Apr 10, 2010

Query- Four Thousand Miles

Dear Ms. (AGENT NAME),

When twenty-eight year old Natalie Spencer’s entire life unravels in a single morning, she hops an impromptu flight to England where she drops into the life of Gavin Ashby, a reclusive songwriter from rural Kent. Four Thousand Miles is a completed 93,000 word, character driven novel written under the influence of Diana Gabaldon, Kristen Hannah, Jennifer Weiner and Jane Austen with the quarter-life crisis in mind. Female readers will relate to Natalie’s perfect-on-paper life and her need to discover herself in order to start over again.

Natalie Spencer has a good life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - not an exciting life, or even a very interesting one at that, but a good life nonetheless. However, when her career meets an abrupt end and she returns home to find her perfect husband in bed with his best friend, Jeremy, Natalie learns just how fragile her world is. In a state of shock, Natalie’s instincts take over and she boards a plane to the first English speaking destination on the United Airlines flight board – London, England. Alone and armed with nothing but her purse, Natalie narrowly escapes being mugged in a Tube station and is rescued by a Brit with rugged good looks by the name of Gavin Ashby. Having spent most of his adult life in a self-imposed limbo, Gavin Ashby recognizes his kindred spirit in Natalie. He invites her to recuperate from her emotional trauma at his home in Pluckley, Kent, where he lives above his family’s restaurant with his possessive sister and her deaf daughter. Through their strong friendship, Natalie and Gavin are able to heal from their wounds and discover the strength to go after the lives they’ve always wanted.

After falling victim to the tidal wave of corporate downsizing myself, I have pressed my own reset button by dusting off my Bachelors in English and re-kindling my love of writing. Four Thousand Miles is my first completed novel and fits solidly into the chick-lit genre. My only other publishing credit is a short story entitled “Death of a Woman,” which had been published in the Detroit literary magazine, The Furnace in 2000. Attached you will find the first three chapters of my novel for your review. The completed manuscript is available on request. Thank you very much for taking the time to consider Four Thousand Miles. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Jessica Riggles
(MY INFO HERE)

Iron Thirst - Urban Fantasy (revised)

Click here to read the previous version.

Dear Mr. Awesome,
Looking for an escape from the norm, Felicity Johnson dresses for trouble, and finds it when she attends DragonCon – the convention that celebrates everything sci-fi and fantasy. When she slid on her fake fangs that morning, she wasn’t aware that DragonCon was swarming with real vampires who use this weekend to take off their disguises and blend in with the other costumed attendees.

When her best friend disappears while they are at the Con, she turns to Blake Richmond—new crush, attorney, and leader of a team designed to keep the vampires in line and out of view. To make matters worse, Felicity attracts the attention of a vampire that develops a thirst for the iron running through her veins. Blake strives to keep her heart beating, but the search for her best friend leads her down a path that could leave her either dead or with the ultimate makeover—one that cannot be undone without a stake to the heart.

Iron Thirst is an 88,000-word urban fantasy. I am a member of the Atlanta Writers Club and Sisters in Crime. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Appreciative de Critique