Krista Van Dolzer's Blog, page 10

The Living Christ

Several months ago, I asked myself how I could make my Sabbath-day worship more meaningful, and one of the thoughts I had was that I could memorize "The Living Christ." This proclamation was issued on January 1, 2000, a few weeks before my sixteenth birthday, by fifteen men who stand as special witnesses of Jesus Christ. On last Sunday, exactly one week before Christmas, I memorized the last paragraph, so in keeping with this Christmas season, I thought I'd share it with you.

What follows is m...

Are You Hooked?

I entered Bonnie's first page in this week's in-house critique session over at Authoress's blog. This story is probably closer to my own truth than any of the other stories I've written, and for the last couple of months, I've been seriously thinking about self-publishing it. If you have a few minutes, I'd love to hear what you think!

Where Are We Supposed to Go from Here?

I'm not sure what to say right now. I keep logging on to Twitter, scrolling through my feed, getting sad/tired/upset, and logging back out. I can't deal with the world right now, not its hatred, not its violence, not its nastiness.

In some ways, I feel like an outsider looking in. I didn't vote for Mr. Trump, but I didn't vote for Ms. Clinton, either. As a compassionate conservative, I feared--and still fear--a Trump presidency, but I couldn't get behind enough of Ms. Clinton's policies to rea...

Five Winners!

Without any ado, Dr. Stender's winners:

#12 THE TITANIC CAPER
#20 ESCAPING FATE

THE TITANIC CAPER and ESCAPING FATE win full requests!

#19 SOUL RIPPER

SOUL RIPPER wins a request for the first 100 pages!

#4 VERY CAREFULLY AND NOT ALL AT ONCE

VERY CAREFULLY wins a request for the first 75 pages!

#23 LIGHT KEEPER

LIGHT KEEPER wins a request for the first 50 pages!

Congratulations, winners! Please e-mail me at kvandolzer(at)gmail(dot)com for instructions on how to submit your materials.
Lastly, a big thank-...

The Agent = Uwe Stender of Triada US Literary Agency

This month's agent was Uwe Stender of Triada US Literary Agency! From his website: "Literary Agent Dr. Uwe Stender is a Full Member of the AAR (Association of Authors' Representatives). He is interested in all kinds of commercial fiction, especially Young Adult, Middle Grade, Mysteries, and Women's Fiction. He is also interested in all kinds of non-fiction projects. But surprise him, his tastes are eclectic, and he may just love what you wrote!

"His favorite five novels right now are: Eleanor...

It's "An Agent's Inbox" Time!

Check out the entries below, then leave some feedback in the comments if you feel so inclined. (ENTRANTS, PLEASE REMEMBER TO CRITIQUE AT LEAST THREE OTHER ENTRIES!) And I'm sure this goes without saying, but please keep your comments constructive (i.e., not rude or mean-spirited). If you want to think like The Agent, you might consider the question, "If you were an agent, would you request more of this entry?"

I'll reveal The Agent's identity and announce his or her winners and prizes at the b...

An Agent's Inbox #25

Dear Mystery Agent:
DANGER TASTES DREADFUL is a middle grade fantasy, complete at 34,000 words. Think of the gentle humor and friendship in Eva Ibbotson's THE GREAT GHOST RESCUE with the classic adventure style of the NARNIA books. The novel stands alone, but has series potential.
Ten-year-old Bernie is a troll, and trolls should be fearless. At least, that’s what Bernie’s dad says. But before Bernie gets a chance to prove himself, giants stomp into the forest and steal his parents. Now, the ti...

An Agent's Inbox #24

Dear guest agent,
THE MALATHION EFFECT is a 67,000-word young adult/speculative fiction riff on The Dead Zone and Jay Asher/Carolyn Mackler’s The Future of Us.
Fifteen-year-old Cameron Riker struggles to master a mysterious illness that allows her to see glimpses of the future. Bad ones. She’s both excited and overwhelmed by her new powers. How far into the future can she see? And more importantly--who can she save? 
As Cameron tests her limits, the illness threatens to destroy the health a...

An Agent's Inbox #23

Dear Agent, 
The last of her ancient order, Rapunzel refuses to sit in her tower and be hunted for the magic that now lives in her golden hair alone. Betraying the extraordinary abilities gifted to her through that very magic, she takes up arms and strikes back at those responsible for murdering her family as an assassin like no other. An assassin that won’t stop until the King burns. 
After a botched attempt on the life of the King’s one and only heir, Rapunzel unexpectedly finds her...

An Agent's Inbox #22

Dear Agent,
I am seeking representation for my YA contemporary thriller, THE LAST AMENDMENT, complete at 64,000 words. Framed around society’s festering racial divide, THE LAST AMENDMENT addresses the struggle many people still bear when dealing with race. It’s a story proving that the measure of one’s character is found in the heart, not skin, as the bond of brotherhood restores faith in a time of conflict.

War zones, firing squads, border disputes, bounty hunters, POW torture; all things fou...