Please welcome back Editor Judy Penz Sheluk to the blog today as she shares the first lines of the various short stories in the new anthology, Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense. Published by Superior Shores Press, the read is available at Amazon and other vendors.
Midnight Schemers
& Daydream Believers: First Lines by Judy Penz Sheluk
I set up my publishing imprint, Superior Shores Press (SSP),
in February 2018. Since that time, I’ve learned a lot, not only as a publisher,
but as a writer and editor. Reading, you see, really is the best teacher, and
with close to 500 short story submissions for SSP’s five multi-author
anthologies, reading was definitely a huge part of the process. My biggest
takeaway? The opening line (or sometimes paragraph) has to grab my attention.
It has to stand out from the crowd, arms raised overhead, and shout, “Pick me,
pick me!” Every one of the first lines in Midnight Schemers & Daydream
Believers, the latest Superior Shores Anthology, spoke to me, some more
quietly than others, to be sure, but they spoke to me nonetheless, made me want
to keep on reading, to hope that the rest of the story would be as good, or
better. That the end would satisfy and surprise. Here’s a sneak peek of those
first lines, in order of appearance:
Secretly Keith by Charlie Kondek
“Big” John Warmer was not a big man, unless you counted his
stomach, a characteristic he not only failed to conceal but to which he drew
attention by wearing t-shirts a size too small.
A Talent for Fame by Susan Daly
“Wait...what? Kate stared at me, her glass of Northern
Spirit Rye paused halfway to her lips.
The Underground by Pam Barnsley
With only a slight tremor in his hands, Chaucer turned the
last card over.
Julia’s Garage by Rand Gaynor
A bumblebee, held down by a set of calipers, struggles
against having its stinger pulled out by a small pair of tweezers.
A Time to Tell by Amanda Capper
I started collecting secrets when I was six.
The Artist by Linda Bennett
Saturday afternoon and Nick tells Michael it’s time to take
the new guy out with the crew.
Maladaptives Anonymous by donalee Moulton
Marla Porter is a life coach. I don’t know what a life coach
is, but it clearly makes Marla happy.
Watch Your Step by Edward Lodi
Brandon Whitby eased the boredom of his days as the desk
clerk of a seedy motel by alternating between daydreaming of what it would be
like to be rich, never having to work again, and cooking up schemes to achieve
that goal—without, of course, actually having to put in any real effort.
Dinner at Angelo’s by Julie Hastrup
Charlie’s Buick crunched into Angelo’s gravel parking lot.
Evening Escapade by KM Rockwood
Timing was everything.
Quincy and Crow by Joseph S. Walker
When Helena Vasquez’s great-grandfather bought the lot at
the corner of Quincy and Crow, there was still farmland within walking
distance.
Front Desk Staff
by Bethany Maines
I was about to lose a hundred dollars to a douchebag named
after the blonde himbo from Saved by the Bell.
Checking Out at the Live Free or Die Motel By Debra
Bliss Saenger
Deputy Sheriff Connor Fisk was ending the graveyard shift
before being relieved by the daytime crew.
Hopscotch and Pop Tart by Clark Boyd
Hopper McTaggart, his formidable bulk crammed behind the
wheel of a pink Fiat 500, stared into the wall-eyed face of the rubber chicken
hovering outside the passenger window.
A Promise to Pete by James Patrick Focarile
Two small white socks were left on the front doorstep.
Ticket Out by Jim McDonalds
Fourteen months inside is a drag, except for my mopping
buddy Deuce, who teaches me how to crack the new digital Forte lock.
Ghost Wolves by Peggy Rothschild
We approached the house from the back, both dressed in dark
jeans, jackets, and beanies.
Friendship Never Dies by Beth Irish
How did I end up in this dilapidated joint?
Secrets Unleashed by Gina X. Grant
Casing the joint proved easy.
Try Hard by Michael Penncavage
Cliff was almost giddy with excitement.
Making Up for Lost Time by C.W. Blackwell
It wasn’t the first time someone told me I looked like Tag
Sandoval, the famed Silicon Valley tech CEO, but it carried an unbearable irony
now that I was living in a downtown shelter with two dozen men whose luck had
run completely dry.
A Foolproof Plan by Judy Penz Sheluk
I watch Mark’s black SUV turn out of our long, narrow
driveway and feel the tightness in my chest loosen, knowing my husband will be
gone for the next two days.
Readers: Which first line from Midnight Schemers &
Daydream Believers grabbed your attention, made you want to keep reading,
and why?
About the book: Desire or desperation, revenge or retribution—how
far would you go to realize a dream? The twenty-two authors in this collection
explore the possibilities, with predictably unpredictable results.
Featuring stories by Pam Barnsley, Linda Bennett, Clark
Boyd, C.W. Blackwell, Amanda Capper, Susan Daly, James Patrick Focarile, Rand
Gaynor, Gina X. Grant, Julie Hastrup, Beth Irish, Charlie Kondek, Edward Lodi,
Bethany Maines, Jim McDonald, donalee Moulton, Michael Penncavage, Judy Penz
Sheluk, KM Rockwood, Peggy Rothschild, Debra Bliss Saenger, and Joseph S.
Walker.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/44vnrJF
Judy Penz Sheluk ©2025
Judy Penz Sheluk is a former journalist and magazine editor
and the bestselling author of two mystery series, several short stories, and
two books on publishing. She is also the publisher and editor of five Superior
Shores Anthologies. Find out more at www.judypenzsheluk.com.
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