Manuscript Status: Finished
Mentor: Ashley Hearn
Mentee: Tomi Adeyemi
Title: CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE
Category/Genre: Young Adult West-African Fantasy (Own Voices)
Word Count: 105,000
Pitch:
With magic, Zélie’s family could stand against the royal guard.
Her people wouldn’t live in fear.
Her mom wouldn’t have hanged from that tree.
Years after the king wiped magic out of Orïsha, Zélie has one chance to bring it back. To do so, she’ll have to outwit/outrun the crown prince, who’s hell-bent on erasing magic for good.
AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER meets BLACK LIVES MATTER.
Excerpt:
When I think of her I think of rice.
When Mama was around, the hut always smelled of jollof rice.
I think about the way her face glowed like the summer sun, the way her smile made Dad come alive.
I hear the myths she would read to me at night. Zain’s spurts of laughter when they played abgön in the mountain park. Dad’s cries as they put the rope around her neck. Her screams as they dragged her into the dark.
The incantations that spewed from her mouth like lava—the magic of death that left her astray.
I think about the way her corpse hung from that tree.
I think about the king who took her away.
CHAPTER ONE
Pick me.
It’s all I can do not to scream. I dig my nails into the marula oak of my staff and squeeze to keep from fidgeting. Beads of sweat drip down my back, but I can’t tell if it’s from the morning heat or my heart slamming against my chest. Week after week I’ve been passed over.
Today can’t be the same.
I tuck a lock of snow-white hair behind my ear and do my best to sit still. As always, Mama Agba makes this selection grueling, staring at each girl just long enough to make us squirm.
37 Comments
Stefanie Lieberman · November 4, 2016 at 9:43 pm
I’m mesmerized. Please send the full manuscript in word format (with query) to slieberman (at) janklow (dot) com — and please note pitch wars in the subject line. Thank you!
Brent Taylor · November 4, 2016 at 9:47 pm
Wow! This packs an emotional punch. I would love to read. Please send as a Microsoft word doc to brent[at]triadaus[dot]com with “Pitch Wars request” in the subject line and your query pasted in the body of the message. Cannot wait to read!
Lauren Spieller · November 4, 2016 at 9:51 pm
I absolutely must have this! Please send the full manuscript (as well as a synopsis if you have one) to lauren@triadaus.com with “Pitch Wars: [YOUR TITLE]” as the subject line. Please also include your query in the body of the email. I look forward to reading!
-Lauren Spieller, TriadaUS
Jim McCarthy · November 4, 2016 at 10:46 pm
You already know I can’t wait! Send it along, please!!! jmccarthy@dystel.com
Barry Goldblatt · November 4, 2016 at 10:50 pm
What Jim said (but, you know, me first), ???? Barry@bgliterary.com
Caitlin · November 4, 2016 at 11:20 pm
I’m loving this voice! I’d love to take a look at the full manuscript. Please send it to cmcdonald@maassagency.com, along with the query letter and synopsis, and include “Pitch Wars” in the subject line. Thanks!
Caitlin McDonald
Donald Maass Literary Agency
Renee Nyen · November 5, 2016 at 12:10 am
I would love to take a look, too! The full manuscript, please! reneequery@ktliterary.com
Caitie Flum · November 5, 2016 at 12:28 am
I’d love to take a look at the full manuscript. Please send it as a word attachment to querycaitie (at) lizadawson (dot) com with your query in the email, with the PitchWars request in the subject.
lindsaymealing · November 5, 2016 at 1:16 am
I’d love to read more of this! Please send your first 50 pages as a Word document to querylindsay@emeraldcityliterary.com. Include Pitch Wars in the subject line along with your query in the body of your email.
Thanks!
Pam · November 5, 2016 at 2:19 am
Oh my gosh the writing is amazing. I’d love to read the full. pam@d4eo.com
Suzie Townsend · November 5, 2016 at 9:29 am
I am so upset I can’t read more right now! I love this so much. Please send the full manuscript to Suzie at newleafliterary dot com with the query pasted into the first page and REQUESTED PITCH WARS in the subject line. Thanks!
Rena Rossner · November 5, 2016 at 4:11 pm
I’d love to take a look at the full manuscript! Please send your query pasted in the email and the full manuscript attached in a word document to: rena (at) thedeborahharrisagency (dot) com
Thanks!
– Rena Rossner
The Deborah Harris Agency
Uwe Stender · November 5, 2016 at 5:46 pm
Every spring I teach a class on mythology and legends at the University of Pittsburgh, so this projects sounds so perfectly up my alley. Please, send the full as an MSWord attachment to uwe@triadaus.com.
Peter Knapp · November 5, 2016 at 7:57 pm
This sounds GREAT! I’d love to keep reading! Please send the full manuscript attached as a Word document to queries@parkliterary.com with “Pitch Wars – Pete Knapp” in the subject. Looking forward to reading! – Pete Knapp
Ammi-Joan Paquette · November 6, 2016 at 8:02 am
WOW! Love this starter and can’t wait to read more – please send your query and full manuscript to me at joan @ emliterary.com!
Heather Flaherty · November 6, 2016 at 9:37 am
Would love to see the full! Can you please send the full ms, along with the query + 10 pages pasted in the body of the email to flahertyqueries@thebentagency.com, with subject line: PITCH WARS + Title.
So excited, thank you! 🙂
Brooks Sherman · November 6, 2016 at 3:28 pm
Tomi, I have been looking forward to this entry for *literally* months! I’m so excited to check it out now! Please send your full manuscript to brooks@thebentagency.com as a Word attachment, along with your query and a synopsis (if available) with “PITCH WARS: CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE” in the subject of your email. Thanks, and I can’t wait to dive in!
Patricia Nelson · November 6, 2016 at 6:42 pm
Tomi, I am so, so excited to read this! Please send a query (in the body of the email) plus the full manuscript as a Word doc attachment to patricia@marsallyonliteraryagency.com, and make sure to put “Pitch Wars Request” and the title in the subject line.
Can’t wait to read more!
Hillary Jacobson · November 7, 2016 at 12:59 pm
This looks beyond amazing and I’d love to read more! Please send the full manuscript to hjacobson@icmpartners.com Thank you!!
mandyhubbard · November 7, 2016 at 2:33 pm
I’d love to read ore of this! Please send me the full as an attached word doc, to Querymandy@emeraldcityliterary.com. (Lindsay and I both requested this, and that’s okay– we’ll chat about it internally.) Thanks! -M
Logan Garrison Savits · November 7, 2016 at 5:25 pm
Hi! I’d love to take a closer look at your work. Please send your query letter in the body of an email and attach the full manuscript as a word or pdf doc. You can reach me at lgarrison (at) thegernertco (dot) com. Thank you!
~Logan Garrison Savits
The Gernert Company
Victoria Marini · November 7, 2016 at 6:13 pm
Hi Tomi,
I loved this! I have to keep reading! Can you please send the complete manuscript – as either a Word Doc or PDF – to victoria.queries@irenegoodman,com with “pitchwars” somewhere in the subject line!
Thank you so much!
Victoria
Leon · November 8, 2016 at 11:32 am
I would love to see more of this!! Please send the full manuscript + your query to leon@lperkinsagency.com. Thanks!
Melissa Nasson · November 8, 2016 at 1:32 pm
This sounds outstanding. I would love to see the full manuscript! Please send it to melissa@rpcontent.com as a Word doc or PDF with your query in the body of the email, and be sure to put “Pitch Wars” in the subject line.
Thanks!
Melissa Nasson
Rubin Pfeffer Content
Christa Heschke (@ChristaHeschke) · November 8, 2016 at 3:35 pm
Yes, yes,yes! West African fantasy and Avatar the Last Airbender?! I’m in LOVE 🙂 This sounds so amazing! Please send a query, synopsis and full manuscript to chquery@mcintoshandotis.com. Please mark “Pitch Wars request” in the subject line. –Christa Heschke
Tamar Rydzinski · November 8, 2016 at 3:59 pm
I cannot wait to read this! Please send the manuscript to trydzinski@ldlainc.com. Thanks! Tamar
Laura Biagi, Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency · November 8, 2016 at 4:05 pm
Completely standout–I love this premise and your writing! I’d love to see the full manuscript. Please send it + query + synopsis to LBiagi (at) jvnla (dot) com, with Pitch Wars in the subject line. Excited to read!
Andrea Somberg · November 8, 2016 at 5:47 pm
I’d love take a look at the full manuscript! Please feel free to send it along as a word document to andrea [at] harveyklinger.com with “PitchWars Requested Manuscript” in the subject line. Thanks! I’m looking forward to reading.
best,
Andrea Somberg
Harvey Klinger Inc.
Alexander Slater · November 8, 2016 at 6:21 pm
Whoa. Hi Tomi! I’d love to read this full manuscript now. However, if for some reason this, the 29th request, somehow gets lost in all the future correspondence, I have tremendous faith I’ll be able to pick up a hardcover copy of CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE next year in a bookstore. But as I said, it’d be a thrill to read an early copy. Email: ASlater@tridentmediagroup.com.
Best,
Alex
Nicole Payne · November 10, 2016 at 11:53 am
Wow…just wow. This sounds absolutely amazing!! I’d love to take a look at the full manuscript! Please feel free to send it along with query, synopsis and chapter summaries to nicole [at] goldenwheatliterary [dot] com.
Thanks!
Nicole
Amanda Jain · November 10, 2016 at 4:13 pm
Ninja request! This sounds SO fantastic. Please send the query, synopsis, and first 50 pages to amanda@inklingsliterary.com. I look forward to reading it!
Annie Hwang (@AnnieAHwang) · November 11, 2016 at 5:32 pm
Tomi–This had my heart caught in my throat. I’d absolutely love to see more, please do send your query letter and the full manuscript as a word doc attachment to annie@foliolit.com with subject line: PitchWars request. Cannot wait to be swept away.
Allison S · April 22, 2017 at 11:56 am
Looks amazing! I’d love to read the full manuscript. Please send it along to allisons@thelibrary.org
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