You ever go to visit family, and it all goes terribly wrong? Well, that describes the next story in Hannah and Other Stories very well. And I have the opening below.
As before, here are the rules for #FirstLineFriday, which I’ve brought back for Hannah‘s imminent release:
- Create a post on your blog titled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
- Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
- Post the first one or two lines of a potential story, a story-in-progress, or a completed/published story.
- Ask your readers for feedback and try to get them to try #FirstLineFriday on their own blogs (tagging is encouraged but not necessary).
Today’s opening is from The Red Bursts, which follows a man and his husband as they go to check on the man’s sister after she stops communicating with them. Once they get to the town, things go haywire pretty quickly. Enjoy:
“Okay, it says to turn left in a quarter mile,” said Joel Gladstein, looking up from his smartphone.
You know how every journey starts with a single step? He’s really going to regret that first step.
Anyway, if you would like to find out what happens once they get to the town, you should preorder a copy of Hannah and Other Stories. And if you like what you read, please leave a review somewhere so I and other readers know what you think.
And if you would like to try this tag yourself, consider yourself tagged. Just copy and paste the rules above, and I look forward to seeing what you post.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll see you all on the flipside. I hope you’re all excited for Hannah coming out soon. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Poor Joel. Turn back now, Joel, turn back now!
Spoken like someone who truly knows my work!