Our Secret Agent Winners

First, a message from Ms. Haggerty:

Thanks so much for having me!  I was so impressed by the entries, and by all the authors for entering the contest in the first place!

And now, here are the winners:

Query and first 50 pages:

#12—A PROPER SCANDAL
#26—SEA OF FATE
#39—FALCON SPY
#44—BECCA’S WAR

Query and first 100 pages:

#13—BLOOD TRAIN

#28—DREAMWALKER

#40—MINDSWEPT

#47—ENCIRCLED

Congratulations, everyone!  Winners, please email me at facelesswords(at)gmail.com for specific submission instructions.

Secret Agent Revealed: Taylor Haggerty

Huge thanks and generous applause for this month's Secret Agent, Taylor Haggerty of the Waxman Leavell Agency.

Bio: 

Taylor Haggerty graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and worked in the editorial, production, and foreign rights departments of several publishers while completing a master’s degree from Emerson College’s Publishing and Writing program. She worked at the Gersh Agency before joining Waxman Leavell in 2013.

What Taylor would really love to find right now: 

"On the YA front I'm looking for historical fantasy, friendship stories with tons of heart, and contemporaries with unique settings outside the halls of a typical high school. On the historical fiction side of things, I'm looking for novels with compelling concepts and great commercial hooks. I particularly love reading about complex, influential female characters, and characters with unique perspectives on major historical figures or events."

Winners forthcoming!

Friday Fricassee

Okay, writerly writers--we haven't had a your-turn-to-chatter Friday Fricassee for a while.

Here's what I want to know:  If you're a regular here, you're obviously passionate about writing.  But WHAT ELSE ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT?

If for some reason, writing were no longer an option, where would you channel your creative energy?

And if you have a day job that you DON'T love, how would you direct your life's path so that you could be gainfully employed doing something that stoked you deep on the inside?

For me, that's a tricky question, because I've DONE the "other path" thing and finally came around to the First Love of writing, which manifested very early for me.  My "other path" was, of course, music, which is what I have a degree in.  So, yeah, I could teach piano lessons (ugh).  I could teach in a classroom (I'd rather lick envelopes for a living).  I could do the "indie artist" thing (I do songwrite in my occasional spare time).  But music is something I've already moved away from.  I am always happy to sit down with Beethoven or Schubert and while away a happy hour, but in the end it's really just a cathartic exercise for me.  It's not what I want to do with the rest of my life.

I have causes about which I am passionate, and I love to scrapbook (especially things like Mr. A's and my first return to our Favorite Beach Town since our honeymoon), and local theatre auditions always make me ache for my days-gone-by onstage.  (Hey, I did get a callback a year or so ago!)

But for me, there isn't an alternative plan.  Writing is it.  If the writing went away, I would be forced to become a cat lady on an organic farm in the middle of a commune.  Or maybe raise alpaca.

Okay--your turn!  What ELSE are you, other than WRITER?  What do you turn to in order to keep your creative juices juicy?  Where do your OTHER PASSIONS lie?

Share below!

January Secret Agent: Critique Guidelines

Guidelines for Critique on MSFV:

• Please leave your critique for each entry in the comment box for that entry.
• Please choose a screen name to sign your comments. The screen name DOES NOT have to be your real name; however, it needs to be an identifiable name.  ("Anonymous" is not a name.)
• Critiques should be honest but kind, helpful but sensitive.
• Critiques that attack the writer or are couched in unkind words will be deleted.*
• Cheerleading IS NOT THE SAME as critiquing.  Please don't cheerlead.
• Having said that, it is perfectly acceptable to say positive things about an entry that you feel is strong.  To make these positive comments more helpful, say why it's a strong entry.
• ENTRANTS: As your way of "giving back", please critique a minimum of 5 other entries.

*I can't possibly read every comment.  If you ever see a comment that is truly snarky, please email me.  I count on your help.

January Secret Agent #ALT-1

TITLE: Nightfallen
GENRE: YA

The men in the clearing look lost, far away from home knowing they will never go back. The light filters through the trees casting green shadows on the ground. It should smell clean out in the middle of nowhere, but instead there is an overwhelming stench of decay. The infected are gathered in a loose circle getting ready to set up camp. Some of their bodies can barely move, the disease has spread so far.

My father leads our team of fighters, signaling men to move around the clearing. They are silent as they tread carefully into place. We should be able to stop any of the infected from escaping as long as the men hold the perimeter.

I step next to my father. With his hand on my shoulder, he leans in next to my ear. “Lexy, there are twelve in the clearing. They may have reinforcements.” My role is to step in and draw their attention to begin fighting. If they do not attack me, we move on. They aren’t far enough gone to kill yet.

I nod and grab my katana in one hand, my knife in another. I peer through the trees assessing the situation. My first rush of adrenaline shows my anticipation for the next few minutes. A group is gathered around a small fire. The infected look tired. A few have the gray bubbles spreading up along their faces. They shouldn’t be able to fight back as quickly as the others.