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.
Next up, we have . . .
Bree Shea – Mentee
Jenny Perinovic – Mentor
Kyrie McCauley – Mentor
Jenny & Kyrie, why did you choose Bree?
Bree’s writing pulled us right in and never let go. We absolutely love her characters, they are fun and flawed and real. The magic feels fresh and familiar all at once, and we enjoyed Bree’s descriptive writing style and gentle, gorgeous world-building so much. We said early on that we hoped some lovable modern-day witches landed in our inbox, and Bree gave us the exact kind of manuscript we knew we would love to work with. We also had the clearest idea for revisions with this manuscript, and that meant a lot to us, too. We wanted a manuscript we felt best suited to help.
Bree, why did you choose to submit to Jenny & Kyrie?
Narrowing down who to submit to can be super overwhelming. Jenny and Kyrie were my first pick. They had a great vibe, tons of experience, and my manuscript seemed to fit their wishlist. Also, their gif game was all Practical Magic and I was like, hey that’s one of my comps! *Please love me.* After stalking them on all the social media and checking out their AMA/PW forum answers, I had faith that they’d have some great ideas for my book, and they did!
Jenny & Kyrie, summarize Bree’s book in 3 words.
Kyrie: curses, legacies, witches
Jenny: sisters, swoons, magic
Bree, summarize your book in 3 words.
Swoony, magical, layered
Jenny & Kyrie, tell us about yourself. Something we may not already know.
We met as teens (in 2005!) at a political summer camp, when we were both chosen to be senators for our home state! We bonded over our love of libraries, and have stayed friends ever since!
Bree, what do you hope to get out of the Pitch Wars experience?
Everyone hopes to strengthen their writing, which of course is why I subbed in the first place. And yes, I’m manifesting an amazing showcase and future for this book, but also, I’m thrilled to be part of this community. Books might be born in bubbles, but they don’t grow to their potential in them, so meeting fellow mentees and finding incredible writing friends is very exciting. This is my fourth year entering and each time I’ve met some truly amazing people. On a more personal level, I’m looking forward to finding the flaws in my writing, how to tighten my work, and not get so lost in my prose.
Bree, tell us about yourself. What makes you and your manuscript unique?
I’m an artist first, but that passion developed hand in hand with writing. I have a degree in theatre and worked as a makeup artist for film, so I tend to think about my stories very visually and hope that comes through in my work. Also, I joke that most of my books are just my version of therapy. This book was my way of talking about how hard it is to come to terms with the mistakes your family has made and who you are because of them. Am I stuck in this path? Can I repeat their choices but make them for the right reasons? I also drew a lot from my personal pagan practices when writing this story.
Check out Kyrie McCauley’s latest release, WE CAN BE HEROES …
Beck and Vivian can’t stand each other, but they do their best for their mutual friend, Cassie. When Cassie is killed, Beck and Vivian team up for revenge.
But they’re keeping secrets, like the 3rd passenger riding around town with them: Cassie’s ghost.
The three of them, one only mostly dead, face off with grief, love, and the currency of vengeance in a world that tells girls they shouldn’t be angry.
We can be angry.
We can be vengeful.
WE CAN BE HEROES.
Available now.
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.