Welcome to the Pitch Wars Team Interviews
Bringing you a closer look at each Pitch War Team and their project.
Be sure to comment with support, comments, and questions.
Meet A.S. Oliver and her mentor, Charlie N. Holmberg
Team Blackboard
Charlie N. Holmberg (Mentor), tell us a little about yourself.
Once upon a time I wanted to be an exotic dancer. Then I found out what exotic dancers were. The rest of my fifth grade year was a little awkward after that. I didn’t really know how to dress myself until I was 16. I read lots of fantasy novels and worship Hayao Miyazaki in my spare time. I’m a Mormon, a feminist (one of the nice ones), an age-group-line-straddling writer, and I really -do- own too many pairs of glasses.
A.S. Oliver (Mentee), tell us a little about yourself.
I’m scared of wasps, holes (trypophobia IT’S A REAL THING MUM), and my hair falling out. My greatest delights are dry warm dusty earth, summer flowers, the anticipation of October, and successfully reciting tongue-twisters. I think all those things tend to work their way into my writing, as I love writing snappy snarky dialogue and characters who are in tune with their surroundings, whether that’s a city, a prairie, or their own back garden. Also body horror. Bodies going wrong freaks me out like nothing else. I pretty much always write fantasy of some sort, but I’ll read anything that interests me. The authors who’ve inspired me the most are Robin Hobb and Rosemary Sutcliff, which becomes very obvious if you look at my early writings, as I quite shamelessly stole phrases, images, and entire characters from their books. I do the same sort of thing now, but I’m just a bit more subtle about it.
Charlie, why did you decide to participate in Pitch Wars?
I participated last year and really enjoyed it, and I’m still friends with last year’s mentee (who happens to live 30 minutes away and is a better writer than I am by far). I think I learn just as much as I teach, and I enjoy being in the community. There are a lot of awesome writers out there (AS Olivier being one of them!) and I love getting to know them better!
A.S., why did you decide to participate in Pitch Wars?
Since joining AgentQuery Connect, I’d become aware of the cool contests that happened on Twitter, and Pitch Wars sounded like an amazing opportunity. Even if I got no requests in the agent round, the mentoring aspect would be incredibly helpful, and that’s what sealed the overall amazeballitude of it for me. I very nearly didn’t enter at all, though, because I didn’t think I would have much of a chance.
Charlie, what are you most excited for?
Oooh, that’s tricky. One of my favorite parts is actually choosing the mentee! Now that that’s past, I’m excited to see where her MS goes, how shiny we can make it, and hopefully snag her a great agent!
A.S., what are you most excited for?
My puppy sleeping all the way through the night. Also my manuscript getting better and stronger (hopefully turning into the Terminator/Wolverine/Chuck Norris somewhere down the line). My mentor Charlie is superlatively insightful, and her comments on my characters show she really understands the story and takes it all as seriously as I do.
A.S., describe your novel in 3 words.
Victorian. Murder. Magic.
Charlie, describe your mentee’s novel in 3 words.
Gray. Secrets. Fear.
Check Us Out …
A.S. Olivier, Mentee
A.S. Olivier is a freelance editor and ghostwriter. She lives by the English seaside with two dogs, and spends her time over-analysing symbolism and pretending she can sing in tune. She is greatly puzzled by her dislike of Nutella.
Charlie N. Holmberg, Mentor
Twitter | Website | Instagram | Goodreads
Born in Salt Lake City, Charlie N. Holmberg was raised a Trekkie alongside three sisters who also have boy names. She graduated from BYU, plays the ukulele, owns too many pairs of glasses, and hopes to one day own a dog.
Charlie’s recent release …
Followed by Frost
Seventeen-year-old Smitha has the wealth, status, and beauty that make her the envy of her town—until she rejects a strange man’s marriage proposal and disastrous consequences follow. Smitha becomes cursed, and frost begins to encompass everything she touches. Banished to the hills, hunted by villagers, and chilled to the very core of her soul, she finds companionship with Death, who longs to coax her into his isolated world. But Smitha’s desire for life proves stronger than despair, and a newfound purpose gives her renewed hope. Will regrets over the past and an unexpected desire for a man she cannot touch be enough to warm Smitha’s heart, or will Death forever still it?
