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 5, 2020, we hope you’ll take a moment during your writing breaks and get to know our 2019 Pitch Wars Mentor and Mentee Teams.
Next up, we have . . .
Falon Ballard – Mentee
Alexa Martin – Mentor
Suzanne Park – Mentor
Alexa and Suzanne, why did you choose Falon?
We were looking for something voicey and fun with a strong, relatable hook, and luckily Falon’s submission was all of these things and more! It’s so fresh, we couldn’t stop reading!
Falon, why did you choose to submit to Alexa and Suzanne?
I’ve read and loved both of Alexa’s books, and what stood out the most to me was her unique voice. When I saw she was partnered with Suzanne, I immediately went and read the excerpt from her upcoming release, and that cemented my decision. Both my mentors have got that intangible voice factor, and I knew they would be the perfect mentors for my very voicey manuscript.
Alexa and Suzanne, summarize Falon’s book in 3 words.
Alexa: Fresh, fun, millennial
Suzanne: Can’t…stop…posting…
Falon, summarize your book in 3 words.
Social media obsessed
Alexa and Suzanne, tell us about yourselves. Something we may not already know.
Suzanne: Authors are asked to do self-promo, and I don’t have a ton of time to spare to do a lot of social media. I’m embarrassed to say that a lot of my graphics come from PowerPoint (I know, I know, I’m still trying to figure out if I like Canva!)
Alexa: Before I ever thought about writing a book, I started a blog that I only shared with friends and family. It’s mainly about my kids, but there are quite a few posts about booze and bedazzling. Foreshadowing for my future books? Maybe!
Falon, what do you hope to get out of the Pitch Wars experience?
This manuscript really has a piece of my soul in it, but I’d gotten to the point where I didn’t know how to make it better. I knew it still wasn’t where I wanted it to be, but I didn’t know how to get there on my own. I hope that with the help of my mentors, I’ll be able to make this book the best it can possibly be. And an agent would be nice too ;o)
Falon, tell us about yourself! What makes you and your manuscript unique?
I’ve been a blogger for the past eight years, and even though social media influencing isn’t my full time career (I’m also a wedding planner), I’ve been a part of that world for many years and I find it to be such a fascinating slice of life. I’m also one of those rare birds born and raised in the Los Angeles area and I love the idea of exploring a very often stereotyped city in a new way on the pages of my book. When I started writing this manuscript, I created my main character’s Instagram account (@girllovesla) and I love the idea of playing with social media in connection to fiction. As for me personally, I’m a huge nerd and love all my fandoms, especially Marvel and Star Wars. I live five minutes away from Disneyland and go at least once a week, and I have a lifelong love for live theater.
Check out Alexa’s upcoming release, FUMBLED, releasing January 23, 2020.
A second chance doesn’t guarantee a touchdown in this new contemporary romance from the author of Intercepted.
Single-mother Poppy Patterson moved across the country when she was sixteen and pregnant to find a new normal. After years of hard work, she’s built a life she loves. It may include a job at a nightclub, weekend soccer games, and more stretch marks than she anticipated, but it’s all hers, and nobody can take that away. Well, except for one person.
T.K. Moore, the starting wide receiver for the Denver Mustangs, dreamt his entire life about being in the NFL. His world is football, parties, and women. Maybe at one point he thought his future would play out with his high school sweetheart by his side, but Poppy is long gone and he’s moved on.
When Poppy and TK cross paths in the most unlikely of places, emotions they’ve suppressed for years come rushing back. But with all the secrets they never told each other lying between them, they’ll need more than a dating playbook to help them navigate their relationship.
PRAISE FOR FUMBLED…
“Readers will laugh, swoon, and grow to love every character in this entertaining contemporary romance.” Publishers Weekly
Now available for preorder: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Kobo | Apple Books | Google Play
Check out Suzanne’s upcoming releases . . .
THE PERFECT ESCAPE – releasing April 7, 2020
A Young Adult #OwnVoices Romantic Comedy from Sourcebooks Fire
“Pure fun! A hilarious rom-com that head-fakes you into tumbling headlong into a techno-zombie survival thriller propelled by banter and plenty of heart.”―DAVID YOON, New York Times bestselling author of Frankly in Love
Love is a battlefield in this hysterical rom-com debut, perfect for fans of Jenny Han.
Nate Jae-Woo Kim wants to be rich. When one of his classmates offers Nate a ridiculous amount of money to commit grade fraud, he knows that taking the windfall would help support his prideful Korean family, but is compromising his integrity worth it?
Now available for preorder: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Book Depository | Books-a-Million
LOATHE AT FIRST SIGHT – releasing August 4, 2020
An Adult #OwnVoices Romantic Comedy from Harper Collins/Avon.
A hate-to-love romantic-comedy set in the video game industry about a Korean-American producer who is tasked with launching a feminist video game while being antagonized by everyone around her, especially the company’s new MBA intern.
Now available for preorder: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Apple | Books-a-Million
Thank you for supporting our Pitch Wars Teams! The Agent Showcase is February 5 – 10, 2020, and our next Twitter Pitch Party on #PitMad is March 5, 2020! Want to know more about #PitMad? Go here.
