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Pitch Wars Team Interview with Lillian Woodall and mentor, Alexandria Bellefleur

Thursday, 13 January 2022  |  Posted by Rochelle Karina

Our mentors are mentoring, 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 9, 2021, we hope you’ll take a moment during your writing breaks and get to know our 2021 Pitch Wars Mentor and Mentee Teams.

Next up, we have . . .

Lillian Woodall – Mentee

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Alexandria Bellefleur – Mentor

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Alexandria, why did you choose Lillian?

Lillian’s voice is absolutely killer and I was hooked from the very first line. I devoured this absolutely swoony second-chance sapphic romance with such a unique hook–two former friends get a second chance at love while competing against one another in a Santa pageant. The manuscript hits on so many of my favorite tropes while making them fresh and unique.

Lillian, why did you choose to submit to Alexandria?

Alexandria is an absolute superstar of queer contemporary romance. Radiant recommendations for her books have been floating about in the queer book space for ages, so when I saw that she was mentoring I knew she’d be top of my list. She’s the dream mentor for me. Buy her books, they’re queer and funny and wise and the sex is HOT!

Alexandria, summarize Lillian’s book in 3 words.

Second-chance Sapphic Santas!

Lillian, summarize your book in 3 words.

Sapphic Santas kissing!

Alexandria, tell us about yourself. Something we may not already know.

I recently announced that I’ll be writing three more books, the first being a marriage of convenience romance between a shy bookstore owner whose independent bookstore is struggling, and newspaper heiress who moonlights as a romance novel cover model. Fauxmance is one of my favorite tropes and I’m excited to have the chance to explore that trope again while continuing to write queer rom-coms.

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

I’ve been querying for more years than I want to admit, and I felt so stuck and lonely before switching genres and writing this book. What I craved going into this experience was a morsel of hope – and I’ve already found it. Having somebody believe in my writing and offer their time to help is a huge deal; it feels like the push I needed to trust in my own voice, and I am so honoured to learn from Alexandria. The other romance mentees have made me feel warmly welcome, and they are also teaching me so much. My goal now I think is to write a book I’m really truly proud of.

Lillian, tell us about yourself. What makes you and your manuscript unique?

My manuscript represents my journey over the past few years towards learning to love myself again, having come through the fog of a bad experience and out the other side. It’s a second-chance romance, grieving the relationship I had with myself a long time ago, and the unrecognisable self I became, then finally getting to know my new self. Having grown up on an island, I wanted to explore how such a story could’ve played out in a small community (had I not been lucky enough to move elsewhere). And for a lighter backdrop, as a Christmas-loving bisexual, I couldn’t resist putting my two sapphic love interests in Santa suits and making them battle out who’s the better Santa!

Check out Alexandria’s upcoming release, COUNT YOUR LUCKY STARS …

Margot Cooper doesn’t do relationships. She tried and it blew up in her face, so she’ll stick with casual hookups, thank you very much. But now her entire crew has found “the one” and she’s beginning to feel like a fifth wheel. And then fate (the heartless bitch) intervenes. While touring a wedding venue with her engaged friends, Margot comes face-to-face with Olivia Grant—her childhood friend, her first love, her first… well, everything. It’s been ten years, but the moment they lock eyes, Margot’s cold, dead heart thumps in her chest.

Olivia must be hallucinating. In the decade since she last saw Margot, her life hasn’t gone exactly as planned. At almost thirty, she’s been married… and divorced. However, a wedding planner job in Seattle means a fresh start and a chance to follow her dreams. Never in a million years did she expect her important new client’s Best Woman would be the one that got away.

When a series of unfortunate events leaves Olivia without a place to stay, Margot offers up her spare room because she’s a Very Good Person. Obviously. It has nothing to do with the fact that Olivia is as beautiful as ever and the sparks between them still make Margot tingle. As they spend time in close quarters, Margot starts to question her no-strings stance. Olivia is everything she’s ever wanted, but Margot let her in once and it ended in disaster. Will history repeat itself or should she count her lucky stars that she gets a second chance with her first love?

Coming February 2022

Thank you for supporting our Pitch Wars Teams! The Agent Showcase is February 9-14, 2022. Make sure to stop by then and check out all our mentees’ entries when it opens. 

 

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