Jan 17 2012

Query Entry #3

Dear Mrs. Resciniti,

Tragedy teaches Jessica Ford to trust her instincts. After taking the blame for her mom’s car accident, she vows to never second-guess herself again. Yet, inheriting a telekinetic power from an ancient star turns the 15-year-old’s life topsy-turvy once more.

Fated to lead Jessie and her über friends, self-assured Solen Winthrop prepares her for her destiny to stop a tsunami. But when the price of losing him is at stake, she will have to make the ultimate decision. And the race against time begins.

Soul Choice is my contemporary YA Paranormal novel, in a series of three, complete at 77,000 words best described as a forbidden love meets The Day After Tomorrow.

I am a member of Romance Writers of America, including specialty chapters of Long Island Romance Writers, Dunes and Dreams Romance Writers and Young Adult RWA, earning my PRO pin in the interim. I guest-blog for LIRW and have contributed articles for publication in their newsletter.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Tuere Morton

Jan 17 2012

Query Entry # 2

Dear Agent,

When Scottish-Laird-Turned-Fallen-Angel Iain crashes through Arabella Hunter’s roof, she seriously considers tossing him out the window. She’s already promised her best friend to track and kill the demon that murdered the woman he loved, despite her self-imposed status as an ex-demon hunter, and has no plans to become further involved in the world she left behind three years ago.

Unfortunately for her, Iain is instrumental to this particular murder case, because he was assigned as a guardian angel to the murdered woman. Worse, he’s been convicted of the very crime he was supposed to prevent, hence his fallen angel status. Protocol dictates that she hand him over to the Archangels, but her instincts tell her that his pleas of innocence ring true. Honor-bound to find the real killer, she can’t simply ignore them. So when she offers to work with him, it has nothing to do with the fact that he’s got the body of a god and the face of… well… an angel.

Iain doesn’t remember a damn thing—one minute he’s sleeping on his cloud in the Heavens, the next minute he’s being dragged off to trial and having his wings stripped. For whatever reason, fate smiled on him and opened a hole out from under his feet so that he ended up crashing into Arabella’s apartment instead of languishing in the prison he was meant for. The only thing he knows for sure is that someone has framed him, and he will do anything to bring them to justice so he can reclaim his rightful place in the Heavens.

The explosive chemistry between the two of them is as distracting as it is detrimental, because they both know that a relationship would never be possible if they still want to achieve their mission. But the more Iain gets to know Arabella, the less he is sure that Heaven would be preferable to this beautiful, headstrong and conflicted woman.

As they come closer to the truth, an unwelcome fate is placed at their feet that to refuse means the end of the world. Soon, it becomes clear that in order to survive this, they must face their pasts… or forfeit their futures.

TO CATCH A FALLING ANGEL is a paranormal romance, complete at 64,000 words. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Jasmine

Jan 17 2012

Query Entry # 1

Dear Ms. Resciniti:

In sixteen-year-old Brina’s integrated high school, everyone has their place. Humans hang out with humans. Pixies hang out with pixies. And human-pixie hybrid Brina hangs out by herself.

Though humans and pixies generally get along, Brina’s unique heritage is scorned by everyone: from the human pixie-dust addicts she refuses to supply, to the tabloids that have made her infamous nationwide. Brina has accepted that she’ll never blend in. Mostly. But when she’s cast as the weirdo Puck in her school play, Ethan, the charming Midsummer ass, makes her wish that things could be different.

Then pixie-dust traffickers steal her dust and Brina discovers that she’s even stranger – and can make more pixie dust – than anyone suspected. Worse, her startling new abilities herald the end of a vital supernatural secret and open a window of opportunity for a group of ruthless rebels.

Brina just wants to understand who and what she is . . . but the answer will rock the foundations of two races.

I enjoyed your interview on Jamie Ayres’ blog and I love that you’re willing to take your time to help fledgling writers with their queries. I believe that Fans of WINGS by Aprilynne Pike will enjoy the blending of the real and the supernatural in DUSTED, a young adult urban fantasy set in modern day San Antonio. It is complete at 97,000 words.

I’m a third-generation theatre geek with seven years of experience as a criminal defense lawyer, where I’ve learned about the drug trade directly from traffickers and addicts. I’ve published a paper on the juvenile death penalty, but this is my first novel. The death penalty paper was easier.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Robin Weeks

Email: robinweekswriter at gee mail dot com

Blog: www.robinweeks.blogspot.com

Podcast: www.authorsadvisory.blogspot.com

Jan 11 2012

Interview with an Agent AND My 1st Ever Agent Contest!!

I was really excited this past week when my blog finally reached that 100 followers milestone (now 101)! So to say thank you, I have an interview with a REAL LIVE AGENT (I mean, she’s real, ya’ll) and a query contest (can I get a WHOOP, WHOOP)! Here are the dets:

If you are a follower of my blog (if you aren’t, you can follow now) and are still on the agent hunt like me, then email me your query: info@jamieayres.com

The fabulous Nicole Resciniti with The Seymour Agency (did I mention she sold 9 books in her first 3 months of agenting?) has agreed to comment on 20 queries on my blog. As a unpubbed nobody, I don’t feel comfortable judging queries and picking the top 20, so this is first come, first serve. After 20 queries (if I get that many), I’ll post a little shout out on here letting you know it’s closed.

Here’s the plan: The following Wednesday the 18th I’ll post the 20 entries on my blog & anyone is free to comment on the queries up until Tuesday the 24th (& of course Nicole will be stopping by!). Then Wed the 25th I’ll blog a summary of thoughts about the contest & announce requests Nicole had (if any). Sound good? Now without further ado, our feature agent:

1) How’d you get into agenting?

Helping Mary Sue Seymour in the interest of learning more about writing transformed into an internship and ultimately my dream career.

2) What’s your agent philosophy in regards to working with authors?

I love authors. I love books. Working with talented writers is pretty much the coolest thing ever. Each client is different, but I assist them in whatever they need. Some like me to do a lot of editing, others want to brainstorm projects/ideas, others look for marketing and promotional support. I’m available in whatever capacity they are looking for.

3) What client work do you have coming out soon?

*smiling* I have a bunch of projects hitting the shelves in the upcoming months. First out of the gates, is Amanda Flower’s Amish mystery series, beginning with A PLAIN DEATH (July 2012). Julie Ann Walker’s Black Knight Inc. romantic suspense series kicks off with HELL ON WHEELS (August, 2012) and continues with back-to-back releases of REV IT UP and IN RIDES TROUBLE. Amanda Carlson’s sexy UF series launches here and simultaneously in the UK with the first Jessica McClain book, FULL BLOODED (September 2012). And Macy Beckett’s irresistible contemporary romances set in Sultry Springs, Texas, opens with SULTRY WITH A TWIST (October 2012).

ALL of these books are AMAZING! I couldn’t be happier for these authors.

4) What genres do you rep & DO NOT rep?

I rep everything except erotica and poetry.

I am especially interested in romance (all sub-genres) and MG/YA.

5) What query pet peeves should writers avoid when querying you & any tips to help us stand out/impress you?

I don’t really have any pet peeves, but I can say that specific things stand out to me in a good way. I love when a query is tight. I like when they open with the blurb/short pitch of the book, and then sum up the important information (author info, genre, word count). A great query tells me the author is informed and serious about their publishing career.

Thanks, Nicole! You are a rock star:):) Looking forward to reading everyone’s query letter & Nicole’s comments! The only downside to this is I don’t think it’s fair to query in my own contest *sigh ~GOOd luCK!

Jan 4 2012

Insecure Writer’s Support Group

I’ve just joined Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group and will be posting a blog the first Wednesday of every month about my struggles and triumphs concerning the writing world.

Since I first took up writing in the summer of 2009 I’ve struggled through many insecurities. To say I cringe when I think about the first draft manuscript I sent out to actual agents is a HUGE understatement. I’d like to think I’ve learned a thing or two in the past 2 1/2 years, now on my third novel. In fact, I’m kinda proud of myself today (if I do say so myself) b/c one of my New Year’s resolutions is to build my online presence. Not only is it just plain fun to connect with others, it can also be a deal breaker. I was just chatting with an agent who said that if there are two authors and a publishing house is only going to pick one because they are similar, they often look at their online platform to decide. So I devised a plan. Instead of blogging only once or twice a month like I have been of late, I’m committing to blogging every Wednesday. The first Wednesday will be for IWSG, the second Wednesday of the month I’ll blog about Stuff Kids Say since I’m a YA Writer and also a mother/teacher, the third Wednesday I’ll blog about Faith and how it’s connecting to my writing, and the fourth Wednesday I’ll review the books I read that month. Sound good? Got any better ideas for me? Please share:):)

I’d also like to give a shout out to having 90 blog followers (seriously, how’d that happen? Pity from Mom’s friends, no doubt). I just noticed how close I was to 100 today & I’m thinking a contest involving an agent would be a cool way to celebrate when I reach that milestone. So if you’re not a follower already, what are you waiting for? Come on, you know you want to:):):)

Jan 1 2012

A Time to Celebrate!

HaPPy*nEW*yEAr ya’ll!!! One thing I think we could all use more of in our lives is JOY! So while I’m ringing in the new year, I like to look back at the old & realize everything I have to be thankful for. Sometimes I’m just thankful the year is over (did 2007 totally suck for anyone else?). A lot of times it doesn’t feel like much has even happened, until I start writing things down (which is another reason writing is waaaaaaaay cOOl!). Here are my top 5 big thank you’s I have for 2011 (Please hold all applause until the end):

A restored relationship with my father. I hadn’t seen him in 8 years and this year I got to see him 3x (we don’t live close). It was so neat seeing my 7-yr-old meet him for the first time. They are like kindred spirits.

Kaylee started middle school & it’s OK! I must admit I was terrified, even more so when the first week she got herself a first boyfriend. Turns out, we liked the family soooooo much that our whole family is now dating his whole family & planning a trip to Australia in 2013. (We are thinking arranged marriages could be on to something;)

Kaylee started guitar lessons & Ashley started horse back riding. I’m so happy both of them finally found their niche!

I finished my third novel! I’m thinking the third time is a charm & 2012 will be my year to finally land a fabulous publishing deal:)

I’m still married to my Prince Charming, 14 years in August. Ashley said it best on the way home from church today: It’s a good thing you two ended up together b/c if you didn’t, you’d be alone . . . nobody else would want you. LOL. She’s very insightful. Takes after her mother that way (the mocking she gets from her Dad).

Okay, you can applaud now, it’s over:) WHat ARe some of yOUr big THank yOUs? WhAT aRe yoU lOOkiNG fORwARd to in 2012 (make it a good one, according to my brother, it’s all over after Dec. 21st. Either way, let the party begin!) ~Cheers & Thanks for playing

Dec 14 2011

Making My List and Checking It Twice!

Yesterday my 11-yr-old blogged about the perfect gift . . . and to my surprise, instead of naming the top 5 gadgets she wants or something along those lines, she wrote about Jesus (yep, I cried). I commented on her blog that I’ve actually had 4 different perfect gifts in my lifetime: Jesus, my hubby, her, and her sister. Without those 4 people, I have nothing. But it got me thinking . . . what would be on my wish list for “perfect” gifts, even if they are impossible?

1) For Magic to be real . . . particularly the ability to fly on a broomstick. (Airfare is just too darn expensive and I have family & friends spread all around the world I don’t get to see nearly enough).

2) To eat Norman Love Chocolates every day and not gain a single ounce! (Dan was almost sent there again today on another assignment but ended up at the Red Sox Stadium instead, DOH!)

3) To become a NY Times Best Selling Author . . . like the ones I go to the book store for at midnight so I can read their latest release from cover to cover in 24 hours, sporting my homemade fan T-shirt the whole time (ok, my fab sister made it b/c I’m not that crafty, but still. Oh, maybe I should add being crafty to my list? Hmmm).

4) To have a Barnies barista in my home making me Santa’s White Christmas Freezers all day, all year-long (it may be good we don’t always get what we wish for . . . I had to cut back on my coffee intake a few months ago when I thought I may have developed an early case of Parkinson’s . . . turns out many of those same symptoms can be attributed to too much caffeine–oops!)

5) To live in Stars Hallow, which may prove difficult since it is a fictional town featured in Gilmore Girls (anyone else still obsessed with watching reruns of this show?)

6) World Peace (That’s always just a good one to throw in, right?)

7) A perfect gift granted for all my family & friends . . . so what are you waiting for? Tell me what it’d be, just incase we discover magic is real & I can become a Wish Fairy;)

Nov 8 2011

Bringing Up Girls On Books

In my own novel, a therapist suggests the main character write a life list of eighteen things to complete before turning eighteen, sending her and her friends on an unexpected journey they’ll never forget. One of the items her B.F.F. makes her write down is to give up the habit of thinking it, and not saying it. I thought, we live in a time where too many people who shouldn’t be speaking are, and vice versa. As a parent, teacher and children’s ministry volunteer for the past eleven years, I’ve found that in this permissive world, too many parentals have forgotten to raise our boys to be gentlemen and our girls to be ladies. One of the easiest ways to teach this is to read the classics.

My middle schooler has already read Little Women, The Narnia Series, Anne of Green Gables, & is currently reading the prequel, Before Green Gables. She’s not forced to read these stories–she LOVES them! One of our favorite things to do on family nights is to sit around the fire pit, eating s’mores as I read aloud to them from a classic.

I’ll end tonight’s blog with 2 challenges:

1) In this hectic world, make time to read to a child today. If you don’t know a child, go find one at a store & sit them on your lap & read a story (ok, scratch that last recommendation unless you want to get arrested). But seriously, good things happen when you share stories. I’m convinced our world would be a better place if more people turned off that hypersexualized crap on the TV and read together as a family (oops, hope I didn’t offend someone by saying it and not just thinking it;).

2) Recommend a good modern-day middle grade or YA novel that teaches us a good moral lesson about life, safe for my middle schoolers ears. Have you recently read a book that you think could become the next “classic”? If so, please share:)

Oct 19 2011

So Fun It’s Scary!!

Last year post-Halloween when all the ‘stuff’ was on sale, my two daughters asked me if we could buy it for a Halloween party the following year. I can’t believe it’s that time already. They each invited their own set of friends and planned out the whole thing together and I thought it sounded so fun that I should share (just incase your kiddos are throwing a party, too). Plus, I don’t know what else to blog about right now, lol. I was going to blog about Kaylee’s first middle school dance with her first boyfriend, but I unexpectedly had to fly to Michigan on Friday and so I missed the event *sniff, sniff. So I will save that blog for the next dance. Here’s Kaylee and Ashley’s schedule of activities:

6-6:30–Freeze Dance & Musical Pumpkins amongst all the wicked cool dry ice!

6:30-7–Costume Contest Judging for Most Original, Funniest, Scariest, & Overall BEST

7-7:30–Decorate their own cupcake and make I-Scream Sundaes with Halloween candy/ red punch is Vampire Blood

7:30-8–Minute to Win It Games: Dress the Mummy, Candy Elevator, Face the Cookie with Halloween Oreos

8-8:30–Scavenger Hunt in the yard with Halloween items (squishy eyeballs, witch fingers, bat rings, small pumpkins & squash, fall leaves, ghost & scarecrow figurines)

8:30-9–Flashlight Tag

So what do ya’ll think? Have any fun ideas to add to the party? We’re trying not to make it too scary since half the party will be second graders, muah ha ha! ~Happy Haunting everybody

Sep 5 2011

Posters You Had On Your Wall As A Teen?

My Poster

So I’m on about revision/almost total rewrite of my second novel *feel scream rising in throat* and I’m in one of my character’s rooms (in my head, I know they aren’t real, but I do get attached. Random side note: When Vaughn ‘died’ on Alias, Dan bought me flowers and a condolence card) Annnnnnd we’re back . . . in one of my character’s rooms and wondering, what posters would they have in here?

I walked into my daughter’s room for inspiration. She has LOTS of Harry Potter, then one Narnia, Twilight (more for my benefit than hers, so I can come in and drool at Rob whenever I want since Dan wouldn’t let me hang one in ours), High School Musical (again, more for my benefit, so I can stare at Zac whenever I wish), Transformers (again, so I can smile at Shia, well, you get the point–you’re not as slow as I am), Percy Jackson, Hannah Montana, and then some motivational sayings like, “Be someone others admire. Be someone you admire” (I LOVE that one!).

But she’s a preteen, not quite there yet. So help me out peoplez! The only posters I remember hanging on my wall were NKOTB (again, preteen) and then one that said, “Racism Sucks” in big white block letters with a total black background. I was protesting all the haters out there. Nothing like making a political statement in your bedroom where no one will see it but hey, I was gonna change the world back then! (Maybe I still might, ya never know).

N-E-Ways, suggestions pleeeeaaase!