Three years ago the minor noble MIDAS lost a son in an ambush by a troll. Now with his marriage crumbling and the Known Lands threatened by an invasion from a mysterious race of dragon men, Midas is torn between his duty to raise his two remaining sons -- peaceful ANTOS and ultra-competitive ALEKAS -- to be proper warriors, and the insistence of his wife that he keep the boys safe.
He takes his sons to war, but hopes to shield them from danger. His intentions go awry when a seer involves them in a plan to defeat the dragon men by finding a shard of a shattered magical relic, lost centuries ago in the lair of the most vicious dragon ever known.
After surviving the dragon, cannibals, deadly ice-wraiths, and a chase through a lost underground city, Midas and his remaining friends find the shard and join the armies of men, elves, and dwarves to confront the horde of dragon men, only to discover that the magic of the shard doesn’t work as expected. Midas is faced with the most excruciating of decisions -- save his sons, or save the realm and risk losing everyone that he loves.
May 18, 2010
May 17, 2010
Query- REINCARNATE
Dear XXX,
Heaven hath no fury like a saint reborn—even if that saint is atheist Jeanne Delacey. Being the reincarnation of Jeanne d’Arc is no picnic. Sure, she now has a divinely empowered bracelet that turns into a sword, and Luca Griffith—tall, dark, and definitely hiding something—to guard her, but she’s going to need, well, a hell of a lot more. Especially since she’s also inherited nightmares of burning to death, a centuries old arch-nemesis—one Pierre Cauchon—who’s been reincarnated as well, and—oh yeah, there’s that pesky business of an impending war between Heaven and Hell.
Torn between anger and fear, Jeanne tries to do what any spoiled little rich girl would: ignore the problem. But as demonic attacks grow more frequent, she realizes she’ll have to suck it up and deal. Cauchon sent her to the stake in her past life; he’s more than willing to do it again. And this time, the entire world will burn with her.
REINCARNATE is an 82,000 word adult urban fantasy. I would be happy to forward the complete manuscript at your request.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Sincerely,
Heaven hath no fury like a saint reborn—even if that saint is atheist Jeanne Delacey. Being the reincarnation of Jeanne d’Arc is no picnic. Sure, she now has a divinely empowered bracelet that turns into a sword, and Luca Griffith—tall, dark, and definitely hiding something—to guard her, but she’s going to need, well, a hell of a lot more. Especially since she’s also inherited nightmares of burning to death, a centuries old arch-nemesis—one Pierre Cauchon—who’s been reincarnated as well, and—oh yeah, there’s that pesky business of an impending war between Heaven and Hell.
Torn between anger and fear, Jeanne tries to do what any spoiled little rich girl would: ignore the problem. But as demonic attacks grow more frequent, she realizes she’ll have to suck it up and deal. Cauchon sent her to the stake in her past life; he’s more than willing to do it again. And this time, the entire world will burn with her.
REINCARNATE is an 82,000 word adult urban fantasy. I would be happy to forward the complete manuscript at your request.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Sincerely,
May 14, 2010
QUERY- STRAPPED
I see you are looking for heros with a sense of humor and I believe you would be the perfect agent for my 94,000 word love story, disguised as a horror novel, entitled STRAPPED, which will appeal to the millions of fans who consistently make horror movies debut at number one at the box office on a regular basis.
A bad batch of flu shots has just turned over half of the population into flesh-eating corpses, leaving Paul Thomas-an unemployed shock jock- fighting for his life in a world where no one dares even go to the bathroom without a handgun strapped to their side. With the power out in the dead of a harsh Iowa winter, Paul works his way south from snowy farmhouses to a well-equipped boat in the Gulf of Mexico with his girlfriend, Sophia, and his buddy, Dan. Tragically, Paul loses both of them during their migration and must now decide wether or not to continue on with only Wendy, a blond stripper they’d recently met in Kansas. Few survivors, however, and seemingly endless nights of solitude together could lead to temptation for tormented and frightened souls, that will only serve to make matters worse.
Like Paul, I am also an unemployed radio guy and devoted fan of horror movies. I have worked at four rock stations and one outlaw country station in four states, affording me the ability to successfully make a living over the past twelve years writing and editing compelling content for live on-air breaks, celebrity interviews, commercial production and stage-intros at concerts and events ranging from Rob Zombie to the WWE.
STRAPPED is set to be the first in a dark trilogy and my completed manuscript is ready to be sent at your request. I would love to work with you and thank you for your time!
Sincerely,
Sean Fisher
A bad batch of flu shots has just turned over half of the population into flesh-eating corpses, leaving Paul Thomas-an unemployed shock jock- fighting for his life in a world where no one dares even go to the bathroom without a handgun strapped to their side. With the power out in the dead of a harsh Iowa winter, Paul works his way south from snowy farmhouses to a well-equipped boat in the Gulf of Mexico with his girlfriend, Sophia, and his buddy, Dan. Tragically, Paul loses both of them during their migration and must now decide wether or not to continue on with only Wendy, a blond stripper they’d recently met in Kansas. Few survivors, however, and seemingly endless nights of solitude together could lead to temptation for tormented and frightened souls, that will only serve to make matters worse.
Like Paul, I am also an unemployed radio guy and devoted fan of horror movies. I have worked at four rock stations and one outlaw country station in four states, affording me the ability to successfully make a living over the past twelve years writing and editing compelling content for live on-air breaks, celebrity interviews, commercial production and stage-intros at concerts and events ranging from Rob Zombie to the WWE.
STRAPPED is set to be the first in a dark trilogy and my completed manuscript is ready to be sent at your request. I would love to work with you and thank you for your time!
Sincerely,
Sean Fisher
May 13, 2010
Non-Fiction Proposal- Canary in a Coalmine: How One Southern State is leading the Nation to a Renewable Energy Future
In 1933, unemployment in America was estimated to be nearly 25 percent.
As part of President Franklin Roosevelt's first 100 days in office, on May 18, 1933, he signed the Tennessee Valley Authority Act, creating the first effort in America to create a government-sponsored clean energy system.
The first damn built to create non-polluting, clean energy was the Norris damn on the Tennessee River near Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The federal government had purchased the land years before, but the project languished until the desire for free, clean, easy-to-create electricity met the need for skilled and unskilled labor.
In 2009, unemployment in America is just over 10 percent with most of the job losses in manufacturing. Again, the government was looking for ways to create new jobs required skilled and unskilled labor with the goal of making the country more energy independent.
It seems that history is repeating itself and Tennessee is again in the spotlight.
Historic Announcements
Two major international firms recently decided to build multibillion-dollar plants in Tennessee. Two government-sponsored, clean energy research institutions are being established in Tennessee with federal stimulus money.
Here is a link to the groundbreaking celebration for the Hemlock semi-conductor and photovoltaic plant being built just north of Nashville.
Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4Hu412gEBM
Here is the link for the groundbreaking announcement for the new Wacker Chemie chemical plant being built southeast of Nashville.
Wacker Chemie announcementHttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGATeXLdFP8&feature=PlayList&p=9F806328A559900D&index=2
A billion-dollar Volkswagen assembly plant recently broke ground just outside Chattanooga. The facility will assemble a small, energy efficient sedan for the North American market. Http://www.chattanoogachamber.com/newsandvideo/071508_VolkswagenChoosesChattanoogaEnterpriseSouth.asp
Most recently, Nissan Motor Manufacturing, North America has announced their intention to build between 50,000 and 100,000 battery powered cars at the assembly plant in Smyrna, just south of Nashville with funds from a federal loan designated to help America switch from fossil-fueled transportation to electric vehicles.
Meanwhile, in the time period before these announcements, Tennessee was sighted as one of the top three states in the country in creation of clean energy producing jobs.
The Pugh Charitable Trust names Tennessee one of the top three in creation of clean energy manufacturing in this link.
Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-5XJbNb-VU
Here's my story from that same news conference.
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wmot/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1518544
Government Support
Federal stimulus spending of over 62 million dollars will create two new clean energy/solar power entities in Tennessee.
In west Tennessee, a "solar farm" with row after row of solar collectors will power hundreds of homes in Haywood County near Brownsville. It would be operated in partnership with TVA and coordinate with research conducted in Knoxville.
The five-megawatt, 20-acre solar farm would be part of a proposed industrial development "mega site" and one of the largest solar installations in the Southeast.
While in east Tennessee, research would be conducted at a new Tennessee Solar Institute that would be headquartered in Knoxville at the University of Tennessee's planned Cherokee Farm Innovation Campus and would be operated by UT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Why I Should Write This Book…
For over thirty years, Middle Tennessee has been my beat. While I've covered just about every kind of story you can imagine, I've always felt that part of my job at the News Director at a public radio station licensed to a university was to find ways of making subjects involving science and history pertinent to the listener.
Here are links from the Publish2 website that show a variety of profiles and articles I've recently published.
A very entertaining article about essayist David Sedaris:
http://audiofilemagazine.com/features/A1460.html
An interview about an award-winning science book:
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wmot/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1437407
A profile of author Dennis LeHane:
http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/features/A2114.html
Over the years I've met hundreds of people, many with very unusual stories that I was happy to cover. There once was a young congressman who represented the multicounty district in middle Tennessee. His father had been a Congressman and Senator, but up until that time he'd shied away from the "family business."
Al Gore Jr. was a well-schooled and disciplined campaigner. And while I didn't talk with him every day, I have several pictures of the two of us when we were both much thinner and much less gray. The story of this father's efforts to help "electrify" the Southeast United States and his efforts to bring "renewable" energy sources to this same region will allow me the opportunity to attempt to interview him again after all these years.
Given the scope of the book and his family's involvement, there's at least a faint hope that he might even contribute a blurb or a forward.
Technical assistance
A friend of mine, Jonathan Gilligan (Ph.D. Yale University 1991 and currently Research Assistant Professor and former Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Vanderbilt University) has agreed to help guide the organization of the book from outline to checking the facts and figures in the final draft. He has also offered to write a blurb for the cover.
As part of President Franklin Roosevelt's first 100 days in office, on May 18, 1933, he signed the Tennessee Valley Authority Act, creating the first effort in America to create a government-sponsored clean energy system.
The first damn built to create non-polluting, clean energy was the Norris damn on the Tennessee River near Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The federal government had purchased the land years before, but the project languished until the desire for free, clean, easy-to-create electricity met the need for skilled and unskilled labor.
In 2009, unemployment in America is just over 10 percent with most of the job losses in manufacturing. Again, the government was looking for ways to create new jobs required skilled and unskilled labor with the goal of making the country more energy independent.
It seems that history is repeating itself and Tennessee is again in the spotlight.
Historic Announcements
Two major international firms recently decided to build multibillion-dollar plants in Tennessee. Two government-sponsored, clean energy research institutions are being established in Tennessee with federal stimulus money.
Here is a link to the groundbreaking celebration for the Hemlock semi-conductor and photovoltaic plant being built just north of Nashville.
Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4Hu412gEBM
Here is the link for the groundbreaking announcement for the new Wacker Chemie chemical plant being built southeast of Nashville.
Wacker Chemie announcementHttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGATeXLdFP8&feature=PlayList&p=9F806328A559900D&index=2
A billion-dollar Volkswagen assembly plant recently broke ground just outside Chattanooga. The facility will assemble a small, energy efficient sedan for the North American market. Http://www.chattanoogachamber.com/newsandvideo/071508_VolkswagenChoosesChattanoogaEnterpriseSouth.asp
Most recently, Nissan Motor Manufacturing, North America has announced their intention to build between 50,000 and 100,000 battery powered cars at the assembly plant in Smyrna, just south of Nashville with funds from a federal loan designated to help America switch from fossil-fueled transportation to electric vehicles.
Meanwhile, in the time period before these announcements, Tennessee was sighted as one of the top three states in the country in creation of clean energy producing jobs.
The Pugh Charitable Trust names Tennessee one of the top three in creation of clean energy manufacturing in this link.
Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-5XJbNb-VU
Here's my story from that same news conference.
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wmot/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1518544
Government Support
Federal stimulus spending of over 62 million dollars will create two new clean energy/solar power entities in Tennessee.
In west Tennessee, a "solar farm" with row after row of solar collectors will power hundreds of homes in Haywood County near Brownsville. It would be operated in partnership with TVA and coordinate with research conducted in Knoxville.
The five-megawatt, 20-acre solar farm would be part of a proposed industrial development "mega site" and one of the largest solar installations in the Southeast.
While in east Tennessee, research would be conducted at a new Tennessee Solar Institute that would be headquartered in Knoxville at the University of Tennessee's planned Cherokee Farm Innovation Campus and would be operated by UT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Why I Should Write This Book…
For over thirty years, Middle Tennessee has been my beat. While I've covered just about every kind of story you can imagine, I've always felt that part of my job at the News Director at a public radio station licensed to a university was to find ways of making subjects involving science and history pertinent to the listener.
Here are links from the Publish2 website that show a variety of profiles and articles I've recently published.
A very entertaining article about essayist David Sedaris:
http://audiofilemagazine.com/features/A1460.html
An interview about an award-winning science book:
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wmot/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1437407
A profile of author Dennis LeHane:
http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/features/A2114.html
Over the years I've met hundreds of people, many with very unusual stories that I was happy to cover. There once was a young congressman who represented the multicounty district in middle Tennessee. His father had been a Congressman and Senator, but up until that time he'd shied away from the "family business."
Al Gore Jr. was a well-schooled and disciplined campaigner. And while I didn't talk with him every day, I have several pictures of the two of us when we were both much thinner and much less gray. The story of this father's efforts to help "electrify" the Southeast United States and his efforts to bring "renewable" energy sources to this same region will allow me the opportunity to attempt to interview him again after all these years.
Given the scope of the book and his family's involvement, there's at least a faint hope that he might even contribute a blurb or a forward.
Technical assistance
A friend of mine, Jonathan Gilligan (Ph.D. Yale University 1991 and currently Research Assistant Professor and former Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Vanderbilt University) has agreed to help guide the organization of the book from outline to checking the facts and figures in the final draft. He has also offered to write a blurb for the cover.
Query - The Destiny Stone (revised)
Click here to read the original query.
Dear X,
THE DESTINY STONE is a Young Adult fantasy and is complete at 106,000 words.
After receiving a visit from a mysterious 'Magic Wielder', seventeen-year-old Haythem is certain about three things: he is the sole possessor of a magical stone that allows him to alter his destiny, a great and terrible task has been bestowed upon him, and he will need to use the stone to restore order in the conflict riddled realm.
If Haythem is to succeed, he must learn to fight with swords and magic, place his trust in a hot-tempered creature that is part-dragon, and shield his heart against the temptations of a female warrior. And that's just the beginning of his difficulties. By chance, Haythem uncovers a disturbing truth about the stone when it attempts to bind his will to its own ends. Bound by promises he can't ignore, Haythem comes to terms with the daunting nature of the task before him and recognizes that possessing the stone does not guarantee his survival and using it may result in his destruction.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
*insert name & contact info in actual letter
Dear X,
THE DESTINY STONE is a Young Adult fantasy and is complete at 106,000 words.
After receiving a visit from a mysterious 'Magic Wielder', seventeen-year-old Haythem is certain about three things: he is the sole possessor of a magical stone that allows him to alter his destiny, a great and terrible task has been bestowed upon him, and he will need to use the stone to restore order in the conflict riddled realm.
If Haythem is to succeed, he must learn to fight with swords and magic, place his trust in a hot-tempered creature that is part-dragon, and shield his heart against the temptations of a female warrior. And that's just the beginning of his difficulties. By chance, Haythem uncovers a disturbing truth about the stone when it attempts to bind his will to its own ends. Bound by promises he can't ignore, Haythem comes to terms with the daunting nature of the task before him and recognizes that possessing the stone does not guarantee his survival and using it may result in his destruction.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
*insert name & contact info in actual letter
Query- A Tale of Youth and Sorrow
Dear AGENT NAME:
I visited AGENCY NAME's website and noticed that you are interested in YA and fantasy projects. A Tale of Youth and Sorrow, my 53,400-word novel, might interest you. Its sequel, Capita Mortua, a stand-alone tale featuring returning characters and newcomers, has also been completed.
Twelve-year-old orphan and Potioneer girl Minette Bublee knows next to nothing about the Rogue, Ilona Njis; the ill-tempered, perpetually suspicious master thief who, strangely enough, has been her guardian for the past two years. Then comes the shocking revelation: that Ilona is a murderer, and possibly linked to Belphelial, a restless demon rumored to have broken free from the bonds of his ancient prison. Torn between escape and saving her only friend from spiraling further into self-destruction, Minette unwittingly opens a door into an arcane realm, where past and present intertwine, and a confrontation with a grim remnant of their world's tumultuous history transforms a young woman into a monster. With the ghosts of their yesteryears threatening to tear them apart, Minette will voyage through time to learn one of life's greatest lessons, and unlock the secrets of a power greater than any magic.
Five of my short stories were published in Malate Literary Folio (De La Salle University, Philippines) between 1997 and 2002, one of which won second place in my university's 1999 Literary Awards. A member of Writing.com, I received the 2007 WDC Wonderfuls Award for outstanding writing. In my most recent job, I was a game writer tasked with the detailed write-ups of characters, settings, and stories for games. I am currently residing in the Philippines.
I would be glad to send you my complete manuscript for your review. Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely yours,
Michael Cunanan Logarta
I visited AGENCY NAME's website and noticed that you are interested in YA and fantasy projects. A Tale of Youth and Sorrow, my 53,400-word novel, might interest you. Its sequel, Capita Mortua, a stand-alone tale featuring returning characters and newcomers, has also been completed.
Twelve-year-old orphan and Potioneer girl Minette Bublee knows next to nothing about the Rogue, Ilona Njis; the ill-tempered, perpetually suspicious master thief who, strangely enough, has been her guardian for the past two years. Then comes the shocking revelation: that Ilona is a murderer, and possibly linked to Belphelial, a restless demon rumored to have broken free from the bonds of his ancient prison. Torn between escape and saving her only friend from spiraling further into self-destruction, Minette unwittingly opens a door into an arcane realm, where past and present intertwine, and a confrontation with a grim remnant of their world's tumultuous history transforms a young woman into a monster. With the ghosts of their yesteryears threatening to tear them apart, Minette will voyage through time to learn one of life's greatest lessons, and unlock the secrets of a power greater than any magic.
Five of my short stories were published in Malate Literary Folio (De La Salle University, Philippines) between 1997 and 2002, one of which won second place in my university's 1999 Literary Awards. A member of Writing.com, I received the 2007 WDC Wonderfuls Award for outstanding writing. In my most recent job, I was a game writer tasked with the detailed write-ups of characters, settings, and stories for games. I am currently residing in the Philippines.
I would be glad to send you my complete manuscript for your review. Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely yours,
Michael Cunanan Logarta
May 12, 2010
Query--The Middle Princess
Dear [Agent Name]:
Princesses are born into a life of privilege, glamour and prestige—but sixteen year old Fortuna, the fourth girl out of seven daughters, realizes that fairy tales discriminate against all middle princesses and unless she does something about it—nothing will ever change.
Fortuna spends her time breaking the mold of a princess by creating disasters in the castle, pulling pranks on her sisters, and sneaking into sword practice, but it isn’t enough. Seven princes have disappeared and Fortuna, along with her sisters and their kingdom, take the blame for the disappearance. While the Barriers may prevent attack from outside the kingdom, they won’t prevent it from shattering within.
Resolved to prove she’s more than a prankster middle princess Fortuna sets out on a quest to find the missing princes. But she can’t even make it past the castle gates without Aaron, a handsome master swordsman, catching her, and she wonders if she is doomed to middle princess mediocrity.
Aaron, to protect Fortuna from harm, leaves with her and they make their way to the fairy kingdom. Fortuna’s determined to prove that middle princesses are worthy of fame. With her focus set solidly on finding the missing princes and saving the kingdom, she loses sight of what is right in front of her—Aaron. And when she finally realizes that, she must choose to follow her heart or return home a hero.
I am seeking representation for THE MIDDLE PRINCESS, a YA fantasy, complete at 88,000 words. Fans of Gail Carson Levine’s ELLA ENCHANTED and M. M. Kaye’s THE ORDINARY PRINCESS will enjoy the humor of THE MIDDLE PRINCESS.
I would be happy to send you the partial or complete manuscript. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Shanna Blythe
Princesses are born into a life of privilege, glamour and prestige—but sixteen year old Fortuna, the fourth girl out of seven daughters, realizes that fairy tales discriminate against all middle princesses and unless she does something about it—nothing will ever change.
Fortuna spends her time breaking the mold of a princess by creating disasters in the castle, pulling pranks on her sisters, and sneaking into sword practice, but it isn’t enough. Seven princes have disappeared and Fortuna, along with her sisters and their kingdom, take the blame for the disappearance. While the Barriers may prevent attack from outside the kingdom, they won’t prevent it from shattering within.
Resolved to prove she’s more than a prankster middle princess Fortuna sets out on a quest to find the missing princes. But she can’t even make it past the castle gates without Aaron, a handsome master swordsman, catching her, and she wonders if she is doomed to middle princess mediocrity.
Aaron, to protect Fortuna from harm, leaves with her and they make their way to the fairy kingdom. Fortuna’s determined to prove that middle princesses are worthy of fame. With her focus set solidly on finding the missing princes and saving the kingdom, she loses sight of what is right in front of her—Aaron. And when she finally realizes that, she must choose to follow her heart or return home a hero.
I am seeking representation for THE MIDDLE PRINCESS, a YA fantasy, complete at 88,000 words. Fans of Gail Carson Levine’s ELLA ENCHANTED and M. M. Kaye’s THE ORDINARY PRINCESS will enjoy the humor of THE MIDDLE PRINCESS.
I would be happy to send you the partial or complete manuscript. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Shanna Blythe
May 11, 2010
Revised Query - THE DREAM PLAYER
Click here to read the original query.
Jake Wakely is no stranger to being a stranger. He’s lived abroad for the first thirteen years of his life. But after being sent to his father's childhood hometown of Sleepy Valley to live with his grandparents, his ‘new kid’ mystique is fading fast.
Much has changed in Sleepy Valley since Jake's father lived there as a boy. Crater Lake mysteriously disappeared, and the Plateau and the Valley no longer play the Unity Game, an annual lacrosse match founded to celebrate their cross-cultural cooperation. Jake discovers that his father played in the games—including the final game fifteen years ago which was never finished. No one in the valley plays lacrosse anymore, and no one wants to talk about the unfinished game.
Jake’s unpopular friendship with Simon, a native Duwali from the Plateau, disrupts the town's spurious peace by exposing their prejudice. The unrest leads Jake to a government plot to keep the public segregated and dazedly productive in the town’s pharmaceutical factory.
Armed with lacrosse sticks and an erratic cell phone, Jake and Simon must awaken the people by convincing them to complete the final game, with Jake and Simon playing in place of their fathers. But when Jake uncovers his father’s fateful role in the original contest, he gets caught between his friendship with Simon and his own family legacy.
THE DREAM PLAYER, a young adult thriller, chronicles Jake’s miraculous journey. Readers may find this similar to HOLES, with a touch of LORD OF THE FLIES and BRAVE NEW WORLD. The completed manuscript is 74,000 words.
Sincerely,
Name
Jake Wakely is no stranger to being a stranger. He’s lived abroad for the first thirteen years of his life. But after being sent to his father's childhood hometown of Sleepy Valley to live with his grandparents, his ‘new kid’ mystique is fading fast.
Much has changed in Sleepy Valley since Jake's father lived there as a boy. Crater Lake mysteriously disappeared, and the Plateau and the Valley no longer play the Unity Game, an annual lacrosse match founded to celebrate their cross-cultural cooperation. Jake discovers that his father played in the games—including the final game fifteen years ago which was never finished. No one in the valley plays lacrosse anymore, and no one wants to talk about the unfinished game.
Jake’s unpopular friendship with Simon, a native Duwali from the Plateau, disrupts the town's spurious peace by exposing their prejudice. The unrest leads Jake to a government plot to keep the public segregated and dazedly productive in the town’s pharmaceutical factory.
Armed with lacrosse sticks and an erratic cell phone, Jake and Simon must awaken the people by convincing them to complete the final game, with Jake and Simon playing in place of their fathers. But when Jake uncovers his father’s fateful role in the original contest, he gets caught between his friendship with Simon and his own family legacy.
THE DREAM PLAYER, a young adult thriller, chronicles Jake’s miraculous journey. Readers may find this similar to HOLES, with a touch of LORD OF THE FLIES and BRAVE NEW WORLD. The completed manuscript is 74,000 words.
Sincerely,
Name
May 10, 2010
QUERY- THE DREAM PLAYER
Dear Agent:
Jake Wakely is no stranger to being a stranger. He’s lived abroad for the first thirteen years of his life. But after being sent to his father's childhood hometown of Sleepy Valley to live with his grandparents, his ‘new kid’ mystique is fading fast.
Jake’s unpopular friendship with Simon, a native Duwali from the Plateau, disrupts the town's spurious peace by exposing their prejudice. The unrest leads Jake to a government plot to keep the public segregated yet dazedly productive in the town’s pharmaceutical factory.
Jake and Simon must awaken the people by convincing them to complete an unfinished lacrosse game from generations past, with Jake and Simon playing in place of their fathers. But when Jake uncovers his father’s fateful role in the unfinished game, he gets caught between his friendship with Simon and his own family legacy.
THE DREAM PLAYER, a young adult thriller, chronicles Jake’s miraculous journey. Readers may find this similar to Holes or Lord of the Flies—real people in imagined settings challenged by nature, the depravity of man and the bioelectrical effects of targeted infrasonic wave generation. (A cliché, admittedly) The completed manuscript is 74,000 words.
Sincerely,
Name
Jake Wakely is no stranger to being a stranger. He’s lived abroad for the first thirteen years of his life. But after being sent to his father's childhood hometown of Sleepy Valley to live with his grandparents, his ‘new kid’ mystique is fading fast.
Jake’s unpopular friendship with Simon, a native Duwali from the Plateau, disrupts the town's spurious peace by exposing their prejudice. The unrest leads Jake to a government plot to keep the public segregated yet dazedly productive in the town’s pharmaceutical factory.
Jake and Simon must awaken the people by convincing them to complete an unfinished lacrosse game from generations past, with Jake and Simon playing in place of their fathers. But when Jake uncovers his father’s fateful role in the unfinished game, he gets caught between his friendship with Simon and his own family legacy.
THE DREAM PLAYER, a young adult thriller, chronicles Jake’s miraculous journey. Readers may find this similar to Holes or Lord of the Flies—real people in imagined settings challenged by nature, the depravity of man and the bioelectrical effects of targeted infrasonic wave generation. (A cliché, admittedly) The completed manuscript is 74,000 words.
Sincerely,
Name
Query- Winter Roses Never Die
Click here to read the original query.
Click here to read the first revision.
Click here to read the second revision.
Queries for this novel have been posted a few times before, and I thank everyone for their great suggestions! This time I'm trying something more succinct while focusing more on the inspirational side of the story. I think everyone is becoming blaise about good vampire as paramour type stories.
Dear Agent,
Grateful no one noticed her watching from the shadows, Jennie felt like an unworthy, unwanted outsider before this surreal, sumptuous, candlelit world.
How this shy,imaginative, niave woman arrives on the border of Charos' decadent and surreal world makes for the first half of Winter Roses Never Die. How she breaks through her own barricades and those created by the cynical, elusive and troubled Charos makes for the second half. The story of Jennie's inspired journey through the maze of life's mysteries and misleading negativities, brings hope and answers for all.
Winter Roses Never Die is a paranormal and inspirational romance for adults of 94,000 words.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Author Name
Click here to read the first revision.
Click here to read the second revision.
Queries for this novel have been posted a few times before, and I thank everyone for their great suggestions! This time I'm trying something more succinct while focusing more on the inspirational side of the story. I think everyone is becoming blaise about good vampire as paramour type stories.
Dear Agent,
Grateful no one noticed her watching from the shadows, Jennie felt like an unworthy, unwanted outsider before this surreal, sumptuous, candlelit world.
How this shy,imaginative, niave woman arrives on the border of Charos' decadent and surreal world makes for the first half of Winter Roses Never Die. How she breaks through her own barricades and those created by the cynical, elusive and troubled Charos makes for the second half. The story of Jennie's inspired journey through the maze of life's mysteries and misleading negativities, brings hope and answers for all.
Winter Roses Never Die is a paranormal and inspirational romance for adults of 94,000 words.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Author Name
May 9, 2010
QUERY - FAITH AND A .45
June, 1850. Again.
For two hundred years the silver monorail of the Midnight Train has been a silent reminder of a bygone era where Gunslingers, Outlaws, Ostrich Hunters and Redskins roamed the storm wracked flatland of the tornado plains.
Dust in her hair and lye soap burning the creases of her washtub hands, farmhand Faith Gale fears that her life's ambitions will end with her trapped as the trophy wife of a corn farmer -- until she sees the smokestacks of the black train rolling into an abandoned station on the far edge of the farming town of Topica.
A lone passenger disembarks, hiding knowledge of the past, the present and the many parallel lines of the future behind metallic green eyes.
Beaten and raped by Jebediah Green, Faith is held hostage by his bulletless guns and the temptation to follow him as he cuts a pathway of brutality and murder into Topica's rural bliss on a quest for an artifact he thinks can return him to his home. Wherever, whenever, that may be.
Pursued by a trio of gunfighters, Jebediah and Faith ride the twisting rail of the Midnight Train to the wall at the edge of the world -- and beyond -- as Faith takes gun in hand and becomes the villain of her own life story.
Faith and a .45 is a 90,000 word Sci Fi Western in the spirit of Stephen King's Gunslinger novels.
Thank you for your time and consideration!
-Philip Hansen
philip.hansen@gmail.com
For two hundred years the silver monorail of the Midnight Train has been a silent reminder of a bygone era where Gunslingers, Outlaws, Ostrich Hunters and Redskins roamed the storm wracked flatland of the tornado plains.
Dust in her hair and lye soap burning the creases of her washtub hands, farmhand Faith Gale fears that her life's ambitions will end with her trapped as the trophy wife of a corn farmer -- until she sees the smokestacks of the black train rolling into an abandoned station on the far edge of the farming town of Topica.
A lone passenger disembarks, hiding knowledge of the past, the present and the many parallel lines of the future behind metallic green eyes.
Beaten and raped by Jebediah Green, Faith is held hostage by his bulletless guns and the temptation to follow him as he cuts a pathway of brutality and murder into Topica's rural bliss on a quest for an artifact he thinks can return him to his home. Wherever, whenever, that may be.
Pursued by a trio of gunfighters, Jebediah and Faith ride the twisting rail of the Midnight Train to the wall at the edge of the world -- and beyond -- as Faith takes gun in hand and becomes the villain of her own life story.
Faith and a .45 is a 90,000 word Sci Fi Western in the spirit of Stephen King's Gunslinger novels.
Thank you for your time and consideration!
-Philip Hansen
philip.hansen@gmail.com
May 5, 2010
Query Me This...
I'd like to conduct a little exercise / experiment. Deadline for submissions is Friday, May 28 at 10pm Eastern Time. Please read on for details...
Send me a query and the first five pages for a novel based on this premise:
(I'll explain why in a second)
Our protagonist has found evidence that the government is being lured into war. If the country engages in the conflict abroad, its military will not be able to deal with an imminent invasion by a rival nation. The problem is that the source of the information is a double-agent, and our protagonist is being set up to cause the war he/she is trying to prevent.
I'm curious to see the following results:
- How good the queries are, and if it seems easier to write a good query than a good novel. I bet we'll see some pretty good queries that don't have a manuscript to back them up.
- The sample pages should shed some light on our fears about a plot/concept being ripped off by another writer. I think the sample pages will illustrate how different each writer's voice is, and even though all submissions are based on the same premise some will be much better than others.
- How different each response is in terms of genre. The premise is vague enough to be fantasy, mystery/thriller, crime, sci-fi, urban fantasy, steampunk, and even YA. I know there are many talented storytellers out there, show us your chops!
Hopefully three-and-a-half weeks will be enough time for you to craft a submission.
Email submissions to rjdaley101071@gmail.com
Each entry will have its own post, and posts will be up on Monday, May 31. Comments and critiques for each post are encouraged, so long as they are polite and professional.
On Friday, June 4, after we have all had several days to read through the submissions, I will post a discussion thread.
There are no prizes. I can dig up the clip about "eternal consciousness" from Caddyshack if you feel the need for a fiscal reward for participating.
Send me a query and the first five pages for a novel based on this premise:
(I'll explain why in a second)
Our protagonist has found evidence that the government is being lured into war. If the country engages in the conflict abroad, its military will not be able to deal with an imminent invasion by a rival nation. The problem is that the source of the information is a double-agent, and our protagonist is being set up to cause the war he/she is trying to prevent.
I'm curious to see the following results:
- How good the queries are, and if it seems easier to write a good query than a good novel. I bet we'll see some pretty good queries that don't have a manuscript to back them up.
- The sample pages should shed some light on our fears about a plot/concept being ripped off by another writer. I think the sample pages will illustrate how different each writer's voice is, and even though all submissions are based on the same premise some will be much better than others.
- How different each response is in terms of genre. The premise is vague enough to be fantasy, mystery/thriller, crime, sci-fi, urban fantasy, steampunk, and even YA. I know there are many talented storytellers out there, show us your chops!
Hopefully three-and-a-half weeks will be enough time for you to craft a submission.
Email submissions to rjdaley101071@gmail.com
Each entry will have its own post, and posts will be up on Monday, May 31. Comments and critiques for each post are encouraged, so long as they are polite and professional.
On Friday, June 4, after we have all had several days to read through the submissions, I will post a discussion thread.
There are no prizes. I can dig up the clip about "eternal consciousness" from Caddyshack if you feel the need for a fiscal reward for participating.
QUERY/ A PLACE TO BE (revised)
Click here to read the original query.
Dear,
I am seeking representation. My novel, A Place to Be, is a piece of literary fiction (95 271 words) that is both plot and character-driven.
Kamala Karthigesu is about to hang herself in Tranquil Asylum where she’s spent the last two years trying to come to terms with the betrayals of her past. Her childhood best friends, Lim Pei Lu and Rashid Mansur were meant to be her constant companions but when they fell in love, Kamala was forced to grapple with her own unrequited love for Rashid and the disintegration of their friendship. Two things happened as a result of her dejection: the start of her “symbol-making” on her arms and her departure from Malaysia for England to pursue her studies.
In England, facing a new and alienating environment, she has multiple affairs with men until she meets Vincent Garland, an artist she falls in love with, seeing him as Rashid’s replacement. After five years, he too betrays her and Kamala undergoes her first mental collapse which she later finds out drove her to perform an unspeakable act, resulting in her return to Malaysia. But Kamala has always been skilled at dodging the realities of her condition either through alcohol, “symbol-making” or downright denial. When she is saved from suicide by Nurse Fatimah who has been taking care of her at the asylum she is forced to face the realities of her past which becomes clear to her through Nurse Fatimah’s confession about her own secret as a murderer.
My poems have been published in several US and UK publications including “Agenda” Broadsheet and The Wolf magazine and my story “Redemption” was shortlisted for the Fish Publishing One-page Story Prize 2010.
Please let me know if you would be interested in reading part or all of A Place to Be.
Thanks for your time and I hope to hear from you soon.
Dear,
I am seeking representation. My novel, A Place to Be, is a piece of literary fiction (95 271 words) that is both plot and character-driven.
Kamala Karthigesu is about to hang herself in Tranquil Asylum where she’s spent the last two years trying to come to terms with the betrayals of her past. Her childhood best friends, Lim Pei Lu and Rashid Mansur were meant to be her constant companions but when they fell in love, Kamala was forced to grapple with her own unrequited love for Rashid and the disintegration of their friendship. Two things happened as a result of her dejection: the start of her “symbol-making” on her arms and her departure from Malaysia for England to pursue her studies.
In England, facing a new and alienating environment, she has multiple affairs with men until she meets Vincent Garland, an artist she falls in love with, seeing him as Rashid’s replacement. After five years, he too betrays her and Kamala undergoes her first mental collapse which she later finds out drove her to perform an unspeakable act, resulting in her return to Malaysia. But Kamala has always been skilled at dodging the realities of her condition either through alcohol, “symbol-making” or downright denial. When she is saved from suicide by Nurse Fatimah who has been taking care of her at the asylum she is forced to face the realities of her past which becomes clear to her through Nurse Fatimah’s confession about her own secret as a murderer.
My poems have been published in several US and UK publications including “Agenda” Broadsheet and The Wolf magazine and my story “Redemption” was shortlisted for the Fish Publishing One-page Story Prize 2010.
Please let me know if you would be interested in reading part or all of A Place to Be.
Thanks for your time and I hope to hear from you soon.
May 4, 2010
QUERY/ A PLACE TO BE
Dear ,
I am seeking representation. My novel, A Place to Be, is a piece of literary fiction (95 271 words) that can be compared to the lyrical yet plot-driven novels by Preeta Samarasan and Arundhati Roy. However, the introspective and psychological bent of my novel makes it more emotionally and psychically gripping.
Kamala Karthigesu has been spending the last two years in a mental asylum in Tanjung Agas, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. She is just about to hang herself when there is a knock on the door. She’s not even allowed to kill herself, it seems.
Her days at the Asylum have mainly been quiet apart from occasional episodes which have come to be regarded by all as “1000 watt” moments. But the past will not let her go. She’s haunted by Pei Lu and Rashid, her childhood friends who betrayed her by falling in love, Tarikh, Rashid’s dead artist uncle whose paintings first inspired her to become an artist, her ex-lover the English painter Vincent Garland and Vairaumati, a character from Paul Gauguin’s paintings whose persona she blames Vincent for imposing on her when they were in love.
It is finally Nurse Fatimah who saves her from suicide. She has been taking care of Kamala at the asylum but their relationship has always been an uneasy one. It is Nurse Fatimah’s confession about her own past that finally gets Kamala to face the ghosts that have been haunting her. But it’s not an easy confrontation. She learns a fact about her past which confirms her mental instability and she is left to wonder about what she will do with her guilt.
Set mainly in contemporary Malaysia and partly in England, the novel looks at the effects of flawed communication between people, the weight of an unexplored past (both private and public- a parallel concern that runs through the novel is the May 13 1969 racial riots in Kuala Lumpur), the power of betrayal and how people create their own victimhood.
My poems have been published in several US and UK publications including “Agenda” Broadsheet and The Wolf magazine. I am a Malaysian by birth, a painter by choice and a writer by necessity.
Please let me know if you would be interested in reading part or all of A Place to Be.
Thanks for your time and I hope to hear from you soon.
I am seeking representation. My novel, A Place to Be, is a piece of literary fiction (95 271 words) that can be compared to the lyrical yet plot-driven novels by Preeta Samarasan and Arundhati Roy. However, the introspective and psychological bent of my novel makes it more emotionally and psychically gripping.
Kamala Karthigesu has been spending the last two years in a mental asylum in Tanjung Agas, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. She is just about to hang herself when there is a knock on the door. She’s not even allowed to kill herself, it seems.
Her days at the Asylum have mainly been quiet apart from occasional episodes which have come to be regarded by all as “1000 watt” moments. But the past will not let her go. She’s haunted by Pei Lu and Rashid, her childhood friends who betrayed her by falling in love, Tarikh, Rashid’s dead artist uncle whose paintings first inspired her to become an artist, her ex-lover the English painter Vincent Garland and Vairaumati, a character from Paul Gauguin’s paintings whose persona she blames Vincent for imposing on her when they were in love.
It is finally Nurse Fatimah who saves her from suicide. She has been taking care of Kamala at the asylum but their relationship has always been an uneasy one. It is Nurse Fatimah’s confession about her own past that finally gets Kamala to face the ghosts that have been haunting her. But it’s not an easy confrontation. She learns a fact about her past which confirms her mental instability and she is left to wonder about what she will do with her guilt.
Set mainly in contemporary Malaysia and partly in England, the novel looks at the effects of flawed communication between people, the weight of an unexplored past (both private and public- a parallel concern that runs through the novel is the May 13 1969 racial riots in Kuala Lumpur), the power of betrayal and how people create their own victimhood.
My poems have been published in several US and UK publications including “Agenda” Broadsheet and The Wolf magazine. I am a Malaysian by birth, a painter by choice and a writer by necessity.
Please let me know if you would be interested in reading part or all of A Place to Be.
Thanks for your time and I hope to hear from you soon.
Query- Little Nightmares
Dear Agent,
I am seeking representation for my 70,000 word YA URBAN FANTASY novel Little Nightmares.
You’d think it would be safe to explore a haunted house when your two best friends are horror stories themselves. Seline Crier finds out differently.
All her life Seline Crier has been ostracized from her family and society because of one little ability. She’s a telekinetic. And when she meets Dmitri, a forty year old vampire trapped in the body of a twelve year old, and Omega, a fledgling werewolf on the eave of his first transformation, she thinks she might be able to pull her family back together again. She just has to brave the horrors of the Wickham House first.
Inside the Wickham House Seline’s life complicates even further as she’s almost scared to death by the House’s two friendly haunts, almost torn apart by Omega, and drawn into a plot to kill Dmitri that will change her life forever. Seline uses her powers to stop the monster threatening her friends, and earns its wrath when she proves unable to kill it. Now Seline must rush to her home before the monster can arrive ahead of her, and take away any chance she ever has of fixing her family and earning their love.
Little Nightmares will appeal to the fans of both paranormal and horror genres. I am a student of history at Concord University and have one prior publication with Concord University’s publication Reflexes.
I would be happy to forward the complete manuscript to you upon your request, and I thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Ryan M. Smith
I am seeking representation for my 70,000 word YA URBAN FANTASY novel Little Nightmares.
You’d think it would be safe to explore a haunted house when your two best friends are horror stories themselves. Seline Crier finds out differently.
All her life Seline Crier has been ostracized from her family and society because of one little ability. She’s a telekinetic. And when she meets Dmitri, a forty year old vampire trapped in the body of a twelve year old, and Omega, a fledgling werewolf on the eave of his first transformation, she thinks she might be able to pull her family back together again. She just has to brave the horrors of the Wickham House first.
Inside the Wickham House Seline’s life complicates even further as she’s almost scared to death by the House’s two friendly haunts, almost torn apart by Omega, and drawn into a plot to kill Dmitri that will change her life forever. Seline uses her powers to stop the monster threatening her friends, and earns its wrath when she proves unable to kill it. Now Seline must rush to her home before the monster can arrive ahead of her, and take away any chance she ever has of fixing her family and earning their love.
Little Nightmares will appeal to the fans of both paranormal and horror genres. I am a student of history at Concord University and have one prior publication with Concord University’s publication Reflexes.
I would be happy to forward the complete manuscript to you upon your request, and I thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Ryan M. Smith
May 3, 2010
QUERY- HAVEN
Dear Agent,
There are a lot of things Scar doesn’t believe in – magic, monsters, a passing grade in history. That all changes the night of her fifteenth birthday (well, except the passing history thing) when she finds out her whole life has been a lie. Told she isn’t human, she is taken to a world of nightmares, a boot camp designed to contain werewolves, witches and vampires (like they think she’s dangerous or something).
Now, in order to survive, she must learn that breaking a witch’s Frisbee can really piss him off, that challenging a werewolf to a foot race is a bad idea – especially if you want to live, that vampires hold serious grudges equipped with mean left hooks, and that sometimes the hardest secrets to keep are the most crucial.
But she has a secret. She is a Dhampir, part-human, part-other, masquerading as a vampire.
When students begin to disappear, Scar starts seeing visions of attacks. A found video places her at one of the crime scenes, turning her into the prime suspect, and now her very survival might be at stake. She must race to prove her innocence before her true nature is exposed.
The only problem is that she’s not entirely sure she’s innocent.
HAVEN is a 65,000-word YA urban fantasy novel. Included below arethe first ten pages. The complete manuscript is available upon your request.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely ...
There are a lot of things Scar doesn’t believe in – magic, monsters, a passing grade in history. That all changes the night of her fifteenth birthday (well, except the passing history thing) when she finds out her whole life has been a lie. Told she isn’t human, she is taken to a world of nightmares, a boot camp designed to contain werewolves, witches and vampires (like they think she’s dangerous or something).
Now, in order to survive, she must learn that breaking a witch’s Frisbee can really piss him off, that challenging a werewolf to a foot race is a bad idea – especially if you want to live, that vampires hold serious grudges equipped with mean left hooks, and that sometimes the hardest secrets to keep are the most crucial.
But she has a secret. She is a Dhampir, part-human, part-other, masquerading as a vampire.
When students begin to disappear, Scar starts seeing visions of attacks. A found video places her at one of the crime scenes, turning her into the prime suspect, and now her very survival might be at stake. She must race to prove her innocence before her true nature is exposed.
The only problem is that she’s not entirely sure she’s innocent.
HAVEN is a 65,000-word YA urban fantasy novel. Included below arethe first ten pages. The complete manuscript is available upon your request.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely ...
Query for NEW BLOOD (repost, sorry left something out)
Click here to read the original query.
195 words. this is raw, and just the basis, none of the agent stuff. Hopefully I understood your advice well enough that I have answered all of your questions.
Being twenty years old, a student, and working; is just the start of things for a barely human girl, in a barely mortal world. Ianna was reincarnated, from an act of love driven by desperation. In her previous life as gypsy born of pure magic; she had cast a soul binding spell to bring her back and insure the survival of her soul mate, Damien; though his survival turned him into a vampire.
The vampire coven that had turned Damien is now hunting Ianna, in a fight to change destiny itself. Ianna loses her mortality when the coven tracks her down in a gruesome attack. Ianna’s death brings her new life as a New Blood, a freshly turned vampire. Though the coven will stop at nothing to destroy Ianna and her family, the war is just beginning.
Becoming a vampire has caused her nightmares to turn to visions that now curse Ianna; causing her to blackout every time she feeds. To make matters worse, Ianna seems to have lost an important piece of her humanity. Though her ability to love is strong; Ianna’s mercilessness for killing has her family worried at what she may become.
195 words. this is raw, and just the basis, none of the agent stuff. Hopefully I understood your advice well enough that I have answered all of your questions.
Being twenty years old, a student, and working; is just the start of things for a barely human girl, in a barely mortal world. Ianna was reincarnated, from an act of love driven by desperation. In her previous life as gypsy born of pure magic; she had cast a soul binding spell to bring her back and insure the survival of her soul mate, Damien; though his survival turned him into a vampire.
The vampire coven that had turned Damien is now hunting Ianna, in a fight to change destiny itself. Ianna loses her mortality when the coven tracks her down in a gruesome attack. Ianna’s death brings her new life as a New Blood, a freshly turned vampire. Though the coven will stop at nothing to destroy Ianna and her family, the war is just beginning.
Becoming a vampire has caused her nightmares to turn to visions that now curse Ianna; causing her to blackout every time she feeds. To make matters worse, Ianna seems to have lost an important piece of her humanity. Though her ability to love is strong; Ianna’s mercilessness for killing has her family worried at what she may become.
Query:Snap
Dear Mr./Ms. Agent,
Julia Turnbolt, couldn’t have predicted that she, her cheating soon to be ex-husband Jack, and their two teenage kids, would end up on a tour boat in the middle of the sea with modern day pirates ready to slit their throats. Sure, if you look at the past year, between finding Jack banging a nineteen year old bimbo, the murder of her best friend and of course Julia’s recent stint in rehab for her raging Oxycontin addiction, this new crock of crap kind of makes sense. But all that was supposed to be behind her when Chelsea, her daughter, won this all-inclusive trip for four to Thailand.
I mean come on, Julia’s used to slinging fries not fighting blood-thirsty thugs. So even though she can’t swim a stroke and the family’s chances of getting rescued are pretty much nil, Jacks plan for them all to board a flimsy dinghy and set adrift in the sea seems right. Days later when Julia’s way beyond regretting listening to Jack’s hair-brained plan, they find an uninhabited island. Lets face it, finding land after almost dying at sea seems like a step in the right direction, right? Nope, because their supposed sanctuary just happens to be the very same place where their former captors stash their booty. Now with the brutes just a breath away from finding the family’s makeshift camp and Jack laid out with a mysterious fever, Julia’s got one option, fight. Suddenly the new rules are, there aren’t any, and with everyone’s life on the line, doing whatever it takes, and that means whatever, suddenly seems like a pretty decent plan.
Snap is Contemporary Women's Fiction complete at about 80,000. I can be reached at the email address provided. Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,Writer
Julia Turnbolt, couldn’t have predicted that she, her cheating soon to be ex-husband Jack, and their two teenage kids, would end up on a tour boat in the middle of the sea with modern day pirates ready to slit their throats. Sure, if you look at the past year, between finding Jack banging a nineteen year old bimbo, the murder of her best friend and of course Julia’s recent stint in rehab for her raging Oxycontin addiction, this new crock of crap kind of makes sense. But all that was supposed to be behind her when Chelsea, her daughter, won this all-inclusive trip for four to Thailand.
I mean come on, Julia’s used to slinging fries not fighting blood-thirsty thugs. So even though she can’t swim a stroke and the family’s chances of getting rescued are pretty much nil, Jacks plan for them all to board a flimsy dinghy and set adrift in the sea seems right. Days later when Julia’s way beyond regretting listening to Jack’s hair-brained plan, they find an uninhabited island. Lets face it, finding land after almost dying at sea seems like a step in the right direction, right? Nope, because their supposed sanctuary just happens to be the very same place where their former captors stash their booty. Now with the brutes just a breath away from finding the family’s makeshift camp and Jack laid out with a mysterious fever, Julia’s got one option, fight. Suddenly the new rules are, there aren’t any, and with everyone’s life on the line, doing whatever it takes, and that means whatever, suddenly seems like a pretty decent plan.
Snap is Contemporary Women's Fiction complete at about 80,000. I can be reached at the email address provided. Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,Writer
May 2, 2010
Request for Author Info- Wilder Times
Attention Slushpile readers,
If you wrote the query for Wilder Times, please check the comments on that post and/or this one. An agent has expressed interest and is looking to contact you. Good luck!
A posted query has caught my eye. I am a Lit Agent, accepting new clients. How do I contact the author of the query entitled
"Wilder Times"
Thank you,
Susan
If you wrote the query for Wilder Times, please check the comments on that post and/or this one. An agent has expressed interest and is looking to contact you. Good luck!
A posted query has caught my eye. I am a Lit Agent, accepting new clients. How do I contact the author of the query entitled
"Wilder Times"
Thank you,
Susan
Apr 27, 2010
QUERY - NEW BLOOD
I want to say that my biggest concern with my query is over editing, i.e Cutting too much information from the original.
To the desk of (agent),
Some people are not meant for the mortal world. Ianna’s stagnant life takes quite a twist when she learns the hard lesson that heartbreak isn’t the only possible nasty side effect when you fall in love, at least not when you fall in love with a vampire. Fatal attraction has taken on an entirely new meaning.
Ianna loses her mortality when a dark coven of vampires tracks her down in a gruesome attack. Ianna’s death brings her new life as a New Blood, a freshly turned vampire. For survival of all that she loves, Ianna must learn to control her overwhelming carnality along with her crippling visions from her previous life as a powerful gypsy.
After extensive research, I believe that you and the (***) agency could be an excellent match for my completed 120,000 word Dark Romantic Fantasy, NEW BLOOD. Also, I have a website available for more information. Thank you for all of your time and consideration.
Respectfully,
To the desk of (agent),
Some people are not meant for the mortal world. Ianna’s stagnant life takes quite a twist when she learns the hard lesson that heartbreak isn’t the only possible nasty side effect when you fall in love, at least not when you fall in love with a vampire. Fatal attraction has taken on an entirely new meaning.
Ianna loses her mortality when a dark coven of vampires tracks her down in a gruesome attack. Ianna’s death brings her new life as a New Blood, a freshly turned vampire. For survival of all that she loves, Ianna must learn to control her overwhelming carnality along with her crippling visions from her previous life as a powerful gypsy.
After extensive research, I believe that you and the (***) agency could be an excellent match for my completed 120,000 word Dark Romantic Fantasy, NEW BLOOD. Also, I have a website available for more information. Thank you for all of your time and consideration.
Respectfully,
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