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 . . .
Megan Clements – Mentee
Sean Easley – Mentor
Sean, why did you choose Megan?
Megan’s manuscript grabbed me from the get-go and didn’t let go. So much action and adventure, and a character I really identified with (he’s super unsure of himself, just like me!). Also, it had so many things going for it that I love, and that I think kids will love too: sailing ships, cool gadgetry, lots of heart… it’s the full package!
Megan, why did you choose to submit to Sean?
When I was reading Sean Easley’s Pitch Wars Wishlist I wanted to give the whole thing a bit AMEN! We had the same taste in books. We both love an adventure story where a kid gets to defy all the odds. We love being taken away to new and cool places. And we’re both Hufflepuffs!
All of that, and he has an epic adventure story out right now. He knows the market. He understands the revision process because he has been through it. I get to live vicariously as he goes on tour, visits schools, and works on book two! I knew he would be a great person to have in my corner, and I was right.
Sean, summarize Megan’s book in 3 words.
Privateers, Inventions, Family
Megan, summarize your book in 3 words.
Privateer Inventor Orphan
Sean, tell us about yourself. Something we may not already know.
I love dark and twisty stories, especially when they’ve got surprises in store for me. I found my love for reading with authors like John Bellairs and Susan Cooper, and that’s always stuck with me. And, though my book isn’t quite so dark, I still really, really love to be creeped out. Oh, and puzzles! Mysteries to be solved are my guilty pleasure (which I’m sure played into my excitement on reading Megan’s amazing manuscript).
Megan, what do you hope to get out of the Pitch Wars experience?
I joined Pitch Wars because I want to learn everything I can about writing. I love to read middle-grade fantasy, and I want my stories to sing! What I didn’t know about Pitch Wars was how you are embraced into an amazing community of authors. You get to rub shoulders with an awesome mentor that wants to see you succeed. I could not have predicted how fulfilling that would be and how it has driven me to be a better writer.
Megan, tell us about yourself! What makes you and your manuscript unique?
I have six kids (yes, six!) so I am surrounded by middle grade humor all day long. I have been writing for my whole life. I sent a story to a writing contest in second grade and was hooked with the prospect of someday being published. A lot of my writing years have been spent raising kids, and I can honestly say creating stories was my sanity. It made me a better mom to have such an awesome creative outlet. I decided to pursue publishing in earnest a few years ago, and that is when the Keeper of the Key was born.
I love the story so much! It is about a orphan that wasn’t destined to be a hero like “chosen ones” you read so often, but he was thrown into the role because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It would have been easy to give up, but he didn’t let a little, or HUGE, mistake decide his destiny. Add a little bravery, some faithful friends, and flair for inventing, and you have a rip-roaring privateer adventure!
Check out Sean’s recent release, THE HOTEL BETWEEN …
A magical hotel, a mysterious tree, and a cryptic story about their missing father leads twins Cam and Cass on a worldly adventure in this enchanting debut novel that’s perfect for fans of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and Wildwood.
Twins Cam and Cass have never known their parents. They’ve been told their mother died, and Cass is certain their father abandoned them. Cam isn’t so sure. He wants to prove her wrong; he must.
Cam’s wish is soon granted in the form of a glistening, golden sign with elaborate flourishes that reads: The Hotel Between. With doors that open to countries all over the world, magical trollies, charmed corridors that can be altered on a whim, stone elephants that turn to life, sweets made from rocks; everything is possible in The Hotel. Cam has a hunch his father is somehow connected to this magical place, and may even be lost within its hidden halls.
Every journey has its risks, and The Hotel Between is full of dangerous secrets. If Cam’s not careful, his stay may be over before his vacation has even started.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Thank you for supporting our Pitch Wars Teams! The Agent Showcase is February 6 – 11, 2019. If you’re an agent and would like to participate, you must register here: https://pitchwars.org/info-for-agents/. We hope you’ll join us to support our teams on the Twitter hashtag #PitchWars.