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Can You Hook a Teen? … Contest Submission Post …

Wednesday, 7 August 2013  |  Posted by Brenda Drake
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Three teen editors on three blogs with three prizes. Win!

Submission Post!

Today, I’m hosting editor Brent Taylor of TEEN EYES EDITORIAL on my blog for the Can You Hook a Teen? contest. 
I’m so excited to have him. Brent edited my middle grade novel and helped me hone my main character’s voice. Having a teen eyes on your work, really helps to get in touch with your audience. I recently signed with my agent on the project he edited. The winner from last year’s contest, Dannie Morin, has now signed with an agent on the project that she worked with Brent on after he chose her for his edit.
The submission window will be Aug 5from 8AM EDT (NY time) to Aug 7 at 11:59 PM EDT (basically, Wednesday night).  See below for a chance to win prizes from the other editors at Teen Eyes Editorial.

Brent Taylor

Brent will judge query letters here on my site. The winner will receive a $100 voucher to use towards any of his editorial services.
This contest is for new adult, young adult, and middle grade manuscripts only.
Enter the query letter for your manuscript in the comments of this post. Here’s how to format them…

Name: Your Name
Title: TITLE OF MANUSCRIPT
Genre: Manuscript’s genre

Your full query letter here.

After you finish, make sure to stop by my co-hosts’ blogs and enter for a chance to win a prize from the other two editors of Teen Eyes Editorial. 

The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment 

Matthew MacNish will host editor Grace Smith who will judge the first page (up to 250 words) of your manuscript. The winner will receive an in-depth critique of 20,000 words. 



Random Notes from Holly Bodger 

Holly Bodger will host editor Julie Daly who will judge logline pitches. The winner will receive a reader report of their full manuscript.

Please be patient. The editors will read the entries during the week and will contact us with the winners.

Here’s the great part, you can enter on one, two, or all three of the blogs for a chance to win the prize on that blog (one prize per person).

You don’t have to follow us on our blogs or on twitter or spread the word to win, but we’d love it if you did. All you have to do is enter in the comments below.

Filed: Contests

57 Comments
  • Dear Agent,

    Sixteen-year-old Sierra Callahan has sworn off church. Three months after losing her aunt and uncle, she must deal with the loss of her dad. Desperate to escape the suffocating memories, what’s left of her family moves to White Falls, Ohio where Sierra meets fellow Junior Alex Sorrentino.

    Alex’s summer plans involved having fun and staying out of trouble, not falling for the new girl.

    Sierra soon discovers something far more dangerous than memories has followed her to White Falls and the only way to protect Alex is to push him away.

    Alex will do whatever it takes to keep her safe, even if it means murder.

    RISE FROM THE ASHES is an 85,000 word YA romantic suspense available upon request.

    Thank you for your time and consideration.

    Sincerely,

    Violet Ingram

  • Good luck everyone!

  • Name: Meredith Mansfield
    Title: Mage Storm
    Genre: MG Fantasy

    When a killer mage storm blows up, catching Rell too far from shelter, he expects to die. Instead, the storm infects him with magic. That’s almost as bad.

    Rell’s dream of doing bigger things than weeding the corn field was more in the line of being allowed to go all the way to Marketown by himself like his big brother, not becoming a mage. Not when the evidence of how not good being a mage can be is right outside his home settlement in the blackened stumps of the Blighted Forest.

    Unless his magic could be used to restore the forest and his family’s orchard. But Rell soon discovers that coming down with magic and knowing how to control it aren’t even in the same neighborhood. When he almost burns down the family’s barn, Rell realizes he needs help learning how to control this magic. So he sets out alone to find someone who can teach him, even though all the mages are supposed to be dead.

    The first teacher he finds turns out to be a homicidal charlatan. Rell watches another boy explode into a cloud of sparks–far too much like a tiny mage storm. No one is going to survive this school. Rell’s going to have to escape and risk being hunted down by this “teacher” if he’s going to have any chance of actually learning magic–or saving his new friends.

    MAGE STORM is a 55,000-word middle grade fantasy and potentially the first of a series. Readers of John Flanagan’s RANGER’S APPRENTICE series will enjoy MAGE STORM. I have enclosed [whatever the agent wants].

    Thank you for your time.

  • Jackee says:

    Name: Jackee Alston
    Title: The Dream Catcher’s Society
    Genre: upper Middle Grade

    When Truvy and Capone Klah’s parents disappear into an oily mist, secrets about their family suddenly surface. Capone learns he has an uncanny connection to the World of Dreams and Truvy hears a drumbeat when she fights. The information would have been useful before the ogre-god, called The Blue Man, tries to kill the siblings. The ogre plans to flood nightmares and monsters into the modern world by breaking the dream catchers their parents swear to protect. Despite the best efforts of an ancient group called The Dream Catcher’s Society, nightmares are trickling into the modern world. All The Blue Man needs to succeed with the deluge is a key only Capone and Truvy have.

    With inter-weavings of Navajo, Hopi, and Ute legends, my middle-grade novel, The Dream Catcher’s Society, is a 76,000-word hero’s story comparable to Percy Jackson, but in buckskin.

    Thanks, Brenda and Brent!

  • Name: Heather Davis
    Title: IF I GIVE YOU THE SUN
    Genre: YA Futuristic Romance

    Nineteen-year-old Mana Aquino and sixteen-year-old Eve Thomas have no business speaking to one another. In the technology-free territory of New Eden, non-natives like Mana work the fields while citizens like Eve enjoy higher pursuits. Contact between them is punishable by death.

    But Eve’s brother has just tested positive for a genetic disorder New Eden’s leaders won’t treat. And Mana can’t stop thinking about the local bishop who murdered his sister years ago. When Mana learns about Eve’s photographic memory, he offers to bring illegal medicine to her brother, if she’ll serve as his human camera, gathering information that could destroy the bishop.

    Raised in a closed, all-white society, Eve knows better than to trust an outsider, but finds herself drawn to the fiery boy with the dark sun eyes. She’s determined to show him that she’s no pampered child he can use and throw away. If she accepts his offer, she’ll break almost every law she’s ever known, jeopardize her entire family, and become entangled in an uprising that could leave New Eden in ruins. If she says no, her brother is as good as dead.

    Told by Eve and Mana, If I Give You the Sun is a YA futuristic romance with light sci-fi and gothic elements. A stand-alone novel with series potential, it is complete at 115,000 words.

  • Name: Molly Pinto Madigan
    Title: OF BLOOD AND ROSES
    Genre: NA Urban Fantasy

    Query: A disillusioned music major, Maggie Mae Carter is sick of living life
    timidly, adrift in a sucky sea of collegiate drudgery. The city of
    Salem, Massachusetts, has come alive for the Halloween season, but for
    Maggie, the magic is missing. So when she hears a voice on the radio
    that makes her feel more alive than she has in years, Maggie steals
    away to The Hall — a labyrinthine rock club in the heart of “Witch
    City” — to meet the young man who spins folksongs into rock ‘n’ roll
    perfection.

    After a night of stolen pleasure that leaves her breathless, Maggie is
    plunged into the world behind the shadows of The Hall, discovering
    that there are consequences to her night with the singer. But there’s
    more to Thomas Lynn than meets the eye. When he lets slip that he’s
    going to be sacrificed by a band of faery folk-rockers on Halloween
    night, Maggie has a choice — will she risk everything, going
    toe-to-toe with the Queen of Faerie herself, to save him?

    With elements of urban fantasy and paranormal romance, OF BLOOD AND
    ROSES is a modern-day retelling of the Scottish ballad, “Tam Lin.” With series potential, my novel is complete at 70,000 words.

  • Mia Lansford says:

    Name: Mia Lansford
    Title: GET A WIGGLE ON
    Genre: YA Historical Romance

    Dear Mr. Taylor,

    Patsy O’Rourke, the cat’s meow of Ann Bar High School’s graduating class, plans to attend college for two years before moving to Texas for Aviation Training. He attempts to fit in at Rencemare College by joining the row team and attending parties. There is no harm in having fun during the two years. Until he starts having fun with Molly Emma, a girl from his hometown.

    Molly Emma wants to do more than cut her hair for the women’s movement. She wants to be an active member of the woman’s suffrage club on campus. It’s hard to concentrate on a cause that already has the vote when warm spirited Patsy O’Rourke is showing her attention. He takes her serious and pays attention to her interests. As Molly spends more and more time with Patsy, she forgets he’s leaving for Texas.

    A break from partying and a trip home reminds Molly a long distance relationship will never work. Neither will Patsy giving up his dream and staying in New Jersey. The easiest solution is to stop seeing each other. But saying something is not the same as doing it. Molly better get a wiggle on if she’s going to find the solution before Patsy leaves for Texas.

    Get a Wiggle On is a 61,000 word YA historical romance. It’s appeal to readers would be despite the time period it’s set in, which is notoriously known for being all about partying, it’s about every day people with every day struggles. It is a stand alone manuscript with series potential. I am a pro member of RWA and chapter member of NJRW. The past three years I have been on NJRW’s conference committees.

    Thank you for reviewing my query. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

    Sincerely,
    Mia Lansford

  • Lauren S says:

    Name: Lauren Spieller
    Title: DIVE
    Genre: YA Magical Realism

    Dear Brent,

    Kiro has been training to become a cliff diver since he was old enough to swim. Now that he’s almost sixteen, he’s ready to dive off the highest cliff on the island of Makai–a male rite of passage he can’t afford to fail. When a strange girl from a far-away tribe washes up on the beach after a horrendous storm, Kiro thanks Jawway for the opportunity to save her life. That is, until Lwin wakes up and demands to participate in the male-only dive.

    Just as Kiro begins to see Lwin as more than a challenge to his patriarchal tribe, a horrible storm sweeps across the sea and puts the entire Kai’omo village at risk. Worse yet, Kiro’s brother Tan has just left for his Waniha, a spirit walk that requires he go deep into the jungle to commune with nature before he becomes the new Chief. If Kiro wants to rescue Tan and save the future of the Kai’omo tribe, he must put his trust in Lwin and the strange magic she has discovered on Makai.

    Complete at 56,500 words, DIVE is a Literary YA with a touch of magical realism, told from both Kiro and Lwin’s perspectives. Though it stands alone, there is also the potential for a sequel. DIVE will appeal to fans of the island magic and dual point of view in Maggie Stiefvater’s THE SCORPIO RACES.

    I am a graduate of University of Illinois and University of Notre Dame. My short story, “Going Under,” was recently published by Black Heart Magazine. When I’m not writing fiction, I’m interning for Carly Watters and Curtis Russell of P.S. Literary Agency, contributing to and moderating the forums for Kristen Weber and Stacy Michelle’s website ShelfPleasure.com, freelance editing, and blogging on my own site.

    Thank you for your time and consideration.

    Sincerely,

    Lauren Spieller

  • Carl Hackman says:

    Name: Carl Hackman
    Title: GERALD AND THE AMULET OF ZONRACH
    Genre; Upper MG, Humorous Fantasy

    Dear Brent,

    In the realm of Wyverndawn, a wizard’s height is the mark of his power.

    For thirteen-year-old Gerald, creating a hill outside his village to improve the view shouldn’t be too difficult. And it may even gain him a few inches. But the spell he bought – from a guy who knows a guy – was a tad more powerful than even he anticipated. The resulting earthquake breaks off a chunk of Wyverndawn from the rest of the realm. It also allows Vabalaz, a highly dangerous wizard, to escape from prison.

    Gerald is banished from his village and shrinks another inch; two more and he’ll be rejoining his father’s profession of shoveling horse poop. The key to his redemption lies in a trinket he acquires; an amulet that can open a portal, allowing the realm to be repaired.

    Vabalaz discovers Gerald is in possession of this amulet and that it can keep the portal closed, giving him the freedom to realize his dream of creating an independent wizard state.

    If Gerald has any hope whatsoever of returning home, he must repair the damage to Wyverndawn and thwart Vabalaz’s plans. But fighting off bumbling bandits, dealing with a very smelly Orcling and evading a female elven assassin do not make things go smoothly. Failure could very well cost Gerald his life.

    GERALD AND THE AMULET OF ZONRACH is a humorous, Upper MG, Fantasy. It is complete at 81,000 words. Similar in tone to Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, younger readers would enjoy this novel of the trials of an inexperienced wizard who manages to turn everything he touches into chaos.

  • JM Robbins says:

    Name: Jason Robbins
    Title: NIKKI MEDINA AND THE GIRL WITH THE PONY TATTOO
    Genre: YA Romantic Comedy

    Dear Brent Taylor,

    Being a high school honor student doesn’t challenge Nikki Medina the way being in love with the equally socially defunct Maxwell Wilson does, and it’s bad enough that she has to figure out this whole talking to a guy puzzle, but proving to herself that she’s geek enough for him to get the courage to ask him out gets even harder when she has to beat his perfect match to the punch.

    Managing an occasional meeting of glances in class snowballs into romantic homework collaborations, a group study hall session after school, a flirtatious round of Monopoly, and even an invite to Maxwell’s house to play video games. The mood is set and Nikki’s just about to ask him to be hers. That is until some gamer girl called Ponydash pops into their online fantasy adventure and not only asks him for blessed armor, but a request to meet him in real life. This girl’s got everything! She’s funny, confident, and has a bad-girl My Little Pony Tattoo. Nikki’s determination fades as she realizes she’s not a high enough level of girl to raid his heart.

    Nikki’s worrying over nothing! They’ll probably never even meet. With new resolve, Nikki and Maxwell get even closer than before, but when they team up to provide peer to peer counseling for Beth Jacobson, a troubled girl who happens to be Ponydash in the flesh, Nikki’s left as the fifth leg (on a quadruped) in their nerdtastic romp of games, trading card battles, and anime’. Can Nikki become geek enough in time to ask out the nerd of dreams before uber geek Beth teleports away with his heart?

    NIKKI MEDINA AND THE GIRL WITH THE PONY TATTOO is a completed 74,000 word YA manuscript. It’s written to speak to the hearts of geeks and nerds, like myself, in a way that represents the funny little quirks we have. Even the most socially awkward of us still enter the battlefield of love… A terribly uncoordinated battle with poor eye contact and math puns. I’ve trained in comedy writing at The Second City Theater in Detroit. My comedy songs like Dungeons & Dragons, The Nerd Touch, and Band Geek contain many nerdy elements. Some have gotten local and national airplay as well. The 2012 album release by a Harry Potter-themed comedy act called The 8th Horcrux features the song Malfoy, which I wrote the lyrics to as well.

    Thanks for your time,
    Jason Robbins

  • GSMarlene says:

    Name: Marlene
    Title: MIGHTY MIKE AND THE ALIEN PEZ DISPENSER
    Genre: MG Sci-fi/adventure

    Dear Brent,
    Eleven-year-old Mike is determined to become NASA’s youngest astronaut. He daydreams of being a superhero and saving colonists from space monsters. But in reality, he tiptoes through the halls and hides from the school bully.

    Then he meets Grimon, a blue alien wailing over his doomed job because he’s been called home and can’t complete his research. Figuring experience with real space creatures will guarantee a NASA job, Mike offers to help. Candies from a shiny red dispenser will show what planets humans could visit without turning orange or hiccuping forever, but they come with a side effect of temporary superpowers. Maybe even bully-stomping superpowers.

    Speed, strength, and invisibility—sweet. Frog legs and belching zoo-animal noises, not so cool.

    Mike records the results until creepy Federal agents show up. As a frogboy, Mike spies on the agents morphing into scary extraterrestrials determined to capture anyone who knows of their existence. If he wants to become a real hero, Mike must overcome his urge to hide to save his friends—and worst enemy—from a four-armed, snout-faced alien wielding the Interstellar Remote Control of Everything, or they’ll all end up frozen in a stasis field at the bottom of a haunted mine.

  • A.M. Pierre says:

    Name: A.M. Pierre
    Title: WHAT FUTURE LIES
    Genre: YA Sci-Fi

    Dear Brent Taylor,

    Seventeen-year-old Christopher Smith never had much of a life, so when a beautiful time-traveler with rainbow-colored eyes kidnaps him, he thinks that’s as crazy as it gets. Not even close. His kidnapper, a warrior named Isabeau, brings Christopher to a medieval-inspired future where knights ride AI-enhanced hover bikes and impermeable energy barriers protect walled cities from the wastelands outside.

    Then Christopher meets the king, who looks just like him. The king says it’s coincidence and that he needs Christopher as an occasional body double. Christopher’s not exactly buying that explanation, but if accepting it means he gets to see more of this amazing world – and Isabeau – then he’s not inclined to delve too deep.

    But after Christopher’s first public appearance goes violently wrong, he falls in with a group of rebels and learns the truth: the world outside is alive and well. Then comes the biggest bombshell yet: Christopher’s actually an android. Hidden in the past to avoid detection, Christopher was to be the king’s new, undying body when the time was right.

    Christopher, however, has other plans, like helping a city forge its own destiny and forging his own with an amazing rainbow-eyed girl. To do all that (and to avoid being body-snatched) he’ll have to seize the role he was made for – by replacing the king.

    Complete at 83,500 words, WHAT FUTURE LIES is a YA Sci-Fi re-imagining of THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK, if the twin brother were a sweet machine that thought it was human, and the Musketeers were led by a butt-kicking girl with laser nunchukus and a sarcastic flying motorcycle.

    Thank you for your time and consideration.

  • Tangynt says:

    Name: L. L. McKinney
    Title: HERITAGE BLADE: AWAKENING
    Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

    Dear Brent,

    Due to bittersweet circumstances, my agent and I have parted ways. As such I’m querying again, and wondering if you would be interested in representing this and future works of mine.

    Fifteen-year-old Jay Mitchell is the most lethal secret walking the streets of Chicago. He’s killed before, and he’ll kill again. Trained to protect an unwitting mankind from rogue Pandorans—supernatural beings who cross into this world through Pandora’s box—he’s good at what he does. The problem? No one’s supposed to know he does it.

    One night a routine hunt goes wrong, and Jay inadvertently reveals himself while rescuing a “damsel in distress”. Now the Guild knows he exists, and worse, he’s Unsanctioned, a crime punishable by death. On the run, Jay discovers there’s a price on his head and everything that goes bump in the night arrives to collect. If he wants to survive he’ll have to draw on every ounce of his skill, and seek help from the most unlikely allies, including the hottie who got him into this mess in the first place.

    HERITAGE BLADE AWAKENING is a young adult urban fantasy with series potential complete at 93,000 words.

  • ashland says:

    Name: Ben
    Title: THE ENDLESS SEA
    Genre: Upper MG

    Query:

    Riki is the last boy to come of age on his “world”—an island so remote that none of its inhabitants have ever seen an outsider—and he will soon be forced to leave his family behind as he journeys out into the Endless Sea.
    Uncertainty plagues Riki and his people. All of the trees on their world have been cut down. Their crops refuse to grow. The wildlife has disappeared. Not to mention the sun is moving closer and growing hotter—a punishment from the gods, the Elders argue—with the tides swallowing more of their beaches every day. All that is known is that their world has been poisoned and the people must leave if they hope to survive. Their solution to the destruction is to blindly sail out in every direction possible—but where they will end up, no one can say.
    THE ENDLESS SEA is upper-MG fiction completed at 40,000 words. It’s a tale of environmental change told through the eyes of a young boy on an Easter Island-like society as he struggles to cope with the uncertainty of his evolving world.

  • Tissa says:

    Name: Patricia Vanasse
    Title: Against All Odds.
    Genre: YA contemporary.

    Mr. Brent Taylor,

    Sometimes boy meets girl, and the stars align, and their future is laid out neatly before them. Together forever. Meant to be. But Max and Loren are not one of those couples.

    Seventeen-year-old Max DuPont is on the verge of becoming a ward of the state and foster kid. Contrary to expectations, Max is not from the “wrong” side of town. He’s from a good home in a nice neighborhood, but his mother left after his father lost his job and turned to drink. Max has been struggling to keep his head above water ever since. All he wants is to survive his senior year, play hockey, and move on to college. When his dad lands himself in jail, Max has no choice but to accept an offer to live with his father’s do-gooder attorney, Mr. Larssi. The only contingency is that Max must stay far away from Larssi’s beautiful teenage daughter Loren.

    Loren is aware that she’s had every opportunity in her young adult life—at least, that is, every opportunity her parents designed for her. She excels in academics at a competitive prep school, she never parties, she never dates, and she’s a budding ballerina and major hopeful for a Juilliard scholarship. But since her best friend Lily died tragically three months ago, Loren is lost. She knows just how precious life is. But she has no idea how to make the best of it. How can she live—really live—with obsessive parents breathing down her neck…and inviting the only guy who never noticed her to live right under their roof?

    Loren’s first step in living her own life might be to get Max to notice her. Max’s only chance at a solid future without foster care is to keep his distance from Loren. But their chemistry is undeniable. And they can’t fight the odds forever…

    Complete at 87,000 words, Against All Odds is told in first person from the points of view of both Loren and Max. Their stories are painful and real, but ultimately uplifting. And their romance is by turns sweet, sexy, and frustrating. It will appeal to fans of Simone Elkeles and Katie McGarry.

    Thanks for your time and consideration.
    Sincerely yours,
    Patricia.

  • Name: Sarah Turnbull
    Title: GIDEON AND THE NIGHTMARE DEMON
    Genre: MG contemporary fantasy

    Dear Agent,

    Gideon Hardy is almost eleven years old, but he is definitely going blind. The doctors said, “No cure,” and they meant it. No amount of money would buy a solution and no battle of wits could solve the problem. With the diagnosis, Gideon believes his days of being an ordinary kid, of hiking and stargazing, are over.

    A sneaky shadow already plagues Gideon’s eyesight. Sometimes it blocks the bottom of his vision, sometimes the sides. Recently it started whispering to Gideon. Teasing him. Threatening him.

    Not good.

    Gideon’s parents and doctors are no help. They have normal vision and clearly don’t understand, so he seeks respite in the only place he can: his dreams. While asleep, he meets and befriends Baku, a nightmare eater, who invites Gideon to spend more and more time in the dream world.

    As darkness encases his vision, Gideon has to decide if he will abandon his parents and real life for his dreams, a place where he can still “see”.

    GIDEON AND THE NIGHTMARE DEMON is a Middle Grade contemporary fantasy novel complete at 37,200 words. It is reminiscent of WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, but for older children who are still more interested in exploring their dreams rather than chasing them.

    Thank you for your time and consideration.

  • Name: Michelle Hauck
    Title: Pygmy Hazards
    Genre: MG Adventure/fantasy

    Dear Mr. Taylor:

    Tom, the classroom hamster, wants to escape from the h-e-double-hockey-sticks otherwise known as school. His military training at the pet shop didn’t include playing house or being sentenced to a boot camp of never-ending show ‘n tell, math facts rap, and story time. But he’s learned a lot behind the bars of his cage. For example, if you want to keep breathing, never trust a pygmy who has earned the nickname Squeezer. Somehow he has to get away before the pygmies dress him as Strawberry Shortcake again or worse.

    When a “subspatoot” fills in, Tom sees his chance to put Operation Escape the Pygmies into action. He makes a run for the border, hamster style. Bad news. The principal says Tom is a distraction to learning and better off flushed. The way out is turned into a battlefield of snapping mousetraps, sticky snares, and poisoned pellets.

    Tom seems doomed until the friendless Squeezer lends an over-excited hand. She quickly goes from supervillain to super sidekick. Now, the greatest obstacle to his freedom may be Tom’s soft spot for this lonely pygmy.

    A cross between Monsters, Inc, Toy Story and those cute AT&T kid commercials, PYGMY HAZARDS is a MG fantasy complete at 34,000 words. My epic fantasy, Kindar’s Cure, was released by Divertir Publishing. My short story, Frost and Fog, was published by The Elephant’s Bookshelf for their summer anthology, Summer’s Double Edge. I’ve worked at an elementary school as a special needs assistant for over ten years, giving me lots of experience with pygmies.

    Thanks for your consideration,

  • Melinda says:

    Name: Melinda Gray
    Title: PIECES OF ME
    Genre: YA

    Dear Mr. Taylor:

    After 16-year-old social-nobody Olivia is stunned by random kisses from two guys claiming to be her boyfriend, she discovers she’s somehow jumping between alternate versions of her life, each shaped by decisions she made—or didn’t—in her past. Along with an increasing slew of boys, she also finds her grandma still alive, a baby sister she never had before and a new position at the top of the junior class.

    She has everything she ever wanted, sort of. If only she could control the jumps. And stop finding so many new sides to her best friend Drew. She barely recognizes this boy who spouts crazy sci-fi theories or plays in a rock band.

    She knows she can’t switch between the alternate-Olivias forever. The more she tries to juggle, the more she drops. If she keeps switching realities, she’s going to mess up the alter-Olivias’ lives as badly as she must’ve messed up the original. The only way to make it stop is to choose where to land for good—back in her normal life, or in one of the new ones. But none of her options give her everything, and deciding where to stay will mean losing more than one person she loves.

    My YA novel PIECES OF ME is complete at 65,000 words. I look forward to hearing from you.

    Sincerely,
    Melinda Gray

  • NAME: Alison Miller
    TITLE: CHICK MAGNET
    GENRE: YA

    Dear Brent Taylor:

    Eighteen-year-old JD Marshall has a power most guys would trade their left nut for. With one hypnotizing look, he can get a girl to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. And for three years he’s racked up more scores than Brett Favre. But his power’s not a blessing.

    It’s a curse.

    A curse a witch put on him three years ago. A curse he’s got four months to break or lose any chance of ever having a real relationship. The only way to break it—learn to love and be loved. Like that’s going to happen. JD needs to focus on quarterbacking his team to the state finals. He needs to pass freaking English. And he needs to quit thinking about Susan Milton. She’s taken. She’s forbidden. Worse—she seems to be the only one immune to his power.

    But JD can’t get away from her. The principal (aka Mom) arranges tutoring with Susan to save a shaky English grade. But when football botches the after-school sessions, the “tutoring” with Susan continues over late night phone calls. JD discovers he’ll have to do a little more than just look at a girl to charm the skirt off her. And he finds that underneath that tight little body lies a pretty screwed up past, one that parallels his own.

    What blooms is a relationship JD can’t tell anyone about—not even his best friend. Because Susan—the one he wants, the one he can’t avoid, the one who could break the curse—just happens to be his hot new English teacher.

    At 98,000 words, my young adult fiction CHICK MAGNET is a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a Paradise Lost twist. It explores second chances, defying odds, and the bonds of friendship.

    I am a member of SCBWI, the South Carolina Writers Workshop, and the Write Brained Network. I am also a founding member of the group blog YA Confidential, a resource for YA writers devoted to all things teen, all the time.

    Thank you for your time and consideration.

    Best,

    Alison Miller

  • Sarah Ahiers says:

    I’ve also used Brent’s services and they are indeed awesome!

    Name: Sarah Ahiers
    Title: ALL THAT REMAINS
    Genre: YA Fantasy

    Dear Brent,

    In the country of Lovero where families of assassins lawfully kill people for the right price, sixteen-year-old Oleander “Lea” Saldana sets out on a path of vengeance against the most powerful assassin family of all.

    The list of things Lea can count on in her life has never been long: her mother will try to poison her to make Lea a better assassin, she can beat her boyfriend Val in a fight and her bone mask will keep her safe from the angry ghosts as she kills someone in the night. But when Lea trusts Val, a member of the powerful Da Vias, and reveals the location of her home, she is betrayed and her family is slaughtered while Lea barely escapes as the sole survivor.

    Now there’s only one thing left to do: make the Da Vias pay.

    The only problem is, the Da Vias have gone to ground and the one person who can find them is her missing uncle, banished from the Saldanas years ago. Even if he can be found before the Da Vias realize Lea escaped their knives, Lea can’t trust him. Hells, she can’t trust anyone ever again, and definitely not her uncle’s too-attractive-for-his-own-good apprentice, Alessio, no matter what her heart and body tell her. How can she trust Alessio when the last boy she loved destroyed everything? How can she fall for Alessio when revenge is all she should care about?

    But when the Da Vias kidnap her uncle, Lea has a choice: use him as a distraction to finally kill the Da Vias, or trust Alessio and save all that remains of her family.

    ALL THAT REMAINS is a YA fantasy novel complete at 101,000 words. It would appeal to fans of Kristin Cashore’s GRACELING trilogy and Bardugo’s SHADOW AND BONE. I have a BA in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from the University of Minnesota, served as the fiction editor for 2003 Wayfarer, the literary magazine of the U of MN, am a SCBWI member and have been accepted into the Hamline University’s MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults (January 2014). My young adult horror short story “Smothered” appears in DARK MOON DIGEST YOUNG ADULT #1 and I have a story for the adult horror market in DARK MOON DIGEST #6.

    Thank you for your time and consideration

    Sarah Ahiers

  • Name: Jamie Krakover
    Title: THE ADVIERA ABDUCTIONS
    Genre: Upper Middle Grade Science Fiction

    Dear Brent,

    Thirteen-year-old Gary Jones doesn’t remember seeing alien abductions on his schedule. That doesn’t stop an advanced alien race called the Adviera from plucking him out of his life on Earth whenever they want. After some blinding lights and an alien probing, he can now move objects with his mind. If only his telekinesis could help him pass his math test and keep him from flunking the seventh grade. Having other plans, the aliens continue to abduct Gary and other Earth kids in order to secretly turn them into intergalactic weapons in the impending Adviera war.

    Spending time with his cute alien trainer, Esther, and hurling rocks with his brain may be exciting, but the aliens expect Gary to take full control of his powers, pitting him against deadly challenges. As a kid who can’t shoot a basketball, he’s on the fast track to becoming another casualty of the Adviera training program. Mastering his ability will be impossible unless the alien council stops changing the rules and eases up on their intense training schedule. If Gary doesn’t get a handle on his ability and team up with the other kids whose powers range from invading people’s thoughts to turning watches into laser weapons, Esther and the rest of the Adviera will be turned into space dust. And without the aliens’ protection, humanity won’t be far behind.

    THE ADVIERA ABDUCTIONS, complete at 61,000 words, is an Upper Middle Grade Science Fiction that blends Sky High and Ender’s Game, with young alien trainers reminiscent of Jedi Masters.

    Thank you for your time and consideration.

    Jamie Krakover

  • Auroria says:

    Name: Chase Thaddeus Maceo Anderson
    Title: THE GODS OF AURORIA
    Genre: New Adult Science-Fiction/Fantasy

    Dear Mr. Taylor,

    After reading about your search for unique worlds, I thought you might be interested in reading my completed 119,000-word New Adult novel, The Gods of Auroria. This science-fiction/fantasy fusion, about a multicultural group of friends of varying sexual orientations who are gods, seemed in line with the subjects mentioned in your interviews.

    Ares Vanaestrum must gather together with twelve other gods and stop Chaos from recreating the thirteen worlds they call home, yet there is just one problem – none of them remember they were once gods.

    In The Gods of Auroria, 16-year-old Ares thought learning to use glasses that give the blind sight would be his only issue during the summer break from school. However, the peace of the crystal-wrought capital city of Auroria is threatened as unknown assailants begin killing those born without the spark of magic. When Ares, his twin Arthaen, and their friend, Skylar Emerild, are attacked, their powers awaken and fragments of their roles as gods begin to surface. Ares now controls spells with his ability to see the magic in everything, Arthaen wields the darkness that is rising, and Skylar utilizes her gift of entering dreams to stop the worlds’ nightmares.

    Struggling to understand their abilities, Ares and his friends desperately seek to bring together the other ten gods. Finally, after being coerced into aiding a government they once thought perfect, all thirteen decide to don masks to protect their families from becoming collateral damage. Despite safeguarding the worlds by combating the dark creatures infiltrating every city, the thirteen fail to realize that the agents of Chaos are everywhere. Ares’ confidence grows as he endeavors to understand Chaos’ ultimate goal, and he attempts to juggle love and his new life as a masked superhero. Though the three are self-assured in many respects, they must become leaders with the strength to ignite the spirits of a fracturing society.

    Even as they begin embracing their true selves, those they swore to protect turn against them, intent on eradicating the thirteen. Stripped of their immortality through a decision they made as gods, as humans they are vulnerable. As the other twelve worlds suddenly seal themselves off to escape Chaos’ uprising, Ares and the others race to piece together the memories of their past so they can survive the present. With their choices dwindling, the thirteen are left with only one option to defend the worlds. Whilst part of the group watches over Auroria, the rest enter the Kingdom of Dreams, a fabled place of legends as old as the gods themselves…

    I recently received my Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from MIT, where I am now pursuing my master’s degree. Beginning this fall, I will be a first-year medical student at The Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. As a gay African-American, I hope this novel will offer readers of diverse backgrounds characters with whom they can identify. The Gods of Auroria details the lives of teenagers who deal with enormous internal and external conflicts to find their calling as protectors and inspirations for their people. Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.

    Sincerely,

    Chase Thaddeus Maceo Anderson

  • Name: Susan Crispell
    Title: THE ART OF BREAKING
    Genre: YA Magical Realism

    Dear Mr. Taylor,
    When rule-breaker Luca Grable drowns at seven years old, she doesn’t go to heaven. Instead she becomes an imaginary friend. But when her best-friend-from-life Katie Tayloe is unable to get over her death, the Council of Imaginaries breaks its own rule and assigns Luca to Katie. And the girls spend the next decade growing up almost like nothing ever happened.

    But now the council is considering a new rule that will terminate their friendship on Katie’s eighteenth birthday. If they move forward with The Grable Clause, Luca will only have a month left. Then she’ll never see Katie again. And with her crush Wes Burnley suddenly able to see her after she saves his life—and the chance at a once-in-an-afterlife romance within her grasp—Luca is too caught up in trying to have a normal life to notice that the Imaginary world is breaking apart around her. Or that it’s all her fault.

    Luca must learn what it means to be a true friend, or risk the lives of everyone she loves.

    THE ART OF BREAKING is a completed 86,000-word young adult magical realism novel. It will appeal to fans of Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall and Gabrielle Zevin’s Elsewhere.

    I earned a BFA in creative writing from the University of North Carolina – Wilmington. My adult magical realism romance will be published in 2014 by Swoon Romance. For the past nine years, I have worked as a marketing copywriter, proposal editor, and graphic designer.

    Thank you for your consideration.

    Sincerely,
    Susan Crispell

  • Mia K Rose says:

    Name: Mia K Rose
    Title: DARKWEAVE
    Genre: YA Fantasy

    Dear [Agent],

    With the Empire out to strip her magic, a seventeen-year-old dark witch must choose between saving her mother’s life or her own.

    Idonea is a dark witch—one without boundaries and kin to destruction. When her mother disappears, she must go to the most dangerous place in her world to save her. But the Empire is no place for a girl like Idonea—the Paladins persecute and shackle dark witches on sight, and avoiding them is impossible.

    When Idonea is captured by the Paladins, her estranged father saves her from sentencing. But Idonea cannot stand him, especially when he refuses to let her go. She finds herself in her father’s township just as a daemon starts murdering young witches. The murders could be the key to her mother’s disappearance, but Idonea’s father thinks she’s the one responsible. Now, Idonea must face down the Paladins and work in the darkness to rise above the prejudice and uncover the truth about the daemon. For if she fails, she’ll lose her mother forever.

    DARKWEAVE, 70000 words, is a stand-alone YA fantasy with series potential. It’s a blend of Something Strange and Deadly and Dragon Age 2 where magic and science are at odds. I am a member of the Queensland Writers Centre, SCBWI, and YALitChat. I am working on my Master of Letters in Creative writing from CQUniversity.

    Thank you for your time and consideration.

  • Name: Taylor Lavati
    Title: THE THOUSAND YEAR CURSE
    Genre: Fantasy

    In this 82,354 word fantasy novel based loosely off stories from Greek Mythology with a contemporary edge, Ryder must decide to either fall into her patterns of fading into the background or taking her life into her own hands for once.
    Being a teenager isn’t all fun and games for seventeen year old Ryder. After being thrown down the social hierarchy, Ryder Mason has one goal for her senior year-survive.
    Within the first month of school, Ryder goes from bullied teen to a cursed half goddess with two boyfriends. As if that wasn’t enough, she travels into the Underworld to confront Hades about the curse and her missing mother.
    Ryder delves head first into a Godly world as her knights fight to seek her approval, her best friend’s loyalties are tested and people’s true intentions are shown in the first Curse Books novel.
    The Thousand Year Curse is best for readers 16 and up right on the cusp of Young Adult and New Adult. With a sub plot of bullying and plenty of sexual tension, the story fits into the New Adult craze for readers between the ages of 18 to 24.
    Taylor Lavati, author, is a twenty two year old student studying early childhood education. She pursues her Bachelor’s Degree from Western Connecticut State University. After taking a Mythology class and focusing on teaching English to elementary school, Taylor started writing short stories with characters from Greek Mythology. After that, Taylor decided to write this series.
    Taylor runs two blogs successfully and also writes for another. Her first blog, dedicated specifically to The Thousand Year Curse and The Curse Series (www.thecursebooks.blogspot.com) is especially popular and gets almost a hundred views per day. She runs another blog that posts reviews for books (www.spoilerprincess.blogspot.com). She writes blog posts for SwirlPost in the Writing section giving advice and tips to new writers.

    Thank you for taking the time read my query and giving me a chance. Looking forward to hearing from you soon,

    Taylor Lavati
    tayjane1@gmail.com

  • Name: Heather Raglin
    Title: CROSSING THE DIVIDE
    Genre: YA Fantasy

    Dear Brent Taylor,

    Sixteen-year-old Becca Ford understands plants better than people. When she stumbles upon the potion-making operation of a secret wizard coven that works for the magical government, she discovers sorcery lives in more than books. But Withouts, people who can’t do magic, aren’t supposed to know about spellcasters, so Magical Internal Affairs intern Derek Moore tries to wipe Becca’s memory of the incident—and fails.

    To find out why her mind can’t be erased like other Withouts, Becca and Derek flee to an island of spellcasters to escape the coven. On their journey they cross a place of concentrated magic that brings out latent powers in Becca—powers that enable her to glow and control plants. She’s amazed to learn she’s the Halo, a shield who according to some will save the enchanted world by uniting wizards and magical creatures. But her ability is a threat to the current governor who wants nothing to do with elves, dwarves, unicorns or other “inhumans.” If Becca doesn’t learn how to use her powers fast, the corrupt governor will kill her and her new friends.

    CROSSING THE DIVIDE is a 75,000-word young adult fantasy that would appeal to readers of Tera Lynn Childs and Aprilynne Pike. I’m a member of SCBWI and received my English degree from The University of Texas at Austin.

    Thank you for your time and consideration.

  • Olivia says:

    Name: Olivia Hinebaugh
    Title: PLAY IT COOL, CLAIRE
    Genre: YA Contemporary/Paranormal

    Dear Agent:

    Claire knows all about her boyfriend’s troubling past. His dead mother shares all the sordid details. Aside from having an adorable new boyfriend, Graham, Claire’s sophomore year is off to a rocky start: her beloved Grandma Rae dies, she’s the new kid at school, and…she’s started seeing ghosts. All her life she’s been overshadowed by her two mega genius siblings and her brilliant parents. She’s finally got an exceptional talent, though it is seriously affecting her social life.

    When Claire starts dating Graham, the dreamboat next door, Grandma Rae’s spirit doesn’t approve. Whatever. Graham’s dead mother thinks their relationship is great. The list of things to love about Graham expands exponentially each day, but so do the worrying behaviors. (Example: she and Graham have met more than their fair share of local cops.) It’s a lot to handle, and Claire’s family is too busy being brilliant to notice. Claire has to learn to cope, to accept her gifts, and to lean on her friends and family. None of these lessons are more important than when a spirit delivers the worst sort of news and Graham is ripped from her life. PLAY IT COOL, CLAIRE is twisted and funny, violent and romantic, strange and unforgettable–just like high school.

    PLAY IT COOL, CLAIRE is YA Contemporary novel with Paranormal elements. It is complete at 75,000 words. Thank you for your time and consideration.

  • Mark Fenger says:

    Name: Mark Fenger
    Title: ProXy
    Genre: Science Fiction

    When Ethan sleeps he no longer dreams. He lives other people’s lives. He controls every action they take like they were his own. And he only wakes up when they die.

    Whenever Ethan arrives in the body of a stranger it means the men in dark suits are on their way. At first all they want to do is kill his proxy bodies, but then they recognize his presence and they’re no longer satisfied with killing. They want to meet Ethan in person and they’ll do anything to find him.

    Night after night, Ethan is forced into a deadly game of cat and mouse. The only way to win is to change the rules. Ethan has to find the men in suits and kill them, before they catch him and torture his true identity from him.

    A few weeks ago he’d never seen one of the strange men. Now they’re everywhere, whispering in the ears of powerful politicians, orchestrating some kind of power play involving a data centre in Utah, and hunting down the people in Ethan’s night wanderings.

    Amidst all the chaos, the woman Ethan loves finally sees him as more than a friend. The two of them become romantically entwined. They make love for the first time.

    Then Ethan wakes up in her body.

  • Mark Fenger says:

    Just noticed the other two contests ask for e-mail as well. Just in case you need it, I’m mfenger (at) shaw (dot) ca.

    • Brenda Drake says:

      I don’t ask for people to enter their emails on my contests. I’ll contact the winner with instructions. I find that some people feel uncomfortable with putting it out there.

  • Name: Debbie Cocchio
    Title: SOULS ENTWINED
    Genre: YA Contemporary with Paranomal Elements

    Dear Mr. Taylor,

    Sixteen-year-old Rachel Wells’ world turns upside-down when her friend Billy links his mind to hers. Through telepathy and astral travel, he takes her in and out of the spirit world, develops her trust, and awakens her desire for more spiritual adventure. It all feels so natural; their souls are connected, entwined.

    Rachel hears spirits, and delivers messages from the dead. Billy taps into the minds of the living. Together with a teenage shaman, a healer, and a witch, they form ‘The Psychic Circle’ to secretly explore the paranormal.

    When BFF Melody’s jealousy of Rachel and Billy’s chemistry is coupled with her obsession for black magic, it becomes a lethal combination. Billy gets attacked by Melody during meditation, robbing him of his free will. Romance blossoms between Rachel and Billy as they dabble in psychic experimentation, helping to break the invisible ties with Melody, while the circle opens the door to dangerous entities that they don’t know how to handle.

    Torn between salvaging her kinship with Melody and cutting the perilous ties threatening her innocence, Rachel may have to sacrifice a friendship in order to discover a karmic bond between soul mates – a tough choice to make when the heart’s involved.

    I am an educator and a member of the IWWG, as well as the SCWBI. I am a self-published author of two middle-grade fiction books – Be Careful What You Wish For and Magic By Moonlight. My newest book is a YA nonfiction book, So You Wanna Read Tarot? You can view them on my website: http://www.dlcocchio.webs.com, where I’ve been building my platform online.

    Souls Entwined, completed at approximately 60,000 words, takes a different twist, exposing the reader to the world of supernatural teens struggling with the “normal” world, while precariously navigating their own. Uniquely, the teens’ explorations are based on true experiences from a real psychic circle. I like to think of it as The Secret Circle meets The Mediator.

    Souls Entwined, a YA Contemporary manuscript with paranormal elements is attached for your review. Thank you for your time and consideration.

  • Name: Kimberly Vanderhorst
    Title: Through a Glass Darkly
    Genre: YA Contemporary Fantasy

    Dear Mr. Taylor:

    The monsters have broken her brain.

    Seventeen-year-old pianist Grace Armstrong has seen monsters in every reflection for as long as she can remember. She craves sanity the way other girls crave chocolate, but when a cute boy appears in her bedroom mirror one night, she realizes there’s nothing crazier than falling for a figment of her imagination. Especially one who refuses to tell her his name.

    When Grandpa starts speaking words that whisper of secrets, and monster shadows curl through the whites of Mom’s eyes, Grace learns the consequences of chasing normalcy. Your life gets even more screwed up than before. With The Boy’s life at risk in the mirror world, and her mother battling the monsters in hers, Grace must choose. Either the fragile sanity of her own world, or the hope of answers—and salvation—in the world beyond the looking glass.

    Complete at 78K, Through a Glass Darkly is a powerful YA Contemporary Fantasy set against the backdrop of a parallel dimension. It would appeal to fans of Bree Despain’s “The Dark Divine”, and Lisa Mangum’s “The Hourglass Door”. Through a Glass Darkly is a standalone novel with series potential, and the full manuscript is available at your request.

  • Ambiguous_A says:

    Name: Ambiguous_A
    Title: THE DRUMMING SONG
    Genre: YA speculative fiction

    Dear Brent,

    There’s a drumbeat calling to 17-year-old Drea Rune.

    She hears it at sunset on her first night in small-town Oregon, and if that weren’t weird enough, the music makes her feel like she’s on some seriously hardcore drugs. Refusing to believe she’s losing it, she tracks the intoxicating beat through the town’s meadows and finds four teenagers who have been playing the drum for years.

    They thought the beat only called to them.

    Soon, the nights Drea used to spend perfecting recipes and working toward culinary school are complicated by her nightly cravings for the drumbeat. As much as she loves the high, she’s starting to hate the drumbeat’s power over her more. Trying to understand her addiction, she searches for information on the drum’s abilities and discovers a local myth: centuries earlier, a creature with unfathomable powers was slaughtered…and its hide might be on the drumhead.

    But the other drummers quickly forbid Drea from digging deeper, and she starts to wonder if they’re more scared of the myth than they let on. After all, another drummer once spent a night in the creature’s forest. A night that left him nearly catatonic.

    If Drea disobeys, they’ll ban her from drumming—and her body can’t handle that. She must decide if she can live with an addiction that’s taking over her life, or risk losing the drum and her only friends.

    But both consequences might cost Drea her mind.

    THE DRUMMING SONG is a YA speculative fiction complete at 84,000 words. Thank you for your consideration.

  • Name: Cristin Bruggeman
    Title: MAGIC AND MIGHT
    Genre: YA Historical Fantasy

    Artunis’ father is one of the most powerful Magi in Rhaga, but no one suspected the prophecy of the next great hero could be about her. For one thing, she’s illegitimate; for another, she was born without a supernatural sight. All Magi are touched by the Blessed Spirits—some see the future or read the language of the stars, others are healers who can see the cause and remedy of disease, others are watchmen who can discern a man’s motives. Artunis, however, was shamefully unblessed—until she came of age.

    On her fifteenth name day, Artunis begins to manifest not one, but three gifts of sight. When her father vanishes and is accused of treason, Artunis teams up with a disgraced soldier named Darius who needs Artunis’ father to prove his innocence. As they journey to the capital they discover that the creatures of Avestan legend are returning to the empire. They battle a pride of winged lions and the sorcerer king Zahhak who was transformed into a three-headed serpent and chained to Mount Damavand.

    As they search for clues, they discover that the disappearance of Artunis’ father is part of a conspiracy to kill Cyrus the Great and destroy the utopian society he built. The shadow of treason stretches all the way to the king’s own son and heir. When Artunis and Darius are framed for treason they have to flee the Immortals who want to arrest them and the rebel Magi who want Artunis dead before her powers come into their full strength, while exposing a plot that could destroy the greatest empire on earth.

    MAGIC AND MIGHT, 80,000 words, is an historical fantasy for teens set in Achaemenid Persia. Thank you for your time and consideration.

  • billypayne says:

    Name: Pete Catalano
    Title: SNAPSHOT
    Genre: MG Mystery

    Dear Mr. Taylor,

    After reading about you on your Agency’s website, and following you on Twitter, I would like to offer my MG Mystery novel, SNAPSHOT, for your consideration.

    Thirteen-year old Jake can repeat the stories his grandfather told him about all of his adventures word for word, and this summer they have planned nearly a dozen adventures of their own. But when his grandfather disappears, even Jake’s very overactive imagination can’t show him how to use the old trunk full of junk his grandfather has left in his care.

    It’s old, weather worn, full of possibilities and wonder, but gives Jake little to look forward to, until he discovers its secret. Inside is a camera that takes pictures of the future and after a random photo shows them the location of an artifact with ancient power, Jake and his friends find themselves on the run from a rogue U.S. Marshall and a secret society.

    SNAPSHOT is 40,000 words of Indiana Jones, if Indy were a thirteen-year-old, daydreaming, adventuring, tech-head with vision into the future issues.

    I am a member of SCBWI and two critique groups. When not writing, I’m working toward getting my Masters Degree in English Literature with a concentration in Fantasy.

    Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

    Sincerely,

    Pete Catalano

  • ElizaxCain says:

    Name: Lauren Elizabeth Maiale
    Title: Harrow Eternus
    Genre: New Adult

    Dear Mr. Taylor,

    It all began on the night that she was broken. The night that he splintered her once-synchronous heartbeats yet again. The night that he fractured the cage around her heart, her being. Elizabeth Cain would leave her world just to recover her breath once more, fleeing Michigan only to feel herself being pulled to the deep and dark forest of Oklahoma.

    Elizabeth is an overly emotion creature, her mind lost in fantasy, her heart always beating faster than what she feels is healthy. Oilton, Oklahoma quickly becomes her savior, as abuse becomes her past. But soon, on the night of an odd and twisting storm, she finds herself trapped in a cave with a group of angry strangers, then forced—mud-drenched head first—into a world she’s never known. England, year 1588. The Malveauxs—mostly accepting her—need her assistance in keeping a threatened Queen Elizabeth I alive and the threads of history intact. But then… they need so much more of her than she knows.

    Months of fighting and planning, crossing back and forth through time, leave her wondering about the mess of emotion within her that continues to build upon itself, throwing her into moments of darkness that leave her damaging the world around her. At long last, Elizabeth must be faced with a point of crucial mending… else infinite destruction.

    Within her ever-churning storm she has also come to fall into the chasm of immobilizing love, the chasm in which Haeden Malveaux has kept her. But it won’t be long until she finds that he has kept her even farther from reality, never allowing for her to feel the depth and weight and force of her emotion—for which she was truly wanted… for which she truly exists.

    Now it is time. Time for Elizabeth to put the wealth of overwhelming emotion she has always endured to use: behind each fatal blow on the battlefield.

    Harrow Eternus is the story of a girl who escapes complete defeat at the age of twenty-two. A girl who soon collides with history quite unintentionally, to find that history has, quite intentionally, always been behind her wheel. Complete at around 150,000 words, it is the first in a series of new adult books that I’ve written in continuation of a life I once lived and needed desperately to escape.

    Lauren Elizabeth Maiale

  • Name: Andrea Jackson
    Title: SPECIATION
    Genre: YA Sci-fi

    Dear Agent,

    Seventeen-year-old Ibbie collects numbers. Five––how old she was when the genetically enhanced Speciation race brought her to their space station. Six––how many times she’s been touched by another human being since being forced into isolation. Two––how many hours she’s required to spend each day with Logan, the boy who hates her.

    Numbers are logical, rational, safe. Ibbie’s life is none of these things.

    The most important number is thirteen—the number of days till she’s forced to mate with Logan, whether she likes him or not. The Speciation say their offspring will provide the necessary data to reverse the effects of a virus that killed half their population. All Ibbie wants is to find a way out of the Speciation’s control.

    With time running out, Ibbie and Logan form an alliance that is far from a simple equation. They need to work together to discover the Speciation’s true agenda data––an agenda that could end life as Ibbie knows it. Even numbers can’t save Ibbie now.

    Complete at 93,000 words, SPECIATION is a YA Sci-Fi that will appeal to fans of CINDER and SHATTER ME.

    Sincerely,

    Andrea Jackson

  • Name: Leslie Dobkins
    Title: MIKINO
    Genre: YA Apocalyptic Science Fantasy

    Dear Mr. Taylor:

    At sixteen, hypersensitive Mikino could be the poster child for “Keep Portland Weird.” She’s overwhelmed by classmates perfume-igated in body spray, unexpected touch and the glare of fluorescent lights. But she scores bonus points on the freak-o-meter when she astral leaps into a stranger’s body—and the guy dies.

    Mikino returns, face-planted on the classroom floor, to jeering students and a painful bullet-sized hole in her breastbone. While she questions her sanity, a late night evacuation drill forces Mikino and her brothers to take shelter in a survivalist compound her family started. Compared to the high school dating scene, training with guns and knives is practically civil. Unfortunately, the astral leaps into people’s deaths keep coming, faster, stronger and out of control, leaving her with souvenir wounds. Even though these injuries heal with mutant-esque speed, she has a bigger problem.

    This is no drill. A monster comet has a prom date with Earth, and most people living on the surface won’t be going to the after-impact party. Mikino can’t heal fast enough to survive the onslaught. She must learn to control her astral leaps, or she’ll die along with the rest of civilization. Painfully. Repeatedly. Permanently.

    MIKINO is an 87,000 word YA apocalyptic science-fantasy, inspired by Darwin’s statement, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” It will appeal to fans of James Frey’s Lorien Legacies and Mark Frost’s The Paladin Prophecy.

    Thanks so much for your time and consideration.

    Sincerely,
    Leslie Dobkins

  • CarrieFenn says:

    Name: Carrie Fenn
    Title: Chaos
    Genre: YA Fantasy

    17-year-old Adelaide Shepherd dreams of demons.

    With senior finals looming and concern about how her single mother will afford her college tuition, she blames stress for wrecking her nights.

    But Addy’s nightmares aren’t dreams.

    Sleep is the gateway to Chaos, a realm plagued with Demon Shades, a realm where Addy is rescued from certain death—and learns she is the newest of guardians to be called to Chaos.

    Her purpose? To keep the Shades from slipping into Earth Realm where they cause misery and death.

    As Addy comes to know her fellow Realmwalkers, a motley crew with unique talents, she only hopes she can be as brave and useful as they are. She yearns to impress Sam, the young man with piercing blue eyes who leads the group with quiet confidence and militaristic precision.

    The Realmwalkers are baffled, however, when they encounter a powerful and seemingly invincible Shade with strange motives and a dark obsession with Addy. As they work to unravel the mystery to defeating this new threat, Addy finds herself at odds with the Walkers. Gut instinct says to put her faith in Mikhail, the black sheep of the group no one trusts, but she fears losing the respect and friendship of the others.

    Though Addy is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to keep Earth safe, the Walkers are her new “family,” and she’s on the verge of falling in love. With Addy coming into her own, death shouldn’t be on the horizon. But when the doors of hell are ripped open, there are no guarantees.

    CHAOS is a 130,000 word YA fantasy novel. My complete manuscript is ready for review upon request. The sequel, HAVOC, is underway. Thank you for your time and consideration. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

    Regards,
    Carrie Fenn

  • Name: Krystal Sutherland
    Title: THE GASLIGHT ALIBIS
    Genre: YA Psychological Thriller

    Dear Brent,

    18-year-old Katherine Cavert receives the same letter every week, hand delivered to her house by a man dressed in black. The words never change: ‘11.00pm. March 30th. Pyrmont Flats. Not guilty.’ The cops couldn’t care less about Katherine’s so-called “stalker”. No one else has seen him, he has identical handwriting to her, and – creepiest of all – her own saliva is used to seal the envelopes.

    Then, when the letters are finally linked to a string of similar cases that ended in the murder of their recipients, Katherine’s little sister is abducted. By the time the police realize they’re dealing with a serial killer known as The Haunting Man, it could already be too late. The only ransom the kidnapper wants is Katherine. The only thing he wants from her is to be at Pyrmont Flats at 11.00pm on March 30th. Come alone, come unarmed, or her sister dies.

    The Haunting Man wants Katherine to see something, and then he wants her to die. But what she’s about to learn is that not all murders end in death. Sometimes, very occasionally, the people who die wake up.

    THE GASLIGHT ALIBIS is an 80,000-word psychological thriller aimed at a young adult audience. I am the current features writer at Blitz, a Sydney based entertainment magazine published weekly to a readership of over 30,000. I like zombies and pajama pants an inordinate amount.

    Thank you for your time and consideration.

    Warm regards,
    Krystal Sutherland

  • This comment has been removed by the author.

  • Name: Nicole Panteleakos
    Title: Anabel Mist Does Not Exist
    Genre: Upper MG Contemporary

    Anabel Mist does not know her real name. She doesn’t know her birthday, where she was born, or whether her father is even alive, and she can’t let anybody take her picture. Her mother says it’s better that way. Safer. “Better safe than sorry!”

    But sometimes, Anabel would rather be sorry. She likes her current town, she kinda likes a certain boy, she adores her art teacher, and more than anything, she is all about her BFF, Mei-Zhen Wu, a girl who considers “having an attitude problem” the top of her to-do list. Anabel is fed up with her Witness Protection Life, and she doesn’t want to disappear anymore. Despite her pleas and protests, the time to run inevitably comes. But something is different. Her mom doesn’t have a plan – and she always has a plan. They head to NYC, a place Mom said they’d never go. Then, as Anabel narrowly avoids being shot, Mom gets kidnapped.

    Suddenly alone, Anabel runs into a familiar face: mean Lola Jean Wright, Queen of the Sixth Grade. Coincidence? She can’t be sure. Especially because Mr. Wright claims Anabel’s mother and an awful lot about their secret lives. To complete the puzzle that is Anabel’s past, she and Lola Jean are going to have to work together, but with so few clues, they’ve got little to go on, aside frm Anabel’s vague memories, which she sketches in an attempt to try to make sense of them.

    There’s only one thing Anabel knows for certain: to save her mom she’s going to have to find herself. Fast.

    Anabel Mist Does Not Exist is a 78,000 upper middle grade character-driven novel with elements of mystery, thriller, and recent US history, including a tie-in to 7 World Trade Center, which collapsed on on 9/11 but has since been rebuilt.

    Thank you for your time and consideration,

    Nicole Panteleakos

  • Name: Garrett Vander Leun
    Title: Monster Town
    Genre: middle grade

    Dear Brent Taylor-

    As the lone human in a prison town full of idotic, leftover monsters, the only thing Bobby wants for his 13th birthday is freedom… The town witch informs him he’s going to be the savior of monsterkind instead.

    Bobby has suffered all kinds of isolation and torment since the walls went up; he wouldn’t save a monster if it made him a million bucks. He’s been running his mouth and swinging his fists for what little it’s worth and it’s finally time to get out. One more test proves he’s human and then its over-and-out to all the leprechauns, gnomes, ghosts, mummies, sasquatches, harpies, and jerks made out of tree bark.

    Kids without powers and dad’s who don’t disappoint are just a wall away. Bobby’s dad, a washed up vegan vampire who turned tail when the monsters needed him the most, is the source of Bobby’s greatest shame and on his fateful birthday, he’s the reason Bobby’s whole dream fizzles.

    Framed for an attack he didn’t commit, it’s up to Bobby to free his dad and uncover the clues that lead to the secrets that not only built their town, but threaten to tear it all apart. Enemies are friends and up is down in a world that hangs by the fragile relationship between father and reluctant son.

    If Bobby’s going to be the savior of a world he’s fought to leave behind, he’s going to have to answer the biggest question of all: is he a man or a monster?

    MONSTER TOWN comes in at 46,000 words and is the first book in a planned middle grade trilogy. While not a monster myself, I grew up reading every monster book I could get my hands on… And slept many a night in my parents’ bedroom as a result. I’m a product of the 80s, and this book is written in the vein of classics 80s movies like Goonies and Monster Squad. My kids are little jerks who mouth off in the face of ridiculous danger. This is a fun, fast-paced adventure that I think will speak to the little monster inside all of us.

    I’m an established artist within the indie music scene and I’d love the opportunity to provide illustrations for this book if and when the opportunity arises. The full manuscript and sample illustrations are available upon request.

    Regards-
    Garrett Vander Leun.

  • Emily Mead
    MUTUAL WEIRDNESS
    YA Contemporary

    Jess knows a heck of a lot about mitosis and how to sing into a hairbrush, but not so much about boys. James McCarthy, though, is not your average guy. He’s scientific. Smart. But up until the night he tells her to stop being weird, he’s also fun. So when he dumps her, she makes a vow to be normal, thinking that maybe it’s time to grow up.

    Her goal of achieving normality becomes harder when she meets the new guy at school. Mike is not normal. Mike collects dandelions. Mike is looking for a word that rhymes with orange. But she can’t seem to stay away from him, even when he gets the wrong idea and kisses her. She’s certain that you can’t love someone without the romantic stuff.

    There’s more at stake than just two boys here. It’s Jess’s entire sense of self, and maybe—just maybe—she’ll get it right in the end.

    MUTUAL WEIRDNESS is a 70k YA contemporary novel that will appeal to readers of Meg Cabot and Steph Bowe.

  • Laura Felicetti
    GEMINI CRUSH
    YA Magical Realism Thriller

    Dear Mr. Taylor,

    Rumor has it crazy skips a generation. Though sixteen-year-old twins, Alex and Zoe Swanson, aren’t crazy yet, their grandmother is a raving lunatic. And both girls are worried Alex has a one-way ticket to the family fruit farm.

    Alex reads minds. That’s the nice way of saying people’s thoughts ram their way into her head, uninvited. Her only solace is Zoe. When Zoe is close, the voices go away.

    Zoe loves her sister. So much so, she not only helps Alex control the voices, she steps aside when her longtime crush, Lucas, decides he likes Alex instead of her.

    But someone wants Alex to stay away from Lucas and they threaten Alex’s life. To make matters worse, a serial killer—dubbed the Gemini Killer because he targets twin girls—pays a visit to their sleepy, little town.

    Afraid for their lives, the twins piece together clues left behind by Alex’s stalker and unearth a horrific secret. One that links Alex’s power to the stalker and the Gemini Killer, and is sure to tear the twins apart.

    Told from the point of view of both twins, GEMINI CRUSH is a 70,000-word magical realism thriller written for young adults. It explores how mental illness can bring people together and tear them apart. With a paranoid schizophrenic grandmother who was never properly treated, I understand the torment mental illness can have on a family.

    Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

    Sincerely,

    Laura Felicetti

  • jsnicholas says:

    Name: J Nicholas
    Title: Sam Vale: Private Investigator
    Genre: MG

    Dear Mr. Taylor,

    11-year-old Samantha Vale thought she was ready for her new gig as Falcon Ridge middle school’s self-appointed detective—that was before she discovered her teacher is a mostly evil treasure hunter looking for a mysterious fortune in the construction zone of her school.

    Sam hires Freddy Prine, a classmate with Asperger’s syndrome, as her partner. When they uncover clues of a town-wide conspiracy, they plot a nighttime school break-in. The only thing they didn’t plan for was being locked in a closet scheduled for demolition the next morning.

    Now, their treacherous teacher has a head start on the treasure—but that becomes the least of their problems as dawn approaches and the walls of the doomed closet start to crumble around them.

    Complete at 34,000 words, Sam Vale: Private Investigator, is a MG mystery that tips its fedora to the great works of hard-boiled fiction. Fans of Claire Legrand’s Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls will appreciate Sam Vale’s humor and hard-nosed sleuthing.

  • Name: Meradeth Houston
    Title: AN ABSENCE OF LIGHT
    GENRE: NA sci-fi

    Fleeing with bloody hands and a stolen BMW, Leah must escape charges for a murder committed by shadow creatures only she can see. At least she thought she was the only one. Running from the cops, she stumbles onto a small group who share her ability, only they’ve learned how to fight back.

    The chance to kill the shadows, and to fight next to the hot hunter Adam, is something nineteen-year-old Leah jumps at. Manuel, the leader of the group, offers her a place to stay and daily lessons on how to kill the fiends with the power to influence humans to act on their most violent thoughts. Though if anyone told her that she’d be using a laser light like a poor imitation of a Jedi knight to kill them, she might have stayed in the beamer. Leah’s talent for taking out the shadows helps the hunters fight back, but something is brewing with the creatures. They’re banding together and tracking down the hunters. When Leah pieces together that the shadows are from another world, and their true plans make an invasion look like a tea party, it’s up to the hunters to stop it. Leah will risk her life—and the lives of the hunters—to keep the world from being lost to darkness forever.

    AN ABSENCE OF LIGHT is a New Adult sci-fi, complete at 75,000 words. Thank you for your consideration!

  • rosie.pova says:

    Rosie Pova
    HOLLY HART AND HER MISCHIEVOUS PAL FROM OUTER SPACE
    MG sci-fi

    In her human world fourth-grader HOLLY HART feels like an alien until an alien comes into her life and teaches her what it means to be human. The funny part? They are both unbelievable pranksters!

    With her practical jokes, Holly seeks attention, but gets punishments. Her parents even threaten to cancel her big 10th birthday party and decide to hire a counselor to deal with her behavior. Can things get worse for Holly? They sure do, after a mischievous alien, N.D., moves in to her closet and becomes Holly’s big secret…and a potpourri of trouble.

    N.D. turns out to be quite the prankster herself: Holly finally meets her match. At first, Holly gets a taste of her own medicine, and finds it rather sour, but then the new acquaintance turns sweet after the two conspire in a prank-spree adventure.

    Inevitably though, with two pranksters under one roof, soon things spin out of control. And when N.D. sets up a practical joke for Holly’s best friend that Holly fails to prevent, a broken finger and a broken friendship are just part of the disaster no one expected.

    The blame, of course, falls on Holly, but is it too late for her to find a way out of this mess, save her birthday and her friendship? And once the big secret is out, will Holly be the one caught by surprise?

    HOLLY HART AND HER MISCHIEVOUS PAL FROM OUTER SPACE is complete at 43,000 words middle grade novel for ages 8-12. This book can work as a standalone or be part of a series for which I have a few ideas.

    Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response.

    Best regards,
    Rosie

  • eyewonderwhy says:

    Name: Glenn McCarty
    Title: Lang Sawyer and the Den of Nostromo
    GENRE: MG fantasy

    Dear Mr. Taylor,

    Since his mom’s suspicious death six years earlier, 13-year old daredevil Langhorne Sawyer has gotten used to living with secrets and flying solo. But when a dusty leather journal appears next to his mailbox and reveals the Sawyers have been hunting monsters since Great-Great-Grandpa Tom dusted Dracula, Lang is sucked into a world that promises adventure, glory, and, finally, some answers. After he blows his training mission and ditches the follow-up meeting with the shadowy scientist Alistair Nevin, Lang decides it’s time to go rogue. He soon uncovers a game-changing twist: the worlds of his favorite stories are real, and Nevin is criss-crossing between them at will, threatening to wipe out the worlds and their stories as he stockpiles monsters for a diabolical endgame that began with Lang’s Mom.

    Lang Sawyer and the Den of Nostromo is a fast-paced, 72,000 word middle grade fantasy that joins Lang and his best friend Katrina Finn on a quest across Europe by bullet train, rusty pickup, and banana-yellow moped, as they try to thwart Nevin. Through all the narrow escapes, double-crosses, and secret identities, Lang learns two things: St. Bernards with gas make terrible bunkmates, and his do-my-own-stunts mentality might not be the best way to piece his life together or save his bacon (and the world’s). No pressure.

    In addition to writing for kids, I maintain a mild-mannered existence as a high school English teacher and freelance book critic for several major websites. I am also active in my local chapter of SCBWI and a member of The Rabbit Room online community. Upon your request, I am prepared to send the complete manuscript.

    Thank you for your consideration I look forward to hearing from you.

  • Kira Decker says:

    Name:Toni Decker
    Title: THE SHOALMAN CHRONICLES
    Genre: NA Paranormal Romance

    Dear Mr. Taylor,

    Kyrissa Spears’ obsession is Robert Shoalman’s immortal curse – painting images of death. Together they will learn to paint life or die trying.

    Kyrissa, a twenty one year old art student, is obsessed with capturing death in paint. Her skills have evoked the feelings that surround death inside her paintings, but not the essence of death itself, the soul. She knows it’s possible. She’s seen one artist who can capture death in paint, so when a chance meeting arises, who better to teach her than the master himself, Robert Shoalman?

    For five centuries, Robert Shoalman has painted images of death, capturing the energies around him and locking them into the canvas of his work. In his art, there’s a fine line between painting peaceful death scenes to entwine emotions within the paint, and deathly carnage that fuels his curse and empowers the demon responsible for it. Cursed to live over a hundred lifetimes, Robert amassed a legendary art collection and riches beyond imagination. There is only one thing he would welcome with open arms, the one thing he can never accomplish – death.

    Kyrissa’s gift would release Robert from his torment, but only if she learns to control it. When Robert offers to help her reach her full potential, it’s an offer she can’t refuse. While Robert plans for her to bring about his own death, he doesn’t realize the only soul Kyrissa intends to release is her mother’s. When the student’s art becomes strong enough to break the curse, they must choose which to embrace: love or death. Choosing wrong will kill them both.

    At 80k, The Shoalman Chronicles is a New Adult Paranormal Romance set in the contemporary landscape of an art school. The Shoalman Chronicles is co-written by Toni Picker and Kira Decker under the pen name, Toni Decker. The work stands alone, but has series potential.

    Thank you for considering The Shoalman Chronicles and we look forward to speaking with you about this manuscript.

  • Carrie-Anne says:

    (Pen) Name: Carrie-Anne Brownian
    Title: THE VERY FIRST
    Genre: MG Historical

    Dear Mr. Taylor,

    When German-born preteen Katherine Brandt immigrates in 1938, her dearest wish is to become a real American girl. She even accepts the American nickname Sparky to try to gain acceptance. But before she can realize her dream, she’s going to have to learn the ins and outs of the unusual town and group of friends she’s joined.

    Sparky is taken under the wing of Cinnimin Filliard, who teaches her a thing or two not only about American life, but also their strange town. The girls quickly become best friends, and while Sparky wants to believe Cinni is steering her right, she’s a bit taken aback by Cinni’s conflicting attitudes. As nice and intelligent as Cinni is, she often cops a superior attitude just because she was voted Most Popular Girl. Particularly to next door neighbor Violet, whom Cinni is convinced is after her title.

    Sparky will do almost anything to become a real American girl and stop giving herself away as a greenhorn, except compromise her Jewish faith. She’s determined to pull off being Sparky to her friends while remaining Kätchen to her family and staying true to her values. Cinni, who tries to tempt her into things like wearing shorter skirts and not being so strict about kosher, slowly begins realizing that there’s more than one acceptable way to be a real American. Only one thing is for certain—Sparky knows what she’s going to wish for on her upcoming birthday, and she wants that wish to come true, even if that means having to make some modifications she once thought she’d never make.

    THE VERY FIRST is complete at 60,000 words. The first of a series combining historical fiction, spoof, and social satire, it also works as a standalone.

    I have a BA from [redacted] in history and Russian and Eastern European Studies, with a focus on 20th century Russian history and the World War II/Shoah era, and worked in the production room of an Albany, NY-based newspaper, The Jewish World, for five years, writing, researching, and proofreading articles.

    Thank you for your time and attention.

  • Name: Kristin D. Van Risseghem
    Title: THE GUARDIAN
    Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

    Dear Mr. Taylor,

    Zoe Jabril is an angel. At least her friends think she will become one when she turns eighteen. In a few months they’ll know, for sure, if she receives a wings tattoo. With each passing day, she is showing early signs—creating protection orbs and raising people from death—of being the one whom The Prophesy foretold to save the world from Armageddon. Her ‘friends’ are her best friend and Guardian Angel, Kieran; a Nephilim boyfriend, Shay; a girl friend, Sidelle, who happens to be a trend setting shopaholic Summer Fairy; and a new Werewolf in town named Vash.

    Zoe was hidden for seventeen years, until demon knights had found her. She and Kieran were chased into an abandoned warehouse where the demons try to kill them. But Zoe was rescued by a mystery young man, who turned out to have a special ‘connection’ with her. Every time they touched, a strange electrical current ran through their bodies. Meaning she could have found her soul mate, or so she hoped. With the help from Kieran and the cute mystery guy, Shay, they kill the demons and send them back to Hell using a Guardian Sword and some bad ass fighting skills.

    Now with legions of demons coming after her, Kieran and Shay reveal to Zoe the world of Enlightens; Eternals (creatures who live forever), Naturals (beings who live longer than normal life spans) and Ordinaries (everyday humans).

    Zoe’s life is now intertwined with a complicated love triangle, Heaven’s angels, high school parties, Hell’s demons, flying dates, werewolves, boring homework, and fairies. Evil has been running wild and unchecked on earth. Now, she must seek out other Enlightens and make allies so the world isn’t destroyed.

    THE GUARDIAN is a 78,000 word YA Paranormal Romance who enjoy reading of young love with a twist of paranormal and a good versus evil fight. THE GUARDIAN is my first novel with series potential.

    Thank you for your time and consideration. I would be delighted to send the full manuscript at your request. Thank you very much for your time and consideration of THE GUARDIAN.

  • Tstorm182 says:

    Name: Felicia Anderson
    Title: THE SCALES ON OUR EYES
    Genre: YA fantasy, paranormal romance

    Dear Brent,

    I know what’s happening right now. Hazel is on his way to die at the rune circle, because he’s a Mythian, like me. But what am I going to do about it? I mean, really. I just found out what I am, an Angel, and my powers have barely manifested. How do I plan to take a mastered wizard on my own, especially when Hazel’s indifferent to his fate. He doesn’t want to be saved, but everyone deserves a chance. Right? And to make matters worse, no one wants to save the school bully. Nobody, except me. Am I fool? Probably. But I can’t let Fox win, because I know I’m next.

    Mythians, or creatures of myth, may have died out at the turn of the sixteenth century, but their gene pools live on.

    Leila Jade Oshiro welcomes a new start when she’s accepted into Fox Academy, a private school for the rich and gifted. Soon, though, she discovers gifted means something else entirely. The school-issued eye glasses aren’t just for seeing; they awaken the Mythian gene within. And when she catches the eye of Hazel Young, a fellow Mythian, elitist jerk, and the principal’s adopted son, she’s introduced to a darker world than she could ever imagine. A world with a secret that might explain why her father disappeared seven years ago. A secret that has Hazel and herself condemned to death.

    Told by Leila, The Scales on Our Eyes is a young adult fantasy novel with elements of paranormal romance. It is complete at 65,500 words and is the first in a series of two. Teen and young adult readers, as well as Japanese culture enthusiasts, will enjoy this Angel vs Vampire story that follows Leila’s burgeoning powers and her pursuits to alter the fate of a boy deemed a lost cause.

    Thank you for your time and consideration.
    -Felicia

  • Name: Veronica Bartles
    Title: LETTERS FROM HEAVEN
    Genre: MG Contemporary

    After thirteen-year-old Missy’s mother dies, she loses her faith, and her family is turned inside out. Her older brother spends all his time on the basketball court. Her best friends have gone AWOL. Dad starts dating again way too soon. And her two younger sisters want Missy to fill the hole Mom left behind. It’s too much for one girl to handle alone.

    Then, Missy starts receiving letters from Mom that give her the advice and encouragement she needs to deal with her new reality. Since Mom always planned ahead for EVERYTHING, Missy isn’t surprised that she would have arranged to have a letter or two delivered after her death. But as time passes and the letters not only keep coming, but get more specific, Missy starts to wonder if she’s actually receiving letters from heaven.

    If Mom can communicate from beyond the grave, she shouldn’t be wasting her time telling Missy to keep her chin up. She should do something real to stop Missy’s family from falling apart. Missy spirals into a deep depression, giving up on everything and refusing to get out of bed for days. Only when she starts responding to Mom with letters of her own does Missy gain the courage to accept the changes in her life and heal her family.

    LETTERS FROM HEAVEN is a middle grade contemporary novel, with a hint of magical realism, complete at 45,000 words.

  • Name: Deborah Kreiser
    Title: THREE WISHES
    Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

    Dear Mr. Taylor:

    Tall and lanky, Eugénie (Genie) Lowry is usually noticed only during academic awards assemblies–until the moment she turns 17 ½, when her body morphs from Kate-Hudson-flat to Katy-Perry-curvy. She discovers she’s a real, honest-to-God genie, with exactly six months to find a master, or she’ll return to her original self.

    Suddenly, Genie’s new body has made her the toast of high school. She hooks up with popular and funny Pete Dillon, but he’s set on controlling what Genie eats and who she sees, creating a major rift with her friends. She isn’t sure if Pete is Master (or Mr.) Right, but she is sure she wants more than anything to fall in love and live happily ever after. With help from her dead mother’s interactive diary and an imposing mentor with questionable motives, Genie uncovers the family history and genie rules she never knew. She grapples with her new powers and searches for the perfect master as she tries to make her own wishes come true.

    THREE WISHES is a completed 75,000-word Young Adult Paranormal Romance manuscript with series potential. It will appeal to fans of the setting in Kim Harrington’s CLARITY and the subject in Jackson Pearce’s AS YOU WISH.

    Thank you for your consideration.

    Sincerely,

    Deborah Kreiser

  • Jodie Andrefski
    SUMMER OF SECRETS
    YA Contemp

    Dear Mr. Taylor,

    Seventeen-year-old Shay Wilde refuses to let anyone see behind the shiny Gold-Card life she made sure to perfect.

    Summer following junior year is supposed to be a time for carefree fun with friends. Except Shay’s best friends have become the pills she hides in a Midol bottle and the razors she keeps in her nightstand drawer. Life is one big masquerade until the night at the boardwalk when Shay reconnects with the one guy that might be different from the rest of the party crew around her. With his amazing eyes and sexy smile, Zane is genuine in a way she has never known, and he makes Shay almost believe that she’s as perfect as she pretends to be. In just a few weeks’ time, Shay finds herself baring more and more of her secrets to the one person who seems like he truly cares.

    But there are some secrets that are too deep to reveal, as are the scars those secrets left behind. Unwilling to trust her heart, Shay runs. With enough distance and pills, anything can be erased. But habits die hard and if Shay doesn’t get it together soon, she may just do enough damage to not only ruin her chance at love, but also end her life.

    Complete at 63,000 words, SUMMER OF SECRETS is a YA Contemporary Novel that would appeal to those who enjoy reading Alyson Noel or Sarah Desson. I have my B.S. in English from Penn State University, and am currently pursuing my M.S. in Mental Health Counseling. My work has been published in “Everywhere” magazine and I was a contracted “Featured Storyteller” for StoryofMyLife.com; where I interviewed and wrote about various people in music, business, sports, and more. I had the opportunity to interview and write a story on NFL football player-turned author, Tim Green. I’ve served as the co-editor of the indie arts and music magazine “The Circle”, and was an advance book reviewer for Harper Collins Publishers.

    Thank you for your time and consideration.

  • Brenda Drake says:

    THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. ANY ENTRIES ENTERED INTO THE COMMENTS AFTER THIS COMMENT WILL BE DELETED!!!

    GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

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