MANUSCRIPT STATUS: Finished
Mentor: Natasha Neagle
Mentee: Sabina Khan
Title: LOVE, CHAI & CONFESSIONS
Category: Young Adult
Genre: LGBT Contemporary
Word Count: 83,000
Pitch:
When seventeen-year-old Rukhsana is caught kissing her girlfriend, her conservative Muslim parents whisk her off to Bangladesh in the middle of her senior year. Desperate to safeguard their honor, they arrange her marriage. Now, separated from her girlfriend by thousands of miles and surrounded by family who can’t know the truth, she must fight her way back to love and freedom.
Excerpt:
Fragrant tendrils of cinnamon and cardamom tickled my nose as I cradled a warm cup of chai. I inhaled deeply allowing the warmth to seep through me.
I’d better savor this moment.
The second hand on the enormous wall clock above the doorway ticked away, blissfully oblivious to the drama about to unfold right in front of it. It was almost five o’clock, almost time for me to get ready for the party tonight. I couldn’t wait to be with Ariana again, to hold her and feel her soft lips on mine. But first I had to convince Mom to let me leave the house. She walked out of the study after her Asr prayer, absent-mindedly rolling up her prayer rug as she walked into the kitchen.
I took a long sip of my tea before placing the cup on the kitchen counter. “Mom, don’t forget, I’m going to Jen’s house in a little bit.”
She removed her head scarf and draped it over the back of a chair.
“Again?” she asked, deepening the worry lines on her forehead. “Why, Rukhsana? You just went the other day.” She poured herself a cup of chai and took a careful sip before returning her gaze to me.
Fear clenched my heart. Was she suspicious? She couldn’t possibly know about Ariana and me. We were so careful. But what if…
But I wouldn’t let myself think of that.
I’m very intrigued! I’d be delighted to read. Please send the full manuscript as a Microsoft word document to brent[at]triadaus[dot][com] with “Pitch Wars request” in the subject line and your query letter in the body of the message. Looking forward to dipping in.
I would love to see this! Please send me the full with a synopsis to jessica@dijkstraagency.com. Thanks!
Ooh! I love the big picture tension in your synopsis and the immediacy of the tension in these opening sentences. Would you please send the full manuscript to me as a Word doc? reneequery@ktliterary.com
Thank you!
I’d love to have a look. Please send the manuscript along to me at jmccarthy@dystel.com. Thanks!
I’d love to take a look at the full manuscript. Please send it as a word attachment to querycaitie (at) lizadawson (dot) com with your query in the email, with the PitchWars request in the subject.
Sounds great! Could you send me the official query in the body of an email, the first 50 pages in an attached Word doc, and “Pitch Wars Request” in the subject line to laura(at)triadaus(dot)com? Thanks!
–Laura Crockett, TriadaUS Literary Agency
I’d love to take a look at the full manuscript! Please send your query pasted in the email and the full manuscript attached in a word document to: rena (at) thedeborahharrisagency (dot) com
Thanks!
– Rena Rossner
The Deborah Harris Agency
Great start! I’d love to keep reading. Please send the full manuscript attached as a Word document to queries@parkliterary.com with “Pitch Wars – Pete Knapp” in the subject. Looking forward to reading! – Pete Knapp
I’m interested in seeing more of this! Please send the query + the full manuscript (as a word document) to rachel(at)lperkinsagency(dot)com with Pitch Wars: TITLE in the subject line. Thanks!
I’d love to keep reading! The premise and setting here are both very compelling. Please send your full manuscript to brooks@thebentagency.com as a Word attachment, along with your query and a synopsis (if available) with “PITCH WARS: LOVE, CHAI & CONFESSIONS” in the subject of your email. Thanks!
I would love to see more of this! Please send a query (in the body of the email) plus the full manuscript as a Word doc attachment to patricia@marsallyonliteraryagency.com, and make sure to put “Pitch Wars Request” and the title in the subject line.
Looking forward to reading!
This looks awesome! 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’d love to see at the rest of this. Please send a full to strothmanagency (at ) gmail (.) com as an attached word document (.doc) with REQUESTED PITCH WARS in the subject line.
I’d love to read more! Please send the full manuscript to hjacobson@icmpartners.com Thank you!!
Love the stakes here! Please send the full manuscript attached as a Word doc with your query in the body of the email to queryjennifer[at]lizadawson[dot]com. And I see that Caitie also requested–please just remind us both when you send, and we’ll sort it out.
Thank you!
– Jennifer Johnson-Blalock, Liza Dawson Associates
I would love to see more of this!! Please send the full manuscript + your query to leon@lperkinsagency.com. Thanks!
I’m taken by your writing and the voice! I’d love to see the full manuscript. Please send it + query + synopsis to LBiagi (at) jvnla (dot) com, with Pitch Wars in the subject line. Excited to read!
I’d very much love to see this. Please send the query and full MS to Rebecca@reesagency.com, with PITCH WARS REQUEST in the subject line. I look forward to reading.
I’d love to see more of this! Please send a query, synopsis and the full manuscript to chquery@mcintoshandotis.com. Please mark “Pitch Wars request” in the subject line. –Christa Heschke
I would love to read the full. Please send your manuscript to stacey@donaghyliterary.com as a word attachment with your query in the body of the email. Use email subject #PitchWars- TITLE-YA contemporary Looking forward to digging in!
Hi Sabina–This is a great premise, I’ve been looking for a book like this. Please send the manuscript and a synopsis as Word doc attachments to queryroseanne@gmail.com with Pitch Wars and Query + title in the subject line. Can’t wait to read!
Roseanne Wells
The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency
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!