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 starting on February 6, 2019, we hope you’ll take a moment during your writing breaks and get to know our 2018 Pitch Wars Teams.
Next up, we have . . .
Julia Ferreri – Mentee
Alex Reda – Mentor
Renee A. Price – Mentor
Alex and Renee, why did you choose Julia?
From the moment we read Julia’s query, we couldn’t stop thinking about this amazing premise. An entire industry in hell devoted to creating individual hellscapes for each human who arrives there? Genius. The first eternal damnation case in hundreds of years? Yes, please. Eugene and Jenny tugged on our heartstrings and we know they’re going to do the same to anyone who reads it. THE MANY MURDERS OF JENNIFER AULT is the kind of genre-bending book you KNOW you have to read once you find out it exists. We asked for something different and we got it in the best way possible. From the moment we read Julia’s MS, we instantly had a vision and we can’t wait for everyone to stay up all night to read it just like we did.
Julia, why did you choose to submit to Alex and Renee?
They were really fun and welcoming and my manuscript seemed a perfect fit for what they were looking for. I also appreciated how short and to the point their blog hop was, I could tell they meant business and that they weren’t going to sugar coat anything. I appreciate people who tell it like it is.
Alex and Renee summarize Julia’s book in 3 words.
First Hell Romance
Julia, summarize your book in 3 words.
Demons designing hellscapes
Alex and Renee, tell us about yourself. Something we may not already know.
Alex: Grew up in a Romanian family where I was encouraged to both watch documentaries on alien life and learn incantations for getting rid of bad luck, so none of them should have been so surprised I grew up wanting to become a writer, right?
I’ve watched The Lord of the Rings behind-the-scenes about ten times more than the actual films. Could happily watch The Matrix, listen to Queen, and read SIX OF CROWS for the end of my days, preferably while eating soup.
Renee: When I was 12 I used to watch the SCREAM trilogy every week. I was obsessed with those movies, and I started writing stories inspired by them. They were probably my first written stories. Now, I’m scared of my own shadow.
Julia, what do you hope to get out of the Pitch Wars experience?
I would like to polish up my novel and make it more marketable to a YA audience. On top of that, I’m interested in the actual process of revision and making difficult decisions. I don’t enjoy having my work pulled apart bit by bit, but I know it is a necessary process if I want to create a better story.
Julia, tell us about yourself! What makes you and your manuscript unique?
I have worked in theatre my entire adult life. I am a costume shop manger and designer, so I spend all day designing and constructing costumes for the stage. Like me, my main character is also a designer, except he’s a demon that designs hellscapes for dead sinners. I’ve always been intrigued by demons and loved the idea of setting a romantic YA story in hell, and thus Many Murders was born!
Thank you for supporting our Pitch Wars Teams! The Agent Showcase is February 6 – 11, 2019. We hope you’ll join us to support our teams on the Twitter hashtag #PitchWars.