Our mentors are mentoring, 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 10, 2021, we hope you’ll take a moment during your writing breaks and get to know our 2020 Pitch Wars Mentor and Mentee Teams.
Next up, we have . . .
Juliet Hollihan – Mentee
Jamie Howard – Mentor
Jamie, why did you choose Juliet?
If I’m being honest, I was intrigued by Juliet’s submission the minute I saw her title in my inbox–HER INFINITE FACES. How catchy is that title? I started reading the pages and several hours later I’d devoured the whole thing. As always, I’m looking to champion strong female protagonists which this manuscript provides and more. Take into account the swoony romance, the revenge themes, and Juliet’s eager response to my edit suggestions and I couldn’t imagine having picked anyone else.
That is a really fantastic title! And Juliet, why did you choose to submit to Jamie?
I knew I wanted to work with Jamie from the moment I first read her wish list. I put a lot of trust in my gut instincts, and as cheesy as it sounds, I had a very good feeling about her from the start. My story had a lot of the elements she was looking for — complicated relationships, a messy heroine who makes questionable decisions, and a strong romantic subplot — so I knew we’d be a good fit in that sense. But beyond that, her past experience as a mentor, her critique style, and her editing strengths made me feel confident that this book would be in great hands with her. We’re both big fans of the compliment sandwich, and I really wanted someone who would always be honest with me while still cheering me on.
I love that you’re both fans of the compliment sandwich. I’m glad you two matched up! So Jamie, can you summarize Juliet’s book in 3 words?
Revenge. Romance. Deception.
Juliet, summarize your book in 3 words.
Revenge, disguises, and romance!
Love romance and revenge! Now Jamie, can you tell us about yourself? Something we may not already know.
One of my former homes was once featured on a ghost hunters TV show.
That sounds intriguing! Back to Juliet. What do you hope to get out of the Pitch Wars experience?
For the longest time, I was afraid to share my words with anyone except my mom. Eventually, I realized that hiding my work and flying solo wasn’t doing anything to help me learn and grow as a writer. My ultimate goal in submitting to Pitch Wars was to find a mentor who could help me take my craft to the next level and to connect with other writers who could be a support system for me as my writing career progresses. And so far, that’s exactly what I’ve gotten! Obviously, it would be incredible to find an agent through the showcase, but the Pitch Wars experience as a whole is an invaluable learning opportunity, and I want to get as much out of it as I can.
I’m so glad you found the camaraderie you were looking for in Pitch Wars. I’m crossing my fingers that you have many successes! And finally, Juliet can you tell us about yourself? What makes you and your manuscript unique?
I am a proud Pittsburgh native, an adoptee, and a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo. I studied Fashion Merchandising in college, but please don’t ever ask me what my characters are wearing because I’m terrible at describing clothes. I’m also a Virgo triple-threat (sun, moon, and rising!) and a former theater and band kid.
My Pitch Wars novel, HER INFINITE FACES, was inspired by two things: Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Arya Stark. Twelfth Night is one of my favorite plays, but me being the extremely dramatic person that I am, I read it and thought, “This story would really be better with more murder.” And I happened to be re-watching Game of Thrones (for the sixth time, whoops) while brainstorming HIF. So, I found a way to combine the two into one dark, twisty, romantic book.
Thank you Jamie and Juliet for the interview!
Thank you for supporting our Pitch Wars Teams! The Agent Showcase is February 10-15, 2021. Make sure to stop by then and check out all our mentees’ entries when it opens.