A Pitch Wars Team Interview with Jane Igharo and mentors, Kristin Wright

Sunday, 27 January 2019 | Posted by Lisa Leoni

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 starting on February 6, 2019, we hope you’ll take a moment during your writing breaks and get to know our 2018 Pitch Wars Teams.

Next up, we have . . .

Kristin, why did you choose Jane?

Jane’s romance was such a beautifully written romance with a clear obstacle of the heroine’s Nigerian culture colliding with the hero’s Canadian one. I could see instantly where it needed work and I could tell from the quality of her writing that she had the necessary skills to do it. Her first few pages were such a lovely example of the way attraction begins–when the object begins to take up real estate in your brain and the first reaction is annoyance that turns to fascination.

Jane, why did you choose to submit to Kristin?

During the mentor blog hop, I checked out Kristin’s blog and the first thing I noticed was her personality; it came through right away. She seemed like a fun, relatable person who enjoyed being a mentor. Plus, her gif selection was on point. She also wanted all the things my manuscript offered. But ultimately, I decided to submit to her because she wrote this:

“You’ll note I didn’t specify #ownvoices or LGBT, even though I want those. I didn’t specify it because in this day and age diversity should go without saying.”

After reading that, I instantly decided to put her down as a potential mentor.

Kristin, summarize Jane’s book in 3 words.

Deep cultural divide

Jane, summarize your book in 3 words.

Culture-clash, romance, self-discovery

Kristin, tell us about yourselves. Something we may not already know.

I performed in a high school show choir, complete with dance shoes and a black satin dress with a red sash. We competed nationally at Opryland with songs from Chess and Les Miserables. I’ve had professional voice training that is totally wasted now and used only during the rare times I drive alone.

Jane, what do you hope to get out of the Pitch Wars experience?

When I started working on my manuscript three years ago, I couldn’t see its full potential; because of this, the characters and the themes weren’t strong enough. The story was only half of what it was supposed to be. With the help of my pitch wars mentor, I finally see what my MS can be–what it was always meant to be. Moving forward, I hope to get more insight on how to improve my manuscript and bring it to its best possible state. Also, I hope my experience with pitch wars will help me with future projects, allowing me to look beyond the surface of my story, dig deeper, and convey its full potential.

Jane, tell us about yourself! What makes you and your manuscript unique?

I am a communications specialist living in Toronto. I was born in Nigeria but immigrated to Canada when I was eleven. What makes my manuscript unique is the fact that it’s a sexy culture-clash romance that also explores the idea of identity and many immigrants’ fear of integrating and losing their culture. Its comps are “The Big Sick” and “Fools Rush In.” I think it’s an important story and there aren’t many of these sorts of stories.

Check out Kristin’s latest release, LYING BENEATH THE OAKS!

Molly Todd wakes up in a Vegas parking lot with a headache, a virtual stranger, and a wedding ring. Jobless and broke, she’s left with no other option but to go home with new husband Cooper Middleton to the Lowcountry of South Carolina to straighten out the mess they’ve made. It’s in Molly’s best interest to get an annulment sooner rather than later–before her hosts find out that she’s not the kind of guest anyone wants at their Thanksgiving dinner.

The more Molly gets to know Cooper and his family, the more she wonders if she and Cooper might have a real chance together. She longs to tell him her secret even though she knows the truth might get her kicked straight out into the nearby swamp. While she wavers, Molly’s unusual life experiences allow her to spot the skeletons in the Middleton family closet: ones Cooper’s never suspected, ones that are hidden in plain sight. What Molly discovers will shake Cooper’s foundations–and could threaten both their lives.