Query: Wilder Times / Genre: YA

Dear Agent,

Ben Wilder never really dreamt about becoming a rock star. It was more of a given—his throne to inherit.

Not that Ben doesn’t want to be the next “it” guy. And not that he lacks the necessary talent. He’s got what it takes—the voice, the charisma, the looks. For the most part, he’s more than happy to fulfill his destiny. To be a rock god. Just as long as he doesn’t become him: the legendary eighties rocker Ben calls dad.

For Kat Hayes, life is a bit more simple. She is just an average high school girl. And high school girls dream about rock stars. She dreams about one in particular: Ben Wilder.

Kat’s been in love with Ben ever since she was twelve, when his first teen pop album was released. Now, four years later, she finally has the chance to meet him. So what if it takes a tiny little lie—a lie that puts her best friend, Jackson, in jeopardy of losing his new job. To Kat, Ben is worth any risk.

What seemed like a one-time meeting quickly turns into romance and Kat finds that her lie is impossible to recall. Her once-simple life turns into a blitz of popularity and paparazzi—which is sorta cool. At first. Until a media-fueled competition for Ben’s attention erupts between Kat and a voluptuous swimsuit model—and Kat doesn’t see how her unaltered sixteen-year-old body can measure up.

But again, Kat’s problems are rather simple. She’s not the one having nightmares about her dead dad. Ben is. The more his life mirrors his dad’s, the more the ghosts from his dad’s past seem to seep through the cracks of Ben’s carefully constructed life, threatening to ensnare him with remnants of abuse and addiction. Unbidden memories of his dad—and his ill-fated death—dominate Ben’s sleep. And in his waking hours, Ben finds that he must face the music (cliché-ish pun intended) and prove to the world—and himself—that he’s not plagiarizing dear old dad.

Wilder Times is complete at—take a deep breath—112,000 words. Ahem. You still with me? Wilder Times is intended to be a three book series drawing on the rock star phenomenon that continues to dominate teen culture, including TV, video games, and clothing—but seems to be a relatively untouched aspect of Young Adult Fiction.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Me