Pitch Wars Team Interview with Chelsea Marie Ballard and Mentors, Laura Elizabeth and Mary Ann Marlowe

 

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 9, 2021, we hope you’ll take a moment during your writing breaks and get to know our 2021 Pitch Wars Mentor and Mentee Teams.

First up, we have . . .

Chelsea Marie Ballard – Mentee

Website | Twitter

 

Laura Elizabeth – Mentor

Website | Twitter

 

Mary Ann Marlowe – Mentor

Website | Twitter

Laura and Mary Ann, why did you choose Chelsea?

Laura: Chelsea’s main character is absolutely hysterical and her journey is turn-the-page exciting. Plus, Saturn is the hottest dang demon I’ve ever come across in a book. Chelsea is a witty, kickass writer who can have her readers laughing out loud while also delivering moments of tear-jerking, gut-punch moments. The stakes are high in her book, and her caliber of writing is higher. Demon Hunter Phoebe is one of the best times I’ve had reading a book in a long time.

Mary Ann: Chelsea’s voice is exactly what I live for. The sheer irreverence in this book (I mean, it does take us to hell) had me cackling from the opening pages, and while the emotions turned up by degrees along with the heat (in hell, remember), the witty hilarity kept surprising me clear to the end. Weave into that a heart-rending hate-to-love forced-proximity romance with an infernally hot demon, and take my money.

Chelsea, why did you choose to submit to Laura and Mary Ann?

I knew the second I read Mary Ann’s blog hop that I wanted to submit to Mary Ann and Laura. I had just finished drafting Demon Hunter Pheobe and the voice of my main character felt so wild and out there. Seeing VOICE, VOICE, VOICE on their lists was like a bright neon sign from God.

Laura and Mary Ann, summarize Chelsea’s book in 3 words.

Laura: Hell has hotties.

Mary Ann: Yearning in Hell.

Chelsea, summarize your book in 3 words.

Hot Demon Dick

Laura and Mary Ann, tell us about yourself. Something we may not already know.

Laura: Along with being a lover of love books, I am a proud left-handed human who prefers writing my own stories in notebooks before moving them over to the computer. As a reader, I enjoy books that make me laugh, cry, and swoon. One of my now not-so-secret dreams is to write and sell my own original greeting cards. One of my other not-so-secret dreams is to play Tinker Bell at Walt Disney World. I love a good word search and one of my favorite things to do is color. The fact that adult coloring books are a thing now is absolutely freaking fantastic. My favorite social media platform is Instagram.

Mary Ann: I am a virtuoso at reverse karaoke. I can’t remember any lyrics, and I can’t play any instruments, but I can sing every instrumental part of any song from my distant youth. What’s more, I instinctively know whether to choose the do-da-loo-da-do-da (as in Carry On My Wayward Son’s guitar solo) or the wah-wahhh-wah-wahhh (as in the soulful sax in Careless Whispers). Twos of people have recognized this talent that has taken me as far as New York City (in the front seat of my car).

Chelsea, what do you hope to get out of the Pitch Wars experience?

Everything! I hope to up my writing and querying game. I hope to learn how to take criticism better. I hope to stuff myself full of so much advice, I can stew on it for years to come. Being a part of this community is mind-boggling and amazing and I’m really just happy to be here.

Chelsea, tell us about yourself. What makes you and your manuscript unique?

Hi! I’m Chelsea! I’m a teacher, a mom, and a pole dancer. When I’m not reading or writing, I’m taking ridiculous reading-while-hanging-upside-down pictures for my insta. My manuscript is a trip, ya’ll. It follows a snarky demon hunter on her journey to rescue her childhood love from Hell, only to find out that’s he’s grown up into a sexy demi-devil prince who doesn’t need saving. It’s spicy and sarcastic and brimming with fight scenes. Oh, and did I mention a sweet, sweet enemies to lovers arc?

Thank you for supporting our Pitch Wars Teams! The Agent Showcase is February 9-14, 2022. Make sure to stop by then and check out all our mentees’ entries when it opens.