Welcome to the Pitch Wars Team Interviews
Bringing you a closer look at each Pitch War Team and their project.
Be sure to comment with support, comments, and questions.
Meet Michelle Tran and Brianna Shrum
Team: Team SparkleShine!
Brianna Shrum (Mentor), tell us a little about yourself.
I read all over the place, but my very favorite thing is to read about villains. Give me charming and evil and I am ALL OVER THAT BOOK, YO. That’s what I write too. I write fantasy and contemp, and with the exception of one book (my 2016 YA, How to Make Out), all my stories are about bad people. I’m a sucker for the villainy charm; what can I say? ;D (I am aso desperately in love with romance and sexual tension. I love the love.)
Michelle Tran (Mentee), tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a coffee drinking, wine loving, book enthusiast with a soft spot for Young Adult literature. I love all sub-genres though I’m a big baby when it comes to horror (I still can’t even bring myself to watch PG-13 movies). But my absolute favorites tend to be issue-driven or light-romance contemporary and character-driven fantasy. Books like FLIPPED, SPEAK, JUST LISTEN, MAGONIA, WICKED LOVELY Series, THE LUNAR CHRONICLES, and DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE Trilogy are my cup of tea. My writing style tends to be more character-driven, but I have a thing for pretty lines and imagery (probably because I love to read and write poetry as well). I’m also a bit of a foodie so I have this habit of slipping food into my stories and I like to draw inspiration from places I’ve been (it gives me an excuse to travel).
Brianna, why did you decide to participate in Pitch Wars?
So the book I have that’s just released was actually in Pitch Wars 2013 (HELLO HI SUMMER, MY FIZZY MENTOR), and that contest wound up getting me my first book deal with Spencer Hill Press. I knew I wanted to be on the other side of that as soon as I could, and help writers achieve their dreams. IT was such a fantastic experience as a mentee then, and then as a mentor last year, that I couldn’t wait to jump in again this year and chill with my favorite people: writers ^_^
Michelle, why did you decide to participate in Pitch Wars?
What I really love about Pitch Wars is the community. By entering you already win in some way, whether it’s meeting a new CP, linking up with other writers, or hearing about all the wonderful stories out there. It’s something truly amazing to be a part of.
Brianna, what are you most excited for?
I’m most excited to be working with my AWESOME mentee, Michelle. She’s fabulous, and I cannot WAIT to see what her breathtakingly gorgeous story does, and how it morphs as we work on edits.
Michelle, what are you most excited for?
Working with my mentor and making my manuscript shine! I feel like there’s so much more to learn and do to bring my story to its full potential. I’m also really excited to connect with other authors and create a network of support. Writing for the most part is a solitary endeavor, but when you’re actively on the ride with others, the support encourages you to keep at it and makes life a little more fun.
Michelle, describe your novel in 3 words.
Death. Dynasty. Diamonds.
Brianna, describe your mentee’s novel in 3 words.
Dangerous. Romantic. Gorgeous.
Check Us Out …
Meet Michelle Tran
Michelle Tran currently resides in the Seattle suburbs with her fiancé and a black cat named Blaire. When not writing about magic, love, and adventure, she can usually be found exploring cities, eating desserts, or in her hometown—Sacramento—visiting her family.
Meet Brianna Shrum
Brianna Shrum lives in Colorado with her high-school-sweetheart turned husband and her two little boys. She’s been writing since she could scrawl letters, and has worked with teens since she graduated out of teenager-hood, either in the writing classes she taught, or working with the youth group.
Brianna digs all things YA, all things geeky, superhero-y, gamery, magical, and strange. Her debut YA, Never Never, released on September 22nd of this year. Her second YA, How to Make Out, releases in Fall 2016. She’d totally love to connect with you, so come say hi on her website or Twitter!
NEVER, NEVER by Brianna Shrum …
(Spencer Hill Press, September 22, 2015)
James Hook is a child who only wants to grow up.
When he meets Peter Pan, a boy who loves to pretend and is intent on never becoming a man, James decides he could try being a child—at least briefly. James joins Peter Pan on a holiday to Neverland, a place of adventure created by children’s dreams, but Neverland is not for the faint of heart. Soon James finds himself longing for home, determined that he is destined to be a man. But Peter refuses to take him back, leaving James trapped in a world just beyond the one he loves. A world where children are to never grow up.
But grow up he does.
And thus begins the epic adventure of a Lost Boy and a Pirate. This story isn’t about Peter Pan; it’s about the boy whose life he stole. It’s about a man in a world that hates men. It’s about the feared Captain James Hook and his passionate quest to kill the Pan, an impossible feat in a magical land where everyone loves Peter Pan.
Except one.
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