tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8946163753647152112024-02-07T03:54:23.359-05:00The Lioness's BookshelfUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger171125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-23380950587777248512015-08-03T06:00:00.001-04:002015-08-03T06:00:03.776-04:00#PitchWars: Wishlist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What do I want to see? Everything. Since we can only pick one person this year, I want options. I want to find that manuscript that's special, that has a great voice, that I would be willing to read over and over again during edits. I want to be forced to make an agonizing decision between great manuscripts. I will be requesting the first three chapters of my top picks again, and possibly the full if I'm faced with that agonizing choice. I hope to provide feedback to my top picks, but I make no promises.<br />
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Now that's what <i>I</i> want, but just like I can only pick one of you, you're limited in the number of mentors you can submit to. So you want to make sure that you're picking the mentors who will be the best fit for you. Therefore, while I want to see everything, there are some things I'm not comfortable with: <span style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #5f3f0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">horror, cannibalism, evil zombies, incest, child abuse, animal abuse, pedophilia, necrophilia, or anything that goes beyond taboo and into despicable. I also do best with books that have a happy ending, whether it be happy forever or happy for right now. The book can be full of struggles and angst, so long as I have the comfort of knowing everything will turn out all right by the end.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #5f3f0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">Moving onto my area of expertise, I am best with romances (big shocker there, huh?) and the majority of my editing clients do fall into that genre. I do read pretty much anything that has a romantic element in there somewhere, regardless of overall genre. However, if you have something that you think isn't my usual fare, but you're sure I'm the perfect fit</span><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #5f3f0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">, submit it to me anyway. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #5f3f0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">(if you're thinking to yourself, that all seemed very familiar, you get a cookie! The last two paragraphs are a copy and paste from my 2013 wishlist.)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #5f3f0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #5f3f0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">Like I did with the Pride, I will be looking for manuscripts that fit the agents' wishlists or are particularly marketable. So if your manuscript matches something on the list below, please please please submit to me. </span></span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #5f3f0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;">Contemporary that features a heroine in a non-traditional career. Like, oh, I don't know, a female mechanic? </span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Contemporary romance where the main couple are/were contestants on a Voice-type reality show and their relationship starts to develop during filming, or if they were child contestants together twenty years ago and reconnected during a reunion special. </li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">A twisty, heart-stopping, romantic suspense or mystery</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Magical Realism Contemporary, something like <i>Eureka</i>, but where it's magic instead of technology. </li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Something featuring an <i>American Ninja Warrior</i>-type hero</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">A m/m fiction-y love story that's gorgeously written</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">In any commercial genre, a book inspired by a gender-swapped fairy-tale. For example, a gender-swapped, sci-fic, Cinderella: He's the lowly grunt on his step-father's ship and she's the highly-decorated captain looking for a second in command. A fantasy-esque Swan Princess: He's cursed by the sorcerer because the Big Bad wants the heroine for himself, but she says F that and sets off on an epic quest to rescue the hero. </li>
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Submissions open up on August 17th. I hope you all flood my inbox with submissions. I'm looking for just the right person to add to the Pride. Will it be you? </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-80642215455123544002015-08-03T06:00:00.000-04:002015-08-03T11:39:18.250-04:00#PitchWars: The SequelTo officially announce it here, I've once again agreed to mentor in <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/2015/07/pitch-wars-2015-is-coming-are-you-ready/" target="_blank">Pitch Wars</a> for New Adult/Adult. There were a few changes this year, as there will only be one mentee, and I'm now competing against 99 other mentors. To say I'm a wee bit intimidated would be understating the matter. To make matters worse, the link to this post is due to Brenda by tomorrow and I have absolutely no idea what to write.<br />
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This is one of the reasons being an agent is not for me. I'm not good with the sales pitch. And that is also another reason why I'm happy to stick to freelance editing. Editing for publishing houses these days usually involve covers and marketing and a bunch of other things that are not editing. I just want to edit.<br />
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But you're not here for my thoughts on publishing careers, you want to know why you should submit to me in Pitch Wars when submissions open up on August 17th. Well, I think I did pretty good with <a href="http://lionessbookshelf.blogspot.com/2015/05/update-on-pride.html" target="_blank">the Pride</a> last time around. Marie even made me all teary with a lovely acknowledgement in her first book, <a href="http://mariemeyerbooks.com/my-books/across-the-distance/" target="_blank">Across the Distance</a> (formerly <u>Through the Storm</u>). The next book, by the way, is coming out this Tuesday, August 4th: <a href="http://mariemeyerbooks.com/my-books/cant-go-back/" target="_blank">Can't Go Back</a>. It's equally as good! Speaking of Pride books, Annie's <a href="http://www.annierains.com/welcome-to-forever-book-1-in-the-heros-welcome-series.html" target="_blank">Welcome to Forever</a> (formerly <u>Forever Yours</u>) will be released on December 1st, so add it to your TBR list.<br />
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I think I digressed a little. So I've moved from the dining room table to the couch in hopes of finding inspiration by staring at the living room rug. The dog is not amused by my game of musical chairs and wants me to finish this so we can play.<br />
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Well, okay, this is my<a href="http://lionessbookshelf.blogspot.com/2013/11/pitchwars-bio-few-of-my-favorite-things.html" target="_blank"> bio</a> from the 2013 Pitch Wars. Not a great deal has changed except I've added more TV shows to my season pass (Agent Carter, anyone?). I don't collect vinyls anymore, but my nail polish collection is, well, abundant. I'm certainly still a rabid Whedon fangirl. I could probably update the authors' and movies' sections, but it's not like I've taken an aversion to anything listed there.<br />
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Still with me? Good. Look, I'm not sure what else there is to say except that I believe I'm good at what I do and I have experience doing it. I have an unique perspective on the industry and I'm looking for the right person to add to the Pride. You should submit to me if you are completely open to edits (like prepared to cut scenes and characters open) and you want a mentor who's going to treat this like a partnership. I'm not here to be your friend or your cheerleader, I'm here to hopefully get you to the next step, whatever form that may take. I can't promise you that what happened for Marie and Annie will happen for you, but I will help you the best I can.<br />
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My wishlist is <a href="http://lionessbookshelf.blogspot.com/2015/08/pitchwars-wishlist.html" target="_blank">here</a>. If you have questions, leave me a comment here or tweet me at <a href="https://twitter.com/lionessbkshelf" target="_blank">@lionessbkshelf.</a> I'm also going to try to pop onto the Pitch Wars hashtag once a day. Again, submissions open on August 17th.<br />
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The other mentors:<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-13202161455174396052015-05-04T12:00:00.000-04:002015-05-04T12:00:09.020-04:00Update on the PrideIt's been a very long time since I posted here and good Lord, a lot's happened since last March. <div>
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Mainly, I got a new job. A job where I actually have to work during the day and where the Internet is monitored to the extent that it's filtered. So no more updating social media at work for me. I'm also frequently working overtime, and it's all computer-based, so by the time I get home, I don't want to get anywhere near my laptop. Hence the steep and sudden drop-off in my blog and Goodreads reviews. I am hoping to do better. </div>
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But enough about me, let's talk about the lovely ladies of the Pride. </div>
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My top pick, <a href="http://mariemeyerbooks.com/" target="_blank">Marie Meyer</a>, signed with a <a href="http://mariemeyerbooks.com/2014/04/15/what-a-year/" target="_blank">fabulous agent</a> and then said fabulous agent <a href="http://mariemeyerbooks.com/2014/12/05/its-happening-a-storm-is-brewing/" target="_blank">sold </a>Through the Storm (now entitled <u>Across the Distance</u>) to Forever Romance for a multi-book deal! Not only is <u>Across the Distance</u> releasing TOMORROW, but the companion book, <u>Can't Go Back</u>, will release on August 4th. You can read Marie's Pitch Wars wrap-up <a href="http://mariemeyerbooks.com/2014/02/02/pitch-wars-wrap-up/" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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My first alternate, <a href="http://www.sarahleeblair.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sarah Blair</a>, is currently working on a sequel to the manuscript she entered in Pitch Wars, as well as another <a href="http://img.ly/BjIX" target="_blank">sequel</a> due to arrive in just under four more months (it's a girl!). </div>
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My second alternate, <a href="http://www.annierains.com/" target="_blank">Annie Rains</a>, signed with a different <a href="http://www.annierains.com/blog/the-long-road-to-representation-finally" target="_blank">fabulous agent</a> and then her fabulous agent <a href="http://www.annierains.com/blog/good-news" target="_blank">sold</a> <u>Forever Yours</u> in a three book deal! Her series, Hero's Welcome, will begin releasing in 2016. It was a very busy 2014 for Annie as she also had a <a href="https://twitter.com/AnnieRains_/status/526407932679045121" target="_blank">baby</a>! </div>
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Whee!!! I'm so proud of them all! </div>
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Brenda announced on <a href="https://twitter.com/brendadrake/status/592681703522627584" target="_blank">Twitter</a> that I will be again mentoring in this year's Pitch Wars. Submissions open in August, so watch her <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/" target="_blank">blog</a> for more details as August draws nearer. If you want to join the Pride, this is your chance. My tastes haven't changed since last time (except that I'm more picky if possible), so feel free to check out my old posts to get an idea of what I'm looking for, and I'll be posting newer entries over the summer. </div>
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However, before you do that, don't forget to add <u>Across the Distance</u> to your <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23666591-across-the-distance" target="_blank">TBR</a>, because it's coming out TOMORROW at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Across-Distance-Marie-Meyer-ebook/dp/B00TXN4YHU/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/across-the-distance-marie-meyer/1120957920?ean=9781455590964" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a>, <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/across-the-distance" target="_blank">Kobo</a>, and many other <a href="http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/marie-meyer/across-the-distance/9781455590179/buy/#resellers" target="_blank">retailers</a>. Marie will also be doing an event at <a href="http://www.mainstreetbooks.net/" target="_blank">Main Street Books</a> in St. Charles, MO on May 9th between 12pm-2pm. If you go, tell her Lioness says hi! </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-47530494059397534752015-05-03T11:24:00.001-04:002015-05-03T13:11:00.393-04:00Review: Across the Distance<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23666591" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Across the Distance" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1426068777m/23666591.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23666591">Across the Distance</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10220286">Marie Meyer</a><br />
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The fact that I haven't written a review yet for <u>Across the Distance</u> when it's been released in TWO DAYS should give you an idea of how crazy my life has been over the last year. <br />
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So, back in 2013, I agreed to be a mentor in a contest, called Pitch Wars, that the fabulous Brenda Drake hosts every year. The premise behind Pitch Wars is that authors submit unagented and unpublished works for a chance to work with a mentor who is usually an agented and/or published author or someone connected to the industry. Authors and mentors work together editing the manuscript and then after about two months, the pitch & first 250 words of the manuscript are posted on Brenda's blog for agents to peruse. If they like what they see, they comment and request a sample. I had very specific criteria for my mentees. I wanted something rife with potential and I wanted it to be marketable. <br />
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Marie was my top pick. <br />
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A lot of editing ensued over the next two months. A LOT. I don't mean like tweaking or rephrasing, I mean like entire chunks of the book were cut or completely rewritten. Did I mention this was November into January? Right over the holiday season? And Marie has two kids? It didn't matter what I threw at her, Marie rolled with it and made it work. She completely revamped and revised her manuscript over two months. <br />
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As a native New Yorker, 9/11 is an important part of my history and one of the things that initially appealed to me about <u>Across the Distance</u> was how 9/11 was part of the story without being the focus of the story. Yet I started to question whether it really needed to be 9/11. Wouldn't the book still have weight and purpose if her parents died some other way? Wouldn't Jillian still be dealing with the same issues? I hadn't broached the topic with Marie yet when I received the next set of edits. I read the new chapters and I just started bawling. Marie had written a scene that was so poignant, so heartbreaking, it put all my doubts to rest. <br />
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Marie knows her characters to the extent that they're not just words on a page, but people. <br />
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After Pitch Wars, Marie got an agent (yay!) who sold the book (obvs!) to Forever Romance (yay!) and a wonderful editor who said this is a great start, let's make it even better (and they did!). <br />
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At its core, <u>Across the Distance</u> is a true new adult, a story of what happens when you move from one stage of your life to another. You leave some people behind, you bring some with you, and you meet new ones. It's a story that shows the past, who we were, it will never truly leave us, but that we can control how much impact it has on our future. Going away to college changes Jillian's life, but it doesn't magically make all her problems go away. Only Jillian can do that and over the course of the book, she fights for her future, for a chance to be <i>happy</i>. This is an angst-y book, but underneath it all, there's hope. <br />
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So I recommend <u>Across the Distance</u> for many reasons, but the most important one is this: if Jillian can do it, so can you. Fresh starts <i> are</i> possible and help will be there if you ask for it. Don't give up. <br />
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<u>Across the Distance</u>, May 5th, at your preferred e-bookstore. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-68213172119486637062014-03-02T20:44:00.000-05:002014-03-02T20:44:51.140-05:00#PitchWars & #ThePrideSo I think it's time for one of my rare blog posts, y/y? <div>
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I spent most of December and January in an editing fog. Between Pitch Wars and Agent-Boss's clients, I was editing every day for almost two months. By the time I finished everything I was working on, it felt weird not to be editing. Like when you're on a boat for a long time and you get back to dry land, but you still feel like you're rocking on the water? That was me. I kept thinking, 'Oh, crap, I should be edit-wait, wait, no, I'm done. Pitch Wars is over.' I took a solid week off before I was ready to touch the Red Pen of Doom again. </div>
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I had a blast doing Pitch Wars. My team, The Pride, consisted of <a href="http://mariemeyerbooks.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Marie Meyer</a> (NA Contemporary Romance <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/2014/01/pw-38-na-storm/" target="_blank">Through the Storm</a>), <a href="http://sarahleeblair.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sarah L. Blair</a> (Adult Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance <a href="http://nazarea-andrews.blogspot.com/2014/01/pitch-wars-alt-na-8-shifting-darkness.html" target="_blank">The Shifting Darkness</a>), and <a href="http://www.annarains.com/" target="_blank">Anna Rains</a> (Adult Contemporary Romance <a href="http://nazarea-andrews.blogspot.com/2014/01/pitch-wars-alt-na-6-forever-yours.html" target="_blank">Forever Yours</a>). Since I'd done Pitch Wars from the agent side and had previous experience with the editing process, I mapped out a schedule beforehand and set deadlines for myself & The Pride. I have to say, I don't think it would've been possible to pull everything off if I wasn't off from work during the last two weeks in December. </div>
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I did full manuscript critiques for each Pride member. In addition, I gave them extra optional assignments because it was important to me that they understand that a) this business is highly subjective and b) it <i>is</i> a business. The Pride was fantastic about rising to whatever challenge I set for them and I feel they all grew as writers during the time we worked together. Sarah came away with a fantastic pitch that highlights the core of her manuscript beautifully. Anna not only did extensive revisions, but we worked together to plot out a potential series and she was able to subtly weave in the groundwork for the next two books into <u>Forever Yours</u>. Marie had the longest edit letter and she exceeded all my expectations. She ended up cutting, I think, about 12k. A major character got the cut and several scenes were ripped out. I was brutally honest with her and she <i>thanked</i> me for it. <u>Through the Storm</u> is amazing and I don't think there's anything like it out right now.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I honestly don't know if I'd do Pitch Wars again. I had such a great experience with The Pride, my expectations for the next group would be probably be impossible to meet. I also don't know if I'd be eligible to do it next year or if I'd have the time to devote like I did this year. In any case, I hope The Pride felt they got their time's worth out of me and for my part, this solidified my desire to be an editor. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As of this moment, none of The Pride have made any agent announcements, but I'm confident they'll come. These ladies have proven they're willing to do whatever it takes to have a career as an author and it was an honor to help them on their journey to meeting that goal. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">I realized I never talked about the Pitch Wars submission process. If you'd be interested in reading my take on that, please leave a comment. </span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-61201396209801423192014-01-22T00:23:00.001-05:002014-01-22T09:13:10.512-05:00Pitch Wars Alternate Showcase<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSJa1tquemvoq9Y7XYOEOKS4Utf3G12O6NBYD7dDE3zkk1H6HK99t25r_mDiBoB5_CpX94F84KI7hm951Ujjp_2b40AJPUt4ySSxAqtIFiXF83CVvuAIrRUbfdSezWVpz2z2FIbdNALQZ/s1600/pitchwarsaltshowcase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSJa1tquemvoq9Y7XYOEOKS4Utf3G12O6NBYD7dDE3zkk1H6HK99t25r_mDiBoB5_CpX94F84KI7hm951Ujjp_2b40AJPUt4ySSxAqtIFiXF83CVvuAIrRUbfdSezWVpz2z2FIbdNALQZ/s1600/pitchwarsaltshowcase.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Welcome
to the Alternate showcase!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Today
I’m hosting some of the wonderful writers who participated in a six week boot
camp where published/agented authors and industry interns mentored a team of
writers to help them polish their manuscripts for agents. The mentors picked
one to go into the agent round on Brenda Drake’s blog (</span><a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">http://www.brenda-drake.com/</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">) and two
alternates in case their top pick dropped out of the competition. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The
alternates were amazing, so we wanted to do a showcase of their talent to
reward them for their hard work. Following this post you’ll find the pitches
for the writers I’m hosting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">This
is not exclusive to the agents signed up for Pitch wars.<b> All agents are welcomed to make requests in the comments of the posts!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">This
is <b>not</b> open for critiques. So if
you’re not an agent, you may comment only if you want to show some love to the
writers<b>. Again, please do not critique
in the comments.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Thank
you!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">ALT #1: <a href="http://lionessbookshelf.blogspot.com/2014/01/pitch-wars-alt-ll-1-ice-flowers-in.html" target="_blank">Ice Flowers in Winters (Adult Historical Fiction)</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">ALT #2: <a href="http://lionessbookshelf.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Three Card Monty (Adult Mystery)</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">ALT #3: <a href="http://lionessbookshelf.blogspot.com/2014/01/pitch-wars-alt-ll-3-cut-from-earth.html" target="_blank">Cut from the Earth (Historical Fiction with Magical Realism)</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">ALT #4: <a href="http://lionessbookshelf.blogspot.com/2014/01/pitch-wars-alt-ll-4-death-clock.html" target="_blank">The Death Clock (Literary with speculative elements)</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">ALT #5: <a href="http://lionessbookshelf.blogspot.com/2014/01/pitch-wars-alt-ll-5-gardens-of-sunray.html" target="_blank">The Gardens of the Sunray (Adult Mystery with the hint of paranormal)</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">ALT #6: <a href="http://lionessbookshelf.blogspot.com/2014/01/pitch-wars-alt-ll-6-sweetheart.html" target="_blank">The Sweetheart (Adult Historical Fiction)</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">ALT #8: <a href="http://lionessbookshelf.blogspot.com/2014/01/pitch-wars-alt-ll-8-lady-caller.html" target="_blank">The Lady Caller (Steampunk Historical Romance with magical realism elements)</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">ALT #9: <a href="http://lionessbookshelf.blogspot.com/2014/01/pitch-wars-alt-ll-9-twist-of-fate.html" target="_blank">Twist of Fate (NA Fantasy)</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">ALT #10: <a href="http://lionessbookshelf.blogspot.com/2014/01/pitch-wars-alt-ll-10-things-between.html" target="_blank">The Things Between (Soft Science Fiction)</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px;">ALT #11: </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 19px;"><a href="http://lionessbookshelf.blogspot.com/2014/01/pitch-wars-alt-ll-11-sweet-nothing.html" target="_blank">Sweet Nothing (NA Contemporary Romance)</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 19px;">ALT #12: <a href="http://lionessbookshelf.blogspot.com/2014/01/pitch-wars-alt-ll-12-lightning-city.html" target="_blank">The Lightning City (NA Science Fiction)</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 19px;">ALT #13: <a href="http://lionessbookshelf.blogspot.com/2014/01/pitch-wars-alt-ll-13-enthralled.html" target="_blank">Enthralled (Contemporary Fantasy)</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 19px;">ALT #14: <a href="http://lionessbookshelf.blogspot.com/2014/01/pitch-wars-alt-ll-14-breath-of-silver.html" target="_blank">A Breath of Silver (YA/NA Fantasy [Time Travel]</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 19px;">ALT #15: <a href="http://lionessbookshelf.blogspot.com/2014/01/pitch-wars-alt-ll-15-youll-be-thinking.html" target="_blank">You'll Be Thinking of Me (Women's Fiction with elements of romance and suspense)</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 19px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 19px;">Other Alternates:</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><br />
<strong style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Middle Grade: </strong><a href="http://vbartles.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Veronica Bartles</a><br />
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
<strong>Young Adult: </strong><a href="http://www.staceyhlee.com/blog" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Stacey Lee</a>, <a href="http://jayerobinbrown.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Jaye Robin Brown</a>, <a href="http://dcmorin.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Dannie Morin</a>, <a href="http://natalietraver.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Natalie Knaub-Traver</a></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
<strong>New Adult & Adult: </strong><a href="http://nazarea-andrews.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Nazarea Andrews</a></div>
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<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
<b><u>The Pride (my mentees):</u></b></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
<a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/2014/01/pw-38-na-storm/" target="_blank">Through the Storm</a> (NA Contemporary Romance) - Top Pick</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
<a href="http://nazarea-andrews.blogspot.com/2014/01/pitch-wars-alt-na-8-shifting-darkness.html" target="_blank">The Shifting Darkness</a> (Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance) - 1st Alternate</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
<a href="http://nazarea-andrews.blogspot.com/2014/01/pitch-wars-alt-na-6-forever-yours.html" target="_blank">Forever Yours</a> (Contemporary Romance) - 2nd Alternate</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-28809632711751599612014-01-22T00:17:00.001-05:002014-01-22T00:17:35.962-05:00Pitch Wars ALT: LL-1 ICE FLOWERS IN WINTER<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">MENTOR:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Susan Spann<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">FIRST
ALTERNATE: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Aimie Runyan<b> </b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TITLE:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> ICE FLOWERS IN WINTER<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">CATEGORY/GENRE:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Adult Women’s/Historical Fiction<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">WORD
COUNT:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> 81,000<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">PITCH: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In
1667, an orphan, a baker, and a farmer’s daughter answer Louis XIV’s call for
“mail-order” brides to marry settlers in the Canadian colonies; upon their
arrival, the women must rely upon one another, and their unusual friendship, to
find the strength to survive--and blossom--on the frontier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">EXCERPT:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">May
1667: Salpêtrière Charity Hospital, Paris</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">One,
two, three strokes up... Rinse. One, two, three strokes down. Rinse. Move three
inches to the right...<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Rose
Barré scoured the floor on her hands and knees, her once fine hands now raw and
bleeding, as she tried to rid the small room of the stench. The battle was
futile. One clean cell would not mask the stink of filth and disease that
permeated the dozens of others surrounding it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This was
one of Rose’s bad days where, no matter what she did, she could not stop
scrubbing, even though her <i>officière</i> had forbidden the endless scouring.
No matter how Rose reasoned with herself, she could never get the room clean
enough to sate the urge. She wiped her matted black curls from her forehead
with the back of her hand and moved the brush three inches to the right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Officially,
the Salpêtrière was a charity hospital for women. It served the poor, the
homeless, the deranged, and—as in Rose's case--the orphaned and dispossessed.
In reality, the Salpêtrière was a prison whose inmates served life sentences. A
well-connected family member need only write a letter, and a daughter, niece,
wife, or sister could find herself imprisoned in the Salpêtrière for life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Rose was
no exception. Her mother died in childbirth, and when her beloved father was
shot over a hand of <i>vingt-et-un</i>, twelve year-old Rose was sent to live on
her aunt and uncle’s estate outside of Paris, a place of crystal chandeliers,
gilded furniture, and gardenßs manicured to the point they no longer resembled
nature. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-2107373198931974812014-01-22T00:16:00.002-05:002014-01-22T00:16:30.105-05:00Pitch Wars ALT: LL-2 THREE CARD MONTY<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>MENTOR:</b> Susan Spann<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>SECOND
ALTERNATE: </b>Ellis Callen<b> </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>TITLE:</b> THREE CARD MONTY<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>CATEGORY/GENRE:</b> Adult Mystery<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>WORD
COUNT:</b> 60,258</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">PITCH: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">When
a child abuser turns up dead in an immigrant family’s home, a down-and-out
security guard must find the killer, and the missing teenage girl accused of
the crime, before the police—or the killer—discover the secret evidence that
will force the security guard to take the blame.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">EXCERPT:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Clifford
reacted as if a corpse was a common thing to find. Then again, he’d been
to Vietnam. And he <i>hadn’t </i>been in the hallway with that terrible
thing--easy for <i>him </i>to play it cool.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I was …
less cool. “Jesus Christ, a freaking cadaver! What the hell do I
do?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Cliff
made the face that meant he wanted a cigarette – his face scrunched up when he
thought about smoking – but I wouldn’t let him smoke in the store, even if
either of us could afford the habit, which we couldn’t. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“You’re
real sure it wasn’t Rosa, right?” Cliff asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I
thought about it. True, I still didn’t know where Rosa was, which
terrified me – <i>Was everyone dead over there?</i> – but I took some deep
breaths and considered the shape in the stairwell. It was all wrong for a
teenage girl. Much bigger, much broader. Even without the head, I was a
hundred per cent sure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Nah
man,” I said. “It wasn’t her. It was a dude.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Clifford
shrugged. “Okay then. I’m recommending doing nothing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“What?”
I asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Monty,
how you even gonna explain why you were over there?” Clifford settled
into his seat and shook his head. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Good
point. I’d taken off in the middle of my shift. I’d <i>left a
homeless person in charge of the store</i>. In fact, the entire night’s
events, which ended with me walking in on a headless corpse in a stranger’s
unlocked house, sounded pretty unlikely. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Forget
getting fired, I’d probably get arrested.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-21037310246983844392014-01-22T00:15:00.000-05:002014-01-22T00:15:28.532-05:00Pitch Wars ALT: LL-3 CUT FROM THE EARTH<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>MENTOR</b>: Heather Webb</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>ALTERNATE: </b>Stephanie Renée dos Santos</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>TITLE:</b> CUT FROM THE EARTH</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>CATEGORY/GENRE</b>: Historical Fiction w/ Magical Realism</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>WORD COUNT:</b> 117,000</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Pitch:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When an earthquake devastates Lisbon in 1755, a Portuguese tile maker flees the wreckage to the Amazon. In the jungle Piloto falls under a female shaman’s spell and together, they must fight missionaries for their right to live.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Excerpt:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The sky was an ironed blue sheet without a crease of cloud. A solitary silhouette wheeled over the Atlantic, then cut inland to the outskirts of Lisbon. The shadow followed the Tagus River dotted with merchant ships. In the distance seven church-spired hills blessed the skyline. Over terracotta roofs, cork orchards, and tile factory smokestacks the carrion crow sailed. It swooped, coming to rest on the kinked branch of an olive tree, in the Fabrica Santa Anna’s red geranium-lined courtyard. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The bird gave a guttural caw, and took flight again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Piloto Manuel Pires arose from his workbench and set an ear to the door.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A boy as black as squid’s ink burst into the shop, pleading, “Pai! Padre! Help!” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Piloto abandoned the pricking of holes into transfer paper. Ebony faces turned from their worktables pushed against whitewashed adobe. A worker slapped a ball of clay onto a gesso tabletop and halted. Dust floated in the air. Scents of loam permeated the space, room enough to house a king’s coach and steeds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In the doorway of the draft room, Piloto’s wife Paulina, and their two daughters, Constanza and Isabella, froze and stared at the shop’s main entrance. He grimaced, fixing his gaze on the little boy and the shelf above him, where their ceramic statue of Saint Anthony was perched over the doorway. Light shone through the shop’s warbled panes, stacked crates of tiles called azulejos resting below.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Piloto stuffed his pouncing tool behind his ear, and swiped chalk glaze from olive-brown hands onto his smock, careful not to soil the Franciscan habit...</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-56017203300994017842014-01-22T00:12:00.000-05:002014-01-22T00:12:09.706-05:00Pitch Wars ALT: LL-4 THE DEATH CLOCK<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>MENTOR:</b> Heather Webb</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>ALTERNATE:</b> Dayspring MacLeod</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>TITLE:</b> The Death Clock</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>CATEGORY/GENRE: </b>Literary with speculative elements</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>WORD COUNT:</b> 99,000</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">PITCH:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In Kit's world, everyone is born knowing when they will die. But an ex-lover's posthumous message leads her to a terrible secret: the government is carrying out medical experiments on refugees -- and death is not as predictable as it seems. Now a dead man is Kit's only ally in exposing the plot and saving thousands.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">EXCERPT:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Death minus eighteen hours.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The sun was high over the Kensington Park horizon, and the reds and oranges of Jonathan's last sunrise had faded into a pale blue morning. There was, Jonathan discovered, a last time for everything. Last flight, last visit to his old flat, last sight of the Houses of Parliament striking a pose for the omnipresent flock of tourists. Last pair of pyjamas, last outfit laid out ready for the morning ahead - the last morning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Jonathan turned from the window and looked at the antique pocketwatch open on the bedside table. Its hands had stilled, but time would not stop. On his alarm clock, on the grandfather clock in the hall, on Big Ben, all through the house and the world, his last minutes alone ticked away. Eight o'clock now - any minute, the precious quietude would end. And yes, even as the eighth bong of the grandfather clock died away, there was his cousin's slow, heavy stride creaking up the stairs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Zach Levine was a ponderous person, his size giving him an air of authority. Nevertheless, he opened the door and looked in timidly, with a red face and a silly pasted-on grin. 'It's a big day,' he bleated, a rehearsed line. 'How are you feeling?'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">His words came out in a panic, all in that stupid shrill tone, and he moved stiffly, as if his shoulders were as tightly sewn as the sleeves on his jacket.</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-6375784858666229562014-01-22T00:08:00.003-05:002014-01-22T00:08:43.396-05:00Pitch Wars ALT: LL-5 THE GARDENS OF SUNRAY<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">MENTOR:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Sarah Henning<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ALTERNATE:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Jeremy Hepler<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TITLE:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> The Gardens of Sunray<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">CATEGORY/GENRE:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Adult Mystery + Hint of
Supernatural<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">WORD COUNT:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> 80,000<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">PITCH:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> </span><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">When Parker Lundy’s dad is murdered and he learns Malik, a
gifted young boy who was seen fleeing the scene with a gun, is innocent, he
teams up with his new-found sister Cherie and ex-girlfriend Hannah. Together,
they struggle to peel back the layers of deception surrounding the crime and
bring the killer to justice, and also to protect Malik from racist townsfolk
and a relentless, Islamic radical father.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">EXCERPT:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Other than cursing after each
unsuccessful attempt at trying to reach his uncle, Parker traveled in absolute
silence, knuckles white on the wheel. He and his dad had talked on the phone
regularly, shooting the shit about everything from sex to taxes, and when
they’d talked just ten days ago, his dad hadn’t mentioned having problems with
anyone in town. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Sure,
Will had been in his fair share of disagreements and spats over the years like
everyone else, but he had few if any real enemies. And violent crimes were rare
in Sunray. The last armed robbery happened back in ’11 when a meth head stuck
up the Toot ’n Totum on Highway 55, and the last outright murder happened way
back in ’05 when sixteen-year-old Kim Dawkins stabbed her dad in the crotch
while he slept because she “wanted to poke him the way he’d been poking [her]”
every night since she was twelve. It just didn’t make any sense that someone
would want to shoot Will Lundy. It must’ve been an accident. Or a mistake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Parker
reached Sunray around five a.m. and rolled down his window for some fresh air
when he turned onto Main Street. A mild fall breeze rushed in, carrying a faint
scent of smoke with it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Both of
Sunray’s fire trucks were parked in front of Lundy’s Local Luxuries—a brick
one-story building tucked between Hal’s Shoe Store and the Education Federal
Credit Union—and two cop cars, lights flashing, sirens off, blocked the road on
either side of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-91138962600522204582014-01-22T00:07:00.001-05:002014-01-22T00:07:27.565-05:00Pitch Wars ALT: LL-6 THE SWEETHEART<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">MENTOR:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Amy Reichert<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ALTERNATE:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Katrina Carrasco<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TITLE:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> The Sweetheart<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">GENRE:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Historical Fiction<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">WORD COUNT:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> 98,000<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">PITCH:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> San Francisco, 1849. When gang
violence threatens her bar, Elena hires a lawman for protection—and discovers
he’s leading a kidnapping ring. She must choose between facing the gangs alone
or becoming his partner in crime.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">EXCERPT: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Cold wind cut at Elena’s throat
as she squinted at the clouds. Any gleam of sunlight would cast a shadow
pointing west, but the narrow strip of sky visible from the alley was gray in
all directions. She could not tell the way home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The
street ahead seethed with fog. Shapes of men appeared in monstrous pieces: a
back humped with saddlebags, a torso bristling with pickaxes and shovels. If
the miners were headed to the Sacramento ferries, going against their traffic
would guide Elena away from the waterfront and back to the center of town. But
the flow of men was stopping, reversing. Bodies jostled at the alley’s mouth.
There was a bark of encouragement. The hollow clap of a punch. Someone fell
hard into the muddy road, and the crowd began to roar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Trash-filled
mud shifted under Elena's boots as she moved toward the shouting. She felt a
chicken bone’s brittle crack. The solid pop of a shard of glass. A fleshy grind
she did not want to name.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">At the
side of the alley’s mouth a canvas tent shuddered in the wind. Elena paused
beside it, waiting for the brawl to break up before she entered the street.
Metal clanged so close and loud it left a ringing echo in her ears. A string of
curses salted the air. A shout: “Put his fucking eyes out!” Then silence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Her
breath came quick and shallow. She raised a hand toward the young man behind
her, signaling for him to wait. Three heartbeats. Four.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">She let
her hand drift down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Let’s
g—” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-29549345331798101232014-01-22T00:06:00.000-05:002014-01-22T00:06:43.092-05:00Pitch Wars ALT: LL-8 THE LADY CALLER<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>MENTOR:</b> Shelley Watters</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>ALTERNATE:</b> Wendy Qualls</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>TITLE:</b> THE LADY CALLER</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>CATEGORY/GENRE: </b> Steampunk Historical Romance with magical realism elements</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>WORD COUNT:</b> 90,000</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">PITCH:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A steampunk sorceress and a reluctant inventor must cover up a friend's engagement and fake their own in order to rescue a kidnapped girl.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">EXCERPT:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b>
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Tinsmouth, Devon, 1870</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“Perseverance!”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Vera froze. No one had called her by her real name in ten years – and no one else's voice had ever caused her mouth to go dry quite like his did. Once upon a time she would have sworn she’d never forget him, or the sound of his voice, but spending the last decade in London must have ground down her brain. Even now, with her old home so close she could taste the raw tang of tin in the air, Cole’s voice had the power to turn her mouth to dust.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Vera squinted down the tunnel, but the faint starlight filtering into the tunnel’s mouth was coming from behind her and she could just barely make out his silhouette as he approached. He hadn’t changed that much – still those massive shoulders, that purposeful gait. Had he always been so menacing, or were her emotions merely getting the better of her?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">She took a deep breath and tried to will the sudden tension out of her system. Somehow, in all the time she’d spent dreaming of this homecoming, she had managed to convince herself she was ready to face Cole again. She couldn’t afford to be wrong.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Cole stopped, close enough for Vera to make out the shock on his face. He was looking beyond her, up the tunnel to the gaping hole in the once-solid wall which had protected the town of Tinsmouth from the outside world for the last quarter-century. The mine's weathered steel door still stood beside it, silent and menacing in the deep shadows, but Vera's digging machine was much more efficient with the rock.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> She resisted the urge to turn and admire her work. The machine's work, mostly – she had only needed to use her Calling to create the initial spark which ignited the boiler. Although it was a miracle she hadn't accidentally set the whole coal hopper ablaze, considering her anxious state. Ten years ago – honestly, ten months ago – she wouldn’t have thought it was possible to come back like this.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-5828236578666290472014-01-21T23:59:00.003-05:002014-01-22T07:50:40.775-05:00Pitch Wars ALT: LL-9 TWIST OF FATE<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MENTOR:</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Shelley Watters<br />
<b>ALTERNATE: </b>Martha Mayberry<br />
<b>TITLE:</b> TWIST OF FATE<br />
<b>CATEGORY/GENRE:</b> New Adult Fantasy<br />
<b>WORD COUNT:</b> 80,000<br />
<br />
<b>PITCH:</b></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After goddess-born, NYC socialite Pandia
travels through time, she convinces Julius Caesar to ditch politics for
gardening, altering his destiny. As punishment, her father, Zeus, sentences her
to mortality in ancient Pompeii. Pandia must show she’s changed, but a
gladiator’s proving tempting and Mt. Vesuvius is rumbling.<b><br />
<br />
EXCERPT:</b> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If I hadn’t traveled back in time to attend
that party with Aphrodite, I wouldn’t have met Julius Caesar. Jules wouldn’t
have taken my advice to ditch politics for gardening, and I wouldn’t be in deep
shit with my father, Zeus.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I took a fortifying breath, yanked down my red
crop top, and swept into the Great Hall. My father and step-mother sat in
gilded thrones at the end of the room, wearing tropical clothing and matching
scowls on their tanned faces.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As I strode through the pillared aisle leading
to the receiving area, the click-click-click of my heels echoed in the
stillness surrounding me. Normally, gods packed the aisle and the alcoves
between the pillars, chatting as they waited for a word with my father. The fact
that it was just me, Dad, and Hera was ominous.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I halted before the dais and tried not to
squirm under Dad’s white-hot gaze. His silver hair stuck up in all directions,
as if he’d raked his hands through it.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A frown deepened the lines on his face. “Pandia,”
he said without his usual greeting. “You’ve done it again.”</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hera smirked and clutched the arms of her
throne with fingers like talons.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sunlight streamed through the stained glass
windows, creating colorful patterns on the marble tiles. I traced an outline
with my peep-toe Louboutin and avoided his eyes. “Could you be more specific?”</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Julius.” He sighed like the weight of a
planet rested on his shoulders. “When will you stop fooling around with
notorious mortals?”</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-28723369985143849272014-01-21T23:54:00.000-05:002014-01-21T23:54:07.639-05:00Pitch Wars ALT: LL-10 THE THINGS BETWEEN<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>MENTOR:</b> Amy Reichert<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>ALTERNATE:</b> Ellen Brock<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>TITLE:</b> The Things Between<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>GENRE:</b> Soft Science Fiction<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>WORD COUNT:</b> 85,000<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>PITCH:</b> A man
who is legally dead, a street kid, and the guardian of a disturbed child must
band together to stop a man who can manipulate dreams.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">EXCERPT: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">She was
a child. An infant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Wally
stood with his fists shaking at his sides, staring down at the baby curled up
on the ground. He had seen many people die, had even helped facilitate most of
those deaths, but he had never harmed a child. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">His
brother Frank stood beside him, a broad grin on his face. They had been looking
for someone like this, and she was better than they had expected. Her energy
pulsed through the dream as if charged by electricity. It was a sensation
neither Frank nor Wally had ever felt from another dreamer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Wally
stared down at the child. Her dream was nothing more than brown and red blurs
accompanied by the sound of a beating heart. She had nothing to dream about
yet, and it struck Wally how untainted she was, how innocent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Frank
put his hands on his hips and sighed. “We're going to have to go through her
parents since she can't tell us where she lives.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Wally
nodded, as enthusiastic as ever, but looking down at the girl, a naked pink
infant unmarred by the outside world, he wanted to tell Frank no. For the first
time in twenty-five years, he thought about what he was doing, what his brother
was doing, how they used people and then threw them away. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Frank
pulled back towards consciousness. “Let's go,” he said, flickering for just a
moment before disappearing from the infant's dream. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">But
Wally didn't follow. Without his brother there to tell him what to do, to get
angry at him for sympathizing, he bent down and picked up the infant. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-7141594869528955162014-01-21T23:52:00.000-05:002014-01-22T08:17:07.985-05:00Pitch Wars ALT: LL-11 SWEET NOTHING<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">MENTOR:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Nazarea Andrews<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">ALTERNATE:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Portia Moore<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">TITLE:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Sweet Nothing <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">CATEGORY/GENRE:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">NA Contemporary Romance <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">WORD
COUNT: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">68,000<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">PITCH:</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Lauren was thrilled Cal gave her his his body, heart and his last name. The thing is, it wasn't his to give. It all belongs to a man named Clay and he has no idea Lauren or Cal exists.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">EXCERPT:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Here he comes. My very own Prince Fucking Charming, Cal Scott. He walks
in and his eyes quickly skim the packed suitcase in my hand and briefly rest on
my face. He lets out an exasperated sigh, places his keys on the table, and
takes off his coat. His eyes fall on the empty bottle of wine I finished today,
and a smirk spreads across his face before he walks past me and into the living
room. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I’m not
surprised by his lack of response. It’s expected, but it hurts all the same. He
regards me more like his personal high-class escort than his wife.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I clutch my
suitcase, full of the very few things that are mine. He can keep the cars, the
money, and the penthouse—the things he believes should comfort me in my
loneliness. All the material things in the world can’t make up for the growing
disconnect between us. I glance down at the four-carat yellow diamond on my
finger. It’s a beautiful but painful reminder of the vows he broke.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I look over at
him, now slouched on the couch with a self-assured cocky grin plastered on his
face, the same cocky grin he was wearing the day I met him. I walk into the
living room. He’s watching a basketball game on his obnoxiously big television
screen like he hasn’t a care in the world.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-86854257089169002432014-01-21T23:50:00.000-05:002014-01-21T23:50:35.271-05:00Pitch Wars ALT: LL-12 THE LIGHTNING CITY<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>MENTOR: </b>Nazarea
Andrews <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>ALTERNATE: </b>Heather
Lynn<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>TITLE: The </b>Lightning
City <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>CATEGORY/GENRE: </b>NA
Sci-fi <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">WORD COUNT</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">91,000<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">PITCH: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In the
Lightning City, being a magical wielder is illegal. Ilya, a young policeman and
wielder, wants to change that and goes after the powerful magical mafia – if
his own side doesn’t arrest him first.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">EXCERPT: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Ilya steadies the needle over his arm – it’s a liquid silver mosquito
ready to bite him. The metallic taste floods his mouth, coating his tongue. And
the needle isn’t even in yet. But he’s sweating, his palms are slick. It’s
still gonna hurt like a sonofabitch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The syringe is filled
with metallic poison, after all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">He lays his arm flat on
the table – a dumpster dive find. He’s added a few instruments that don’t come
standard -- like several shackles to hold him in place. He stretches his right
arm flat, flexing his muscles, the vein jumping out. Outside dogs are barking,
on the floor above him, bass reverberates through the ceiling, and down the
hallway a couple shouts at each other. When he presses the needle into his arm,
his scream goes unnoticed. His arm spasms, but the restraints do their job. His
mouth floods with the acerbic taste of iron. After the injection, his veins are
silvery tattoos. They darken to black before fading away and sliding back into
his body.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Existing shouldn’t be
illegal – but his is. With each thump of his heart, the iron invades his body,
extinguishing each spark of magic. Ferrous is a banned substance, illegal to
make, to use, and to own. It’s almost as bad as being a magic wielder to begin
with. At least using the ferrous is his choice – even if it makes him doubly
screwed.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-92011221637441736092014-01-21T23:48:00.001-05:002014-01-21T23:48:32.416-05:00Pitch Wars ALT: LL-13 ENTHRALLED<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MENTOR:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Tina Moss<br />
<b>ALTERNATE: </b>Luisa M. Perkins<br />
<b>TITLE:</b> Enthralled<br />
<b>CATEGORY/GENRE:</b> Contemporary Fantasy<br />
<b>WORD COUNT:</b> 89,000<br />
<br />
<b>PITCH: <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Una’s sick of being someone else’s magical battery pack.
Fighting both her mother’s powerful hexes and her abusive fiancé, Una will do
whatever it takes to be free—even accept the unlikely help of Tom, her mother’s
bounty hunter. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
EXCERPT:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Port
Authority Bus Station, Manhattan<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The symptoms hit Una sooner than she had calculated. She had
to get on that bus—fast.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She dug her fingers into her waist as cramps twisted through
her gut. Stumbling at the accompanying dizziness, she leaned a hand on the
soot-stained wall—then snatched it away and wiped it on her jeans. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She was moving too slowly. She forced herself not to check
over her shoulder yet again. That would only attract attention she couldn’t
afford. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At Gate 58, Una pushed open the door and exhaled shakily.
The express bus to Kingston idled in the depths of the massive parking garage.
If she could get on it and make it through the first stages of thrall
withdrawal, she’d be free.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Once on board, she knuckled sweat out of her eyes and bit
off a moan. She just needed a little space to curl up alone so she could fight
through this. But as she staggered down the aisle, it seemed like every eye was
on her—hostile, suspicious. She knew she looked like a common junkie. Maybe the
bus had been a bad idea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Near the back, Una found someone who wasn’t staring. He
glanced up with a polite half-smile, but immediately returned his attention to
his book. He looked like her best chance of being ignored. That cinched it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She slipped into the seat and slid her knapsack off her
shoulders. She gritted her teeth against the bile rising in her throat and
peered past her neighbor out the dusty window. Just a few more hours, Una. You
can do this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-53213098938545465012014-01-21T23:46:00.000-05:002014-01-21T23:46:25.556-05:00Pitch Wars ALT: LL-14 A BREATH OF SILVER<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MENTOR:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Tina Moss<br />
<b>ALTERNATE: </b>Cheyenne Campbell<br />
<b>TITLE:</b> A Breath of Silver<br />
<b>CATEGORY/GENRE:</b> YA/NA Fantasy (time-travel)<br />
<b>WORD COUNT:</b> 100,000<br />
<br /><br />
<b>PITCH: <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In 2165, when historian Bryn MacBride uncovers a conspiracy
regarding her idyllic town’s dark past, she seeks help through the forgotten
London Underground. Outside Cimmeria for the first time, she emerges in 1692.
In the Scottish Highlands, her ancestors wield ley lines, and a link between
the Glencoe Massacre and Cimmeria’s origins. To return with help, Bryn must
untangle her history — and relinquish her newfound freedom. <b>
<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
EXCERPT:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I never entered the Ruins for anything other than research,
but that day, I made an exception. As Sod’s law would have it, this turned into
a complete cockup. My boots pounded the gravel as I darted through the fence
separating town’s cottage rows and sculpture-dotted promenades from the acrid
haze. Weekly research expeditions built my tolerance to the Ruins’
psychological residue and resultant disorientation, but Tessah and Hyde had no
such tolerance. Racing across the melted landscape, I swore for the fifth time
in as many minutes. If anything happened to them, I’d never forgive myself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tessah was practically my kid sister, and I’d planned on
distracting her with our recent discovery – the second-largest pre-Meltdown
structure on record. Hyde brought packed lunches, and if Tessah’s father hadn’t
been cremated hours earlier, it might’ve been a rip-roaring afternoon. But the
damn kids snuck ahead, and now I envisioned them swallowed by treacherous mists
like other Cimmerians down the years. Like my own father.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I negotiated Sector Four, where last week I’d unearthed a
rare specimen: a 20<sup>th</sup>-century jar, intact. Thrilled at the time, now
I could only consider its uncanny resemblance to the vase holding Tessah’s
father in particle form atop his wife’s mantelpiece. Pressing onward, I swore
again, vehemently deciding on two fundamental absolutes in life. One: I would
never voluntarily fit into a vase; and two: marriage was complete and utter
bollocks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-35577908015722333432014-01-21T23:45:00.000-05:002014-01-22T09:09:30.434-05:00Pitch Wars ALT: LL-15 YOU'LL BE THINKING OF ME<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>MENTOR:</b>
Elizabeth Penney<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>ALTERNATE:</b>
Densie Webb<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>TITLE:</b>
You’ll Be Thinking of Me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>CATEGORY/GENRE:
</b>WF with elements of romance and suspense<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>WORD
COUNT:</b> 93,000<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>PITCH:</b> Rachael
Allen’s chance encounter with actor Mick Sullivan and an impromptu video trigger an improbable fairytale romance marred
by threats and obsessive love. A stalker leaves a bittersweet gift
behind and Rachael’s HEA comes at a price. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Excerpt:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">She
was attractive. At least, it registered that way in his alcohol-soaked brain.
Blond. He preferred brunettes, but he was experiencing a unique brand of
loneliness after weeks of nonstop traveling. He had been antsy, unwilling to
give himself over to sleep and the inevitable nightmares, so he came downstairs
to the Austin hotel bar and made his way to the corner booth unnoticed. He
ordered a beer, then another, and another, as he fixated on the photo shoot
from earlier that day. No one had told him he was going to have to strip down.
When he took off his shirt, the dick photographer with the ponytail announced,
“Dude, where’s the six-pack? Oh, well, we’ll retouch it later. And can somebody
cover up Snow White? I thought you had lasered that thing,” he said, pointing
to the tattoo on his unchiseled chest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">His
thoughts were interrupted by her voice. “Mind if I join you?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: 1.0in 1.5in 2.0in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">His
eyes at half-mast, he blinked against the lights over the bar. “Sure, have a
seat,” he said, his tongue thick with alcohol. “I’m Mick Sullivan.” She had no
visible reaction as she slid into the booth beside him. He had lucked upon a
woman—a hot one no less—who had never heard of him. She wanted to keep him
company, not scream at him, grab him, touch the hem of his coat. That crap, he
could get any time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">He
waved to the bartender and ordered her a beer, but her warm hand on his thigh
told him what she really wanted. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-6231084561736470652013-12-01T00:34:00.000-05:002013-12-01T00:34:21.665-05:00#PitchWars: Down to the WirePitch War submissions open tomorrow at 12:01am. Are you ready? Make sure you read the <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-submission-guidelines/" target="_blank">submission guidelines</a> from top to bottom. All of them. And then follow them. Precisely. Also, while it's not explicitly stated, my preferred font is New Times Roman.<br />
<br />
This is my first Pitch Wars so I'm not entirely sure how things are going to break down. I did Pitch Wars last year as a reader for Agent Boss. I know there were ninety-nine entries and I read every single one. Despite knowing that there were even more entries that didn't make it through, part of me is still worried my inbox will be bare.<br />
<br />
I do have a plan if I get entries. It involves a spreadsheet. I know, I know, you're shocked, right? I do so love my spreadsheets. Once I narrow it down to my top choices, I will be asking to see the first three chapters and possibly the synopsis as well. I have to be honest, though, I am not sure I'll be sending feedback to each entry. It depends on how many people submit to me. I'd want to be able to send it out in a timely manner and I don't want to promise something I can't deliver. Watch my twitter feed during Evaluation Week. I'll probably be tweeting quite a bit.<br />
<br />
My wishlist was culled from things that the participating agents have said they wanted to see, with one or two personal preferences thrown in. However, the only thing that you really need to follow is what I don't want to see (mainly horror and despicable immoral behavior). I am going to read every single entry sent my way so long as it's an Adult or New Adult manuscript. If the writing is amazing, I am going to give the manuscript serious consideration, regardless if it's a romance or not, but I will respond more favorably to certain genres than other. For example, if you have a hard-boiled mystery, there are four other mentors that would likely be a better fit for it than me, but there's nothing stopping you from rolling the dice and submitting to me anyway.<br />
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Genre-aside, I'm primarily going to be looking for writing that grabs me and something that I can work with. I'm also going to be looking for any red flags, like, a word count that is ridiculously long for commercial fiction (i.e. above 90k) or typos. If your sample has typos in it, that's going to be a major, major issue for me because in my mind, you've had ample time to go over those five pages with a fine-toothed comb. Sending me something with a typo tells me you either didn't care enough to edit properly or you didn't realize it was a typo. I seriously cannot stress enough how much I don't want to see typos in those five pages.<br />
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I think that expands a bit on what I've posted before and covers some of the things I've been asked on Twitter. If there's anything you're curious about, this is your last chance to ask! Better to find out now rather than after you pressed send. Leave me a comment and I'll get back to you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-68228253386815019522013-11-30T21:20:00.000-05:002013-11-30T21:20:29.577-05:00#PitchWars: Suggested ReadingsWith Pitch Wars submissions opening just two days away, I've been compiling some articles, blog entries, and essays that you may wish to peruse as you put the finishing touches on your entries.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b>On Writing</b></u></div>
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Baker's Dozen Slush Reader Jodi Meadows: <a href="http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2013/11/12/common-problems-with-beginnings/">Common Problems with Beginnings</a></div>
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Samhain Publishing: <a href="http://www.samhainpublishing.com/2013/10/common-markups/">Common Mark-Ups</a></div>
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Agent Janet Reid: <a href="http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/2013/10/question-how-good-is-good-enough.html">How Good is Good Enough?</a></div>
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Pitch Wars Mentor Jaye Robin Brown: <a href="http://jayerobinbrown.blogspot.com/2013/11/are-online-pitch-contests-for-you.html" target="_blank">Are Online Pitch Contests For You?</a></div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b>On Social Media</b></u></div>
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Pitch Wars Mentor Erica Chapman: <a href="http://ericamchapman.blogspot.com/2013/10/social-media-you-basics.html">Social Media & You: The Basics</a></div>
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Self-Published Author Leigh Ann Kopans: <a href="http://leighannkopans.blogspot.com/2013/02/publishing-101-working-on-your-platform.html" target="_blank">Publishing 101: Working on Your Platform</a></div>
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Lifehacked: <a href="http://www.livehacked.com/platforms/social-media/" target="_blank">The Ultimate Social Media Guide for Writers</a></div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b>On Submission</b></u></div>
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Dahlia Andrews: <a href="http://dailydahlia.wordpress.com/2013/08/23/on-querying-and-subbing-simultaneously/" target="_blank">On Querying and Subbing Simultaneously</a> </div>
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Author Ilona Andrews: <a href="http://www.ilona-andrews.com/business-of-writing/queries-common-issues">Queries: Common Issues</a></div>
<div>
Agent Janet Reid: <a href="http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/2013/10/10-things-to-do-while-agents-dawdle.html">10 Things to Do While Agents Dawdle Around with your full manuscript</a></div>
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Pitch Wars Agent Agent Carly Watters: <a href="http://carlywatters.com/2013/04/08/what-are-agents-looking-for-in-a-writer/">What are agents looking for in a writer?</a></div>
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Ilona Andrews: <a href="http://www.ilona-andrews.com/old-blog/do-i-need-an-agent-2" target="_blank">Do I Need an Agent?</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b>On Pitch Wars</b></u></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.rachelhorwitz.com/blog/2013/11/23/guest-post-pitchwars-advice/" target="_blank">Pitch Wars Advice</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://commutinggirl.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/what-i-learned-last-year-from-pitchwars/" target="_blank">What I Learned from Last Year's Pitch Wars</a></div>
<div>
<a href="http://everydayperformance.wordpress.com/2013/01/29/pitchwars-round-up-data-driven-edition/" target="_blank">Pitch Wars Round-Up: Data-Driven Edition</a><br />
<a href="http://hopelessya.blogspot.com/2012/11/heyguys-there-was-spontaneous-q-session.html?m=1" target="_blank">2012 #PitchWars #askmentor Answers</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-23017332756772329982013-11-24T11:07:00.001-05:002013-11-24T11:08:23.044-05:00#PitchWars: Checking InThis blog has gotten so many visitors over the last four days, thanks to Pitch Wars, that I felt like I should check-in or something. By now, all the revisions on your manuscript should be complete and you should be making a short list of possible mentors. Pitch Wars entrants will be able to submit the first five pages of your manuscript to four different mentors on December 2nd. Go to Brenda's blog for the complete listing of <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-mentor-wishlist-bloghop-submission-guidelines/" target="_blank">submission rules</a>.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
Now's the time to get to know the mentors. A lot of us are on Twitter (I'm <a href="https://twitter.com/lionessbkshelf" target="_blank">@lionessbkshelf</a>) and we can often be found hanging out on the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23PitchWars&src=hash&f=realtime" target="_blank">#PitchWars</a> hashtag. I really encourage you to peruse the tag because we mentors are a witty bunch. Check out<a href="https://twitter.com/SP_McConnell" target="_blank"> S.P. McConnell</a>'s and <a href="https://twitter.com/BookOmnivore" target="_blank">Fiona McLaren</a>'s <a href="https://twitter.com/SP_McConnell/status/403548163266473984" target="_blank">trash talk</a>, in a way that could only be done by book lovers. I've been answering a lot of 'What do you think about X genre' questions and I've been trying to answer them very honestly and seriously because I want all y'all to get an idea of what it'd be like to have me as a mentor.</div>
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I also had to defend my geek cred. </div>
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You know what they say, no pix, no proof. Sooo...</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErFEsDUHiYybSCfOOSrVUlsn193SZagW3LDZD6aDKjq9KrvsjSd7COrEkN_LrXyeOFtzwDfRkKBK3uHxxPo2ABP8U6JfzkxtV5Y9WuvJNM3CcPqoA7fI2mEri-t7IWZ-pwXNSC8itWb3q/s1600/jwismmn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErFEsDUHiYybSCfOOSrVUlsn193SZagW3LDZD6aDKjq9KrvsjSd7COrEkN_LrXyeOFtzwDfRkKBK3uHxxPo2ABP8U6JfzkxtV5Y9WuvJNM3CcPqoA7fI2mEri-t7IWZ-pwXNSC8itWb3q/s320/jwismmn.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm wearing it as I type this entry.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have a Joss Whedon action figure too! Anyways, I pretty much bought this shirt as soon as <a href="http://pvponline.com/news/who-is-our-master-now">Scott Kurtz</a> released it so mine has the <a href="http://pvponline.com/">PvP</a> logo on the back, but you can buy a newer version with a slant-ier logo <a href="http://www.welovefine.com/6005-joss.html#.UpIZfxqUHW8">here.</a> Action figure not included.<br />
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If you can't pick just four out of the wonderful bunch in your category, be sure to participate in the scavenger hunt/word jumble for a shot at earning a fifth mentor slot. Five lucky contestants will win the chance to submit to five mentors instead of four, if they correctly solve the puzzle and submit the answer by November 30th. For the rules and the puzzle, go <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/2013/11/great-pitch-wars-mentor-search-extra-mentor-applications-grabs/">here</a>. My clue is on my wishlist, but you have to pay attention to find it; Brenda couldn't even find it the first time she looked. </div>
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I will probably post another blog entry or two before the 2nd (it'll be an early Christmas miracle!), but in the meantime, if you have <i>any</i> questions, please ask them now. Comment here or tweet me. I also want to reiterate, because I think some of you are getting blinded by my Whedonism, I am only mentoring <b>Adult </b>and <b>New Adult</b> manuscripts. If you send me Young Adult or Middle Grade, they will be deleted and you will have wasted one of your mentor slots. So do your homework and remember, "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_Gold_(Firefly)">small, concealable weapons always go to the far left of the place setting</a>." </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-14967093052288015392013-11-20T14:14:00.000-05:002013-11-20T19:49:38.367-05:00#PitchWars: The Mentors by CategoryHello all! These are the Pitch Wars mentors sorted by the categories they've chosen to mentor. Each link leads back to their wishlist, so be sure to click in order to get specifics on what they're looking for.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b>Middle Grade</b></u></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.teeneyeseditorial.com/my-pitch-wars-wishlist/" target="_blank">Brent Taylor</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mariekenijkamp.com/musings/?page_id=2211" target="_blank">Marieke Nijkamp</a><br />
<a href="http://www.jenmalonewrites.com/2013/11/mentor-here-get-your-mentor-here.html" target="_blank">Jennifer Malone</a><br />
<a href="http://i-am-so-grateful.blogspot.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-mentor-bio-wishlist-and-list.html" target="_blank">Veronica Bartles</a><br />
<a href="http://joymcculloughcarranza.blogspot.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-pick-me-pick-me.html" target="_blank">Joy McCullough-Carranza</a><br />
<a href="http://www.jenswanndowney.com/" target="_blank">Jen Swann Downey</a><br />
<a href="http://gailecn.blogspot.com/2013/11/pick-me-pick-me-pick-me-aka-my.html" target="_blank">Gail Nall</a><br />
<a href="http://www.naomihughes.net/1/post/2013/11/my-bio-and-wishlist.html" target="_blank">Naomi Hughes</a><br />
<a href="http://1fantasyfairy.blogspot.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-about-me-and-submission.html" target="_blank">Shannon Duffy</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>Young Adult</u></b></div>
<br />
<a href="http://coracarmack.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-one-where-you-can-work-with-me.html" target="_blank">Cora Carmack</a><br />
<a href="http://www.elizabethbriggs.net/2013/11/pitch-wars-2013-pick-me-as-your-coach.html" target="_blank">Elizabeth Briggs</a><br />
<a href="http://www.shelleywatters.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-bio-and-wish-list.html" target="_blank">Shelley Watters</a> (Romance only)<br />
<a href="http://ericamchapman.blogspot.com/2013/11/its-pitchwars.html" target="_blank">Erica Chapman</a><br />
<a href="http://mollyelizabethlee.blogspot.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-mentors-and-my-bio-wish-list.html" target="_blank">Molly Lee</a><br />
<a href="http://www.lindseysprague.com/1/post/2013/11/mentor-14-pitch-wars-bio.html" target="_blank">Lindsey Sprague</a><br />
<a href="http://meganwhitmer.blogspot.com/2013/11/my-pitch-wars-wish-list-aka-pick-me.html" target="_blank">Megan Whitmer</a><br />
<a href="http://andtheworldsaidthatstoobad.blogspot.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-mentor-wishlist_19.html" target="_blank">Michelle Painchaud</a><br />
<a href="http://yabookcase.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/mentor-wish-lists-pitch-wars.html" target="_blank">Fiona McLaren</a><br />
<a href="http://monibw.blogspot.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-is-here-my-mentor-bio-and.html" target="_blank">Monica Bustamante-Wagner</a><br />
<a href="http://www.skylardorset.com/pitch-wars-about-me-and-submissions-information/" target="_blank">Skylar Dorset</a><br />
<a href="http://meredithmccardle.com/blog/blog/1292" target="_blank">Meredith McCardle</a><br />
<a href="http://jayerobinbrown.blogspot.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-is-here-and-i-want-you-to.html" target="_blank">Jaye Robin Brown</a><br />
<a href="http://dcmorin.blogspot.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-i-want-all-reads-heres-why.html" target="_blank">Dannie Morin</a><br />
<a href="http://www.staceyhlee.com/blog/pitchwars-mentor-bios-waves-hi-im-stacey-lee/" target="_blank">Stacey Lee</a><br />
<a href="http://ballatoreacademy.net/pitchwars.html" target="_blank">S.P. McConnell</a><br />
<a href="http://natalietraver.blogspot.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-2014.html" target="_blank">Natalie Knaub</a><br />
<a href="http://jessie-humphries.blogspot.com/2013/11/pitch-wars.html" target="_blank">Jessie Humphries</a><br />
<a href="http://mysticcooking.wordpress.com/2013/11/19/my-pitch-wars-wish-list-pick-me-to-be-your-mentor/" target="_blank">Stephanie Garber</a><br />
<a href="http://trishaleaver.blogspot.com/2013/11/let-pitch-wars-begin.html" target="_blank">Trisha Leaver</a><br />
<a href="http://www.lorigoldsteinbooks.com/2013/11/20/i-wanna-be-your-pitchwars-mentor/" target="_blank">Lori Goldstein</a><br />
<a href="http://www.evelynehrlich.com/pitch-wars/" target="_blank">Evelyn Ehrlich</a><br />
<a href="http://www.rinchupeco.com/#!/join-the-pitch-wars-contest-information-and-why-you-should-pick-me/" target="_blank">Rin Chupeco</a><br />
<a href="http://lindsaycurrie.com/blog/2013/11/18/its-finally-here-pitch-wars-wishlist" target="_blank">Lindsay Currie</a><br />
<a href="http://literatureandlaura.wordpress.com/2013/11/20/pitch-wars-wishlist-bio-and-participating-agents/" target="_blank">Laura Tims</a><br />
<a href="http://dianagallagher.blogspot.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-about-me-wish-list.html" target="_blank">Diana Gallagher</a><br />
<a href="http://www.sarahnicolas.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-my-wishlist.html" target="_blank">Sarah Nicolas</a><br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b>New Adult</b></u></div>
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<a href="http://coracarmack.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-one-where-you-can-work-with-me.html" target="_blank">Cora Carmack</a><br />
<a href="http://www.ladylionessden.com/2013/11/pitchwars-my-wishlist.html" target="_blank">Agent Assistant Lioness (aka ME)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.shelleywatters.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-bio-and-wish-list.html" target="_blank">Shelley Watters</a> (Romance only)<br />
<a href="http://www.tinamoss.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-mentor-ninja-bio.html" target="_blank">Tina Moss</a><br />
<a href="http://minavaughn.com/post/67001069312/mina-vaughn-vampire-spanker-and-pitch-wars-mentor" target="_blank">Mina Vaughn</a><br />
<a href="http://www.skylardorset.com/pitch-wars-about-me-and-submissions-information/" target="_blank">Skylar Dorset</a><br />
<a href="http://dcmorin.blogspot.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-i-want-all-reads-heres-why.html" target="_blank">Dannie Morin</a><br />
<a href="http://www.staceyhlee.com/blog/pitchwars-mentor-bios-waves-hi-im-stacey-lee/" target="_blank">Stacey Lee</a><br />
<a href="http://nazarea-andrews.blogspot.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-bio-agents-and-wish-list.html" target="_blank">Nazarea Andrews</a><br />
<a href="http://veronicaparkauthor.com/2013/11/20/pitch-wars-2013-veronica-parks-mentor-bio/" target="_blank">Veronica Parks</a><br />
<a href="http://trishaleaver.blogspot.com/2013/11/let-pitch-wars-begin.html" target="_blank">Trisha Leaver</a><br />
<a href="http://juliesondradecker.blogspot.com/2013/11/pick-me-for-pitch-wars.html" target="_blank">Julie Sondra Decker</a><br />
<a href="http://dianagallagher.blogspot.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-about-me-wish-list.html" target="_blank">Diana Gallagher</a><br />
<a href="http://www.sarahnicolas.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-my-wishlist.html" target="_blank">Sarah Nicolas</a><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>Adult</u></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.heatherwebbauthor.com/2013/11/20/pitchwars-why-you-want-me-as-your-mentor/" target="_blank">Heather Webb</a><br />
<a href="http://www.ladylionessden.com/2013/11/pitchwars-my-wishlist.html" target="_blank">Agent Assistant Lioness (aka ME)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.susanspann.com/?p=3813" target="_blank">Susan Spann</a><br />
<a href="http://www.shelleywatters.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-bio-and-wish-list.html" target="_blank">Shelley Watters</a> (Romance only)<br />
<a href="http://www.tinamoss.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-mentor-ninja-bio.html" target="_blank">Tina Moss</a><br />
<a href="http://sarahhenningwriter.tumblr.com/post/67541523643/pitch-wars-what-im-looking-for" target="_blank">Sarah Henning</a><br />
<a href="http://minavaughn.com/post/67001069312/mina-vaughn-vampire-spanker-and-pitch-wars-mentor" target="_blank">Mina Vaughn</a><br />
<a href="http://penmad.blogspot.com/2013/11/pitchwars-mentor-bio.html" target="_blank">Elizabeth Penney</a><br />
<a href="http://nazarea-andrews.blogspot.com/2013/11/pitch-wars-bio-agents-and-wish-list.html" target="_blank">Nazarea Andrews</a><br />
<a href="http://juliesondradecker.blogspot.com/2013/11/pick-me-for-pitch-wars.html" target="_blank">Julie Sondra Decker</a><br />
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And, of course, the hostess with the mostess, <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/" target="_blank">Brenda Drake</a>!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-894616375364715211.post-59985886442391685692013-11-20T07:55:00.000-05:002013-11-20T21:59:47.364-05:00#PitchWars: My WishlistMan, I thought writing my bio was hard. I'm going to be mentoring in the Adult and New Adult categories, and I wanted to just be like,<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrFrGxrzak57CpWGjggwkHfD_3NdI29IaGLhyphenhyphena1WKMpV6BbVp9TFB6X98SaHiYH0D8laebkhy9hK-orPfMYz6vvZFSK4bzhtOhdqp_lWZsKu5O09t5zrHA8NbieWK1wmLEUtoYUxj7M8e/s1600/pitchall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrFrGxrzak57CpWGjggwkHfD_3NdI29IaGLhyphenhyphena1WKMpV6BbVp9TFB6X98SaHiYH0D8laebkhy9hK-orPfMYz6vvZFSK4bzhtOhdqp_lWZsKu5O09t5zrHA8NbieWK1wmLEUtoYUxj7M8e/s320/pitchall.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Original art <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 14.545454025268555px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">©</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 14.545454025268555px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Allie Brosh<b>*</b></span></span></span></td></tr>
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But I was pretty sure that would rate a disapproving look from Brenda and, perhaps, shunning by the other mentors. So then I decided to look at the agents' websites to see what they wanted to see as well as the <a href="http://agentandeditorwishlist.tumblr.com/archive" target="_blank">Agent and Editor Wishlist</a> Tumblr. I managed to narrow it down to Some of the Things.<br />
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Here's what I don't want: no horror, cannibalism, evil zombies, incest, child abuse, animal abuse, pedophilia, necrophilia, or anything that goes beyond taboo and into despicable. I also do best with books that have a happy ending, whether it be happy forever or happy for right now. The book can be full of struggles and angst, so long as I have the comfort of knowing everything will turn out all right by the end. </div>
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Moving onto my area of expertise, I am best with romances (big shocker there, huh?) and, more specifically, paranormals. I do read pretty much anything that has a romantic element in there somewhere, regardless of overall genre. However, if you have something that you think isn't my usual fare, but you're sure I'm the perfect fit because Joss Whedon is your Master <a href="http://pvponline.com/comic/2005/05/10/tue-may-10/" target="_blank">too</a>, submit it to me anyway. </div>
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Now, onto, my wishlist with specifics (these are my dream plots; if you have any romance-y book, please consider submitting to me!):</div>
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<u>My 'I Wanna Read This' Wishlist</u></div>
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<li>Urban fantasy along the lines of Ilona Andrews or Patricia Briggs, but with a different twist. Also, a modern-day Buffy book, complete with quirky humor.</li>
<li>Thriller/Mystery/Romantic Suspense/Military Romance centering on a realistic plot ripped from today's headlines like global warming, genetically modified foods, superstorms, or honeybee extinctions. </li>
<li>Magical Realism Contemporary, something like <i>Eureka</i>, but where it's magic instead of technology. </li>
<li>Contemporary NA that focuses more on the college side of life or a long-distance relationship where they email during the semesters and reconnect during breaks. </li>
<li>Science-Fiction with strong female characters and ethnically diverse characters. Think <i>Voyager</i>'s cast with <i>TNG</i>'s storylines. </li>
<li>Contemporary NA involving a quarter-life crisis.</li>
<li>Steampunk set in America, where things diverged after Ben Franklin discovered electricity. </li>
<li>Any paranormal romance, but it shouldn't feel like a clone of what's already been published. </li>
<li>In any commercial genre, a book inspired by a gender-swapped fairy-tale. For example, a gender-swapped, sci-fic, Cinderella: He's the lowly grunt on his step-father's ship and she's the highly-decorated captain looking for a second in command. A fantasy-esque Swan Princess: He's cursed by the sorcerer because the Big Bad wants the heroine for himself, but she says F that and sets off on an epic quest to rescue the hero. </li>
<li>Erotica. I would love a true mmf menage, a la Lauren Dane's <u>Laid Bare</u>. Also, something with a risque edge to it, like exhibitionism or voyagerism. I'd particularly like to see a NA erotica, but all parties should definitely be over eighteen and, to be the most marketable, they should ideally be at least twenty. No bestiality or water sports please. MM or FF is fine, but I don't have a lot of experience with FF materials. </li>
<li>Contemporary romance where the main couple are/were contestants on a Voice-type reality show and their relationship starts to develop during filming, or if they were child contestants together twenty years ago and reconnected during a reunion special. </li>
<li>Space Western, i.e. <i>Firefly</i> in book form, but it shouldn't read like <i>Firefly</i> fanfiction. </li>
<li>A 'contemporary' that is set fifty years from now and is futuristic without being dystopian. </li>
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I'm going to stop myself here because I could go on. In general, I'm looking for something I haven't read before. I've read over 300 books this year alone so I want something fresh with an unique voice. I'd also prefer books that aren't completely white-washed. I live in white suburbia where there wasn't a single black person in my graduating high school class, but I still have people of various ethnicities, and sexual orientation for that matter, in my life. I'm not saying I want cultural stereotypes, just not a book full of straight white people. The only exception here is if your book is a historical or has some other setting where cultures wouldn't mix. </div>
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I hope between the wishlist and my bio, you now have an idea if I could be the mentor for you. Follow Brenda's <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/" target="_blank">blog</a> for more details on how to submit when submissions open on December 2nd. In the meantime, if you have any general, non-pitchy, questions, the comments are open! </div>
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*Graphic was taken from Allie's hilarious Hyperbole and a Half blog entry, <a href="http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-is-why-ill-never-be-adult.html" target="_blank">This is Why I'll Never Be an Adult</a>, This entry was also reprinted in Allie's book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hyperbole-Half-Unfortunate-Situations-Mechanisms/dp/1451666179/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1384836317&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened</a>. I gave it <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/743453351" target="_blank">5 stars</a> on GoodReads. </div>
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