A Slice of Orange

by Nancy Farrier

I leaned back, closed my eyes, and sighed in pleasure as my three-year-old daughter sat on the back of the couch behind me running her small fingers through my hair. It had been a long day. I was exhausted. I didn’t care about what was on television that held the rest of the family enthralled, I just wanted to enjoy the soothing touch of my little girl.

“Mom.” Her breath warmed my ear as she leaned down and spoke close to me.

“Hmmmm?” I could barely find the initiative to answer.

“Do you know what this is?” My daughter asked. Her fingers kneaded at the crown of my head.

“No, what?”

“It’s a brain sucker.”

One of my eyes popped open. Amusement bubbled up. Where had she come up with this? “A what?”

“A brain sucker.” I could hear the laughter in her tone. “Do you know what it’s doing?”

Of course, I knew the obvious—it was sucking out my brains, but I didn’t want to steal her moment. “What?”

She leaned closer to my ear, probably to make sure I heard. “It’s starving to death.”

I burst out laughing. The answer was so unexpected. Where did a little girl come up with something like that? Yet her bit of humor gave me a much needed pick-me-up. Only years later did I learn that her sisters would do that to her, thus giving her the idea for a trick to play on me.

As a writer, I’m never out of ideas for stories, however there are many times when I run out of energy for writing. I still find that taking the time to laugh or enjoy some small pleasure can give me the best boost of drive that I need.

When life gets you down, take the time to laugh and enjoy the people around you.

When my first book, Whose Lie Is It Anyway?, was published, one of the earliest recipients of a newly minted copy was Karina Bliss, fellow-Superromance author and a wonderful friend of mine. I phoned her on the day I guessed she would receive the book I’d sent. You know, just to say, hi, how are you, anything interesting in the post today?

“I got your book,” she said.

“Oh, really?” Quiet pride bloomed within me.

“I loved the last line,” she said. “Absolutely loved it.”

Wow! Not only did I write a book, but it was so good, Karina had already finished it! “Thanks,” I said modestly.

“I can’t wait to read the rest,” she continued.

“Uh…excuse me?”

Yes, dear reader, it turned out that my friend had flipped to the last page of the book and read the last line first.

I have one word to say on the subject: Why???

Since then, I’ve met quite a few people – lots, almost – who automatically read the last page of a book before the first. As a writer, this causes me anguish. I slave over each book for months, and the last page is a culmination of the story that hopefully pulls together the story theme, the events, and the characters in a way that’s satisfying to the reader. How can said reader possibly get that satisfaction without reading the book?

As a reader, the last-page-first philosophy bemuses me. Doesn’t knowing the end ruin the story? Sure, when you read a romance novel you know there’ll be a happy ending that involves the hero and heroine getting together. But it’s the how and why that make the story unique. I don’t want any clues to that before I read it on the page. I like to finish the book on an “aaah” note of satisfaction. I don’t think I could do that if I’d already read the end before I started.

Am I in a minority here? Do millions of readers prefer to read the last page first? Let me know where you stand on this important question!
Abby