Michelle Hauck's Blog, page 66
July 10, 2015
Query Questions with Heather Flaherty
Writers have copious amounts of imagination. It's what makes their stories so fantastic. But there's a darker side to so much out of the box thinking. When a writer is in the query trenches, their worries go into overdrive. They start pulling out their hair and imagine every possible disaster.
Here to relieve some of that endless worrying is a new series of posts called Query Questions. I'll ask the questions which prey on every writer's mind, and hopefully take some of the pain out of querying. These are questions that I've seen tossed around on twitter and writing sites like Agent Query Connect. They are the type of questions that you need answers for the real expert--agents!
If you have your own specific query question, please leave it in the comments and it might show up in future editions of Query Questions as I plan to rotate the questions.
Happy Day! Today we have Heather Flaherty from the Bent Agency!
Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query? - No… it won’t shoot down an ENTIRE query. What it might do, is throw up a red flag. If there’s a couple typos in your query, it could suggest that you aren’t thorough, you didn’t check it closely. And if this query is an agent’s absolute first impression of you, well then what happens down the road when we’re partners and your even more comfy? Also, how committed to this craft are you if you couldn’t tidy up your first impression with a once-over? But mistakes happen, and small ones aren’t held against you – especially if your pitch is solid, your writing honed, and your story great. (These all make-up for silly little blunders).
Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong? - I always look at pages; always always always. Querying is hard… and it’s a different skill than novel writing. Your query may be terrible, but your writing may be sound. And this just means that you haven’t learned to write a pitch yet. That said, if your query is bad, my opinion will already be slanted… so you’re writing has to be that much better to turn the tide. Thus: Learn how to pitch – don’t rely on the agent reading the sample. (You need all the eggs in your basket you can get!) Do you have an assistant or intern go through your queries first or do you check all of them? - I check all my queries myself. :)
Do you keep a maybe pile of queries and go back to them for a second look? - YES! I probably keep too many MAYBES, especially right now… I’m like queen of the maybes. The problem with maybes is that it pushes your response time back even farther – and it’s already hard to make sure you get back to authors quickly. Let alone if you have maybes. But… I can be in different moods during a day, and sometimes judge a little harshly if I’m pushed for time, etc… those maybes give me a chance to be open. I like my maybes.
If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages? - I like to see the FIRST pages of a book, even if that means a prologue. Prologues are tough these days, they do tend to be cut most of the time… and for good reason, they normally aren’t needed. But if a book was written distinctly with a prologue, I want to see it. But I also want to see the start of the “story” too. So with sample pages, I would make sure your prologue isn’t ALL you send. Send the prologue, but make sure Chapter 1 pages are there too.
How important are comp titles? Is it something you want to see in a query? - They’re handy, but not absolutely necessary. They can help you get the idea of a piece quickly, of course… but they can also be misleading if they aren’t spot-on. Also, you may have something so original it’s hard to comp to it; hey, it can happen! :b Some agencies mention querying only one agent at a time and some say query only one agent period. How often do you pass a query along to a fellow agent who might be more interested? - Lots. We’re a hugely collaborative agency. I love it. That said, sometimes something won’t get passed on for one reason or another, so don’t rely on us to do it. If one of us passes, feel free to query another agent you think would fit you and your ms. J
Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript? - I tend to like to get straight to the story – but then later see some chit chat. Unless the chit-chat is totally cute, then go for it as the ice-breaker. ;-)
Most agents have said they don’t care whether the word count/genre sentence comes first or last. But is it a red flag if one component is not included? - I feel if the genre is left out, its just a red flag that the author may not understand what they’re trying to do here, amongst all the other people who do, ya know? It immediately says: “really green writer” to me. As for the page count, this doesn’t red flag me as much, I just go: “Uggg… where’s the page count?” But I don’t assume it’s insanely high at that point.
Writers hear a lot about limiting the number of named characters in a query. Do you feel keeping named characters to a certain number makes for a clearer query? - I mean, for me this kind of specificity in writing a query should just resort back to good ol’ writing in general. If the pitch needs the names, and it works without feeling overwhelming, and it reads well, than good. If having the names bogs down the pitch, and makes the writing feel clogged, then rewrite without or find a better way to write them in.
Should writers sweat the title of their book (and character names) or is that something that is often changed by publishers? - Often changed by either agent or editor, or both! (Don't sweat it, but also don't disregard it. A good title is very catching, and your names should fit your characters).
Many agents say they don't care if writers are active online. Could a twitter account or blog presence by a writer tip the scales in getting a request or offer? And do you require writers you sign to start one? - I think social media helps the book, but it’s not a dealbreaker in my mind for taking on a client. I personally do like to see a twitter presense at some point, even if it means you start it when I sign you. I will ask, no fail! But I don’t “require it.” I think that can be dangerous. I think the people who are comfy doing it, will do it reasonably well. But those who don’t like doing it, well… that’ll come through, and it could actually be detrimental. And… some people like other platforms better – and that’s cool. Facebook, Instagram, etc… I always say continue with what you like, but at least look into what you don’t know about… consider it, at least. Some writers have asked about including links to their blogs or manuscript-related artwork. I’m sure it’s not appropriate to add those links in a query, but are links in an email signature offensive? - Nope, not at all! I’m okay with links… because I do google an author I’m considering… I look at everything you’re doing and you’re on. Those links just get me there faster. I do check the links for spam though. Make sure they’re kosher!
If a writer makes changes to their manuscript due to feedback should they resend the query or only if material was requested? - This is interesting, because this actually happens a lot… and revisions in the middle of the querying process always stick me as funny. I worry that the author sent a manuscript that wasn’t ready. At query level, it’s fine… but when I’ve requested, and am reading, and then get an author saying they’ve revised and want to send me the new version… I have to admit, I get a little deflated. I get it though, I get that an author wants to make their story better, always… but I start to spiral with questions of: Which version is better? Which one should I read? Was it a waste of time to be reading this one if it’s still being worked on? When that happens, I ask an author: 1. Where are the edits coming from? Critique-group? Editor friend? You? Agent? Revise and Resubmit? and 2. If I were to only read once, which one would you have me read?
What bio should an author with no publishing credits include? - Are they in a graduate program, are they in a critique group, are they members of organizations like the SCBWI? I want to know how they are working on their craft, what their commitment to it is.
What does ‘just not right for me’ mean to you? - IMO, this is a nice way to say “I’m not loving it, personally.” But, and I want to stress this: IT DOESN’T MEAN ANOTHER AGENT WON’T. As agents we have to be fully behind a piece of work to sell it, so you gotta be head-over-heels in love with that book for one reason or another to take it on. (But remember: agents are human, and we all like and want different things… Don’t forget that a writer’s early life is living the first part of their rejection-turned-success story.)
Do you consider yourself a hands-on, editorial type of agent? - Yes, yes, yes, yupppers, yes and yeah. (ya have to be, I feel – it’s too competitive not to be). What three things are at the top of your submission wish list?- YA Contemporary- MG contemporary or period- Unreliable narrator What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes? Ooo… so love this questions, always! Favorite movie: Goonies, as well as other nostalgic 80’s movies, or just weird 80’s movies – bratpack stuff of course, Secret of Nimh, The Last Unicorn… I’m also a little bit fangirl, so I heart me some Supernatural, Vampire Diaries, Game of Thrones, Sherlock (obvi), pretty much all of whatever is being watched right now, I’m binging hard-core. Any comic book hero stories set to screen, love traditional fairy-tales and folklore, so I also love a good retelling, and dragons. Ooo! And pirates.Favorite book: Watership Down.
-------------------------------------------------
Heather Flaherty represents authors who write children's, middle grade, and young adult fiction and non-fiction, as well as select new adult fiction, and pop-culture or humorous non-fiction.
I grew up in Massachusetts, between Boston and the Cape, and started working in New York City as a playwright during college. This pushed me towards English as a focus, and after a lot of country-hopping in my early twenties, I wound up finally beginning my publishing career in editorial, specifically at Random House in the UK. That's also where I became a YA and Children's Literary Scout, which finally landed me back in NYC, consulting with foreign publishers and Hollywood regarding what the next big book will be. Now as an Agent, I'm thrilled to turn my focus on growing authors for that same success.Currently I'm looking for YA fiction across-the-board, though my heart does sway towards issue-related YA with humor and heart - not depressing, or mopey. I also love love love hard, punchy, contemporary YA that’s got no hesitations when it comes to crazy. I'm also always up for seeing contemporary stories with Sci-Fi or Fantasy elements, as well as a clever respin of an old or classic tale. And then, lastly, really good horror and ghost stories… not gory-for-gory's sake or overly disgusting, but cringing, dark, bloody twisted, and even lovely. That said, the one thing I love above all else in a YA novel, regardless of sub-genre, is a strong and specific character voice. A real person, not another “everygirl.”As for the Middle-Grade I'm looking for, I want it stark, honest, and even dark; either contemporary or period, as long as it’s accessible. Coming-of-age stories, dealing-with-difficulty stories, witness stories (adult issues seen through the child’s p.o.v kinda thing), anything that makes you want to hold the narrator's hand… for your own comfort, as well as their’s. I am also ok with these stories having slight magical or fantasy elements as well – as long as they're subtle.In New Adult, I like to see story… not just romance and/or erotica. For me, it should pretty much be a great YA novel for an older audience.On the non-fiction side, I'm looking for strong teen memoirs about overcoming crushing situations.
Here to relieve some of that endless worrying is a new series of posts called Query Questions. I'll ask the questions which prey on every writer's mind, and hopefully take some of the pain out of querying. These are questions that I've seen tossed around on twitter and writing sites like Agent Query Connect. They are the type of questions that you need answers for the real expert--agents!
If you have your own specific query question, please leave it in the comments and it might show up in future editions of Query Questions as I plan to rotate the questions.
Happy Day! Today we have Heather Flaherty from the Bent Agency!
Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query? - No… it won’t shoot down an ENTIRE query. What it might do, is throw up a red flag. If there’s a couple typos in your query, it could suggest that you aren’t thorough, you didn’t check it closely. And if this query is an agent’s absolute first impression of you, well then what happens down the road when we’re partners and your even more comfy? Also, how committed to this craft are you if you couldn’t tidy up your first impression with a once-over? But mistakes happen, and small ones aren’t held against you – especially if your pitch is solid, your writing honed, and your story great. (These all make-up for silly little blunders).
Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong? - I always look at pages; always always always. Querying is hard… and it’s a different skill than novel writing. Your query may be terrible, but your writing may be sound. And this just means that you haven’t learned to write a pitch yet. That said, if your query is bad, my opinion will already be slanted… so you’re writing has to be that much better to turn the tide. Thus: Learn how to pitch – don’t rely on the agent reading the sample. (You need all the eggs in your basket you can get!) Do you have an assistant or intern go through your queries first or do you check all of them? - I check all my queries myself. :)
Do you keep a maybe pile of queries and go back to them for a second look? - YES! I probably keep too many MAYBES, especially right now… I’m like queen of the maybes. The problem with maybes is that it pushes your response time back even farther – and it’s already hard to make sure you get back to authors quickly. Let alone if you have maybes. But… I can be in different moods during a day, and sometimes judge a little harshly if I’m pushed for time, etc… those maybes give me a chance to be open. I like my maybes.
If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages? - I like to see the FIRST pages of a book, even if that means a prologue. Prologues are tough these days, they do tend to be cut most of the time… and for good reason, they normally aren’t needed. But if a book was written distinctly with a prologue, I want to see it. But I also want to see the start of the “story” too. So with sample pages, I would make sure your prologue isn’t ALL you send. Send the prologue, but make sure Chapter 1 pages are there too.
How important are comp titles? Is it something you want to see in a query? - They’re handy, but not absolutely necessary. They can help you get the idea of a piece quickly, of course… but they can also be misleading if they aren’t spot-on. Also, you may have something so original it’s hard to comp to it; hey, it can happen! :b Some agencies mention querying only one agent at a time and some say query only one agent period. How often do you pass a query along to a fellow agent who might be more interested? - Lots. We’re a hugely collaborative agency. I love it. That said, sometimes something won’t get passed on for one reason or another, so don’t rely on us to do it. If one of us passes, feel free to query another agent you think would fit you and your ms. J
Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript? - I tend to like to get straight to the story – but then later see some chit chat. Unless the chit-chat is totally cute, then go for it as the ice-breaker. ;-)
Most agents have said they don’t care whether the word count/genre sentence comes first or last. But is it a red flag if one component is not included? - I feel if the genre is left out, its just a red flag that the author may not understand what they’re trying to do here, amongst all the other people who do, ya know? It immediately says: “really green writer” to me. As for the page count, this doesn’t red flag me as much, I just go: “Uggg… where’s the page count?” But I don’t assume it’s insanely high at that point.
Writers hear a lot about limiting the number of named characters in a query. Do you feel keeping named characters to a certain number makes for a clearer query? - I mean, for me this kind of specificity in writing a query should just resort back to good ol’ writing in general. If the pitch needs the names, and it works without feeling overwhelming, and it reads well, than good. If having the names bogs down the pitch, and makes the writing feel clogged, then rewrite without or find a better way to write them in.
Should writers sweat the title of their book (and character names) or is that something that is often changed by publishers? - Often changed by either agent or editor, or both! (Don't sweat it, but also don't disregard it. A good title is very catching, and your names should fit your characters).
Many agents say they don't care if writers are active online. Could a twitter account or blog presence by a writer tip the scales in getting a request or offer? And do you require writers you sign to start one? - I think social media helps the book, but it’s not a dealbreaker in my mind for taking on a client. I personally do like to see a twitter presense at some point, even if it means you start it when I sign you. I will ask, no fail! But I don’t “require it.” I think that can be dangerous. I think the people who are comfy doing it, will do it reasonably well. But those who don’t like doing it, well… that’ll come through, and it could actually be detrimental. And… some people like other platforms better – and that’s cool. Facebook, Instagram, etc… I always say continue with what you like, but at least look into what you don’t know about… consider it, at least. Some writers have asked about including links to their blogs or manuscript-related artwork. I’m sure it’s not appropriate to add those links in a query, but are links in an email signature offensive? - Nope, not at all! I’m okay with links… because I do google an author I’m considering… I look at everything you’re doing and you’re on. Those links just get me there faster. I do check the links for spam though. Make sure they’re kosher!
If a writer makes changes to their manuscript due to feedback should they resend the query or only if material was requested? - This is interesting, because this actually happens a lot… and revisions in the middle of the querying process always stick me as funny. I worry that the author sent a manuscript that wasn’t ready. At query level, it’s fine… but when I’ve requested, and am reading, and then get an author saying they’ve revised and want to send me the new version… I have to admit, I get a little deflated. I get it though, I get that an author wants to make their story better, always… but I start to spiral with questions of: Which version is better? Which one should I read? Was it a waste of time to be reading this one if it’s still being worked on? When that happens, I ask an author: 1. Where are the edits coming from? Critique-group? Editor friend? You? Agent? Revise and Resubmit? and 2. If I were to only read once, which one would you have me read?
What bio should an author with no publishing credits include? - Are they in a graduate program, are they in a critique group, are they members of organizations like the SCBWI? I want to know how they are working on their craft, what their commitment to it is.
What does ‘just not right for me’ mean to you? - IMO, this is a nice way to say “I’m not loving it, personally.” But, and I want to stress this: IT DOESN’T MEAN ANOTHER AGENT WON’T. As agents we have to be fully behind a piece of work to sell it, so you gotta be head-over-heels in love with that book for one reason or another to take it on. (But remember: agents are human, and we all like and want different things… Don’t forget that a writer’s early life is living the first part of their rejection-turned-success story.)
Do you consider yourself a hands-on, editorial type of agent? - Yes, yes, yes, yupppers, yes and yeah. (ya have to be, I feel – it’s too competitive not to be). What three things are at the top of your submission wish list?- YA Contemporary- MG contemporary or period- Unreliable narrator What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes? Ooo… so love this questions, always! Favorite movie: Goonies, as well as other nostalgic 80’s movies, or just weird 80’s movies – bratpack stuff of course, Secret of Nimh, The Last Unicorn… I’m also a little bit fangirl, so I heart me some Supernatural, Vampire Diaries, Game of Thrones, Sherlock (obvi), pretty much all of whatever is being watched right now, I’m binging hard-core. Any comic book hero stories set to screen, love traditional fairy-tales and folklore, so I also love a good retelling, and dragons. Ooo! And pirates.Favorite book: Watership Down.
-------------------------------------------------
Heather Flaherty represents authors who write children's, middle grade, and young adult fiction and non-fiction, as well as select new adult fiction, and pop-culture or humorous non-fiction.I grew up in Massachusetts, between Boston and the Cape, and started working in New York City as a playwright during college. This pushed me towards English as a focus, and after a lot of country-hopping in my early twenties, I wound up finally beginning my publishing career in editorial, specifically at Random House in the UK. That's also where I became a YA and Children's Literary Scout, which finally landed me back in NYC, consulting with foreign publishers and Hollywood regarding what the next big book will be. Now as an Agent, I'm thrilled to turn my focus on growing authors for that same success.Currently I'm looking for YA fiction across-the-board, though my heart does sway towards issue-related YA with humor and heart - not depressing, or mopey. I also love love love hard, punchy, contemporary YA that’s got no hesitations when it comes to crazy. I'm also always up for seeing contemporary stories with Sci-Fi or Fantasy elements, as well as a clever respin of an old or classic tale. And then, lastly, really good horror and ghost stories… not gory-for-gory's sake or overly disgusting, but cringing, dark, bloody twisted, and even lovely. That said, the one thing I love above all else in a YA novel, regardless of sub-genre, is a strong and specific character voice. A real person, not another “everygirl.”As for the Middle-Grade I'm looking for, I want it stark, honest, and even dark; either contemporary or period, as long as it’s accessible. Coming-of-age stories, dealing-with-difficulty stories, witness stories (adult issues seen through the child’s p.o.v kinda thing), anything that makes you want to hold the narrator's hand… for your own comfort, as well as their’s. I am also ok with these stories having slight magical or fantasy elements as well – as long as they're subtle.In New Adult, I like to see story… not just romance and/or erotica. For me, it should pretty much be a great YA novel for an older audience.On the non-fiction side, I'm looking for strong teen memoirs about overcoming crushing situations.
July 9, 2015
The Expert Team Captains of New Agent
I'm sure you want to know who will be making the picks to be seen by the agents. (See formatting instructions here.)
Please welcome the Expert Team Captains of New Agent! Each one will get four picks and the remaining ten picks will be decided by vote of the entire team. You really want to be following these explosive experts on twitter, because not only is it required to enter, but they will be talking about their slush reading under the hashtag #NewAgent. Who knows what bits of wisdom they'll share!
I think there is some confusion. All the Team Experts, except the MG, will be looking for adult, NA and YA entries. I just didn't bother to list that in their titles.
Team Captain for Contemporary:
Natasha Raulerson
Natasha grew up as a tomboy hanging with the guys, getting skinned knees, and swimming in the South Florida sun. Though she’s more inclined to wear dresses now, she still prefers a good pair of chucks and comfy pair of jeans. Tattoos, Jack Daniels, and hanging at the pool are three of her favorite things. By day she writes about the characters driving her imagination wild. By night she enjoys a good book, hanging with her hubs, and getting snuggle attacks from her two spoiled pups. She's represented by Laura Bradford. Website|Twitter|Facebook
Team Captain for Romance and Women's Fiction:
Laura Heffernan
Laura Heffernan is a California-born women's fiction writer, represented by Michelle Richter at Fuse Literary (http://www.fuseliterary.com/michelle-richter/). One Saturday morning when she was four or five, Laura sat down at the family's Commodore 64 and typed out her first short story. She's written both fiction and non-fiction ever since.
In her spare time, Laura likes travel, baking, board games, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and new experiences. She lives in the northeast, with her amazing husband and two furry little beasts.
www.lauraheffernan.com|Twitter: @LH_Writes
Team Captain for Fantasy and Science Fiction:
Dan Koboldt
Dan Koboldt works as a genetics researcher at Washington University, where he and his colleagues use next-generation DNA sequencing technologies to uncover the genetic basis of inherited diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. He's also a bowhunter and avid outdoorsman.
Dan writes science fiction and fantasy. His short SF story "Going Viral" appeared in the spring 2015 anthology from Third Flatiron Publishing. He's represented by Jennie Goloboy of Red Sofa Literary Agency. He runs the #SFFpit Twitter pitching event and the Science in Sci-fi, Fact in Fantasy blog series. Follow him on Twitter.
Team Captain for Middle Grade:
Wade Albert White
Wade hails from Nova Scotia, Canada, land of wild blueberries and Duck Tolling Retrievers. He teaches ancient Hebrew, dabbles in animation, and spends the rest of his time as a stay-at-home dad. It is also possible he has set a new record as the slowest 10K runner. Ever. He owns one pretend cat and one real one, and they get along fabulously. He has been writing speculative fiction for many years and is now represented by the Elizabeth Kaplan Literary Agency.
If he could only bring three series to read on deserted island, it would be the three Hs: Harry Potter, Hellboy, and the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Oh, and just for the record, Firefly should have had a seven season run. No question.
Twitter | Website
Team Captain for Mystery and Thriller:
Max WirestoneCaptain of Team Mystery, Max Wirestone is a librarian in a small New Hampshire town that's practically cozy-esque. His first book, the geek-themed mystery THE UNFORTUNATE DECISIONS OF DAHLIA MOSS comes out October 20th in hardcover and audio. He is a currently at work on his second Dahlia book, a "parenting noir" novella, and a machine that will somehow create more hours in his day.
He can be found at @maxwires on twitter, or at maxwirestone.com
Please welcome the Expert Team Captains of New Agent! Each one will get four picks and the remaining ten picks will be decided by vote of the entire team. You really want to be following these explosive experts on twitter, because not only is it required to enter, but they will be talking about their slush reading under the hashtag #NewAgent. Who knows what bits of wisdom they'll share!
I think there is some confusion. All the Team Experts, except the MG, will be looking for adult, NA and YA entries. I just didn't bother to list that in their titles.
Team Captain for Contemporary:
Natasha Raulerson
Natasha grew up as a tomboy hanging with the guys, getting skinned knees, and swimming in the South Florida sun. Though she’s more inclined to wear dresses now, she still prefers a good pair of chucks and comfy pair of jeans. Tattoos, Jack Daniels, and hanging at the pool are three of her favorite things. By day she writes about the characters driving her imagination wild. By night she enjoys a good book, hanging with her hubs, and getting snuggle attacks from her two spoiled pups. She's represented by Laura Bradford. Website|Twitter|Facebook
Team Captain for Romance and Women's Fiction:
Laura Heffernan
Laura Heffernan is a California-born women's fiction writer, represented by Michelle Richter at Fuse Literary (http://www.fuseliterary.com/michelle-richter/). One Saturday morning when she was four or five, Laura sat down at the family's Commodore 64 and typed out her first short story. She's written both fiction and non-fiction ever since.
In her spare time, Laura likes travel, baking, board games, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and new experiences. She lives in the northeast, with her amazing husband and two furry little beasts.
www.lauraheffernan.com|Twitter: @LH_Writes
Team Captain for Fantasy and Science Fiction:
Dan Koboldt
Dan Koboldt works as a genetics researcher at Washington University, where he and his colleagues use next-generation DNA sequencing technologies to uncover the genetic basis of inherited diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. He's also a bowhunter and avid outdoorsman.
Dan writes science fiction and fantasy. His short SF story "Going Viral" appeared in the spring 2015 anthology from Third Flatiron Publishing. He's represented by Jennie Goloboy of Red Sofa Literary Agency. He runs the #SFFpit Twitter pitching event and the Science in Sci-fi, Fact in Fantasy blog series. Follow him on Twitter.
Team Captain for Middle Grade:
Wade Albert White
Wade hails from Nova Scotia, Canada, land of wild blueberries and Duck Tolling Retrievers. He teaches ancient Hebrew, dabbles in animation, and spends the rest of his time as a stay-at-home dad. It is also possible he has set a new record as the slowest 10K runner. Ever. He owns one pretend cat and one real one, and they get along fabulously. He has been writing speculative fiction for many years and is now represented by the Elizabeth Kaplan Literary Agency.
If he could only bring three series to read on deserted island, it would be the three Hs: Harry Potter, Hellboy, and the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Oh, and just for the record, Firefly should have had a seven season run. No question.
Twitter | Website
Team Captain for Mystery and Thriller:
Max WirestoneCaptain of Team Mystery, Max Wirestone is a librarian in a small New Hampshire town that's practically cozy-esque. His first book, the geek-themed mystery THE UNFORTUNATE DECISIONS OF DAHLIA MOSS comes out October 20th in hardcover and audio. He is a currently at work on his second Dahlia book, a "parenting noir" novella, and a machine that will somehow create more hours in his day.
He can be found at @maxwires on twitter, or at maxwirestone.com
July 8, 2015
NAME THAT JUDGE #3
Awesome! This judge is named. Check the comments for the answer and stay tuned for another round!
Ready for another of our little game of Name that Judge? The last one went so quick, I added an afternoon edition.There are 34 judges from Query Kombat, all with nicknames they used to vote. All are agented or published writers with experience in this business.
Some have agreed to join me and give away a prize to whoever guesses their nickname. You can find their bios at Mike's blog, SC's blog, and my blog. (No, I'm not providing the links. Where's the fun in that? But look in the May archive.) I will provide the list of judge names. Guessed judges are marked off.
Jessica KappKathleen AllenTracy TownsendLaura HeffernanMax WirestoneKristin B. WrightMary Ann MarloweBetsy AldredgeCarrie DuBoisNatasha RaulersonSarah Glenn MarshAmy TruebloodJudy ClemensWade Albert WhiteTatum FlynnKim LongJamie HowardRichard PearsonMelissa CarusoWendy NikelChristina JuneJ.C. DavisStephanie ScottCarrie AnnKendra YoungHeather Powell-van FleetAmanda HegerAnnika SharmaRena OlsenCale DietrichSharon ChriscoeMarty MayberryDan KoboldtMaragaret Fortune
This judge's nickname was MoulinMystery. And they have provided a few hints:
1. This author is from the South2. This author was referred to as "Simon" in their voice lab, for being super harsh (albeit correct). 3. This author's book is scheduled to come out in February of 2016.
First one to correctly name this judge gets a first chapter critique from MoulinMystery! I'll put a time limit of five days on this, but hopefully we won't need to worry about such things.
Other rules. Let's see...
You don't have to have entered or been picked for Query Kombat to play. Anyone may try and Name That Judge. There will be other posts with fresh judges coming up soon. You may enter more than one Name That Judge post. Though to be fair, you may only win once. You may only guess once on each post. You must leave a way to reach you--twitter handle or email address.
Play!
Ready for another of our little game of Name that Judge? The last one went so quick, I added an afternoon edition.There are 34 judges from Query Kombat, all with nicknames they used to vote. All are agented or published writers with experience in this business.
Some have agreed to join me and give away a prize to whoever guesses their nickname. You can find their bios at Mike's blog, SC's blog, and my blog. (No, I'm not providing the links. Where's the fun in that? But look in the May archive.) I will provide the list of judge names. Guessed judges are marked off.
Jessica KappKathleen AllenTracy TownsendLaura HeffernanMax WirestoneKristin B. WrightMary Ann MarloweBetsy AldredgeCarrie DuBoisNatasha RaulersonSarah Glenn MarshAmy TruebloodJudy ClemensWade Albert WhiteTatum FlynnKim LongJamie HowardRichard PearsonMelissa CarusoWendy NikelChristina JuneJ.C. DavisStephanie ScottCarrie AnnKendra YoungHeather Powell-van FleetAmanda HegerAnnika SharmaRena OlsenCale DietrichSharon ChriscoeMarty MayberryDan KoboldtMaragaret Fortune
This judge's nickname was MoulinMystery. And they have provided a few hints:
1. This author is from the South2. This author was referred to as "Simon" in their voice lab, for being super harsh (albeit correct). 3. This author's book is scheduled to come out in February of 2016.
First one to correctly name this judge gets a first chapter critique from MoulinMystery! I'll put a time limit of five days on this, but hopefully we won't need to worry about such things.
Other rules. Let's see...
You don't have to have entered or been picked for Query Kombat to play. Anyone may try and Name That Judge. There will be other posts with fresh judges coming up soon. You may enter more than one Name That Judge post. Though to be fair, you may only win once. You may only guess once on each post. You must leave a way to reach you--twitter handle or email address.
Play!
Name That Judge #2
We've got to get more challenging! You guys are too good! This judge is named. Check the comments for the answer and stay tuned for another round!
Ready for another of our little game of Name that Judge? There are 34 judges from Query Kombat, all with nicknames they used to vote. All are agented or published writers with experience in this business.
Some have agreed to join me and give away a prize to whoever guesses their nickname. You can find their bios at Mike's blog, SC's blog, and my blog. (No, I'm not providing the links. Where's the fun in that? But look in the May archive.) I will provide the list of judge names. Guessed judges are marked off.
Jessica KappKathleen AllenTracy TownsendLaura HeffernanMax WirestoneKristin B. WrightMary Ann MarloweBetsy AldredgeCarrie DuBoisNatasha RaulersonSarah Glenn MarshAmy TruebloodJudy ClemensWade Albert WhiteTatum FlynnKim LongJamie HowardRichard PearsonMelissa CarusoWendy NikelChristina JuneJ.C. DavisStephanie ScottCarrie AnnKendra YoungHeather Powell-van FleetAmanda HegerAnnika SharmaRena OlsenCale DietrichSharon ChriscoeMarty MayberryDan KoboldtMaragaret Fortune
This judge's nickname was YoSaffBridg. And they have provided a few hints:
Our judge YoSaffBridg, unlike the character of the same name, has just the one spouse. Although having never traveled beyond the planet Earth, YoSaffBridg has a fondness for aliens. This judge has been writing for decades and signed with an agent sometime after QueryKombat 2014 ended.
First one to correctly name this judge gets a synopsis critique of up to five pages from said judge! I'll put a time limit of five days on this, but hopefully we won't need to worry about such things.
Other rules. Let's see...
You don't have to have entered or been picked for Query Kombat to play. Anyone may try and Name That Judge. There will be other posts with fresh judges coming up soon. You may enter more than one Name That Judge post. Though to be fair, you may only win once. You may only guess once on each post. You must leave a way to reach you--twitter handle or email address.
Play!
Ready for another of our little game of Name that Judge? There are 34 judges from Query Kombat, all with nicknames they used to vote. All are agented or published writers with experience in this business.
Some have agreed to join me and give away a prize to whoever guesses their nickname. You can find their bios at Mike's blog, SC's blog, and my blog. (No, I'm not providing the links. Where's the fun in that? But look in the May archive.) I will provide the list of judge names. Guessed judges are marked off.
Jessica KappKathleen AllenTracy TownsendLaura HeffernanMax WirestoneKristin B. WrightMary Ann MarloweBetsy AldredgeCarrie DuBoisNatasha RaulersonSarah Glenn MarshAmy TruebloodJudy ClemensWade Albert WhiteTatum FlynnKim LongJamie HowardRichard PearsonMelissa CarusoWendy NikelChristina JuneJ.C. DavisStephanie ScottCarrie AnnKendra YoungHeather Powell-van FleetAmanda HegerAnnika SharmaRena OlsenCale DietrichSharon ChriscoeMarty MayberryDan KoboldtMaragaret Fortune
This judge's nickname was YoSaffBridg. And they have provided a few hints:
Our judge YoSaffBridg, unlike the character of the same name, has just the one spouse. Although having never traveled beyond the planet Earth, YoSaffBridg has a fondness for aliens. This judge has been writing for decades and signed with an agent sometime after QueryKombat 2014 ended.
First one to correctly name this judge gets a synopsis critique of up to five pages from said judge! I'll put a time limit of five days on this, but hopefully we won't need to worry about such things.
Other rules. Let's see...
You don't have to have entered or been picked for Query Kombat to play. Anyone may try and Name That Judge. There will be other posts with fresh judges coming up soon. You may enter more than one Name That Judge post. Though to be fair, you may only win once. You may only guess once on each post. You must leave a way to reach you--twitter handle or email address.
Play!
July 7, 2015
QUERY KOMBAT 2015 PICTURE BOOK CHAMPION
Niki Schoenfel
Niki Masse Schoenfeldt grew up in a small town in Western Massachusetts where she began writing stories as soon as she could pick up a pencil. Now, a displaced New Englander living in the south, she is a stay-at-home mom and is finally able to pursue her dream. Besides being a full time writer, Niki considers herself a wife, a mom, a friend and a professional beach bum. She is happiest with her toes in the sand and a book in her hand. She has a love for American History, baseball, (Go Red Sox!) nature and animals. She even once saved a sheep from drowning. You can follow her on twitter Twitter or check out her blog .
PB Championship Entry:
Entry Nickname: Eavesdropping Monkey
Title: FAMILY REUNION
Word count: 650
Genre: Children’s Picture Book - Funny
Query:
The elephants are planning a family reunion. When the monkeys overhear, they decide to have one, too. But they’re not the only ones. The whole family reunion concept is too good to miss out on and it spreads across the jungle like a Savanna grass fire! Soon the watering hole is filled to capacity with animals of different species; which causes a real bungle in the jungle. Tempers flare as each species fights for their right to reunite with their own kind. Finally, a wise frog speaks up with a whole new concept that blows the family reunion idea right out of the watering hole! FAMILY REUNION is an amusing tale of diversity and acceptance. It is approximately 650 words and is written mainly for the 4-8 age range.
First 250 words:
On a hot, steamy day in the Jungle of Kree,
A sly, nosey monkey swung from a tree.
He was eavesdropping on a large elephant herd,
And he hung there and listened to every last word.
“We’ll invite all our cousins from near and afar,”
Said the matriarch queen named Ali Dalmar.
Niki Masse Schoenfeldt grew up in a small town in Western Massachusetts where she began writing stories as soon as she could pick up a pencil. Now, a displaced New Englander living in the south, she is a stay-at-home mom and is finally able to pursue her dream. Besides being a full time writer, Niki considers herself a wife, a mom, a friend and a professional beach bum. She is happiest with her toes in the sand and a book in her hand. She has a love for American History, baseball, (Go Red Sox!) nature and animals. She even once saved a sheep from drowning. You can follow her on twitter Twitter or check out her blog .
PB Championship Entry:
Entry Nickname: Eavesdropping Monkey
Title: FAMILY REUNION
Word count: 650
Genre: Children’s Picture Book - Funny
Query:
The elephants are planning a family reunion. When the monkeys overhear, they decide to have one, too. But they’re not the only ones. The whole family reunion concept is too good to miss out on and it spreads across the jungle like a Savanna grass fire! Soon the watering hole is filled to capacity with animals of different species; which causes a real bungle in the jungle. Tempers flare as each species fights for their right to reunite with their own kind. Finally, a wise frog speaks up with a whole new concept that blows the family reunion idea right out of the watering hole! FAMILY REUNION is an amusing tale of diversity and acceptance. It is approximately 650 words and is written mainly for the 4-8 age range.
First 250 words:
On a hot, steamy day in the Jungle of Kree,
A sly, nosey monkey swung from a tree.
He was eavesdropping on a large elephant herd,
And he hung there and listened to every last word.
“We’ll invite all our cousins from near and afar,”
Said the matriarch queen named Ali Dalmar.
QUERY KOMBAT 2015 MG CHAMPION
Kaitlin Hundscheid
Kaitlin lives and teaches in Alabama. Though she prefers Earl Grey to sweet tea, Kaitlin is a staunch Southerner who believes in the power of y’all, yes ma’am, and darlin’. She spends her free time writing, reading, and harassing her cat. One day she’d like to own a brace of corgis and enough sheep to keep them entertained.
Congratulate her on Twitter and visit/follow her blog!
MG Championship Entry:
Entry Nickname: Librarians, Curses, and Mysteries – Oh My!
Title: The Curious Curse of the Lonely Library
Word Count: 56k
Genre: Upper Middle Grade Low Fantasy
Query:
The Pickettsville library has moldered in silence for two hundred years, but Theodore Plumford can sense that it’s special. Not just any library was founded by a madman.
Determined to spend the summer reading, twelve-year-old Theodore coaxes his reluctant siblings to explore the unusually grand library with him. Though the rest of Pickettsville refuses to darken its doors, the majestic building and its lively librarians soon enthrall the children. But when they discover that characters from the books are haunting the halls, an investigation into the library’s secrets leads them deep into one family’s peculiar history and one man’s troubled life.
As the Plumfords and librarians unravel the past, the library’s future seems brighter. But Theodore’s impetuous brother Hugo would rather have an adventure than follow orders, even if it throws the library into chaos. With the town clamoring to demolish the building, the characters fighting for their freedom, and Hugo playing by his own rules, Theodore’s mettle will be tested. The bookworm who has always lived through others’ stories must learn how to be his own hero if he’s going to save the library.
First 250:
Theodore Plumford’s neck prickled when they drove past the building on their way into town. The rest of Main Street was a collection of shabby stores, but this place stood apart like a wild beast among tabby cats.
Six white columns guarded a wide double door, and cold, silent windows rose between the pillars. On top of the building, rosy light streamed through the panes of a glass dome. It looked like a ball of fire upon a mammoth block of ice.
“Mom, what’s that?”
Mrs. Plumford twisted in her seat to follow Theodore’s pointing finger. She squinted into the sun. “We’ve never been there. You’ll have to ask your aunt.”
Theodore’s younger sister Lucy squirmed around to look at the building before it disappeared from view. “It looks scary,” she whispered.
“It looks boring,” said Hugo Plumford, elbowing Lucy in the center seat to make more room for himself. “Are we there yet?”
“Almost,” said Mr. Plumford. He turned the car into a neighborhood of prim houses in tidy rows, each so alike they might have been pressed from the same mold.
Hugo squashed his nose against the glass and groaned. “Can’t I go with you?”
“No,” said Mr. Plumford. “I’d prefer you weren’t eaten by a crocodile.”
“But I wouldn’t!”
“Hugo, you’d be trying to measure its teeth the minute I turned my back.”
Theodore stifled a sigh and hunkered over his book, determined to ignore the hundredth round of this debate.
QUERY KOMBAT 2015 YA CHAMPION
Leslie Miller
Leslie Miller grew up on a steady diet of Dr. Seuss until graduating to Nancy Drew. She is still on the lookout for wacky words and important clues, even to this day. Currently, Leslie lives near Denver, Colorado where she works as a ghostwriter and developmental editor by day, novelist by night, and watercolor artist whenever she has time. An incurable bookworm growing up, Leslie is surprised it took her so many years to start writing her own stories.
Leslie loves color and tries to incorporate it into her writing as vividly as in her paintings. A native New Yorker, Leslie worked in NY’s fashion industry as a dress patternmaker. She says, “You can take the girl out of fashion, but you can never take the fashion out of the girl.” Leslie’s novels incorporate her sense of whimsy and adventure. She hopes to take readers on a journey they won’t soon forget.
In her spare time, she paints watercolors, tramples merrily through thrift shops, binge-watches Shark Tank, and loudly out-sings contestants on The Voice.
Check out Leslie’s paintings on her Pinterest page. Contact Leslie for developmental and content editing or ghostwriting services. Check out her Facebook, Twitter, and YoutTbe!
YA Championship Entry:
Entry Nickname: Elephants Never Forget
Title: THE IVORY NEEDLE
Word Count: 72K
Genre: YA Contemporary Fantasy
Query:
Only two are yet remaining,
Precious magic ever waning . . .
That’s just part of the mysterious message 16-yr-old Chessie receives when she’s forced to visit her great-grandmother for the summer. Bad enough Gram lives in middle-of-nowhere, Kenya. But when Chessie’s contacted by the spirit of Jhelani, an eons-dead elephant, things take a total left turn toward weird. Communicating with cryptic songs and strange symbols, Jhelani’s message slowly emerges: if someone cannot save the last of her once-immortal tribe, the Earth may pay an unknown price. Freaked out and overwhelmed, Chessie shuts down, breaks communication, and refuses to help.
Meanwhile, Kenyan teen Daniel can’t feed his family when his crops fail. Desperate for work, he’s coerced into a gang of poachers with their sights set on a huge payday: the remaining elephants of Jhelani’s tribe. Just this one job, he swears. Then he’ll find honest work. Hold his head up again.
Chessie finally comes to a decision. She wants to be the kind of person who, as Gram would say, “grabs life by the tusks.” But by the time she finds the missing elephants, the poachers are closing in. With elephants charging and bullets flying, Chessie’s taken prisoner and her world and Daniel’s collide. To survive, Chessie must conquer her fears and seize a dangerous opportunity to escape. And Daniel must decide where he’ll draw the line: thief, poacher, or accessory to murder.
First 250:
When your family falls apart, I suppose you shouldn’t expect anything to be the same again. Not even your mother’s smile.
Mom’s goofy I-love-my-life smile hadn’t been seen in months, and I’d become all too familiar with the distant impostor that had replaced it. But the smile she wore right now? Pretty sure I’d never seen that one before. Like something you’d grab at the mall without stopping to try it on, it was too tight and way too bright.
And she was cooking, for the first time in months. “Mom? What’s going on?” I dropped into a kitchen chair and watched her pull something from the oven.
“Roast chicken? Dibs on the drumstick,” Bent shouted, slamming his scrawny ten-year-old frame into the chair nearest the chicken. He leaned across the table, freckled nose practically up the bird’s butt, and took a deep sniff. “Look, Chessie, mac-n-cheese, too.”
Mom set a tray of steaming cornbread on the table and sat down, still beaming. “Your great-gram has invited us to visit her. In Africa.”
I paused, forkful of mac-n-cheese halfway to my mouth. My stomach felt hollow. I had the feeling no amount of mac-n-cheese was going to fill it, not even one with four gourmet cheeses and a crispy crumb topping. “Can you get enough time off for a trip like that?”
Her smile flickered like the lights during a thunderstorm, right before the power went out for good. “I . . . I can’t go. But you two will go without me.”
Leslie Miller grew up on a steady diet of Dr. Seuss until graduating to Nancy Drew. She is still on the lookout for wacky words and important clues, even to this day. Currently, Leslie lives near Denver, Colorado where she works as a ghostwriter and developmental editor by day, novelist by night, and watercolor artist whenever she has time. An incurable bookworm growing up, Leslie is surprised it took her so many years to start writing her own stories.Leslie loves color and tries to incorporate it into her writing as vividly as in her paintings. A native New Yorker, Leslie worked in NY’s fashion industry as a dress patternmaker. She says, “You can take the girl out of fashion, but you can never take the fashion out of the girl.” Leslie’s novels incorporate her sense of whimsy and adventure. She hopes to take readers on a journey they won’t soon forget.
In her spare time, she paints watercolors, tramples merrily through thrift shops, binge-watches Shark Tank, and loudly out-sings contestants on The Voice.
Check out Leslie’s paintings on her Pinterest page. Contact Leslie for developmental and content editing or ghostwriting services. Check out her Facebook, Twitter, and YoutTbe!
YA Championship Entry:
Entry Nickname: Elephants Never Forget
Title: THE IVORY NEEDLE
Word Count: 72K
Genre: YA Contemporary Fantasy
Query:
Only two are yet remaining,
Precious magic ever waning . . .
That’s just part of the mysterious message 16-yr-old Chessie receives when she’s forced to visit her great-grandmother for the summer. Bad enough Gram lives in middle-of-nowhere, Kenya. But when Chessie’s contacted by the spirit of Jhelani, an eons-dead elephant, things take a total left turn toward weird. Communicating with cryptic songs and strange symbols, Jhelani’s message slowly emerges: if someone cannot save the last of her once-immortal tribe, the Earth may pay an unknown price. Freaked out and overwhelmed, Chessie shuts down, breaks communication, and refuses to help.
Meanwhile, Kenyan teen Daniel can’t feed his family when his crops fail. Desperate for work, he’s coerced into a gang of poachers with their sights set on a huge payday: the remaining elephants of Jhelani’s tribe. Just this one job, he swears. Then he’ll find honest work. Hold his head up again.
Chessie finally comes to a decision. She wants to be the kind of person who, as Gram would say, “grabs life by the tusks.” But by the time she finds the missing elephants, the poachers are closing in. With elephants charging and bullets flying, Chessie’s taken prisoner and her world and Daniel’s collide. To survive, Chessie must conquer her fears and seize a dangerous opportunity to escape. And Daniel must decide where he’ll draw the line: thief, poacher, or accessory to murder.
First 250:
When your family falls apart, I suppose you shouldn’t expect anything to be the same again. Not even your mother’s smile.
Mom’s goofy I-love-my-life smile hadn’t been seen in months, and I’d become all too familiar with the distant impostor that had replaced it. But the smile she wore right now? Pretty sure I’d never seen that one before. Like something you’d grab at the mall without stopping to try it on, it was too tight and way too bright.
And she was cooking, for the first time in months. “Mom? What’s going on?” I dropped into a kitchen chair and watched her pull something from the oven.
“Roast chicken? Dibs on the drumstick,” Bent shouted, slamming his scrawny ten-year-old frame into the chair nearest the chicken. He leaned across the table, freckled nose practically up the bird’s butt, and took a deep sniff. “Look, Chessie, mac-n-cheese, too.”
Mom set a tray of steaming cornbread on the table and sat down, still beaming. “Your great-gram has invited us to visit her. In Africa.”
I paused, forkful of mac-n-cheese halfway to my mouth. My stomach felt hollow. I had the feeling no amount of mac-n-cheese was going to fill it, not even one with four gourmet cheeses and a crispy crumb topping. “Can you get enough time off for a trip like that?”
Her smile flickered like the lights during a thunderstorm, right before the power went out for good. “I . . . I can’t go. But you two will go without me.”
QUERY KOMBAT 2015 NA CHAMPIONS
Since one entry switched age-category mid-way through the contest, we've got TWO NA Champions that will share the badge/award :D (No fighting.)
Sarah Emery & Carlyn Greenwald
Sarah is a mom, army wife, and vegan baker. In her spare time, she cleans pug hair off all surfaces and wishes her migraines would let her drink more coffee. A New Englander by birth, she's thrilled to live in northern New York after sweltering away in the south for five years. She loves writing YA and NA because that age represents a time of hope and change, and she believes we could all use a little more of each. She can usually be found wasting time on twitter.
Entry Nickname: A Thousand Miles AstrayTitle: PERMANENTLY UNDECLAREDWord Count: 60,000Genre: NA Contemporary
Query:
Eighteen-year-old Lotus Adams has no interest in college. The classes are boring, the frat boys are slobbery, and the beer is downright nasty. She’d rather be on the open road in her dad’s vintage RV, Flora, but without some costly repairs, Flora is unlivable. Her mom doesn’t want her to go traipsing around the country like her long-gone dad, so she makes Lotus a deal. Finish her first year of college with a 3.5 GPA, and mom will pay for all Flora’s repairs.
For eighteen-year-old Aaron Kim, the anonymity of college is a relief. After finding his girlfriend in bed with a friend, he threw himself into homework, work, and working out. Aside from his family and his best friend, he’s cut himself off from everyone. But after meeting free-spirited Lotus, he wonders if he was wrong to drop out of life. Already committed to his education, he decides to give love another chance.
Only Lotus knows their time together is limited. When she finishes the year and gets Flora, she’s never going back to college, never going back to live with her workaholic, absent mom. Instead of school, she’ll tour the country, and Aaron will stay at college. With freshman year ticking to a close, Aaron has to stop Lotus from dropping out of school and their relationship. If he fails, they’ll lose each other forever.
First 250:
The grassy quad stretched out in front of me, an endless sea of students adorned in Crandall State’s colors. I was too busy sweating my ass off to look for my new roommate, so I plopped down on the edge of the lawn.
“Like sheep,” I muttered. This was too much. I needed space and the open road. I needed to know where dad was, not waste another year at school.
“What’s that?” asked the guy next to me.
“We’re sheep. What’s the point of all this, anyway? Some form of torture?”
“I think they call it ‘freshman orientation,’ actually.” He sounded amused and I sneaked a peek at him, wondering why he was wasting his breath. He stared at me from under black Ray-Bans, his white hat turned backwards. Dumb. “I take it you aren’t a fan of higher learning?”
“It was my mom’s idea. You know, if that hat was on the right way, you wouldn’t need the sunglasses.”
He smiled broadly, his shiny perfect teeth flashing at me. “I always need the sunglasses. This way, the hat stays out of my way.”
Ridiculous. “Then why wear the hat at all?”
“Bad hair day.” Everything in me said turn away, kill this conversation now.
“What, out of mousse before the first day?”
Dammit.
“Maybe I misplaced my flat iron.” He yanked off the hat and pulled his hand through glossy black hair. It fell into place immediately.
Not a bad hair day.
Carlyn Greenwald is a writer, student, and decently sized superhero, mystery, and animation nerd. Her writing passion lies in the problems of 14-24 year olds, within a range of subgenres from mystery to historical. Anything that has at least one murder, a nice-looking guy, and some witty banter will do. When not writing, she enjoys reading, swimming, drawing, and running multi-fandom blogs (Tumblr: thewittywriter). She splits her time between Manhattan Beach, CA with her family and University of Southern California with various wacky roommates.
Visit her Website; and congratulate her on Twitter!!
Entry Nickname: A Girl and Her Serial Killer
Title: The Confidant
Word count: 62k
Genre: NA Thriller
Query:
18-year-old Stella Stokes has a secret: Gideon, a dashing English serial killer in the novels she writes, actually talks to her. He’s been by her side, offering somewhat twisted peanut gallery commentary, advice, and affection for every pathetic turn in her adolescent life. Sure, some of his darker suggestions scareher, she’s never been worried about his presence. After all, she’s the only one who can interact with him; he can’t really kill anyone.
The summer following high school graduation, Stella and her best friend, supernatural-obsessed, trans-man Quinn, decide to take a few weeks to explore California. However, their first stop at an idyllic beach town isn’t quite as calming as they would’ve hoped: a local’s prank gone horribly wrong leaves Quinn and Stella standing dumbstruck over four dead bodies. As they clean up the mess and flee town, Stella can’t help but notice Gideon’s signature all over the murders.
Now, Stella has no choice but figure out what Gideon is: ghost, demon, byproduct of mental illness, or something else entirely. Because if Gideon is more than an imaginary friend, not only could he really begin a murder spree, but maybe he really could force her to kill with him. As bodies stack up around them, Stella has to keep one step ahead of the authorities, keep Quinn safe, and most importantly, prove that the writer is more powerful than the creation.
First 250 words:
"You're barmy if you don't think a paid professional screwing up your haircut is enough reason to kill them.”
I open my drawer and snatch the first two pieces of water-friendly fabric I see. The unsolicited advice comes from Gideon, who lies on my bed tossing a dragon figurine from hand to hand. We’ve been talking for five minutes, and I’m so done.
“No, Gideon, you’re…whatever you just said if you think I'm going to murder someone because she cut my hair too short,” I say. “Besides, you’re English. Your people would rather suffer in silence than complain about a subpar haircut. Turn around.”Gideon rolls his eyes and turns his back to me. I slip into my bikini.
“This figurine is a good density. An ideal bludgeoning weapon—”
“Don’t change the subject.”
I reach for my cover-up, but stop as Gideon wraps his arms around my waist.
“C’mon, poppet. Have I steered you wrong before?”
I resist a smile as he presses his lips to my throat. The moment almost lasts, but a thunk from inside my bathroom brings me back to reality: my best friend Quinn is changing in there, and when he comes out, he won’t be able to see Gideon.
After all, I'm the only person who can interact with him.
I pull away and return my figurine to the shelf, hoping Gideon gets the message. His words roll around my mind, and my eyes linger on the golden dragon.
It is dense.
CONGRATS BOTH OF YOU!!!
QUERY KOMBAT 2015 ADULT CHAMPION
J.A. Bellinger
J. A. Bellinger lives in her hometown of Indianapolis, a sweet city whose appeal only occurred to her after she had lived in six other places. Brisbane, Australia, where she spent a semester during college, provides the setting for her first novel, The Art of Almost. Bellinger still loves to travel, despite having once awoken to a cockroach scuttling across her cheek and having lived for months in a thinly walled mountain cabin, where a wood-burning stove provided both heat and a lovely substitute for TV. It was huddled by that stove that she met her husband, whom she wooed with the dozens of CDs crammed into her backpack. Bellinger is fascinated by why people make the choices they do and by what happens when regret creeps in, when the what ifs take over. In The Art of Almost, she gives readers the chance to live out those possibilities through the protagonist, Anna Marin.
Congratulate her on Twitter!
Adult Championship Entry:
Entry Nickname: If You Give a Girl a Redo
Title: The Art of Almost
Word count: 104,000
Genre: Upmarket Women’s Fiction
Query:
32-year-old Anna Marin already carries too many regrets. She’s still pining for the one who got away and can’t forgive herself for the fallout from her mother’s stroke. On a flight home to marry the wrong man, Anna realizes she must take control of her life and stop living in the past.
But when she wakes as her 20-year-old self en route to her semester abroad in Australia, it seems fate has a different idea: a second chance with Charlie Beckham, the older man she was drawn to but never pursued. This time Anna falls hard, and being with Charlie is even better than what she’s imagined.
Yet if Anna’s history plays out as it once did, in a few months her mother will suffer a debilitating stroke. And Anna’s baby sister will begin a downward spiral from which she never recovers. When Anna’s efforts to change the future from across the Pacific fail, she must make an impossible decision: walk away from the love of her life—again—or stay with Charlie and abandon her family.
Adding to Anna’s distress, her on-and-off college boyfriend (and future fiancé) flies to Australia to win her back. Seeing him as the boy she fell in love with, Anna finally realizes she also played a part in their relationship’s unraveling. As he shows a side Anna’s never seen, and it becomes clear Charlie cannot leave Australia, Anna wonders whether part of her mission is rewriting her first love story.
First 250 words:
I tried to steady my breathing as Nick lowered down on one knee. A cool spring breeze blew petal confetti toward us, so gently that bits of white and pink remained suspended in midair before fluttering to the ground. Shushing spread through the people surrounding us; suddenly it made sense why our family and friends all happened to show up at the same benefit. Even the river, humming low and deep like a bass line just beyond the hotel courtyard, slowed to a crawl.
And yet I couldn’t hit pause, take a second to reflect on how I’d let it get so far.
“Anna Jane, you are my past and my future. You’re all of my best memories and the center of every great moment to come. And so to you I present—” here he paused to allow sufficient time to appreciate his pun—“this ring. It’s time we made it official!”
The choreography was perfect.
I tried to speak, to tell him it felt like I was disappearing. That putting a ring on my finger would sever the last threads tying me to the earth. But the words went sliding down some shadowy passage, piling on top of all the other things I never said.
Nick’s speech kept going, though not a word registered. I searched the gowns and tuxedoes for a flash of crimson and looked up. My eyes met my sister Claire’s and I immediately regretted it. Hers held a question; mine, a plea.
I had to look away or I’d cry. Or scream.
CONGRATS!! :DD
J. A. Bellinger lives in her hometown of Indianapolis, a sweet city whose appeal only occurred to her after she had lived in six other places. Brisbane, Australia, where she spent a semester during college, provides the setting for her first novel, The Art of Almost. Bellinger still loves to travel, despite having once awoken to a cockroach scuttling across her cheek and having lived for months in a thinly walled mountain cabin, where a wood-burning stove provided both heat and a lovely substitute for TV. It was huddled by that stove that she met her husband, whom she wooed with the dozens of CDs crammed into her backpack. Bellinger is fascinated by why people make the choices they do and by what happens when regret creeps in, when the what ifs take over. In The Art of Almost, she gives readers the chance to live out those possibilities through the protagonist, Anna Marin. Congratulate her on Twitter!
Adult Championship Entry:
Entry Nickname: If You Give a Girl a Redo
Title: The Art of Almost
Word count: 104,000
Genre: Upmarket Women’s Fiction
Query:
32-year-old Anna Marin already carries too many regrets. She’s still pining for the one who got away and can’t forgive herself for the fallout from her mother’s stroke. On a flight home to marry the wrong man, Anna realizes she must take control of her life and stop living in the past.
But when she wakes as her 20-year-old self en route to her semester abroad in Australia, it seems fate has a different idea: a second chance with Charlie Beckham, the older man she was drawn to but never pursued. This time Anna falls hard, and being with Charlie is even better than what she’s imagined.
Yet if Anna’s history plays out as it once did, in a few months her mother will suffer a debilitating stroke. And Anna’s baby sister will begin a downward spiral from which she never recovers. When Anna’s efforts to change the future from across the Pacific fail, she must make an impossible decision: walk away from the love of her life—again—or stay with Charlie and abandon her family.
Adding to Anna’s distress, her on-and-off college boyfriend (and future fiancé) flies to Australia to win her back. Seeing him as the boy she fell in love with, Anna finally realizes she also played a part in their relationship’s unraveling. As he shows a side Anna’s never seen, and it becomes clear Charlie cannot leave Australia, Anna wonders whether part of her mission is rewriting her first love story.
First 250 words:
I tried to steady my breathing as Nick lowered down on one knee. A cool spring breeze blew petal confetti toward us, so gently that bits of white and pink remained suspended in midair before fluttering to the ground. Shushing spread through the people surrounding us; suddenly it made sense why our family and friends all happened to show up at the same benefit. Even the river, humming low and deep like a bass line just beyond the hotel courtyard, slowed to a crawl.
And yet I couldn’t hit pause, take a second to reflect on how I’d let it get so far.
“Anna Jane, you are my past and my future. You’re all of my best memories and the center of every great moment to come. And so to you I present—” here he paused to allow sufficient time to appreciate his pun—“this ring. It’s time we made it official!”
The choreography was perfect.
I tried to speak, to tell him it felt like I was disappearing. That putting a ring on my finger would sever the last threads tying me to the earth. But the words went sliding down some shadowy passage, piling on top of all the other things I never said.
Nick’s speech kept going, though not a word registered. I searched the gowns and tuxedoes for a flash of crimson and looked up. My eyes met my sister Claire’s and I immediately regretted it. Hers held a question; mine, a plea.
I had to look away or I’d cry. Or scream.
CONGRATS!! :DD
THE QUERY KOMBAT 2015 GRAND CHAMPION
Katherine McIntyre
Kate McIntyre is a former geologist turned scientific editor, parent and fiction writer. She’s the author of De knikkelares, a middle grade fantasy, published in Dutch. Kate lives with her family in a crooked house in a small city in the northern Netherlands. In her rare free time she likes to sew while listening to very loud rock music. If she had a punk band it would be called “Seam Ripper”.
Congratulate her on Twitter!
Champion Entry:
Entry Nickname: Best(iary) WesternTitle: Fugitive Motel
Word count: 90K
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy
By day, fifteen-year-old Iris Vox sleepwalks through high school. By night, she plays a grown-up behind the reception desk of her father’s Kansas hotel, checking supernatural Others in and out. Quick with a dart gun or a convenient lie, Iris provides her guests with live food, fresh blood, or a quiet place to spin a web.
It’s the only life Iris has ever known, but it was safer when her dad didn’t spend so much time a human smoothie. Born with a hereditary curse, he liquefies then pupates back to his normal shape. Dad’s metamorphosis used to happen on a schedule. Now it comes without warning, leaving Iris to hold everything together.
Just as sleep is a luxury to Iris, so is the truth. Her father won’t admit that something’s changed in his curse, or where her mother went. Enraged by her father’s silence, Iris turns to her guests for human contact. Consoling a vampire’s fading blood moll, soothing the self-hate of werewolves, and helping a handsome insect learn to fly, Iris finds her role as listener and solace. While Iris navigates her anger, the curses that fuel the Other world get stronger and stranger. Deeply buried magic is rising to the surface, bringing with it ancient beings who lack the “humanity” that makes Others worth protecting.
Faced with how these new beings will corrupt and endanger the world of Others, Iris finally learns her father’s secret, and its cost to her family. Now she has to decide whether she wants to become the next Innkeeper, or leave the Other world behind.
The 250:
5:45 a.m.
A man staggers in through our automatic doors. Glad for some action, I slide last month’s National Geographic under the counter to focus on my customer. Nothing special about him; anyone else would see a regional salesman coming in after driving all night. An older man with skin like a re-used paper bag.
But the stagger…it’s not quite right. Drunks weave. This guy lurches forward like he’s got an absolute goal. Our desk. Me.
Yep. Pale, sullen, haggard with a side of desperate determination? Definitely looks like one of ours, but I have to be sure.
“Can I help you, Sir?”
“Have you got a room, Miss?”
The man grips the rim of the counter to steady himself. His well-groomed fingernails point toward me. With a great effort he lifts his left hand and slaps it on the counter twice. That’s good. It’s half the sign. Still, he’s not finished performing.
“What are you looking for exactly, Sir?” I prompt.
There’s a long anxious pause as he tries to remember. He grips so hard that his nail beds turn whitish gray. My right hand creeps under the counter so that my index finger can rest on the pebbled steel of the trigger. I feel it and my heart rate drops.
“Rest and feed,” the man answers finally, fishing the words from some hard-to-access place in his brain, laying them out heavily on the counter.
Bingo.
The words before the knocks would have better though. Doing it backwards means he’s starving.
CONGRATS CONGRATS CONGRATS!!!
