Genre: Paranormal Horror
Category: Young Adult
Title: JENNIFER STRANGE
Word Count: 50,000
Three Sentence Pitch:
Fifteen-year-old Marcus is next in line to lead his family of Ghost Hunters, but only if he can find a powerful Medium with a unique gift to join their clan. While on assignment to help a mother find the ghost of her son, Marcus stumbles on Jennifer Strange and her unique ability to touch ghosts. Now Marcus must not only help Jennifer overcome her disbelief in the supernatural, but train her to defeat a soul-eating wraith before it devours the lost ghost and the Blackwell family.
Question 1: In your MC’s voice, what costume character do you relate most to and why?
“I’m not that into dressing up, but if I have to choose I guess I’d go with a famous scientist or a…wait, it has to be Halloween-related? Alright fine, I’d dress up as a witch because they don’t want to follow the crowd just to fit in and don’t take crap from anyone – I like that.” – Jennifer Strange
Question 2: As an author, what makes your manuscript a tasty treat (aka marketable/unique)?
As Jennifer and Marcus fight ghosts and tackle their relationships with themselves and their families, the tension really mounts as the reader discovers why these two can’t be together. You get to see it all from both points of view in alternating chapters as they struggle with not only their duty to their families, but also their hearts.
First 200 words:
If a house is the face of a home, my Grandmother’s house was an obvious mental case. Whenever I saw Mom’s photo of crumbling Blackwell Manor, it always sent bumps prickling up my neck. Now, the real version loomed right in front of me. I couldn’t tell the structure apart from the surrounding woods. Trees, weeds, and briars climbed slowly with enveloping vines that clung to the brick and dark wood. The forest ate the home like a snake carefully digesting a mouse.
Soon, Blackwell Manor would be swallowed whole.
“I’m not going.”
“Be polite, Marcus,” Mom warned.
I shuddered and tucked my hands deep in my pockets. “This place gives me the creeps”
“Give it a try. Your Grandma Miriam wants to meet you.”
“If that old bird didn’t want to meet me for thirteen years,” I said with a snort, “she doesn’t want to meet me now.”
“Look, Grandma said she could help you. I don’t know what else to do, honey.”
I rolled my eyes. “You know this isn’t going to help anything. None of your other plans worked either. It’s not going away. Just accept it. ”
With tight lips, Mom shook her head. She was pissed. For once, I didn’t care. My blood boiled when Mom always changed the subject when I asked about her photo of Blackwell Manor.