Manuscript Status: Finished, 2 Weeks Delivery
Mentor Name: Alex White
Mentee Name: Tracey Enerson Wood
Title: A BRIDGE BETWEEN US
Category: Adult
Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 93,000 words
Pitch: A family sacrifices everything, including each other, building the Brooklyn Bridge. After her father-in-law is killed, and her husband incapacitated, the burden falls to Emily Roebling to keep the project moving. But Emily’s marriage frays, and working in a man’s world is fraught with politics and sabotage, even when her friend P.T. Barnum steps in to help.
Excerpt:
The scent of burning candles did not quite mask that of blood and sweat in the makeshift ballroom. The orchestra hummed atonally, tuning up as men clad in sharp Union dress uniforms gathered in conversation groups with women in their finery. Nearer to me, a line of men on crutches and in rolling chairs aligned themselves along a wall, each of them missing a limb or two, or otherwise too broken to join the healthier soldiers. It struck me that they wanted to be there, to be included, despite their infirmities. Wouldn’t it be easier to stay away from the event– a brutal reminder of what they had lost?
I nodded my greetings, hesitant at first. Like most young women in my small town, I was sheltered from the sight of maiming and other consequences of war. The injured men clambered over each other, some in hospital pajamas, some half in uniform, each reaching out to me. I tried to ignore the bloody gauze wound about heads and the stench of rotting flesh as I shook their hands, right or left, bandaged or missing fingers, making my way down the line. One after the other, they thanked me for coming and begged me to dance and enjoy myself.
A soldier with one brown eye, his face cobbled by burns, held my hand in both of his and said, “I want to see the joy of life.”
I promised to show him.
9 Comments
Peter Knapp · November 3, 2015 at 2:09 pm
I’d love to read more of this — please send the full to query@newleafliterary.com with “Pete Knapp — PitchWars” in the subject. Thank you!
Mollie Glick · November 3, 2015 at 4:40 pm
I’m so intrigued! Please send a full manuscript and synopsis (mentioning Pitch Wars in the subject line) to mgsubmissions@foundrymedia.com.
Bridget Smith · November 3, 2015 at 5:25 pm
I’d love to take a look! Please send the first 50 pages and a one-page synopsis as an attachment to query@dunhamlit.com with “Pitch Wars request” in the subject line and the query in the body.
Amy Cloughley · November 3, 2015 at 5:27 pm
Sounds right up my alley. Please send the full manuscript to amyc@kimberleycameron.com and include “Pitch Wars Submission” in the subject line. Looking forward to reading!
Stefanie Lieberman · November 4, 2015 at 4:59 pm
I’d like to read more! Please send the first 100 pages in Word format and a query letter to submissions@janklow.com, and include “Stefanie Lieberman” in the subject line of the email. Thank you!
Jackie · November 4, 2015 at 9:59 pm
This sounds fantastic! I’ll be reading alongside Pete Knapp at New Leaf, so no need to resend. Thanks!
Jaida Temperly · November 5, 2015 at 8:39 am
I see both Jackie and Pete already requested from New Leaf — yay! I’d love to take a peek as well 😉 Can’t wait to read!
Laura Biagi · November 5, 2015 at 10:43 am
This sounds really fantastic, and your writing is strong. I’d love to see how this story unfolds! Please send the query and full ms as a .doc or .docx file to LBiagi at jvnla dot com with “Pitch Wars” in the subject line. I look forward to reading!
Pitch Wars Agent Round - Brenda Drake | Brenda Drake · November 2, 2015 at 10:19 pm
[…] PW #431: Adult Historical Fiction: A BRIDGE BETWEEN US […]
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