Manuscript Status: Finished
Mentors Names: Michelle Hauck and Carrie Callaghan
Mentee Name: Ian Barnes
Title: GODBREAKER
Category: Adult
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Word Count: 109,000 words
Pitch:
Forty years ago, Kastien slew a false god and freed a nation. Now, his knees ache every Void-damned time it rains, and he longs to retire with his wife and comrade-in-arms, Val. But when plague ravages their home, they must attempt the impossible: kidnap a healing god. If they fail, everything they love will fall to dust and shadow. ALLOY OF LAW meets DISHONORED.
Excerpt:
Of all the dumb stunts Kastien Roth witnessed over the years, breaking into a plague ward was … well, not even close to the top five. Top ten, certainly.
The hooded figure below dashed out of the abandoned police station at the edge of the quarantine zone. A woman, judging by the slight swell of hip and breast beneath bulky cloth. One old enough to understand the risks, but young enough to think death only happened to other people. She ran across the street and slunk through a window of the boarded-up rowhouse he perched atop.
Beside him, slender fingers absently twirled a knife hilt. Valeria Avez tucked the blade back within her sleeve, and adjusted the cloak keeping the rain from her coal-black curls and copper skin. “What do you make of our would-be smuggler, my love?” his wife asked as if reading his thoughts—which, after nearly forty years together, she probably could. “Greedy or foolish?”
Kastien scratched his jaw. Patchy black and gray stubble tugged at the leather glove he always wore over his left hand. “Can’t it be both?”
“It very likely is, but that ruins the game and then how will we pass the time?”
“I can think of a few ways.”
Val flicked him on the back of the head. Hard.
He rubbed his abused scalp, grinning, and considered her question. Greed was a given, but foolish was relative.
17 Comments
Sam Morgan · November 1, 2017 at 11:31 am
Sounds sweet. I’d love to read more. Could you please send me the first three chapters in a .doc to smorgan at foundrymedia dot com with the subject line “Pitch Wars VI: Return of the Pitch”
Lauren Spieller · November 1, 2017 at 11:48 am
Great tension and chemistry in this scene. I’d love to see your query in the body of an email, along with the first 50 pages of your manuscript and a synopsis (both attached). Please also include a link to this entry. You can send your materials to lauren@triadaus.com. I look forward to reading!
~ Lauren
Naomi Davis · November 1, 2017 at 12:52 pm
Sounds exciting! Can you please send me the first 50 pages and a full synopsis as Word .docs, with the pitch and any other relevant details you’d like me to know in the body of an email? naomi at inklingsliterary dot com. Thanks!
Lindsay Mealing · November 1, 2017 at 1:28 pm
Hey Ian! I’d love to read more! Can you please send your first 50 pages to querylindsay@emeraldcityliterary.com. Please include your query in your email and Pitch Wars in the subject line.
Thanks,
Lindsay
Caitie Flum · November 1, 2017 at 1:30 pm
This looks great! I’d love to take a look.
Please send the query in the body of the email + full manuscript as a Word attachment to querycaitie@lizadawson.com with “Pitch Wars request” in the subject.
Leon Husock · November 1, 2017 at 1:52 pm
I’d love to read more of this! Please send a query and the full manuscript along with a single-sentence description of your premise to leon@lperkinsagency.com. Thanks!
Joanna MacKenzie · November 1, 2017 at 2:31 pm
I’ve been excited to read and can’t wait to read more! Can you send the full to jmackenzie@nelsonagency.com
Rena · November 1, 2017 at 6:48 pm
I’d love to take a look at this full manuscript! Please send it attached as a word document to: rena (at) thedeborahharrisagency (dot) com
Thanks!
Roseanne Wells · November 1, 2017 at 8:47 pm
I’d love to take a look! Please use the guidelines on jdlit.com to send 30 pp (instead of the usual 20) and put #pitchwars in the subject line. I can’t wait to take a look!
Roseanne Wells
The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency
Suzie Townsend · November 2, 2017 at 12:10 am
This sounds so amazing! Great pitch and opening scene— I would love to read the full ms! Please send the full manuscript to suzie@newleafliterary.com attached as a Word document with the query in the first page of the document. Put “PITCH WARS” in the subject. Please also include a dreaded synopsis if you have one. Thank you! Can’t wait to read!
Margaret Bail · November 2, 2017 at 10:40 am
I’m hooked! Please send the query, a brief synopsis of 1-2 pages, and the first 50 pages to: margaret@fuseliterary.com. Be sure to put PITCH WARS in the subject line. Looking forward to reading it!
Andrea Somberg · November 2, 2017 at 1:04 pm
I would love to read more! Please feel free to send the query and the manuscript as a word document to andrea@harveyklinger.com, with Pitch Wars in the subject line. Thanks!
Jaida Temperly · November 2, 2017 at 1:37 pm
Love this — please send me the full manuscript + synopsis to jtemperly@newleafliterary.com!
Jennifer Azantian · November 3, 2017 at 2:50 am
I would love to read more!
Please send your query, 1-2 page synopsis, and first 100 pages (in an attached word doc.) to queries at azantianlitagency dot com with “PitchWars: TITLE by Name” in the subject line. Thanks!
I look forward to reading on!
Jennifer Azantian
Azantian Literary Agency
Lynnette Novak · November 3, 2017 at 8:57 pm
Great voice! I love the premise–kidnapping a healing god! Great dynamic between Kastien and Val. I want to go on their adventure with them. 🙂
Please send the full manuscript to Lynnette@theseymouragency.com, attached as a Word document with the query as the first page. Put “Pitch Wars” and your title in the subject line. Please also include a brief synopsis as a separate document. Thanks! Can’t wait to read!
Lynnette Novak
The Seymour Agency
Penelope Burns · November 4, 2017 at 2:05 pm
Hi Ian,
I would absolutely love to see this! Can you send the full to penelope@gelfmaschneider.com with your query in the body of the email and PitchWars and title in the subject line? Thank you!
Penelope
Pam Victorio · November 4, 2017 at 2:44 pm
Hi! I love the idea of slaying and kidnapping Gods. Please send a ‘query’ through my Query Manager and I’ll request the full through the system. http://QueryMe.Online/QueryPam
Comments are closed.