First Line Friday | Grace in the Shadows by Christine Dillon

Today I’m joining in the fun by sharing a book for First Line Friday. The deal is we pick up the nearest book (or in my case, the nearest device with an ebook in it) and quote the first line.

Congratulations to Christine! Grace in the Shadows won the CALEB Award General Fiction category at the Omega Writers Conference held in Sydney, Australia.

I liked reading Grace in Strange Disguise, the first book in the series, but I loved reading Grace in the Shadows! Check out my book recommendation for Grace in the Shadows here.

I’m sharing the first two paragraphs because the first line, on its own, is a cliche. Add the second paragraph and you have beautiful writing with emotional power. I used Christine’s opening pages as an example in my Omega Writers Conference fiction workshop last weekend.

It was love at first sight.

And second. And third.

Here’s the book description:

Physiotherapist Esther has survived cancer, but wounds within her family remain unhealed. Is her revived faith the reason for the rift or could a simmering secret be the root cause?

Cosmetics consultant Rachel buried her past – and her father’s God – but the past refuses to stay buried. Will she continue to run or is confronting her pain the way to freedom?

Two women. One collision course with truth.

Can God’s grace shine even in the darkest of shadows?

Click the image below for the Hoarding Books Blog to check out the opening lines posted today by the #FirstLineFriday bloggers. Share the opening line from a book in the comments. Happy Reading!

First Line Fridays hosted by Hoarding Books

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20 Comments

  1. Very pretty cover. Those lines make me wonder what comes next. 🙂

    Over on my blog, I’m sharing the first line of Marisol – Spanish Rose by Elva Cobb Martin, so here I’ll share one of my favorite lines from the same book:

    Maybe he should be guarding his heart from her, protecting himself from another loss, but he’d already given too much of himself to her. His heart was no longer his to guard.

  2. I enjoyed the first two books in this series as well (haven’t read book 3 yet).
    Today on my blog I shared the first line from Deadly Deceit by Natalie Walters but I’m currently reading How the Light Gets In by Jolina Petersheim so I’ll share the first line from my current chapter (9) here: Elam Albrecht didn’t have many needs.” Hope you have a great weekend! Happy reading 🙂

    1. Hi Becca, After reading the second book, I’m really looking forward to bumping book 3 higher up my tbr list! That sounds like a fun story. Thanks for sharing and enjoy your weekend! 🙂

  3. My first lines are from Hope’s Highest Mountain by Misty Beller:
    My Darling Rachel,
    You were everything to me. You still are. Don’t ever forget that.

  4. On my blog I’m sharing the first line from Because of You by Becky Wade, however I finished it last night and am now reading Stitched in Time by Suzanne Woods Fisher. I’ll share the first line of that book here. “It took a lot to shock Luke Schrock.”

  5. Happy Friday! My first line is from Wyatt: The Montana Marshalls” by Susan May Warren:

    “Usually Wyatt, goalie for the Minnesota Blue Ox NHL team, could shrug off his mistakes.”

  6. Happy Saturday!

    Yesterday on my blog I shared the first line from The Painted Castle by Kristy Cambron: https://christianfictiongirl.blog/2019/10/17/first-line-friday-106/. I’m currently reading Always Look Twice by Elizabeth Goddard, so I’ll share a line from that book.

    “For some reason he would never understand, Heath always ended up assisting someone in the direst of circumstances.”

    Hope you’re having a good weekend! ?❤?

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