QK Round 2: Beards vs. Bounty and the Beast
Title: Chai, Beards, and HarmonyEntry Nickname: BeardsWord count: 71KGenre: Contemporary Adult Rom-Com (Own Voices)
Amira Khan is too old for her dorm and exhausted from reporters’ constant calls for her personal 'hot take' on Islamophobia. She needs peace and quiet, and intends to get it by leaving grad school early to finish her thesis at her grandmother's house. But it turns out, her grandmother rented the basement to… a barbershop quartet?! Amira needs silence; they need to rehearse for an upcoming competition, and the overgrown garden-gnome of a baritone is making her absolutely crazy.
For the sake of his family, baritone Duncan Galahad has to stay in the tiny town he calls home. But he needs big-city cred even for small-town gigs these days. Winning this competition might give him top billing, so he won’t let an outspoken, overbearing engineer like Amira get in his way. Even if outspoken, overbearing women are his exact catnip, Duncan knows women like that have no time for small-town singers with no steady pay-check. And Amira might be way too much… even for his tastes.
Amira finds harmonious friendship with the misfit singers. And she finds that clashing with Duncan outside the bedroom only means hitting all the right notes between the sheets.
But their differences are more than skin deep. Duncan comes from a world that sees Amira as nothing more than a cautionary tale against multiculturalism. And Amira long ago decided that only someone like her could understand her. When family, jobs, and distance pile up to make their connection seem impossible, Amira and Duncan realise that to make it work, they have to not only accept their differences… but fight for them.
First 250:
If there was a Sufi Saint protecting single women travelers Amira Khan was sure she’d royally pissed her off at some point in a previous life.
The last time she’d tried to travel, she’d been unceremoniously escorted out of the security clearance area of Toronto airport, having been denied boarding her flight to Philadelphia. Nothing like that could happen now— this was a train, and there was no border crossing between her university in Kingston and her house in Toronto. No border meant no overzealous guards accusing her of terrorism because of her last name and fondness for Arabic calligraphy. But seeing as her train appeared to be stuck in some place called Port Hope, and a creepy man wearing silver pants was leering at her, Amira clearly couldn't trust any deity to help her reach her destination unscathed.
She peeked at the creep. Shiny grey pants, black shirt open to reveal a silvery undershirt, plus gold chains and a vile facial expression. Fuck. Amira hated traveling alone. She’d left grad school early because of overly creepy members of the male species— only to get stuck on an almost-empty train car with one.
Finally, the doors slid open for new passengers. Good. More people meant more protection should things get hairy with the slick sleaze. Only one boarded— a large man with a lurid, orangey-red beard. Holy hell, that was bright. He accessorized his facial hair with a red-plaid flannel shirt and black suspenders, resulting in a look that could only be described as Garden-Gnome chic.
VERSUS
Title: Dangerous Beasts
Entry nickname: Bounty and the Beast
Word count: 85,000
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance
Query:
Exiled beast charmer Leena Edenfrell is in deep shit. An empty pocketbook pushes her to sell her mythological beasts on the black market—an offense punishable by death—and the Charmers Council has just the assassin for the job. With the realm’s most talented murderer for hire nipping at her heels, Leena makes him an offer he can’t refuse—a promise to procure a handful of magical creatures in exchange for her life.
For assassin Noc, murder comes easy and pays well. So when Leena’s life falls into his capable hands, he doesn’t hesitate to accept the bounty. But only fools pass up the chance to own a rare and powerful magical beast—let alone one for each of his closest friends. Agreeing to her terms, Noc quietly keeps the hit live on Leena’s head until the creatures are his. Two paychecks, one job, no sleep lost.
Embarking on a hunt across the countryside of Lendria, Leena, Noc and his trusted band of assassins follow the trails. But traps capture more than beasts, and ensnared hearts are hard to untangle. Bound by the magic of the assassin’s oath, Noc can’t renege the price on Leena’s head—unless he wants to sacrifice his own. Yet, neither he nor Leena can tame their growing feelings, and the ever-watchful eye of the Council calls for blood. But with Noc’s hands and heart tied, no manner of beasts or money can protect Leena’s hide.
First 250:
By the time evening fell, three things were certain: the gelatinous chunks of lamb were absolute shit, my beady-eyed client was hankering for more than the beasts in my pocket, and I was being watched.
Two out of the three were normal for my after-hours dealings.
Sliding my meat to the side, I propped my elbows against the heavy wood-plank table. My client lasted two seconds before his black gaze roved to the book-shaped locket dangling in my cleavage. Wedging his thick fingers between his shirt collar and neck, he tugged gently on the fabric.
“You have what I came for?” Nasally and high-pitched, his voice grated along my skin. A businessman. A rare visitor in the black market bar of Midnight Jester. My pocket hummed with the possibility of money, and I fingered the copper key hidden in my jeans. Sinking further into the booth crammed against the shiplap wall, the cracking black cushions let out a soft oof.
“Maybe.” I nudged the metal dinner plate farther away, and the gray meat jiggled. “How did you find me?”
Dez, the bartender, sourced most of my clients, but a businessman? Neckties and Midnight Jester didn’t mingle. Shady with a side of grime, the regulars were as dirty as the floors. The unseen pair of eyes lingering in a dark recess of the bar burrowed further into the back of my head. Earlier, faint movement from the shadows had flickered into my awareness. Movement that should have gone unnoticed, but I’d learned to be prepared for such things.
Amira Khan is too old for her dorm and exhausted from reporters’ constant calls for her personal 'hot take' on Islamophobia. She needs peace and quiet, and intends to get it by leaving grad school early to finish her thesis at her grandmother's house. But it turns out, her grandmother rented the basement to… a barbershop quartet?! Amira needs silence; they need to rehearse for an upcoming competition, and the overgrown garden-gnome of a baritone is making her absolutely crazy.
For the sake of his family, baritone Duncan Galahad has to stay in the tiny town he calls home. But he needs big-city cred even for small-town gigs these days. Winning this competition might give him top billing, so he won’t let an outspoken, overbearing engineer like Amira get in his way. Even if outspoken, overbearing women are his exact catnip, Duncan knows women like that have no time for small-town singers with no steady pay-check. And Amira might be way too much… even for his tastes.
Amira finds harmonious friendship with the misfit singers. And she finds that clashing with Duncan outside the bedroom only means hitting all the right notes between the sheets.
But their differences are more than skin deep. Duncan comes from a world that sees Amira as nothing more than a cautionary tale against multiculturalism. And Amira long ago decided that only someone like her could understand her. When family, jobs, and distance pile up to make their connection seem impossible, Amira and Duncan realise that to make it work, they have to not only accept their differences… but fight for them.
First 250:
If there was a Sufi Saint protecting single women travelers Amira Khan was sure she’d royally pissed her off at some point in a previous life.
The last time she’d tried to travel, she’d been unceremoniously escorted out of the security clearance area of Toronto airport, having been denied boarding her flight to Philadelphia. Nothing like that could happen now— this was a train, and there was no border crossing between her university in Kingston and her house in Toronto. No border meant no overzealous guards accusing her of terrorism because of her last name and fondness for Arabic calligraphy. But seeing as her train appeared to be stuck in some place called Port Hope, and a creepy man wearing silver pants was leering at her, Amira clearly couldn't trust any deity to help her reach her destination unscathed.
She peeked at the creep. Shiny grey pants, black shirt open to reveal a silvery undershirt, plus gold chains and a vile facial expression. Fuck. Amira hated traveling alone. She’d left grad school early because of overly creepy members of the male species— only to get stuck on an almost-empty train car with one.
Finally, the doors slid open for new passengers. Good. More people meant more protection should things get hairy with the slick sleaze. Only one boarded— a large man with a lurid, orangey-red beard. Holy hell, that was bright. He accessorized his facial hair with a red-plaid flannel shirt and black suspenders, resulting in a look that could only be described as Garden-Gnome chic.
VERSUS
Title: Dangerous Beasts
Entry nickname: Bounty and the Beast
Word count: 85,000
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance
Query:
Exiled beast charmer Leena Edenfrell is in deep shit. An empty pocketbook pushes her to sell her mythological beasts on the black market—an offense punishable by death—and the Charmers Council has just the assassin for the job. With the realm’s most talented murderer for hire nipping at her heels, Leena makes him an offer he can’t refuse—a promise to procure a handful of magical creatures in exchange for her life.
For assassin Noc, murder comes easy and pays well. So when Leena’s life falls into his capable hands, he doesn’t hesitate to accept the bounty. But only fools pass up the chance to own a rare and powerful magical beast—let alone one for each of his closest friends. Agreeing to her terms, Noc quietly keeps the hit live on Leena’s head until the creatures are his. Two paychecks, one job, no sleep lost.
Embarking on a hunt across the countryside of Lendria, Leena, Noc and his trusted band of assassins follow the trails. But traps capture more than beasts, and ensnared hearts are hard to untangle. Bound by the magic of the assassin’s oath, Noc can’t renege the price on Leena’s head—unless he wants to sacrifice his own. Yet, neither he nor Leena can tame their growing feelings, and the ever-watchful eye of the Council calls for blood. But with Noc’s hands and heart tied, no manner of beasts or money can protect Leena’s hide.
First 250:
By the time evening fell, three things were certain: the gelatinous chunks of lamb were absolute shit, my beady-eyed client was hankering for more than the beasts in my pocket, and I was being watched.
Two out of the three were normal for my after-hours dealings.
Sliding my meat to the side, I propped my elbows against the heavy wood-plank table. My client lasted two seconds before his black gaze roved to the book-shaped locket dangling in my cleavage. Wedging his thick fingers between his shirt collar and neck, he tugged gently on the fabric.
“You have what I came for?” Nasally and high-pitched, his voice grated along my skin. A businessman. A rare visitor in the black market bar of Midnight Jester. My pocket hummed with the possibility of money, and I fingered the copper key hidden in my jeans. Sinking further into the booth crammed against the shiplap wall, the cracking black cushions let out a soft oof.
“Maybe.” I nudged the metal dinner plate farther away, and the gray meat jiggled. “How did you find me?”
Dez, the bartender, sourced most of my clients, but a businessman? Neckties and Midnight Jester didn’t mingle. Shady with a side of grime, the regulars were as dirty as the floors. The unseen pair of eyes lingering in a dark recess of the bar burrowed further into the back of my head. Earlier, faint movement from the shadows had flickered into my awareness. Movement that should have gone unnoticed, but I’d learned to be prepared for such things.
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