Our mentors are editing, our mentees are revising, and we hope you’re making progress on your own manuscript! While we’re all working toward the Agent Showcase on November 1st-7th, we hope you’ll take a moment during your writing breaks and get to know our 2017 Pitch Wars Teams.
And now, we have . . .
Elizabeth Chatsworth – Mentee
Léonie Kelsall– Mentor
Marty Mayberry – Mentor
Elizabeth,why did you choose to submit to Marty and Léonie?
Fate brought us together through the Scavenger Hunt.
Marty and Léonie, why did you choose Elizabeth?
We’re thrilled we get to work with Elizabeth. She’s super-sweet and eager to get her MS ready for the agent round. In Elizabeth’s historical adventure (with a steampunk twist), its 1897. The heroine, who happens to run her family’s illegal arms empire on the sly, has three days to marry or she’ll lose her ancestral estate. When an airship crashes through the ceiling during her coming-out ball, only the quick reflexes of a tall, dark, and almost handsome US spy keep her from sudden death. And then, when a scientist is kidnapped . . . well, we don’t want to tell you any more about this fantastic book! You’ll have to wait until the agent round in November, where we expect THE BRASS QUEEN will shine.
Elizabeth, summarize your book in 3 words.
Perception. Reality. Trust.
Marty and Léonie, summarize Elizabeth’s book(s) in 3 words.
Blue-blood. Spy. Adventure
Elizabeth, tell us about yourself! What makes you and your MS unique?
Born and raised in England, my earliest memory is of watching the BBC classic TV show “Doctor Who.” Discovering new worlds through science fiction has been my passion ever since. I’ve even traveled to Tatooine and slept at Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru’s farm! *Spoiler alert, the “farm” is a troglodyte dwelling in Tunisia.
I emigrated to the US where I work as a professional voice actor (SAG-AFTRA). I enjoy archery, martial arts, PC gaming, cosplay, and horseback riding (but not at the same time).
My novel, THE BRASS QUEEN, is set in a steampunk version of my hometown, Sheffield. The gritty industrial city nestled in bucolic Yorkshire countryside provides the backdrop for a sci-fi adventure comedy.
In 1897, cultures clash and tempers flare when a British aristocrat and a US spy join forces to find kidnapped scientists. With an invisibility serum on the loose and war on the horizon, the couple must learn to trust each other. If they don’t, the world they know will disappear before their eyes.
In a humorous way, the novel explores the perceptions that divide us, and the transformative power of compassion.
Marty and Léonie, tell us about yourself. Something we may not already know.
Lee’s always 14 hours ahead of Marty.
And next, we have . . .
Elizabeth Wat Chang-Gibson – Mentee
Linsey Miller – Mentor
Maria Mora – Mentor
Elizabeth, why did you choose to submit to Linsey and Maria?
Mara I didn’t. But I would say the gods stepped in and blessed me with Linsey and Maria. One of the mentors, a dear friend who I couldn’t submit to, said to me, “Your manuscript got passed around so many times because they were in love.” Whatever the reason, you never know why someone picks your story. You just have to have faith someone will.
Linsey and Maria, why did you choose Elizabeth?
Maria and I really enjoyed the voice of the characters and how their stories came together as the manuscript advanced. It’s a great fantasy world with so much potential for the characters to explore and grow, and the tension at the heart of the story was very relatable. It’s a great high fantasy with promising characters.
Elizabeth, summarize your book in 3 words.
Chinese. Sisters. Magic
Linsey and Maria, summarize Elizabeth’s book(s) in 3 words.
Family. Magic. Legacy.
Elizabeth, tell us about yourself! What makes you and your MS unique?
I grew up on the island of Oahu. Flip-flops, shorts, and T-shirts were my uniform of choice. I’m half Chinese, quarter French, and quarter Polish. Although, I don’t look Chinese. At all! My father attributed it to eating more haole (white) food than pake (Chinese) food. Honestly, I ate everything growing up in the islands. The food should be considered being put on some off-limits and forbidden list because once you start you can’t stop. Oh so ‘ono(tasty).
As much as I would like to believe Hawaii is place of harmonious blending of all the races, it isn’t always true. Some of my most painful memories growing up involved either my being not Chinese enough or not haole enough to belong to either group. Once I ran away from home, hoping to discover my own island where all half and halfs could be happy. I was seven at the time and didn’t get very far. But, I did find a haven in books. The library was my sanctuary where magical creatures peeked around every corner and answers to problems were solved.
My sixteen-year-old protagonist struggles with the feeling of not belonging in a changing world of values. She’s an artist and in her changing world, she trades her brushes for a sword to fight for her sister. Of course, her Chinese never-world has dragons, ghosts, and magic.
Linsey and Maria, tell us about yourself. Something we may not already know.
Linsey: I’m a YA fantasy author, and this is my third year mentoring Pitch Wars. However, this is the first fantasy manuscript I’ve mentored.
Maria: This is my first year as a Pitch Wars mentor and I’m blown away by the talent in this community. I am also terrified of shipwrecks.
Our mentors’ latest releases…
Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller
IndieBound | Book Depository | Watermark Books | Barnes & Noble | Amazon
A genderfluid thief auditions to become the queen’s next royal assassin but must survive the deadly competition in order to put their true motives into motion—revenge.
I Needed to Win.
They Needed to Die.
Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class―and the nobles who destroyed their home.
When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand―the Queen’s personal assassins, named after the rings she wears―Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge.
But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive.
Thank you for supporting our Pitch Wars Teams! The Agent Showcase is November 1st-7th, and our next #PitMad is December 7, 2017!
