Michelle Hauck's Blog, page 103
June 15, 2014
QK Round 2: Mini Mutants versus BingBamBoomBFF
Entry Nickname: Mini MutantsTitle: Hunted SoulsWord Count: 65kGenre: YA high fantasy with sci-fi elements
Query:
When eighteen-year-old Bixby codes in a hospital, his soul takes a detour to Centerra, a world where giants hunt humans for magic, harvesting it from their blood to gain temporary super powers. Prisoners are kept as specimens for experimentation, as giants seek to make magic permanent, since the gods stripped it from them as part of an ancient Punishment. If humans in Centerra, all eighteen and under, rescue any of their friends, giants retaliate by killing another prisoner. They call it "insurance."
A band of teens and kids adopt Bixby into their system of underground forts, so long as he follows rule number one: Don't be a hero. His choice is to hide below the forest floor when giants' hunting parties pass through, doing nothing for those who get captured, or risk expulsion from the group. The art of fitting in will determine his survival, and he's already an odd one out given he can't seem to discover his own power. His hopefully soon-to-be-girlfriend, Otsu, shares his powerless anomaly, so he swallows his pride, obeying his overprotective leader and ignoring taunts.
But love makes one do stupid things. His house mate, Sacheen, shared a hospital floor with him on Earth, where he watched her suffer and die. When the giants take her, he knows he can't live with himself if he does nothing. Otsu agrees, but insists on rescuing everyone; saving only Sacheen would result in another's death. They travel towards the giants' developed territory, and when they reach the castle, they hear rumors of four humans who will possess powers capable of destroying the giants' race. These four will be identified by a delayed manifestation of specific abilities, so by entering the castle before discovering their hidden strengths, Bixby and Otsu have just given the giants a key to their survival.
First 250 Words: Bixby stared at the world through a fish tank. His body clenched in pain while delirium hazed his senses. The bed shook passing over an elevator crack, flooding his throat with nausea. Doctors pressed his abdomen.
"What's your pain score?" Meh, a one. His sarcasm gurgled into a groan. At eighteen, he refused to forfeit his battle against cancer.
A chill ran through his right forearm, and he watched white bubbles form beneath the skin. Perfect timing for you to blow, IV. I don't need drugs. A nurse dug a needle in his left wrist, failing to find a good vein. Please, take your time. He mentally told her off with a slew of words that would send his mother running for soap. Mom. She here? He sunk deeper into the aquarium, pain clogging his ears and eyes. His mother kissed his cheek, rubbing her hand on his bare head, tears spilling over his face. The deep tugged at his chest. Don't leave her. Damn it, fight!
* Bixby’s eyes blinked open, his brain struggling through the fog of deep sea dreaming. A forest of maroon oaks cloaked in purple mist blurred into view. The scent of fresh soil filled his nose. Something tapped his forehead. A small creature with spiky, black hair and velvet moth wings hovered before his nose. Her fingers poked at his skull.
"Wake up! Giants are here!"
Alarmed, he sat up. The fairy fluttered to a sleeping girl with milky skin, slanted eyes, and pink lips.
VERSUS
Entry Nickname: BingBamBoomBFF
Title: Sucker Punching Magic
Word count: 75,000
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Query:
The first time Luz Bangor inadvertently triggered her innate magic, it compelled her grandma to elope with a long-distance trucker, forcing Luz’s brilliant younger brother Eric to quit high school to support the family. The magical mishap, her floundering GPA and her attention deficit disorder slapped a ginormous loser L on Luz’s forehead, which she doesn't expect to peel off anytime soon. Not when she keeps toying with magic she doesn't know how to use. And not when everyone compares her to Eric. Then he goes missing. Desperate to save him and redeem herself, Luz turns to her unpredictable magic. But her spell backfires, putting her straight into the path of her brother’s powerful enemies, the Fairy Syndicate.
Home-schooled Jude Kozlowski, whose allergy to light causes him to shift into a troll, wants the world to accept him as a decent guy, not the “who’s that tramping over my bridge” stereotype. But his huge frame and pistachio skin scare normal humans and his shyness keeps him from meeting anyone else. Even his part-time paper-pushing job has him working alone. Fitting in seems hopeless.
That is, until Luz crashes into his cubicle at First Metro Finance, thugs on her heels. Smitten and presented with the unexpected chance to be a hero, Jude vows to help Luz rescue her brother. When the villains snatch Luz, Jude pursues. He braves neighborhood vigilantes, a spoiled poodle and a troll biker gang to track Luz to Underhill, the fairy fortress. There, the unlikely pair must square off with the evil Fairy Godmother or lose Eric—and each other—forever.
First 250 Words:
Jude Kozlowski jerked his head up. He could blame a lot of things on The Fairy Tale Effect, but missing the bus wasn’t one of them. He’d been at the stop, nose deep in calculus homework when the Number Ten shot by, ruffling his hair.
At 4:35 in the afternoon, on a clear day in downtown Milwaukee, 6’2” Jude made a big target. Hard to believe the bus driver hadn't spotted him. Yet the guy hadn't even slowed.
Jude leaped to his feet. Book, paper and pencil in hand, he barreled down the sidewalk in pursuit.
He needed his job. The order and routine. The chance to be normal.
If he waited for the next bus, he’d be late. His heart racing the pounding of his feet, he dodged the parking meters and the guys who cradled cheap wine in paper bags outside the military surplus store.
Down the block, the bus’s brakes shrieked. Its axles groaned. The side doors disgorged a bearded dwarf in a trench coat. Jude bounded over the dwarf and reached the curb as a woman wearing a Hamburger Heaven uniform hurried through the bus’s front doors.
Jude followed, but before his foot touched the step, the gnome at the wheel flinched. Eyes wide, he hastily cranked the Plexiglas doors closed. The reflection of Jude’s lumpy, pistachio green skin played over the window.
“I need a ride.” Going for friendly, Jude grinned. Wrong move. In the glass, his smile appeared strained—too full, a baring of teeth.
Query:
When eighteen-year-old Bixby codes in a hospital, his soul takes a detour to Centerra, a world where giants hunt humans for magic, harvesting it from their blood to gain temporary super powers. Prisoners are kept as specimens for experimentation, as giants seek to make magic permanent, since the gods stripped it from them as part of an ancient Punishment. If humans in Centerra, all eighteen and under, rescue any of their friends, giants retaliate by killing another prisoner. They call it "insurance."
A band of teens and kids adopt Bixby into their system of underground forts, so long as he follows rule number one: Don't be a hero. His choice is to hide below the forest floor when giants' hunting parties pass through, doing nothing for those who get captured, or risk expulsion from the group. The art of fitting in will determine his survival, and he's already an odd one out given he can't seem to discover his own power. His hopefully soon-to-be-girlfriend, Otsu, shares his powerless anomaly, so he swallows his pride, obeying his overprotective leader and ignoring taunts.
But love makes one do stupid things. His house mate, Sacheen, shared a hospital floor with him on Earth, where he watched her suffer and die. When the giants take her, he knows he can't live with himself if he does nothing. Otsu agrees, but insists on rescuing everyone; saving only Sacheen would result in another's death. They travel towards the giants' developed territory, and when they reach the castle, they hear rumors of four humans who will possess powers capable of destroying the giants' race. These four will be identified by a delayed manifestation of specific abilities, so by entering the castle before discovering their hidden strengths, Bixby and Otsu have just given the giants a key to their survival.
First 250 Words: Bixby stared at the world through a fish tank. His body clenched in pain while delirium hazed his senses. The bed shook passing over an elevator crack, flooding his throat with nausea. Doctors pressed his abdomen.
"What's your pain score?" Meh, a one. His sarcasm gurgled into a groan. At eighteen, he refused to forfeit his battle against cancer.
A chill ran through his right forearm, and he watched white bubbles form beneath the skin. Perfect timing for you to blow, IV. I don't need drugs. A nurse dug a needle in his left wrist, failing to find a good vein. Please, take your time. He mentally told her off with a slew of words that would send his mother running for soap. Mom. She here? He sunk deeper into the aquarium, pain clogging his ears and eyes. His mother kissed his cheek, rubbing her hand on his bare head, tears spilling over his face. The deep tugged at his chest. Don't leave her. Damn it, fight!
* Bixby’s eyes blinked open, his brain struggling through the fog of deep sea dreaming. A forest of maroon oaks cloaked in purple mist blurred into view. The scent of fresh soil filled his nose. Something tapped his forehead. A small creature with spiky, black hair and velvet moth wings hovered before his nose. Her fingers poked at his skull.
"Wake up! Giants are here!"
Alarmed, he sat up. The fairy fluttered to a sleeping girl with milky skin, slanted eyes, and pink lips.
VERSUS
Entry Nickname: BingBamBoomBFF
Title: Sucker Punching Magic
Word count: 75,000
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Query:
The first time Luz Bangor inadvertently triggered her innate magic, it compelled her grandma to elope with a long-distance trucker, forcing Luz’s brilliant younger brother Eric to quit high school to support the family. The magical mishap, her floundering GPA and her attention deficit disorder slapped a ginormous loser L on Luz’s forehead, which she doesn't expect to peel off anytime soon. Not when she keeps toying with magic she doesn't know how to use. And not when everyone compares her to Eric. Then he goes missing. Desperate to save him and redeem herself, Luz turns to her unpredictable magic. But her spell backfires, putting her straight into the path of her brother’s powerful enemies, the Fairy Syndicate.
Home-schooled Jude Kozlowski, whose allergy to light causes him to shift into a troll, wants the world to accept him as a decent guy, not the “who’s that tramping over my bridge” stereotype. But his huge frame and pistachio skin scare normal humans and his shyness keeps him from meeting anyone else. Even his part-time paper-pushing job has him working alone. Fitting in seems hopeless.
That is, until Luz crashes into his cubicle at First Metro Finance, thugs on her heels. Smitten and presented with the unexpected chance to be a hero, Jude vows to help Luz rescue her brother. When the villains snatch Luz, Jude pursues. He braves neighborhood vigilantes, a spoiled poodle and a troll biker gang to track Luz to Underhill, the fairy fortress. There, the unlikely pair must square off with the evil Fairy Godmother or lose Eric—and each other—forever.
First 250 Words:
Jude Kozlowski jerked his head up. He could blame a lot of things on The Fairy Tale Effect, but missing the bus wasn’t one of them. He’d been at the stop, nose deep in calculus homework when the Number Ten shot by, ruffling his hair.
At 4:35 in the afternoon, on a clear day in downtown Milwaukee, 6’2” Jude made a big target. Hard to believe the bus driver hadn't spotted him. Yet the guy hadn't even slowed.
Jude leaped to his feet. Book, paper and pencil in hand, he barreled down the sidewalk in pursuit.
He needed his job. The order and routine. The chance to be normal.
If he waited for the next bus, he’d be late. His heart racing the pounding of his feet, he dodged the parking meters and the guys who cradled cheap wine in paper bags outside the military surplus store.
Down the block, the bus’s brakes shrieked. Its axles groaned. The side doors disgorged a bearded dwarf in a trench coat. Jude bounded over the dwarf and reached the curb as a woman wearing a Hamburger Heaven uniform hurried through the bus’s front doors.
Jude followed, but before his foot touched the step, the gnome at the wheel flinched. Eyes wide, he hastily cranked the Plexiglas doors closed. The reflection of Jude’s lumpy, pistachio green skin played over the window.
“I need a ride.” Going for friendly, Jude grinned. Wrong move. In the glass, his smile appeared strained—too full, a baring of teeth.
June 13, 2014
Query Kombat 2014 Second Round Match-Ups
Here we go again! The second round match-ups!
Once again, they are in no particular order and without reference to where you'll find them Sunday, June 15th. Match-ups will be spread on Mike and Michelle's blog for round 2. Judges will have until 8:00 pm on June 17th to cast their votes.
Best of luck to everyone. May the feedback provide insight and the friends you make lift you through the kicks to the gut. Battle on!
Making Baby With Socks On versus Reality StarShe Wears Bruises Like Trophies versus Lavender MarriageBeauty and the Crazy Kidnappers versus Burning Down the HouseRemember Me versus Maidens, Monks, & MurderCan’t Keep a Bad Girl Down versus Sunnyside UpThe Past is Back versus Love is HellWEEL versus A Few Quick HellosCozy for Geeks versus Attempting AverageMaking Boys Cry versus Have Sword Will TravelRV Arya versus Girl Destroys WorldGuerilla Geek versus Star Light, Star BrightWorld on a String versus Skateboarding SherlockTag, You’re Dead versus AmnesiacA Burning Dilemma versus Trailer TrapCaprice No. 13 versus Shalom SasquatchMini Mutants versus BingBamBoomBFF
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Once again, they are in no particular order and without reference to where you'll find them Sunday, June 15th. Match-ups will be spread on Mike and Michelle's blog for round 2. Judges will have until 8:00 pm on June 17th to cast their votes.
Best of luck to everyone. May the feedback provide insight and the friends you make lift you through the kicks to the gut. Battle on!
Making Baby With Socks On versus Reality StarShe Wears Bruises Like Trophies versus Lavender MarriageBeauty and the Crazy Kidnappers versus Burning Down the HouseRemember Me versus Maidens, Monks, & MurderCan’t Keep a Bad Girl Down versus Sunnyside UpThe Past is Back versus Love is HellWEEL versus A Few Quick HellosCozy for Geeks versus Attempting AverageMaking Boys Cry versus Have Sword Will TravelRV Arya versus Girl Destroys WorldGuerilla Geek versus Star Light, Star BrightWorld on a String versus Skateboarding SherlockTag, You’re Dead versus AmnesiacA Burning Dilemma versus Trailer TrapCaprice No. 13 versus Shalom SasquatchMini Mutants versus BingBamBoomBFF
June 12, 2014
Catch Me When I Fall Cover Reveal
It’s cover reveal day for Vicki Leigh’s CATCH ME WHEN I FALL! Lots of awesome stuff going on, including a giveaway!
And here’s what CATCH ME WHEN I FALL is all about:
Recruited at his death to be a Protector of the Night, seventeen-year-old Daniel Graham has spent two-hundred years fighting Nightmares and guarding humans from the clawed, red-eyed creatures that feed off people’s fears. Each night, he risks his eternal life, having given up his chance at an afterlife when he chose to become a Protector. That doesn’t stop a burnt-out Daniel from risking daring maneuvers during each battle. He’s become one of the best, but he wants nothing more than to stop.
Then he’s given an assignment to watch over sixteen-year-old Kayla Bartlett, a clinically depressed patient in a psychiatric ward. Nightmares love a human with a tortured past. Yet, when they take a deep interest in her, appearing in unprecedented numbers, the job becomes more dangerous than any Daniel’s ever experienced. He fights ruthlessly to keep the Nightmares from overwhelming his team and Kayla. Soon, Daniel finds himself watching over Kayla during the day, drawn to why she’s different, and what it is about her that attracts the Nightmares. And him.
A vicious attack on Kayla forces Daniel to break the first Law and reveal his identity. Driven by his growing feelings for her, he whisks her away to Rome where others like him can keep her safe. Under their roof, the Protectors discover what Kayla is and why someone who can manipulate Nightmares has her in his sights. But before they can make a move, the Protectors are betrayed and Kayla is kidnapped. Daniel will stop at nothing to save her. Even if it means giving up his immortality.
CATCH ME WHEN I FALL will be available on October 23, 2014 in both paperback and e-book formats from Curiosity Quills Press. For more information, visit the book’s Goodreads page.
Now, there can’t be a cover reveal without a giveaway, right? Lots of authors stopped by and donated some fantastic books to help Vicki celebrate. You don’t want to miss out on these! Here’s what you can win:
· An e-copy of HEIRS OF WAR by Mara Valderran· Two query+first chapter critiques from YA author Emily Stanford· Two full manuscript critiques from YA author Emily Stanford· An e-copy of WITHOUT BLOODSHED by Matthew Graybosch· A paperback of DESTRUCTION by Sharon Bayliss· An e-copy of KIYA: HOPE OF THE PHARAOH by Katie Teller· One query+first chapter critique from YA author Katie Teller· An e-copy of DARKNESS WATCHING by Emma Adams· A copy of DESCENDANT by Nichole Giles· Two signed copies of DIVIDE by Jessa Russo· An e-copy set of EVER and EVADE by Jessa Russo· A copy of UNHINGED by A.G. Howard
Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win! All prizes will be accompanied by a Dreamcatcher swag package from Vicki Leigh.
Thanks for stopping by!
Rafflecopter link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0de5901/
June 8, 2014
QUERY KOMBAT 2014 AGENT ROUND
Here we go! The agent round!
Agents, entrants are spread out over all three blogs.You can also find them at SC’s blogand Mike’s blog. Blog assignment does not necessarily indicate who picked them.
Agents will request by saying, “I want to see more of this!” and leaving their submission instructions. (Kombatants: Don’t forget to put QUERY KOMBAT Request in your subject line when sending material!)
As you remember, agent requests will stay hidden until an entry is knocked out of the tournament. What you didn’t know is that the number of pages you’ll send depends on how far you go in Query Kombat!
SURPRISE!
For instance, getting knocked out in the third round means an entry will send 50 pages to any agent who requested their work. The grand champion winner from the final round will see their requests bumped up to a full. Host Saves will be allowed to see their requests immediately as they are not continuing to the 2nd round.
Follow this guide:
Host Saves + Round 2 knockout = 30 page requestRound 3 knockout = 50 page requestRound 4 knockout = 100 page requestRound 5 knockout = 150 page requestRound 6 knockout = 200 page requestGRAND CHAMPION = Full request
You know it’s coming. It wouldn’t be normal unless Mike, SC, and I have another super top secret surprise all planned. After all, where’s the fun in having straight rules with no twists. We’re all about the fun!
SURPRISE #2
Query Kombat is a tough tournament. Some really great entries that deserve full requests might get knocked out early. Therefore, each agent gets 2 wild cards! (In the case of a wild card, said wild card is displayed immediately. Giving Kombatants a reason to watch the blogs!)If an agent sees an entry where maybe getting the minimum of 30 pages isn’t enough, they can play a wild card and name their amount of pages! If they fall in love and absolutely want a full, the wild card will let them do that. However, only one wild card can stand per entry. That means if two agents wild card the same entry there will be a #MartialArtsBattle. Agents must leave a fun martial arts move with their wild card request. “I want to see more. WILD CARD! Give me 100 pages or I’ll use a pancake karate chop with a sidespin of syrup!” The hosts will pick which martial arts move they believe is the best (or silliest) and declare a winner of the #MartialArtsBattle. (Isn’t it lucky we have an uneven number of hosts!)Then the Kombatant may send their material as soon as they are ready to the winning WILD CARD agent! The losing agent's request must wait until the Kombatant leaves the tournament, along with any other hidden requests for that entry.So that’s it! The rules for the agent round. Only agents can comment on entries. Kombatants can mix and mingle on twitter but can’t comment. But we do want to know how Round 1 went! Please, feel free to comment on this post with your experiences (and any questions you have about the agent round). Best of luck and May the Requests Be With You! BATTLE ON!
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Agents, entrants are spread out over all three blogs.You can also find them at SC’s blogand Mike’s blog. Blog assignment does not necessarily indicate who picked them.
Agents will request by saying, “I want to see more of this!” and leaving their submission instructions. (Kombatants: Don’t forget to put QUERY KOMBAT Request in your subject line when sending material!)
As you remember, agent requests will stay hidden until an entry is knocked out of the tournament. What you didn’t know is that the number of pages you’ll send depends on how far you go in Query Kombat!
SURPRISE!
For instance, getting knocked out in the third round means an entry will send 50 pages to any agent who requested their work. The grand champion winner from the final round will see their requests bumped up to a full. Host Saves will be allowed to see their requests immediately as they are not continuing to the 2nd round.
Follow this guide:
Host Saves + Round 2 knockout = 30 page requestRound 3 knockout = 50 page requestRound 4 knockout = 100 page requestRound 5 knockout = 150 page requestRound 6 knockout = 200 page requestGRAND CHAMPION = Full request
You know it’s coming. It wouldn’t be normal unless Mike, SC, and I have another super top secret surprise all planned. After all, where’s the fun in having straight rules with no twists. We’re all about the fun!
SURPRISE #2
Query Kombat is a tough tournament. Some really great entries that deserve full requests might get knocked out early. Therefore, each agent gets 2 wild cards! (In the case of a wild card, said wild card is displayed immediately. Giving Kombatants a reason to watch the blogs!)If an agent sees an entry where maybe getting the minimum of 30 pages isn’t enough, they can play a wild card and name their amount of pages! If they fall in love and absolutely want a full, the wild card will let them do that. However, only one wild card can stand per entry. That means if two agents wild card the same entry there will be a #MartialArtsBattle. Agents must leave a fun martial arts move with their wild card request. “I want to see more. WILD CARD! Give me 100 pages or I’ll use a pancake karate chop with a sidespin of syrup!” The hosts will pick which martial arts move they believe is the best (or silliest) and declare a winner of the #MartialArtsBattle. (Isn’t it lucky we have an uneven number of hosts!)Then the Kombatant may send their material as soon as they are ready to the winning WILD CARD agent! The losing agent's request must wait until the Kombatant leaves the tournament, along with any other hidden requests for that entry.So that’s it! The rules for the agent round. Only agents can comment on entries. Kombatants can mix and mingle on twitter but can’t comment. But we do want to know how Round 1 went! Please, feel free to comment on this post with your experiences (and any questions you have about the agent round). Best of luck and May the Requests Be With You! BATTLE ON!
QK Agent Round 1 (Host Save): Lowlife Extraordinaire, YA Noir
Entry nickname: Lowlife Extraordinaire
Title: THE MADMEN'S CITY
Word count: 73K
Genre: YA Noir
Query:
THE MADMEN’S CITY is a YA Noir with dueling POVs.
Seventeen-year-old Gwen Kane wants nothing more than to follow in her vigilante father’s footsteps. Nightly, she trades her chemistry homework for burner phone protocols and fist fight drills in the streets using his strict moral code. That is, until her can-do-no-wrong father is arrested for the murder of Nicky D’Amico, a member of the infamous Nerozzi crime family. But Gwen refuses to believe her father is the one responsible for Nicky’s death, especially when the corrupt Towton City justice system sends him straight to death row.
After a childhood of abuse and neglect from his imprisoned mafia boss mother, eighteen-year-old Silas Snow tries to erase the bitter memories by flattening any lowlife who dares to prey on the innocents of Towton City. To Silas, death is the only suitable punishment for the iniquitous criminals who prowl the seedy streets. So, when he shoots Nicky D’Amico for stalking a girl home, it’s just another night in a long string of similar nights.
Gwen enlists Silas’s help in clearing her father’s name. When he discovers someone used his kill to frame Gwen’s father, he’s torn. If he admits he bagged the mobster himself, he’ll replace Gwen’s father in the electric chair. But if he doesn’t, he’ll be letting an innocent man die. To avoid either of these fates, Silas sets Gwen off on the wrong trail while he points his crosshairs at the mafia.
But when Gwen finds evidence that Silas shot the bullet that killed Nicky D'Amico, Silas disappears into the sordid underbelly of the city. Gwen takes to the streets to track him down and finally trap the monster behind it all. The clock ticks down to her father's date with death row, and she refuses to let him die. It's time to stop playing nice.
First 250 words:
Silas Snow
The corpse weighs down my arms as I drag it into the middle of the silent street. I drop it onto the pavement and begin arranging the limbs so it resembles a filthy, rotting log. Humming, I settle the feet onto the center white line as a thick breeze rustles my trench coat. I’d caught this one stalking a girl home from her waitressing job at Four Points Pizzeria, his knife glinting in the moonlight. A quick squirt of metal into the side of his head, and that’s the last time he’ll ever see that girl. Or anyone else.
His vacant eyes stare up at me. Nicky D’Amico, a Soldier in the infamous Nerozzi crime family. A trickle of blood runs down his face and pools onto the pavement. It’s not often enough I bag a mobster, and this one will send the appropriate message.
I’m watching you. My stomach twists at the stench. Enjoy cleaning up the mess.
I turn toward the slums but only make it half a block before the crunch of boots on broken glass freezes me mid-step.
Slipping my hand into my pocket to finger my pistol, I eye the street before me. Nothing there other than an emptiness swallowing up the space where cars and buses rumble by during daylight hours. Slowly, I turn. Nothing there either. Someone else skulks down these streets, and anyone hugging the darkness is surely someone on my long list of lowlifes extraordinaire.
And he just saw me dump the body.
Title: THE MADMEN'S CITY
Word count: 73K
Genre: YA Noir
Query:
THE MADMEN’S CITY is a YA Noir with dueling POVs.
Seventeen-year-old Gwen Kane wants nothing more than to follow in her vigilante father’s footsteps. Nightly, she trades her chemistry homework for burner phone protocols and fist fight drills in the streets using his strict moral code. That is, until her can-do-no-wrong father is arrested for the murder of Nicky D’Amico, a member of the infamous Nerozzi crime family. But Gwen refuses to believe her father is the one responsible for Nicky’s death, especially when the corrupt Towton City justice system sends him straight to death row.
After a childhood of abuse and neglect from his imprisoned mafia boss mother, eighteen-year-old Silas Snow tries to erase the bitter memories by flattening any lowlife who dares to prey on the innocents of Towton City. To Silas, death is the only suitable punishment for the iniquitous criminals who prowl the seedy streets. So, when he shoots Nicky D’Amico for stalking a girl home, it’s just another night in a long string of similar nights.
Gwen enlists Silas’s help in clearing her father’s name. When he discovers someone used his kill to frame Gwen’s father, he’s torn. If he admits he bagged the mobster himself, he’ll replace Gwen’s father in the electric chair. But if he doesn’t, he’ll be letting an innocent man die. To avoid either of these fates, Silas sets Gwen off on the wrong trail while he points his crosshairs at the mafia.
But when Gwen finds evidence that Silas shot the bullet that killed Nicky D'Amico, Silas disappears into the sordid underbelly of the city. Gwen takes to the streets to track him down and finally trap the monster behind it all. The clock ticks down to her father's date with death row, and she refuses to let him die. It's time to stop playing nice.
First 250 words:
Silas Snow
The corpse weighs down my arms as I drag it into the middle of the silent street. I drop it onto the pavement and begin arranging the limbs so it resembles a filthy, rotting log. Humming, I settle the feet onto the center white line as a thick breeze rustles my trench coat. I’d caught this one stalking a girl home from her waitressing job at Four Points Pizzeria, his knife glinting in the moonlight. A quick squirt of metal into the side of his head, and that’s the last time he’ll ever see that girl. Or anyone else.
His vacant eyes stare up at me. Nicky D’Amico, a Soldier in the infamous Nerozzi crime family. A trickle of blood runs down his face and pools onto the pavement. It’s not often enough I bag a mobster, and this one will send the appropriate message.
I’m watching you. My stomach twists at the stench. Enjoy cleaning up the mess.
I turn toward the slums but only make it half a block before the crunch of boots on broken glass freezes me mid-step.
Slipping my hand into my pocket to finger my pistol, I eye the street before me. Nothing there other than an emptiness swallowing up the space where cars and buses rumble by during daylight hours. Slowly, I turn. Nothing there either. Someone else skulks down these streets, and anyone hugging the darkness is surely someone on my long list of lowlifes extraordinaire.
And he just saw me dump the body.
QK Agent Round 2: Reality Star, Women's Fiction
Entry Nickname: Reality StarTitle: I Was a Summer Reality StarWord Count: 79,000Genre: Women's fiction
Query:
Jen is a bit disillusioned with life after college. She works long hours at an uninspiring job, and she’s suffocating under overdue emergency room bills. When she finds an ad seeking intelligent, puzzle-loving twenty-somethings for a competitive reality show with a cash prize, Jen grasps at a solution to her problems.
Any uncertainties about the wisdom of pinning her future to a TV show evaporate when Jen finds herself unemployed, single, and homeless. She moves into an all-glass, fishbowl-shaped house in Los Angeles with eleven strangers. Jen dives into the competition: solving puzzles, exploring mazes, and having the time of her life. She clicks instantly with fellow contestant Justin, but can't tell whether his interest is real or fabricated for the viewers. When she finds herself battling competitor Ariana for Justin’s attention, Jen discovers that some of her housemates aren’t above backstabbing, lying, and cheating.
Over the course of the summer, she struggles to win challenges— and viewer votes—while trying to figure out how Justin really feels. It’s a tricky balancing act, especially if she isn’t willing to sink to Ariana’s level. When Jen finds out she’s about to be eliminated, she must decide whether to sacrifice her values, the money, or her chance at love.
First 250 Words:
I huddled at my desk, wrapping a blanket over my hoodie. Maybe one day management would trust employees to turn the heat above sixty degrees. I held my caffeine molecule mug close to my body, futilely trying to gain warmth from the steam drifting off the top. The coffee tasted horrible; drinking it wasn’t an option.
With my right hand, I scrolled through my Facebook newsfeed, scanning jokes, cartoons, and idle chatter. It wasn’t allowed, but everyone did it. “Marketing assistant” apparently was advertising jargon for “lots of sitting around.” The irony wasn't lost on me. Anyway, after working insane hours all week to include last-minute changes on a major project, I appreciated the break while my boss reviewed it. I turned up the volume on my computer to project my music over the howling November storm. My toes danced on the linoleum floor.
What was that? A post from my old Beginner’s Drama professor caught my eye.
"Do you want to win $250,000? Are you outgoing, vivacious, engaging? Do you always have to be right? Do you love puzzles and trivia? Do you usually find yourself surrounded by less intelligent people? We’re looking for smart, spunky 21- to 25-year-olds for an exciting new reality competition! Email Stephanie your name, age, 2-4 pics, and a little about yourself for more information."
A reality show for smart people? Before I could investigate, a new email popped up at the corner of my screen.
It was Seattle General Hospital’s billing department.
Query:
Jen is a bit disillusioned with life after college. She works long hours at an uninspiring job, and she’s suffocating under overdue emergency room bills. When she finds an ad seeking intelligent, puzzle-loving twenty-somethings for a competitive reality show with a cash prize, Jen grasps at a solution to her problems.
Any uncertainties about the wisdom of pinning her future to a TV show evaporate when Jen finds herself unemployed, single, and homeless. She moves into an all-glass, fishbowl-shaped house in Los Angeles with eleven strangers. Jen dives into the competition: solving puzzles, exploring mazes, and having the time of her life. She clicks instantly with fellow contestant Justin, but can't tell whether his interest is real or fabricated for the viewers. When she finds herself battling competitor Ariana for Justin’s attention, Jen discovers that some of her housemates aren’t above backstabbing, lying, and cheating.
Over the course of the summer, she struggles to win challenges— and viewer votes—while trying to figure out how Justin really feels. It’s a tricky balancing act, especially if she isn’t willing to sink to Ariana’s level. When Jen finds out she’s about to be eliminated, she must decide whether to sacrifice her values, the money, or her chance at love.
First 250 Words:
I huddled at my desk, wrapping a blanket over my hoodie. Maybe one day management would trust employees to turn the heat above sixty degrees. I held my caffeine molecule mug close to my body, futilely trying to gain warmth from the steam drifting off the top. The coffee tasted horrible; drinking it wasn’t an option.
With my right hand, I scrolled through my Facebook newsfeed, scanning jokes, cartoons, and idle chatter. It wasn’t allowed, but everyone did it. “Marketing assistant” apparently was advertising jargon for “lots of sitting around.” The irony wasn't lost on me. Anyway, after working insane hours all week to include last-minute changes on a major project, I appreciated the break while my boss reviewed it. I turned up the volume on my computer to project my music over the howling November storm. My toes danced on the linoleum floor.
What was that? A post from my old Beginner’s Drama professor caught my eye.
"Do you want to win $250,000? Are you outgoing, vivacious, engaging? Do you always have to be right? Do you love puzzles and trivia? Do you usually find yourself surrounded by less intelligent people? We’re looking for smart, spunky 21- to 25-year-olds for an exciting new reality competition! Email Stephanie your name, age, 2-4 pics, and a little about yourself for more information."
A reality show for smart people? Before I could investigate, a new email popped up at the corner of my screen.
It was Seattle General Hospital’s billing department.
QK Agent Round 3: Remember Me, Adult Historical Fiction
Entry Nickname: Remember MeTitle: THE GOSSAMER VEILWord Count: 75,000Genre: Adult/Historical Fiction
Query:
Fifteen-year-old Katya watched her family starve to death one by one. She buried her dreams of a happy ending along with the bullet-riddled body of the love of her life. Her survival during Stalin’s assault on Ukraine is a testament to her strength, but it came at an unforgivable price. Now, in the twilight of her life, the secrets she has kept buried for decades have come back to haunt her.
Summer Porter just wanted to stop the nightmares, and nearly died doing so when she accidentally overdosed in high school. Doctors labeled her schizophrenic, but the dreams she’s endured her whole life are something far different. While away at college, she discovers that painting the horrifying images in her mind prevents the dreams. A normal life seems almost possible, till she moves back home. There, the night terrors return and the lure of a quick pill fix threatens everything she has worked so hard for.
Desperate for a change, Summer jumps at the chance to move in with her ailing great-grandmother Katya. Their renewed relationship compels the old woman to do something she swore she’d never do: rip open the scars of her youth and tell her life story. Hearing this confession awakens an inexplicable connection between the two women. This bond may be Summer’s only opportunity to understand and end her nightmares for good and Katya’s last chance at the forgiveness she has spent a lifetime yearning for.
First 250 Words:
When the first shot rang out, the basket my mother had packed slipped from my fingers. Bread spilled to the ground, forgotten, as I raced towards my aunt’s house. Alina yelled for me to stop, but her voice barely whispered in my ear. All I could hear was my cousin Sasha screaming.
My sister caught up and tackled me to the ground. We landed in a snowdrift next to my aunt and uncle’s barn, hidden from view. I had almost made it to the yard. Her speed saved my life that day, but I was too foolish to thank her for it then.
“Katya!” Alina hissed into my ear. Our limbs tangled and our heavy cloaks twisted around us, but it didn’t stop me from trying to wrestle away from her. My arm throbbed where her hand dug into it. “Stop! You can’t let them see us!”
“I don’t care!” I wrenched my left leg from under her and rolled onto my stomach. Snow made its way into my boots and under my thick skirts. The icy crystals numbing my leg scarcely registered. Desperation pushed me forward. “We have to help them!”
I yanked off my cumbersome cloak and left it so I could crawl away from her. Sasha’s screams had stopped, but I was close enough now to hear her quiet whimpering and my uncle’s pleading voice.
“Please!” Alina begged from behind me. “You know it’s too late for them!”
Query:
Fifteen-year-old Katya watched her family starve to death one by one. She buried her dreams of a happy ending along with the bullet-riddled body of the love of her life. Her survival during Stalin’s assault on Ukraine is a testament to her strength, but it came at an unforgivable price. Now, in the twilight of her life, the secrets she has kept buried for decades have come back to haunt her.
Summer Porter just wanted to stop the nightmares, and nearly died doing so when she accidentally overdosed in high school. Doctors labeled her schizophrenic, but the dreams she’s endured her whole life are something far different. While away at college, she discovers that painting the horrifying images in her mind prevents the dreams. A normal life seems almost possible, till she moves back home. There, the night terrors return and the lure of a quick pill fix threatens everything she has worked so hard for.
Desperate for a change, Summer jumps at the chance to move in with her ailing great-grandmother Katya. Their renewed relationship compels the old woman to do something she swore she’d never do: rip open the scars of her youth and tell her life story. Hearing this confession awakens an inexplicable connection between the two women. This bond may be Summer’s only opportunity to understand and end her nightmares for good and Katya’s last chance at the forgiveness she has spent a lifetime yearning for.
First 250 Words:
When the first shot rang out, the basket my mother had packed slipped from my fingers. Bread spilled to the ground, forgotten, as I raced towards my aunt’s house. Alina yelled for me to stop, but her voice barely whispered in my ear. All I could hear was my cousin Sasha screaming.
My sister caught up and tackled me to the ground. We landed in a snowdrift next to my aunt and uncle’s barn, hidden from view. I had almost made it to the yard. Her speed saved my life that day, but I was too foolish to thank her for it then.
“Katya!” Alina hissed into my ear. Our limbs tangled and our heavy cloaks twisted around us, but it didn’t stop me from trying to wrestle away from her. My arm throbbed where her hand dug into it. “Stop! You can’t let them see us!”
“I don’t care!” I wrenched my left leg from under her and rolled onto my stomach. Snow made its way into my boots and under my thick skirts. The icy crystals numbing my leg scarcely registered. Desperation pushed me forward. “We have to help them!”
I yanked off my cumbersome cloak and left it so I could crawl away from her. Sasha’s screams had stopped, but I was close enough now to hear her quiet whimpering and my uncle’s pleading voice.
“Please!” Alina begged from behind me. “You know it’s too late for them!”
QK Agent Round 4: Burning Down the House, Women's Fiction
Entry Nickname: Burning Down the HouseTitle: The Farmer’s WifeWord Count: 60kGenre: Women’s Fiction
Query:
Jody Sinclair’s grandparents, Samuel and Lillian, have spent their entire married life in the farmhouse her grandfather built by hand. When the house goes up in flames, Lillian barely escapes with her life. Samuel is not as lucky. Fire crews attempt to control the blaze, leaving Lillian with nothing to do but watch as she loses everything she’s ever cherished.
Jody arrives at the house just after the first fire truck and offers Lillian both comfort and her spare bedroom. In the days following Samuel’s death, Jody struggles to help her grandmother return to a sense of normalcy. As they sift through what the fire left behind, they unearth more than Jody ever expected. When Jody discovers that Lillian intentionally set the house ablaze, she must decide whether she will seek justice for her recently deceased grandfather, or let the truth die with him.
First 250:
When the phone rings during the opening credits of Doctor Who, I consider letting it go to voicemail. With a silent prayer of gratitude for the ability to pause streaming video, I jump up to grab it on the third ring.
“Hello?”
“Jody?” I don’t recognize the voice. I can hear the caller gasp for breath, and worry that this is about to turn into some weird prank.
“Who is this?” I ask, my words sharp, prepared to hang up if the panting continues.
“It’s Gram.” Another deep breath, followed by a sob this time.
“Gram?” I ask, confused. Gram never calls after five or six. She’s usually asleep by eight. I glance at the clock on my stove. It’s nearly eleven. She sobs again, and my heart drops down to my ankles. “Gram, what’s wrong? Where are you?”
“I’m at Bonnie’s. Can you please come pick me up?” Her voice is raw and strained.
“Gram, what’s wrong?” I ask again. Emphasizing each word as I spit it out of my mouth. I hear her take in a sharp breath before she answers.“It’s the house. It’s burning.”
I sit down. Hard. My breath leaves me in a rush. “Are you okay? Where’s Gramps?”
She takes a few more deep breaths, though I can’t tell whether she’s trying to calm herself down or avoid answering the questions.
“I’m fine.” She answers, sounding anything but.
“And Gramps?” The pause is even longer this time.
“He’s still in the house.”
Query:
Jody Sinclair’s grandparents, Samuel and Lillian, have spent their entire married life in the farmhouse her grandfather built by hand. When the house goes up in flames, Lillian barely escapes with her life. Samuel is not as lucky. Fire crews attempt to control the blaze, leaving Lillian with nothing to do but watch as she loses everything she’s ever cherished.
Jody arrives at the house just after the first fire truck and offers Lillian both comfort and her spare bedroom. In the days following Samuel’s death, Jody struggles to help her grandmother return to a sense of normalcy. As they sift through what the fire left behind, they unearth more than Jody ever expected. When Jody discovers that Lillian intentionally set the house ablaze, she must decide whether she will seek justice for her recently deceased grandfather, or let the truth die with him.
First 250:
When the phone rings during the opening credits of Doctor Who, I consider letting it go to voicemail. With a silent prayer of gratitude for the ability to pause streaming video, I jump up to grab it on the third ring.
“Hello?”
“Jody?” I don’t recognize the voice. I can hear the caller gasp for breath, and worry that this is about to turn into some weird prank.
“Who is this?” I ask, my words sharp, prepared to hang up if the panting continues.
“It’s Gram.” Another deep breath, followed by a sob this time.
“Gram?” I ask, confused. Gram never calls after five or six. She’s usually asleep by eight. I glance at the clock on my stove. It’s nearly eleven. She sobs again, and my heart drops down to my ankles. “Gram, what’s wrong? Where are you?”
“I’m at Bonnie’s. Can you please come pick me up?” Her voice is raw and strained.
“Gram, what’s wrong?” I ask again. Emphasizing each word as I spit it out of my mouth. I hear her take in a sharp breath before she answers.“It’s the house. It’s burning.”
I sit down. Hard. My breath leaves me in a rush. “Are you okay? Where’s Gramps?”
She takes a few more deep breaths, though I can’t tell whether she’s trying to calm herself down or avoid answering the questions.
“I’m fine.” She answers, sounding anything but.
“And Gramps?” The pause is even longer this time.
“He’s still in the house.”
QK Agent Round 5: Cozy for Geeks, NA Cozy Mystery
Entry Nickname: A Cozy for Geeks
Title: The Genuine Fake
Word count: 75,030
Genre: NA Mystery Cozy
Query:
You'd have to be drunk or crazy to hire Dahlia Moss as a detective, and her client was conveniently both. Drunk was verifiable-- there was a wine glass in his hand. Crazy was self-evident: Dahlia's got no experience, no money, and the only thing she'd been reliably good at finding were pink slips.
The details of the job only makes it seem stranger. The client wants her to recover the Bejeweled Spear of Infinite Piercing, a powerful and breathtakingly gaudy weapon from the online game "Kingdoms of Zoth". The pay is insane, a thousand bucks just for looking, and double for finding it. Dahlia thinks the job is certifiable, but pragmatically signs on; two thousand bucks buys a lot of Ramen.
Her investigation takes her through the student slums of St. Louis and into the on-line jungles of Zoth, interviewing aggrieved gamers, out-of-work actors, drunken fire-mages, misogynist golems, and an extremely petulant tree. But just when she gets a handle on the case, her client shows up dead-- skewered by a 3-D printed copy of the very spear she was looking for.
Suddenly, the police are involved, and Dahlia is in the middle of a murder investigation. Gamers are showing at her doorstep, detectives are trailing her, and more 3-D printed spears are mysteriously showing up in the mail. It's exactly the wrong time to learn that her client's decision to hire her wasn't so random after all.
First 250:
The only time I ever met Jonah Long he was wearing a fake beard, a blue pinstripe captain's outfit and a toy pipe that blew soap bubbles. He did not seem like someone that was about to change my life.
"I have a proposition for you," he had told me. Admittedly, that does sound like the kind of thing a life changing person might say. It's right up there with "it's dangerous to go alone-- take this!" and "you are the chosen one." But a plastic bubble pipe really takes the edge off this sort of thing.
It was a nautical themed party, which partly explained his ridiculous outfit. I had thought he was hitting on me. “I’m in a non-dating phase," I had told him. Not entirely true, but I repeat: bubble pipe.
"A financial proposition, Dahlia."
I had no idea who he was. I was irked that he knew my name but it was clear from the way Charice was hovering over him that my roommate was involved. She was wearing an over-sized mermaid's outfit that made her look faintly seal-like-- especially with her mugging at me as Jonah spoke. Eh? Eh? I felt like I should throw a fish at her.
But really: what could I do? I had seventeen dollars and twenty three cents in my bank account at the time of this exchange, with less in savings. I could only use ATMs that dispensed tens. Despite my correct sense that Jonah was 1) ridiculous and 2) trouble, at the phrase "financial proposition" he had my undivided attention.
Title: The Genuine Fake
Word count: 75,030
Genre: NA Mystery Cozy
Query:
You'd have to be drunk or crazy to hire Dahlia Moss as a detective, and her client was conveniently both. Drunk was verifiable-- there was a wine glass in his hand. Crazy was self-evident: Dahlia's got no experience, no money, and the only thing she'd been reliably good at finding were pink slips.
The details of the job only makes it seem stranger. The client wants her to recover the Bejeweled Spear of Infinite Piercing, a powerful and breathtakingly gaudy weapon from the online game "Kingdoms of Zoth". The pay is insane, a thousand bucks just for looking, and double for finding it. Dahlia thinks the job is certifiable, but pragmatically signs on; two thousand bucks buys a lot of Ramen.
Her investigation takes her through the student slums of St. Louis and into the on-line jungles of Zoth, interviewing aggrieved gamers, out-of-work actors, drunken fire-mages, misogynist golems, and an extremely petulant tree. But just when she gets a handle on the case, her client shows up dead-- skewered by a 3-D printed copy of the very spear she was looking for.
Suddenly, the police are involved, and Dahlia is in the middle of a murder investigation. Gamers are showing at her doorstep, detectives are trailing her, and more 3-D printed spears are mysteriously showing up in the mail. It's exactly the wrong time to learn that her client's decision to hire her wasn't so random after all.
First 250:
The only time I ever met Jonah Long he was wearing a fake beard, a blue pinstripe captain's outfit and a toy pipe that blew soap bubbles. He did not seem like someone that was about to change my life.
"I have a proposition for you," he had told me. Admittedly, that does sound like the kind of thing a life changing person might say. It's right up there with "it's dangerous to go alone-- take this!" and "you are the chosen one." But a plastic bubble pipe really takes the edge off this sort of thing.
It was a nautical themed party, which partly explained his ridiculous outfit. I had thought he was hitting on me. “I’m in a non-dating phase," I had told him. Not entirely true, but I repeat: bubble pipe.
"A financial proposition, Dahlia."
I had no idea who he was. I was irked that he knew my name but it was clear from the way Charice was hovering over him that my roommate was involved. She was wearing an over-sized mermaid's outfit that made her look faintly seal-like-- especially with her mugging at me as Jonah spoke. Eh? Eh? I felt like I should throw a fish at her.
But really: what could I do? I had seventeen dollars and twenty three cents in my bank account at the time of this exchange, with less in savings. I could only use ATMs that dispensed tens. Despite my correct sense that Jonah was 1) ridiculous and 2) trouble, at the phrase "financial proposition" he had my undivided attention.
QK Agent Round 5: Cozy for Geeks, Adult Cozy Mystery
Entry Nickname: A Cozy for Geeks
Title: The Genuine Fake
Word count: 75,030
Genre: Mystery Cozy
Query:
You'd have to be drunk or crazy to hire Dahlia Moss as a detective, and her client was conveniently both. Drunk was verifiable-- there was a wine glass in his hand. Crazy was self-evident: Dahlia's got no experience, no money, and the only thing she'd been reliably good at finding were pink slips.
The details of the job only makes it seem stranger. The client wants her to recover the Bejeweled Spear of Infinite Piercing, a powerful and breathtakingly gaudy weapon from the online game "Kingdoms of Zoth". The pay is insane, a thousand bucks just for looking, and double for finding it. Dahlia thinks the job is certifiable, but pragmatically signs on; two thousand bucks buys a lot of Ramen.
Her investigation takes her through the student slums of St. Louis and into the on-line jungles of Zoth, interviewing aggrieved gamers, out-of-work actors, drunken fire-mages, misogynist golems, and an extremely petulant tree. But just when she gets a handle on the case, her client shows up dead-- skewered by a 3-D printed copy of the very spear she was looking for.
Suddenly, the police are involved, and Dahlia is in the middle of a murder investigation. Gamers are showing at her doorstep, detectives are trailing her, and more 3-D printed spears are mysteriously showing up in the mail. It's exactly the wrong time to learn that her client's decision to hire her wasn't so random after all.
First 250:
The only time I ever met Jonah Long he was wearing a fake beard, a blue pinstripe captain's outfit and a toy pipe that blew soap bubbles. He did not seem like someone that was about to change my life.
"I have a proposition for you," he had told me. Admittedly, that does sound like the kind of thing a life changing person might say. It's right up there with "it's dangerous to go alone-- take this!" and "you are the chosen one." But a plastic bubble pipe really takes the edge off this sort of thing.
It was a nautical themed party, which partly explained his ridiculous outfit. I had thought he was hitting on me. “I’m in a non-dating phase," I had told him. Not entirely true, but I repeat: bubble pipe.
"A financial proposition, Dahlia."
I had no idea who he was. I was irked that he knew my name but it was clear from the way Charice was hovering over him that my roommate was involved. She was wearing an over-sized mermaid's outfit that made her look faintly seal-like-- especially with her mugging at me as Jonah spoke. Eh? Eh? I felt like I should throw a fish at her.
But really: what could I do? I had seventeen dollars and twenty three cents in my bank account at the time of this exchange, with less in savings. I could only use ATMs that dispensed tens. Despite my correct sense that Jonah was 1) ridiculous and 2) trouble, at the phrase "financial proposition" he had my undivided attention.
Title: The Genuine Fake
Word count: 75,030
Genre: Mystery Cozy
Query:
You'd have to be drunk or crazy to hire Dahlia Moss as a detective, and her client was conveniently both. Drunk was verifiable-- there was a wine glass in his hand. Crazy was self-evident: Dahlia's got no experience, no money, and the only thing she'd been reliably good at finding were pink slips.
The details of the job only makes it seem stranger. The client wants her to recover the Bejeweled Spear of Infinite Piercing, a powerful and breathtakingly gaudy weapon from the online game "Kingdoms of Zoth". The pay is insane, a thousand bucks just for looking, and double for finding it. Dahlia thinks the job is certifiable, but pragmatically signs on; two thousand bucks buys a lot of Ramen.
Her investigation takes her through the student slums of St. Louis and into the on-line jungles of Zoth, interviewing aggrieved gamers, out-of-work actors, drunken fire-mages, misogynist golems, and an extremely petulant tree. But just when she gets a handle on the case, her client shows up dead-- skewered by a 3-D printed copy of the very spear she was looking for.
Suddenly, the police are involved, and Dahlia is in the middle of a murder investigation. Gamers are showing at her doorstep, detectives are trailing her, and more 3-D printed spears are mysteriously showing up in the mail. It's exactly the wrong time to learn that her client's decision to hire her wasn't so random after all.
First 250:
The only time I ever met Jonah Long he was wearing a fake beard, a blue pinstripe captain's outfit and a toy pipe that blew soap bubbles. He did not seem like someone that was about to change my life.
"I have a proposition for you," he had told me. Admittedly, that does sound like the kind of thing a life changing person might say. It's right up there with "it's dangerous to go alone-- take this!" and "you are the chosen one." But a plastic bubble pipe really takes the edge off this sort of thing.
It was a nautical themed party, which partly explained his ridiculous outfit. I had thought he was hitting on me. “I’m in a non-dating phase," I had told him. Not entirely true, but I repeat: bubble pipe.
"A financial proposition, Dahlia."
I had no idea who he was. I was irked that he knew my name but it was clear from the way Charice was hovering over him that my roommate was involved. She was wearing an over-sized mermaid's outfit that made her look faintly seal-like-- especially with her mugging at me as Jonah spoke. Eh? Eh? I felt like I should throw a fish at her.
But really: what could I do? I had seventeen dollars and twenty three cents in my bank account at the time of this exchange, with less in savings. I could only use ATMs that dispensed tens. Despite my correct sense that Jonah was 1) ridiculous and 2) trouble, at the phrase "financial proposition" he had my undivided attention.
