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 #TeamTearsandHugs . . .
Morgan Crane – Mentee
Heather Van Fleet – Mentor
Morgan: Why did you choose Heather ?
Because Heather asked for ‘the love’ and kissing, I instantly knew we’d be a great fit. I’m kidding. Sort of.
In all honestly, Heather came off genuine to me. I followed her on twitter, got a sense of who she was, and fell a bit in love with her each day. I’m a bit sensitive when it comes to my writing since I’m new. It’s hard to stay confident when you’re unsure of your talent, so I reacted positively to Heather’s nurturing approach. I was certain she’d give me great critiques and suggestions, same as every other mentor, but that she’d also accompany it with the praise I need to balance that harsh truth out. Plus, she seemed committed to whichever manuscript she ended up choosing, which she’s proven 100%.
Heather : Why did you choose Morgan?
There were soooo many reasons why I picked Morgan and her amazing book. The number one reason? I couldn’t stop myself from falling in love with it. I thought about it constantly, even when I was reading other submissions. Her characters were alive in my head, speaking to me, as creepy/weird as that sounds. The story was refreshing, with a new spin on this genre. It wasn’t the traditional meet-and-fall that comes with contemporary romances, and that alone had me calling dibs on this baby from the get-go. I mean, hello? The hero mugs the heroine at the beginning of the story and I STILL wanted to snuggle up to him (amongst other things) the second I met him. Plus, her heroine was adorable and endearing and everything I look for in a female main character.
Morgan also has this writing style that I could totally relate to. Her words flow well, she writes incredible banter between characters, (which I’m a serious sucker for) and her sex scenes? Holy smokes were they good. (Fan-myself-even-after-reading-the-book-three-times, good.)
Morgan: Summarize your book in three words.
Witty. Passionate. Roommates.
Heather : Summarize Morgan’s book in three words.
Sexy. Endearing. Roommates.
Morgan: Tell us about yourself. What makes you and your MS unique?
My hubby is in the military, so we travel every four years to a new location. During our first move, I was feeling homesick and missing the normal activities which typically filled out my evenings after work. That’s when I discovered the world of fanfiction and my passion for writing. What started as one-shots to express the voices and emotions in my head soon evolved into multi-chapter stories, and then into original multi-chapter stories. That’s how my MS came to be.
As for what makes my MS unique… well, my contemporary romance starts with my main character being robbed by my other main character. Not sure how many love stories blossom after that initial interaction. But one does with these two! It’s written in first person, which made it easier for me to dive deeper into the entire spectrum of emotions that coincide with the rollercoaster ride of love. It’s a fun ride too, evolving from hate to friendship to love, all while integrating my favorite aspects of the romance genre– banter, significant confessions, and sexual tension.
Heather : Tell us about yourself. Something we might not already know.
I’m an open book, to be honest. (Well, most days.) Some may know that my husband is going through a battle with cancer right now, others may not. It was unexpected, and pretty much the biggest blow we’ve faced as family. Now I’m racing through life trying to do mom-duties, hubby-care-duties, aunting-baby-sitting-duties, house-work-duties, (which I dutifully fail at) all while being a PitchWars mentor, a writer, a CP, a beta reader, and…yeah, I’m sure there’s more but I’ve not had enough coffee to figure them all out yet. It’s not an easy task doing it all, but it’s what I thrive at. Pressure, being under it, knowing after I’m done with one thing, I have to quick sit down and do another. I work better when I’m always busy. A total type-A personality, that’s me.
Someone once asked me how I managed it all. And I didn’t know, to be honest. I just do. And yeah, I’m not always the strongest person. (God knows I cry a lot) but then I get right back in the saddle and do it all over again. Because if I don’t, what else would I do? J
Check out Heather Van Fleet’s upcoming release . . .
Reckless Hearts
RELEASES FEBRUARY 7, 2017 FROM SOURCEBOOKS CASABLANCA
Three alpha men and a baby.
What could possibly go wrong?
From boot camp to the Iraqi desert, best friends Collin, Max, and Gavin have been through hell and back. But these rugged Marines might need help facing their biggest challenge: raising Collin’s nine-month-old daughter, Chloe.
After the death of his girlfriend in an accident, Collin Montgomery has sworn off serious relationships. His buddies have his back-and convince him it’s okay to cut loose sometimes. Enter the hottest, smartest girl he’s ever met. But what he really needs is a nanny.
Addison Booker needs a job desperately-and fast. She shows up to interview for the nanny position only to find the sexy, cocky man she can’t get out of her head. Collin knows hiring her is a bad idea-they disagree about almost everything-but Addison is so good with little Chloe. And there’s no substitute for chemistry, right?