alternate history

First Lines From Histories You Don’t Know

Lynette M Burrows

The first line of a story, we’re told, must hook the reader. Implied is that the reader will not buy the book if the first line isn’t great. These entries are from Amazon, my personal library, or other online booksellers. Are you hooked by these first lines from histories you don’t know? Do you want to read more of these alternate histories? “As the London Divisions of the glorious troops of the Fatherland march proudly past the gauleiter’s podium, they salute the Thousand Year Reich!” the announcer intoned pompously. The Children’s War by J.N. Stroyar  August 2014 I am a good girl. It is my most defining feature. And that’s the truth.  The Big Lie by Julie Mayhew  The squalid little alley smelled of piss despite the February cold.   The Enemy Within by Kristine Kathryn Rusch It started when David came in from the lawn absolutely furious. Farthing: A Story of a World that Could Have Been (Small Change Book 1) by Jo Walton Prologue: You already know the story of the American Revolution, and the birth of the American monarchy. American Royals by Katharine McGee “Get below decks!” Colm Bohannon shouted. Angels & Patriots: Book One by Salina B Baker  Clarification There […]

Sneak Peek: If I Should Die, Chapter Three

Lynette M Burrows

I hope you enjoy this Friday’s Sneak Peek If I Should Die, Chapter Three. If I Should Die is my current primary WIP (work-in-progress). This sneak peek is part of a six-week project in which I share parts of this story. I look forward to your comments and reactions. What’s the Book About? Miranda has built a successful Freedom Waterway across the inland waters of the United States. Refugees from the religious oppression of the Fellowship find safety and freedom aboard her boats. But now her brother needs rescued so he can complete his mission. She’s committed to helping him, but she’s a peace-loving woman. Will she resort to violence and save lives or stick to her principles and sacrifice many? ReCap Chapter One: Miranda pilots her yacht, the Lady Angelfish, up the Missouri River to rescue her brother, but the U.S. Coast Guard and a Second Sphere agent stop her for a “routine” inspection. Chapter Two: Irene, Miranda’s sister, can’t believe she’s the wife of the newly appointed Prophet. Nor can she believe she’s at the White House sitting with President Joseph Kennedy Jr. But there are drawbacks to being the Prophet’s wife. When she’s offered a role in […]

A Novel Announcement and the Story Behind the Story

Lynette M Burrows

Recently I realized I’ve never made the official novel announcement here. News I shared several weeks ago on Facebook and Twitter, but not here. (For those of you who’ve seen Facebook or Twitter you’ll like the story behind the story.) My novel, My Soul to Keep, went live as an ebook on August 21st. It is now also available as a paperback book on Amazon. Other retailers can order it from Ingram. What’s the Story? This dystopian tale takes place in 1961, but America is not the nation you know. It’s an insular land of righteousness, repression, and fear. Drawn into a maelstrom of political intrigue, familial deception, and social upheaval two women, one peaceful and the other violent, seek truth and justice. To find the truth they will have to make sacrifices. Triumph will free them and the nation. Failure will mean a face-off with the angel-assassin, Azrael. How A Nice Girl Wrote A Dystopian Novel You might wonder how “a nice girl like” me came to write a dystopian novel. I moved seventeen times before I graduated from high school. No, neither parent was in any armed service. Seventeen different homes, seventeen different schools. Can you imagine a […]