Our mentors are editing, our mentees are revising, and we hope you’re making progress on your own manuscript! While we’re all working toward the Agent Showcase on November 3rd-9th, we hope you’ll take a moment during your writing breaks and get to know our 2016 Pitch Wars Teams.
And now, we have . . .
Elizabeth Dimit – Mentee
Dee Romito – Mentor
Jen Malone – Mentor
Jen and Dee, why did you choose Elizabeth as a mentee?
Jen: We fell in love with the voice first and foremost, and the pages drew both of us right in. Speaking personally, the subject matter hit home on a personal level, as I have a daughter the same age as the main character, Avery, who has also been diagnosed with ADHD and wrestles with a lot of the same impulse-control issues Avery does. It completely endeared me to Avery, but also got me excited about seeing a book on shelves that I could hand my daughter, so she could see others dealing with and striving to overcome some of the same challenges she contends with daily! I’m thrilled to champion a book like this!
Dee: It was the voice and the heart of the character that we loved right from the start. As a former elementary teacher, this character rang so true and as I read, I could picture some of the students I’ve had in class over the years. And the scene about Avery writing in marker on her desk . . . Oh boy, well, let’s just say that one of my favorite (and funniest) teaching memories came rushing back to me. I could picture Avery as a student in my class, desperately trying to get a handle on this thing that made her struggle on a daily basis. I’m so excited to be working on this with Jen and Elizabeth!
Elizabeth, why did you choose Dee and Jen as mentors?
I loved that both Dee and Jen write sweet, lighthearted MG–my taste exactly! When they said they were looking for voice as well as books with pranks, heists, and capers, I felt that my book would be a good fit for them, because who doesn’t love a little crazy? 🙂 Underneath all the fun, however, I also sensed that these are two talented, hardworking authors who would work with me to shred, revise, and reassemble my book into something special. I am so honored they chose me, and I can’t wait to get to work!
Jen and Dee, summarize your mentee’s book in three words.
Jen: Humor with heart.
Dee: What Jen said.
Elizabeth, summarize your book in three words.
ADHD, hijinks, self-acceptance.
Elizabeth, tell us about yourself. What makes you and your MS unique?
I love to travel and have a mad desire to visit all 50 state capitol buildings–four down, only 46 to go! I’m also addicted to cold cereal (granola, anyone?), I collect pictures of my cat sitting in our bathroom sink, and I love to write stories that find humor in life’s everyday trials. I think the unique element of my story is my main character, ten-year-old Avery Lawson. Whether it’s staring as her teacher’s bushy eyebrows, drawing on her desk in permanent marker, or bathing her cat in the toilet, Avery’s obsessions lead to big disasters and even bigger fun.
Jen and Dee, tell us about yourselves. Something we might not already know.
Jen: I once walked down a red carpet beside both George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg. (Okay, fine, I was wearing a headset and directing them to the different news outlets for interviews, but I’ve photoshopped that part out in the version I hold in my memory.)
Dee: I can’t beat that story, Jen. But I’m a big sports fan and besides having been to plenty of games over the years, I’ve also been to the Olympics, the Home Run Derby, Wimbledon, the game that became the greatest comeback in NFL history, two Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions, and a Baseball Hall of Fame ceremony to see my favorite player get inducted. If anyone has Super Bowl tickets, it’s on my list!
Check out Jen Malone’s and Dee Romito’s recent releases . . .
AMAZON * BARNES & NOBLE * INDIEBOUND * SIMON & SCHUSTER
Ella and Skyler have been best friends since kindergarten. Although lately, things have been different.
Ella’s determined to fix things with a fun project she’s sure will bring them closer together—The BFF Bucket List. But as new friends, epic opportunities, and super-cute boys enter the picture, the challenges on the list aren’t the only ones they face.
To find out more about Dee’s books and upcoming releases go here.
IndieBound I Barnes and Noble I Amazon I Books A Million I Book Depository
“A lighthearted, heartwarming tale ideal for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Jennifer E. Smith.” -ALA Booklist
Seventeen-year-old Aubree has always idolized her adventurous older sister, even while utterly content to track Elizabeth’s antics from the cozy comforts of home, in the tender care of doting parents. So when Elizabeth gets herself in trouble and, for the first time ever, actually needs Aubree’s help, Bree is flattered but insistent.
There’s no way she can do what Elizabeth is asking. Impersonate her recent-college-grad sis all summer, just so Elizabeth can score the recommendation she needs to land her dream position? Nope, nope, not gonna happen.
ESPECIALLY when Elizabeth’s summer job is leading a bus tour.
A bus tour across Europe.
A senior citizens’ bus tour across Europe.
And that’s even before Bree finds out that the tour owner’s super-cute son (who is decidedly NOT elderly) will be a last-minute addition.
Bree would have to be crazy. Or would she?
Follow Your Art: A Dreamworks Trolls Novel
A companion novel to DreamWorks animated movie Trolls, starring Anna Kendrick and Justin TImberlake.
DreamWorks Animation’s TROLLS is an irreverent comedy extravaganza with incredible music! From the genius creators of SHREK, TROLLS stars Poppy, the optimistic leader of the Trolls, and her polar opposite, Branch. Together, this unlikely pair of Trolls must embark on an adventure that takes them far beyond the only world they’ve ever known.
Now you can meet the main characters and tour Troll Town before you see the movie! Harper is nervous about making friends. She’s an artiste, and that can mean sometimes she has her head—and her multicolored hair—stuck in a project. But she has nothing to worry about. Poppy and her friends are the chattiest, friendliest, danciest group of trolls she’ll ever meet! And they’re determined help Harper overcome her friendship fear! This prequel novel introduces readers to their soon-to-be favorite characters and features a totally original story.
Check out more books by Jen Malone here!
Thank you for supporting our Pitch Wars Teams! And don’t forget to stop by the Agent Showcase starting November 3rd to see how our teams do in the final round.