You're the Agent - Round 1 (Queries)

Query #2

For sixteen-year old Laurel Pierce, life has taken an unexpectedly tragic detour. Her parents dead and the only home she has ever known a thing of the past, Laurel must return to her ancestral home in the small, southern town of Warm Springs. Little does Laurel know that amongst the tall pines and dirt roads lies the promise of a new life full of magic, romance, and adventure.

As Laurel grows to understand that the women in her family have held a powerful magic for centuries, she realizes that there are ancient, dark forces which would do anything to possess it. In her quest to uncover the source of darkness which stalks the town, alliances form and enemies are made. Torn between loyalty to her friend Paul Sharpe and her deepening feelings for the enigmatic Stefen Deveroux, Laurel attempts to navigate the boys’ long standing rivalry. After a local girl disappears and Stefen becomes the primary suspect, Laurel must harness her new magic in order to uncover the evil which controls the town even if it means the ruin of all she holds dear. Populated with a group of bullying fraternity boys, a local college professor obsessed with the occult, and a long history of witchcraft, Warm Springs promises to test Laurel’s newfound abilities and the loyalty of those who wish to aide her in her fight against dark magic. The Birthrite builds to a conclusion where Laurel must overcome her own fears in order to fight against the imminent death of those she loves and avenge her own tragic past.

I have been writing for the past twelve years, starting as an article writer for the Cougar Pause at the College of Charleston in 1997 where I published articles and reviews. Since graduating from the College of Charleston in 2000 with a B.A. in English, I have obtained my Masters in English and taught high school English for eight years.

The Birthrite is a 75,000 word paranormal YA romantic thriller, and has allowed me to create the character of Laurel Pierce, a strong female protagonist, whom I plan to include in subsequent novels.

Query #3

When it comes to boys, nothing’s ever easy for Natalie Miller. With only one sort-of boyfriend in her book of experiences, this introverted loner is itching to discover real love. And just when it looks like she’ll spend another summer vacation stuck on the family boat with no hope of finding a boyfriend, Todd pops out of the water, says hi, and tells her he has leukemia.

Natalie has never had attention like this from a boy, let alone one who’s a real charmer with sex on the brain and the experience to match. Abandoned by his friends after diagnosis, Todd draws Natalie in like a magnet, wanting her friendship, her love, and her body. He also needs her to help him through what’s left of his fragile life. Even when she’s tempted by gorgeous, healthy schoolmate Alex, Natalie’s desire to love and take care of Todd pushes her to see how far love can go in spite of the potential for death of the relationship — and death of the one she loves.

A Place In This Life, a YA novel, is complete at 87,500 words.

I have been a professional writer and magazine editor for 16 years, and have received an award from the National League of American Pen Women. Thank you for your consideration and your time.

Query #4

Elo'esh: The Whispers of Angels, is a fantasy/romance novel that I think might interest you. It weighs in at just over 98k words and has a mainstream bent that could find an appreciative audience with both adult and young adult readers.

Do you believe in angels? Brooke Jacobs doesn't.

Brooke is successful by outwardly appearances. She's young, a doctor and has nothing tying her down. But she knows that all is not as it appears. She's aware of her own dysfunction and inability to connect. She's never bonded, never cried, never loved. She’s never experienced the divinity of life. She assumes this is a side effect of the traumatic events of her childhood and from being raised in foster care. But, Brooke doesn't mind. Actually, she prefers being alone. It's predictable, comfortable and stress-free.

On one of her more typical Saturday nights working in an ER in Portland, Oregon she has a bizarre encounter with a psych patient that claims he recognizes her. That's when the dreams begin -- vivid, lucid dreams of weightlessness, dancing lights, auroras and velvet whispers. The dreams haunt her. After seeing a picture of the northern lights on a calendar, she makes a snap decision to move to Fairbanks, Alaska to see them for herself.

The night before her departure, Brooke meets a mysterious stranger in a bookstore. Something about him unnerves her. She shrugs it off and leaves, not realizing that the journey she's embarked on will lead her to more than just spectacular views of the auroras.

Through a series of strange happenings, her sense of reality it shattered as she is led into the arms of Gabriel, the Archangel, who she discovers is her mate and has been looking for her since she went missing twenty-two years prior.

Archangels, Lucifer, a plotting Seraphim and a Charge Nurse with a Southern drawl and an even more Southern attitude influence her in ways that flip her very existence upside down and lead her to a profound understanding of the depth and timelessness of her own soul.

Elo'esh, my first novel, is a story with a strong female protagonist who manages to maintain her integrity despite being in love with an all powerful being.

I would be happy to send a complete manuscript for your review. I appreciate your consideration and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Query #5

Jorac hated working for wizards...

Despite his allergy to magic (it makes him sneeze), Jorac takes a job working for the city's highly competent, but overbearing and officious wizards as the "Wizard Constable" – it's his duty, and besides, the pay is better.

On his first big assignment in the capital, he and the small team he gathers battle cutthroats, slavers, poison frogs, and too much paperwork. He meets Kimma (the most beautiful girl in the kingdom) hiding in the least likely place, and defeats a crazed wizard about to launch an attack on the city. But then what do you do with 300 gallons of magical moonshine that would make even the weakest wizard all-powerful? What else? Throw the biggest party the slums of Swampside have ever seen!

But no good deed goes unpunished, so despite his budding romance he's sent to observe an inept army general for his wizard bosses. As the army tries to pacify a minor rebellion in the far north, Jorac's band discovers a far more ominous enemy behind the rebels, and manages to foil the enemy's plans /despite/ the army leaders. Jorac returns to the city (and Kimma) just in time to be confronted with a puzzle he must solve or the kingdom itself could fall. Can he and his friends figure out the threat in time? Then, when all the wizards are infected with a power-robbing flu, can Jorac's swords, Kimma's crossbow, and the constables' moxie stop a secret invasion?

WIZARD CONSTABLE is not Epic Fantasy, it’s a fast-paced, fun adventure story targeted at adult and YA readers, complete at about 120,000 words. It is a standalone novel but could also be the start of a series; I'm working on a sequel.

I'm the author of the short story "Ted", published at Baen Universe Magazine, the novellette "Curio and Relic" in Grantville Gazette Vol 1; this is my first full-length novel. At your request, I'm prepared to send the complete manuscript.

Thank you for taking the time to consider representing my work. I look forward to hearing from you.

Query #6

Trouble follows Bex everywhere she goes. Literally.

When good girl Rebecca offered Trouble a hand and a sandwich, she had no idea she was binding herself to him with a set of metaphorical handcuffs, but ten years later the spirit-of-trouble-in-training is still stuck at her side. Now she's constantly dealing with things like undeserved traffic tickets, accusations of cheating, things falling on her, and, oh, all those poor exploding light bulbs. Worse still, Trouble's invisible to everyone but Bex, so not only is he free to get her in trouble all the time or, say, throw locker doors in her would-be boyfriend's face, everyone assumes it's Bex who's the troublemaker... and still talking to an imaginary friend. Good thing he's so much fun to be around, because being best friends with Trouble is the only way Bex could tolerate him screwing up her life on a daily basis.

So Bex feels nothing but betrayal when Trouble's daddy shows up, telling him it's been ten years and it's time to come of age. Well, great, except coming of age means Trouble has to kill the human he's bound to, and while Trouble's not keen on that, Daddy Dearest is fine with doing it for him. Fighting the trouble that naturally follows its namesake and ignoring the feelings growing between them, Bex and Trouble have to search for a way to unbind themselves before Trouble, Sr. finds them and kills Bex.

Trouble is a Friend of Mine is a 55,000 word YA contemporary fantasy. At your request, I am prepared to send you the completed manuscript. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Query #7

I am seeking representation for my historical novel A THING DONE, complete at 111,000 words. I've chosen to query you because [well-researched, insightful reason for selecting this agent, i.e., "you are still breathing in and out."]

Florence, 1216: The city's noble families hold almost unlimited power, and they do not share it easily. Factional tensions simmer just below the surface. When a Jester's prank-for-hire goes wrong and triggers a brawl between the factions, those tensions erupt into a dangerous open rift that splits Florence down the middle. One side offers a marriage to make peace, but the peace crumbles under the pressure of a woman's interference, a jilting, and an outraged cry for revenge.

This is the story of the Jester: pressed into service against his will as messenger for both sides, he is clever and a keen observer, yet he feels powerless to influence the warring knights and their very partisan ladies. He must try to keep himself alive and protect those dear to him, even as his beloved city splits in two. This is also the story of Buondelmonte, the hotheaded knight whose rash decision to overthrow his marriage contract and wed another woman plunges Florence into chaos. And it is the story of three fiercely determined women, in a society that allows them little initiative. They will do whatever they must, from behind the scenes, to achieve their goals. This novel explores how a great historical event affects ordinary people, and also how ordinary people can influence great events, even though their names may never go down in history. I have chosen to tell the story from the Jester's perspective.

The Jester is real, as are the knights and ladies. Dante, medieval chroniclers, and even Machiavelli cite the Buondelmonte story as the origin of the bitter schism between the Guelf and Ghibelline parties, a division that tormented Italy for nearly three centuries. Dante consigned one of the novel's main characters to the Inferno for speaking the fateful words, "A thing done has an end," thereby inciting his fellow knights to carry out a vendetta against Buondelmonte. With this novel it has been my goal to make these men and women and their great thirteenth-century city come alive for readers, and to suggest that the women involved in this tale may have had a much more important role in shaping the story's outcome than history has recorded.

I am an independent scholar with a deep interest in Dante's Florence, which I have studied for years, and I have a degree and professional background in journalism. I am a member of the Historical Novel Society. This is my first novel.

Thank you for your consideration. I have [enclosed/included/attached] [whatever their guidelines say]. May I send you the complete manuscript?

Query #8

What fifteen-year-old girl wouldn’t love to be popular and pretty? Ugly duckling Jade Kelsey would love to be able to walk into a classroom with her head held high, instead of face down to the floor to escape notice of her mocking, name-calling classmates. She’d love to go one full school day without being laughed at for her clothes, her face or her hair. And she’d love to return home after a rotten day at school to a warm and loving family, instead of her alcoholic father and detached, workaholic mother.

Jade’s struggle to fit in, be accepted, survive her unhappy home life, and learn to like herself are the core problems in My Name Is Jade (and I’m an Ugloholic), my contemporary young adult novel, complete at 30,000 words.

The only person who makes Jade’s life bearable is English teacher, Mr. West, who tries his best to help her see her good qualities and beauty within. Everything is starting to improve for Jade until one afternoon after school when male classmate and chief antagonist Michael Miller attacks her in the girl’s bathroom and Mr. West intervenes. A fight ensues during which Miller hits his head after being knocked to the ground by the teacher. The boy is hospitalized and Mr. West is suspended until all the facts can be determined. He’ll face a trial when the boy’s family decides to press charges. And of course Jade will face the embarrassment of recounting what happened to her in front of strangers.

Will Mr. West face prosecution and lose his job? Will Jade lose the only person who seems to truly care about her? Will she stand up for herself or back down out of fear? Will her home life improve or deteriorate?

I am a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Writer’s Digest Magazine, Woman’s World and Humpty Dumpty’s Magazine. One of my short stories was included in the anthology Stories of Strength. In addition to my YA novel, I am in the process of completing a romance novel along with a children’s picture book.

My manuscript is available upon request. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Query #9

Nobody will ever look past Samuel’s crutches and catheter, but so what? He’s happy with his laptop and a pile of paperbacks.

Then he takes a job teaching programming and meets Greta, the girls' basketball coach. Huge, butch, and intimidating as hell, she's the only woman on campus who isn't compelled to call him "dear." Add her Amazon figure and superb cooking skills, and Samuel falls hard.

Scoring a date seems impossible, except that Greta is also damaged goods. As their tentative relationship develops, Samuel discovers the biggest obstacle to intimacy isn’t his disability or her troubled past, but the secret he’s spent his life avoiding. Deep down, Samuel fears he’s worthless.

Telling himself he's Greta's only alternative to isolation suffices until she saves a child’s life and an admiring doctor asks her out. Samuel knows he loves Greta enough to let her go. The real question is whether he loves her enough to trade his darkest fear for certainty and maybe, just maybe, a chance at her heart.

COURTING GRETA, complete at 100,000 words, is available at your request.

Query #10

Seventeen-year-old Isis’ life changes the day she uses magic to save her life. She didn’t plan to, but instinct kicked in. The only problem is that she also saves Dane, her class project partner and reveals the secret. Instead of thanking her, he kidnaps her because of her powers and pulls her into a world where two factions are warring for control.

All Isis wants is out, but Dane keeps telling her she has to master her powers or she’ll go insane. Then Isis discovers her crazy dreams aren’t early signs of insanity. They actually mean that she is the Dreamer. She has the ability to control people through their dreams and change their subconscious. Now she’s the prize neither side can resist.

DREAMING ISIS, young adult fantasy novel is complete at 62,000 words. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Query #11

After following your blog for some time, I feel compelled to ask if you would consider representing my fantasy novel, A Drum Is Empty, set in the late Ice Age.

Radovin's unlucky life will end in his sixteenth summer. Breaking the oath of loyalty that sealed his apprenticeship means death. But his master, a dour elder shaman, is a murderer. In a moment of sudden decision, Radovin flees, his only hope to find the murder victims' relatives at a tribal gathering before the avenging spirits shred his soul.

Wild reversals follow his successful contact. A bolt of lightning blasts his former master. Ottavar, a good-hearted shaman, reveals that the fatal vow was nothing but a trick to keep him in servitude. Radovin fizzes with renewed love of life. His testimony shatters a corrupt leader's ambition, reshaping tribal politics.

All seems well until Radovin stumbles upon his late master's dark secret, an ancient soul-eating talisman. Its binding has become unstable, and its hunger for stolen power is out of control. Even as Radovin alerts others to the danger, Ottavar is kidnapped by minions of a madwoman under its influence. Desperate to save his new mentor, Radovin performs a harrowing rescue with unintentional magic that surprises him as much as it does Ottavar's captors. Then, while a convocation of shamans destroys the talisman, Radovin confronts the ghost of its creator.

The complete 123,000-word manuscript is available on request. I hope you will consider reading it, and look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your time.

Query #12

Local teen Sven Hansen Cokes, seventeen years old, was walking home from a shopping mall when he was hit by a car at the intersection of Craig’s Field Way and Andersen Road. The driver, Patricia Mach, had been asleep at the wheel.

Sven doesn’t believe in life after death. He doesn’t believe in redemption, either, and he doesn’t have any patience for people who are afraid of things that go bump in the night. But now Sven has come to in a world where no one is sure what to believe. Everyone here has memories of dying--in Andrea’s case, it’s an overdose; in Jordan’s case, blood infection--but no one has any answers.

Sven knows he isn’t dead. It’s just a matter of time before he convinces Mom, the apparent cult leader, that he deserves to know where he is and what’s really happening. And once he does that, Sven can find a way to go home. In the meantime, he just has to ignore the shadows in the corners that come alive and drag people under, and the huge, bulbous creatures called “threshers” that lurk outside the shelter’s walls and devour people whole.

But when Sven watches as Andrea and Mom are eaten by a thresher, he can’t deny the reality of his situation any longer. He needs to fight back. Sven joins Robinson, Mom’s estranged former colleague, on a journey deep into the heart of thresher territory, armed with nothing but the hope that threshers can somehow be killed.

SOUL THRESHERS is a 50,000 word YA fantasy novel about love, sin, and what we mean when we say, “he’s gone to a better place.”

Query #13

Death? Drugs? Sex? Who cares?

Sean Murphy definitely doesn’t. When you’re a dick in LA, those things get boring real quick. His latest case has a drug-crazed sex fiend who tortures his prostitute victims before decapitating them. Snooze alert. But when Sean discovers one of the hooker’s sons is missing, his cast-iron heart bleeds rust.

The killer leaves his trade-marked calling card, the puta’s head on a stick, but every witness to this ho’s abduction says the butcher also kidnapped her baseball playing boy. But where the fuck is he? The murder scene doesn’t show a trace of the youngster, and Sean knows time is running out.

The L.A.P.D. wants the killer. Like yesterday. Sean wants the killer too, but wants the young slugger rescued even more. Maybe saving him will help Sean deal with the death of his son, and the wife he used to have.

Time’s ticking, and the only hope Sean has is dressing like a hooker and using himself as bait. Shame his captain won’t let him.

MALIBU SPECIAL is a 75,000-word crime thriller for which I am seeking representation.

Query #14

I am seeking representation for my 83,000 word novel, Quarrels on Clifftops at Night.

In Dunwich, a city she knows should not exist, Marie Fylan finds herself in the bed of a husband she has never met. She has stepped into the luxurious life of another, the much more successful, Marie. One who retained friends and family members that Marie has long since lost. But she is trapped here, and is tormented with thoughts which cannot be her own, including the memory of a woman brutally murdered on the cliffs.

With recollections of her previous world fading, Marie must choose between fortune and freedom, knowing that to leave means sacrificing all that she has gained. And in a city where reality and desires are hard to separate, Marie fears someone, perhaps one of those closest to her, wants her dead.

Quarrels on Clifftops at Night explores alternative personalities and landscapes. It was inspired by the contrast between the eerie charm of Suffolk’s eroding coastline and the squalid reality of the Ipswich murders.

(some biographical stuff)

I look forward to hearing from you.