Katie Hamstead's Blog, page 14

Son of a Pitch Entry: Cheater. Faker. Troublemaker

****Only requesting editors/agents and the writer of the entry can comment on this post.


Title: Cheater. Faker. Troublemaker
Category and Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Word Count: 80,000
Query:
When it comes to losing her virginity, seventeen-year-old Alex has every intention of waiting for “the one.” Problem is, she’s attracted to trouble. After a traumatic breakup leaves her emotionally scarred and therapy pushes her to a breaking point, Alex departs from her New Jersey hometown to stay with her cousin, Caleigh, in L.A. hoping to distance herself from boy trouble for the summer.Enter, Elias King, eighteen-year-old whirlwind with a reputation for tearing through girls and leaving a string of broken hearts behind. After barely surviving a tragic accident that resulted in the death of his girlfriend, Elias relies on drugs, alcohol, and sex to drown his pain.When Elias’s addictions nearly leave him homeless, his brother offers him a place to stay at his girlfriend Caleigh’s house, complete with a new roommate tailor-made to clean up his act. Alex and Elias find themselves sharing a space in Caleigh's tiny guest room, and their night-and-day personality differences set them on the warpath.Though the two try to deny their intense sexual attraction, a simple bet changes the game. Alex wagers she can keep him sober and one-night-stand free for the rest of the summer, while Elias bets he can steal her heart and seduce her in less than thirty days.
But if Elias loses, he has to spill the dark secret surrounding the death of his ex. If Alex fails, she has to reveal her virgin status to Elias. But she can't just tell him, she'll have to show him. CHEATER.FAKER.TROUBLEMAKER is a dual POV new adult contemporary novel complete at 80,000 words with series potential.



First 250 Words:


Dear Nobody,Today, I socked my therapist in the face. He didn't call the cops. Maybe he thinks I'm making progress. This journal is supposed to be a start—at least, that's what he says. But I hate doing what he says so I think I'll stop here.-Alex.

Okay, wait, that looks bad. I'll start over.
Dear Nobody,I'm not a violent person.Really.Ask anybody—except maybe my therapist because he'll probably tell you I'm lying. The thing is, Dr. Harris just had one of those punch-able faces—mousy, judgmental, portrait of a shrink who knew nothing about genuinely helping people, and everything about making things worse.Plus, he asked for it—literally.He said that if I was still angry at my situation I could let it out, so I did. He just wasn't expecting my way of coping to involve a fist and the bridge of his nose. People say you're not supposed to hit a girl, but there's no rule that says you can't pop a guy if you feel like it. And, I'd felt like it since he started our session."Do you still have romantic feelings towards your ex-boyfriend, Alex?"What do you think?"Do you blame yourself for the situation?"No comment."Have you forgiven him?"Are you joking?"Forgiveness is the first step towards—" and that's when I hit him.

Son of a Pitch: The Bookshop

****Only editors/agents and the writer of the entry can comment on this post.


Title: The BookshopCategory and Genre: YA Fantasy
Word Count: 70,000
Query:For Alex, sheltering from the London rain inside an infinite bookshop is one thing. Being
locked inside and forced to serve inter-dimensional customers until the Bookshop decides
she's a worthy proprietor? Well, that's just one step too far. Becoming the proprietor of a
Bookshop full of unlimited knowledge and doors to new universes might well give a certain
level of indomitability to the right person -- but Alex knows that's definitely not her. She’s
determined to get home, universe-hopping be damned.
Meanwhile, Hunter, the mysterious supplier of books and sundry, is desperate to take the
power of the Bookshop for himself. He will stop at nothing -- taking the last teabag, finishing
the milk, or threatening death and disaster -- to get what he wants. When he gets caught up in
an inter-dimensional plot gone murder-levels of sour, and both Alex’s life and the very
existence of the Bookshop are in danger of going up in flames.
Then a stranger from another world stumbles into the Bookshop, close to death and raving
madly, and a new door is unlocked. Now Alex must choose between escape -- turning the
infinite power of the Bookshop over to a madman and his enemies -- or never seeing home
again.

First 250 Words:One last story, I suppose. I’m sorry in advance if it isn’t exactly the one you want to 
hear. 
But you must understand: back then, I didn’t realise the boy was important.
Two croissants have appeared in the cupboard overnight.Literally appeared.I’m trying not to think about it too much.The window seat not being the most ideal place to sleep, overnight I have become 
Alex, the Human Cramp. Not the greatest way to wake up. So I stretch, nice and slow. 
Tie my hair up in a messy bun. Cup of tea. Jam, cream, croissant.I sip from my mug, trying not to spill too much as I step around a smattering of 
discarded novels and over to the pile of unlabelled records on the other side of the room.
 Butter-yellow sunlight streams into the Cottage, snuggling up to the darkest corners, 
and for just a moment the whole place feels almost... normal. I ignore that several records
 appear to be carved out of thinly sliced stone – and that the dull red glow of the one 
in the corner is slightly more ominous than it was yesterday – and choose one at random.The needle locks into place.A few seconds of silence, then soft pops and clicks as the familiar voice of Freddie Mercury
 rings out.I curl up on the window seat once more, knees tucked to my chin, and watch the world 
outside slowly pass me by. Men in suits, heading off to work. Cyclists narrowly missing both 
people and their dogs as they wind their way down cobblestone paths under the swooping 
shadows of –Ignore the dragons, for the love of God, ignore the dragons

Son of a Pitch Entry: Silver and Ice

****Only editors/agents and the writer of the entry can comment on this post.


Title: Silver and IceCategory and Genre: YA Fantasy
Word Count: 80k
Query:Eighteen-year-old Ebraham hunts silvertongues--those born with a voice capable of controlling minds. With the aid of a magicked amulet, an uncanny ability to read people, and just a touch of overconfidence, he has become Elysia's most renowned silvertongue hunter. So when the Winter Queen commands him to capture the silvertongue who has infiltrated the Fifth Regiment, he is sure he'll have this mission closed in a blink.

Until he discovers the regiment’s beloved Captain Alivia Youngblood is the hidden silvertongue. A brilliant military strategist, Youngblood may be the key to finally turning the tides of a decade-long war against the Vigilanthams, the kingdom's mortal enemy. However, with orders from the Winter Queen to seize Dark Water Point--a Vigilantham stronghold impossible to breach--it appears that the Fifth Regiment is doomed to a suicidal battle. . . unless someone comes up with a plan to save them all.

Caught in a world of lies and deceptions, Ebraham must decide who the kingdom's real enemy is: the Queen he serves, or the silvertongue he has come to respect.
First 250 Words:I once chased a silvertongue up the twenty-third peak of the Devil’s Ridgeback in the dead of winter. Didn’t have a cloak, furs, gloves, or anything a sane person would think to wear in the middle of a blizzard. Nearly lost my left ear to frostbite, and two toenails blackened and fell off afterwards. Still caught the silvertongue at the end though, and that’s what matters—placing the mission above all.

Now I can’t help but compare the coldness settling over my skin to that wretched adventure from two winters ago.
A cool draft whispers against the nape of my neck. The soft swish of a heavy cloak dragging along the marble floor echoes in the throne room. Frost spiderwebs beneath my leather boots, chilling my feet into a deep ache. Only one person in the kingdom of Elysia controls such powerful magic.
“Rise, young Tracer.” Queen Hiema’s voice comes like a breath of snow.
I finally straighten from my deep bow, spine protesting, neck and shoulders stiff. By the time I lift my eyes, the Winter Queen has already made her way onto the dais in front of me, though she doesn’t sit on the throne. My breath hitches at the sight of the queen. In person, her cold and terrible beauty is more devastating than even the most vivid descriptions sung by the bards. Pale lashes frame cat-like eyes the color of ice chips. Lips stained a deep wine red, long fingernails painted gold and studded with diamonds.

Son of a Pitch Entry: The Light Witch

****Only editors/agents and the writer of the entry can comment on this post.


Title: THE LIGHT WITCH
Category and Genre: YA Fantasy
Word Count: 107, 000

Query:
Seventeen-year-old Nick Espinosa can’t control his muscular dystrophy, his parents’ divorce, or how people look at him. But when he meets Simran, a young witch desperate to hide her powers from a drug lord, he finally gains something that he can control—her magic.
The catch? The ‘gift’ of Simran’s magic comes at a cost. Nick is pushed into the Otherside—a world where spells are black market currency. Simran is nowhere to be found and Nick discovers that he’s not the only one with her magic; stolen fragments are being sold on the market by members of her own coven and without it, she’ll die.
With Simran missing, Nick is abandoned in a world where he’s in danger of being killed for the magic she gave him. He must navigate the Otherside and find Simran before they both end up dead. To save her, he'll need to restore all her magic—including what she gave to him. But the more Nick uses, the more addicted to it he becomes and the more he starts to question if Simran’s reasons for giving him magic were as selfless as he originally thought.


First 250 Words:The annoying thing about being a teenager in a wheelchair is that it’s depressingly hard to sneak out at night. Not that Nick doesn’t manage it, but it isn’t easy.He pushes the stiff wooden door to his room open and wills it not to creak. Squeaky hinges are one of those things that comes with living in an older house. His chestnut colored hair is damp against his forehead. He rubs a palm against it and pulls his hand away wet with nervous sweat.He grips the push rim of his chair and makes his way down the hallway, only pausing to glance at the door to his mom and step-dad’s room. Their door is shut and the hall is silent. Both of them sleep like the dead, thankfully. He releases and regrips his push rim.Nick lines himself up at the edge of the stairs and looks at the steps leading down. This is the worst part.He had to have a room upstairs. He couldn’t stand the idea of being stuck on the bottom floor, chair or not. He felt like staying down there would mean accepting things would get harder. Even if they did eventually. It still felt like a win.There’s a stairlift attached to the railing, but unless he wants to wake everyone up, it’s not an option. They got it at an estate sale. It used to belong to an old lady, is at least ten years old, and shakes and rattles like a mini earthquake.Nick locks the brakes on his chair and slides to the edge of the seat. He lifts his legs out from the footrest and sets them out straight on the staircase landing. Small movements are easy, not like standing or walking. But it'll be worth it once the fresh night air hits his face.

Son of a Pitch Entry: Lunar Base Lost

****Only editors/agents and the writer of the entry can comment on this post.

Title: Lunar Base LostCategory and Genre: Adult SCI-FIWord Count: 89,000
Query:Lunar Base Three hangs on by maintaining a strict society and limiting its population. Over 
fifty years have passed since Mission Control’s last transmission.
Izzy Rodriguez is an admiring, young assistant to Presider Barbara Graham. Izzy strongly 
believes that Barbara’s more flexible policies are vital to the long-term survival of the moon 
base, but these policies have politically split the colony. Barbara’s son, Matthew, has become
 an outspoken critic. Izzy keeps a close watch on his core values activism.
When Matthew and his wife become pregnant, their unborn child exceeds the population the 
colony can sustain. Because the young have priority over the old, Barbara, as the oldest 
colonist, must be euthanized.
Izzy suspects their pregnancy is politically motivated to force Barbara out of office, so she 
decides to run against Matthew during the special election. Izzy’s campaign platform would 
further expand Barbara’s relaxed policies, and the race grows heated and tight. When the 
healthy baby arrives, Barbara fulfills her legal obligation and dies. Fighting explodes between 
rival political factions. Izzy must somehow stop the violence before the fragile moon base 
devolves into anarchy and airless oblivion.
First 250 Words:Each time the nurse pulled back the privacy curtain, Izzy would jump – as did those that 
needed to be here and those that didn’t need to be here but were here anyway. Once when 
the nurse came out, a quiet gasp echoed off the round metal walls. But the nurse silently 
picked up a stethoscope from her supply cart and ducked back behind that curtain.
One new life, one old death.
Stressed and nearly numb, Izzy somehow managed to do her job a few hours before, getting
 the custodial staff to move folding chairs to the bottom floor of the white, round, antiseptic 
Hospital Tower. Along with Izzy, most Assembly members sat on this floor now, although 
Izzy couldn’t see her dad. As the Manager of Light, he should be watching. But Izzy knew 
what he would say… a bulb was burnt out. No one would challenge that excuse. In an 
underground moon base, light was warm gold.
Off duty specialists and novices from the Nuclear Plant sat or stood around the bottom floor 
too. Of course, they would be there to congratulate their boss if what happened happened.
She looked up at the curious worried sneering faces gazing down from the six ledges that 
ringed the Hospital Tower. Izzy gasped when she saw Billy Smith on the third level. 
Ten-year-old Billy had fractured his leg when he fell in the AgCenter. He shouldn’t be here 
now, but this was the Hospital Tower, so of course he should be here.

Son of a Pitch Entry: The Iceni and the Roman

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Title: The Iceni and the RomanGenre: NA Historical RomanceWord Count: 95,000
Query;Romans slaughtered Devona’s parents in the final battle of Queen Boudicca’s rebellion that nearly wiped out her Britannic tribe, the Iceni. Devona’s hatred and fear of the Romans grows as they hunt and destroy what little her tribe has left. But despite the fear surrounding her, she is driven to keep her last promise to her mother; to raise her four year-old-brother.
Right before his father’s death, Felix joined the Roman legions to escape the patriarchal dominion of his older brother. But since Felix’s family is wealthy citizens, his brother has sway among the military’s leadership. Felix finds himself assigned to the fringe of the empire, Britannia, keeping him away from any claims to land inheritance. Not that Felix is complaining. The post has ridden him of an unwanted arranged marriage and his brother’s tight grasp. Once he arrives, a young native woman intrigues him as she stands beside a funeral pyre. A girl who hates Romans for what they did to her clan almost six years earlier.
When Devona is abducted by Roman soldiers, Felix saves her and, despite how much she cannot trust him, they make an arrangement; to keep her safe, he will claim her and her brother as his property in exchange for warm clothes and homemade meals.
As Devona sees beyond her prejudice, she and Felix fall in love. But their love is challenged by a rival suitor for Devona who wants to use her to start his own rebellion, overcoming laws that will not acknowledge Devona as Felix’s wife, and most of all, keeping their relationship from Felix’s brother who would force them apart. But they will fight to be together, because they refuse to believe their love will break in a time where love has almost no value.

250 Words:Devona
The carnage left a metallic stench in the air as blood covered everything. And yet, the Roman soldiers still advanced, crushing men, women, and children alike between their wall of shields and the unbroken row of carts and horses.
Grabbing my frightened younger brother, I dragged his tiny limp body backward, out of the way of the onslaught. In the distance, Queen Boudicca’s cries echoed over the wails of our dying people, the great and noble Iceni.
With my heart pounding in my ears, I cleared the carts. Swung around to find my parents, Mother appeared in the commotion, her bronze hair streaked with dark liquid. Our eyes met across the barrier of carts and horses and she nodded. She wanted me to flee, and to keep my younger brother safe. There was no doubt in my mind she knew she would die along with most of our people. After our glorious revolt, the Iceni faced near extinction.
With a tug of his hand, I pulled my brother from the battlefield. Reaching the edge of the field, I coaxed him up a tree, following right behind him. Climbing as high as we could, we hid among the leaves and branches. I covered his ears to block out as much of the horrors as possible. I did not have such a luxury, I witnessed all of it.
Tears rolled down my cheeks as the final stages of battle passed, each one drawing out fewer final cries of death. Finally, the field fell quiet. Tucking my brother and I firmly in the branches of the tree to keep from being found, I watched as the Romans, each covered in crimson, streaks soiling the polish on their armor and shields, effortlessly parted the remaining carts and pushed through.
“You killed them all!” The woman’s cry echoed from among the dead.

Son of a Pitch and How I Tally the Votes

The third Son of a Pitch has just finished the voting for the editor round. One thing I work really hard to do is to keep the comp transparent and focused on helping writers achieve their goal of publication. When I first started querying, writing comps were very different to the ones I see today. Less elitist and cut throat and way more feedback to benefit the participants. That's why, with the help of several of my good writing friends, I formed Son of a Pitch; to bring a comp back into the hands of the writers.

One thing I determined way back was that I would NOT vote. I have no say in the matter, it's entirely up to the authors who have volunteered their time to critique and help those in the query trenches. In fact, I don't usually read most of them until after the whole comp is done and over with. I did this so I can remain as impartial as possible.



When the votes come rolling in:
I keep a list of all the authors voting and check them off once they have given me their five votes, and nag the ones who haven't!
I sort the entries that have been voted under their blog host so they are easy to find when they have multiple votes.
The entries with the most votes go through to the next round.
Usually, with such a wide range of authors involved, I have too many voted entries for the twenty spots. This is where I have back up votes come in. Each author is given two back up votes that are off the record. These are used for the entries that are all tied up. I remove the entries that are already through from the list, and any that don't have any primary votes. Then, using these back ups, I bump up the count on the remaining primary votes. This round I had three entries that got bumped through this way with high back up counts.
The final tiebreaker, that I sent the editor in to do, were four entries that had a single vote and a single back up vote. I send her the links and tell her how many spots to fill. Again, I don't do the tiebreaker so as to eliminate any chance of bias.

So that's how I get my final 20. Does that make sense? There's lots of spread sheeting involved, but I want to make sure it's as fair as possible.

Son of a Pitch Round Three Finalists!

Here they are, the final 20. These entries will go live right here on my blog on Monday for editors to make requests.


The BookhopThe Ramblin Hand of Sherry AnnPlaying GodSilver and IceThe Social SeasonEmpathy: Immenent DawnKiller's Day OffDylanA World ApartPrisoner of FateDeadly DreamsLucidUnqueenlyLunar Base LostNo Rest for the WickedThe DeservedCheater, Faker, TroublemakerThe Iceni and the RomanA Tulip in Wintertheli The Light Witch
An email will go out to the finalists tonight explaining what they need to do.

IF you enjoyed the critiques, head to Liana's blog on Monday to get your twitter pitch polished for the twitter pitch party on Monday, March 6th 

Cover Reveal for My Book: Myths of Mish (Fairytale Galaxy Chronicles #2)

With Son of a Pitch in full swing, I completely neglected to set up a post for my own cover reveal! I'm such a dorkus ha ha!
But, here it is! I'm excited for the release on March 28th!

Myths of Mish (Fairytale Galaxy Chronicles #2)Upper YA Space OperaRelease: March 28, 2017Curiosity Quills PressGoodreads
Blurb:
Hansel and Gretel Herrscher survived the witch in the woods, but the experience has made Hansel paranoid for the past ten years. He sees dark magic at every turn. When Gretel has a marriage arranged to a much older man, and Hansel discovers he's about to be sent halfway across the galaxy, he knows something sinister is afoot. 

Wilhelmine Nordon has plenty of experience with Hansel's quirkier side. So when she catches him and Gretel running away in the middle of the night, she follows to keep them from getting killed. The siblings have never left the capital of Mish on their own, so they need a babysitter. Except when she's discovered, Hansel gives her his usual cold shoulder, and Gretel secretly begs her to take them back. 

The problem is, Hansel's paranoia turns out to be well founded, and they're all being hunted.


Read Book 1 before the release!

Son of a Pitch Round Two LIVE

So you don't have to use the force, I will be your Obi-Wan Kenobi and be your only hope finding your entry. Well, maybe not only hope, but you know... Luke showed up when Leia said Obi-Wan was her only hope, but I'm getting off topic.

Only the critiquing authors and the writer of the entry can comment on the post. The writer can post updated versions for any other critiquer who hasn't dropped by to leave their thoughts under as many times as need be... but don't go crazy ha ha!

Below are the links to all the entries. Good luck to all, and glean as much as you can from the feedback. We are here so you can succeed beyond the comp as well as within.


Elizabeth's Blog:FacesA World ApartThe Social SeasonThe Marriage ActThe Ramblin Hand of Sherry AnneSymphony No.1In Another LifeOff PitchDylanCraving Her
Elsie's Blog:1. SonofaPitch  Entry 1: Its Own Kind of Miracle #TeamDroids2. SonofaPitch  Entry 2: Prosperity #TeamDroids3.  SonofaPitch  Entry 3: Cheater. Faker. Troublemaker #TeamDroids4.  SonofaPitch  Entry 4: Designs of Euphoria  #TeamDroids5.  SonofaPitch  Entry 5: Virtual Space  #TeamDroids6. SonofaPitch  Entry 6: On The Edge  #TeamDroids7. SonofaPitch  Entry 7: Flying Close to the Ground  #TeamDroids8. SonofaPitch  Entry 8: Wacky Wednesday  #TeamDroids9. SonofaPitch  Entry 9: On the Road to Marty McFly  #TeamDroids10. SonofaPitch  Entry 10: TOSOM Freshman  #TeamDroids
Kathleen's Blog:
1. FOUND2. THE ICENI AND THE ROMAN3. ASHES, ASHES4. TROWEL AND ERROR5. DEADLY DREAMS6. PRISONER OF FATE7. THE INSURRECTION8. LUCID9. TRADING STITCHES10. THE SPIDER MAN11. NEFFERS
Rena's Blog:
UnqueenlyBookshopMoonstruckLight WitchSilver and IceAugur of Esteria Mentas JourneyMagic PaintbrushScalesRenegadeDa Capo al Fine
Samantha's Blog:#SonofaPitch: Query #1: Arcanam #SonofaPItch: Query #2: No Rest for the Wicked #SonofaPitch: Query #3: Lunar Base Lost #SonofaPitch: Query #4: A Tulip in Winter #SonofaPitch: Query #5: Beneath Green #SonofaPitch: Query #6: Killer's Day Off #SonofaPitch: Query #7: Playing God #SonofaPitch: Query #8: Empathy: Imminent Dawn #SonofaPitch: Query #9: First5 #SonofaPitch: Query #10: The Deserved