page and then a clerk before obtaining her MLIS from Louisiana State University.Weaver applied the Page 69 Test to her new novel, Playing It Safe, and reported the following:
Page 69 of Playing It Safe sees my heroine, Electra McDonnell, sharing a dance in a pub with her military intelligence handler, Major Ramsey, as they’re undercover trying to catch a band of Nazi counterfeiters during World War II.Visit Ashley Weaver's website.
The test does a nice job of introducing the two lead characters as well as highlighting certain elements of the book’s plot.
A reader browsing page 69 would get a good idea of the dynamic that exists between my characters. As Ellie and Major Ramsey dance, they discuss the case and what they’ve learned so far. Readers will get a glimpse of Ellie’s more sanguine outlook on things and the good-natured humor with which she views even unexpected obstacles. In contrast, the more formal, non-nonsense personality of Major Ramsey is also on display. While they are opposites in this way and have their conflicts, there is a clear sense of unified teamwork between them–and in this scene it’s especially apparent since they’re on the dancefloor, literally moving in sync.
There is also mention of a mysterious death that has occurred and the subsequent investigation Ellie and the major have been conducting. A reader opening the book to this page would have hints of the adventure–and perhaps even the danger–that Ellie and Ramsey will face over the course of the story.
In the case of Playing it Safe, the Page 69 Test does a great job of giving a sample of the tone and plot of the book!
The Page 69 Test: A Most Novel Revenge.
The Page 69 Test: An Act of Villainy.
Writers Read: Ashley Weaver.
The Page 69 Test: A Dangerous Engagement.
--Marshal Zeringue
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