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PW #107: Adult Women’s Fiction: GHOSTS OF RODEO DRIVE

Wednesday, 2 November 2016  |  Posted by Heather Cashman

MANUSCRIPT STATUS: Finished

Mentor: Laura Heffernan
Mentee: Steph Mignon
Title: GHOSTS OF RODEO DRIVE
Category/Genre: Adult/Women’s fiction
Word Count: 86,000

Pitch:

After growing up without indoor plumbing, Sierra moves to Beverly Hills, determined to marry for money. When a hot NBA player’s car knocks her out of her fake Louboutins, Sierra sees dollar signs–and wedding bells. Unfortunately, her job is “cursed”: No female employee has tied the knot in decades. Sierra explores life as a sugar baby, but when the cute magician downstairs helps her with a work presentation, she wonders if money is what she really wants, after all.

First Page:

In a few hours, Rodeo Drive will be teeming with Italian sports cars and the tightly stretched faces of Beverly Hills’ aging housewives. But right now, in the unspoiled sunshine of mid-morning, the store fronts and dreams trapped inside are all mine.

In the window of Cartier’s flagship Beverly Hills location, a woman’s white gloved hand slips a diamond bracelet on a mannequin’s velvet wrist. The display case lights are already on, making it look like the salesperson holds a ball of stars in her hand, sparkles shooting in every direction. It’s my favorite thing to watch: the way she works her gloves around the circle, polishing each gem like she’s a cat licking her newborn kittens. Someday, when I tell my future, filthy rich husband about this strand of perfection, he’ll agree such an exquisite piece should be mine.

Since I moved to Southern California a few months ago, this is my Monday morning ritual. I wake up early, put on flats, and walk from the Beverlywood apartment I share with my best friend Julie to look into the windows of my destiny.

I think about my goals as I walk past pristine Beverly Hills lawns, their gardeners stopping leaf blowers as I pass. I haven’t always been a gold digger. Like most little girls, I had big dreams.

Filed: Pitch Wars

7 Comments
  • renarossner says:

    I’d love to take a look at the first 50 pages of this manuscript. Please send them to rena (at) thedeborahharrisagency (dot) com with your query pasted in the email and the first 50 pages attached as a word document.

    Thanks!

    – Rena Rossner
    The Deborah Harris Agency

  • Laura says:

    Sounds fun! Could you send me the official query in the body of the email, the first 50 pages in an attached Word doc, with “Pitch Wars Request” in the subject line to laura(at)triadaus(dot)com? Thank you!

    –Laura Crockett, TriadaUS Literary Agency

  • Shades of Breakfast at Tiffany’s! I’d love to read the first 100 pages of this if you would please send as a Word attachment. You can email me directly at carrie(at)prospectagency(dot)com. If you would put PITCH WARS in the subject and the query in the body of the email that would be great. Excited to read more!!

  • I’ve been looking forward to this one! Could you please send the query in the body of the email and the first 50 pages attached as a Word doc to queryjennifer[at]lizadawson[dot]com? Thanks!

    – Jennifer Johnson-Blalock, Liza Dawson Associates

  • I’m liking this so far! Will you please send the full to query [at] handspunlit [dot] com? As a Word doc attachment is strongly preferred; please use “Pitch Wars” in the subject line. Thanks so much!

  • I’m very intrigued! I’d be interested to read the first fifty pages. Please send them in a Word doc to alyssajennette@stonesong.com.

  • I’d love to read more! Please send the full manuscript to whitley@inklingsliterary.com with “Pitch Wars: [TITLE]” as the subject line. And if you wouldn’t mind, could you please include your query on the first page of the word doc?. I look forward to reading!

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