Dear Secret agent:
Fifteen-year-old Alexia cares more about her stories than her schoolwork; she even writes during class. One day, a cute classmate, Artex, drops a pen in front of her. Alexia tries to return it, but Artex has mysteriously disappeared. Alexia uses the pen, which writes of its own accord about a mystical Land of Imagining. This world is threatened by the Head Demon, who seeks to enslave and kill the All-Knowers, a peaceful race with arcane powers, such as mind reading and healing. Alexia soon learns that what she writes is real, and she has the ability to control the All-Knowers with the magical pen.
Frightened, Alexia hates her new power, believing that she is too young and inexperienced to wield it correctly. She asks her overprotective mother for help but unknowingly confides in the Head Demon disguised as her mother. He steals the pen and kidnaps her family, leaving Alexia no choice but to travel to the Land of Imagining in spite of the danger this entails.
With determination despite lingering doubts, and some help from Artex, Alexia claims her leadership position. The Head Demon wants her dead, but she cares more about her family and her people than about her own life. Alexia must trick demons so she can find their secret lair and secure her pen before the Land of Imagining becomes the Land of Terror.
THE LAND OF IMAGINING is a 80,000-word complete fantasy YA novel.
I have published a medieval fantasy romance series, The Kingdom of Arnhem, Woman of Honor (Desert Breeze Publishing 2009) and Knight of Glory (Desert Breeze Publishing 2010). I have also sold five short stories for anthologies, two of which under the pen name Nicolette Zamora.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
***
My papers scattered everywhere and my books fell with a loud thud as I braced my arms for impact against the cold, hard floor. Snatching my belongings, I glared at the culprit, a tall senior football player.
“Look at the freak.” He snickered, elbowing a friend.
“She’s always writing,” a girl scoffed as she flicked her blond hair over her shoulder. “Such a nerd.”
I stomped over to the bully. “At least I have a brain,” I snapped. “Tell me, how many concussions have you suffered?”
He paused, slowly moving his fingers as he counted to himself. “I dunno, maybe ten times today?”
Unable to stop myself, I snickered.
Realizing that I had duped him, he glared at me. “You better watch it, small fry.” He flicked his hand at me as if I were a pest. His friends laughed, and the crowd walked away.
I scrambled to collect the rest of my papers. Rifling through them, I realized one was missing, the story I had just started in Spanish class, about an obsessive-compulsive knight named Alessandro. No more pages were on the ground. Annoyed anger filled me. Another glance revealed that one of the gang had lagged behind.
Artex, a recent transfer student, stood propped against a row of lockers, his gaze fixed on me. He returned his attention to the single leaf in his hand, which he began to read.
I marched over. “Is that mine?” I asked, my tone sharp and annoyed.
His lips curled into a lazy smile.
