Manuscript Status: Finished
Mentor Name: Jenny Lundquist
Mentee Name: Caroline Flory
Title: THE SOUND INSIDE
Category: Middle Grade
Genre: Contemporary with magical elements
Word Count: 41,000 words
Pitch:
Firefly Mountain’s a special place—it strums, taps, and hums special songs only twelve-year-old Cassie Banner can hear. But the fireflies disappeared years ago, taking bits of magic with them. As development now threatens the town’s existence, Cassie must untangle secrets to set everything right again.
Excerpt:
Everything hushes near dusk on these almost-summer nights in May. I used to think it was because the birds, horses, trees, and cicadas were getting ready for bed, a quieting before sleep, like Mom telling me I can stay up later if I quietly read.
But, the more I stand here in the whispering grass listening to the sounds emerging from everything, the more I think every part of this mountain waits for some other song to join in.
Like something’s missing.
Most everyone in town agrees the something missing is the fireflies, which, I’m told, used to sprinkle every step of ground. The whole mountain’s music lessens each summer, telling me everything on the mountain aches for them to return.
Rambler’s quickstepping music rushes through the hush, floating around the corner of the barn to me in the back yard as I start the evening’s chores. From the excitement woven within its notes, Dad’s given out the sweetfeed already.
A spunky, slightly petite Appaloosa pony mix, Rambler has a smaller mandolin sound with a lot of perk and pluck, a perfect match for him. An appropriate song drifting from inside to out.
I’m the only one around here who can hear these songs, and sometimes I wish others could hear how right their sounds inside are.
But in an instant his song flips to a double-stringed panic.
Not again.
I start running to the barn.
Then he squeals out a whinny, propelling Mom and Dad to race after me.
30 Comments
Brent Taylor · November 1, 2017 at 9:22 pm
I’d love to read this! Please send as a Microsoft Word document to brent(@)triadaus(.)com. So excited!
Lauren Spieller · November 1, 2017 at 10:16 pm
I love your voice! Please send your query in the body of an email, along with the full 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
Erica Bauman · November 2, 2017 at 5:00 am
I’m hooked and would love to see more! Please send a query and the full manuscript to ebauman@aevitascreative.com, and put “Pitch Wars” in the subject line.
Thanks!
-Erica
Heather Flaherty · November 2, 2017 at 7:14 am
Caroline, this is stunning!! I would LOVE to see 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)
Maria Vicente · November 2, 2017 at 8:05 am
Caroline, I would love to take a look at the full manuscript! Please email a query letter to maria@psliterary.com with the subject line “Pitch Wars Request: The Sound Inside” and include the manuscript (+ a synopsis) as an attachment.
Marie Lamba · November 2, 2017 at 8:51 am
The sustainability thread in this is so important! Please submit your query to me at marie.jdlit@gmail.com with your query letter and the first 20 pages pasted into the email. Please put PITCH WARS REQUEST and your title in the message line. Also, attach the complete manuscript as a word file. Thanks!
Marie
Jim McCarthy · November 2, 2017 at 9:07 am
I would love to see this! Please send the full manuscript to me at jmccarthy@dystel.com. A Word attachment is most preferable if possible. Best, Jim
Caitie Flum · November 2, 2017 at 10:12 am
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.
Melissa Edwards · November 2, 2017 at 10:53 am
I’d love to see more! Please email the first 50 pp as a .doc to medwards@stonesong.com. Thank you!
Carrie Hannigan · November 2, 2017 at 11:19 am
Hi Caroline,
I would love to read more! Please query me at channigan@hsgagency.com and attach the first 100 pages as a word document. Also please include “Pitch Wars” in your subject line.
Thanks so much!
Carrie
Natascha Morris · November 2, 2017 at 11:51 am
I want this! Please query me at QueryMe.online/1067/PitchWars2017. Thank you!
Best,
Natascha
Hillary Jacobson · November 2, 2017 at 12:24 pm
Your writing is beautiful and I’d love to see more! Please send the full manuscript as a word document to hjacobson@icmpartners.com. Thank you!
Suzie Townsend · November 2, 2017 at 12:37 pm
Wow, your writing is gorgeous! This sounds so amazing — 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 1:15 pm
I’d love to read the full manuscript! Please send a word doc to slandis@sll.com. Thanks!
Kathleen Rushall · November 2, 2017 at 1:20 pm
This sounds right up my alley! I’d love to read more. Can you please send the full manuscript to Kathleen@AndreaBrownLit.com? Thank you!
Penelope Burns · November 2, 2017 at 1:23 pm
Hi Caroline,
I would LOVE to see this. Can you please send the full manuscript to penelope@gelfmanschneider.com, with your query in the body of the email and #PitchWars and title in the subject line? Thanks so much!
Penelope
Elana Roth Parker · November 2, 2017 at 2:00 pm
Hi! I’d love to read more! Please email me at eparker [at] ldlainc [dot] com:
* Subject line: PitchWars Submission: YOUR BOOK TITLE
* Your query letter in the body of the email
* The full manuscript attached as a Word document
Thanks!
Elana
Peter Knapp · November 2, 2017 at 3:32 pm
Hi Caroline, you know I’m excited to see this again and would love to keep reading! Please send the full manuscript as a Word doc with the query pasted into the first page of the document to queries@parkliterary.com with “PETER KNAPP – PITCH WARS REQUEST” in the subject. Thank you, and I look forward to reading!
Tracey Adams · November 2, 2017 at 4:28 pm
I love this voice and would like to see the full! Please send to tracey@adamsliterary.com with your query letter and “Pitch Wars – Middle Grade” in the subject line. Thank you!
Ammi-Joan Paquette · November 2, 2017 at 4:29 pm
This is a wonderful start – I’d love to read on further! Please send your query and first 3 chapters my way to consider at joan at emliterary.com 🙂
Blair Wilson · November 2, 2017 at 11:09 pm
This is wonderful–I’d love to read more. Please send the full manuscript as a Word doc with the query pasted into the first page of the document to queries@parkliterary.com with “BLAIR WILSON – PITCH WARS REQUEST” in the subject. Thanks so much–looking forward to reading!
Patricia Nelson · November 2, 2017 at 11:39 pm
This is lovely! I’d love to read more. Please send a query (in the body of the email) along with the full manuscript as a Word doc attachment, subject line “Pitch Wars: [Your Title]” to patricia@marsallyonliteraryagency.com.
Thanks, and looking forward to reading!
Kristy Hunter · November 3, 2017 at 9:55 am
I would LOVE to read more of this! Please send the full manuscript (as a Word attachment) and your query (in the body of the email) to kristy.hunter@knightagency.net with “Pitch Wars Requested: TITLE” in the subject line. Thanks!
Andrea Cascardi · November 3, 2017 at 12:03 pm
This is beautiful! I’d love to read the full manuscript. Please can you send it to me at andrea@transatlanticagency.com, as a Word or PDF attachment, with Pitch Wars Reques in the subject line?
I can’t wait to continue reading!
Sincerely,
Andrea
Danielle Burby · November 3, 2017 at 4:25 pm
This is really beautiful! I’d love to take a look! Please send a query and the first twenty pages in the body of the email to querydanielle@nelsonagency.com with the subject line Pitch Wars Requested Materials. I can’t wait to read it!
Sarah Davies · November 4, 2017 at 2:33 pm
Hello! I’d love to read more of this. Please send me the query with full manuscript (Word doc) at submissions@greenhouseliterary.com, with PitchWars/Sarah Davies in the email title line. Thanks!
Sarah
Melissa Nasson · November 6, 2017 at 12:25 pm
Caroline, I’d love to read more! Please send the full manuscript 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 Somberg · November 7, 2017 at 12:08 pm
I would love to read this! Please feel free to send the full manuscript along to andrea@harveyklinger.com with Pitch Wars Request in the subject line. Thanks! -Andrea
Christa Heschke · November 7, 2017 at 3:54 pm
This sounds amazing and I loved your writing! Please send a query and full manuscript to chquery@mcintoshandotis.com. I look forward to reading!
-Christa Heschke, McIntosh & Otis
Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel · November 14, 2017 at 4:27 am
What a beautiful start! Growing up in the hill country catching fireflies, I’d love to read more of your story! Please send to me at info (at) fullcircleliterary (dot) (com).
Look forward to reading!
Stefanie
Full Circle Literary
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