Title: Who is Audrey Wickersham?
Genre: Horror/paranormal
REVISION 3
Audrey Wickersham loves books, horror movies and anything supernatural, and she's finally decided to try her first spell. She heads to her favorite hang out, The Magick Eye, to find the perfect one. She encounters Agnes, the old Gypsy who offers to create a custom spell for her in the Annex. Audrey is thrilled until she encounters an ancient yet totally disgusting parasite called the Zomorwai. While messing with the jar they are contained in, a warning shout from Agnes causes her to spill the creatures, allowing them to invade and attack her system.
When she begins to forget basic words in her vocabulary--even her cat--she must tell her overly protective yet devoted father what happened. Their only solution is to confront Agnes, but when they discover Audrey is becoming a zombie, they will try any spell Agnes can come up with to stop it. Audrey's eccentric neighbor volunteers his skills as a nurse, and her best friend proposes an alternate solution in secret. The only problem is she would still have to die.
But Audrey holds a secret of her own. She's developing a taste for humans, and those closest to her are in the most danger. She must decide quickly. Will she go with magick, or death?
WHO IS AUDREY WICKERSHAM? is a young adult horror novel with elements of paranormal and comedy, complete at 64,000 words. It can he opened to a series, and I have already started on the second book.
Revision2
Fifteen year old Audrey Wickersham loves books, horror movies and anything supernatural, and she's finally decided to try her first spell. She heads to her favorite hang out, The Magick Eye, to look for the perfect one. She encounters Agnes, the old Gypsy who offers to create a custom spell for Audrey in the Annex. Audrey is thrilled until she encounters an ancient yet totally disgusting parasite called the Zomorwai. While messing with the jar they are contained in, she is jolted by a warning shout from Agnes, which she responds to by accidentally knocking the jar over, spilling the creatures all over herself, allowing them to invade and attack her system.
When she begins to forget basic words in her vocabulary--even what her cat is--she must tell her overly protective yet devoted father what happened. Their only solution is to confront Agnes. But when they all discover that Audrey is becoming a zombie, they will try any spell that Agnes can come up with to stop it. Audrey's eccentric neighbor Bruce volunteers his skills as a nurse, and her mysterious best friend Kirk offers an alternate solution, proposed in secret to Audrey. The only problem is she would still have to die.
But Audrey holds a secret of her own. She is developing a taste for humans, and those closest to her are in the most danger. She must decide quickly. Will she go with magick, or will she go with death?
Revision1
Fifteen year old Audrey Wickersham has finally decided to try a spell. She heads to her favorite hang-out,The Magick Eye, where she encounters Agnes, an old Gypsy woman who is the creator of all things magical for the shop. She offers Audrey a personalized spell, made in an area of the shop previously unknown to Audrey called the annex. Audrey is thrilled until she finds herself victim to an ancient yet totally disgusting parasite called the Zomorwai, which she seemed to be drawn to the moment she stepped foot into the annex. She is attacked by the creatures and is unable to defend herself.
She is immediately faced with confronting her overly protective yet devoted father, along with their eccentric friend Bruce, with what’s happened to her. Once they are convinced that she is transforming into something they don’t understand—something not human—Audrey will have to decide if she is willing to fight against the consequences of the attack using the skills of those willing to help, or if she will choose another option entirely, proposed to her secretly by her best friend Kirk.
But Audrey still holds a secret of her own. She is developing a taste for humans, and those closest to her are in the most danger. She must decide quickly. Will she do what everyone is expecting of her, or will she lie and do the unexpected?
Original
Audrey Wickersham loves books, horror movies and anything supernatural. This is what has driven her to try out a spell, which brings her to her favorite hang out, The Magick Eye. On this particular day she meets Agnes, the old Gypsy woman who makes all of the spells for the shop over in another area (unknown to Audrey until this time) called the annex. Audrey is thrilled until she finds herself victim to an ancient yet totally disgusting parasite called the Zomorwai, which she seemed to be drawn to the moment she stepped foot into the annex. She is attacked by the creatures, which changes her life forever.
She is thrown into an unimaginable situation, along with her overly protective yet devoted father, her mysterious best friend Kirk and her eccentric neighbor Bruce. With all of their help, Audrey will have to decide if she is going to try and live through her attack and all of the consequences that come along with it, or if she will choose another, more unconventional option, proposed to her secretly by Kirk.
But Audrey still holds a secret. She is developing a taste for humans, and those closest to her are in the most danger. She must decide quickly. Will she do what everyone is expecting of her, or will she lie and do the unexpected?
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Query Workshop 21-Revival: The Donald Braswell Story
Title: Revival: The Donald Braswell Story
Genre: Memoir
Revision 1--down from 411 words to 206! Great job!
Best regards, and aloha!
Original
Dear Agent,
In 1995, a handsome young tenor, performing with the Welsh Opera was cycling when a hit-and-run driver struck him. Suffering only cuts and bruises, Donald Braswell, described as “the next Pavarotti,” was relieved until he realized the accident stole the irreplaceable – his voice. New York doctors confirmed the million-to-one throat injury. The Juilliard graduate was told he might talk, but would never sing again. An immediate $50,000 payday was lost, as was the long-term career of “the American Corelli.” Braswell refused to quit. He relearned speech, rediscovered song and regained self-respect in the following years. Working as a plasterer’s assistant, he also sold insurance, pools and used cars, anything to provide for his growing family.
In 2004, Braswell met Walter Lucas at the car dealership, and agreed to the homeless-looking man’s request for a test drive. Hearing Braswell’s story, Walter, a former musician, told him to contact a local, Grammy-winning music studio. Executives said producing a CD would cost $50,000. Could Braswell contact a trusted client to bankroll the project? Calling his first sale at the Jaguar dealership, the woman was shocked – but not due to Braswell calling – she’d just bought that music studio. Struggling for nine years to regain a toe hold in the world of opera, Braswell inked his first record deal just two weeks after what he dubbed “The Miracle of Music.”
Overall, Braswell’s journey back to a professional stage took him thirteen years and a first audition on America’s Got Talent (2008.) During his first performance, the restless crowd heckled even before Braswell sang one note. After finishing Josh Groban’s You Raise Me Up, the jeers became cheers. Eliminated in the next round, the “Texas Tenor” was voted back on the show following an emergency Wild Card round. A fan favorite, Braswell sang his way to the AGT Finals, where he placed fourth overall. Today, Braswell, 49, is again a full time entertainer with three CDs and much more to his name. Blessed with this second chance, his annual schedule includes many charitable and Christian concerts to further his goal of “paying it forward” to those less fortunate. (His most recent lead role was Cornelius in a June 2012 charity musical, The Centurion.)
A former journalist, current blogger (and an ex-Irishman living in Hawaii,) I am co-writing REVIVAL: THE DONALDBRASWELL STORY. The book proposal for this memoir is complete and 47k words are“in the bank.” The 67,000-word ms will be ready by Jan. 15, 2013.
Genre: Memoir
Revision 1--down from 411 words to 206! Great job!
Dear Agent,
In 1995, a handsome, up-and-coming tenor, performing
with the Welsh Opera was out cycling when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver.
Suffering only cuts and bruises, Donald Braswell, described as “the next
Pavarotti,” was relieved until he realized the accident stole the irreplaceable
– his voice.
Doctors told the Juilliard graduate he might never
sing again, yet Braswell, a life-long Christian, never lost faith. His journey
back to a professional stage took thirteen years of menial jobs, one musical
miracle and a 2008 audition on America’s
Got Talent. That first AGT
performance almost ended before it began as a restless, tired crowd heckled the
“Texas Tenor” before he sang a note. But, after he finished Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up,” the jeers became
cheers and Braswell’s improbable ride to the Final Four was underway.
Today, Braswell, 49, is again a full time entertainer with an
annual schedule that includes many charitable concerts to further his goal of
“paying it forward.” An inspirational story of perseverance and
chance, it is no wonder then-judge Piers Morgan once called Braswell, “The Rocky of our show.”
A former journalist and current blogger, I am
co-writing REVIVAL: THE DONALD BRASWELL STORY. The 67,000-word memoir is
complete and polished.*###
(*Imagine
it’s Feb. 2013 :)
Original
Dear Agent,
In 1995, a handsome young tenor, performing with the Welsh Opera was cycling when a hit-and-run driver struck him. Suffering only cuts and bruises, Donald Braswell, described as “the next Pavarotti,” was relieved until he realized the accident stole the irreplaceable – his voice. New York doctors confirmed the million-to-one throat injury. The Juilliard graduate was told he might talk, but would never sing again. An immediate $50,000 payday was lost, as was the long-term career of “the American Corelli.” Braswell refused to quit. He relearned speech, rediscovered song and regained self-respect in the following years. Working as a plasterer’s assistant, he also sold insurance, pools and used cars, anything to provide for his growing family.
In 2004, Braswell met Walter Lucas at the car dealership, and agreed to the homeless-looking man’s request for a test drive. Hearing Braswell’s story, Walter, a former musician, told him to contact a local, Grammy-winning music studio. Executives said producing a CD would cost $50,000. Could Braswell contact a trusted client to bankroll the project? Calling his first sale at the Jaguar dealership, the woman was shocked – but not due to Braswell calling – she’d just bought that music studio. Struggling for nine years to regain a toe hold in the world of opera, Braswell inked his first record deal just two weeks after what he dubbed “The Miracle of Music.”
Overall, Braswell’s journey back to a professional stage took him thirteen years and a first audition on America’s Got Talent (2008.) During his first performance, the restless crowd heckled even before Braswell sang one note. After finishing Josh Groban’s You Raise Me Up, the jeers became cheers. Eliminated in the next round, the “Texas Tenor” was voted back on the show following an emergency Wild Card round. A fan favorite, Braswell sang his way to the AGT Finals, where he placed fourth overall. Today, Braswell, 49, is again a full time entertainer with three CDs and much more to his name. Blessed with this second chance, his annual schedule includes many charitable and Christian concerts to further his goal of “paying it forward” to those less fortunate. (His most recent lead role was Cornelius in a June 2012 charity musical, The Centurion.)
A former journalist, current blogger (and an ex-Irishman living in Hawaii,) I am co-writing REVIVAL: THE DONALDBRASWELL STORY. The book proposal for this memoir is complete and 47k words are“in the bank.” The 67,000-word ms will be ready by Jan. 15, 2013.
Query Workshop 20--Wish
Title: Wish
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy
Revision 1
Most seventeen-year old girls receive gifts on their birthday. Not Prism Chase. She is the gift. She's a Fairy Angel, and it's her turn to reply to the birthday wish. It doesn't matter that it's her birthday too, or that it's the eve of her graduation from Fairy Academy.
Ten years earlier the lie of an Unseelie fairy, masquerading as a palace cook, condemned Alexander Ryan's mother to death by starvation. He's sought vengeance on all fairies ever since. On his seventeenth birthday, he blows out all his candles and wishes for revenge. It's up to Prism to fulfill the wish and teach him that not all fairies are evil.
Alex believes falling love in love with a fairy would betray his mother, but he can't resist Prism's charms and beauty. Now he must convince Prism he loves her. But that may be impossible because she thinks all he wants to do is kill her.
Wish is a 57,000 word YA retelling of the fairy tale The Pink.
Original
Most eighteen-year old girls receive gifts on their birthday. Not Prism Chase. She was the gift. Fairy Angels answer the birthday wisher who blows out every candle on his cake and it’s Prism’s turn to reply to the wish call. No one cares she was supposed to be celebrating her own birthday, or that it was the eve of her graduation from Fairy Academy.
Ten years ago, a scheming fairy lied about Alexander Ryan's mother.As a result, his mother was sent to the dungeons and stripped of her crown. Now it was time for payback. On Alexander's seventeenth birthday, he blew out his candles and asked for a fairy that could make all his wishes for revenge come true. Out of all the wishes Alex could imagine, he never planned to fall in love. Loving a fairy means betraying the memory of his mother.
All Prism wished for was to live life as herself and not as some desire of an unforgiving wisher. When Alex promises he will grant her every wish, Prism hopes her dreams will finally come true. What really surprised Prism was how she could actually consider forfeiting her graduation and asking to become human to marry a man who wanted to kill her, but now says he loves her.
WISH is a 57,000 YA retelling mash-up of the fairy tale The Pink
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy
Revision 1
Most seventeen-year old girls receive gifts on their birthday. Not Prism Chase. She is the gift. She's a Fairy Angel, and it's her turn to reply to the birthday wish. It doesn't matter that it's her birthday too, or that it's the eve of her graduation from Fairy Academy.
Ten years earlier the lie of an Unseelie fairy, masquerading as a palace cook, condemned Alexander Ryan's mother to death by starvation. He's sought vengeance on all fairies ever since. On his seventeenth birthday, he blows out all his candles and wishes for revenge. It's up to Prism to fulfill the wish and teach him that not all fairies are evil.
Alex believes falling love in love with a fairy would betray his mother, but he can't resist Prism's charms and beauty. Now he must convince Prism he loves her. But that may be impossible because she thinks all he wants to do is kill her.
Wish is a 57,000 word YA retelling of the fairy tale The Pink.
Original
Most eighteen-year old girls receive gifts on their birthday. Not Prism Chase. She was the gift. Fairy Angels answer the birthday wisher who blows out every candle on his cake and it’s Prism’s turn to reply to the wish call. No one cares she was supposed to be celebrating her own birthday, or that it was the eve of her graduation from Fairy Academy.
Ten years ago, a scheming fairy lied about Alexander Ryan's mother.As a result, his mother was sent to the dungeons and stripped of her crown. Now it was time for payback. On Alexander's seventeenth birthday, he blew out his candles and asked for a fairy that could make all his wishes for revenge come true. Out of all the wishes Alex could imagine, he never planned to fall in love. Loving a fairy means betraying the memory of his mother.
All Prism wished for was to live life as herself and not as some desire of an unforgiving wisher. When Alex promises he will grant her every wish, Prism hopes her dreams will finally come true. What really surprised Prism was how she could actually consider forfeiting her graduation and asking to become human to marry a man who wanted to kill her, but now says he loves her.
WISH is a 57,000 YA retelling mash-up of the fairy tale The Pink
Query Workshop 19--Soul Driver
Title:Soul Driver
Genre:YA Historical Fantasy
Revision 2
River Morgan received an extraordinary gift for her sixteenth birthday. Her grandfather gave her a Memory Book and taught her how to erase memories. To keep the memories from becoming her own she must write them in the Memory Book. When the Book is stolen and her Grandfather disappears, River is no longer able to tell the difference from her memories from those she's wiped away. Unless she finds the Memory Book, her identity will be lost forever.
The Book becomes a memory-stealing book when placed in the wrong hands. Shae Conniers thought she had swiped a cool looking journal but instead she got nothing but trouble. The powers of the Book intrigue Shae. But when the memories swirling in her head turn scary, she's glad they lead back to River so she can rid herself of the nightmares. Their personalities clash. Big time. But they must unite to fight the book. And solve the biggest problem; why hasn't River’s memories returned?
Underground forces claim they have the answers River needs to unlock the Book and regain her memories. But when they learn Shae is the daughter of the missing Queen Rose, the underground realm promises to help River in exchange of little Miss. Princess. River must choose between finding her own memory or saving Shae.
Memories of Me is a YA mash-up of Sleeping Beauty and The Shadowy One, a Celtic myth, and is complete at 60,000 words.
Revision 1
River Morgan received an extraordinary gift for her sixteenth birthday. Her grandfather gave her a Memory Book and taught her how to erase memories. To keep the memories from becoming her own she must write them in the Memory Book. When the Book is stolen and her Grandfather disappears, River is no longer able to tell the difference from her memories from those she's wiped away. Unless she finds the Memory Book, her identity will be lost forever.
The Book becomes a memory-stealing book when placed in the wrong hands. Shae Conniers thought she had swiped a cool looking journal but instead she got nothing but trouble. The powers of the Book intrigue Shae. But when the memories swirling in her head turn scary, she's glad they lead back to River so she can rid herself of the nightmares. Their personalities clash. Big time. But they must unite to fight the book. And solve the biggest problem; why hasn't River’s memories returned?
Underground forces claim they have the answers River needs to unlock the Book and regain her memories. But when they learn Shae is the daughter of the missing Queen Rose, the underground realm promises to help River in exchange of little Miss. Princess. River must choose between finding her own memory or saving Shae.
But when they learn Shae is the daughter of the missing Queen Rose, the underground realm promises to help River only in exchange of little Miss. Princess. River must choose between finding her own memory or saving Shae.
Memories of Me is a YA mash-up of Sleeping Beauty and The Shadowy One, a Celtic myth, and is complete at 60,000 words.
Original
River Morgan received an extraordinary gift for her sixteenth birthday. Her grandfather gave her a Memory Book and taught her how to erase memories. To keep the memories from becoming her own she must write them in the Memory Book.When the Book is stolen, River is no longer able to tell the difference from her memories from those she's wiped away. Unless she finds the Memory Book, her identity will be lost forever.
The Book becomes a memory stealing book when placed in the wrong hands. Shae Conniers thought she had swiped a cool looking journal but it ends up she gotten nothing but trouble. The powers of the Book sound intriguing to Shae but when the memories swirling around her head turn scary, she's glad the memories lead her to River so she can rid herself of the nightmare memories. Although the girls personality clash big time, they know they must unite to fight the powers of the Book. River has the Book back, why hasn't her memories returned?
To unlock the powers for the book, River connects with some underground forces who promise they have the answers she need. The choice comes at a high price for Shae. Now River must choose between finding her own identity or doing what is right for Shae. Or, she can search for the answer that will save them both.
SOUL DRIVER is a YA mash-up of Sleeping Beauty and The Shadowy One, a Celtic myth, and is complete at 60,000 words.
Memory of Me
Sweet Sleep
Genre:YA Historical Fantasy
Revision 2
River Morgan received an extraordinary gift for her sixteenth birthday. Her grandfather gave her a Memory Book and taught her how to erase memories. To keep the memories from becoming her own she must write them in the Memory Book. When the Book is stolen and her Grandfather disappears, River is no longer able to tell the difference from her memories from those she's wiped away. Unless she finds the Memory Book, her identity will be lost forever.
The Book becomes a memory-stealing book when placed in the wrong hands. Shae Conniers thought she had swiped a cool looking journal but instead she got nothing but trouble. The powers of the Book intrigue Shae. But when the memories swirling in her head turn scary, she's glad they lead back to River so she can rid herself of the nightmares. Their personalities clash. Big time. But they must unite to fight the book. And solve the biggest problem; why hasn't River’s memories returned?
Underground forces claim they have the answers River needs to unlock the Book and regain her memories. But when they learn Shae is the daughter of the missing Queen Rose, the underground realm promises to help River in exchange of little Miss. Princess. River must choose between finding her own memory or saving Shae.
Memories of Me is a YA mash-up of Sleeping Beauty and The Shadowy One, a Celtic myth, and is complete at 60,000 words.
Revision 1
River Morgan received an extraordinary gift for her sixteenth birthday. Her grandfather gave her a Memory Book and taught her how to erase memories. To keep the memories from becoming her own she must write them in the Memory Book. When the Book is stolen and her Grandfather disappears, River is no longer able to tell the difference from her memories from those she's wiped away. Unless she finds the Memory Book, her identity will be lost forever.
The Book becomes a memory-stealing book when placed in the wrong hands. Shae Conniers thought she had swiped a cool looking journal but instead she got nothing but trouble. The powers of the Book intrigue Shae. But when the memories swirling in her head turn scary, she's glad they lead back to River so she can rid herself of the nightmares. Their personalities clash. Big time. But they must unite to fight the book. And solve the biggest problem; why hasn't River’s memories returned?
Underground forces claim they have the answers River needs to unlock the Book and regain her memories. But when they learn Shae is the daughter of the missing Queen Rose, the underground realm promises to help River in exchange of little Miss. Princess. River must choose between finding her own memory or saving Shae.
But when they learn Shae is the daughter of the missing Queen Rose, the underground realm promises to help River only in exchange of little Miss. Princess. River must choose between finding her own memory or saving Shae.
Memories of Me is a YA mash-up of Sleeping Beauty and The Shadowy One, a Celtic myth, and is complete at 60,000 words.
Original
River Morgan received an extraordinary gift for her sixteenth birthday. Her grandfather gave her a Memory Book and taught her how to erase memories. To keep the memories from becoming her own she must write them in the Memory Book.When the Book is stolen, River is no longer able to tell the difference from her memories from those she's wiped away. Unless she finds the Memory Book, her identity will be lost forever.
The Book becomes a memory stealing book when placed in the wrong hands. Shae Conniers thought she had swiped a cool looking journal but it ends up she gotten nothing but trouble. The powers of the Book sound intriguing to Shae but when the memories swirling around her head turn scary, she's glad the memories lead her to River so she can rid herself of the nightmare memories. Although the girls personality clash big time, they know they must unite to fight the powers of the Book. River has the Book back, why hasn't her memories returned?
To unlock the powers for the book, River connects with some underground forces who promise they have the answers she need. The choice comes at a high price for Shae. Now River must choose between finding her own identity or doing what is right for Shae. Or, she can search for the answer that will save them both.
SOUL DRIVER is a YA mash-up of Sleeping Beauty and The Shadowy One, a Celtic myth, and is complete at 60,000 words.
Note: This author is considering a title change. Which of the following draws you in more?
Soul DriverMemory of Me
Sweet Sleep
Query Workshop 18--Joshua's Tree
Title: Joshua's Tree
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Revision 1
Dear Ms. (agent's name),
Set in the distant future, Joshua’s Tree is a YA science fiction at 75,000 words.
When a skateboarding accident hurls 17-year-old Joshua Tyler into a dismal future terrorized by flesh-eating mutants, he taps into the strength and courage hidden within him and survives only to discover his horrifying relationship to the scientific genius that brought all life on Earth to the brink of annihilation.
Josh is saved from the cannibalistic monsters by 17-year-old warrior student Nadia, who believes he may be the prophesied savior sent to rescue her people. While struggling with doubt about her role as his guardian, Nadia takes it on herself to teach him to fight so he can fulfill his destiny. Terrified by the constant threat of a violent death, Josh wants nothing more than to stay alive and get back to his own life. But the longer he survives in this strange place, the more he learns about its creation. Charged with the job of assassinating the enemy’s leader, Josh begins to uncover his connection to the flesh-eating mutants—a nightmarish truth that could prevent him from ever finding his way home.
Joshua’s Tree is the first book in a potential trilogy and will appeal to readers of books like Divergent and The Scorch Trials. An earlier revision of was selected as a quarter-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest 2012. I’m a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and would be happy to provide a copy of my manuscript for your consideration. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Original
Dear Ms. (agent's name),
Set in the distant future, Joshua’s Tree is a YA science fiction at 75,000 words. It is the first book in a potential trilogy and will appeal to readers of books like Divergent and The Scorch Trials.
When smart but timid 17-year-old Joshua Tyler is forced to tap into the strength and courage hidden within him, he discovers an evil that has brought all life on Earth to the brink of annihilation.
After a skateboarding accident leaves him unconscious, Joshua wakes up to find flesh-eating mutants hunting him. Trapped in this strange future, Josh is saved from the monsters by17-year-old warrior student Nadia, who believes Josh is the prophesized savior sent to rescue her people. To keep him alive so he can fulfill his destiny, she teaches him to fight the monsters. Terrified by the constant threat of a violent death, Josh initially doesn’t care about saving this world—all he wants to do is to stay alive and get back to his own life. But the longer he survives in this dismal place, the more he learns about how it was created. The nightmarish truth Josh begins to uncover might ruin everything he has worked toward and prevent him from ever finding his way home.
An earlier version of Joshua’s Tree was selected as a quarter-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest 2012. I’m a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and would be happy to provide a copy of my manuscript for your consideration. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Revision 1
Dear Ms. (agent's name),
Set in the distant future, Joshua’s Tree is a YA science fiction at 75,000 words.
When a skateboarding accident hurls 17-year-old Joshua Tyler into a dismal future terrorized by flesh-eating mutants, he taps into the strength and courage hidden within him and survives only to discover his horrifying relationship to the scientific genius that brought all life on Earth to the brink of annihilation.
Josh is saved from the cannibalistic monsters by 17-year-old warrior student Nadia, who believes he may be the prophesied savior sent to rescue her people. While struggling with doubt about her role as his guardian, Nadia takes it on herself to teach him to fight so he can fulfill his destiny. Terrified by the constant threat of a violent death, Josh wants nothing more than to stay alive and get back to his own life. But the longer he survives in this strange place, the more he learns about its creation. Charged with the job of assassinating the enemy’s leader, Josh begins to uncover his connection to the flesh-eating mutants—a nightmarish truth that could prevent him from ever finding his way home.
Joshua’s Tree is the first book in a potential trilogy and will appeal to readers of books like Divergent and The Scorch Trials. An earlier revision of was selected as a quarter-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest 2012. I’m a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and would be happy to provide a copy of my manuscript for your consideration. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Original
Dear Ms. (agent's name),
Set in the distant future, Joshua’s Tree is a YA science fiction at 75,000 words. It is the first book in a potential trilogy and will appeal to readers of books like Divergent and The Scorch Trials.
When smart but timid 17-year-old Joshua Tyler is forced to tap into the strength and courage hidden within him, he discovers an evil that has brought all life on Earth to the brink of annihilation.
After a skateboarding accident leaves him unconscious, Joshua wakes up to find flesh-eating mutants hunting him. Trapped in this strange future, Josh is saved from the monsters by17-year-old warrior student Nadia, who believes Josh is the prophesized savior sent to rescue her people. To keep him alive so he can fulfill his destiny, she teaches him to fight the monsters. Terrified by the constant threat of a violent death, Josh initially doesn’t care about saving this world—all he wants to do is to stay alive and get back to his own life. But the longer he survives in this dismal place, the more he learns about how it was created. The nightmarish truth Josh begins to uncover might ruin everything he has worked toward and prevent him from ever finding his way home.
An earlier version of Joshua’s Tree was selected as a quarter-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest 2012. I’m a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and would be happy to provide a copy of my manuscript for your consideration. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Query Workshop 17--Darkling
Title: DARKLING
Genre: YA Fantasy
Dear Awesome Agent,
Seventeen-year-old Taela does what she has to survive, but she doesn’t think of herself as a murderer. When the sister she idolizes is executed for treason, Taela vows to avenge her death--even if it means killing the kingdom’s only hope for salvation. Some believe renegade leader Hawke is destined to save their land from an ancient evil. To Taela, the drunken ass who charmed her sister and left her to die is no hero.
With the element of surprise on her side, Taela sets out after the seasoned warrior, determined to thrust her dagger into his heart. The road to revenge leads her to the mysterious Darkling Forest where, lost among shape-shifting trees, Taela has disturbing prophetic visions. When a soldier with no soul attacks, she learns innocent men are being turned into drone soldiers for the king’s army. She puts her vendetta aside to make a truce with Hawke. Their fragile alliance will be put to the test when Taela discovers the truth about her sister’s death, and it forever ties Taela’s destiny to the very man she wants to destroy.
DARKLING is a YA Fantasy novel, with series potential, complete at 72,000 words. It will appeal to fans of Kristin Cashore or Leigh Bardugo.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Genre: YA Fantasy
Dear Awesome Agent,
Seventeen-year-old Taela does what she has to survive, but she doesn’t think of herself as a murderer. When the sister she idolizes is executed for treason, Taela vows to avenge her death--even if it means killing the kingdom’s only hope for salvation. Some believe renegade leader Hawke is destined to save their land from an ancient evil. To Taela, the drunken ass who charmed her sister and left her to die is no hero.
With the element of surprise on her side, Taela sets out after the seasoned warrior, determined to thrust her dagger into his heart. The road to revenge leads her to the mysterious Darkling Forest where, lost among shape-shifting trees, Taela has disturbing prophetic visions. When a soldier with no soul attacks, she learns innocent men are being turned into drone soldiers for the king’s army. She puts her vendetta aside to make a truce with Hawke. Their fragile alliance will be put to the test when Taela discovers the truth about her sister’s death, and it forever ties Taela’s destiny to the very man she wants to destroy.
DARKLING is a YA Fantasy novel, with series potential, complete at 72,000 words. It will appeal to fans of Kristin Cashore or Leigh Bardugo.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Query Workshop 16--Tagestraum
TITLE: Tagestraum
GENRE: Fantasy
Dear [agent]
When social worker Adrian Montgomery's seven-year-old client, Nathaniel, disappears from his backyard, he jumps on the chance to aid in the investigation, but he doesn't expect the search to lead him to another world.
At the scene of the boy's disappearance is a doorway that only Adrian seems to be able to see. On the other side is Tagestraum, a realm fed by the energy of children's imaginations. Without their dreams, the whole faerie kingdom would be plunged into the sort of Darkness where monsters are born and nightmares become real. But Tagestraum's been suffering an energy crisis lately because someone has been stealing dreams – and the kids who make them.
In order to find the dream-thief and rescue Nathaniel, Adrian must journey through a savage wonderland of flesh-eating unicorns, dream-addicted faeries and corrupt monarchs. Worse, Tagestraum itself assaults the sanity of rational minds, and Adrian's is made up of locked doors and labeled file cabinets. At night, the Darkness drags him through his darkest memories, forcing him to face horrors from his own troubled childhood.
As the search unfolds, he realizes that he's not here by coincidence. And if he can't stop the dream thief, Tagestraum isn't the only world that will be overrun with Darkness.
TAGESTRAUM is an 80,000 dark fantasy that would appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman and China Mieville. My short stories have previously appeared in the Dark Valentines anthology from Whortleberry Press as well as Freedom Fiction Journal and MicroHorror.
I have attached [whatever you're looking for] per the guidelines on your website. The full manuscript is available upon request.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
GENRE: Fantasy
Dear [agent]
When social worker Adrian Montgomery's seven-year-old client, Nathaniel, disappears from his backyard, he jumps on the chance to aid in the investigation, but he doesn't expect the search to lead him to another world.
At the scene of the boy's disappearance is a doorway that only Adrian seems to be able to see. On the other side is Tagestraum, a realm fed by the energy of children's imaginations. Without their dreams, the whole faerie kingdom would be plunged into the sort of Darkness where monsters are born and nightmares become real. But Tagestraum's been suffering an energy crisis lately because someone has been stealing dreams – and the kids who make them.
In order to find the dream-thief and rescue Nathaniel, Adrian must journey through a savage wonderland of flesh-eating unicorns, dream-addicted faeries and corrupt monarchs. Worse, Tagestraum itself assaults the sanity of rational minds, and Adrian's is made up of locked doors and labeled file cabinets. At night, the Darkness drags him through his darkest memories, forcing him to face horrors from his own troubled childhood.
As the search unfolds, he realizes that he's not here by coincidence. And if he can't stop the dream thief, Tagestraum isn't the only world that will be overrun with Darkness.
TAGESTRAUM is an 80,000 dark fantasy that would appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman and China Mieville. My short stories have previously appeared in the Dark Valentines anthology from Whortleberry Press as well as Freedom Fiction Journal and MicroHorror.
I have attached [whatever you're looking for] per the guidelines on your website. The full manuscript is available upon request.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Query Workshop 14--Let My Life Be Proof
LET MY LIFE BE PROOF
YA Contemporary Fiction
Revision 1
LET MY LIFE BE PROOF is a 60,000 word Contemporary YA novel.
At seventeen, brainiac Emme Sawyer is the youngest girl to graduate from the University of Washington with a medical degree, but quickly discovers being a grown up is a giant bore. Seeking adventure Emme heads for the Navy. Convinced she will be deployed in the safety of a hospital, her parents sign early enlistment papers. But shortly after arriving in Afghanistan, Emme’s mobile hospital is bombed. Jumping at the chance to be closer to the action she joins a Marine unit. Placed under the protection of a Special ops sharp shooter, Emme accompanies the unit on a mission. Through her deployment Emme learns her schooling could never have prepared her for the pain and suffering she must try to heal. After her guard is killed by an IED Emme shuts off her emotions. But when her commanding officer, Raven, takes the job of looking after her, the feelings she tried to bury begin to emerge. The only problem is it’s against regulation to fall for him. When Emme receives life altering injuries while saving the life of a child, she's shipped home. Faced with the nightmares of her past, unresolved feelings for Raven, and the possibility of never being able to practice medicine again, Emme struggles to move forward in a world she no longer feels a part of.
I am a member of YALITCHAT.org and volunteer in the Submission Mailbox. I am Nationally Board Certified in Early Childhood Education and currently teach.
Thank you for your concideration.
Original
LET MY LIFE BE PROOF is a 60,000 word Contemporary YA novel.
Emme Sawyer graduates from medical school at seventeen only to discover her early introduction to adulthood is one giant bore. Seeking adventure, she enlists as a medic in the Navy. After the mobile hospital she works in suffers major loses, Emme is attached to 3rd Bravo Company, a Marine Infantry Unit. Placed under the guard of a Special Ops sharp shooter, Emme accompanies the unit on a mission to run the Taliban out of the city of Marjah. Through the tragedy of war, Emme learns lessons beyond her years as she faces the pain of loss while fighting to save the injured men in her unit. After she suffers a life changing injury, Emme returns home, faced with the nightmares of her past and the fear of how to move forward in a world she no longer feels a part of.
I am a member of YALITCHAT.org and volunteer on the Submission Mailbox. I am Nationally Board Certified in Early Childhood Literacy and have a book review blog called Loco for Libros.
Thank you for you consideration.
YA Contemporary Fiction
Revision 1
LET MY LIFE BE PROOF is a 60,000 word Contemporary YA novel.
At seventeen, brainiac Emme Sawyer is the youngest girl to graduate from the University of Washington with a medical degree, but quickly discovers being a grown up is a giant bore. Seeking adventure Emme heads for the Navy. Convinced she will be deployed in the safety of a hospital, her parents sign early enlistment papers. But shortly after arriving in Afghanistan, Emme’s mobile hospital is bombed. Jumping at the chance to be closer to the action she joins a Marine unit. Placed under the protection of a Special ops sharp shooter, Emme accompanies the unit on a mission. Through her deployment Emme learns her schooling could never have prepared her for the pain and suffering she must try to heal. After her guard is killed by an IED Emme shuts off her emotions. But when her commanding officer, Raven, takes the job of looking after her, the feelings she tried to bury begin to emerge. The only problem is it’s against regulation to fall for him. When Emme receives life altering injuries while saving the life of a child, she's shipped home. Faced with the nightmares of her past, unresolved feelings for Raven, and the possibility of never being able to practice medicine again, Emme struggles to move forward in a world she no longer feels a part of.
I am a member of YALITCHAT.org and volunteer in the Submission Mailbox. I am Nationally Board Certified in Early Childhood Education and currently teach.
Thank you for your concideration.
Original
LET MY LIFE BE PROOF is a 60,000 word Contemporary YA novel.
Emme Sawyer graduates from medical school at seventeen only to discover her early introduction to adulthood is one giant bore. Seeking adventure, she enlists as a medic in the Navy. After the mobile hospital she works in suffers major loses, Emme is attached to 3rd Bravo Company, a Marine Infantry Unit. Placed under the guard of a Special Ops sharp shooter, Emme accompanies the unit on a mission to run the Taliban out of the city of Marjah. Through the tragedy of war, Emme learns lessons beyond her years as she faces the pain of loss while fighting to save the injured men in her unit. After she suffers a life changing injury, Emme returns home, faced with the nightmares of her past and the fear of how to move forward in a world she no longer feels a part of.
I am a member of YALITCHAT.org and volunteer on the Submission Mailbox. I am Nationally Board Certified in Early Childhood Literacy and have a book review blog called Loco for Libros.
Thank you for you consideration.
Query Workshop 13--And Jakob flew the Fiend Away
Title: And Jakob Flew the Fiend Away
Genre: Historical fiction, Bildungsroman
Jakob DeJonghe can think of nothing but revenge when the Nazis coerce his father into suicide and his little sister mysteriously disappears the day before Yom Kippur. The situation in occupied Amsterdam soon worsens, with increasingly restrictive laws and barbed wire around the Jewish Quarter. Jakob is determined to do something, anything, to fight back and be the master of his own destiny, just as his heroes the Maccabees did in ancient times.
While en route from Westerbork, Jakob finally takes action and jumps from a death train. As he’s fleeing to safety with a broken foot, he’s found by four young resistance fighters and taken to a safe house. Even though Jakob has been left with a permanent limp, he’s still determined to defend his country and track down the men who killed his father.
His dream comes true when he joins a resistance group specializing in assassinations and sabotage. But when he runs into Rachel Roggenfelder, a beautiful, spirited young woman, on one of his missions, he starts to feel the slow reawakening of emotions he thought he’d buried. As much as he tries to deny it, he can’t stop thinking about her, even during the dark days of the brutal Hongerwinter.
After being recruited into the Princess Irene Brigade and made a real soldier, he bumps into Rachel again. Finding his dream girl again seems like a dream come true, but soon another separation looms. While Rachel is an ocean away in America, Jakob is called to a tour of duty in the Dutch East Indies and begins the painful process of relearning how to be a part of humanity in a shell shocked postwar Amsterdam. Only this time, love and not hate carries him through.
And Jakob Flew the Fiend Away, a historical fiction Bildungsroman spanning the years 1940-46 and set in the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies, is complete at 120,000 words. It will appeal to fans of World War II-era sagas such as Julie Orringer’s The Invisible Bridge and Herman Wouk’s The Winds of War and War and Remembrance.
I have a BA from [redacted] in history and Russian and Eastern European Studies, with a focus on 20th century Russian history and the World War II/Shoah era, and worked in the production room of an Albany, NY-based newspaper, The Jewish World, for five years, writing, researching, and proofreading articles.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Genre: Historical fiction, Bildungsroman
Jakob DeJonghe can think of nothing but revenge when the Nazis coerce his father into suicide and his little sister mysteriously disappears the day before Yom Kippur. The situation in occupied Amsterdam soon worsens, with increasingly restrictive laws and barbed wire around the Jewish Quarter. Jakob is determined to do something, anything, to fight back and be the master of his own destiny, just as his heroes the Maccabees did in ancient times.
While en route from Westerbork, Jakob finally takes action and jumps from a death train. As he’s fleeing to safety with a broken foot, he’s found by four young resistance fighters and taken to a safe house. Even though Jakob has been left with a permanent limp, he’s still determined to defend his country and track down the men who killed his father.
His dream comes true when he joins a resistance group specializing in assassinations and sabotage. But when he runs into Rachel Roggenfelder, a beautiful, spirited young woman, on one of his missions, he starts to feel the slow reawakening of emotions he thought he’d buried. As much as he tries to deny it, he can’t stop thinking about her, even during the dark days of the brutal Hongerwinter.
After being recruited into the Princess Irene Brigade and made a real soldier, he bumps into Rachel again. Finding his dream girl again seems like a dream come true, but soon another separation looms. While Rachel is an ocean away in America, Jakob is called to a tour of duty in the Dutch East Indies and begins the painful process of relearning how to be a part of humanity in a shell shocked postwar Amsterdam. Only this time, love and not hate carries him through.
And Jakob Flew the Fiend Away, a historical fiction Bildungsroman spanning the years 1940-46 and set in the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies, is complete at 120,000 words. It will appeal to fans of World War II-era sagas such as Julie Orringer’s The Invisible Bridge and Herman Wouk’s The Winds of War and War and Remembrance.
I have a BA from [redacted] in history and Russian and Eastern European Studies, with a focus on 20th century Russian history and the World War II/Shoah era, and worked in the production room of an Albany, NY-based newspaper, The Jewish World, for five years, writing, researching, and proofreading articles.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Query Workshop 12--The Refugee
Title: The Refugee
Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller
Ross Chambers is used to dodging bullets. All kinds, too, from musket balls to machine-gun fire.
For years he has been the top agent at Hourglass, an underground organization dedicated to "Protecting the Present by Preserving the Past," as its motto goes. Its teams of highly trained time travelers police history, making sure that it unfolds naturally -- without interference from the skilled terrorists who wish alternate outcomes upon certain events.
But when his fiancé perishes in a fire, Ross will do anything to get her back -- even if it means becoming a so-called terrorist himself. That is, changing the past.
Which wouldn't be too difficult, were his memory of the tragedy not as black as smoke. Every time he tries to return, he spirals to a completely different time and place. Like Paris, 1793, where he is mistaken for a long-awaited hero with a knack for depriving the guillotine of its victims. A Scarlet Pimpernel in Nikes and blue jeans.
Rescuing his fiancé is one matter, but saving total strangers is a whole 'nother -- a sure-fire way to get himself killed, that's what. Not to mention he spent half his life working to maintain history's established melody. But when he sees firsthand that he has power over life and death, he's not so sure if altering the bloodstained past is necessarily a bad thing. It might, in fact, lead to a better world, one person at a time.
Worth a shot, in his eyes.
But it doesn't take long for his work to gain him unwanted attention from people like Robespierre, and Hitler, and Torquemada -- all of whom want him dead. Though not as much as Dr. Lorraine Field, his former boss and the director of Hourglass. She wants to feed his heart to Aztec gods and strap his corpse to the hull of the Titanic. To her, his daring adventures through time pose a threat to modern society, or so she tells her agents. Changing history is a dangerous game, and the world's timeline cannot depend on the whims of one man -- even one like Ross Chambers. Especially one like Ross Chambers.
That's why she'll stop at nothing to make sure he's the Most Wanted Man of All Time. Literally.
THE REFUGEE is a sci-fi thriller complete at 100,000 words. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller
Ross Chambers is used to dodging bullets. All kinds, too, from musket balls to machine-gun fire.
For years he has been the top agent at Hourglass, an underground organization dedicated to "Protecting the Present by Preserving the Past," as its motto goes. Its teams of highly trained time travelers police history, making sure that it unfolds naturally -- without interference from the skilled terrorists who wish alternate outcomes upon certain events.
But when his fiancé perishes in a fire, Ross will do anything to get her back -- even if it means becoming a so-called terrorist himself. That is, changing the past.
Which wouldn't be too difficult, were his memory of the tragedy not as black as smoke. Every time he tries to return, he spirals to a completely different time and place. Like Paris, 1793, where he is mistaken for a long-awaited hero with a knack for depriving the guillotine of its victims. A Scarlet Pimpernel in Nikes and blue jeans.
Rescuing his fiancé is one matter, but saving total strangers is a whole 'nother -- a sure-fire way to get himself killed, that's what. Not to mention he spent half his life working to maintain history's established melody. But when he sees firsthand that he has power over life and death, he's not so sure if altering the bloodstained past is necessarily a bad thing. It might, in fact, lead to a better world, one person at a time.
Worth a shot, in his eyes.
But it doesn't take long for his work to gain him unwanted attention from people like Robespierre, and Hitler, and Torquemada -- all of whom want him dead. Though not as much as Dr. Lorraine Field, his former boss and the director of Hourglass. She wants to feed his heart to Aztec gods and strap his corpse to the hull of the Titanic. To her, his daring adventures through time pose a threat to modern society, or so she tells her agents. Changing history is a dangerous game, and the world's timeline cannot depend on the whims of one man -- even one like Ross Chambers. Especially one like Ross Chambers.
That's why she'll stop at nothing to make sure he's the Most Wanted Man of All Time. Literally.
THE REFUGEE is a sci-fi thriller complete at 100,000 words. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Query Workshop 11--Finding Meara
Title: Finding Meara
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Revision 1
Dear Agent,
Twenty-six year old Hazel Michelli lived her dream life, full of easy money and cool Denver parties, until a winged creature kidnapped her and took her to the Realm, a parallel land where magic and monsters exist. But the creature screwed up – she isn’t the girl named Meara he sought.
Narrowly escaping back to Colorado, Hazel’s reality becomes crazier still. She learns the creature got the wrong girl for the right reason. She’s adopted and her birth family is dysfunctional with a capital “D”.
Meara is her much younger half-sister. Her mother is a murdered Earth force magician,and her father, Lucian Rosen, a sadistic Life force magician, desperate to sacrifice one of his daughters to maintain immortality. The Earth force magic in Hazel’s blood provides the added bonus of unrestrained power with which he could take over the Realm, and moves Hazel to the top of the sacrifice list.
All Hazel wants is to forget the Realm and reclaim her comfy life, but Meara remains in danger, and Hazel’s the only one who can return to the Realm to save her. Hazel races between the two worlds, searching for the little girl while attempting to stay one step ahead of Lucian. Their lives, and the future of Realm, leave her no room for failure.
FINDING MEARA is an adult contemporary fantasy complete at 80,000 words similar in style to Janet Evanovich’s Wicked series.
In 2011, two of my short stories, The Copier and Phantom Deposit, were published in the print anthologies Daily Bites of Flesh 2011, and Steamy Screams, respectively. My contemporary fantasy short story, Bear Hug, was published in the February 2012issue of the online journal, Hogglepot.
Thank you for your time and attention,
Original
Dear Agent,
At the tender age of twenty-six,Hazel Michelli has achieved her dream life. A bull’s-eye intuition wins her easy money through online horse races; she lives in a penthouse apartment, and gets invited to all the cool parties around Denver.
Her idyllic existence begins to unravel the day a winged creature mistakes her for a girl named Meara and kidnaps her from her apartment. Taken into the Realm, a parallel land where magic and monsters exist, she’s horrified to learn her sadistic father sent the creature to recapture Meara, who turns out to be Hazel’s four year old half-sister. He needs a daughter to sacrifice in his quest for immortality and unrestrained power. Unfortunately, Hazel becomes his preferred choice.
After narrowly escaping back to Denver, Hazel wants to forget the Realm and reclaim her comfy life. She could go into hiding until the sacrificial window closes, but Meara is still out there. Daddy dearest is searching for the little girl, and Hazel is the only one who can return to the Realm to save her. Sure, Hazel can have her old life back, but at what cost?
I am a school social worker and a married mother of two young boys. In 2011, two of my short stories were published in print anthologies (The Copier in Daily Bites of Flesh: 2011 and Phantom Deposit in Steamy Screams). My urban fantasy, Bear Hug, was published in the February 2012 issue of the online journal, Hogglepot.
FINDING MEARA is an Urban Fantasy, complete at80,000 words.
Thank you for your time and attention,
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Revision 1
Dear Agent,
Twenty-six year old Hazel Michelli lived her dream life, full of easy money and cool Denver parties, until a winged creature kidnapped her and took her to the Realm, a parallel land where magic and monsters exist. But the creature screwed up – she isn’t the girl named Meara he sought.
Narrowly escaping back to Colorado, Hazel’s reality becomes crazier still. She learns the creature got the wrong girl for the right reason. She’s adopted and her birth family is dysfunctional with a capital “D”.
Meara is her much younger half-sister. Her mother is a murdered Earth force magician,and her father, Lucian Rosen, a sadistic Life force magician, desperate to sacrifice one of his daughters to maintain immortality. The Earth force magic in Hazel’s blood provides the added bonus of unrestrained power with which he could take over the Realm, and moves Hazel to the top of the sacrifice list.
All Hazel wants is to forget the Realm and reclaim her comfy life, but Meara remains in danger, and Hazel’s the only one who can return to the Realm to save her. Hazel races between the two worlds, searching for the little girl while attempting to stay one step ahead of Lucian. Their lives, and the future of Realm, leave her no room for failure.
FINDING MEARA is an adult contemporary fantasy complete at 80,000 words similar in style to Janet Evanovich’s Wicked series.
In 2011, two of my short stories, The Copier and Phantom Deposit, were published in the print anthologies Daily Bites of Flesh 2011, and Steamy Screams, respectively. My contemporary fantasy short story, Bear Hug, was published in the February 2012issue of the online journal, Hogglepot.
Thank you for your time and attention,
Original
Dear Agent,
At the tender age of twenty-six,Hazel Michelli has achieved her dream life. A bull’s-eye intuition wins her easy money through online horse races; she lives in a penthouse apartment, and gets invited to all the cool parties around Denver.
Her idyllic existence begins to unravel the day a winged creature mistakes her for a girl named Meara and kidnaps her from her apartment. Taken into the Realm, a parallel land where magic and monsters exist, she’s horrified to learn her sadistic father sent the creature to recapture Meara, who turns out to be Hazel’s four year old half-sister. He needs a daughter to sacrifice in his quest for immortality and unrestrained power. Unfortunately, Hazel becomes his preferred choice.
After narrowly escaping back to Denver, Hazel wants to forget the Realm and reclaim her comfy life. She could go into hiding until the sacrificial window closes, but Meara is still out there. Daddy dearest is searching for the little girl, and Hazel is the only one who can return to the Realm to save her. Sure, Hazel can have her old life back, but at what cost?
I am a school social worker and a married mother of two young boys. In 2011, two of my short stories were published in print anthologies (The Copier in Daily Bites of Flesh: 2011 and Phantom Deposit in Steamy Screams). My urban fantasy, Bear Hug, was published in the February 2012 issue of the online journal, Hogglepot.
FINDING MEARA is an Urban Fantasy, complete at80,000 words.
Thank you for your time and attention,
Query Workshop 10--Times None
Title: TIMES NONE
Genre: YA Fantasy
Revision 1
Dear Agent:
Amanda Leonard doesn't know who her mother was. She wishes she did.
Amanda does know when the world is going to end. She wishes she didn't.
As long as she can remember, Amanda has been aware of a clock inside her head counting down to the apocalypse. She has never told anyone--not even her only family, the four "uncles" that adopted and raised her after her mom died. She's spent most her life trying to ignore it, but time is finally running out. The clock will strike midnight shortly after her upcoming eighteenth birthday.
Desperate for answers, Amanda digs through the remnants of her family's history, unearthing dark truths about her childhood, her uncles, and even her mother. Amanda learns that she is no mere bystander to the approaching apocalypse, but its harbinger. Amanda is going to lose something in the coming days: her life, her family, or her world. As the harbinger, she will have to pick one, or risk losing everything. The walls of isolation Amanda spent her whole life building will come crashing down when she finds that the end of the world starts at home.
TIMES NONE, complete at85,000 words, is a YA contemporary fantasy that examines the end of the worldthrough the lenses of small-town intrigue, the bonds of family, and one young woman's journey to adulthood.
Sincerely,
Original
Dear Agent:
Amanda Leonard doesn't know who her mother was. She wishes she did.
Amanda does know when the world is going to end. She wishes she didn't.
As long as she can remember, Amanda has been aware of a clock inside her head counting down to doomsday. She has never told anyone--not even her only family, the four "uncles" that adopted and raised her after her mom died. She doesn't know why she's been given this knowledge of the future and noway to change it. Given that the clock will strike midnight shortly after her upcoming eighteenth birthday, she decides to drop out of college after only a semester and return home, hoping to find answers, and with them, some relief.
But Amanda's search for answers offers no comfort. As she digs through the remnants of her family's history, she uncovers dark truths about her childhood, her uncles, and even her mother. Amanda learns that she is no mere bystander to the approaching apocalypse, but its harbinger. As the doomsday clock ticks down to midnight, Amanda will be forced to make an impossible choice, one that will either cost her life, her family, or her world. The walls of isolation Amanda spent her whole life building will come crashing down when she finds that the end of the world starts at home.
TIMES NONE, complete at 85,000 words, is a YA contemporary fantasy that examines the end of the world through the lenses of small-town intrigue, the bonds of family, and one young woman's journey to adulthood.
Sincerely,
BWC
Genre: YA Fantasy
Revision 1
Dear Agent:
Amanda Leonard doesn't know who her mother was. She wishes she did.
Amanda does know when the world is going to end. She wishes she didn't.
As long as she can remember, Amanda has been aware of a clock inside her head counting down to the apocalypse. She has never told anyone--not even her only family, the four "uncles" that adopted and raised her after her mom died. She's spent most her life trying to ignore it, but time is finally running out. The clock will strike midnight shortly after her upcoming eighteenth birthday.
Desperate for answers, Amanda digs through the remnants of her family's history, unearthing dark truths about her childhood, her uncles, and even her mother. Amanda learns that she is no mere bystander to the approaching apocalypse, but its harbinger. Amanda is going to lose something in the coming days: her life, her family, or her world. As the harbinger, she will have to pick one, or risk losing everything. The walls of isolation Amanda spent her whole life building will come crashing down when she finds that the end of the world starts at home.
TIMES NONE, complete at85,000 words, is a YA contemporary fantasy that examines the end of the worldthrough the lenses of small-town intrigue, the bonds of family, and one young woman's journey to adulthood.
Sincerely,
Original
Dear Agent:
Amanda Leonard doesn't know who her mother was. She wishes she did.
Amanda does know when the world is going to end. She wishes she didn't.
As long as she can remember, Amanda has been aware of a clock inside her head counting down to doomsday. She has never told anyone--not even her only family, the four "uncles" that adopted and raised her after her mom died. She doesn't know why she's been given this knowledge of the future and noway to change it. Given that the clock will strike midnight shortly after her upcoming eighteenth birthday, she decides to drop out of college after only a semester and return home, hoping to find answers, and with them, some relief.
But Amanda's search for answers offers no comfort. As she digs through the remnants of her family's history, she uncovers dark truths about her childhood, her uncles, and even her mother. Amanda learns that she is no mere bystander to the approaching apocalypse, but its harbinger. As the doomsday clock ticks down to midnight, Amanda will be forced to make an impossible choice, one that will either cost her life, her family, or her world. The walls of isolation Amanda spent her whole life building will come crashing down when she finds that the end of the world starts at home.
TIMES NONE, complete at 85,000 words, is a YA contemporary fantasy that examines the end of the world through the lenses of small-town intrigue, the bonds of family, and one young woman's journey to adulthood.
Sincerely,
BWC
Query Workshop 9--The Curse Merchant
Title: The Curse Merchant
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy
Dorian Lake has spent years cornering the Baltimore hex-crafting market, twisting karma for jilted divorcees, vengeful fathers, or anyone who could pay his modest fee. But when a corrupt soul monger horns in on both his territory and his personal life, will his brilliance and his charisma be enough to save his career… and his soul?
Dorian’s unscrupulous rival, Neil Osterhaus, wouldn't be such a problem were it not for Carmen, Dorian's captivating ex-lover. After two years' absence Carmen arrives at Dorian’s doorstep with a problem: she sold her soul to Osterhaus, and has only two weeks to buy it back. Dorian must weigh the prospect of winning back her affections against the sinister trade of soul-trafficking. As Dorian descends into the shadows of Baltimore’s underworld, he must decide how dark he is willing to paint his soul in order to save Carmen from eternal damnation – a task made difficult when he discovers that the last two years of his life have been a lie.
Complete at 81,800 words, THE CURSE MERCHANT is an urban fantasy novel that propels the reader into the trials of a charming man in a bastard's profession, while raising the question of where one's ethical line should be crossed.
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy
Dorian Lake has spent years cornering the Baltimore hex-crafting market, twisting karma for jilted divorcees, vengeful fathers, or anyone who could pay his modest fee. But when a corrupt soul monger horns in on both his territory and his personal life, will his brilliance and his charisma be enough to save his career… and his soul?
Dorian’s unscrupulous rival, Neil Osterhaus, wouldn't be such a problem were it not for Carmen, Dorian's captivating ex-lover. After two years' absence Carmen arrives at Dorian’s doorstep with a problem: she sold her soul to Osterhaus, and has only two weeks to buy it back. Dorian must weigh the prospect of winning back her affections against the sinister trade of soul-trafficking. As Dorian descends into the shadows of Baltimore’s underworld, he must decide how dark he is willing to paint his soul in order to save Carmen from eternal damnation – a task made difficult when he discovers that the last two years of his life have been a lie.
Complete at 81,800 words, THE CURSE MERCHANT is an urban fantasy novel that propels the reader into the trials of a charming man in a bastard's profession, while raising the question of where one's ethical line should be crossed.
Query Workshop 8--Running Down the Dragon
Title: RUNNING DOWN THE DRAGON
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Crime Thriller
Thalia Drake is the last dragon on earth. Her cover identity as an ass-kicking werewolf in the U.S. Military's elite shape-shifter ranks is in jeopardy. Among shifters, only dragons can take on other animal forms. Not even her adopted shifter family know her true form.
When human victims start turning up in the Everglades, evidence suggests the killer has bigger, more reptilian game on the menu. Thalia alone recognizes the glyphs burned into the victims skin. Thousands of years ago, the sorcerer who murdered her grandparents carved the same glyphs into the door of their tomb.
The ritual to kill a shifter was supposed to be lost to antiquity, along with all sorcerers capable of pulling it off. Naturally none of the shifter investigators - who also happen to be Thalia's adopted family - suspect what she does: that their modern-day killer might be capable of killing essentially immortal shifters with human magic. Thalia isn't eager to inform them and blow her cover. A thousand years of lies would be tough for her family to forgive, and other shifters wouldn't think twice about killing a recalcitrant dragon. But holding back what she knows will put every shifter in danger.
Thalia and the FBI's shifter division track the killer from South Florida to the heart of Washington, DC. Every clue seems to point to a U.S. Senator with an anti-shifter bias, despite his air-tight alibi. Whatever the senator's involvement may be, if they don't find the killer soon, one of his rituals is bound to succeed. One successful ritual could spell extinction for the shifters.
RUNNING DOWN THE DRAGON is an urban/contemporary fantasy novel of 103,000 words. I have also completed a second Thalia Drake novel, but RUNNING DOWN THE DRAGON can stand on its own.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Crime Thriller
Thalia Drake is the last dragon on earth. Her cover identity as an ass-kicking werewolf in the U.S. Military's elite shape-shifter ranks is in jeopardy. Among shifters, only dragons can take on other animal forms. Not even her adopted shifter family know her true form.
When human victims start turning up in the Everglades, evidence suggests the killer has bigger, more reptilian game on the menu. Thalia alone recognizes the glyphs burned into the victims skin. Thousands of years ago, the sorcerer who murdered her grandparents carved the same glyphs into the door of their tomb.
The ritual to kill a shifter was supposed to be lost to antiquity, along with all sorcerers capable of pulling it off. Naturally none of the shifter investigators - who also happen to be Thalia's adopted family - suspect what she does: that their modern-day killer might be capable of killing essentially immortal shifters with human magic. Thalia isn't eager to inform them and blow her cover. A thousand years of lies would be tough for her family to forgive, and other shifters wouldn't think twice about killing a recalcitrant dragon. But holding back what she knows will put every shifter in danger.
Thalia and the FBI's shifter division track the killer from South Florida to the heart of Washington, DC. Every clue seems to point to a U.S. Senator with an anti-shifter bias, despite his air-tight alibi. Whatever the senator's involvement may be, if they don't find the killer soon, one of his rituals is bound to succeed. One successful ritual could spell extinction for the shifters.
RUNNING DOWN THE DRAGON is an urban/contemporary fantasy novel of 103,000 words. I have also completed a second Thalia Drake novel, but RUNNING DOWN THE DRAGON can stand on its own.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Query Workshop 7--Bound
Title: Bound
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Dear [Agent]:
Ghosts don’t exist. At least, that’s what seventeen-year-old Emma Harris thought before one hurled her and classmate Daniel Wyatt back in time. Now in 19th century America, the ghost is a living, breathing, flirting girl named Lucinda Sutton. The same Lucinda Sutton who disappeared on her wedding night, according to town legend.
Of all the people to be stuck with in the past, Daniel Wyatt was not high on Emma’s list. His dodgy reputation and temper are enough to keep her away, but stranded in a foreign world of petticoats and pantalettes, he’s the only anchor to her time, a place she’d do anything to return to.
After exploring Lucinda’s life, Emma and Daniel believe their only way home is to help Lucinda marry, but Lucinda’s fiancé is more than gentility and smiles. He may have been very person who made her “disappear.”
Unless Emma can overcome Lucinda's treacherous suitor while coping with her growing feelings for Daniel, she may be stuck in the past forever.
Complete at 69,000 words, BOUND is a young-adult novel with a ghostly historical twist.
Sincerely,
[Insert Name]
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Dear [Agent]:
Ghosts don’t exist. At least, that’s what seventeen-year-old Emma Harris thought before one hurled her and classmate Daniel Wyatt back in time. Now in 19th century America, the ghost is a living, breathing, flirting girl named Lucinda Sutton. The same Lucinda Sutton who disappeared on her wedding night, according to town legend.
Of all the people to be stuck with in the past, Daniel Wyatt was not high on Emma’s list. His dodgy reputation and temper are enough to keep her away, but stranded in a foreign world of petticoats and pantalettes, he’s the only anchor to her time, a place she’d do anything to return to.
After exploring Lucinda’s life, Emma and Daniel believe their only way home is to help Lucinda marry, but Lucinda’s fiancé is more than gentility and smiles. He may have been very person who made her “disappear.”
Unless Emma can overcome Lucinda's treacherous suitor while coping with her growing feelings for Daniel, she may be stuck in the past forever.
Complete at 69,000 words, BOUND is a young-adult novel with a ghostly historical twist.
Sincerely,
[Insert Name]
Query Workshop 6--The Proper Way to Say Goodbye
Title: The Proper Way to Say Goodbye
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
Only one person knew Chloe was gay, and his love and support disappeared when he hung himself.
When she starts college, eighteen-year-old Chloe continues to hide her sexuality, afraid it may affect her current friendships and jeopardize her mother’s job. Unable to deal with the loss ofher brother Brock, she tells nobody of his suicide.
Chloe is stunned to learn her crush, and graduate teaching assistant Sasha, knew Brock. As their relationship deepens, Sasha reveals the reason behind Brock’s suicide, that he was sexually abused as a child, something he admitted to nobody before Sasha. Chloe refuses to believe it, until she reads Brock’s journals, but even then, nobody knows what pushed him over the edge.
She continues to lead a double life, ignoring that her own secrets are hurting the ones she loves most. Her girlfriend Sasha,who is comfortable being a lesbian. And Murphy—the boy she’s pretending to date—is becoming her best friend, but is unaware Chloe is gay.
After finding Brock’s last journal, she is consumed with his plan to take revenge on his molester. But Chloe’s obsession comes at a cost, and she might have to give up everything she’s ever wanted, her girlfriend, her best friend, and her sanity, in order to discover Brock’s final secret.
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
Only one person knew Chloe was gay, and his love and support disappeared when he hung himself.
When she starts college, eighteen-year-old Chloe continues to hide her sexuality, afraid it may affect her current friendships and jeopardize her mother’s job. Unable to deal with the loss ofher brother Brock, she tells nobody of his suicide.
Chloe is stunned to learn her crush, and graduate teaching assistant Sasha, knew Brock. As their relationship deepens, Sasha reveals the reason behind Brock’s suicide, that he was sexually abused as a child, something he admitted to nobody before Sasha. Chloe refuses to believe it, until she reads Brock’s journals, but even then, nobody knows what pushed him over the edge.
She continues to lead a double life, ignoring that her own secrets are hurting the ones she loves most. Her girlfriend Sasha,who is comfortable being a lesbian. And Murphy—the boy she’s pretending to date—is becoming her best friend, but is unaware Chloe is gay.
After finding Brock’s last journal, she is consumed with his plan to take revenge on his molester. But Chloe’s obsession comes at a cost, and she might have to give up everything she’s ever wanted, her girlfriend, her best friend, and her sanity, in order to discover Brock’s final secret.
Query Workshop 5--What Silence Heard
Title: WHAT SILENCE HEARD
Genre: YA thriller with elements of fantasy
Revision 2
Dear Agent:
Staggering away from her emptied village, Nyah knows she was left behind on purpose. The entire silent world is hers, but for an actor and scribe, it’s a gift she can’t accept.
And then she finds another. Shade, a left-behind from a different village, is as gentle as he is evasive. He's determined to bring together and provide for all of the left-behinds, to ease his remorse about cursing them to this barren world.
Only they're not as alone as they first thought. The loved ones who abandoned them, cruelly transformed and vicious, are returning for something. There are nine left-behinds, but there should only be eight. A vision of Nyah's little brother tries to warn her, but she can’t accept that her life will be ripped apart because of a baby, again.
The left-behinds must fight together or sacrifice the one who was never meant to be there. Either way, the existence of the ninth ensures their failure. Nyah and Shade, denial and guilt, will see to that.
Set in the wilderness of a pre-industrial civilization, the left-behinds run from the obvious danger, but discover it is impossible to run from themselves when silence is their most steadfast companion.
WHAT SILENCE HEARD is a YA thriller with elements of fantasy, and is complete at 80,000 words.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely, Me
Revision 1
Dear Agent:
Staggering away from her emptied village, Nyah knows she was left behind on purpose. The entire silent world is hers, but for an actor and scribe, it’s a gift she can’t accept.
And then she finds another. Shade, a left-behind from another village, is as gentle as he is evasive. He's determined to bring together and provide for all eight left-behinds, to ease his remorse about cursing them to this barren world.
Only they're not as alone as they first thought. Some of the loved ones who abandoned them are returning, cruelly transformed and vicious. A vision of Nyah's little brother tries to tell her why, but she can’t accept that her life will be ripped apart because of a baby, again.
Either the left-behinds fight together or sacrifice the one who was never supposed to be there. Either way, the existence of this ninth left-behind ensures their failure. Nyah and Shade, denial and guilt, will see to that.
Set in the wilderness of a pre-industrial civilization, the left-behinds run from the obvious danger, but discover it is impossible to run from themselves when silence is their most steadfast companion.
WHAT SILENCE HEARD is a YA thriller with elements of fantasy, and is complete at 80,000 words.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely, Me
Original
Dear Agent:
Staggering away from her emptied village, she knows she was left behind on purpose. The entire silent world is hers, but for an actor and scribe, it’s a gift she can’t accept.
And then she finds another. She renames herself Nyah, and discovers the stillness makes it easier to recognize treasure. Shade, a left-behind from another village, is as gentle as he is evasive. As they navigate the emptiness together, the other left-behinds rally around them. The world isn’t as quiet as Nyah first thought.
Then some of the loved ones who abandoned them begin creeping back, cruelly transformed and vicious, and the left-behinds are their quarry. Monsters are coming to rip Nyah’s family apart, again, to collect the one who doesn’t belong. There are nine left-behinds, but there should only be eight. Shade knows this, because he’s the one who chose them. Nyah knows, because she’s been through this before. But admitting what they know means accepting the pasts that led them here.
The left-behinds have to either fight together to the inevitable end, or sacrifice the ninth and give up everything they discovered was worth fighting for when the world disappeared. Either way, the existence of the ninth ensures their failure. Nyah and Shade, denial and guilt, will see to that.
Set in the wilderness of a pre-industrial civilization, the left-behinds run from the obvious danger, but discover it is impossible to run from themselves when silence is their most steadfast companion.
WHAT SILENCE HEARD is a YA thriller with elements of fantasy, and is complete at 80,000 words.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely, Me
Genre: YA thriller with elements of fantasy
Revision 2
Dear Agent:
Staggering away from her emptied village, Nyah knows she was left behind on purpose. The entire silent world is hers, but for an actor and scribe, it’s a gift she can’t accept.
And then she finds another. Shade, a left-behind from a different village, is as gentle as he is evasive. He's determined to bring together and provide for all of the left-behinds, to ease his remorse about cursing them to this barren world.
Only they're not as alone as they first thought. The loved ones who abandoned them, cruelly transformed and vicious, are returning for something. There are nine left-behinds, but there should only be eight. A vision of Nyah's little brother tries to warn her, but she can’t accept that her life will be ripped apart because of a baby, again.
The left-behinds must fight together or sacrifice the one who was never meant to be there. Either way, the existence of the ninth ensures their failure. Nyah and Shade, denial and guilt, will see to that.
Set in the wilderness of a pre-industrial civilization, the left-behinds run from the obvious danger, but discover it is impossible to run from themselves when silence is their most steadfast companion.
WHAT SILENCE HEARD is a YA thriller with elements of fantasy, and is complete at 80,000 words.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely, Me
Revision 1
Dear Agent:
Staggering away from her emptied village, Nyah knows she was left behind on purpose. The entire silent world is hers, but for an actor and scribe, it’s a gift she can’t accept.
And then she finds another. Shade, a left-behind from another village, is as gentle as he is evasive. He's determined to bring together and provide for all eight left-behinds, to ease his remorse about cursing them to this barren world.
Only they're not as alone as they first thought. Some of the loved ones who abandoned them are returning, cruelly transformed and vicious. A vision of Nyah's little brother tries to tell her why, but she can’t accept that her life will be ripped apart because of a baby, again.
Either the left-behinds fight together or sacrifice the one who was never supposed to be there. Either way, the existence of this ninth left-behind ensures their failure. Nyah and Shade, denial and guilt, will see to that.
Set in the wilderness of a pre-industrial civilization, the left-behinds run from the obvious danger, but discover it is impossible to run from themselves when silence is their most steadfast companion.
WHAT SILENCE HEARD is a YA thriller with elements of fantasy, and is complete at 80,000 words.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely, Me
Original
Dear Agent:
Staggering away from her emptied village, she knows she was left behind on purpose. The entire silent world is hers, but for an actor and scribe, it’s a gift she can’t accept.
And then she finds another. She renames herself Nyah, and discovers the stillness makes it easier to recognize treasure. Shade, a left-behind from another village, is as gentle as he is evasive. As they navigate the emptiness together, the other left-behinds rally around them. The world isn’t as quiet as Nyah first thought.
Then some of the loved ones who abandoned them begin creeping back, cruelly transformed and vicious, and the left-behinds are their quarry. Monsters are coming to rip Nyah’s family apart, again, to collect the one who doesn’t belong. There are nine left-behinds, but there should only be eight. Shade knows this, because he’s the one who chose them. Nyah knows, because she’s been through this before. But admitting what they know means accepting the pasts that led them here.
The left-behinds have to either fight together to the inevitable end, or sacrifice the ninth and give up everything they discovered was worth fighting for when the world disappeared. Either way, the existence of the ninth ensures their failure. Nyah and Shade, denial and guilt, will see to that.
Set in the wilderness of a pre-industrial civilization, the left-behinds run from the obvious danger, but discover it is impossible to run from themselves when silence is their most steadfast companion.
WHAT SILENCE HEARD is a YA thriller with elements of fantasy, and is complete at 80,000 words.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely, Me
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