45. THE MOST DAZZLING GIRL IN BERLIN – Young Adult LGBTQ Historical

Mentor Name: Sarah Guillory

Mentee  Name: Kip Wilson

Title: THE MOST DAZZLING GIRL IN BERLIN

Category: Young Adult

Genre: LGBTQ Historical

Word Count: 65,000

Pitch:

In 1930, two desperate, poverty-stricken girls couldn’t be more different: Lena is a Nazi sympathizer and Gisela a queer singer. When Nazi violence strikes their Berlin cabaret, an unlikely but fierce friendship is their only weapon. CODE NAME VERITY meets LIES WE TELL OURSELVES.

Excerpt:

Lena’s fingers fumbled as she buttoned her little sister’s dress. So many buttons. The dress was a hand-me-down, of course. Once white, it was now the color of dust. Lena reached for a comb and hesitated over Lottchen’s messy bob. It would take the entire morning to untangle those snarls.

From the sitting room, the cuckoo clock chimed.

“Donnerwetter!” Lena tossed the comb aside and ran her fingers through Lottchen’s pale hair. “It’ll have to do. I need to catch the streetcar.”

“Will you make it in time?” Lottchen followed her out to where their father sat.

Lena glanced at the advertisement.

Extras wanted for Fritz Lang picture:
Murderer Among Us
10 Reichsmark/day
18. Feb. 1930
Doors close at 9:00

“I will if I leave now.” Lena wrapped an arm around Lottchen. “It would be a big help if you could get yourself to school today.”

“Alone?” Lottchen’s face paled above her ratty woolen coat.

“What’s your hurry?” Vater grunted, setting the Völkischer Beobachter newspaper in the hollow space next to his good leg. His only leg.

“It’s the casting call I mentioned.” Lena pulled on her coat and cloche hat.

“For the pictures?” He grunted again. He’d become a pig, Vater had.

Lena ignored him and his wrinkling snout. She followed Lottchen into the hallway and planted a kiss on her cheek.

“Auf Wiedersehen,” Lottchen said.

“Wiedersehen.” Lena hesitated before adding, “I’m going to get us out of this slum, I promise.”