(removed by request of author)
Miss Snark's First Victim
Showing posts with label Baby Slushpile. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baby Slushpile. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
#4 Baby Slushpile: MOONSILK
Chapter 1 Mid-autumn, Moon Shines Bright
across the night sky, its pale light dancing
over waves of golden wheat swaying.
in the dark, locked away, a prisoner
in the heart of this tall grain tower,
in the heart of my own
windowless, lightless room,
with only my weaving loom
to help me pass the hours.
and my last candle
is burning
down
to
a
nub.
to tie the final knot
on the silk wedding sheet
that I had been weaving.
the sheet with a light hand
and let fly the loose threads
of red and gold, gleaming.
as I feel a faint heat rise
from the silk-patterned flight
of the phoenix and the dragon,
entwining.
and I put my hand over my mouth,
for even thunder must suppress its voice
tonight if I am to change
my wardens' minds.
the heavy wooden beam
that bars my door
as I spill my threads all over the floor.
"No, child. It is only I."
came Second Mother’s firm reply.
beautiful Second Mother
with her jet black hair
held up by a bright jade comb
and her dark eyes shining
like wet jet stones.
an emerald brocade with pearl roundels
drapes softly against her ivory skin,
cinched only at the waist by a golden sash
from which a silk jewelry bag swings.
in my heart. My stomach
flutters with excitement.
as I smooth my silver bangs away from my face.
"Will she let me go to the wedding ceremony?"
I ask, my eyes wide, my voice even more sprightly.
I run to fetch the silk wedding sheet from my loom.
“Look what I made for Little Sister!
Now, she will have something from her own family
to bring to her new husband's home.”
who runs her deft weaver's hands
over the delicate threads
when suddenly, she flinches
as if she had been burned by the filaments of flames.
sealing both of us in, the way burrowing beetles
wall up their doors with earth.
"You know you cannot go."
as boldly as I dare to an elder,
even though we both know
I already know the answer.
III.
They call me Moonsilk.
It is a good-luck name for an ill-luck child.
#3 Baby Slushpile: AMELIA AND THE OTHER WORLDS
Rigby trots into
the room, ears flopping with each step. I stop breathing and my legs go weak. I
close my eyes, heart pounding, then look again. My dog
grins at me, mouth open wide and tongue hanging out.
This
is impossible. How can Rigby be alive? I held her
head while the vet put her to sleep under the maple tree two weeks ago.
None of this makes sense. I was outside with my family raking leaves and came in for a drink. All of a sudden, colors blurred and the floor fell away. Now I’m here, in a room that mostly looks like my bedroom, but is the wrong color with different furniture. And Rigby in front of me, wagging her tail so hard her whole butt shakes.
None of this makes sense. I was outside with my family raking leaves and came in for a drink. All of a sudden, colors blurred and the floor fell away. Now I’m here, in a room that mostly looks like my bedroom, but is the wrong color with different furniture. And Rigby in front of me, wagging her tail so hard her whole butt shakes.
I
collapse to my knees, wrapping my arms around her. She whips her tail and
covers my face in slobber as I hold tight. With
Rigby’s wet nose pressed into my shoulder, I stare around this
cream-colored bedroom. The desk is new with huge, heavy books neatly stacked
next to a super techy looking tablet. The polished wood furniture all matches and
the poster taped to the closet door isn’t my skateboarding poster, but a long
math equation.
“Rigby,”
I say, my tears soaking her brown and black fur, “how are you alive?”
I
bury my face in her neck and suck in deep, slow breaths like you’re supposed to
do when you’re so scared you might completely freak out. If I were the type to
get out-of-control scared. Which I’m not. Or at least, would never admit. I
cling to my dog, afraid to let her go. Afraid she’s not really here.
Rigby twists to lick my face, her brown eyes steady on mine. I stand with one hand resting on her back, my eyes darting around. More books are piled on the bed stand where a framed photo of Rigby as a puppy should be. On the desk, a chunky pen with a gun trigger and a thin screen on the side lies near a notebook.
Rigby twists to lick my face, her brown eyes steady on mine. I stand with one hand resting on her back, my eyes darting around. More books are piled on the bed stand where a framed photo of Rigby as a puppy should be. On the desk, a chunky pen with a gun trigger and a thin screen on the side lies near a notebook.
Then
I see it. Held down by a corner of a heavy book is a page of notebook paper.
Amelia,
I am YOU from a parallel world. I know this seems irrational, but it is accurate.
Amelia,
I am YOU from a parallel world. I know this seems irrational, but it is accurate.
I must investigate your world, as I have no
record of it.
I will switch you back home in a few
minutes.
In all truth,
Amelia
In all truth,
Amelia
Another
me? I sink to the floor, my back against this bed. Rigby curls up practically
in my lap. I rub between my eyes and read the letter again. How can there be
another me? And where is the other Amelia—is she in my world right now?
She
wrote that she’ll switch me back in a few minutes. Back to my world where Rigby
is dead. I jump up. Before that happens, I have to find a way to convince her to let me return to visit Rigby.
#2 Baby Slushpile: SOL OF A GLADIATOR
A baby’s cry.
Grall was sure that’s what he’d heard. In the depths of the coliseum a person became accustomed to various cries of pain or despair. Prisoners, men broken physically or mentally, called out in the night. Spoils, the women given to victorious fighters to do with whatever they saw fit, cried out often. The beasts, crazed by captivity and seclusion, howled and cackled. Even Grall, though the proud young guard would never admit it, sometimes fought back tears that came in the dark. Over time, one could learn to block out the sound completely.
But the cry of a child, an infant, a sound that had no place in this world, could not be ignored.
Grall made his way slowly down the roughly carved stone hall, unenthusiastic in his search for the sounds origin. He knew what was expected of him when he found the child. His stomach clenched at the thought.
“I don’t need this.” he thought aloud, his voice barely a whisper. “I should be in bed.” In truth, only minutes before he had lain wide awake, willing dawn to come and give him a reason to abandon his tossing and turning. With the day came his duties; blessed menial tasks he could lose himself in, briefly forgetting his loss.
Grall had come to the coliseum only a few months before. He had been a guard in the city until he refused to participate in a drill using live captives. His protests changed nothing. The captives had died regardless and he had yet again angered his captain; the man that controlled his fate. As punishment he had been transferred to the coliseum, a post feared by guard and soldier alike. Far more than the danger and brutality, what inspired dread for the post was that, for all intents and purposes, the coliseum was a closed system. Be you slave or guard, once you entered it, you probably didn’t leave. He had begged his captain, promising him utter obedience. But for the captain it had become personal. Grall had made it personal. It mattered not at all that Grall’s young wife had just given birth to their first son. Neither did it matter that he would probably never see either of them again. Even if he managed to be one of the few to live long enough to see retirement, his son would be grown with children of his own.
He had been all for packing their meager belongings and making a run for it but his wife’s cooler head had prevailed, as always. They lived in the middle of the empire, two week’s hard ride in any direction from free lands if they had a mount, which they didn’t. She wasn’t yet recovered from a difficult childbirth, still weak and sore. Most importantly they had a brand new baby. In the best of times the road was no place to raise a child, and they would be in hiding. “No,” she had answered stoically through her tears, “you will go to the coliseum. You will send us your pay. I will raise our son.”
#1 Baby Slushpile: COVETED
Chapter One: Wingman
Present Day
Caleb learned long ago being friends with Martin MacMurtry required two things, inhuman patience, and a tolerance for impromptu fashion shows. The first remained a struggle, but the second he'd mastered by the fifth grade. Reloading a failed level of Angry Birds, he snickered as Martin left to change clothes for the fifth time.
“Worse than my sister. I mean, come on, we passed ridiculous twenty minutes ago.”
“Hey!” Martin’s voice carried into the living room, along with the rustle of cloth and the clatter of hangers. “There is absotively nothing wrong with taking pride in one’s appearance.”
He hiked an eyebrow, glancing up from waging war against the international pig threat. Did he just say, “Absotively?”
“Posolutely.”
Caleb shook his head, returning his focus to his phone as he stretched out over an expensive-a** leather couch. Martin called it Ashley, which worried Caleb before he found out it was a brand, and not his friend naming the furniture. “What I said still stands. What, were you a runway model in another life?”
“First I’m not just changing clothes. These are strategic choices.” Martin’s words preceded his reentry, his fingers fumbling with the belt around a pair of three-hundred-dollar tattered jeans. “Second, your sister wishes she dressed this good.” He held his arms out and struck a pose, the kind in magazines where it’s clear the guy takes himself, and whatever he’s modeling, way too seriously.
“Uh huh.” Caleb took in Martin’s shirt, a pale pink button-down with a silver fleur-de-lis insignia on the lower left-hand side. “If by dress you mean kick a unicorn until it vomits sparkles all over you.”
“What?” Martin glanced down, running his hands over his chest. The metallic finish of the fleur glinted in the sunlight. Realization crossed Martin’s face. “Pink is a manly color.”
“So’s robin’s egg blue, I hear.” They’d spent the past hour on Martin’s ‘strategic choices’. Caleb still had on the jeans and a black Spiderman t-shirt he’d worn to school. It was just a movie. “You ready yet?”
Martin gestured at himself while checking his reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window nearby. “You can’t rush perfection,” he drawled.
“I’m not—I’m rushing you.”
“Oh, you got jokes.”
“It’s already eight, so light a fire under it.” Caleb ended his game and shoved his phone into his pocket. The stupid black bird wasn’t exploding when he needed it to anyway. “I don’t plan on being out all night.”
“One second, funny man.” Martin pulled a familiar patch of black felt from the closet near the front door. He may as well have drawn a gun for the way panic kicked around Caleb’s insides.
“Not the beret!” He sunk farther into the couch.
“Oh yeah.” Martin adjusted the hat on top of his I-wish-I-were-Brad-Pitt haircut.
“Don’t, man. I’m begging you,” Caleb muttered from under the pillow he’d pulled over his face. If he couldn’t see the beret, this wasn’t happening and the hat wasn’t real, waiting for him, mocking him.
Baby Slushpile Winner Critiques
So maybe I got a little too excited about our Critique Partner Dating Service. So excited, in fact, that I completely forgot to post the Slushpile winning excerpts yesterday, as I had promised.
If it weren't for the confused questions of a reader in the comment box last night, I would probably STILL not have remembered.
Oy!
At any rate, the five excerpts will post shortly. Put on your best critiquing hats and have at it! The entries are diverse, which always makes for more enjoyable critiquing.
Winners, please remember to critique a minimum of two other entries.
My apologies for dropping the ball! All this right after I discover I'm actually left-brained. I think my brain is laughing at me.
If it weren't for the confused questions of a reader in the comment box last night, I would probably STILL not have remembered.
Oy!
At any rate, the five excerpts will post shortly. Put on your best critiquing hats and have at it! The entries are diverse, which always makes for more enjoyable critiquing.
Winners, please remember to critique a minimum of two other entries.
My apologies for dropping the ball! All this right after I discover I'm actually left-brained. I think my brain is laughing at me.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Baby Slushpile #20
TITLE: Darkbeast
GENRE: YA Fantasy
Dear Agent Authoress,
I am seeking representation for my YA fantasy DARKBEAST which is complete at 97,000 words.
Panza is evil by birth. As a barghest, a mythical dog with a howl that can raise the dead and a bark that can lay them back to rest, her powers are dark and mistrusted even though she tries to keep the black magic and murder to a minimum.
When she saves Spike, unicorn and reluctant prince, from death by dragons, she feels an instant connection. But the unicorns of Spike’s herd won’t stand for their friendship, nor is Panza as lonely as she first thought. There’s a new barghest in Whitwer: Mang. He plans to take back the world for the denizens of death, and he wants Panza fighting alongside him.
Panza’s place is with Mang, but her heart is with Spike and those few mythical creatures to accept her. She chooses the unicorns – but the part of her that is barghest may yet lead to blood.
DARKBEAST thinks on four paws and portrays a society saturated with magic and full of dragons, griffins, trolls and sphinxes. The fantastic setting is a backdrop for characters human in all but shape and struggling with issues of identity and inclusivity. It will be my debut novel.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
The Author.
GENRE: YA Fantasy
Dear Agent Authoress,
I am seeking representation for my YA fantasy DARKBEAST which is complete at 97,000 words.
Panza is evil by birth. As a barghest, a mythical dog with a howl that can raise the dead and a bark that can lay them back to rest, her powers are dark and mistrusted even though she tries to keep the black magic and murder to a minimum.
When she saves Spike, unicorn and reluctant prince, from death by dragons, she feels an instant connection. But the unicorns of Spike’s herd won’t stand for their friendship, nor is Panza as lonely as she first thought. There’s a new barghest in Whitwer: Mang. He plans to take back the world for the denizens of death, and he wants Panza fighting alongside him.
Panza’s place is with Mang, but her heart is with Spike and those few mythical creatures to accept her. She chooses the unicorns – but the part of her that is barghest may yet lead to blood.
DARKBEAST thinks on four paws and portrays a society saturated with magic and full of dragons, griffins, trolls and sphinxes. The fantastic setting is a backdrop for characters human in all but shape and struggling with issues of identity and inclusivity. It will be my debut novel.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
The Author.
Baby Slushpile #19
TITLE: MARGARET'S CURSE
GENRE: Paranormal
Dear Agent,
I am seeking representation for MARGARET’S CURSE, a paranormal novel, complete at 104K words.
Practical Magic collides with Romeo and Juliet in MARGARET’S CURSE, a modern love story where witches time travel, jaded ghosts misbehave, and young love is tested with the ultimate sacrifice.
Execution for the crime of witchcraft is a thing of the past. Still, in these modern times, Ophelia and her family of witches shroud their identity. A silence that has held Ophelia safe, until now.
Ophelia’s family has done well to hide their secret. So well, they’ve lost touch with the ways of the witch, Ophelia’s lack of powers a testament to their detachment. But their past pursues them. A dead relative is tracking Ophelia, the same witch who, by cursing another coven, forced Ophelia’s family go into hiding centuries prior. Margaret, the spirit, visits with a purpose: To protect Ophelia from a killer.
When Ophelia falls in love with Elwyn, she has no idea that he too is a witch or that their families share a dark history; The curse cast by Margaret is slaying the men in Elwyn’s coven, leaving him the last of his line. Knowing death pursues him, Elwyn has come to town on a mission – the remedy to the hex lies in the killing of a witch, little does Elwyn know, Ophelia is that witch.
When the truth is divulged, Ophelia faces a curse of her own: A choice that risks condemning a dead woman, murdering Elwyn, and ending her own life.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best regards,
Aspiring Author
GENRE: Paranormal
Dear Agent,
I am seeking representation for MARGARET’S CURSE, a paranormal novel, complete at 104K words.
Practical Magic collides with Romeo and Juliet in MARGARET’S CURSE, a modern love story where witches time travel, jaded ghosts misbehave, and young love is tested with the ultimate sacrifice.
Execution for the crime of witchcraft is a thing of the past. Still, in these modern times, Ophelia and her family of witches shroud their identity. A silence that has held Ophelia safe, until now.
Ophelia’s family has done well to hide their secret. So well, they’ve lost touch with the ways of the witch, Ophelia’s lack of powers a testament to their detachment. But their past pursues them. A dead relative is tracking Ophelia, the same witch who, by cursing another coven, forced Ophelia’s family go into hiding centuries prior. Margaret, the spirit, visits with a purpose: To protect Ophelia from a killer.
When Ophelia falls in love with Elwyn, she has no idea that he too is a witch or that their families share a dark history; The curse cast by Margaret is slaying the men in Elwyn’s coven, leaving him the last of his line. Knowing death pursues him, Elwyn has come to town on a mission – the remedy to the hex lies in the killing of a witch, little does Elwyn know, Ophelia is that witch.
When the truth is divulged, Ophelia faces a curse of her own: A choice that risks condemning a dead woman, murdering Elwyn, and ending her own life.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best regards,
Aspiring Author
Baby Slushpile #18
TITLE: INSATIABLE
GENRE: YA Fantasy
Every night when the houselights go down, seventeen-year-old kinetic Charlie Brimm is the first on the dance floor. Among the crush of bodies packed against the stage, he secretly feasts on the brilliant auras of the human crowd around him. The music brings out their energy, and that energy keeps Charlie alive and healthy—if not completely satisfied.
When Charlie meets bard-faery and rock singer, Len, one taste of her silver aura satisfies Charlie’s appetite for energy like no human aura he’s ever absorbed. Charlie likes Len for more than just her energy. But, as he's getting close to her, he discovers the fae band is kidnapping the most troubled teens from their shows in preparation for a sacrifice to an ancient faery. The ritual also calls for a kinetic vessel, and Charlie’s voracious appetite makes him the perfect candidate. If he can be kept from Len.
The more of Len’s aura Charlie absorbs, the less energy he needs to recharge. That’s bad news for the band, but Charlie creates another kink in their hopes for power and glory. Len’s falling for him. The closer she and Charlie get, the more defiant she becomes about gathering the city’s teens for the offering. And an empty vessel won’t do.
Charlie doesn’t want to drain the teens of their energy or to be eaten in turn. If he wants to save himself and the kidnapped teens, he needs to avoid the band until the fall equinox. But that means letting Len go and returning to a life of nightly feedings and an insatiable hunger.
GENRE: YA Fantasy
Every night when the houselights go down, seventeen-year-old kinetic Charlie Brimm is the first on the dance floor. Among the crush of bodies packed against the stage, he secretly feasts on the brilliant auras of the human crowd around him. The music brings out their energy, and that energy keeps Charlie alive and healthy—if not completely satisfied.
When Charlie meets bard-faery and rock singer, Len, one taste of her silver aura satisfies Charlie’s appetite for energy like no human aura he’s ever absorbed. Charlie likes Len for more than just her energy. But, as he's getting close to her, he discovers the fae band is kidnapping the most troubled teens from their shows in preparation for a sacrifice to an ancient faery. The ritual also calls for a kinetic vessel, and Charlie’s voracious appetite makes him the perfect candidate. If he can be kept from Len.
The more of Len’s aura Charlie absorbs, the less energy he needs to recharge. That’s bad news for the band, but Charlie creates another kink in their hopes for power and glory. Len’s falling for him. The closer she and Charlie get, the more defiant she becomes about gathering the city’s teens for the offering. And an empty vessel won’t do.
Charlie doesn’t want to drain the teens of their energy or to be eaten in turn. If he wants to save himself and the kidnapped teens, he needs to avoid the band until the fall equinox. But that means letting Len go and returning to a life of nightly feedings and an insatiable hunger.
Baby Slushpile #17
TITLE: Sol of a Gladiator
GENRE: Epic Fantasy
Dear AGENT X,
I have recently completed an adult epic fantasy novel entitled SOL OF A GLADIATOR complete at 84,000 words and I would like you to please consider it for representation.
In the heart of tyrannical Astrolian Empire, deep in the bowels of the Coliseum, the orphan Sol is raised by a makeshift family of sympathetic guards and fellow slaves to become a legendary gladiator. With his partner K’nal, a yeti-like giant from the frozen south, Sol must battle cunning warriors and exotic beasts to delight the crowd and stay alive.
When Korra, a captured member of the Resistance, is forced into Sol’s cell as a sex-prize, her words of rebellion compel Sol to question his long-accepted fate as a slave. Outside the Coliseum, an unknown bard’s tales transform Sol into a symbol of defiance and inspires an oppressed populace hungry for a hero. The streets fill with talk of revolution and the Empire decides the fighter must fall.
Lysik, Astrolia’s most ruthless assassin, is sent to quell the potential insurgence. Rather than martyr the slave, Lysik plots to turn the crowd against their hero, freeing the assassin to finish Sol as he sees fit. For the first time Sol must battle an opponent beyond the reach of his sword and the gladiator knows, whatever the outcome, his friends will share his fate. Sol must win over the crowd and best the assassin if he is to save his friends and do what no slave has ever done: escape the Coliseum and the only home he’s ever known.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit to AGENCY X. I am seeking your representation because you said you are looking for high-concept fantasy that incorporates a unique twist on an existing history and I believe that’s what I have to offer.
I have included the first five pages of my manuscript below. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Me
GENRE: Epic Fantasy
Dear AGENT X,
I have recently completed an adult epic fantasy novel entitled SOL OF A GLADIATOR complete at 84,000 words and I would like you to please consider it for representation.
In the heart of tyrannical Astrolian Empire, deep in the bowels of the Coliseum, the orphan Sol is raised by a makeshift family of sympathetic guards and fellow slaves to become a legendary gladiator. With his partner K’nal, a yeti-like giant from the frozen south, Sol must battle cunning warriors and exotic beasts to delight the crowd and stay alive.
When Korra, a captured member of the Resistance, is forced into Sol’s cell as a sex-prize, her words of rebellion compel Sol to question his long-accepted fate as a slave. Outside the Coliseum, an unknown bard’s tales transform Sol into a symbol of defiance and inspires an oppressed populace hungry for a hero. The streets fill with talk of revolution and the Empire decides the fighter must fall.
Lysik, Astrolia’s most ruthless assassin, is sent to quell the potential insurgence. Rather than martyr the slave, Lysik plots to turn the crowd against their hero, freeing the assassin to finish Sol as he sees fit. For the first time Sol must battle an opponent beyond the reach of his sword and the gladiator knows, whatever the outcome, his friends will share his fate. Sol must win over the crowd and best the assassin if he is to save his friends and do what no slave has ever done: escape the Coliseum and the only home he’s ever known.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit to AGENCY X. I am seeking your representation because you said you are looking for high-concept fantasy that incorporates a unique twist on an existing history and I believe that’s what I have to offer.
I have included the first five pages of my manuscript below. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Me
Baby Slushpile #16
TITLE: MOONSILK
GENRE: MG historical fantasy
Dear Ms. Authoress,
I am writing to see if you might be interested in my middle-grade novel-in-verse entitled MOONSILK. It is an Asian Rapunzel story set in a mythical ancient China and mixes both fantastical and historical elements from that culture.
For fifteen years, Moonsilk, who was born with albinism, was locked away in isolation in her wealthy Ch'in family's granary tower because of her strange violet eyes, her sun-sensitive skin, and her long silver hair. That is, until one day when her family discovers she has magical powers that can bring silk weavings to life. They then send her away to join the Imperial Order of Silk Sisters--a special group of weavers who make royal robes and army clothing for the Palace.
When the weavers begin to disappear mysteriously one-by-one, some blame the albino Moonsilk for bringing bad luck into their midst. Moonsilk sets out to look for the missing girls as a way to clear her name, but finds herself trapped, too, in the kidnapper's lair.
When the kidnapper--an evil Imperial minister--forces the weavers to work on a horrific "Loom of Doom" as part of his plan to overthrow the Emperor, Moonsilk finally realizes that her "difference" may be her greatest asset after all--and possibly the only way to save herself, her silk sisters, and her country from impending war.
In case you are interested, an earlier prose version of MOONSILK was nominated for the Sue Alexander Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Since then, I have rewritten MOONSILK as a novel-in-verse. The verse format allows me to capture better Moonsilk’s intense emotions and reflects aesthetically the issue of black vs white that so profoundly affects her life.
The full manuscript contains 72 poems based on the divisions of the Chinese solar calendar and runs 25357 words long.
Thank you so much for your time and attention. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Teeny Wolf
GENRE: MG historical fantasy
Dear Ms. Authoress,
I am writing to see if you might be interested in my middle-grade novel-in-verse entitled MOONSILK. It is an Asian Rapunzel story set in a mythical ancient China and mixes both fantastical and historical elements from that culture.
For fifteen years, Moonsilk, who was born with albinism, was locked away in isolation in her wealthy Ch'in family's granary tower because of her strange violet eyes, her sun-sensitive skin, and her long silver hair. That is, until one day when her family discovers she has magical powers that can bring silk weavings to life. They then send her away to join the Imperial Order of Silk Sisters--a special group of weavers who make royal robes and army clothing for the Palace.
When the weavers begin to disappear mysteriously one-by-one, some blame the albino Moonsilk for bringing bad luck into their midst. Moonsilk sets out to look for the missing girls as a way to clear her name, but finds herself trapped, too, in the kidnapper's lair.
When the kidnapper--an evil Imperial minister--forces the weavers to work on a horrific "Loom of Doom" as part of his plan to overthrow the Emperor, Moonsilk finally realizes that her "difference" may be her greatest asset after all--and possibly the only way to save herself, her silk sisters, and her country from impending war.
In case you are interested, an earlier prose version of MOONSILK was nominated for the Sue Alexander Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Since then, I have rewritten MOONSILK as a novel-in-verse. The verse format allows me to capture better Moonsilk’s intense emotions and reflects aesthetically the issue of black vs white that so profoundly affects her life.
The full manuscript contains 72 poems based on the divisions of the Chinese solar calendar and runs 25357 words long.
Thank you so much for your time and attention. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Teeny Wolf
Baby Slushpile #15
TITLE: Drifting Into You
GENRE: Contemporary YA
Watching him, I have this unexpected flash of that girl at Starbucks—the one at the drive-thru—her face all giddy, seemingly incapacitated by Jere’s looks. What a crazy thought to have. Jere is just Jere. Right?
The senior party out at Devil’s Cove was supposed to be sixteen-year-old, Annley’s chance to jump the cliffs. But ever since she left the edge, and Kyle Garrett decided to jump in after her, she can’t seem to get her head back above water. Kyle isn’t the boy Annley used to daydream about. He’s arrogant. He’s manipulative. He’s overpowering. And now he’s causing Annley to drift further away from everyone she loves—her comatose sister, her self-centered mother, her selective mute best friend.
But just when Annley thinks she might sink, her sister’s boyfriend, Jeremy, offers her a hand and a ride that could change everything. Jeremy’s nothing like Kyle. In fact, he’s a gentlemen and just what Annley needs to get her through all those grief-stricken nights. But when a simple drive turns into something more, Annley has to decide what’s more important…her sister or a boy.
GENRE: Contemporary YA
Watching him, I have this unexpected flash of that girl at Starbucks—the one at the drive-thru—her face all giddy, seemingly incapacitated by Jere’s looks. What a crazy thought to have. Jere is just Jere. Right?
The senior party out at Devil’s Cove was supposed to be sixteen-year-old, Annley’s chance to jump the cliffs. But ever since she left the edge, and Kyle Garrett decided to jump in after her, she can’t seem to get her head back above water. Kyle isn’t the boy Annley used to daydream about. He’s arrogant. He’s manipulative. He’s overpowering. And now he’s causing Annley to drift further away from everyone she loves—her comatose sister, her self-centered mother, her selective mute best friend.
But just when Annley thinks she might sink, her sister’s boyfriend, Jeremy, offers her a hand and a ride that could change everything. Jeremy’s nothing like Kyle. In fact, he’s a gentlemen and just what Annley needs to get her through all those grief-stricken nights. But when a simple drive turns into something more, Annley has to decide what’s more important…her sister or a boy.
Baby Slushpile #14
TITLE: UNDECIDED
GENRE: YA contemporary
High school graduation: Check. College Apps: Check. Actually deciding where to start the rest of your life: Uhhh.
For Ryan, deciding where to go to college is easy: he lets someone else choose. His girlfriend Marcy’s the planner, not him. And he’d rather not think about all the changes graduating and leaving home will bring. Then their chosen school, Texas Central, cuts their soccer program. One more thing he’ll have to give up now that high school’s done. But he doesn’t think there’s anything he can do about it. He’s already committed to both TC and Marcy.
His neighbor Summer learned the hard way that avoiding decisions doesn’t make them go away. Like last June, when she missed her chance to cross the friends’ line with Ryan. She’s spent the last year avoiding him, denying the mistake she made—but that has to stop. She has one more of year of high school, but Ryan’s leaving soon. It’s time she let go of the past and fixed their derailed friendship—especially since she might be the only one who can help him figure out what he wants from the future.
If Ryan and Summer can’t learn to start calling the shots in their own lives, they’ll never reach their goals—and they’ll all end up where they don’t belong. UNDECIDED, complete at 60,000 words, should appeal to fans of Susane Colasanti and Jenny Han.
GENRE: YA contemporary
High school graduation: Check. College Apps: Check. Actually deciding where to start the rest of your life: Uhhh.
For Ryan, deciding where to go to college is easy: he lets someone else choose. His girlfriend Marcy’s the planner, not him. And he’d rather not think about all the changes graduating and leaving home will bring. Then their chosen school, Texas Central, cuts their soccer program. One more thing he’ll have to give up now that high school’s done. But he doesn’t think there’s anything he can do about it. He’s already committed to both TC and Marcy.
His neighbor Summer learned the hard way that avoiding decisions doesn’t make them go away. Like last June, when she missed her chance to cross the friends’ line with Ryan. She’s spent the last year avoiding him, denying the mistake she made—but that has to stop. She has one more of year of high school, but Ryan’s leaving soon. It’s time she let go of the past and fixed their derailed friendship—especially since she might be the only one who can help him figure out what he wants from the future.
If Ryan and Summer can’t learn to start calling the shots in their own lives, they’ll never reach their goals—and they’ll all end up where they don’t belong. UNDECIDED, complete at 60,000 words, should appeal to fans of Susane Colasanti and Jenny Han.
Baby Slushpile #13
TITLE: In Genevieve's Grotto
GENRE: YA Fantasy
Jemma’s parents have always had one rule for her: don’t get caught. So when she nearly drowns an entire school and everyone in it, they flee to their hometown, Pequot Woods, Minnesota. Only, in Pequot, Jemma isn’t the only one with a secret.
The town is run by an underground society focused on the education of Elderlings, people with a gift for controlling the elements. People like Jemma – sort of. The thing is, she’s not even normal for an Elderling. The telepathic link she shares with her new neighbor, Cole isn’t supposed to exist. Even weird has its limits.
It’s probably the worst thing that could happen to her, having to share her head with a guy. Let alone one that – erm… looks like Cole. But their connection proves pretty useful when she’s attacked. With his help, she sets out to uncover the reason this cult of masked psychopaths wants her dead. When she learns that they believe she’s connected to a hell-bent dictator, and that somehow, her death could prevent his rise, she wishes she could go back to just drowning schools. But when her hunters turn to destroying the things – and people – she’s come to love, she realizes that there’s no going back. To save her friends, her family, and the life she’s come to know, she’ll have to figure out how to convince this cult that she isn’t the enemy, and that she’s no ally to this tyrant. Unless of course, she discovers that she is.
Thank you for your time and your consideration. The completed manuscript is available upon request. I look forward to hearing from you.
GENRE: YA Fantasy
Jemma’s parents have always had one rule for her: don’t get caught. So when she nearly drowns an entire school and everyone in it, they flee to their hometown, Pequot Woods, Minnesota. Only, in Pequot, Jemma isn’t the only one with a secret.
The town is run by an underground society focused on the education of Elderlings, people with a gift for controlling the elements. People like Jemma – sort of. The thing is, she’s not even normal for an Elderling. The telepathic link she shares with her new neighbor, Cole isn’t supposed to exist. Even weird has its limits.
It’s probably the worst thing that could happen to her, having to share her head with a guy. Let alone one that – erm… looks like Cole. But their connection proves pretty useful when she’s attacked. With his help, she sets out to uncover the reason this cult of masked psychopaths wants her dead. When she learns that they believe she’s connected to a hell-bent dictator, and that somehow, her death could prevent his rise, she wishes she could go back to just drowning schools. But when her hunters turn to destroying the things – and people – she’s come to love, she realizes that there’s no going back. To save her friends, her family, and the life she’s come to know, she’ll have to figure out how to convince this cult that she isn’t the enemy, and that she’s no ally to this tyrant. Unless of course, she discovers that she is.
Thank you for your time and your consideration. The completed manuscript is available upon request. I look forward to hearing from you.
Baby Slushpile #12
TITLE: MOONDREAMER: The Sowing
GENRE: Upper Young Adult Urban Fantasy
Plans to attend a killer concert are derailed when Syxx learns that the Fae Council has manipulated her into coming to the city to participate in a breeding ceremony called The Sowing. There aren't enough o's in 'hell no!'
But Syxx is not alone. The Fae Council has glamoured hundreds of reluctant Fae into coming to the city to participate in The Sowing. Syxx discovers she’s a Moondreamer: A rare type of Fae that can make wishes come true, and will things into being.
As a Moondreamer, Syxx may have the power to overthrow the corrupt Fae Council, and end their horrifying glamour. With her new friends - a sexy half-incubus and a sweet leprechaun pushing her forward - she reluctantly steps into the role of revolutionary.
Beating the eight Fae council members is the least of her worries. If she's discovered, she risks death. If she fails, she'll become a forced participant in the breeding ceremony.
MOONDREAMER: THE SOWING, an upper young adult urban fantasy with a romantic twist is complete at 62,000 words.
GENRE: Upper Young Adult Urban Fantasy
Plans to attend a killer concert are derailed when Syxx learns that the Fae Council has manipulated her into coming to the city to participate in a breeding ceremony called The Sowing. There aren't enough o's in 'hell no!'
But Syxx is not alone. The Fae Council has glamoured hundreds of reluctant Fae into coming to the city to participate in The Sowing. Syxx discovers she’s a Moondreamer: A rare type of Fae that can make wishes come true, and will things into being.
As a Moondreamer, Syxx may have the power to overthrow the corrupt Fae Council, and end their horrifying glamour. With her new friends - a sexy half-incubus and a sweet leprechaun pushing her forward - she reluctantly steps into the role of revolutionary.
Beating the eight Fae council members is the least of her worries. If she's discovered, she risks death. If she fails, she'll become a forced participant in the breeding ceremony.
MOONDREAMER: THE SOWING, an upper young adult urban fantasy with a romantic twist is complete at 62,000 words.
Baby Slushpile #11
TITLE: The Stone Pillar
GENRE: YA Fantasy
My completed Young Adult novel, THE STONE PILLAR, is a 100,000 word fantasy which is focused on Nathaniel D’Arnor’s journey across Gaia. After witnessing the murder of his friends and comrades, Nathaniel realizes that true purpose of the Academy is not to train guardians, but to breed sacrificial lambs. He becomes a fugitive hunted by the very instructors who trained him, seeking safe refuge in a world he has seen only in maps.
He is captured by Annalise Nis’al, the daughter and heir of the The Dragon King. Sora, her servant, is a powerful witch and the King’s deadliest weapon; it is she who discovers Nathaniel has a talent which is hidden even from himself, an unnatural immunity to magic. His impressive combat skills and immunity to Sora’s power make him a potential threat to her father, one Annalise intends to eliminate. Her father, The Dragon King Rama Nis’al, has his own plans for Nathaniel’s talents and coerces him to cooperate by threatening the lives of the tribe who first sheltered him, some of whom he has grown to love.
While in the palace of the Dragon King, both guest and prisoner, Nathaniel discovers an imprisoned dragon who tells Nathaniel about the Elder Dragons, the powerful avatars of Gaia’s magic. With their help he could acquire the power to shatter The Stone Pillar and end the sacrifices forever. Meanwhile, Sora’s strange and adoptive father charges her with a mission, she must betray her mistress and assist in Nathaniel’s escape. She must accompany him on his quest and seek out the answers behind Nathaniel’s hidden talent and its connection to the Pillar.
There is more at stake than the destruction of Pillar; it is merely the first step to restoring balance to a world spiraling ever closer to chaos. The choices they make could alter the very fabric of the world as they teeter between justice, vengeance and the very hazy line between them.
GENRE: YA Fantasy
My completed Young Adult novel, THE STONE PILLAR, is a 100,000 word fantasy which is focused on Nathaniel D’Arnor’s journey across Gaia. After witnessing the murder of his friends and comrades, Nathaniel realizes that true purpose of the Academy is not to train guardians, but to breed sacrificial lambs. He becomes a fugitive hunted by the very instructors who trained him, seeking safe refuge in a world he has seen only in maps.
He is captured by Annalise Nis’al, the daughter and heir of the The Dragon King. Sora, her servant, is a powerful witch and the King’s deadliest weapon; it is she who discovers Nathaniel has a talent which is hidden even from himself, an unnatural immunity to magic. His impressive combat skills and immunity to Sora’s power make him a potential threat to her father, one Annalise intends to eliminate. Her father, The Dragon King Rama Nis’al, has his own plans for Nathaniel’s talents and coerces him to cooperate by threatening the lives of the tribe who first sheltered him, some of whom he has grown to love.
While in the palace of the Dragon King, both guest and prisoner, Nathaniel discovers an imprisoned dragon who tells Nathaniel about the Elder Dragons, the powerful avatars of Gaia’s magic. With their help he could acquire the power to shatter The Stone Pillar and end the sacrifices forever. Meanwhile, Sora’s strange and adoptive father charges her with a mission, she must betray her mistress and assist in Nathaniel’s escape. She must accompany him on his quest and seek out the answers behind Nathaniel’s hidden talent and its connection to the Pillar.
There is more at stake than the destruction of Pillar; it is merely the first step to restoring balance to a world spiraling ever closer to chaos. The choices they make could alter the very fabric of the world as they teeter between justice, vengeance and the very hazy line between them.
Baby Slushpile #10
TITLE: She Came From the Hill
GENRE: YA Gothic Fantasy
Clay went to Strawberry Hill for the camping, not the ghost hunting. His friends’ stories about a dead little girl and her fairy friends are not exactly the stuff nightmares are made out of. Not wanting to spoil the fun, Clay goes along with their plans. He even carries the EMF detector, which can double as a football on a long boring night.
They find the ghost girl, but her friends aren’t cute little fairies. They are creatures made of earth and shadows, anciently known as the fey. They want Clay to help them get past a bloodthirsty shadow that keeps them tied to Strawberry Hill. Many have been coerced into trying. All have died.
When his crush is hit by a car, Clay agrees to help the fey in exchange for her life. He may never get up the nerve to talk to Song Lei, but saving her life is a no-brainer. Clay only has a few weeks to learn about the fey before he has to return to Strawberry Hill. One thing he knows for sure is the fey do not like to be crossed. If he fails their task, like so many before him, both he and Song Lei will die.
A classic ghost story with a twist, SHE CAME FROM THE HILL is a YA gothic fantasy and is complete at 57,000 words.
GENRE: YA Gothic Fantasy
Clay went to Strawberry Hill for the camping, not the ghost hunting. His friends’ stories about a dead little girl and her fairy friends are not exactly the stuff nightmares are made out of. Not wanting to spoil the fun, Clay goes along with their plans. He even carries the EMF detector, which can double as a football on a long boring night.
They find the ghost girl, but her friends aren’t cute little fairies. They are creatures made of earth and shadows, anciently known as the fey. They want Clay to help them get past a bloodthirsty shadow that keeps them tied to Strawberry Hill. Many have been coerced into trying. All have died.
When his crush is hit by a car, Clay agrees to help the fey in exchange for her life. He may never get up the nerve to talk to Song Lei, but saving her life is a no-brainer. Clay only has a few weeks to learn about the fey before he has to return to Strawberry Hill. One thing he knows for sure is the fey do not like to be crossed. If he fails their task, like so many before him, both he and Song Lei will die.
A classic ghost story with a twist, SHE CAME FROM THE HILL is a YA gothic fantasy and is complete at 57,000 words.
Baby Slushpile #9
TITLE: Gamer Daddy
GENRE: Humour
Dear Miss Snark’s Lottery Bot,
Jason has everything he needs for a full-blown midlife crisis. His wife left him, his obsession with video games has kept his social life at bay and now his job of twenty years has been axed. Faced with the prospect of no prospects he does what any self-respecting man would do; he goes on a booze and video game bender and applies to University while drunk.
While recovering from a disastrous holiday Jason not only lands a place as a mature student, he also discovers his wife is pregnant. His old friends think he has lost the plot, his new friends are young enough to be his kids and the shipping date of his favourite game has been put back again. The only things that could make his situation worse would be if he started work at a fast food place, threatened a customer on his first shift and ended up kissing a teenager under the mistletoe while his pregnant wife is waiting for him at home.
With his whole future hanging in the balance, Jason has to decide whether he is going man up, or ship out.
“Gamer Daddy” is complete at 80,000 words. The author has written several well-received web series and her play “[title]” is currently being produced by Radio Slovenia.
Thank you for taking the time to read this query and I hope to hear from you soon.
Yours truly,
GENRE: Humour
Dear Miss Snark’s Lottery Bot,
Jason has everything he needs for a full-blown midlife crisis. His wife left him, his obsession with video games has kept his social life at bay and now his job of twenty years has been axed. Faced with the prospect of no prospects he does what any self-respecting man would do; he goes on a booze and video game bender and applies to University while drunk.
While recovering from a disastrous holiday Jason not only lands a place as a mature student, he also discovers his wife is pregnant. His old friends think he has lost the plot, his new friends are young enough to be his kids and the shipping date of his favourite game has been put back again. The only things that could make his situation worse would be if he started work at a fast food place, threatened a customer on his first shift and ended up kissing a teenager under the mistletoe while his pregnant wife is waiting for him at home.
With his whole future hanging in the balance, Jason has to decide whether he is going man up, or ship out.
“Gamer Daddy” is complete at 80,000 words. The author has written several well-received web series and her play “[title]” is currently being produced by Radio Slovenia.
Thank you for taking the time to read this query and I hope to hear from you soon.
Yours truly,
Baby Slushpile #8
TITLE: The Spell of the Black Magic Key... A Black Magic Trance
GENRE: Middle Grade Action Adventure Fantasy
Tarot Card Readings… this way if you dare!
Dear Agent:
The Spell of the Black Magic Key… A Black Magic Trance is my 30,000-word middle-grade novel, my first book in a three-part trilogy. It is an action-adventure fantasy that weaves together the world of the enchanted with the mysterious and predominantly hidden realism of modern magic… the Tarot.
The Rickety Old Hag has resurrected the Wizard’s spell… the Spell of the Black Magic Key. It’s up to Bartholomew Berman to defend the world against the key’s evil! He has been called upon to answer to his father’s oath! As long as the powers of the key still exists no one’s safe! Questions need answering and, Aunt Bertilda, a Circe, insists that Bartholomew go see Madame Hecate, for a tarot card reading. Fearing what his future has in store, Bartholomew cautiously picks from the deck ultimately discovering that his adventure was predetermined by the Tarot cards that he… so warily… chose.
Thank you for your consideration and your time. If you would like to review a copy of the entire manuscript, please feel free to contact me.
GENRE: Middle Grade Action Adventure Fantasy
Tarot Card Readings… this way if you dare!
Dear Agent:
The Spell of the Black Magic Key… A Black Magic Trance is my 30,000-word middle-grade novel, my first book in a three-part trilogy. It is an action-adventure fantasy that weaves together the world of the enchanted with the mysterious and predominantly hidden realism of modern magic… the Tarot.
The Rickety Old Hag has resurrected the Wizard’s spell… the Spell of the Black Magic Key. It’s up to Bartholomew Berman to defend the world against the key’s evil! He has been called upon to answer to his father’s oath! As long as the powers of the key still exists no one’s safe! Questions need answering and, Aunt Bertilda, a Circe, insists that Bartholomew go see Madame Hecate, for a tarot card reading. Fearing what his future has in store, Bartholomew cautiously picks from the deck ultimately discovering that his adventure was predetermined by the Tarot cards that he… so warily… chose.
Thank you for your consideration and your time. If you would like to review a copy of the entire manuscript, please feel free to contact me.
Baby Slushpile #7
TITLE: The Boyfriend Plague
GENRE: YA Contemporary
Dear Authoress,
#insert well researched reason for picking agent here# I thought you might be interested in my 84 000 word novel, THE BOYFRIEND PLAGUE.
Things at home are rough for fifteen-year-old Livvie Quinn. Jules, her beloved older sister is sick again after being cancer free for almost ten years. Her mom becomes more frantic and unapproachable every day. School isn’t much better. Just when she needs them most, her closest friends get boyfriends and have little time for Livvie – except to set her up on a series of disastrous blind dates.
Livvie seeks refuge in the art room - the one place her synesthesia helps rather than hinders - and finds Bianca, the school ‘freak’. Free-spirited and confident, Bianca is everything Livvie isn’t. Shaken by her mom’s desperation, her sister’s deteriorating condition, and abandoned by her friends, Livvie finds comfort and an attraction she never felt before with Bianca.
When their relationship is discovered, Livvie and Bianca become victims of persecution and bullying. School authorities won’t help and even forbid the pair to attend the Winter Formal as a couple. If Livvie defies them and goes, she risks expulsion and further ridicule from her classmates. At home, her mother’s behavior escalates to new levels of crazy and Jules is begging for help to end the pain once and for all.
While searching for the strength to make her life her own, Livvie must decide how far she’s willing to go for the people she loves.
Per your submission requirements, you will find the first XXXX pages below. I would be delighted to send you further sample chapters at your request. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Regards,
K
GENRE: YA Contemporary
Dear Authoress,
#insert well researched reason for picking agent here# I thought you might be interested in my 84 000 word novel, THE BOYFRIEND PLAGUE.
Things at home are rough for fifteen-year-old Livvie Quinn. Jules, her beloved older sister is sick again after being cancer free for almost ten years. Her mom becomes more frantic and unapproachable every day. School isn’t much better. Just when she needs them most, her closest friends get boyfriends and have little time for Livvie – except to set her up on a series of disastrous blind dates.
Livvie seeks refuge in the art room - the one place her synesthesia helps rather than hinders - and finds Bianca, the school ‘freak’. Free-spirited and confident, Bianca is everything Livvie isn’t. Shaken by her mom’s desperation, her sister’s deteriorating condition, and abandoned by her friends, Livvie finds comfort and an attraction she never felt before with Bianca.
When their relationship is discovered, Livvie and Bianca become victims of persecution and bullying. School authorities won’t help and even forbid the pair to attend the Winter Formal as a couple. If Livvie defies them and goes, she risks expulsion and further ridicule from her classmates. At home, her mother’s behavior escalates to new levels of crazy and Jules is begging for help to end the pain once and for all.
While searching for the strength to make her life her own, Livvie must decide how far she’s willing to go for the people she loves.
Per your submission requirements, you will find the first XXXX pages below. I would be delighted to send you further sample chapters at your request. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Regards,
K
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