someone of their choice. OR, if they’ve read all of the offered books, they may request a free download of my next publication.
  6. Winners who live elsewhere may request a mobi or PDF file of the same books, since, sadly, Amazon won’t let me gift you from the site.

And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for! Put on your thinking caps, because here is today’s opening line:

“The year 1866 was signalized by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and inexplicable phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten.” 

Remember, email answers only, please. Thanks! And now off I go to await your guesses. 

28 thoughts on “#FirstLineFriday #GiveawayContest #FreeDownloads”

  1. This is a great first line, Marcia. I wish I could have guessed it because I had several of books I thought it might fit, So, I could sleep, I had to look it up. I would have been wrong.

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    • No peeking at all if you want to win, I’m afraid. But don’t feel bad, Janet. This would have stumped ME, for sure, and I’ll be surprised if anyone recognizes it right off the bat, though I’m darn sure we’ve all heard of it, and many of us have actually read it. Better luck next time. 🙂

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    • This one got to me, too! ‘Signalized’ stood out as being unusual and I caved in and looked it up. I’ve not read this one but it certainly comes under the ‘famous’ tag. Great choice! 😀

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      • Thanks, Trish. I thought it was going to be pretty tricky, even as familiar as the title is, and so far, I’ve been proven right. I’ve read the book and seen the movie, and still didn’t recognize it, myself. But with a few notable exceptions, that’s been the case for me with all of these. Thanks for giving it a go, though! Better luck next time! 😀

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    • I’m sorry it didn’t ring a bell, Harmony, but isn’t it interesting how few of these “Best First Lines List” books actually do. We read them and think they’re great, or somewhat familiar, but can’t put that title to them. Still, it’s a fun challenge to try. (At least, it’s fun when I challenge myself, and I freely admit, I’m not very good at recognizing most of them.) Thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend, yourself. 🙂

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    • Hahahaha. I’d love to see that list! I read this one many, many years ago, but I honestly would never have recognized the opening line, so even that didn’t help me. Thanks for giving it a look, though. Better luck next time! 🙂

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    • I’ve read the book AND seen the movie, and still had no clue, Joan. I think that’s one of the most interesting things about this little quiz. We all know how important opening lines are for grabbing a reader’s attention, and yet, they don’t seem to stick in our minds very well. For the most part, anyway. I’d like to have some winners today, too, but it’s not looking real promising yet. Still, it’s an interesting way to study the subject, I think. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

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    • Uh-oh. When it doesn’t ring a bell with you, Jeanne, I know it’s a really, really tough one. Truly, I would never have gotten it either, and I most definitely have read the book. Thanks for giving it a go, though, and better luck next time! 🙂

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    • I have a sneaky feeling this one is going to stump everyone, Darlene. When neither you nor Jeanne gets it, I KNOW it’s a toughie! Hope someone recognizes it, though. I’d love to give away a download or two. Thanks for stopping by this morning, and I’ll bet next time will be more familiar. (I’ll go easy on you guys. 😀 )

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    • I had a feeling this one would be tough, Teri, but I’m often wrong, so I hoped a couple of you would recognize it. So far, nope. I’ll go easier on you guys next time! 😀 Thanks for stopping by, though, and I hope you have a great weekend, too! 😊

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    • It’s definitely a famous story, Mae, and a classic, but to be fair, it was written a LONG time ago, and you may never have read it. WAY back when I was around 12/13, somewhere around 1956 (gasp!), I started reading a lot of the classics, including this one. But I can guarantee you I did NOT recognize this first line. It’s perfect for the story and the times, but it totally eluded me, and it seems I’m in good company with that. 😀 Thanks so much for stopping by today and stay tuned for the answer. There’s no way on earth you won’t recognize the title. Hehehehe. 😀

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  10. I have no clue, Marcia. There are trillions of books I need to read and this is a reminder that I need to get busy reading. Big hugs and thank you for this teaser. 🤗

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    • I think we should ALL get paid to read books all day long, don’t you, Gwen? I mean, there are so many fantastic ones out there, and it bugs me to know that no matter how long I live, I’ll never be able to read them all. Actually, even if they paid me, and that’s all I had to do for my living each day, I’d never finish them all. That just doesn’t seem fair, does it? 😀

      Seriously, you may have read this one, even if it doesn’t sound familiar. I have, and seen the movie, too, and I still didn’t recognize it. That’s one of the things I find interesting about these opening lines. The good ones pull us right into a book, but apparently they don’t stick in our minds nearly as often as you’d imagine. Still, I find it fun to study them, and hope you do, as well. Thanks for stopping by today! 🤗

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    • It’s a tough one today, Sue. And believe me, even though I’ve read the book and seen the movie, I didn’t recognize it, either. It seems first lines, while great for pulling in readers, don’t always stick with us very long, though I have some favorites that I doubt I’ll ever forget. Thanks for stopping by, and better luck next time. 😀

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  12. The language represents perhaps a British author, but I have not a clue. I’ll be curious to find out. It’s vaguely familiar, but as someone who has trouble remembering the names of movies I like, this is impossible for me to guess. 🙂

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    • Not to worry on that score, Jan. I’m quite sure you’ll recognize the title, but even if you’d read this one, it appears it’s not a very memorable first line. It sure wasn’t for me, or anyone who’s visited here today, so you’re in good company. 😀 Thanks for stopping by. Answer to be announced at 4:00pm. 😀

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