Manuscript Status: Finished
Mentor Names: Cindy Baldwin and Amanda Rawson Hill
Mentee Name: Karen Chow
Title: MIRACLE
Category: Middle Grade
Genre: Contemporary #ownvoices
Word Count: 40,000
Pitch:
Amie’s spent her life perfectly in tune with what her father wanted for her. But after Ba-ba dies, Amie must discover who she is when playing solo. Being the conductor of her own life means new friends, new interests, and becoming the person Ba-ba knew she was all along.
Excerpt:
PRELUDE
Ba-ba always told me I was a miracle.
His doctor said it was impossible for him and Mom to have children. I wasn’t supposed to exist. He was never supposed to meet me. We were never supposed to spend eleven years, seven months, and fourteen days together.
I stared at his blank face, so still on the crisp hospital bed. His black hair had thinned, and his yellowish skin molded to his cheekbones. The rest of him was kept warm by a thick, cream-colored blanket.
I could barely hear his breath over the blips on the monitors.
I perched on the edge of the pale pink chair, clasping my chilled hands around his limp fingers. I kept squeezing them, like I could push life into him.
“Amie,” Mom patted my shoulder, “some of the church members are here.”
Ba-ba’s friend, Mr. Hua, led a group of solemn-looking people who were all around Ba-ba’s age. They gathered near the foot of the bed. Their black-and-gray hair looked like stormy clouds.
Their winter wraps prepared them for snow, even though it never snowed in Phoenix.
“Hi, Amie.” Mr. Hua’s voice was quiet as he approached my chair. He gazed at Ba-ba in a coma. His black eyes watered.
I could tell he wanted to sit down, so I gave Ba-ba’s hand one last squeeze before tearing myself from the chair and joining Mom in the corner. She pulled me close, and I buried my head into her shoulder.
17 Comments
Lauren Spieller · November 1, 2017 at 10:10 pm
What a lovely sample. 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
Justin Wells · November 1, 2017 at 10:25 pm
I’d love to take a look at your full manuscript! Please send your full manuscript (along with other requested info) using my Query Manager here: https://querymanager.com/query/Justin_Wells/Pitch_Wars
Natascha Morris · November 1, 2017 at 11:53 pm
What a touching sample! Please query me at QueryMe.online/1067/PitchWars2017. Thank you!
Best,
Natascha
Erica Bauman · November 2, 2017 at 5:12 am
This looks fantastic–I’d love to see more! Please send a query and the first 100 pages as an attachment to ebauman@aevitascreative.com, and put “Pitch Wars” in the subject line.
Thanks!
-Erica
Jim McCarthy · November 2, 2017 at 9:04 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
Carrie Hannigan · November 2, 2017 at 11:21 am
Hi Karen,
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
Hillary Jacobson · November 2, 2017 at 12:21 pm
I love love love the voice. Please send the full manuscript as a word document to hjacobson@icmpartners.com. Thank you!
Jennifer Kim · November 2, 2017 at 1:12 pm
Hi Karen,
This was lovely. I’d love to read the first 50 pages of the manuscript. Please forward as a word document to jennifer@dijkstraagency.com, and include “PITCH WARS” in your subject line.
Can’t wait to read!
Jennifer (SDLA)
Penelope Burns · November 2, 2017 at 1:21 pm
Hi Karen,
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
Peter Knapp · November 2, 2017 at 3:42 pm
Already feeling emotional reading this opening! I’d 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 4:32 pm
I’d love to read the full, please! Send to tracey@adamsliterary.com with your query letter and “Pitch Wars – Middle Grade” in the subject line. Thank you!
Blair Wilson · November 2, 2017 at 11:19 pm
What a beautiful opening–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!
Katie Grimm · November 3, 2017 at 10:40 am
Hi Karen – This is such a lovely, heartfelt opening–I’d love to read more! Please email your query with full ms attached as a Word doc to dca@doncongdon.com with PitchWars Request + MIRACLE in the subject line. Thanks! – Katie Grimm, Don Congdon Associates
Rena Rossner · November 6, 2017 at 4:18 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
Andrea Somberg · November 7, 2017 at 12:09 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 4:06 pm
I love the musical element here, being a former band geek :), and the premise sounds simply amazing! I would love to take a look! Please send a query and full manuscript to chquery@mcintoshandotis.com. I look forward to reading!
-Christa Heschke, McIntosh & Otis
Kari · November 7, 2017 at 6:27 pm
Hi Karen,
This sounds really compelling. Could you please send the first 50 pages as an attachment to kari@bradfordlit.com along with the query in the email and use REQUESTED: PitchWars in the title of the email?
Thank you!
Kari
Comments are closed.