Trends in Contests

Now that Pitchslam is over, I decided to put together a few thoughts on how contests have changed and where they might be headed.

Twitter parties are growing and getting bigger. There is much more chatter and spontaneous games on the twitter feed than ever before. Writers are joining twitter simply to hang out under contest hashtags and interact with other writers. They're making friends, finding CPs, and interacting more than ever before. It's a fun and wonderful result of contests.

On the other side, while agents are still eager to take part in contests and be part of the show, there is a change here. Agents are much less free with their requests than ever before. While last year and the year before, one blog of entries (10-12) might receive thirty requests; now the same group of entries would be more likely to garner half that in requests. This year, agents who used to do seven or eight requests each on a blog, now settle for two to three, or even zero requests.

The agents are being much more selective. Perhaps they overdid it in the past and lived with the result of tons of manuscripts to read filling their inbox. Perhaps they are not seeing what is marketable in recent contests or their wishlists are much narrower. But even the requests that do come through are for fewer pages than in the past.

I had only one full request in Pitchslam and the majority of requests were on the lower end of the scale, asking for twenty-five pages instead of fifty or one hundred. In the past, there were usually a couple of full requests and many more larger samples sought.

I can't begin to predict whether that will carry forward into future contests. Perhaps there are simply too many contests, packed too close together. It makes for interesting speculation.

Also there is a decided trend away from adult entries and toward YA and middle grade. That was always the case, but even more than usual now. Adult entries are virtually ignored. Perhaps the adult writers are relying too much on tried and true plots and not experimenting enough. Who can say? But I have noticed another trend toward high concept and multicultural plots.

Agents tend to agree (even when the comments are hidden) on requesting entries with multicultural plots. Plots which have elements of other cultures are almost sure to get requests--in YA and middle grade. As are plots that are very unique and haven't been seen before--what I call high concept. Unusually and fresh plots are easy to spot when you've read hundreds of query letters. They do stand out from the crowd just by virtue of being different from everyone else.

Look at entries in Pitchslam with multiple requests and it's probably either high concept or multicultural (including LGBT) or both. 

I hope this gives writers ideas for their next story concept and what agents may be looking for. Have you spotted any trends in contests? What have you noticed?  

Query Kombat Sneak Peek

I'm interviewed about the upcoming Query Kombat over at Whiskey, Wine, and Writing. Get early advice about preparing to enter.

Query Questions with Jennifer Rofe

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.

From Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Jennifer Rofe is here. And I'm happy to have another agent who reps picture books for all the PB writers coming to my blog after PB Party!

Is there a better or worse time of year to query?

Not really, but over the winter holidays isn't the optimal time. 

Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query?

Certainly not. This would be an ineffective and inconsiderate practice, wouldn't it? However, a quantity of typos and misplaced commas is a different story. 

Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong?

I look at sample pages if the story, as pitched in the query, piques my interest.

Do you have an assistant or intern go through your queries first or do you check all of them?

When I have an assistant, s/he goes through queries first and color codes them based on my system. However, I still look at every query. There are exceptions, though: Queries that don't include a greeting and that are sent in a mass email are automatic deletes.  

Do you keep a maybe pile of queries and go back to them for a second look?

I do.  

If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages?

Based on the Andrea Brown submission guidelines -- first 10 pages, in this case -- the prologue would be part of the query. In a related comment, I rarely see prologues that are crucial to the story.

How important are comp titles? Is it something you want to see in a query?

Comp titles are nice, particularly because they give an indication of a writer's knowledge of the market and how his/her manuscript fits in. However, they are not imperative, and one must choose comp titles smartly and realistically.

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?

At ABLA, we share queries with each other on a daily basis. For instance, I might receive a query that doesn't suit me, but I think three of my colleagues might like it, so I send it on to them. 

Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript?

I like knowing that a writer is querying me for a specific reason -- because of my interests, because of certain authors or illustrators I represent, etc. It's also helpful to know if I've met the writer before or if s/he has seen me present at a conference. This kind of professional chit-chat, which has context, is fine.  

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?

If I have difficulty keeping track of your characters or plot because there is too much detail in your query, then it's a problem. Writers should use jacket flap of published books as a guide for pitching their own work.  

Should writers sweat the title of their book (and character names) or is that something that is often changed by publishers?

Writers should give their work the best title they can. And then they should have a healthy detachment from this title because it can change.

How many queries do you receive in a week? How many requests might you make out of those?

I can receive 30-60 queries in a week, depending. I might request none; I might request a few. I have no exact number, but the general answer is "very few." 

If a writer makes changes to their manuscript due to feedback should they resend the query or only if material was requested?

If an agent took the time to offer feedback, then the writer would be wise to at least let the agent know that s/he has revised and would be happy to send updated materials if the agent is interested in reviewing them. 

 What bio should an author with no publishing credits include?

Include information that is relevant, such as specific work experience or involvement in the writing community. Are you a member of SCBWI and do you attend conferences? Have you attended craft workshops, such as the Andrea Brown Literary Agency Big Sur Writing Workshop? (My shameless plug.) This kind of information is perfect for the bio. 

What does ‘just not right mean for me’ mean to you?

It means I didn't connect with the story or the writing. Why this lack of connection exists is a different question that could have numerous answers. 

Do you consider yourself a hands-on, editorial type of agent?

I do, yes.  

What’s the strangest/funniest thing you’ve seen in a query?

Back when we accepted queries in the mail, writers would sometimes send me photos of themselves, their children, their pets. I always found this strange. What was I supposed to do with them?

What three things are at the top of your submission wish list?

Funny picture books; any kind of middle grade; heart-bursting-hopeful YA and/or big-world YA.

What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes? 

I always forget the answer to this question. My favorites list changes and grows. 

Movies: Dirty Dancing; Sweet Home Alabama; Almost Famous; The King's Speech; Rushmore

Books (by non-clients and in no particular or sensical order): The Schwa Was Here; Elsewhere; the Dairy Queen series (I love DJ Schwenk); Openly Straight; The Known World; Catherine Called Birdy; Flora & Ulysses; City Dog, Country Frog; Punk Farm; Never Talk to Strangers; most books by Toni Morrison.  

------------------------

Jennifer represents projects ranging from picture books to YA. Middle grade is her soft spot and she's open to all genres in this category, especially the tender, hilarious, or zany. She is always looking for fresh and distinct voices; stories that simultaneously tug at her heartstrings and make her laugh out loud; and "adorkable" heroes. As for YA, Jennifer is drawn to contemporary works; dramatic, funny, or cringe-worthy romance; and urban fantasy/light sci-fi. She's especially interested in smart stories that are layered, complex, and unexpected, and she appreciates big, developed worlds. In terms of picture books, she is interested in character-driven projects and smart, exceptional writing. Jennifer also represents illustrators and author-illustrators. 

Jennifer is co-author of the picture book PIGGIES IN THE PUMPKIN PATCH (Charlesbridge). She has been on faculty for several conferences including the Big Sur Writer's Workshop and numerous SCBWI conferences, and she is especially known for her The "So What?" Factor presentation. Jennifer earned a BA in English with a minor in Social and Ethnic Relations from UC Davis and has a background in secondary education. 

Getting the Call with Wendy Vogel

I like to share a call story after a contest to give everyone a dose of inspiration. But this story is the motherload of inspiration. It will just make you want to buy the world a Coke and hug everyone you meet. Congrats, Wendy. It was an honor to share your story. 

The month I turned forty, I got the news. 

You have breast cancer.

No family history, no risk factors.  I was halfway through training for my fifth marathon.  Wednesday I did a fourteen mile run.  Thursday I started buying headscarves. Cue five months of chemo, a double mastectomy, radiation, and two years of reconstructive surgeries.

Cancer makes a lot of things suck. But there’s one thing it really does well, and that’s put things in perspective. “I’ll write that novel someday” becomes, “What day would that be, exactly?  How many days do you think you have?”  You look at your bald head in the mirror and realize the time to start is right freakin’ now.

So I did.  I wrote a book.  I didn’t tell anyone I was doing it.  I was a closeted writer.  That’s pretty funny coming from a person who was known to say things like “Hey, I had a double mastectomy, wanna see my scars?”  (Lifts shirt.  Watches friend turn pale and pass out.  Giggles).  I’d happily explain to anyone about the worst part of chemo (losing your nose hairs) and barf in the middle of the mall, but oh God no I can’t tell anyone I’m writing a book.  But I did.  I wrote one.  It’s a coming-of-age feminist fantasy, and it took me about nine months.  I read a lot of advice about editing, 

rewriting, and waiting before you query, and ignored it all.  I spammed the world with a truly hideous query which somehow got a couple of requests for that unrevised piece of crap manuscript but (shocker) no offers. 

So I took some advice and wrote another book.  THIS was it.  THIS was the one.  I knew what I was doing now.  Agents would have fistfights on the street to be the first at my door for this manuscript.

One slight problem.  The book was a paranormal romance about a demon (holds for laughter).  I happen to think it’s a pretty good paranormal romance about a demon, but since there are about nine hundred thousand other paranormal demon romances already out there, it doesn’t matter if it’s the Jane Eyre of demon paranormal romance… no one wants it.  I did find an editor at a very well-respected house who loved it, but as it turns out for a romance house to publish a book, it has to be an actual romance.  Which requires a happy ending.  Which my demon romance doesn’t have. 

So I wrote another book. THIS was it.  THIS was the one.  A fun little middle grade sci-fi about dinosaurs.  It got me into Pitch Slam and got some requests.  Close.  Really close. 

 Not close enough.

So I started a third book.  While I was writing it, I read through a bunch of entries on WriteOnCon and thought, No wonder you can’t get any attention.  All you write is speculative.  All anyone writes is speculative.  Way more than half the entries were sci-fi/fantasy.  My stuff was drowning in an ocean of dragons and space travel.

So I set myself a challenge.  I abandoned the WIP, my third fantasy outing, and wrote a murder mystery.  No magic.  No demons.  No dinosaurs.  Just a dead guy in the middle of a forest.

I queried it.  I got a featured spot in AgentMatch.  I went to a conference. I got requests.

I got an R and R.

I got another one.

I got a phone call.

The agent of the R and Rs loved it. She wanted it.  I spent the next week sending out joyous “Offer of Representation” emails and had a lovely conversation with another agent who was awesome but not The One.

Carly Watters of P.S. Literary is The One. 

Finally after three years of writing, two years of querying, four manuscripts and countless rejections, the murder mystery made it happen.

And those other novels?  The ones that weren’t THE ONES?  One of them got picked up by a feisty little indy publisher.  After months of grueling and much-needed edits FLAMEWALKER will be released April 24, 2015 from Word Branch Publishing. The other two poke at me from the depths of my hard drive from time to time.  They’ll probably stay there forever.

I have hair now, and a lovely new aftermarket rack. I have a shiny new agent and high hopes. But most importantly, I have the kind of confidence that comes from knowing that as scary as querying is, as scary as rejections are, as scary as being on submission is, I’ve already beaten the scariest monster of all. 

 -------------------------------------------------

Website:  wendyvogelbooks.com

Twitter: @drwendyv

Wendy Vogel is a veterinarian, cancer survivor, SCUBA diver, cake decorator, marathon runner and all-around badass.  She lives in Cincinnati with husband chef-instructor Andrew and a houseful of special needs pets.

TINSELTOWN RED-CARPET PREMIER!

TEAM TRUE GRIT IS HERE!

The Critics will soon be busy making their selections from the Red-Carpet Premier entries! 

Remember again that contests are subjective. What tickles one person’s fancy, may do nothing for another. There were tons of excellent entries. Even with five people making selections, that's nothing compared to the number of literary agents out there. No matter what, keep querying!

I hope that the nature of this contest has been a benefit to everyone. There's not too many contests that provide feedback to everyone who enters. The whole Tinseltown crew tried their best to share their experience and give solid advice.

Before Team True Grit out guns the rest, here are some guidelines!

There is no commenting in this round, except for Critics. Sorry, but no cheerleading as this may lead to an unconscious bias. All the comments are on modify anyway. No requests will be revealed until the end of the Red-Carpet Premier on Wednesday, April 15th.

But we are happy to see and retweet your thoughts and cheers over on twitter under the #Pitchslam tag! That’s the place to hang out and have fun! I'll be announcing when Critics have stopped by this blog and giving hints about requests.

I’d better be seeing my Team True Grit members there. Get out your six shooters! This Cowboy team is going to stick together and celebrate with each other! This team is full of true grit. Each and every entry is tough as nails!

Critics will consider entries at all the Directors' blogs. If more than one agent has the highest level of request on an entry, there will be a showdown on twitter after the Red Carpet ends. The first Critic to answer the Movie Trivia question wins the entry and gets first shot at the pages. (Sorry I'm not sure what time this will happen.)

Here's what the agents will be requesting: 

Stunning Debut - Query and first 10 pages

Instant Classic - Query and first 25 pages

Dark Horse Hit - Query and first 50 pages

Box Office Smash - Query and first 100 pages

Blockbuster - Query and full

If you haven't found your entry here, try the other director's blogs: 

Team Scarlett Streetcar

Team Tempo Tantrums

Team Notorious

Team Monster Mash

Team True Grit

AND

Team Secret Surprise

That's right! We have a sixth team to add even more entries into the mix. This group is for entries that Directors couldn't give up. The entries that no amount of trade offers could pry fingers off. In addition, each Director picked a special entry to make up this team! Yay for surprises!

Good luck to everyone! Thanks for making Pitchslam such a fun experience!

Team True Grit #1: XAVIER HOWELL and the CHAOS EFFECT, MG Science Fiction/Humor

Genre: MG Science-Fiction Humor

Title: Xavier Howell and the Chaos Effect

Word Count: 42,000

Movie Genre: Xavier really likes cult science fiction and fantasy movies, the ones that are so lame they're funny. Like rolling-on-the-floor-can’t-breathe funny. He definitely never ever watches chick-flicks. Ever!

35 Word Pitch:

Twelve-year-old, havoc-prone Xavier Howell has an inactive microchip hidden in his brain containing his late mother’s super-secret AI research. Now, he must harness his knack for making things explode or, quite literally, lose his head.

250 Words:

I thought to myself: Self, that’s not supposed to happen—just as the second dung bomb exploded.

Watching the smelly, sticky, brownish-green substance fly through the air like shrapnel, I realized I'd made a slight miscalculation somewhere. Crouched in one of the wheat fields that surrounded the colony on Kevin 5, I took a moment to review the parameters of my little beetle catching science fair experiment.

Mr. Finch, the colony's bug guy, assured me the chemical I'd used in the traps would be poisonous to the black-bellied grain beetle. The heap of cow dung covering the trays of chemicals was meant to attract said beetles (again according to the illustrious Mr. Finch)—not blowup. Perhaps I should've consulted the colony chemist, too?

The third beetle-trap-turned-dung-bomb exploded.

That's when the smell first hit me. I tried very hard not to let any more air penetrate my nose or mouth. The endeavor was unsuccessful and so I gagged … repeatedly.

"Xavier Howell!"

I cringed. I didn't recognize the voice (the colony was not that small), but his tone was certainly familiar. My reputation had preceded me. Turning around slowly, I came face to knees with one of the grain farmers. I couldn't remember the man’s name, but I might've been distracted by the fact that he was covered—from head to toe—in dung.

It was difficult to talk without first inhaling the putrid air. "Yes, sir?"

"What in—" His angry reply was cut off by the fourth and final explosion. 

Team True Grit #2: QUEST FOR THE KALEVALA, MG Fantasy

Genre: MG Fantasy

Title: QUEST FOR THE KALEVALA

Word Count: 49,000

Genre: Henry knows there's nothing better than a comic book adaptation, but his nerdy sister Lauren prefers all those girlie Jane Austen remakes (bo-ring!).

Pitch: 

When ten-year-old Henry discovers he’s descended from Finland’s mythological heroes, his first epic task involves stealing an ancient relic before power-hungry scientists, including his Dad, (mis)use it and inadvertently disrupt the Earth’s polarity.

First 250:

A gazillion white cardboard boxes block my escape route. I’m gonna have to unpack my way out of the kitchen. Picking a box at random, I slice the tape. Beside me, Mom unpacks like a maniac—paper flying over her shoulder as she works. 

She flattens an empty box and says, “Oh, Hen, I forgot to tell you the good news. I found you a mowing job!”

“A job? Seriously?” I drop the pan in my hands with a clang. “Like moving to Finland wasn’t bad enough, now you’re putting me to work?” 

“It’s not like I’m asking you to pick up forty hours a week.” She plops a wooden spoon onto the pile on the counter. “Just an hour helping out a nice elderly neighbor.”

“The creepy old Finnish lady?” I wipe my dusty hands on my basketball shorts. “Does she even speak English?”

“Henry James Rollins.” Mom narrows her eyes at me from her nest of papers. “Be nice! Mrs. Lönnrot speaks English as well as you do.” 

I cringe. Why did Dad have to name me after some punk rock geezer? “Oh come on, Lawn-rot? Even her name creeps me out!”

“It’s a very old, non-creepy Finnish name,” she says, hazel eyes giving me her familiar “you’re one nudge from fouling out” stare.

“Have you ever seen her in the sunlight? Maybe she’s a vampire. No, no, I’ve got it—an evil enchantress!” I shudder dramatically. I can’t help it. That lady gives me a serious case of the squirms. 

Team True Grit #3: WHERE I BELONG, YA Contemporary

Genre: YA Contemporary

Title: Where I Belong

Word Count: 80,000

Genre of favorite movie: Pirate Movies

Pitch: 

Straight-A student, Milagros Vargas immigrated illegally. When a Senate candidate mentions her in a speech, Milagros must decide if she’ll risk the danger the media attention brings in order to be a voice for immigrants.

250: 

Who takes weekend trips to Cancun? My weekend consisted of babysitting my siblings. Charlie Wheeler, on the other hand, spent his weekend zip lining and kayaking. He sits in front of me in AP English and was jabbering about it when I walked in.

“Hi, Millie,” Charlie says, turning around.

Polite hellos—that’s as far as we usually go; both of us uncomfortable with how our lives intersect. My mom has been the Wheelers’ housekeeper for seven years.

Nearly every girl in school has had the obligatory Charlie Wheeler crush, and each one of them has subsequently realized that she is out of his league. I had my obligatory crush when I was twelve, and it only occasionally makes its reappearance when he flashes me that orthodontically-perfected smile.

“I’m having a pool party next Friday. It’s early dismissal,” he says.

“I can’t, but thanks.” Leave it to Charlie to not see the irony of his invitation. On early dismissal days, I babysit because my mother is babysitting his sister. Some of us have priorities we must put in front of pleasures.

“Okay. Let me know if you change your mind.” He gives me a hopeful smile before turning around.

I try not to throw myself pity parties for missing out on standard teenage fare. When I do, Mami tells me of her nineteen-year-old uncle who was arrested for sympathizing with insurrectionists who opposed the Guatemalan dictator. Her teenage concerns were avoiding assault and theft.

Yeah, her teenage anxieties trump mine any day of the week.

Team True Grit #4: REECE, YA Contemporary

Genre: YA/Contemporary
Title: REECE
Word Count: 51,000

Movie Genre: Comedy - Reece says, "My real life has had enough suspense, horror and drama. What I need is a good laugh. And maybe some romance, but as a fifteen-year-old, don't tell the guys I watch some RomCom now and then, ok?"

Pitch:

Biracial foster teen Reece's new home is Wickersley Academy. But, when a classmate is hospitalized because of a hate crime, Reece'll have to convince the whole school of what he witnessed before the perpetrator walks.

First 250:

The slow-moving crowd on the courtyard had me trapped. The sluggish pace could be explained by the lack of space or the August heat, but my money rested on boredom. There sure wasn’t anything here getting me excited about the coming year.

   

“What about this one, Reece?” Holly asked.  

My fists clenched as I pushed through the crowd to my social worker’s side. She held yet another brochure highlighting one of Wickersley Academy’s student groups.

I raised an eyebrow. “The debate team? I don’t think so.”

A smile spread across Holly’s face. “But you love to argue.”

“Yeah, well, you won’t have to argue with me for a while now that you are sticking me in this place.” The comment was unfair, but maybe being here wasn’t a good idea. Foster kids didn't go to boarding school.

Holly’s spine stiffened. “I’m not sticking you anywhere. You earned your spot here, remember?”

My shoulder brushed the rough bark of a nearby tree. Plucking a leaf from a low branch, I began the process of tearing the smooth, green part away from the tiny veins that ran through it.

Holly’s hand flitted to my arm. “I thought you were excited about being here.”

“I was, but come on, Holly. Get real! Look at those kids.” I pulled away, pointing to a group of students gathered around a fountain. “Look at their clothes. They look like they should be stepping out of some overly-priced store at the mall. I’m not gonna fit in here.”

Team True Grit #5: VANISHED, YA Thriller

Genre: YA Thriller

Title: VANISHED

Word Count: 78, 000

Movie Genre: Romance! Sasha has spent her entire life circling the globe with her dad and brother, always in search of the next big heist. Secretly, all she really wants is a place to belong and some swoony kisses. She loves a movie with a happy-ever-after ending like the original Sabrina. 

PITCH: 

When Sasha’s partner-in-crime talks her into one last heist before college, disaster strikes. They’ve been set up. She must steal a priceless sapphire back again, or her bewildered identical twin will take the fall.

FIRST 250:

If my entire life hadn’t been the exact opposite of ordinary, I might have been at home in Paris, clicking through university websites and daydreaming about ivy-covered lecture halls. Instead, I hid in a grove of trees on the muddy Italian coast, watching the dusky night close in around Signora D’Agnelli’s limousine. When the taillights disappeared, my brother tugged on my arm. Raj had unburied the ladder we’d stashed beneath a carpet of damp leaves the night before. 

“Grab the other end, Sasha.” He shot me his sly grin.

I refused to return his smile, but I did snag the ladder. A chill from the cold aluminum seeped into my gloves, and a musty autumn breeze fluttered my ponytail. Pulling me along, Raj crept from the shadows. We ran uphill toward Signora D’Agnelli’s majestic villa, and circled around back to the patio. Plants surrounded a tropical paradise of a swimming pool. While Raj took his laptop from his backpack, I propped the ladder against a stucco column. 

My pulse raced as I gazed up at the dark windows. Could we really pull off this heist on our own, without Dad? “You’re sure about this?” I whispered.

“Of course.” With practiced ease, Raj had already hacked into Tele-Italia’s website. The villa’s alarm system ran on a landline instead of a cellular network. “The alarm’s a joke. It’s like she’s inviting us inside.”

Typical. Raj had the Chinese characters for genius tattooed on his bicep. I’d call him cocky but he’d take it as a compliment.

Team True Grit #6: EERIE, Adult Paranormal Thriller

Genre:  Adult Paranormal Thriller

Title: EERIE 

Word Count: 110,000

Genre: The huge geek she is, if Hailey had time to watch movies (she doesn't, what with the family pub and all), she'd love a mind-bending sci-fi flick. Like Inception. Basically any show involving messed up dreams, strange gadgets or fantastic applications in physics would make her feel a bit less like a weirdo.

Pitch: A Parascience freshman, Hailey goes from studying dreams to living a nightmare when she provokes the half-rotted, omnipotent gentleman that killed her family. Terrified, she must banish this Dream Creature before he murders her too.

First 250:

Preface

Hailey plunked her head on the desk and moaned. Why, why…why couldn’t she just tell Asher that she wanted out, that she was afraid—afraid of the others, afraid of dying, and even afraid of…of him. After all, he was planning to kill her. Only temporarily, but still.

She couldn’t believe she was even considering it, but she had no choice. If Asher didn’t kill her, one of the others would. Permanently.

And Asher protected her. He cared about her. He loved her, right? Asher—an emotionless creature. Hailey wasn’t sure if he was even capable of love.

Oh, this made absolutely no sense. Kill her to save her? Was that love?

Groaning, she rolled her forehead on the desk. She simply had to pull on her big girl pants and tell him she was done.

That’s all.

Groaning again, she squeezed her eyes shut as a swarm of butterflies took flight in her stomach.

Lately, she felt an awful lot like Jekyll and Hyde: logical, rational ParaScience student by day—emotional monstrosity at night. Come to think of it, this was more like the Phantom of the Opera, and she was the naïve student who didn’t realize the secret and strange angel she’d come to know was actually a homicidal maniac…

“I’m not a maniac.”

Hailey jumped up. Did she say that out loud? She didn’t mean to.

Asher slid behind her, putting his lips next to her ear. “But I suppose I am homicidal,” he whispered.

Team True Grit #7: THE EXORCIST'S ASSISTANT, Adult Paranormal Thriller

Genre: Adult Paranormal Thriller

Title: THE EXORCIST’S ASSISTANT

Word Count: 86,000

Genre: Scarlet loves historical films, especially ones about World War II. She never knew why until recently—she just discovered she lived in Nazi Germany in her previous life.

Pitch: In a previous life, Scarlet bargained with a demon to protect her son. Desperate to reclaim her soul, she locates an exorcist with his own sordid past. To succeed, she must help him find redemption.

First 250 words:

Scarlet would have killed for a glass of merlot.

Although the day stretched long behind her, she was still in her office reviewing a status report at seven on a Friday evening. “What’s this idiot project manager doing?” She rubbed her eyes. What was the guy’s name? She didn’t know. She didn’t care.

She was composing a scathing email detailing his point-by-point failings when a breeze rushed over her face carrying the stench of burnt human flesh.

“Aw, hell, no,” she blurted and then gagged.

It was back.

For one stomach-clenching, head-twisting, freezing-sweat moment, Scarlet was no longer an almost-fifty vice president of technology in a large bank. Instead, she was eight years old again, shivering under the bedcovers. Despite the glare of the overhead lights and the twilight glow coming through her window, midnight darkness blasted her skin with a chilly breeze.

The thing had been harassing her for days, coming and going as it pleased—assuming, of course, that she wasn’t suffering from some kind of psychosis. “Go away,” she said.

The words had no effect.

Pissed off—but whether at herself or the presence, she wasn’t sure—she threw her pen across the office. It bounced against the closed door and landed in her trash can.

Well, that did a lot of good.

Scarlet stood and peered out the small frosted window along the door frame to see what she expected: nothing.

Team True Grit #8: PEACE, LOVE, AND ROCK & ROLL, Adult Cont Romance

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Title: Peace, Love, and Rock & Roll

Word Count: 65,000

Genre: When they're watching movies together, my MCs are the type to go on Netflix try to watch all the "important" movies before Oscar night.  But they'll often bail on that and watch a superhero flick instead.

Pitch:  As teens, they're too young.  In their twenties, she's engaged and he's on tour.  At 40, Soviet-born rocker Nikolai tells Rolling Stone that Miranda's still his muse. Can she give first love a third try? 

First 250 words:

I’m lost.  I’m freezing, and I’m lost.

Miranda stared up at a street sign that she could no longer read.  This had seemed like such a good idea a half hour ago – slipping the handlers and striking out on her own during this afternoon free period while the other kids were writing postcards home or listening to their Walkmans in their hotel rooms.  She had a few months’ worth of Russian under her belt and a basic knowledge of the geography.  She was a mature seventeen year old – practically a senior.  How hard could it be to navigate the streets of Leningrad?

Pretty hard, actually.  Her Russian was good enough to ace her language class back home and get her a spot on this cultural exchange trip, out here in the real world it sucked.  Sure, she could read Cyrillic – sound out street signs and billboards.  But that didn’t get her far when she didn’t know where she was, and all too soon panic set in.  Letters started swimming together and reading comprehension flatlined.  H sounds like N, she kept telling herself.  C is an S, P is an R.  T is still a T, right?

Miranda turned another corner and found a ghost town.  Fire escapes corseted upper floors of high-rise apartment buildings.  Blacked-out, boarded-up windows showed no signs of life.  She felt like the only person for miles.  There may as well have been a neon sign over her head, an arrow pointing down: AMERICAN.  PLEASE MUG ME.