Agent Shopping day w/ Literary Agent Laura Bradford.

November 21, 2011

UPDATE: I’ve heard from Ms. Bradford and have sent out e-mails to the six lucky pitchers!

Thanks to everyone, especially Ms. Bradford for coming and participating.

Have a safe and happy holiday!

Good Morning!

As always, I’ll keep it short and sweet. The turn out for Ms. Bradford was awesome! Let’s hope she finds a few pitches below that she likes. Fingers crossed for all of you.

Here are the stats:

Pitches received: 78

Pitches Accepted: 30

Pitches Deleted: 48

  • 5 – Missing info
  • 3 – Too long
  • 1 – Missing title
  • 1 – Missing pitch
  • 2 – Spam

So that’s it. The first thirty VIABLE pitches are below. Good luck to those who made it through.

Ms. Bradford! Welcome to the madness of Musetracks. The pitches are below. Have fun! If you find any pitches that you’d like to see more of, simply e-mail me the number, what you’d like to see, and how you’d like it sent. I’ll take care of the rest.

Huge thanks for being our guest!

———————————————

#1

SWAMP MAGIC

Paranormal Romance

45, 013 words

Beth expected bugs, swamp rats and gators. Finding out the bog monster was real? Well that sure as hell wasn’t.

Evil has a name, it goes by Octavia, and the swamp Witch wasn’t stupid. She cursed her stolen men into creatures that couldn’t become of serious threat to her. Namely, those found naturally in the swamp.

Opossums, lizards and armadillos oh my!

What she failed to realize is every creature is blessed with natural defenses. Though the cursed souls aren’t fully human, neither are they much like their counterparts…except in their defenses. Speed, strength and even armor help unlikely heroes Moss and Damien take a stand for those unfortunate souls who have crossed Octavia’s path.

Beth and her aunt were two such unfortunates…or so everyone thought.

Who knew that these two held special magic’s of their own or that one secretly has revenge on her mind and in her heart.

As the swamp heats up its creatures come out hunting. Only not all of them are in animal form as the past crashes with the future and as is nature’s way only the strong or strong willed survive.

#2

JULIA’S WELL

Women’s Literature

87,000 words

Julia is an optimist and expert problem-solver who “packs her diaper bag like it’s a mission from God,” but her quiet life as a stay-at-home mom is quickly unraveling. Her alcoholic father lands himself in the hospital with liver failure, her husband’s new job means that he is increasingly absent, her sister’s going through her third divorce, and her trouble-making uncle has just resurfaced to stir the family pot.

As Julia comes to terms with the fact that her father needs a long-shot liver transplant to survive, she tries to reconcile her strained marriage with raising her two daughters to her own high standards. While the family keeps vigil at her father’s hospital bedside, long-held secrets are revealed, leading the misfit group to a new understanding of one another, and Julia to a better understanding of herself. Julia learns to ask for help, admit defeat, be selfish when necessary, and surrender control as she redefines her own notion of happiness.

This novel was inspired by a true story: my uncle’s battle with liver failure. Julia’s Well was a semifinalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. I was a Glimmer Train contest finalist and have published several short stories.

#3

AT THE END OF THE WATER

Romantic Women’s Fiction

80,000 words

In her heart, Kate would rather be her good friend Oliver’s second wife than anyone else’s first.  Seeing his strength and courage in battling back from his wife’s death has made Kate love Oliver in a way she knows will only ever belong to him.

And that is why she sits alone, today, in her cold basement.

Unfortunately, such a desperate love can leave one half of the heart lost in the other’s wake.  Kate gave herself to Oliver when she’d been whole.  His promise of a woman he could build a new life with.  Love fruitfully, bear his babies, hold heaven.

Kate shouldn’t have let him fall so hard for her.

His good heart will always love but never forget.

Her decision to be sterilized breaks him again and again and again.

How desperate is his love for her?

Enough to leave him sitting waiting, today, on her doorstep.

#4

SECRETS AND LIES

Mystery/Family Saga

177,060 words

Secrets and Lies is set on Caleb’s Woe, an island resort located off the coast of Rockport, Massachusetts. Kate Stanwood’s peaceful life was shattered the morning her brother found their father, Matthew Weston, lying in a bloody heap on the living room floor. At Weston’s feet lay a framed magazine cover page depicting the heyday of the family’s art gallery – an Abstract Expressionist exhibit held in 1957. The cover page was covered with a cipher, written in her fathers’ blood. The condition of her father’s body plus harassment of members of her family encouraged Kate to look into the incident on her own to get answers as to whom was harassing her family and why. What Kate did not know was that uncovering the mystery that led to her father’s death would dislodge an evil much older and much more determined to remain buried.

I publish erotica and dark fiction with several small presses under the pseudonym Elizabeth Black. I’m looking for an agent because I need agent representation for my writing career to succeed.

#5

SHADOWS AT MOOSE RUN

Upmarket Women’s Fiction

110, 000 words

When an unexpected storm rolls in on the afternoon of her mother’s funeral, thirty-year-old Maddie fears that the indomitable Lena is not gone—at least not yet.  With Lena’s death, Maddie had hoped for release from her mother’s oppressive shadow.

Maddie abandons a promising career in New York to return to her childhood home in the Colorado mountains.  She soon discovers that her family has wasted no time in mourning Lena. While her father posts his profile on singles websites, her sister becomes engaged to a man Lena loathed.  Maddie wants her own new start, and sparks fly when she reconnects with childhood friend Brad. Brad is great in bed, but good sex is a poor substitute for the love she wants. She finds consolation from a broken heart in her friendship with cowboy artist Jackson. A cynic who doesn’t believe in romantic love, he’s a safe bet.

But Maddie discovers she cannot find love while haunted by the past.  As she adopts the unlikely role of maid-of-honor to both her sister and soon-to-be-stepmother, she must confront her mother’s shadow, and the one man who asks her to choose between him and her dreams.

#6

THE DETOUR TO HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Humorous Women’s Fiction

88,000 words

Falling in love is easy; it’s all the other junk that brings headaches…and nausea…and demands from family members.

Wedding florist Roda Morgan wonders if she’s destined to sit back and watch everyone else find their Happily-Ever-Afters. Until she meets Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome, and knows right away he’s different. A typical guy wouldn’t help pick up spilled feminine products, or stick around after being thrown up on. But her modest lifestyle clashes with his extravagant one. And instead of holding to her values, she loses herself in his world of fancy cars and glamorous parties. Her mother fears the woman she’s raised is being stolen away, and his is too closed-minded to accept someone who has a different set of beliefs. What’s a girl to do when she’s torn between two lives? Mental breakdown is one option.

#7

COLD MAN RIVER

Mystery

77,000 Words

Restaurant manager Georgie Nikolopatos is losing her husband.  To another man.  This doesn’t surprise her, but it presents a bigger problem.  If Spiro divorces her, Georgie won’t only be out of a marriage, she’ll be out of a home and out of a job in the family business.  She’s spent her entire adult life making a success of the Bonaparte House, a landmark in Bonaparte Bay,New York, and she doesn’t want to give it up.

When Spiro disappears with a chunk of money, and a rival restaurant owner ends up dead on an island in the St. Lawrence River, it’s up to Georgie to prove – or disprove – her soon-to-be-ex-husband’s innocence.

Enter Coast Guard officer Jack Conrad, a sexy stranger to Bonaparte Bay.  Jack seems to know way more than he should about the murder and about Georgie herself.  Will he turn out to be a cold-blooded killer, or a hot-blooded hero?

COLD MAN RIVER is a standalone mystery, with series potential.  It differs from other mystery series in that the murders in future novels are related to the murder in COLD MAN RIVERas part of a continuing story arc.

#8

SEA PANTHER

Paranormal Romance

85,000 words

Black magic corrupts the natural order of the universe when the present and the past and the paranormal collide.

After evading arrest for Jacobite activities, Scottish nobleman Robert MacLachlan turns privateer. Some might say pirate. A Caribbean Voodoo priestess curses him to an eternal existence as a vampire shifter torn between the dual natures of a Florida panther and an immortal blood-thirsting man. For centuries, he seeks to reverse the black magic whilst maintaining his honor. Cruising the twenty-first century Atlantic, he becomes shorthanded to sail his 90-foot yacht, Sea Panther. The last thing he wants is a female crewmember and the call of her blood.

Although she swore never to sail again after her father died in a sailing accident, Kimberly Scot answers the captain’s crew wanted ad to escape a hit man. She’s lost everything, her fiancé, her job, and most of her money, along with money belonging to her ex-clients. A taste of Kimberly’s blood convinces Robert she is the one woman who can claim the panther’s heart. To break the curse, they travel back in time to where it all began—Jamaica 1715.

#9

RAVISHING MIDNIGHT

Adult Urban Fantasy

85,000 words

After recovering from a heart transplant, Rieve Tarunessa returns to her job as head Control Officer to the demons who are legally allowed to feed on the sex, blood, and emotions of human donors. In return, the witches get to harness demon energy to strengthen their magic, which benefits the humans. Lately though, the witches’ magic has been going horribly awry, and the subsequent fallout with the humans has led the witches to a deadly plan to overcome their dependency on demon energy.

When Rieve finds out she actually received a demon’s heart, she uncovers the witches’ plot to use hybrids like her to destroy the demons. Things are further complicated when Rieve finds her heart donor Haden, and realizes that their lives are irrevocably linked because her heart is keeping them both alive. Haden is no ordinary demon though, and the unique power Rieve gains through him becomes the strongest weapon against the witches, who don’t realize that eradicating the demons will destroy everything their magic is a part of, including Rieve’s new heart.

#10

THE FORCES OF HEAVEN AND HELL ALIKE

Urban Fantasy

82,000 words

The demon Liam has been hiding a romantic relationship with the angel Mikael for centuries. When a battle for Heaven places them on opposing sides, Liam must decide if a victory for Hell is more important than losing the one being who taught him good and evil aren’t easily defined.

Liam enjoys traveling the Midwest on his motorcycle, chartering contracts for souls and feeding his addiction to coffee; a leftover need thanks to the body he now inhabits. Not even the minor annoyance of having to deal with archangel Gabriel’s sworn vengeance can interrupt his life for too long.

Thus far, Gabriel’s attacks have been a source of Liam’s mocking towards Heaven’s less-than-competent solider. But now God’s gone AWOL, Heaven’s in disarray, and Gabriel sees an opportunity to take the throne himself. The death of Liam would surely prove his worth as a leader, so he takes a new approach to an old problem. The next soldier to go up against Liam will be trained by the best teacher in heaven—Mikael. Now Mikael must decide how far he can go to protect Liam while serving Heaven, and Liam must save him from having to make the choice.

#11

UNDER THE MOON GATE

Romantic Thriller

85,500 words

UNDER THE MOON GATE is an 85,500-word (digital count) thriller set in contemporary and WWII Bermuda. The novel, a unique blend of old and new, has a mainstream feel that weaves a rich, compelling tale of action and romance spanning two generations. In UNDER THE MOON GATE, dashing Virginian Nathaniel Morgan sails into the life of prim and proper Bermuda heiress Patience Whitestone, determined to dig up her family secrets at any cost, along with a cache of Swiss gold he’s convinced her father buried somewhere on her property during World War II. Nathaniel confronts Patience with evidence – a wartime sea chest raised from the Atlantic, containing incriminating documents and a wartime journal – proving that her father, William Whitestone, was a German sleeper agent planted in Bermuda in 1937. Patience must save herself and her family’s reputation when she finds herself pitted against, but reluctantly drawn to, the stranger who has the power to expose her, while a man from her father’s past threatens to destroy her.

#12

SIXTH SENSE

Romantic Suspense

90,000 words

In Sixth Sense, reluctant Psychic Katherine Crystal, dubbed “Crystal Ball Kate,” is thrust into the national spotlight when she accurately predicts that the young son of actor Vince Rivers (think John Travolta) will die in a private plane crash. Skeptical Atlanta Police Detective Beauregard Lee Jackson Hale (Jack), who has a deep-seated distrust of psychics, is the by-the-book officer who ignores Katherine’s warnings when she calls to report her premonition, with disastrous consequences. When Katherine and Jack are forced to work together to help catch a serial killer, their brief and fruitful chase leads to romance and the ultimate discovery of a mystery and a murder surrounding Kate’s birth in the secret spiritualist community ofCassadaga, Florida.

#13

SIEGE OF THE HEART

Historical Romance

93,000 words

English-born but Norman-blooded, Isabel Dumont struggles to keep her home and heart intact when William the Conqueror sends his knights to her father’s holding after the Battle of Hastings—a task made more difficult when she learns of her father’s death. Sir Alexandre d’Évreux leads the men who have come to escort Isabel and her father to London to swear their allegiance to England’s new king. When Alex learns of William’s plan to give him Isobel’s hand in marriage, he is determined to win the affections of the reluctant maiden on his own terms. Unaware of the brash Normanknight’s true purpose in her life, Isobel strives to maintain her independence, desperate to hide her growing attraction to the confounding knight and the truth about her father.

But time is running out for Alex as they travel to London. He must lay siege to the heart of the one woman who can help him navigate the war-torn country still reeling from the brutal conquest. Just when Alex is convinced Isobel is finally his, she mysteriously vanishes, and his quest to find her plunges them both deeper into the conquest’s fallout.

#14

AMBUSHING THE HEIRESS

Historical/regency romance

110,000 words

“The sacrifice of one spoiled heiress for the good of many…” at least that’s how tarnished war-hero Major Vicks Geale quiets his conscience. Newly returned to England, Geale finds his pay and commission forfeited, he’s inherited a crumbling estate, worthless title and a mountain of debt. With his band of wounded men depending upon him, Geale chooses the feckless and rich Lady Evangeline “Mischief” Moorecroft.

Gorgeous over-indulged Lady Evangeline delights on dancing the razor’s edge between scandal and infamy. Unable to resist Geale’s bait of a notoriously naughty masquerade, Evangeline awakens to discover she’s been ambushed into marriage.

Ready to escape her new husband and pay her way out of scandal, Evangeline finds herself in the impossible predicament of needing Geale’s unwitting assistance to help her wayward brother escape to the Continent.

Alternately teasing and appeasing, Geale begins to win her heart. Evangeline fans the fierce attraction between them until she discovers Geale’s been commissioned by her father, the Duke, to return her brother to London, dead or alive.

If Geale succeeds, he will keep Evangeline and her fortune. But his failure he will pay for with his life.

#15

JUST BEYOND THE GARDEN GATE

Time Travel Romance

 93,000 words

Determined to regain her royal status, a banished Highland faerie accepts a challenge issued by the queen of the fae to unite an unlikely couple while the clan brownie vows to stop her.

Passion ignites when a faerie-shove propels burned-out business consultant Laurie Bernard through the garden gate, back through time, and into the embrace of Patrick MacLachlan. The arrogant clan chief doesn’t know what to make of the lass in his arms, especially when he recognizes the brooch pinned at her shoulder as the one his stepmother wore when she and his father disappeared. Laurie sets his blood afire and he’s determined to have her. She’s resolved to return to her own time and the quiet country life of which she’s dreamed. Yet her desire for Patrick is impossible to resist.

With the fae interfering at every opportunity, the couple must learn to trust one another while combating an enemy clan, exposing a traitor from within and discovering the true fate of Patrick’s missing parents. Against the odds, they learn the most important truth—love transcends time.

#16

HANNAH’S HALF

YA Paranormal Mystery

60,000 words

18-year-old Hannah Spencer would give anything for a dead-free day. For most of her life, she’s ignored the Visitors who appear in her bedroom each morning. After all, they’re dead, they don’t speak and they rarely stay more than a few minutes. Everything changes when Adam, a recent casualty in a car accident, appears and demands her help to move on to the afterlife. Troubled by her intense attraction to him, Hannah uncovers the truth about their connection: Adam is her twin flame — the other half of her soul— and the two have spent a number of lifetimes together. Unable to ignore their bond, Hannah and Adam rekindle their ages-old romance. However, when she links this mysterious ghost to the disappearance of his sister and the terrifying recurring dreams she’s been having, she must decide if helping him is worth risking her life … again.

#17

HOMESICK FOR GOODBYE

Young Adult Contemporary

59,000 words

There are no strangers in Coffee, Texas. This little town has two unspoken rules: 1. No one moves to Coffee, 2. No one moves out of Coffee. Willow Dean Connor and her father have broken not just one, but both of these rules. Willow’s getaway path out of town is littered with the debris of her former life including her surreptitious relationship with her older brother’s best friend and the shadow of the mother who left Willow when she least expected it. Having left without a backward glance, Willow’s escape is short lived. Now she must return to Coffee where she is shocked to discover the home she grew up in has been sold and is now occupied by Max, a new boy in town.

Overwhelmed by her unexpected homecoming, an anxiety prone Willow is confronted by the life she has left behind and the one she has yet to live. Willow must determine if “home” is her fractured family, an old house, or maybe a boy named Max. Homesick for Goodbye is about the realization that home is bigger than four walls; home is a broken puzzle comprised of all the seemingly mismatched pieces collected along the way.

#18

THE UNDERCOVER PROFESSOR

Category Contemporary Romance aiming for Harlequin Blaze

55,000 words

Thirty-something Lucy is a returning college student who isn’t going to waste her time dating unworthy men.  She manages to fall for the wrong guy every time.

She makes a list for her perfect man, and ignores her heart in her quest for Mr. Right.  Until she meets Andy.  She can’t get him, or his sweat pant clad butt out of her mind.  Even after she learns he lives with his mom, and his goal is to “win World of Warcraft, and attend ComiCon.”  An honest man who can make her laugh means more than a five-year fiscal plan, doesn’t it?

Dr. Andrew Sullivan, PhD, is undercover researching his next presentation for ComiCon, and his subsequent articles in Wired magazine.  Since he’s famous in the gamer world and recently had a public break up with a B-list actress, he grows a scruffy beard, chooses clothes to match it, and acts the part of an unemployed slacker while living with his mother.  Unfortunately, he can’t keep his mind, or his mitts off Lucy.  Can he trust her enough to keep his secret?  And can he tell her before it’s too late, and she breaks his heart?

#19

SPARK

YA Paranormal

59,000 words

Seventeen-year-old Allison just wants to make it through high school without killing anyone.  There’s just one problem.  Allison, like all the other women in her family, is cursed.  She can weaken a man for days with a single kiss, and when it comes to sex, there’s no such thing as safe—losing her virginity means a man loses his life.

Fighting her murderous destiny isn’t the only thing on Allison’s mind.  She also has to deal with an aunt who keeps pushing her to “turn to God for guidance” and her sister, Jade, who has weakened more men than she can count.  Allison knows Jade’s reckless behavior will catch up to her sooner or later, but she never imagines it will lead to her sister’s death.

After Jade’s apparent suicide, Allison’s good friend Ren is there to help her get through the difficult time.  However, their relationship soon turns into something more than friendly and far more dangerous.

As if trying not to kill the man she’s falling in love with and dealing with her bible-thumping aunt isn’t bad enough, Allison also has to come to terms with her sister’s death and the unanswered questions surrounding it.

#20

IMMORTAL BLOODLINES

Paranormal Romance

90,000 words

When an immortal alpha male searches the city for his rogue brother, he embarks on a torrid and illicit affair with a human named Kila. The instant attraction drags Kila into a clandestine realm that has hugged reality for centuries, one where shape-shifters prowl the earth while preying on humans. Powerful adversaries face Kila, vowing to destroy her while returning Ethan to his alpha duties.

As the adventure escalates, the dreams and whispers in Kila’s head pull her to the place of her birth, exposing the most astonishing revelation yet. You see, Kila isn’t a weak, insecure human begging at the feet of immortals. She just happens to be their worst nightmare, and fated for a destiny most befitting of star-crossed lovers.

#21

SONG OF THE SIRENS

YA Dark Fantasy

60,000 words

If you don’t think the idea of flesh eating mermaids is terrifying, then you’ve obviously never been trapped in the middle of the ocean during a storm constructed by the bloodthirsty maidens. Step into Anita’s world as she tags along on her father’s expedition in search of Atlantis. Since the arrival of the team’s newest member, the hotness known as Riley, an unexplained song haunts Anita’s dreams, and soon thereafter her waking hours. The siren’s song, a sweet and hypnotic melody, unleashes zombie-like mermaids turned human bent on revenge and plagued by madness.

When the sirens lure the mortals to the labyrinth tomb of Theoisis, Anita faces the demons from her nightmares. Trapped underwater and at the mercy of an undiscovered race, Anita must fight in order to save her father. A series of horrific murders set the pace for an unprecedented escape from the siren’s hold as Atlantis’ protector, Riley, struggles to imprison the sirens before they reach land.

#22

DARK KNIGHT

Paranormal Romance

75,842 words

Dark Knight is a paranormal romance based on the Shadowlands, a world parallel to our own.  Creatures, such as vampires and other demons, were born in the Shadowlands and often make their way into our world: the outer world.  Not all of them are evil, but the ones who are bad, are really bad.  The U.S. Government has designated a top-secret sector who has been assigned the job of researching the Shadowlands, while continuing to protect the outer world.  Ethan St. John is one of those agents.  Born into the secret life of protector and hunter, St. John will save Gabriella Woods from an evil vampire.  Gabriella is a “starving artist” at her first gallery opening when she’s abducted by one of the world’s most powerful vampires.  The clan wants her because she has a unique gene they need.  Ethan saves the day, sweeping her away from her captor to a New England safe house to teach her mind-control to battle against the evil that’s come for her.  Dark Knight is the first book of many in the Shadowland series.  Readers will get to know reoccurring characters as they read through the books.  Dark Knight is 75,842 words.

#23

FIREKEEPER

Upper middle grade fantasy

85,000 words

Mythical creatures are a complication Dexter Gallagher doesn’t need so
soon after his mother’s death. More so because shy, stuttering Dexter
is awkward; lots of awkward. When a not-so-fictitious firebird follows
him to school and sets a bully’s hair on fire, Dexter isn’t grateful.
He’s terrified, especially when this firebird by day also turns into a
beautiful mute girl by night. Dexter has always been clueless around
females, even those who can’t talk back.

Adding to his problems is his long-absent father, who just happens to
be a famous warrior from Faer. Yes, the place with all the magic and
ogres and Faeri godmothers. (And crazy seeresses, and talking pigeons.
Maybe a zombie or twelve. And lots of aggressive toads.) Said father’s
taking custody, and that means Dexter’s moving to Faer.

But legend also says firebirds are the key to finding the Kingsword,
Faer’s most powerful weapon. And there’s a Snow Queen who’d kill to
get her hands on both. She’s giving Dexter two choices: surrender the
firebird, or lose his life. But while Dexter’s no Prince Charming,
he’s learning that sometimes you don’t need to be a hero to fight for
the things that matter most.

#24

UNUSUAL YOU

YA Urban Fantasy

71,000 words

How do you live your life when you’ve already seen your death?

Seventeen-year-old Carri Helms ability to see the future did not prepare her for visions of her own death. Or, an attack on her life by a secret society who believe she is the descendant of one of the world’s oldest bloodlines and the key to unleashing an ancient power.

Rykeir Davis is used to hiding his supernatural abilities from the world, but when he saves Carri from certain death, he finds himself risking everything to protect her. Drawn to her, he will stop at nothing to keep her safe, even if that means revealing all he is and all he is capable of.

Now, Carri and Rykeir must uncover the truth behind her lineage while preventing the revival of a war that nearly destroyed her kind once before. It is a battle of good versus evil in this supernatural journey as the discovery of love and self defies nature and transcends time.

#25

SIN’S FLOWER

Dark, Romantic Women’s Fiction

104,000 words

Thirty-two year old musician assistant Trista Hart knows she needs to find a way out of the nocturnally persuaded world of her best friend and boss, Jaxon James. But no matter how dark that route has become lately, he and his band Sin Pointe are her family and she’s not prepared desert them for Jaxon’s visiting cousin, Lucky Mason of Tennessee, if it’s just going to take her down another of life’s pot-hole littered highways. She has valid reasons to question Lucky and his beloved south—having experienced at an early age the sometimes hypocritical underbelly of the region’s good manners and charm.

Her hourglass has been turned upside down and now with Lucky’s heartfelt proposal before her, she has to decide one for the other at the most inconvenient of times—just as Sin Pointe’s tour is taking off and on the heels of a horrendous late night attack on her and Jaxon that leaves her sure of only one thing…

It’s time for Trista to be her own savior.

#26

MASTER OF DISQUISE

Romantic Suspense or Contemporary

90,000 words

Count Aldric Bradawulf, aka Elliott Tibbles, aka Slick is the ultimate invisible man. A Master of Disguise, he collects clandestine global information. After overhearing three International thugs planning to kidnap Deidre Townsend in order to steal her sister’s new fuel technology, his plans to approach Deidre slowly, and ease his way back into her life, are spoiled. He’d hoped for more time to explain his deception a year earlier, but danger is imminent and he’ll have to move fast.

In the midst of mayhem, Elliott Tibbles tumbles back into Dee’s life and she soon finds herself ensconced in a magnificent Austrian castle with Elliott, or rather, Count Aldric Bradawulf. Can she forgive him for his deception a year earlier? Can she trust him and his dubious connections? Together they must outwit a dangerous group of men in pursuit of a hundred million dollar prize. Can love—based on a foundation of lies and deceit—grow and flourish?

My first published novel, Mirror Images, received two five-star reviews. I have been a member of RWA for ten years and hope that my pitch intrigues you.

#27

SIN ON THE STRIP

Romantic Suspense

102,000 words

Sin on the strip is a romantic suspense about Maggie Anderson, a televangelist’s    daughter and street counselor. Years earlier a violent near miss with a human trafficker destroyed Maggie’s confidence forcing her to use her strip club as a means to reach women in need. But when a serial killer kidnaps her friend, Maggie has no choice but to finally face her old demons and once again run to the rescue in spite of the fact that she couldn’t defend herself the one time she needed to.

Search and rescue investigator, Christian Beck has been on too many ‘damsel in distress’ missions to stomach another one. But when his latest assignment leads him to a reckless club manager determined to put herself in danger, professional distance no longer seems to be his motto. As the serial killer sets his sights on Maggie, Beck races to save her or face losing her to the same psycho he believes killed his kid sister twenty years earlier.

Maggie and Christian discover that on the strip sin is a relative term and to have a future they must conquer their pasts.

#28

INSIGHT

YA

97,722 words

Some say that dreams are the doorway to the soul. Willow is no stranger to that doorway. Each night she shares a silent dream with a stunning blue-eyed boy. With each new moon she’s haunted by a nightmare shared with a different boy, who is always hidden by the shadows.

In her waking hours she must battle her sixth sense. The one that allows her to feel others emotions as if they were hers. This insight is exhausting, causing her to draw inward, only trusting a few close friends. Oddly, this sense also attracts ghostly images that seem to appear out of nowhere.  With a touch, they take her to wherever they may be, allowing her to change their emotion. This alone would cause most to go insane, but Willow filters her aggression by painting, capturing the emotion.

One August night, a nightmare came days after the new moon. In this dream the shadowed boy marked her wrist with a star, leaving her father no choice but to share a family secret that would tie all of the odd attributes of Willow’s life together. Now, she has no choice but to outrun the fate that is closing in around her.

#29

DOWN UNDER DOWNEAST

Contemporary women’s fiction

96,000 words

Aussie veterinarian Shaye Gillies is running from the memories of a tragedy back home when she lands in Granite Harbor, Maine to take over the island’s only animal hospital. A tragedy she feels she could have prevented. How? Shaye gets visions of possible future events. No one listened to her warnings Down Under, and afterwards, the town vented its anguish and anger on her.

Now, years later, in a small village in Downeast Maine, new visions warn of a fire at the general store. However, the visions have some conflicting details. Past and present blend in seemingly impossible combinations.

Betty, the village’s elderly psychic. Jane, Shaye’s long deceased psychic mentor. Shaye’s visions of a future fire. A 1930 fire that destroyed the general store. Two suitors, both possibly with ulterior motives for winning her heart.

After denying her psychic abilities since the tragedy Down Under, Shaye must trust her heart and reveal her abilities to the village. When the visions gain startlingly sharp detail, she sees the fire, one suitor, his mother and herself. They race to the store to save lives, the store and something unexpected – a decades old connection between Down Under and Downeast.

#30

IN SARAH’S SHADOW

Romance/Historical

90,000 words

Mother Nature plays matchmaker in my ninety thousand word historical romance, In Sarah’s Shadow.

Separated from her family, frostbitten Roberta Shallcross is a woman in desperate need of a hero. David Henderson is far from that. He’s a drunken widower who can’t get past the murder of his seemingly perfect wife, Sarah.

When David grudgingly saves Bobby’s life from the Rocky Mountain wilderness, she intends to return the favor and see him sober. Unfortunately, battling liquid demons aren’t the only obstacles on the path to happily ever after. Enter Reginald Crocker.

Reg is a smooth talking Bostonian with a covetous heart. What he covets is Bobby’s affection.  And why not?   Didn’t Sarah fall into his trap?  Perhaps, Bobby will too, for aren’t the mountains a lonely place for a woman in the clutches of brooding drunkard?

Despite his meddling, genuine feelings between David and Bobby grow. But will their new found love be strong enough to survive David’s guilt over Sarah’s death. And more importantly, can they survive Reg’s wrath?


It’s Pitch Day! Ready, set, GO!

November 20, 2011

UPDATE – STOP! WE HAVE ENOUGH PITCHES.

CHECK BACK TOMORROW TO SEE IF YOU MADE IT IN.

GOOD LUCK.

 

Hopefully everyone has read – and followed – the rules.

Because it’s time to

GO!


Another Agent Shop!

November 14, 2011

AGENT SHOP PITCH DAY IS TOMORROW!!!!

Anyone ready for another Agent Shop?

Good. We’ve got the awesome Laura Bradford coming MONDAY. SQUEEE!

Per her website:

Laura Bradford established the Bradford Literary Agency in 2001. She considers herself an editorial-focused agent and takes a hands-on approach to developing proposals and manuscripts with her authors for the most appropriate markets. During her own misadventures as a writer, Laura came to understand the importance of having a friendly but critical eye on your side, a career strategist in your corner and a guide who can lead you through the travails of publication.

Her recent sales include books placed with Berkley, Grand Central, Harlequin, Kensington, Simon and Schuster, HarperCollins, Sourcebooks, Hyperion, Flux, Macmillan, Adams Media, Egmont USA, John Wiley and Sons and Mira Books. She continues to actively build her client list and is currently seeking work in the following genres: Romance (historical, romantic suspense, paranormal, category, contemporary, erotic), urban fantasy, women’s fiction, mystery, thrillers and young adult as well as some select non-fiction.

She is a member of the Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR) and Romance Writers of America, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and she is an RWA-recognized agent.

If you plan to pitch, I suggest you get to know a little about her.

You can do this here:

http://www.bradfordlit.com/

and follow her on Twitter

http://twitter.com/#!/bradfordlit

Her Twitter feed is not only funny, (she’s a riot and you’ll love Sophie Dorring’s antics) but very informative. I love her ‘rants’ and ‘askagent’ sessions.

Pitch day will be TOMORROW Nov. 20th, 2011. As usual, wait until you see the word GO posted on the main page. It will be up by 10:00 am E.S.T.

Ms. Bradford will be here on Mon. 21st to  look at the pitches that made it through.

Good luck and spread the word!


Literary Agent Sara Crowe – Agent Shopping day

October 24, 2011

UPDATE! I just sent out the FOUR FULL requests from Ms. Crowe.

—I think I heard a mad dash to the inboxes—

But, for now, Sara was awesome to leave a list of comments.

Here they are – and remember, this is GOLD to have an agent give feedback. You’re a lucky group!

FROM MS. CROWE:

#25 and #4 are great pitches, just not for me right now– but close.

#1–  Think about losing some details– this is too complicated, I think.  Romantic fiction is not something I am looking for, but I think this pitch would be stronger if simplified.  Sometimes you have to let go of trying to tell the entire story!

#2, This first para/sentence also has to much in it.  I would suggest you lose some of this info.  We do not need it all up front. 

#6,  Would lose last sentence– do not try to market in the pitch.  Also, when Stacy comes in, I get confused–  if she is a major character, and it seems that she is, I’d like her paragraph to be hers- who is she and what does she want.  

#8–  Sounds interesting, but I think this pitch is too short–  also, I am not looking for romance.

#9-  Confusing, would lose some details.
#11- This sounds fun- not a category I am looking for but great pitch.

#12, same as above-  great pitch, not for me.

#14- For me, the tone of this query is too sarcastic.  I would stay away from that in a pitch—  I know it is a balance, because you want to show us her voice. Also, there may be too many details given here.

I like a lot about #16, but it feels too close to projects I have.  Also, take another look at your closing sentence– it feels very general.

#20 is a really great pitch– just not what I am looking for.

#21, I feel like this might need two paragraphs– to let us know what the book is?  It sounds fun, but I also am not left with a true sense of it.  

#22– I like that this is simple and direct– but it might bee too much of a good thing.  I think we need a few more details and some fleshing out!

#27 also needs more room- two paragraphs I think.  And though it explains the world of the book– we do not get enough about the main characters.

#29 intrigues me, could be my Owl obsession– but it feels too much like telling and not showing.  I think there may just be too much info being presented here, and not enough focus on who Iris is and why we want to read about her.

Those I did not comment on are in good shape– just not for me.

Good morning All!

It’s ‘Agent Shop’ day. I’ll make it quick since you’re all dying to scroll past my babbling and get to the goods.

The pitches that made it through are listed below. Our TOP PITCH SLOT winner is first!

YAY! for WHEN DARKNESS FALLS.

As always, here are the stats:

  • Pitches received: 52
  • Pitches accepted: 30
  • Pitches deleted: 22
  • *2 – Missing info
  • *13 – too long
  • *2 – No title
  • *5 – Came in after I reached 30
Not too bad!
Okay, now that we have THAT out of the way, please welcome Sara Crowe, fantabulous agent with Harvey Klinger Inc.
Sara, thank you for sharing Marianna Baer and FROST with us.
Let’s hope we can help you find something you love. The pitches are below, happy shopping! If you find something you like, simply e-mail me the number of the pitch, (or Top Pitch Slot), what you’d like to see, how you’d like it sent, and I’ll spread the joy!
SQUEEEE! Good luck everyone.
***********************************

***TOP PITCH SLOT WINNER***

WHEN DARKNESS FALLS

Horror/thriller

83k words

One woman’s desire to reunite with her dead twin is about to become very real.

Following an unfortunate car accident, Gwen’s soul is trapped, along with those of her friends, in an old hotel that acts as a holding place for those who are not quite dead. Allowed to roam the halls, she is unaware that her broken body is lying in a hospital in the world of the living waiting for her. As she wanders the area, each door opens into another frightening mystery that makes her question whether they survived the wreck. Throughout the night, voices in the darkness beg her to give in to them, but her sister’s spirit warns her not to listen. Wanting desperately to be joined again with her twin, she has a decision to make.

As dawn breaks, she notices one by one that her friends have begun to disappear. Her desire to die is quickly replaced by a need to survive. Determined not to give in, she continues her search for answers– and a way out. She knows it’s only a matter of time before the incorporeal
entities find a way to trick her. It’s a mistake she can’t afford to make

*

#1

SIN’S FLOWER

Dark, Romantic Women’s Fiction

104,000 words

A thirty-two year old musician assistant extraordinaire, Trista Hart knows she needs to find a way out of the nocturnally persuaded world of her best friend and boss, Jaxon James. But no matter how dark that route has become lately, he and his band Sin Pointe are her family and she’s not prepared to leave them for Jaxon’s visiting cousin, Lucky Mason of Tennessee, if it’s just going to take her down another of life’s pot-hole littered highways. She has valid reasons to question Lucky and his beloved south—having experienced at an early age the sometimes hypocritical underbelly of the region’s good manners and charm.

Her hourglass has been turned upside down and now with Lucky’s heartfelt proposal before her, she has to decide one for the other at the most inconvenient of times—just as Sin Pointe’s tour is taking off and on the heels of a horrendous late night attack on her and Jaxon that leaves her sure of only one thing…

It’s time for Trista to be her own savior.

*

#2

STICK FIGURES

Commercial Fiction

110,000 words

The sole survivor of a devastating fire from her childhood, seemingly polished documentary film advisor, Chloe Jacobs, courageously leads a team of college students as they set out to study the effects of brushfire near the sleepy mountain town of Julian, CA.

While prepared for the grueling emotional and physical work she is about to endure for the film and the secrets it may unleash, Chloe is thrown completely off balance when a member of her live-in crew, introverted Englishman Oliver Andrews, decides to pursue her.

Not wanting to lose focus on their mission but having grown increasingly curious about Oliver, thirty-year-old virgin Chloe must decide which personal demons she wants to deal with—conquering her fears of the element that robbed her of her family, justifying a relationship with any man, especially one six years her junior, or the most daunting of them all—finding out if fate is ready to just let her be?

*

#3

THE BLACK DESERT

Suspense

93,000 words

Forty-eight hours into their Moroccan vacation, Julie’s best friend, Fay, disappears.

Frantic to determine Fay’s whereabouts, she quizzes the hotel staff and snoops through Fay’s luggage. Julie’s anxiety for Fay’s safety turns to fear for her own when she suspects she is being followed. Then, a vicious attack meant for Julie kills an innocent woman.

Having learned enough to guess Fay’s destination, Julie rushes to intercept her friend. But Julie’s channeling of her inner Kinsey Millhone deserts her after she gets lost and has to ditch their disabled rental car. She’s stranded somewhere in the barren Black Desert. Disoriented and delirious, she eventually stumbles onto a military patrol. She is reunited with Fay – in a prison cell on the Algerian border – and learns the extent of Fay’s lies. Although furious at Fay’s deception and still weak from her ordeal in the desert, Julie understands that they must work together if they are to survive. The women pit their wits against the soldiers and the Sahara in a fight for their lives.

*

#4

POWER STRUGGLE

Young Adult Paranormal

85,000 words

When sixteen-year-old Melody’s father is killed by psyfons—power-draining psychics—she’s driven to join the fight against these evil creatures. This takes her to a boot camp for psychic kids to master her telekinesis. Although focused on her psyfon-destroying goal, she makes friends with trainees who have other abilities and catches the attention of Jonas, the gorgeous junior trainer whose very presence makes her feel dizzy and distracted.

When a few trainees collapse, Melody begins to suspect that the evil psyfons have infiltrated the camp. The dizziness Jonas makes her feel whenever they’re together starts to become less romantic and more suspicious. Is it possible that the boy she’s falling for could be one of the monsters who killed her father?

*

#5

TROUBLE IN THE BREW 

Young Adult 

90,200 words

Mrs. Ghoul is an evil witch; she had no idea how powerful her deceased mother’s witch’s items were. Until one night, while she was gazing at her reflection into the mirror, her mother’s face appeared into the mirror as it disappears quickly.  The evil witch steps back quickly and realizes it’s time to set revenge on RayAnn to get her mother’s items back.

Jake is a wizard, he came to live with his grandmother, Mrs. Ghoul, after his mother was vanished into another world. He has no idea that his sweetheart to be lives across the street. Once he lays eyes on RayAnn for the first time, he knew they would have a magical connection between them.

RayAnn and Cindy have been friends for years. Together, these girls go through some magical reject spells to try to defeat Mrs. Ghoul at her own game. Nevertheless, this magical adventure these girls endure, they will never forget.

*

#6

ZACH’S FIGHT

Contemporary YA

60,000 words

Black eyes, broken homes, bloody fists. Beyond Zach’s exterior lies a deep well of protection and pride. He’d do anything to protect those he loves; even staying at home with his abusive stepfather to save his mom.

Unfortunately for Zach, that means putting himself in the middle of the abuse as well. The frustration he feels with his mom combined with the rage he’s holding in, thanks to his stepfather is coming, to a boiling point. Zach’s ready to explode, and anyone who gets in his way will end getting up hurt.

Stacy may be the only person who can turn the heat down and help Zach gain control over his rage. The problem with that is Stacy and Zach can’t figure out what they want from each other. Zach knows he wants more than a friendship; Stacy’s the one holding back.

Somehow Zach has to figure out how to make Stacy see a relationship is good for both of them, get his mom away from his stepfather, and try to get out of the house alive.

ZACH’S FIGHT is my contemporary young adult manuscript that could appeal to both male and female readers.

*

#7

SIXTH SENSE

Women’s Fiction with elements of romantic suspense

90,000 words

Reluctant Psychic Katherine Crystal, dubbed “Crystal Ball Kate,” is thrust into the national spotlight when she accurately predicts that the young son of actor Vince Rivers (think John Travolta) will die in a private plane crash. Skeptical Atlanta Police Detective Beauregard Lee Jackson Hale (Jack), who has a deep-seated distrust of psychics, is the by-the-book officer who ignores Katherine’s warnings when she calls to report her premonition, with disastrous consequences. When Katherine and Jack team up to catch a serial killer, the brief and fruitful chase leads to romance and the ultimate discovery of a mystery and a murder surrounding Kate’s birth in the quaint spiritualist community of Cassadaga, Florida.

*

#8

THE EDGER

Women’s Fiction

85,000 words

The Edger is a completed 85,000-word humorous women’s fiction about landscape artist Alex Newborn’s shocking reunion with her former college art professor, Nick Anselmo, now a homeless lawn man, which sows the seeds for murder, mystery and romance.

The Edger received first place in the Suspense Romance Category of the 2010 Ignite the Flame Contest, sponsored by the Central Ohio Fiction Writers chapter of RWA.

*

#9

GUITAR GOD

YA—Contemporary Fantasy

195,000 Words

Polly’s moment had finally arrived, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Barely a teenager, Polly had reluctantly accepted the role of human guardian of the Green. Now, about to begin college and leave her hometown and all the weirdness behind, fate calls her, except to save the Green she must defeat Isaac, the boy she loves.

Isaac was the kid nobody liked until a mysterious faerie granted him his greatest wish. Now bestowed with incredible musical prowess, Isaac is loved and admired by all. But there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Polly is the only one who can save Isaac’s soul, but her first responsibility is to the Green. Can Polly save the Green and save Isaac as well?

Guitar God is a Jewish, suburban rock and roll fantasy with a 1970s soundtrack. It’s urban fantasy in the suburbs. It’s War For The Oaks meets Portnoy’s Complaint. It’s crossover YA for teens and their parents. It’s a world where the faerie folk walk among us, but we don’t know it. It’s about the magical places where we grew up. Maybe we knew about them or maybe we walked by them every day without even noticing.

*

#10

INSIGHT

YA

97,722 words

Some say that dreams are the doorway to the soul. Willow is no stranger to that doorway. Each night she shares a silent dream with a stunning blue-eyed boy. With each new moon she’s haunted by a nightmare shared with a different boy, who is always hidden by the shadows.

In her waking hours she must battle her sixth sense. The one that allows her to feel others emotions as if they were hers. This insight is exhausting, causing her to draw inward, only trusting a few close friends. Oddly, this sense also attracts ghostly images that seem to appear out of nowhere.  With a touch, they take her to wherever they may be, allowing her to change their emotion. This alone would cause most to go insane, but Willow filters her aggression by painting, capturing the emotion.

One August night, a nightmare came days after the new moon. In this dream the shadowed boy marked her wrist with a star, leaving her father no choice but to share a family secret that would tie all of the odd attributes of Willow’s life together. Now, she has no choice but to outrun the fate that is closing in around her.

*

#11

INTERSECTION

Contemporary Romantic Suspense

120,000 words 

A hostage crisis in a Dallas hotel brings wounded undercover cop Johnny Logan and divorcee Alexa Bailey together when they escape to the rooftop. As rogue IRA terrorists complete the takeover of the hotel, Alexa tries to care for Johnny’s injuries, hoping that they will remain undiscovered in the maintenance housing. But someone else has invaded their tenuous sanctuary–a secretive homeless man wanted for murder, known only as Daniel.

As Johnny’s brother, Pete, barters himself to negotiate the release of the hostages below, the inevitable happens. Daniel makes a fatal slip that will lead the terrorists to the rooftop hiding place.

Once Johnny and Alexa are found, can they survive what the terrorists have planned?  Have they finally found an unlikely love only to lose their lives? Can Daniel buy them some time to come up with an escape plan inside the maze of ductwork in the hotel?

Now, with everything at stake, it’s up to Johnny to survive a “winner-take-all” battle to the death with the terrorist leader, Kieran McShane, high above the city.  Can Johnny settle the score before the bomb is detonated in the hotel below them? Time is running out.

*

#12

LOST IN MUMBAI

Contemporary Romance

80K words 

For Hollywood screenwriter Daci Bishop India has been a dream all her life so when her latest script is optioned and she is given the chance to join the production in Goa, she looks upon it as a stroke of fate. Ramu Khanna is Daci’s ultimate idea of a hero, little does the naive American know; he is all of India’s as well. Can Ramu keep Daci in his life and still be the Ram of Bollywood and can Daci come to grips with the fact her perfect man is really a Bollywood superstar splashed all over billboards? Anything can happen in Bollywood!

*

#13

TROUBLE IN TINSELTOWN

Romantic Thriller 

80K words

Dema Maria Morielli is running scared after witnessing her brother get gunned down on a lonely street in Venice, California. The down-on-her-luck actress is desperate to find Micah’s killer and stay alive in the process. There is only one person she can turn to and he’s the one person she is determined to keep out of her life.

Detective Reynaldo “Rey” Villegas is harder then diamonds when it comes to law enforcement…and Dema, ever since the hot woman left his bed one morning after an insane night of sex, she has consumed his thoughts. But when his sexy obsession waltzes back into his life via a murder investigation, Rey has no choice but protect her.

As the pair searches Tinsel town for Micah’s killer, they find a cover-up bigger than any backlot and a romance that burns hotter than a brushfire.  Now if only Rey can keep Dema alive…and in his bed.

*

#14

MADDY, REDEFINED

Contemporary YA

55,000 words

The last thing 14-year-old artist and gamer extraordinaire Maddy Caldwell wanted to do was a triathlon. As in, “I’d rather skip through a blizzard in a bathing suit” last. But when Maddy’s mom asks her to do one, she finds some reasons to say yes: a chance to wow her crush (code name: 28), the promise of falconry lessons, and victory over the embarrassing Gym Class Incident.

Yet the road to the finish line isn’t easy, and not just because Maddy considers herself a notch or 12 below “athletic.” A condescending triathlon rival, a big-mouth nemesis who makes school miserable, and a boy-crazy best friend who leaves her on the outside looking in take the fun out of, well, everything. Long-time gaming buddy Check was fine, until he got a girlfriend and went MIA. Then there’s Olivia, her art class idol, whose health advice sends Maddy into what-did-I-get-myself-into territory. Throw in a swim outing gone wrong and a prank that shatters what little confidence she has, and it’s no wonder this race seems like a mistake of epic proportions. Ok, maybe not epic. But at least major. If Maddy makes it to race day, she’ll be more surprised than anybody.

*

#15

EXES, GATORS, & THE DEATH OF THAT FONTENOT BOY

Contemporary Women’s Fiction

50,000 words

Veronica Paige has gone from the Country Club to low-income housing. Once a stay-at-home mom, she’s learning to manage a budding career in the legal field and raising her son while trying to find her place in society. When the law firm she works with lands a huge case involving an accidental death on a construction site she has a sinking suspicion things aren’t at all what they appear. With the help of a couple of quirky neighbors, she launches an investigation of her own which will not only jeopardize her career, but also her heart.

This novel is the third in a series that follows the residents of the fictional town of Dunham, Mississippi.

*

#16

THE GATHERING

YA Dystopian Thriller

60,000 words 

The Gathering is the first book in the Teen Harvest trilogy set in a world where the government tampers with everything, even the water supply to get compliance from its citizens, but 17 year-old Jed is sick of being told what to do.

When he and best friend Ava are forced into the government’s elite teen army, they discover that the kids are really being gathered for a specialist breeding program where only those who produce superior offspring are allowed to live.

All babies are being injected with a dog like, genetically engineered strand of hormone that makes them age seven times faster, so that toddlers have the physical maturity of 14 year-olds. They are fed obedience drugs and prepared for army service from birth.

When Ava and Jed are matched together in the breeding program against their will, they are determined to fight their growing attraction for each other and the government enforced coupling. But if they don’t comply, they will be convicted as traitors and killed.

They start a rebellion that puts their lives at risk, but it’s their only hope for long-term survival and freedom for all teens.

*

#17

JUMP, FALL

Romance – Contemporary women

60,000 words

Katie Scarborough isn’t like all the other Southern Belles that surround her. She’s brunette, she’s freckled. She’s also short and a little more round than the pageant queens that seem to fill her world. To top things off, she’s painfully shy as well. The one thing that ties her to her Southern sisters is the dream that the fairy tales they all heard as young ladies will somehow come true.

Throughout her coming of age years, she suffers a series of miscues and embarrassments where gentlemen are concerned. She begins to wonder if the fairy tales are just lies and if a girl who doesn’t quite fit the norm is capable of being loved. Although, once she goes off to college and catches the eye of her dream man, she starts to think maybe she was better off single.

Set in the fictional town of Dunham, Mississippi, Katie’s story is the first in a series of novels featuring the quirky, yet lovable characters of the Mississippi Delta.

*

#18

BY GRACE ALONE

Contemporary Women’s Fiction

60,000 words

Vivienne LaVoie is a 27 year old engineer working to restore a hurricane ravaged New Orleans to its prior splendor. Samuel is an orthopedic surgeon desperately trying to make the most of the news that he and his beloved wife, Delilah will never be able to have children. Charlie is a man coming to terms with his sexual identity in a new town, having run far away from everything he knew before.

An unsuspected pregnancy brings these three people together, forever changing the paths they had planned for themselves. They find love, heartache, loss and joy, each character narrating his or her own part of their interwoven story in his or her own voice. Each of them feels lost in his or her own way, but are ultimately able to find comfort knowing that they aren’t alone in their world-turned-upside-down. The city of New Orleans itself plays a major role in the culmination of Vivienne, Samuel and Charlie’s stories.

*

#19

MOST LIKELY TO SURVIVE

YA Sci-fi Thriller

80,000 words

Seven months ago, the senior class of Oakdale High went up the mountain for one last end of summer party.  None of them ever came back down.  This is the story of Matthew Davis, the one boy who didn’t feel like partying that night.  Haunted by the ghost of his girlfriend Nadia and obsessed with other mass disappearances like Roanoke and the Bermuda Triangle, his search for answers leads him to an inescapable conclusion:  Matthew Davis, Survivor of the Class of 2012, didn’t survive anything.  He got left behind.

*

#20

BLOOD ON THE MOON

Paranormal Romance

85,000 words

Mia Langdon – tomb raider and adventure-seeker extraordinaire – has everything she wants. Freedom. Independence. No chains (a.k.a. a man) holding her back. Her troubles begin when she’s attacked on a dig in Peru. Soon, she’s forced to use her tomb raiding talents to find the flaming arrows of an Egyptian goddess. In the wrong hands, this weapon could destroy the human race – and nearly did once.

Used to doing things her own way, it isn’t long before she figures out that, to succeed, she needs the help of Harrison Braden Stanton, her stuffy, but oh so yummy, Egyptologist and ex-lover. There’s one problem. He despises what she does.

As a curator for the British Museum, Harrison protects the world’s treasures from falling into greedy hands and being lost forever. He just never thought he’d have to protect them, and his secret, from the woman he loved.

As Mia and Harrison find themselves in the middle of a battle between the Egyptian gods and goddess, there’s no choice for the woman with a Grand Canyon-sized independence streak and the man working for the Egyptian god, Osiris, but to work together to prevent the destruction of all they love.

*

#21

FEAST OF ALL FOODS

Adult commercial fiction

83,000 words

Philadelphia’s thriving underground dinner club scene relies on the skills of one person: illegal foods smuggler Varda Adler. But when Varda finally earns enough money to fulfill her dream of being a professional cheesemaker and get out of smuggling, Anthony Carluccio, head of one of the dinner clubs, issues a foodie fatwa against her. Varda must enlist the help of her devoted boyfriend, his family, and their friends — many of whom harbor their own surprising secrets — to find a way around the hit without getting whacked themselves.

*

#22

STATIC – Soundcatchers

YA Paranormal Thriller

65,000 words

Kristy McMullen attracts all things broken. Now she has to fix them.

A broken life. A broken town.

A broken boy catching sounds.

But how does she fix a dead girl?

Kristy must become like the Soundcatcher listening beyond to find the answers—
even if it brings her face to face with the same fate as the other girls.

Not everything has to remain broken, not even Kristy.

She’ll prove that or die.

*

#23

ALL GROWN UP

Romance – Erotic

103,362 words

Do you remember when you were young, thinking that when you grew up you knew exactly what you wanted and what you were going to do? Tech geek, Chloe, learns that being all grown up doesn’t mean you get all that you want, or does it?

Well, when the Mackeys move next door to Chloe Fisher and her blended family, she gains a best friend, a crush on Leo Mackey- the boy next door, and a future she could never planned on.  In fact, just when she thinks the crush of her dreams is coming true it’s whooshed away without her understanding why.

After years of separation, Chloe and Leo are now parted by different paths of life and marriages to other people.  As both their lives enter pivotal life altering moments, they come together as they did years ago.  But misunderstandings and silent treatments push them farther apart than ever before.  Will either of them ever truly grow up?

*

#24

BRIGHT STAR

Historical/paranormal

98,000 words

Pandora Mavros is on the hunt for one of her own.  A high ranking Siren has gone rogue, murdering innocent men.  Her mission is to locate the rogue and the artifact she has stolen.  If she fails; the destruction of her people will follow.  The licentious and dashing Alexander is a complication she is definitely not looking for.  Could he be working for the rogue? 

Alexander Knight is searching for his business partner who mysteriously disappeared and with him the ancient map of the elusive island of Eudora.  Alex doesn’t need the impediment of his desire for the mysterious and guarded Pandora, but something or someone is forcing them together.  Is she his salvation? Or the destruction of everything he holds dear?

*

#25

MEMORY KEEPER

YA Post-Apocalyptic adventure

81,000 words

Skylar turns seventeen in two weeks.

At best she figures she has eight years left to live—more likely four. The Dying wiped out most of the world’s population seventy-five years ago. To this day, not many survive past twenty-one.

Unlike other girls her age, Skylar isn’t following the way of the compounds and having children. She doesn’t want to. The genetic mutation that granted her flashes of memories from a time before the Dying has also shown her what life could be like: surviving to see her children grow to adulthood, to see her grandchildren. But the compound doesn’t share her outlook on breeding, and they’re no longer willing to waste resources on a virgin.

Most people call Haven’s Glen—a place where people live to advanced age—a legend. Skylar always has too, but now her only hope is to believe, and she’s willing to risk everything to find it and bring back its answers. Answers the inhabitants of Haven’s Glen don’t want to be found.

*

#26

AT THE END OF THE WATER

Romantic Women’s Fiction

80,000 words

In her heart, Kate would rather be her good friend Oliver’s second wife than anyone else’s first.

Seeing his strength and courage in battling back from his wife’s death has made Kate love Oliver in a way she knows will only ever belong to him.

And that is why she sits alone, today, in her cold basement.

Unfortunately, such a desperate love can leave one half of the heart lost in the other’s wake.  Kate gave herself to Oliver when she’d been whole.  His promise of a woman he could build a new life with.  Love fruitfully, bear his babies, hold heaven.

Kate shouldn’t have let him fall so hard for her.

His good heart will always love but never forget.

Her decision to be sterilized breaks him again and again and again.

How desperate is his love for her?

Enough to leave him sitting waiting, today, on her doorstep.

*

#27

INTERWOVEN DECEPTIONS

Urban Fantasy

100 K words

The Dimensional Collision of 2001 changed the geographical surface of the world and introduced the mythological species of Elves, Dwarves, Fairies, Shifters, and Vampires, into the general population. The barriers keeping out the Segregated Species; trolls, goblins, and demons are weakened. Then, Demons break through their magical barrier and attack. A blind educator and her detective lover must gather the forces necessary to rescue human hostages and reinstate the demon’s barrier to save humanity from enslavement.

*

#28

WHEN TIME STOOD STILL

Futuristic romance

70,000 words

In 2076, 3-D artist Beryl Hesketh falls in love with astronaut Roger Kemp.  But he leaves on a dangerous mission—lasting forty years.  He will not age due to time dilation, but much goes wrong.  He returns one hundred and sixty years later.  On an intrigue-ridden moon colony, he spots a woman who looks exactly like Beryl.  But how can she?

He discovers this is indeed Beryl—now Hildegard Heidt.  She went into suspended animation to await his return.  But her memory of her life as Beryl is gone, replaced by a disgruntled scientist’s programming in a plot against the authorities.  Even so, Hildegard falls in love with Roger.

Both get involved in dangerous intrigues and must rescue each other.  But nothing can save their relationship.  Roger insists on seeing Hildegard as his lost love, not the woman she now is.  They break up.

When Hildegard is nearly killed in an earthquake, and he saves her, she has a near-death experience.  Her life passes before her; she finally learns of her lost years.  Again she wants Roger; he can now love all of her.  The two are married, and depart for a new life on an Earth-like exoplanet.

*

#29

OWLET

YA

50,000 words

The voice that has always guided Iris’ dreams is now speaking in her reality. Slowly it is leading her to a frightening discovery. She is a Stryx, a human whose soul is half Avarian, who has been hidden from the ‘flock’ known as the ‘Society of Feathers’. Slowly everything the voice is telling her is showing to be true and she learns that she was accused of being a Raven, who are killed at birth, but her family managed to save her and were forced to make a painful choice. Risk the rest of her kind to keep her alive or let them kill her.

The one who was sent to kill her had instead become mesmerized by her heart and was the key to keeping her hidden. The more people she sees and interacts with, the more her abilities grow and everyone around her starts to realize that she was never what she was accused of being.  When she falls into the ocean and her soul is split in two in confirms her fate. Iris soul is entwined with an owl…meaning she will rule the Society that once marked her for death.

*

#30

OPPOSITION

YA Fantasy

64,000 words

The Aerisians—people living on the invisible, floating continent of Aeris—were given a power beyond the elements and a legendary task centuries ago: protect the Yin Shadow and the Yang Light, the pair that makes up the balance of the Earth. But in the week Atalanta Raire turns fifteen, suddenly the Light is stolen, her sister goes missing, and the only thing Ata can do is go to the Earth Plane, where a trapped Cimmerian bent on twisted revenge shatters free of his prison, and Ata’s nonexistent luck is about to make her his bait for a desperate and crumbling world.


It’s Agent Shop pitch day!

October 23, 2011

OKAY. WE’VE REACHED OUR THIRTY PITCHES AND THIS AGENT SHOP IS OFFICIALLY CLOSED FOR PITCHES. COME BACK TOMORROW AROUND 10:00 AM EST TO SEE IF YOURS WAS ONE OF THE PITCHES THAT MADE IT IN!

GOOD LUCK!

 

Welcome to another ‘Agent Shop’! YAY!

Tomorrow, the awesome Sara Crowe will be here to look at the thirty pitches that make it through.

But today, we have Marianna Baer with her YA novel:

FROST

(Now THAT is a fantastic cover!)

Here’s the blurb:

Leena Thomas’s senior year at boarding school starts with a cruel shock: Frost House, the cozy Victorian dorm where she and her best friends chose to live, has been assigned an unexpected roommate – confrontational, eccentric Celeste Lazar.

What Celeste lacks in social grace, however, her brother, David, a recent transfer student, makes up for in good looks and charm. But while he and Leena hit it off immediately, Leena finds herself struggling to balance her growing attraction with her fear of getting hurt.

As classes get under way, strange happenings begin to bedevil Frost House – frames mysteriously falling off walls, doors locking by themselves, furniture toppling over. Celeste blames the housemates, convinced they want to scare her into leaving. And while Leena tries to play peacekeeper between her best friends and new roommate, soon the mysterious happenings in the dorm, an intense triangle between Leena, Celeste, and David, and the reawakening of childhood fears all push Leena to take increasingly desperate measures to feel safe. But does the threat lie with her new roommate, within Leena’s own mind . . . or in Frost House itself?

Reviews:

“Marianna Baer’s novel, FROST, puts a unique, 21st Century spin on the usual Gothic ghost story.” – Lois Duncan, author of DOWN A DARK HALL and STRANGER WITH MY FACE

“Providing chills and romance at an unflagging pace, Frost is a mysterious, suspenseful thrill ride that refuses to let the reader go even after the last word is read.” – Carrie Jones, NYT bestselling author of the NEED series

You can visit Marianna HERE

And you can buy FROST at Indiebound  or Amazon

And now a little bit about Marianna!

ME: What was your inspiration for this book?

Marianna: My senior year at boarding school, I lived in a tiny dorm called Frost House with a few of my closest friends. Once I started writing YA, I knew I wanted to set a novel there — it’s such an intense social situation, being 17 and living pretty much on your own with your peers. No going home at night to escape any drama. The ghost story/psychological suspense aspect of FROST came from my love of that genre, and from the fact that the real Frost House, a dilapidated old Victorian, always seemed like it held secrets in its walls.

ME: I love it when something specific in an author’s past can roll into something later. So cool. When it comes to writing, are you a plotter or a pantser?

Marianna: Unfortunately, I’m a pantser. In my dreams I’m a plotter — what a luxury, to know where your story is going! But it’s only when I’m living the story along with my characters that I know what they’d do in different situations.

ME: How you said unfortunately cracked me up. I often wish I could be a plotter too. Since we’re all dying to know, how did you find your agent? Care to share the call?

I had just graduated from an MFA program, and both my advisor Cynthia Leitich-Smith and fellow student Varian Johnson recommended Sara to me. I wasn’t surprised when she asked to read my full, considering I had the references, but I was surprised to get a call back in just a couple of days. No beating around the bush — Sara said straight out in her phone message that she loved FROST and wanted to represent me. I remember standing next to the answering machine and literally shaking with excitement. I was so nervous to talk to her that I emailed instead of calling, and asked if we could talk the following week. I needed the weekend to compose myself!

ME: Love, that, story! I can imagine you were nervous, but it sounds like you both hit it off. We all know how hard it is to write, edit, query or submit. What’s one piece of advice you’d pass on to aspiring authors?

Be patient. Be patient with the time it takes to learn the craft, to write your first draft, to revise, to write the best query letter, to hear back from agents, to get your editorial letter, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc… You’re going to be waiting for something at every stage of the process, and it really helps to not be in a rush with any of this. Especially with the writing itself.

ME: Excellent advice! You don’t have to ‘give away’ anything major, but do you have anything new in the works?

I’m writing a second standalone YA titled IMMACULATE. It’s about a 15-year-old girl in Brooklyn who is pregnant, but says she has never had sex. It’s a complicated story (I’m putting my patience to work!), but I’m incredibly excited about it.

ME: Marianna, thanks for visiting us at Musetracks. FROST is on my TBR list. The cover had me hooked, but the blurb solidified the deal. Looking forward to it!

- – - -

Okay, you know what time it is.

It’s

GO

time!

Oh, and BTW, I’ll pick a random comment that uses the word FROST, to win the TOP PITCH SLOT for tomorrow!

Good luck everyone.


It’s Pitch Day!

October 23, 2011

And the countdown is on.

It’s pitch day at Agent Shop.

Lit agent Sara Crowe will be here tomorrow to look at the pitches that make it through.

Watch here!

I’ll post Marianna Baer”s interview and officially open to pitches at 10:00 am E.S.T.

Good morning and good luck!


Agent Shop Pitch day with Lit Agent Sara Crowe OCT. 23rd

October 17, 2011

Hope everyone is ready!

Ms. Crowe is looking forward to her visit.

You can check her out here:

http://www.saracrowe.com/

Pitch day is this Sunday, Oct. 23rd. at 10:00am EST.

Wait until you see the word GO posted on the main page!

Good luck everyone. I’ll see you Sunday.


AGENT SHOP pitch day w/ Sara Crowe! by Candi Wall

October 9, 2011

Yes, I’m a touch early for those of us on EST, but tomorrow’s looking nutty, so here it is a few hours earlier than Monday morning…

Let me start by saying I was BUMMED to have to cancel last month’s Agent Shop date.

But I did have a great conversation with Laura Bradford, who suffered from an internet interruption. She’s agreed to come back and do a different Agent Shop date. Yay! Agents are AWESOME! I mean really, all the agents we’ve had here have been stellar!

For this month’s Agent Shop, the awesome SARA CROWE from HARVEY KLINGER, INC., will be our guest agent!

And next week, I’ll find out who our spotlight author will be. So excited. I’ll update when I hear back.

So, here’s the details:

PITCH DAY – OCT. 23rd @ approx 10:00am EST. (Yep BEFORE Halloween, because we all know how crazy THAT can get.)

Wait for the word GO to appear on the main page of the blog BEFORE you send me your pitch. Send to candi_agent_shop @ yahoo.com Please remember to wait until after you see the word go. If it comes in before then – DELETE.

Please remember to read the rules under the AGENT SHOP tab above. I delete without mercy. Sorry, but it has to be done. Look at this as your first step toward following agent guidelines to the letter.

Don’t make me get my ruler out.

Very simple actually, but inevitably, I end up with one or two authors FURIOUS with me because their pitch doesn’t show up the next day. Sorry all, but I’m here to help, not hold hands.

BUT, since I’m all about the helping, here’s a morsel to chew on this fine Columbus day.

Columbus had a vision. He knew what he had to convince people of, was going to be difficult. He had to SELL his idea, his dream, his vision. He had to find the right words, the right people, the right timing, including making sure he could answer the tough questions someone was bound to ask. He had to convince people to give him, AND HIS IDEA, a chance.

SOUND FAMILIAR?!?!?!? Pitching’s been around forever, in so many different ways, yet with so many crazy similarities it’s astounding to think about it. If you’ve done your work, made it the best it can be, have passion and drive and the willingness to put yourself out there, eventually, you will get there. Just keep shooting for the unobtainable and building your way to reaching it!

I mean really, I bet the first being to create fire was looked at oddly by others.

I can hear it now…

Try #1 “Uh, grunt, oh-oh, grunt, ugh.”

Try #2 “Grunt, grunt, ugh, oh-oh, ugh.”

Keep at it, and someday you’ll convince that agent, editor, publisher, that you’ve got something special!

By the way, today is the LAST day to enter the Mills & Boon New Voices contest!

I’d love to have you stop by and read/rate my entry STAY. And of course, enter! There are more than 800 entries and it’ll be chopped down to twenty entries VERY SOON!

Good luck, and I’ll see you all soon.

More updates to come next monday!


Agent Shop update & Mills & Boon New Voices Contest by Candi Wall

September 24, 2011

AGENT SHOP UPDATE

Unfortunately, this months Agent Shop is cancelled.

Things happen…

Hope to see you all back here next month.

We’ll have literary agent SARA CROWE as our guest agent!

- – - -

If you haven’t checked it out, or entered, stop by Mills & Boon’s New Voices Contest and read some really good first chapters, comment, or ENTER.

Click on the picture to be taken to their site.

The deadline to enter is Oct. 10th and you should see the line-up of mentors!

I’m entered with STAY, and I’ve already found some wonderful entries that have me squirming with competitive agony, lol. Help support each other with comments, Rose ratings and get some great advise from the Mills & Boon team.

Come by and join the fun. I’ll be posting contest progress over the next couple of weeks, including positive and not-so-positive comments. Hey, what can I say? I’m a glutton.


Jumping The Gun by Candi Wall

September 19, 2011

Hopefully everyone’s had a wonderful and productive summer.

Mine wasn’t overly productive, as far as writing goes, but with work and kids out of school for the summer, I planned ahead. Or rather, I told myself to prepare for limited computer time. I’ve been working on the Agent Shop schedule though, and hope you all remember to check back and see who we’ll be having as our guest agents for the rest of the year.

Today I wanted to mention a topic that comes up often in discussion with agents and editors alike.

Premature submitting!

Jumping the gun!

Hitting that send button too soon.

I’m sure we’ve all been there.

It’s exciting – and scary – and that dream agent you’ve been keeping your eye on just opened back up for queries – and her tweets say she looking for just what you’ve written – and – and – and…

Yep, you got it. All that time spent writing, and the opportunity is there. You’ve poured yourself, your time, your heart, blood and tears into the manuscript. How can you let this opp go by??? You talk yourself right into it.

I’m here to tell you – STOP YOURSELF!

A rejection is hard enough to take, but one that tells you you’ve got a great idea but the writing just isn’t there…brutal. I’ve heard agents and editors both say they see this A LOT and many times, it’s because the author didn’t give themselves the time or the edits needed. Unless your work has been through the following AT LEAST, and probably much more, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.

  • First round edit
  • Crit partners
  • A month where you don’t even LOOK at it
  • Read it out loud
  • Second round edit
  • Contests are great at this stage too!
  • Beta readers 2 or more
  • VICIOUS edit (be brutal on yourself. If the sent makes you go ‘hmmm’ get rid of it or fix it.)
  • A good dose of ‘this is crap, it’s great, it’s crap, it’s great’ limbo. (Okay, maybe that part was just me. But I find chocolate helps.)
  • Final edit (and I highly suggest a final beta read)
  • Make it shine
Quick and simple today. I have insanity clogging my to do list this week.
Happy writing, editing, revising, submitting or any stage in between!
UPDATE: I’m still waiting on confirmation from our guest agent this month…. Concerned that e-mails were lost in cyber space or spam…

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