Mentee Name: J.A. Ward
Title: KEEP YOUR EYES ON ME
Category: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Word Count: 70,000
Pitch:
Desperate to atone for the life he ended in a car accident, seventeen-year-old Roland stakes out on a bridge infamous for suicide in hopes he can save a life and find closure. When he meets a troubled girl named Cassie, he believes he’s finally found someone to save – and love. But the secret source of her pain could lead them both back to the bridge – and over the edge.
Excerpt:
Three months ago I watched a stranger die, so I know what death looks like. In fact, I remember what it sounds like, what it feels like, too. That’s how I know the disheveled guy sprawled across the back aisle of Greenbrook’s Gas Mart is, most certainly, not dead.
There’s no blood on his clothes, just a film of dirty paint spackle on his jeans and a yellowing stain on the back of his wrinkled white T-shirt. He reeks of stale beer and sweat. Nothing like the smell of singed rubber or sunbaked asphalt that tends to rise up in my nightmares of The Accident.
“Dude, you okay?” I nudge his shoulder with my foot. One of his hands stutters in response, fat-knuckled and callused. It triggers the memory of a certain twelve-year-old’s tiny fingers twitching in the fading afternoon light, and I have to look away.
I thought the hardest thing about tonight was going to be avoiding practice with The History of Envy, the garage band I was in that still didn’t seem to grasp the meaning of the word “break.” Little did I know a drunk guy passed out at the mini-mart would be what gets my nerves twitching with guilt. I don’t have time to mess with adults who can’t handle their booze when I’ve got places to be.
Great voice! I’d love to see the first three chapters! Send in an attachment with a query in the body of an email to laura@redsofaliterary.com.
Hi J.A.,
I’d love to read more! Please send the first 50 pgs. to query[at]newleafliterary[dot]com, with the subject line: Pitch Wars Request – Jess.
I’d love to read more! Please send the query plus first 100 pages as a word doc attachment to rachel(at)lperkinsagency(dot)com with “Pitch Wars Request: Title” in the subject line. Thanks!
Please, send the full to uwe@triadaus.com as an MS Word attachment.
Your hero has a great voice. Please send the first three chapters as a .doc attachment, with your query as page one, to furyqueries @ thebentagency.com. For the subject line, put PITCH WARS: YOUR TITLE. Thanks!