I’ve been tagged – thanks Kristin (I think) and now I have to fess up to 2nd draft crappiness. I’ve just started the third (and I hope final) draft of my second novel. I’m posting the seven unadulterated lines from page 7.

The Rules

• Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscript,
• Go to line 7,
• Post on your blog the next 7 lines, or sentences, as they are – no cheating!
• Tag 7 other authors to do the same.

And here are mine: 

‘Lighten up for one Goddamn day, will you? That’s an order too.’

After another excruciating ten minutes, the stripper finally unhooked her legs from Stanley’s thighs and unlocked the handcuffs. She planted a Cupid’s bow tattoo of lipstick on his forehead and quickly draped a raincoat over her shoulders. Immediately the assembled detectives, whose ranks had been swelled by officers returning from the 10-72 on First and 4th, let out a chorus of booing. The woman blew them all an extravagant kiss and tottered in her high heels toward the door and out of the room, her departure accompanied by much whistling and whooping.

And I’m passing on the baton to:

Shelley Harris @shelleywriter
Keith Walters @keithbwalters
Cath Bore @cathbore
Mel Sherratt @writermels
Sarah Hilary @sarah_hilary
Lindsay Buroker @GoblinWriter
Declan Munro @DeclanMunro