Mónica B. Wagner's Blog, page 2

Success Story--from a #TeamFTW The Writer's Voice 2015 member!

GUYS!! I'm TRILLED to announce that another member of my team from The Writer's Voice 2015 has signed with an agent! Congratulations, Ellie Moreton and Christa Heschke! Now her INSPIRATIONAL success story, in Ellie's own words:
"Hello! Thank you, Mónica, for hosting my story on your blog! To everyone entering contests—good luck! Never give up! The people you meet during these contests will be worth their weight in gold in the friendships that you’ll make.
When I applied to be in The Writer’s Voice 2015, it was my first major big contest. I didn’t think I’d even get through the raffle, but when I did, I went crazy going through each and every one of the other contestant’s submissions. There were two other YA Fantasies that I felt were similar to mine, and I had a sinking suspicion that they were my competition for coaches.
When the first round of choosing posted, I was not a first choice. The other two fantasies were, as I had expected. But there were still slots open! I tried not to let it get to me, but it’s hard! Even though I was querying at the time, you can never really get used to rejections and silence. It’s hard not to get yourself down or play the comparison game. But in the end, I waschosen! The wonderful Mónica and Stephanie chose ME!
I was so excited and totally ready to make my first 250 words, and query bright and shiny! I worked hard and plowed through edits. Mónica and Stephanie were amazing mentors and showered me with praise on my editing, all while pointing out things that could still be improved. I was pumped for the agent round.
When the agent day came… and even a secret agent popped in… I was left with nothing. Nada. Not a single request. Crickets chirping.  My wonderful team mates where getting requests, and we were all screaming through twitter and facebook in celebration. In the end. I didn’t get single request, but it was all worth it. Team FTW 2015 has a facebook group that we share encouragements and news still, and that’s worth so much to me. The friendships I made during the time. 
I continued to query with my shiny new query letter, thanks to Mónica and Stephanie, and on November 4th, I signed with my lovely agent, Christa Heschke, at the McIntosh & Otis Agency! 
You may not get picked first, or even second. You might not get picked at all for some things. But the only way you’ll NEVER get chosen is if you stop trying. Never give up, keep on improving, that one in a million chance could be right around the corner, and all those friends you made along the way will be cheering you on."

Frosh: First Blush RELEASES today! And I'm announcing the QUERY CRITIQUE winner!

Guys!! My debut, FROSH: FIRST BLUSH, releases today and I’m so happy and nervous and humbled. *runs around like crazy, biting her nails* I am so grateful for the writing community, which is amazing and I want to give you all a big cyber hug! <3 And thanks in advance if you're helping me spread the good news. =)
Also, I’m happy to announce that we have a Query Critique WINNER—my amazing agent, Lauren MacLeod, will comment on her query. And her name is…Megan Herman! Congrats, Megan! I’ll email you in a bit with the details.
If you’re interested in my book, I’m pasting the summary here:
For fans of Abbi Glines and Colleen Hoover comes Mónica B. Wagner's sexy New Adult debut series about falling in love and falling apart.

During welcome week at Hillson University, the FROSH will hit the fan.

Type-A aspiring journalist Ellie plans to take freshman year by storm. But hell-bent on breaking a huge on-campus scandal, she risks becoming one herself--and getting the mysterious, heart-melting QB in serious trouble.

Grant, star quarterback and charismatic chick-magnet, is hiding a life-altering secret. The last thing he needs is an overeager (absolutely adorable) journalist asking questions. He's got a reputation to protect.

High-society legacy student Devon is ready to catch the football hottie of her dreams. If the tabloids feature her with the "it" boy on her arm, her tainted past will be buried--or so she thinks.

Charlie, pre-med, is done being the sweet and funny geek that girls like Devon ignore. But if he tries to impress her with a new edgy, spontaneous attitude, will his heart end up in the emergency room?

FIRST BLUSH intertwines the stories of Ellie, Grant, Devon, and Charlie in a romantic novel about first times and broken hearts.| Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | iBooks |

GRUDGING COVER REVEAL-- and a GIVEAWAY!

Today Michelle Hauck and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover for GRUDGING, Birth of Saints Book One series which releases November 17, 2015! Check out the gorgeous cover and enter to win a copy if the eBook!
On to the reveal! 




Title: GRUDGINGAuthor: Michelle HauckPub. Date: November 17, 2015Publisher: Harper Voyager ImpulseFormat: eBookFind it: Amazon| Barnes & Noble | iBooks| Goodreads
A world of chivalry and witchcraft…and the invaders who would destroy everything.
The North has invaded, bringing a cruel religion and no mercy. The ciudades-estados who have stood in their way have been razed to nothing, and now the horde is before the gates of Colina Hermosa…demanding blood.
On a mission of desperation, a small group escapes the besieged city in search of the one thing that might stem the tide of Northerners: the witches of the southern swamps.
The Women of the Song.
But when tragedy strikes their negotiations, all that is left is a single untried knight and a witch who has never given voice to her power.  And time is running out.
A lyrical tale of honor and magic, Grudging is the opening salvo in the Book of Saints trilogy.



About Michelle: 
Michelle Hauck lives in the bustling metropolis of northern Indiana with her hubby and two teenagers. Two papillons help balance out the teenage drama. Besides working with special needs children by day, she writes all sorts of fantasy, giving her imagination free range. A book worm, she passes up the darker vices in favor of chocolate and looks for any excuse to reward herself. Bio finished? Time for a sweet snack.

She is a co-host of the yearly contests Query Kombat and Nightmare on Query Street, and Sun versus Snow.

Her epic fantasy, Kindar's Cure, is published by Divertir Publishing. Her short story, Frost and Fog, is published by The Elephant's Bookshelf Press in their anthology, Summer's Double Edge. She's repped by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary.


Website| Twitter | Facebook page| Tumblr | Goodreads


Giveaway Details:3 winners will receive an eBook of GRUDGING. International

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My awesome agent is giving away a query critique!

My fabulous agent, Lauren MacLeod, was getting excited that my book Frosh: First Blush will release soon! And then she said she’d be happy to give away a query critique to celebrate this. It's a Rafflecopter giveaway, and it ends when my book releases, on Oct 20, 2015. 
Good luck!




a Rafflecopter giveaway

P.S.: and don't forget that my publisher,  The Studio/Paper Lantern lit is also having a giveaway! Details HERE.

Frosh: First Blush NEWS and a CONTEST!

Hey, guys! So like you see on the picture, my publisher is organizing a pre-order contest, and you can win up to TWELVE books! 
Then, there's other news! Frosh First: Blush is available for request on NetGalley !
AND I got my first blurb and I'm so excited: 
"Fresh, authentic, and smart. This is a feel good book, but think twice about reading it in public. Some parts will make you feel really good!" -Tamara Mataya, New York Times/USA Today bestselling author. 


Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | iBooks

Excercise/ Tip to Finding Your Writing VOICE (in fiction)

Aaaah! Voice. We’ve all got those "voice" rejections, haven’t we? Even if some were form-y, but still--sometimes they HURT! There was this manuscript I went out on sub with a few years ago, and I got a few “voice” rejections. So just reading the word “voice” right then was enough to make me CRINGE. And sure, there was that pesky word: “subjectivity.”

Still, I tried. And I thought I got it. I went to Amazon to browse sample chapters of a lot of NYT bestselling books. And guess what? I didn’t love the voice of all of them. In fact, I just loved the voice of like 60% of those bestselling books. Okay, so “subjectivity” was a real thing! But still, right then, I hadn’t sold any book, and I thought my voice could still improve. But HOW THE HELL could I make it better?
I didn’t know. Honestly. Still, I kept writing, switched agents, revised, etc. And still, a big, fat nothing.
Then, on a whim, I applied to book packagers. Many of them. Alloy, Working Partners, Cake Literary, etc. And, even though I got a few rejections, I also got a few “We loved your sample chapter! Do you want to audition?” And I did. And these packagers gave me characters to write about. Characters with flaws, interests, different streaks in their personalities, etc. So now I had to craft a voice for them, for many characters I hadn’t even created myself?? Talk about hard! But you know what? That was the BEST writing exercise ever. I was forced to get out of my comfort zone and explore different personalities that I wouldn’t normally write about.
Now THAT helped me with the voice thingy. I got into these many different characters’ minds. Trying to really get their goals, what made them tick. I got into the exact moment of their scenes, the conflicts in their heads. And slowly, things started to click together for me. Because I had learned to feel the characters. 
I think voice is about that. When you are writing with your heart, with your guts, when you FEEL THROUGH your character.
So, this is my tip if you want to work on your voice. It’s an exercise: go to Netflix or whatever, and pick 4-6 characters from a movie/series that you know well BUT wouldn’t normally write about. And write a scene—like fan fiction, but WAY OUT of your comfort zone. And don’t stop until you truly feel those characters. Explore the words they like to use and see why, and zoom in their minds--and create, too. And when there's even a sentence in your writing that reads without a voice, ask yourself, why?
It worked for me, at least. I started to get compliments on my voice. I got a three-book deal—with FOUR different voices. And most of all, I can finally say, I am happy with my own voice. And, if in the future I get voice rejections, I’ll be like, whatevs.
Tell me, did you find your voice? How? <3M

MEGA GIVEAWAY! Many Pitch Wars mentors will give away first-chapter critiques!

Some of the Pitch Wars mentors, including me, are hosting a chapter-critique Rafflecopter Giveaway! Anyone can enter. It starts at midnight tonight and will run until September 4, 2015! 
Here’s the list of mentors that will participate giving a chapter critique:
Brenda Drake, author of TOUCHING FATE and THIEF OF LIES. Mónica B. Wagner, author of FROSH: FIRST BLUSH. Kate Brauning, author of HOW WE FALL.Emily Martin, author of THE YEAR WE FELL APART.N.K. Traver, author of DUPLICITY.Helene Dunbar, author of WHAT REMAINS.Joy McCullough-Carranza, who’s supporting Laura’s Shovan book, THE LAST FIFTH GRADE OF EMERSON ELEMENTARY.J.A. Souders, author of RENEGADE~REVELATIONS~REBELLION         Elizabeth Briggs, author of MORE THAN MUSIC, MORE THAN COMICS, MORE THAN FASHION. Kelly Siskind, author of CHASING CRAZY. Trisha Leaver, author of THE SECRETS WE KEEP. Jaye Robin Brown, author of NO PLACE TO FALL and WILL'S STORY: A No Place To Fall Novella. Michelle Hauck, author of GRUDGING: BIRTH OF SAINTS and KINDAR'S CURE. K.T. Hannah, author of CHAMELEON. Stacey Graham, author of HAUNTED STUFF: Demonic Dolls, Screaming Skulls, and Other Creepy Collectibles. Lee Gjertsen Malone, author of THE LAST BOY AT ST. EDITH'S.Sarah Nicolas, author of DRAGONS ARE PEOPLE, TOO.Brighton Walsh, author of CAGED IN WINTER, TESSA EVER AFTER, CAPTIVE and EXPOSED.Stacey Trombley, author or NAKED. 
Kate Karyus Quinn, author of (DON'T YOU) FORGET ABOUT ME, ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE, and DOWN WITH THE SHINE.
Here’s how this giveaway will work: you’ll get a free entry just for stopping by and signing in, and if you want to increase your chances, you can support the mentors by buying their books or pre-ordering them. If you want to increase your odds to get a critique from a particular mentor, you can go and buy/preorder said mentor’s book by following the links above. You can buy more than one book, and up your chances in more than one giveaway, too! You might even win a chapter critique by more than one mentor.

  WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM BRENDA DRAKE
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM MÓNICA BUSTAMANTE WAGNER
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM KATE BRAUNING

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM EMILY MARTIN

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM N.K. TRAVER
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM HELENE DUNBAR
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM JOY McCULLOUGH-CARRANZA
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

 WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM J.A. SOUDERS
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM ELIZABETH BRIGGS
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM KELLY SISKIND
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM TRISHA LEAVER

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM JAYE ROBIN BROWN

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM MICHELLE HAUCK

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM K.T HANNA

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM STACEY GRAHAM

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM LEE GJERTSEN MALONE

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM SARAH NICOLAS

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM BRIGHTON WALSH

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM STACEY TROMBLEY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM KATE KARYUS QUINN 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM JAMI NORD

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM LISA MAXWELL
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIN A CHAPTER CRITIQUE FROM TAMARA MATAYA
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

TWV Ninja Agent Success Story!

 GUYS! I love when this happens--when one of my The Writer's Voice team members emails me to let me know they've got an agent! Today I bring you another success story, now from Aly Brown--a The Writer's Voice 2015 member.
Here's her story in her own words:
I began my querying journey by reading countless lightning-fast success stories and becoming disillusioned. I figured if So-and-So McGhee was able to land an agent with her first book after two months of submitting query letters, then what made me any different? What I didn’t realize at the time was that So-and-So was the exception, not the rule. And that querying was a process that can take years. Reading success stories kept me pumped and eager to achieve, but over time, it also made me suspect I was failing somehow. Why don’t I have an agent yet?I thought this would be a breeze! (Insert confession to starting out a tad cocky here.) And after about ten years of pouring my heart into novels that were barely garnering responses--or, worse, close calls--I thought maybe I wasn’t cut out for my dream job.

Then one day my crit partner tells me about a contest on Brenda Drake’s site, The Writer’s Voice. I was a little hesitant at first. My former-dream agent was on the list of competing agents and she’d already rejected a partial from me--a rejection that had reduced me to tears and opened the will-you-ever-be-good-enough can of worms. And the other agents didn’t seem like the best fit, either. But I’d been told contests can be a great opportunity to get your work in front of agents who typically don’t rep your genre, but discover they love your premise.

The first step was to enter the rafflecopter, and leave it up to chance. Turns out, the rafflecopter liked me, and I received an email that night with instructions on how to upload my query and first few paragraphs. 

Then there was more waiting. More silence. 

When it was finally time for the coaches to select their teams, I was pleasantly surprised to find an email from author Monica Bustamante Wagner the first thing Monday morning: “We want you!” 

And the editorial fun began! My coaches, Monica and Stephanie Garber,  put us through the wringer (in a good way) to make our queries and introductory paragraphs pop. Everyone was working hard. We were going to present our hand-picked work to an audience of willing literary agents!

When the big day arrived--the day the agents would vote, which was equal to requests for material--Team for the Win was abuzz with excitement. The votes came pouring in for my teammates’ amazing submissions. But by the end of the agent round, my little entry, HEARTBREAKER FOR HIRE, had received nothing. 

Not. One. Single. Vote.

Even after the bonus round with secret agent participants, I didn’t get a request. I tried to tell myself that I’d been prepared for this result--my work didn’t quite fall into the right category--but it still stung. 

I went back to my usual business of life and querying. Regardless, I’d received amazing feedback from two talented writers even if I didn’t receive a request for materials.

What I didn’t know was that an agent had already voted for me. Rewind to the week before the Writer’s Voice agent round. One of my teammates made an announcement on our private Facebook group page: New agent, Moe Ferrara, was hosting a free query crit. Several of us decided to hop over to the Reddit page for yet another critique (because, let’s face it, writers are insatiable when it comes to query advice). Monica couldn’t tell us to stop. It would have given away the surprise that Moe was going to be one of the secret agents. Instead, she emailed Moe and explained. And Moe said she would wait until the contest to request anything from Team for the Win members. But she made a “mistake.” She forgot I was one of the Writer’s Voice team members and requested my material early. Had I not participated in the Reddit critique, I would have received her vote through the Writer’s Voice contest. Oddly enough, this made me feel better. 

While Moe was reading my partial, I received the most unexpected offer of representation from an agent I hadn’t heard from in months! She was absolutely lovely over the phone and I was THISCLOSE to accepting her offer when Moe stepped in and counter-offered. While the first offering agent seemed wonderful, she just wasn’t the same fit for me. Moe was great on paper, and she also answered all of my questions exactly as I’d hoped she would! In a roundabout way, I feel I found my agent through The Writer’s Voice contest, even though she didn’t vote for me.

It’s still surreal to say things like ‘my agent’ or receive paperwork from BookEnds, LLC in the mail. After ten years of writing, reading, querying, and waiting, I’m perpetually grateful that I never gave up, even on those darker days. With a new agent at my side, I’m looking forward to beginning my submission journey!
Thanks so much, Aly, for sharing your story with us. I think it was very inspirational! <3M

Brenda Drake's TOUCHING FATE Cover Reveal!

Hey, guys! I'm so excited to be part of the cover reveal for Brenda Drake's YA, TOUCHING FATE. You all probably know her--and you'll agree with me that she's so sweet and her heart is made of candy. I love her enthusiasm and how she's always willing to help everyone in the writing community. I think writing books would be such a lonely thing to do if it weren't for people like her. <3

Let me tell you a bit about the Brenda I know, so when you scroll down to see her cover, you'll be even more excited for her!

The first time I did The Writer's Voice writing contest with her (and Krista and Cupid) years ago, and we had a problem with the linky--like 80 more people had signed up, and we hadn't planned that. So we either cut the last 80 people who signed up, or read 80 more entries than we'd agreed on. In the end, we all said okay, let's read more. But guess who was the FIRST one to say, oh, no, we can't do that to these people! We need to read more, guys! Please!

You guessed it! Brenda has always had a very HUGE heart, and as the years go by, I am more and more impressed by her kindness and awesomeness. She is really one of those great people, you know. So, please, go ahead and also help her reveal her lovely cover by RTing and everything you can. :) Thanks!!

Anyway! Here's her amazing cover--I love it! Love those yellow eyes, love the blurb and the premise! Love, LOVE!




Summary:Aster Layne believes in physics, not psychics. A tarot card reading on the Ocean City Boardwalk should have been a ridiculous, just-for-fun thing. It wasn't. Aster discovers she has a veryunscientific gift—with a simple touch of the cards, she can change a person's fate.
Reese Van Buren is cursed. Like the kind of old-school, centuries-old curse that runs in royal families. Every firstborn son is doomed to die on his eighteenth birthday—and Reese's is coming up fast. Bummer. He tries to distract himself from his inevitable death...only to find the one person who can save him.
Aster doesn't know that the hot Dutch guy she's just met needs her help–or that he’s about to die.
But worst of all…she doesn't know that her new gift comes with dark, dark consequences that can harm everyone she loves.
Add to Goodreads
About the AuthorBrenda Drake, the youngest of three children, grew up an Air Force brat and the continual new kid at schooluntil her family settled in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Brenda’s fondest memories growing up is of hereccentric, Irish grandmother’s animated tales, which gave her a strong love for storytelling. So it was onlyfitting that she would choose to write young adult and middle grade novels with a bend toward thefantastical. When Brenda’s not writing or doing the social media thing, she’s haunting libraries, bookstores,and coffee shops or reading someplace quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment).
Author Links:Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

FROSH: FIRST BLUSH has a cover now!

Guys! I'm SO excited to finally reveal the cover of my NA romance FROSH: FIRST BLUSH. The first book in the FROSH trilogy, which releases on Oct 20th, 2015. 
I also wanted to thank all the peeps who are blogging and spreading the word about it today. Really, THANK YOU! <3
With the cover here everything is starting to feel so real!! Eep! Anyway. I'll stop babbling, and get to the point. So! Here's the cover:




And here's the blurb: 
During welcome week at Hillson University, the FROSH will hit the fan.

Type-A aspiring journalist Ellie plans to take freshman year by storm. But hell-bent on breaking a huge on-campus scandal, she risks becoming one herself—and getting the mysterious, heart-melting QB in serious trouble.

Grant, star quarterback and charismatic chick-magnet, is hiding a life-altering secret. The last thing he needs is an overeager (absolutely adorable) journalist asking questions. He’s got a reputation to protect.

High-society legacy student Devon is ready to catch the football hottie of her dreams. If the tabloids feature her with the “it” boy on her arm, her tainted past will be buried—or so she thinks.

Charlie, pre-med, is done being the sweet and funny geek that girls like Devon ignore. But if he tries to impress her with a new edgy, spontaneous attitude, will his heart end up in the emergency room?

FROSH intertwines the stories of Ellie, Grant, Devon, and Charlie in Mónica B. Wagner’s sexy NA debut series, about falling in love and falling apart.
If you want  to add FROSH: FIRST BLUSH to Goodreads, click here . 


Also, I wanted to let you know that K.T. Hannah's book, CHAMELEON, releases today! (Happy book birthday, K.T. Hannah!) If you're into Sci-fi, go and check it out!  CHAMELEON--When meteor showers disrupt earth’s atmosphere,its alien parasite may be humanity’s only chance--is on Amazon,  Kobo, iBooks, and  IndieBound. And K.T Hannah is also hosting a giveaway here!