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PW #320: Young Adult Dark Fantasy: OUR SHATTERED MASKS

Thursday, 2 November 2017  |  Posted by Brenda Drake

Manuscript status: Finished

Mentor: Rebecca Schaeffer

Mentee: Ellie Luken

Title: OUR SHATTERED MASKS

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Wordcount: 77,000 words

Pitch:

CARAVAL meets THE CURSE WORKERS: Illusionist and con artist Lucia plans a never-before-completed heist –stealing the source of magic from the island of Estaralla. If she succeeds, she’ll be free of her debt to the Silverhands gang. But stealing the source won’t be the hard part. Surviving the murderous island will.

Excerpt:

The way Master Naevian’s brow crinkles says he’s already judged me and found me guilty. Still, I can’t believe, won’t believe I’ve lost until he tells me so himself.

“Good afternoon, Master Naevian.” I bob a small curtsy. Rosana Jandar, which is who I am today, is shy and awkward, so I wobble a little and flash half a smile.

He doesn’t return the smile. The stone walls behind him sweat small trickles of water, and the only sound between us is their steady drip.

Yes, it seems today might be final day of being Rosana Jandar. I can’t say I’m sorry to see her go. It’s been a good run, over a year, and she’s been terribly dull, really, with her awkward bumpkin charm and sincerity.

But this final farewell between my latest identity and whatever shopkeeper I’ve been lying to this time is the most dangerous part of the scam. I need to know who, if anyone, he’s tried to report my illegal sales to.

He’s lined up the last set of pretend Merine luck talismans I sold to him on his scratched counter beside a rusty, dented safe.

“Miss Jandar.” His fingers dance over the line of my jewelry, like he plays a song over them. Outside, they’d glitter, but here, they’re dull as everything else in his dank shop, located a few steps below the street level. “I’m glad to see you.” The thin set of his mouth rather says otherwise.

Filed: PW Entries

18 Comments
  • Kaitlyn Johnson says:

    This sounds great! I’d love to see the full. Please send to https://querymanager.com/query/KaitlynJohnson/Contests with synopsis and PitchWars in the referral blank

  • Uwe Stender says:

    This sounds great. Please, send the full as an MSWord attachment to uwe@triadaus.com Can’t wait to read.

  • Penny Moore says:

    Hi Ellie,

    I’d love to read more! Please email me at penny[at]empireliterary[dot]com. Please put Pitch Wars and your book title in the subject line and attach your full manuscript! Thanks! Looking forward to reading!

    Best,
    Penny

  • I would love to read more! Please send your query, 1-2 page synopsis, and first 100 pages (in an attached word doc.) to queries at azantianlitagency dot com with “PitchWars: TITLE by Name” in the subject line. Thanks!

    I look forward to reading on!

    Jennifer Azantian
    Azantian Literary Agency

  • Hi Ellie,

    I would love to read more!

    Please send your query, 1-2 page synopsis, and first 100 pages (in an attached word doc.) to queries at azantianlitagency dot com with “PitchWars: TITLE by Name” in the subject line. Thanks!

    I look forward to reading on!

    Jennifer Azantian
    Azantian Literary Agency

  • Melissa Edwards says:

    I’d like to see more! Please email the first 50 pp. as a .doc to medwards@stonesong.com. Thank you!

  • Jenny Bent says:

    Please email query and full ms (as an attachment) to info@thebentagency.com, PITCHWARS in subject line. Thanks!

  • This sounds so amazing! What a great opening! I can’t wait to see what happens next — I would love to read the full ms! Please send the full manuscript to suzie@newleafliterary.com attached as a Word document with the query in the first page of the document. Put “PITCH WARS” in the subject. Please also include a dreaded synopsis if you have one. Thank you! Can’t wait to read!

  • Quressa Robinson says:

    I am super invested and would love to read more! I may not be the only agent here at Nelson Literary Agency who wants to read your amazing work! So, please send just one email to query@nelsonagency.com with PITCH WARS UPLOAD in the subject line. We will reply with our upload instructions, and then all the interested NLA agents will read and consider your manuscript. Thank you!”

  • Danielle Burby says:

    This is exactly the kind of project I’m looking for! Please send me the full! I know I’m not the only agent here at Nelson Literary Agency who is excited to read this one so please send just one email to query@nelsonagency.com with PITCH WARS UPLOAD in the subject line. We will reply with our upload instructions, and then all the interested NLA agents will read and consider your manuscript. Thank you!

  • Natascha Morris says:

    OOOOO I love this! Please query me and send your manuscript at QueryMe.online/1067/PitchWars2017. Thank you!

    Best,
    Natascha

  • Amelia Appel says:

    Hi Ellie! I absolutely LOVE your voice, and the premise sounds absolutely fascinating. Please send an email with a query letter, full synopsis, and full manuscript (that last as an attachment) to amelia@triadaus.com, and please include “Pitch Wars” in the subject line. Thank you so much! Can’t wait to read!

  • Roseanne Wells says:

    Yes, yes, please! I need to read this book! Please send the manuscript and a synopsis as Word doc or docx attachments to queryroseanne@gmail.com, and include #Pitchwars in the subject line. I can’t wait to dive in!

    Roseanne Wells
    The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency

  • Elana Roth Parker says:

    Hi! I’d love to read more! Please email me at eparker [at] ldlainc [dot] com:

    * Subject line: PitchWars Submission: YOUR BOOK TITLE
    * Your query letter in the body of the email
    * The full manuscript attached as a Word document

    Thanks!
    Elana

  • Christa Heschke says:

    This sounds incredible! I’d love to read on! Please send the full manuscript to chquery@mcintoshandotis.com and put the title and Pitch Wars request in the subject line.
    –Christa Heschke, McIntosh & Otis

  • This sounds FANTASTIC! I’d love to read more. Could you please send the full manuscript as a word attachment to kristy.hunter@knightagency.net with your query in the body of the email and “Pitch Wars: TITLE” in the subject line? Thanks!

  • Hello, Ellie,

    I would love to keep reading OUR SHATTERED MASKS. Would you please submit your full manuscript to me via this form?

    https://www.literaryagents.io/pitch-wars-submission-form/

    All my best,
    Steven

    Steven Salpeter | Curtis Brown, Ltd. | Ten Astor Place | New York, NY 10003

  • Naomi Davis says:

    Hi! I’m Naomi Davis with Inklings Literary Agency. Can I please see this full manuscript as a Word Doc, with the pitch and any relevant info you would like me to have in the body of the email? Thanks so much!
    Naomi@inklingsliterary.com

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