Everybody has a story to tell, but not everybody can tell it well, which it why some first novels jump to the best sellers lists and others fade away. This year's crop of successful first novelists come from all walks of life--there's journalist Vanora Bennett and historian Alison Weir, dance critic Anita Amirrezvani, and financial analyst manque Dana Vachon. They all share a way with words that allows them to deliver incandescent stories that could change one's life. This article presents a list of successful first novelists for 2007.