First Lines and Getting to Know the Characters

The first lines of a book are tricky because they set the mood of everything to follow. With some books, the first line is set before I write anything else. For others, I make a dozen tweaks until I'm satisfied. Most of my books begin with one of the main characters in action, or with something to do with the setting or weather, like in the first paragraph of Christmas in Briarwood. It is also a representation for what is happening inside of Rachel, which sets the tone for every choice she'll ma...