Manuscript Status: Finished
Mentor Name: Hannah Karena Jones
Mentee Name: Stephanie Willing
Title: WEST OF THE SEA
Category: Middle Grade
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy
Word Count: 59,000
Pitch:
The local gossips say 12-year-old Haven West’s Mama ran away from their drought-ravaged, small Texas town. But Haven knows what she saw—Mama looked distinctly reptilian the night she left. When Haven falls into the Brazos River and transforms as well, she discovers the family secret: they’re kitskas, an evolution of selkies. With her new gills and visions of prehistoric creatures to guide her, Haven may be the only who can find Mama alive. HOUR OF THE BEES meets BREADCRUMBS.
Excerpt:
My feet bit hard into the cracked dirt as I tried to outrun my tears and the SLAM of the screen door behind me. The brown grass crackled a warning hiss as I raced across our mostly-dead yard and snapped as I skidded to a stop.
Our peacock sat in the middle of the trampoline like a chicken dressed for Easter Sunday. The cottonwood tree above was shedding its fluffs, and the air was full of the soft seeds. An early summer snowfall.
“Harry, this is not your nest.” I brushed away angry tears.
The porch door whined open, and I turned around expecting Mama. But it was just Margie. She started across the yard, then paused and bent down to pick up something long and gauzy.
“What’s that?” I asked, but then I saw. Snakeskin. As she walked, it fluttered behind her like a kite’s tail. At least five feet.
“Rattlesnake,” she said. “Awfully close to the house.”
I turned back to the peacock. “Harry, you have one job,” I said. “Kill the snakes. And you can’t even do that.” Kicking off my sneakers, I pulled myself over the metal rungs. Harry wuffled and glided down to the patchy grass. He bobbed his head as he walked away. Ridiculous. Like a cross between a dinosaur and a perfume bottle.
14 Comments
Kaitlyn Johnson · November 1, 2017 at 10:20 pm
This sounds great! I’d love to see the full manuscript. Please send pages and synopsis http://QueryMe.Online/KaitlynJohnson/Contests with PitchWars in the referral box. Looking forward to the read!
Patricia Nelson · November 1, 2017 at 11:36 pm
This sounds really unique! I’d love to read more. Please send a query (in the body of the email) along with the first 50 pages as a Word doc attachment, subject line “Pitch Wars: [Your Title]” to patricia@marsallyonliteraryagency.com.
Thanks, and looking forward to reading!
Patricia
Heather Flaherty · November 2, 2017 at 7:05 am
Hi there Stephanie,
I’m super intrigued by your story and adore this voice, would love to read more!
Please send:
– Query + 10 pages pasted in the body of the email
– Attach FULL ms as well!
– with subject line: PW MG + Title
to: flahertyqueries@thebentagency.com
Thank you so much!
Heather Flaherty (The Bent Agency)
Katie Grimm · November 2, 2017 at 9:25 am
Hi Stephanie – your concept is intriguing and I LOVE your opening lines – so evocative! Please email your query with full ms attached as a Word doc to dca@doncongdon.com with PitchWars Request + WEST OF THE SEA in the subject line. Thanks!
Best,
Katie Grimm
Don Congdon Associates
Kira Watson · November 2, 2017 at 10:28 am
Hi Stephanie,
This looks fantastic!
Please send your query with a FULL manuscript (attached as a Word Doc) to queries@emmasweeneyagency.com with PitchWars Request for Kira Watson + TITLE.
Thank you!
-Kira Watson
Emma Sweeney Agency
Suzie Townsend · November 2, 2017 at 12:13 pm
This sounds so amazing! I love the voice — 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!
Sarah Landis · November 2, 2017 at 4:04 pm
I’d love to read the full manuscript! Please send me as a word doc to slander@sll.com. Thanks!
Whitley Abell · November 2, 2017 at 4:06 pm
I’d love to see more! Please submit your query, synopsis, and first 50 pages to https://querymanager.com/query/inklings_whitley/PitchWars. I can’t wait to dive in!
Melissa Nasson · November 3, 2017 at 11:37 am
Stephanie, I would love to read more of this! Please send the first 50 pages as a Word doc or PDF attachment to melissa@rpcontent.com. Please also include your query letter in the body of the email, and Pitch Wars in the subject line.
I look forward to reading!
Thanks,
Melissa Nasson
Rubin Pfeffer Content
Andrea Cascardi · November 3, 2017 at 11:59 am
Hi, I would absolutely love to read this in full! Please can you send it as a Word or PDF attachment, to andrea@transatlanticagency.com? With the query and “Pitch Wars” in the subject line.
Many thanks!
Andrea
Brianne Johnson · November 3, 2017 at 3:47 pm
Hi Stephanie,
I would absolutely LOVE to take a look at WEST OF THE SEA! Please could you send the first 50 pages attached in a word document? I would really appreciate it if you would label your query REQUESTED: Pitch Wars and label the document with your last name and the title.
Thank you so much! I can’t wait to dive in!
Warmly,
Bri
Brianne Johnson
Writers House
Brent Taylor · November 5, 2017 at 10:10 am
I’d love to read this. Please send the full manuscript to brent(@)triadaus(.)com. Looking forward!
Rena Rossner · November 6, 2017 at 4:13 pm
I’d love to take a closer look! Please send the full manuscript attached as a word document to: rena@thedeborahharrisagency.com
Thanks!
– Rena
Christa Heschke · November 7, 2017 at 3:47 pm
I really enjoyed your opening and would love to read on! Please send a query, first 100 pages and synopsis to chquery@mcintoshandotis.com. I look forward to reading!
-Christa Heschke, McIntosh & Otis
Comments are closed.