I wrote this today as a response to the prompt: write a paragraph describing a place that you consider "heaven on earth." It's fairly typical of my style...

<"Heaven on earth" is a state of mind. Just stopping to sit and imagine a beautiful place or experience can bring it out, no matter where I happen to physically be. In my thoughts heaven is a beautiful, still forest. The silence isn't oppressive there, because the immense beauty surpasses all other senses. Shadow and light play between the giant trees and skip over the surfaces of a multitude of ponds that span, limitless, in every direction. Moss and grass mingle at the roots of the great trees, creating a gentle padding that invites me to stay. The crystalline pools of water reflect the lush leaves of the canopy above me, encasing me in the security of all the many shades of green, and I am happy. My mind is in "heaven on earth.">

Hooked (I especially like the "Repent Asshole")  ...

Ok, here's mine:

"I should have known better. There had been plenty of warning signs. But Bill had sounded so excited and I missed seeing him that way. He's needed a lot of encouragement since the accident and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to be there for him. If only I'd- Well, I guess it doesn't matter now. Whatever he'd given me had begun to kick in and my brain was in no condition to help me get us out of here. Power over life and death he'd said. Power over life and death."   

Depressingly, my voice tends to be matter of fact. There are many styles and stylistic elements I admire, but when I'm writing, it just comes out flat. I re-write over and over and put server conscious effort into every word and phrase and it still sometimes manages to come out sound like some musty librarian giving a utilitarian description of a novel's scene. I'm much better with non-fiction writing and editing. I keep hoping that my style will mature, but I may just be trying too hard.

An interesting twist I've encountered on Chapter Titles is having a quote precede a chapter rather than a title. In books like "This Alien Shore" they add a depth and flavor to the novel's world as well as add a commentary on, rather than spoiler for, the following chapter. They also seem to create a universal undercurrent to the themes of the novel as a whole. 

edit: that was weird... I was trying to post this in the thread "chapter titles yes or no" and if somehow posted here... not sure what that's about...

I like it and would buy it. I do have some suggestions (I'll send them to you if you want), but I like what you've done so far. Great work, keep at it, and let me know when I can buy it!