To me, as a reader, the very best part of opening a new book is reading that first line. It sets the tone for me, tells me what to expect from this book. Is it heavily descriptive, setting-based? Is it some kind of punchy bit of dialogue? Is it a short, *bam* kind of sentence that sucks you right in? And the books I love the most… I can recite their opening lines from memory.

He nearly called you again last night. Can you imagine that, after all this time? He can.

It’s been a few years since...