TRICK OR TREAT #B9: MOLLY LONG LEGS & THE SLEEPING BUG

 Eleven year old English schoolgirl, Molly Jeffries, discovers she can physically enter the world of any book she reads. When a number of Molly’s possessions go missing at school and her friendship with her best friend becomes strained, Molly retreats further and further into the world of small town Texas from her new book The Sleeping Bug. As The Sleeping Bug approaches its end, Molly must help Texan cowboy Calhoun Campbell find a cure for the sleeping sickness which has attacked the town’s adults, whilst risking the possibility of being stuck in the book forever. 

Question 1: In your MC’s voice, what costume character do you relate most to and why? 

As I am known at school as Molly Long Legs, I suppose I should consider some long legged character but who has long legs, Big Bird from Sesame Street, or perhaps Cat Woman? I don’t like being called Molly Long Legs but could live with being Cat Woman.

Question 2: As an author, what makes your manuscript a tasty treat (aka marketable/unique)? 

Molly Long Legs and The Sleeping Bug explores the wonder of being lost in fiction. Set in the diverse worlds of inner city London, and small town Texas, with a strong female central character who befriends an eleven year old cowboy, Molly Long Legs will appeal to readers of both genders worldwide.

First 200 words: 

Molly discovered her ability on the last night of summer vacation. Looking under the bed for her lucky pencil case, she came across one of The Boy’s baby books. The Boy was the nickname Dad used for her two year old brother, Herbie. Herbie must have left it under her bed earlier that day when they had been playing hide and seek.

 The book was called The Lemon Bears. Its pages were full of bright, vibrant colours with large pictures of strange cuddly animals. Molly was way too mature to read such a book, but with nothing else to do she decided to take a quick look. Molly sat on her bed and began to read. 

As Molly read the words something amazing happened. The dull white walls of her bedroom began to turn bright blue. But they were no longer walls, they were the sky. Her bed had disappeared as well. As had the floor, the ceiling, the curtains, the dressing table, the wardrobe, and her new desk and chair.

Molly’s bedroom had been transformed. Molly was in The Lemon Bear world.