Dear Secret Agent,
Thank you for considering my women's fiction/romance query.
Two hearts, three lives, one future…
Pregnant and fleeing an arranged marriage, Dianna Marshall sets sail on the Titanic in the company of Margaret and William Stewart, a childless couple who offer Dianna sanctuary in exchange for her unborn child. But when the Titanic sinks, and William Stewart dies, Dianna's hope for a discreet return to her entitled life die with him.
William's tragic death is more than disappointing for his American cousin Jake Douglas, it's life changing. William's impoverished widow is harboring a run away; both are facing deportation. Against his better judgment Jake accepts legal and financial responsibility for both women and takes them back to his ranch in Texas, a decision that nearly costs him his life and liberty, small things when he realizes the young woman he only wants to help has taken the one thing he feared losing the most—his heart.
Dianna's desperate bid to reclaim the life she knew shatters everything she knows, and forces her to rethink what really matters: is it the life she's been raised to lead, the man her heart desires, or the unborn child she's come to love? She can't have it all, and the wrong choice may leave her with nothing.
About me: I am a married mother of four, and RWA member, published in Canadian Living Magazine and The Vancouver Province, British Columbia's best-read newspaper.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
***
Southampton
April 10, 1912
"Aye, here they come, Miss."
Dianna Marshall followed the line of Dirk’s callused index finger to the boat-train gliding up to the Southampton dock, each craft in the chain loaded to capacity with men, women and children. She must have a made a small noise, because Dirk looked at her.
"Aye, don' fret Miss," he said kindly. "I'm sure the Stewarts is fine people. Milady wouldna send ye otherwise."
Milady would send her off with the devil himself if it meant sparing the family's reputation, but Dianna withheld her opinion. Dirk's loyalty to his Mistress ran as deep and wide as the ocean that would soon separate Dianna from her sisters.
Tightening her hold on the handles of her portmanteau, Dianna blinked to stem a sudden rush of tears. Dirk tactfully ignored her fluster, as he gestured to an alcove under the boarding tower.
"Ye'll less likely to be trampled waiting there, while I search out the Stewarts and bring 'em to ye."
And once he brought them to her, they would take her with them.
She grasped his coat sleeve. "Tell Alaina and Lizzy I love them and I won't forget them."
Dirk's snowy brows arched high. "Ye say that like ye don't intend to come back?"
"Just tell them."
Avoiding her gaze, he shook his head. "Milady said not one word to anyone, especially Miss Alaina and Miss Elizabeth."
"You must. I had no chance to say goodbye. Please," she added and squeezed his forearm.
Monday, May 3, 2010
#19 JIM AND JACK
Dear Secret Agent,
When fourteen-year-old Brian Edwards finds a box in the attic containing old newspaper clippings and a signet ring just like his grandfather’s, he realizes that he’s stumbled across the family secret: Jack.
At age fifteen, Grandpa Jim was framed for a crime by an identical twin that Brian has never even heard of! The twin died with no explanations, and Grandpa Jim has not spoken of him since. That's too bad, but Brian has his own problems. His mom passed away when he was little, and now his dad has made him move away from all of his friends in Pittsburgh to live on the family farm. Trying to make the best of things, Brian searches for a cave used in the 1800’s to hide runaway slaves and discovers an old locked carpetbag that is not quite what it seems. With some help from his father, a genealogist, Brian is able to piece together the events of the past. When he finds out what really happened to Grandpa Jim and his twin, his own troubles are quickly put into perspective.
JIM AND JACK (58,000 words) is younger YA fiction with a historical twist. I am a teacher working on my master's degree in gifted education, and also an amateur genealogist. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
***********************************************************
Jack awakened early, the island still in slumber except for the songbirds. Still drowsy, he listened for their different voices, identifying a cardinal and then a robin. A mourning dove cooed its gentle trill, and he could hear the distant tapping of a woodpecker.
A jay screeched overhead, breaking the peacefulness of the moment. Jack rolled over in the half-light to examine his identical twin, asleep in the other bed. Jim was lying on his side with his mouth open, a light snore issuing with each breath.
“Jim!” Jack whispered. His brother remained motionless, pajama-clad legs entangled in the white cotton bedspread.
With a grin, Jack reached over to the desk and tore a corner off of some scrap paper. He wadded it up and tossed it, aiming for Jim’s mouth, but the pellet landed in the dark curls of his brother’s hair. He sat up and tried again. The crumpled paper hit his twin’s eye and Jim stirred, but didn’t wake up. Jack aimed more carefully, this time hitting his mark.
Jim sat bolt upright, choking. Coughing the wad into his hand, he shot an accusing look at Jack. “What was that for?” he demanded, eyes bleary from sleep.
“I was just trying to wake you up for chores! I didn’t mean to choke you.”
Jim looked unconvinced.
“You’ve still got one on your head,” Jack offered, pointing to the same spot in his own hair.
Jim glared at his brother and felt for the bit of paper.
When fourteen-year-old Brian Edwards finds a box in the attic containing old newspaper clippings and a signet ring just like his grandfather’s, he realizes that he’s stumbled across the family secret: Jack.
At age fifteen, Grandpa Jim was framed for a crime by an identical twin that Brian has never even heard of! The twin died with no explanations, and Grandpa Jim has not spoken of him since. That's too bad, but Brian has his own problems. His mom passed away when he was little, and now his dad has made him move away from all of his friends in Pittsburgh to live on the family farm. Trying to make the best of things, Brian searches for a cave used in the 1800’s to hide runaway slaves and discovers an old locked carpetbag that is not quite what it seems. With some help from his father, a genealogist, Brian is able to piece together the events of the past. When he finds out what really happened to Grandpa Jim and his twin, his own troubles are quickly put into perspective.
JIM AND JACK (58,000 words) is younger YA fiction with a historical twist. I am a teacher working on my master's degree in gifted education, and also an amateur genealogist. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
***********************************************************
Jack awakened early, the island still in slumber except for the songbirds. Still drowsy, he listened for their different voices, identifying a cardinal and then a robin. A mourning dove cooed its gentle trill, and he could hear the distant tapping of a woodpecker.
A jay screeched overhead, breaking the peacefulness of the moment. Jack rolled over in the half-light to examine his identical twin, asleep in the other bed. Jim was lying on his side with his mouth open, a light snore issuing with each breath.
“Jim!” Jack whispered. His brother remained motionless, pajama-clad legs entangled in the white cotton bedspread.
With a grin, Jack reached over to the desk and tore a corner off of some scrap paper. He wadded it up and tossed it, aiming for Jim’s mouth, but the pellet landed in the dark curls of his brother’s hair. He sat up and tried again. The crumpled paper hit his twin’s eye and Jim stirred, but didn’t wake up. Jack aimed more carefully, this time hitting his mark.
Jim sat bolt upright, choking. Coughing the wad into his hand, he shot an accusing look at Jack. “What was that for?” he demanded, eyes bleary from sleep.
“I was just trying to wake you up for chores! I didn’t mean to choke you.”
Jim looked unconvinced.
“You’ve still got one on your head,” Jack offered, pointing to the same spot in his own hair.
Jim glared at his brother and felt for the bit of paper.
#18 REVENGE OF THE PINK GRANNY PANTIES (REVISED)
Dear Secret Agent,
Chuck Masters just wants to have a little fun. Fun is not something his one-horse town of Harly, Oklahoma is famous for. It is famous for basketball, and Chuck's the M.V.P. of the eighth grade team.
Then Foster F. Finkman blows into town like an F5 tornado. Chuck and his buds, Naz and Bryan, get sucked into Triple F's vortex of chaos. The boys pull one prank too many and cause a substitute teacher to lose his cool and his job. Chuck's conscience kicks in, and when he stands up to Finkman and bucks his next stunt, it's a declaration of all out war. Finkman disses Chuck's single mom, provoking Chuck and posse to launch the "Revenge of the Pink Granny Panties" with a basket of over-sized undies as their arsenal. When Chuck's get-even scheme backfires, it costs him his spot on the team, the respect of the coach he looks to as a father, and his friends. Now Chuck has to find a way to put down his pride and earn them back.
My publishing credits include Highlights for Children, Characters, Story Something and Chess Life for Kids. Several of my boy stories have won awards, most notably: "Valentine's Day Disaster," Highlights Author of the Month, February 2010, and "Quince Chaos," 2009 Highlights fiction contest winner. I'm an active member of SCBWI.
Thank you for your time and consideration. REVENGE OF THE PINK GRANNY PANTIES is complete at 27,000 words and ready for review upon request.
***
I walked into math class and scoped out the sub.
Easy prey.
What little life this guy had was about to get a whole lot worse.
Mrs. Billet, our math teacher, had finally had her kid and was home changing diapers for a month. We were on our second sub of the week, and Foster F. Finkman made it his job to upset subs.
I was his partner in crime.
Mr. Thompson was the victim of a bad brown toupee. It reminded me of Grunt, my guinea pig. This teacher wannabe was somewhere between thirty and fifty, had braces and smelled like he had roadkill in his grill. I'd had him as a sub since kindergarten, and he hadn't changed a bit. Except for the braces.
Toupee Thompson knew all of us at Harly Middle School by name. It isn't a big school, since Harly, Oklahoma isn't a big town. Okies say you can stand at one end of it and spit to the other. So when he noticed Finkman was new, the sub flashed a silvery smile and squeaked, "What's your name, young man?"
Finkman stood and squeaked back, "Foster Florentine Finkman. And I hope you don't mind me asking, but is that your real hair?"
The class went crazy. Thompson turned pink and started to stutter. He had this foamy spit at the corners of his mouth. "F-F-Finkman? What kind of s-s-stupid m-m-made up name is that?"
Chuck Masters just wants to have a little fun. Fun is not something his one-horse town of Harly, Oklahoma is famous for. It is famous for basketball, and Chuck's the M.V.P. of the eighth grade team.
Then Foster F. Finkman blows into town like an F5 tornado. Chuck and his buds, Naz and Bryan, get sucked into Triple F's vortex of chaos. The boys pull one prank too many and cause a substitute teacher to lose his cool and his job. Chuck's conscience kicks in, and when he stands up to Finkman and bucks his next stunt, it's a declaration of all out war. Finkman disses Chuck's single mom, provoking Chuck and posse to launch the "Revenge of the Pink Granny Panties" with a basket of over-sized undies as their arsenal. When Chuck's get-even scheme backfires, it costs him his spot on the team, the respect of the coach he looks to as a father, and his friends. Now Chuck has to find a way to put down his pride and earn them back.
My publishing credits include Highlights for Children, Characters, Story Something and Chess Life for Kids. Several of my boy stories have won awards, most notably: "Valentine's Day Disaster," Highlights Author of the Month, February 2010, and "Quince Chaos," 2009 Highlights fiction contest winner. I'm an active member of SCBWI.
Thank you for your time and consideration. REVENGE OF THE PINK GRANNY PANTIES is complete at 27,000 words and ready for review upon request.
***
I walked into math class and scoped out the sub.
Easy prey.
What little life this guy had was about to get a whole lot worse.
Mrs. Billet, our math teacher, had finally had her kid and was home changing diapers for a month. We were on our second sub of the week, and Foster F. Finkman made it his job to upset subs.
I was his partner in crime.
Mr. Thompson was the victim of a bad brown toupee. It reminded me of Grunt, my guinea pig. This teacher wannabe was somewhere between thirty and fifty, had braces and smelled like he had roadkill in his grill. I'd had him as a sub since kindergarten, and he hadn't changed a bit. Except for the braces.
Toupee Thompson knew all of us at Harly Middle School by name. It isn't a big school, since Harly, Oklahoma isn't a big town. Okies say you can stand at one end of it and spit to the other. So when he noticed Finkman was new, the sub flashed a silvery smile and squeaked, "What's your name, young man?"
Finkman stood and squeaked back, "Foster Florentine Finkman. And I hope you don't mind me asking, but is that your real hair?"
The class went crazy. Thompson turned pink and started to stutter. He had this foamy spit at the corners of his mouth. "F-F-Finkman? What kind of s-s-stupid m-m-made up name is that?"
#17 TEMPEST
Dear Secret Agent,
Life blows for sixteen-year-old Janelle. Ever since moving to Florida, she’s been accidentally breaking people’s arms just by touching them. And yanking steel doors off their hinges. Then her new crush, Gary, sees her gray spiral birthmark and tells her she’s a Tempest. A person who can turn into a hurricane by touching the ocean. Like him. So that’s why she feels ready to explode when she’s at the beach.
As if that’s not lousy enough, all Tempests have to become storms once in their lives. It’s their secret law…and it’s Janelle’s turn.
No way in hell is she going to kill people, even by accident. So she does what any sane person would do—she runs away from home.
But it’s not long before the Tempest leader discovers and abducts her. Janelle’s told that she’s destined to become the worst hurricane ever. And now she’s the main weapon in the Tempest leader’s plot to hold the world ransom. No way can Janelle live with herself if she kills thousands. But using the power she fears most might be the only way out.
TEMPEST is a 65,000-word young adult fantasy. I look forward to hearing from you and thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
* * *
Janelle froze in front of the bay window. The breath caught in her throat. Mountains of black clouds lumbered through the sky and the glass buckled against the screaming wind. This was it; she was dead. “Dad, get away from the window. We’ve gotta get out of here!”
Her father faced her. Smiling. “Isn’t this exciting? I want you to see this.”
Every palm tree in their yard bent over as if pointing them back to Michigan, to the sanity she’d left behind. Rain beat against the house, adding to the roar that filled the world. The roof creaked like it wanted to peel off and fly away. It probably would, with her luck.
Janelle bit her lip, hugging herself. It was all a dream. It had to be. It was one of those nightmares where only she could see the danger, but no one would listen to her. She’d wake up soon and go to school and attend her Math Whiz meeting and order a pizza with her friends. Any minute now she’d—
Snap. A tree fell across the street with a sound like gunfire.
Her heart thudded as she moved behind the couch. “Please. I want to go to the shelter!” She’d turned into a bubblehead, but what else would make him listen? She’d cry, and scream, and throw a tantrum if she had to.
Footsteps approached. Eyes shining, her dad spoke in an even voice, the one he’d used on her bedtime stories so long ago.
Life blows for sixteen-year-old Janelle. Ever since moving to Florida, she’s been accidentally breaking people’s arms just by touching them. And yanking steel doors off their hinges. Then her new crush, Gary, sees her gray spiral birthmark and tells her she’s a Tempest. A person who can turn into a hurricane by touching the ocean. Like him. So that’s why she feels ready to explode when she’s at the beach.
As if that’s not lousy enough, all Tempests have to become storms once in their lives. It’s their secret law…and it’s Janelle’s turn.
No way in hell is she going to kill people, even by accident. So she does what any sane person would do—she runs away from home.
But it’s not long before the Tempest leader discovers and abducts her. Janelle’s told that she’s destined to become the worst hurricane ever. And now she’s the main weapon in the Tempest leader’s plot to hold the world ransom. No way can Janelle live with herself if she kills thousands. But using the power she fears most might be the only way out.
TEMPEST is a 65,000-word young adult fantasy. I look forward to hearing from you and thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
* * *
Janelle froze in front of the bay window. The breath caught in her throat. Mountains of black clouds lumbered through the sky and the glass buckled against the screaming wind. This was it; she was dead. “Dad, get away from the window. We’ve gotta get out of here!”
Her father faced her. Smiling. “Isn’t this exciting? I want you to see this.”
Every palm tree in their yard bent over as if pointing them back to Michigan, to the sanity she’d left behind. Rain beat against the house, adding to the roar that filled the world. The roof creaked like it wanted to peel off and fly away. It probably would, with her luck.
Janelle bit her lip, hugging herself. It was all a dream. It had to be. It was one of those nightmares where only she could see the danger, but no one would listen to her. She’d wake up soon and go to school and attend her Math Whiz meeting and order a pizza with her friends. Any minute now she’d—
Snap. A tree fell across the street with a sound like gunfire.
Her heart thudded as she moved behind the couch. “Please. I want to go to the shelter!” She’d turned into a bubblehead, but what else would make him listen? She’d cry, and scream, and throw a tantrum if she had to.
Footsteps approached. Eyes shining, her dad spoke in an even voice, the one he’d used on her bedtime stories so long ago.
#16 The Faithful
Dear Secret Agent,
Raine Morgan hadn’t meant to kill her.
Things just got fuzzy.
With the blood of a young woman he was trying to protect on his hands, Raine slips into the underbelly of the city, Sandhyanen. All the while a maniacal god chases after him, intent on transforming him into something else. Something no longer human.
Something like a god.
In the midst of these changes, Raine is starting to see things no mortal should ever deal with.
With his impending transformation hanging in the air, the gods are coming together for the first time in ages. And it will not be a peaceful meeting. Raine is thrust into the middle of a battleground, where he must choose a side or be destroyed in the midst of the war. With more of their kind popping up as Sandhyanen crumbles around them, no one seems safe.
Especially when gods start to die.
The Faithful is an urban fantasy complete at 86,000 words about the rise of new gods and the fall of the old ones. Raine Morgan is swept up in the tide of battle, never knowing if he will survive and become a god.
Thank you for your time and consideration. A SASE is enclosed for your reply.
Sincerely,
* * *
The bar went silent the moment the whiskey bottle struck the floor.
Raine Morgan pushed off the table, ignoring the shattered glass left in his wake. A shout rang out to his right. Spinning on his heels, he slipped on the liquor, avoiding a hard blow to the jaw. He came to a full stop and prepared for the next blow.
Turrell rose from the floor. Hair covered his forehead in a messy tangle of light brown. A single ray of light ran along his face as he stood. Splotches of dark alcohol stained his light gray suit. Shards cascaded from the folds in the fabric when he righted himself. He clenched his bloody fists. “Keir’s lapdog,” he hacked out. A growl erupted from his throat as he shot headlong towards Raine. Each sloppy step threw him from side to side.
Raine stepped to the right. A second assailant caught him from behind. Jaiden pushed him back into his friend’s path.
Turrell drove his fists into the flesh below Raine’s ribcage. A shout of pain leapt from Raine’s throat. He clenched his teeth as heat rolled through him in waves - larger and faster with each strike.
Jerking his knee up, he drove it into Turrell’s nose. As the bone struck, the nose caved and shattered. Turrell’s hair flung back from the force and he recoiled a few steps. Raine pulled himself upright, but faltered as his a tendril of pain spiraled through his left leg.
Raine Morgan hadn’t meant to kill her.
Things just got fuzzy.
With the blood of a young woman he was trying to protect on his hands, Raine slips into the underbelly of the city, Sandhyanen. All the while a maniacal god chases after him, intent on transforming him into something else. Something no longer human.
Something like a god.
In the midst of these changes, Raine is starting to see things no mortal should ever deal with.
With his impending transformation hanging in the air, the gods are coming together for the first time in ages. And it will not be a peaceful meeting. Raine is thrust into the middle of a battleground, where he must choose a side or be destroyed in the midst of the war. With more of their kind popping up as Sandhyanen crumbles around them, no one seems safe.
Especially when gods start to die.
The Faithful is an urban fantasy complete at 86,000 words about the rise of new gods and the fall of the old ones. Raine Morgan is swept up in the tide of battle, never knowing if he will survive and become a god.
Thank you for your time and consideration. A SASE is enclosed for your reply.
Sincerely,
* * *
The bar went silent the moment the whiskey bottle struck the floor.
Raine Morgan pushed off the table, ignoring the shattered glass left in his wake. A shout rang out to his right. Spinning on his heels, he slipped on the liquor, avoiding a hard blow to the jaw. He came to a full stop and prepared for the next blow.
Turrell rose from the floor. Hair covered his forehead in a messy tangle of light brown. A single ray of light ran along his face as he stood. Splotches of dark alcohol stained his light gray suit. Shards cascaded from the folds in the fabric when he righted himself. He clenched his bloody fists. “Keir’s lapdog,” he hacked out. A growl erupted from his throat as he shot headlong towards Raine. Each sloppy step threw him from side to side.
Raine stepped to the right. A second assailant caught him from behind. Jaiden pushed him back into his friend’s path.
Turrell drove his fists into the flesh below Raine’s ribcage. A shout of pain leapt from Raine’s throat. He clenched his teeth as heat rolled through him in waves - larger and faster with each strike.
Jerking his knee up, he drove it into Turrell’s nose. As the bone struck, the nose caved and shattered. Turrell’s hair flung back from the force and he recoiled a few steps. Raine pulled himself upright, but faltered as his a tendril of pain spiraled through his left leg.
#15 WILDFLOWER EYES (REVISED)
Dear Secret Agent:
Thank you for agreeing to judge the Angel and Demons contest. I am pleased to submit my query and the first 250 words of my manuscript, WILDFLOWER EYES.
Sixteen-year-old Tessa Carson is being hunted. Twelve different homes. Twelve new identities. The killer has found the Carsons every single time. He doesn’t care that Tessa is the sole member of her family without a paranormal ability; he wants her, too.
Scarred physically and emotionally by the killer’s first attack eight years ago, Tessa meets charismatic, carefree Tristan Walker soon after fleeing to a new location. At first she resists her feeling for him—after all, Tristan will never even know her real name. And how can she allow herself to fall in love when it’s bound to end in tragedy?
It’s only after Tristan reveals his own psychic talent that Tessa gives in to her feelings for him. Hopeful for the first time, she confesses her family’s secrets. But when the killer captures Tessa and her family, she learns Tristan has not confessed all his secrets in return. As her search for safety and strength comes to an end, Tessa discovers the truth about her boyfriend, the killer, her parents, and even herself.
A tale of love and loyalty, betrayal and forgiveness, WILDFLOWER EYES is a 92,000 word young adult paranormal romance. Tessa’s further adventures are in the works. I am a member of SCBWI, RWA, and YA-RWA. Thank you for your time and consideration.
*******
My cell phone rang, loud and shrill, in the quiet classroom. I froze as all eyes turned to me.
Thank you for agreeing to judge the Angel and Demons contest. I am pleased to submit my query and the first 250 words of my manuscript, WILDFLOWER EYES.
Sixteen-year-old Tessa Carson is being hunted. Twelve different homes. Twelve new identities. The killer has found the Carsons every single time. He doesn’t care that Tessa is the sole member of her family without a paranormal ability; he wants her, too.
Scarred physically and emotionally by the killer’s first attack eight years ago, Tessa meets charismatic, carefree Tristan Walker soon after fleeing to a new location. At first she resists her feeling for him—after all, Tristan will never even know her real name. And how can she allow herself to fall in love when it’s bound to end in tragedy?
It’s only after Tristan reveals his own psychic talent that Tessa gives in to her feelings for him. Hopeful for the first time, she confesses her family’s secrets. But when the killer captures Tessa and her family, she learns Tristan has not confessed all his secrets in return. As her search for safety and strength comes to an end, Tessa discovers the truth about her boyfriend, the killer, her parents, and even herself.
A tale of love and loyalty, betrayal and forgiveness, WILDFLOWER EYES is a 92,000 word young adult paranormal romance. Tessa’s further adventures are in the works. I am a member of SCBWI, RWA, and YA-RWA. Thank you for your time and consideration.
*******
My cell phone rang, loud and shrill, in the quiet classroom. I froze as all eyes turned to me.
He had found us. He was coming.
The teacher scowled. She reached out to confiscate my phone as I flipped it open. I had to answer before the second ring—that was the rule.
I heard my mother’s panicked voice: Run.
With fumbling fingers, I grabbed my textbook and notes, then stuffed them into my bag. I could leave nothing personal behind—that was another rule.
Every second, he was getting closer.
I stumbled toward the door.
“Where are you going, Maddie?” the teacher demanded, then her voice softened. “Are you crying, honey? Is something wrong?”
I rushed past her and out of the classroom. My breath came in stuttery gasps as my sobs echoed in the empty halls.
Dennis Connelly was coming. How had he found us again?
I raced down the stairs and through the cafeteria, almost colliding into a girl carrying a tray. I swiped my tears away so I could see, then ran to the lobby. A security guard stepped forward and grabbed my arm. “Where’s your pass?”
“Please,” I begged.
My brother Logan rushed into the lobby, lugging his book bag and saxophone. He took my other arm and met the guard’s eyes. “Let her go.”
The terror in Logan’s eyes betrayed his calm and firm tone. He pulled me away, and we ran out the front doors.
#14 Trapped In The Hollow Earth
Dinosaurs, a hidden civilization, and aliens bent on destruction were never part of sixteen-year-old, Casey Smith’s vacation plans. That is, until a freak storm tossed her and two best friends, Mike and Jack, out to sea. Shipwrecked on a mysterious tropical island, they must find a way to survive…and save planet earth.
Intrigued, yet doubting her sanity, this island isn’t like anything Casey’s ever seen before. She knows her hopes of rescue from what she first presumed to be ‘paradise’ will, in turn, be wrought with danger. While attempting to find a way home, the trio is split up when Jack is abducted. When she and Mike stumble upon a glass city in the jungle, Casey learns that they washed up smack in the middle of a prehistoric wildlife animal preserve. Shocking enough on its own, she also learns they’re not even on an island at all. Instead, they are inside the earth where a thriving civilization has been kept hidden for thousands of years. Casey begs the Agarthaians to launch a search-and-rescue mission for Jack, but there are more urgent problems. A rebel group of Greys plan to take over the planet and vaporize every living thing in less than twelve hours. Agarthaian scientists devise a brilliant plan to stop the Greys, but it will entail Casey and Mike traveling into space and boarding the very same mothership that has taken Jack prisoner. It is a race against time and the stakes are high.
How can a girl from California think she can rescue her best friend and save the world, when all she ever had to do was worry about improving her school grades, learning to drive, and not falling in love with Mike?
Trapped In The Hollow Earth is a 85,000-word young adult fantasy.
******
Chapter One: Raging Storm
The fishing line screamed out of the aluminum casting reel as a giant yellowfin tuna stole the hook, line, and almost Casey right off the deck of her parent’s fifty-foot sailboat.
Powerful deck lights mounted high above her illuminated the green water of the Pacific ocean. Night fishing under a sky full of shining stars was one of Casey’s favorite things to do while on vacation. She hauled back on the pole, bending it nearly double. This tug-of-war had been going on for well over an hour and her muscles ached from the strain. “I plan on going for a dip, but NOT right now!” Beads of sweat trickled down her face. She peeked up at her father. “Are you sure I didn’t catch a submarine?”
He chuckled as he secured his hands above hers on the pole. “Good job. Told you coming out here at two a.m. would pay off.”
She snorted and pulled at the rod, trying to free her hands from his. She wanted to do this on her own. “No, Dad. I can do it.”
“Honey, you need some help. These tunas fight harder than a boxer trying to win a heavyweight championship.”
In a circle of light cast by the boat, the sea pitched and churned like a pan of boiling water. Silver flashed. The fish broke the surface in a clatter of spray, thrashed its head, and danced on its yellow tail. Casey could now see its characteristic streamlined body.
Intrigued, yet doubting her sanity, this island isn’t like anything Casey’s ever seen before. She knows her hopes of rescue from what she first presumed to be ‘paradise’ will, in turn, be wrought with danger. While attempting to find a way home, the trio is split up when Jack is abducted. When she and Mike stumble upon a glass city in the jungle, Casey learns that they washed up smack in the middle of a prehistoric wildlife animal preserve. Shocking enough on its own, she also learns they’re not even on an island at all. Instead, they are inside the earth where a thriving civilization has been kept hidden for thousands of years. Casey begs the Agarthaians to launch a search-and-rescue mission for Jack, but there are more urgent problems. A rebel group of Greys plan to take over the planet and vaporize every living thing in less than twelve hours. Agarthaian scientists devise a brilliant plan to stop the Greys, but it will entail Casey and Mike traveling into space and boarding the very same mothership that has taken Jack prisoner. It is a race against time and the stakes are high.
How can a girl from California think she can rescue her best friend and save the world, when all she ever had to do was worry about improving her school grades, learning to drive, and not falling in love with Mike?
Trapped In The Hollow Earth is a 85,000-word young adult fantasy.
******
Chapter One: Raging Storm
The fishing line screamed out of the aluminum casting reel as a giant yellowfin tuna stole the hook, line, and almost Casey right off the deck of her parent’s fifty-foot sailboat.
Powerful deck lights mounted high above her illuminated the green water of the Pacific ocean. Night fishing under a sky full of shining stars was one of Casey’s favorite things to do while on vacation. She hauled back on the pole, bending it nearly double. This tug-of-war had been going on for well over an hour and her muscles ached from the strain. “I plan on going for a dip, but NOT right now!” Beads of sweat trickled down her face. She peeked up at her father. “Are you sure I didn’t catch a submarine?”
He chuckled as he secured his hands above hers on the pole. “Good job. Told you coming out here at two a.m. would pay off.”
She snorted and pulled at the rod, trying to free her hands from his. She wanted to do this on her own. “No, Dad. I can do it.”
“Honey, you need some help. These tunas fight harder than a boxer trying to win a heavyweight championship.”
In a circle of light cast by the boat, the sea pitched and churned like a pan of boiling water. Silver flashed. The fish broke the surface in a clatter of spray, thrashed its head, and danced on its yellow tail. Casey could now see its characteristic streamlined body.
#13 PREYERS (revised)
Dear Secret Agent,
Not all souls are worth saving, but one is worth catching.
Matilde Royce is the Soul Catcher. Alive, she was an Edwardian Catholic, wife, and mother; dead, she captures the evil souls lurking among humanity. She is an unearthly creature whose very blood creates protectors and prolongs life. Misled by a trusted advisor about her true nature, Matilde is blind to her greater purpose and filled with self-loathing. She knows only that God condemned her to a hellish, blood-sucking existence for murdering her family.
Her enemies and her allies, however, know her power and they will not stop until they catch her. Matilde may not want her soul, but everyone else does: the vampire queen who believes Matilde's daemonic blood holds the key to immortality; the Roman Catholic priest who believes she will bring him salvation; and the daemon whose friendship and motives are the most suspect of all.
With time, Matilde discovers her wants -- God’s forgiveness and release from eternal damnation -- are far outweighed by her needs. She must harness her unholy power to control her enemies and her allies before she is destroyed or, worse, enslaved. Yet, that's an act of futility when Matilde’s every move is orchestrated by others and she has faith in nothing -- least of all herself.
PREYERS is a complete 121,000-word paranormal novel. I hold a B.A. in English literature from UCLA. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
***
PREYERS
C'est l'Enfer qui m'a créé.
It is Hell that created me.
1906-1910
In all my lonely years haunting Siam’s humid jungles, it never crossed my mind that I was not the loathsome spawn of Hell.
Not all souls are worth saving, but one is worth catching.
Matilde Royce is the Soul Catcher. Alive, she was an Edwardian Catholic, wife, and mother; dead, she captures the evil souls lurking among humanity. She is an unearthly creature whose very blood creates protectors and prolongs life. Misled by a trusted advisor about her true nature, Matilde is blind to her greater purpose and filled with self-loathing. She knows only that God condemned her to a hellish, blood-sucking existence for murdering her family.
Her enemies and her allies, however, know her power and they will not stop until they catch her. Matilde may not want her soul, but everyone else does: the vampire queen who believes Matilde's daemonic blood holds the key to immortality; the Roman Catholic priest who believes she will bring him salvation; and the daemon whose friendship and motives are the most suspect of all.
With time, Matilde discovers her wants -- God’s forgiveness and release from eternal damnation -- are far outweighed by her needs. She must harness her unholy power to control her enemies and her allies before she is destroyed or, worse, enslaved. Yet, that's an act of futility when Matilde’s every move is orchestrated by others and she has faith in nothing -- least of all herself.
PREYERS is a complete 121,000-word paranormal novel. I hold a B.A. in English literature from UCLA. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
***
PREYERS
C'est l'Enfer qui m'a créé.
It is Hell that created me.
1906-1910
In all my lonely years haunting Siam’s humid jungles, it never crossed my mind that I was not the loathsome spawn of Hell.
Now I stood in the muddy shallows of the Bang-pa Kong, covered in crocodile blood, astonished to find a man watching me from the riverbank’s evening shadows. I neither heard nor sensed his approach and, until that moment, no creature had come upon me with the element of surprise in its favor.
I felt an overwhelming desire to destroy him or bend him to my will. Yet I hesitated, confused by his composure, and my urge to possess him.
He was the epitome of civilization down to his manicured fingernails and polished watch chain.
Gaunt and feral, I wore nothing but crocodile gore.
Gaunt and feral, I wore nothing but crocodile gore.
The stranger eyed me, his left hand casually in his trouser pocket, a cigarette dangling in his right hand, his thumb carelessly flicking ashes into the river. He periodically took a long, thoughtful drag, held the smoke, then let it slowly curl from his nostrils and mouth. All the while he watched me with unblinking interest.
For the first time in many years I became aware of my nakedness and I sank into the water to hide my body as he chuckled.
#12 HAVEN
Dear Secret Agent,
There’s a lot of things Scar doesn’t believe in – magic, monsters, a passing grade in history. That all changes the night of her fifteenth birthday, when the blind woman looks at her, and she finds out her whole life has been a lie. She is dragged into a world of darkness – a world where the creatures of the night are real. Told she isn’t human, she is taken away to a boot camp for vampires, witches and werewolves.
Now she’s learning brand new things, breaking a witch’s Frisbee can really piss them off, challenging a werewolf to a foot race is a bad idea – if you want to live, vampires can hold serious grudges and throw mean left hooks, and the hardest secrets to keep are often the most crucial.
But she has a secret. She is a Dhampir, part-human, part-other, masquerading as a vampire.
When Scar starts seeing visions of attacks, the students begin to disappear. After a video surfaces of her at one of the crime scenes, making her the prime suspect, her very survival might be at stake. Now she must race to prove her innocence before her true nature is exposed.
The only problem is, she’s not entirely sure she’s innocent.
HAVEN is a complete 65,000 word young adult urban fantasy novel. The complete manuscript is available upon your request. Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to your reply.
****
Who am I? When someone thrusts their phone under your nose and shows you the pics they took of the fight, you won’t have any trouble spotting me. Forget the scared kid sitting in the background with her nose in the book. She’s trying to pretend she’s not there.
See the girls in the circle around the fight, egging the combatant on? You can almost hear the catcalls, can’t you? Well, I’m not one of them, either.
Now move your gaze into the centre circle. See the girl who might be beautiful but for the split lip and the blood? You’ve got it in one – that’s me!
Memo to self: Find out how I got into this fight.
My name’s Scar. I just turned fifteen, which is why I’m here tonight, since there’s no way anyone would let me in to see any good movies. I still get the kiddie menu, for crying out loud.
This is my first time to The Basement. Innovative name for a club someone set up in a two-storey, fire hazard lacking a basement. This place is just an excuse for non-stop partying, with the added bonus of no mature adults. The dimmed lights and smoky atmosphere make the graffiti on the walls glow. A couple of pinball machines and sagging lounges line the walls. The crowd surrounding me and my opponent takes up the rest of the space.
Her blows come quick – and hard – knocking me back into the fleshy wall of the crowd.
There’s a lot of things Scar doesn’t believe in – magic, monsters, a passing grade in history. That all changes the night of her fifteenth birthday, when the blind woman looks at her, and she finds out her whole life has been a lie. She is dragged into a world of darkness – a world where the creatures of the night are real. Told she isn’t human, she is taken away to a boot camp for vampires, witches and werewolves.
Now she’s learning brand new things, breaking a witch’s Frisbee can really piss them off, challenging a werewolf to a foot race is a bad idea – if you want to live, vampires can hold serious grudges and throw mean left hooks, and the hardest secrets to keep are often the most crucial.
But she has a secret. She is a Dhampir, part-human, part-other, masquerading as a vampire.
When Scar starts seeing visions of attacks, the students begin to disappear. After a video surfaces of her at one of the crime scenes, making her the prime suspect, her very survival might be at stake. Now she must race to prove her innocence before her true nature is exposed.
The only problem is, she’s not entirely sure she’s innocent.
HAVEN is a complete 65,000 word young adult urban fantasy novel. The complete manuscript is available upon your request. Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to your reply.
****
Who am I? When someone thrusts their phone under your nose and shows you the pics they took of the fight, you won’t have any trouble spotting me. Forget the scared kid sitting in the background with her nose in the book. She’s trying to pretend she’s not there.
See the girls in the circle around the fight, egging the combatant on? You can almost hear the catcalls, can’t you? Well, I’m not one of them, either.
Now move your gaze into the centre circle. See the girl who might be beautiful but for the split lip and the blood? You’ve got it in one – that’s me!
Memo to self: Find out how I got into this fight.
My name’s Scar. I just turned fifteen, which is why I’m here tonight, since there’s no way anyone would let me in to see any good movies. I still get the kiddie menu, for crying out loud.
This is my first time to The Basement. Innovative name for a club someone set up in a two-storey, fire hazard lacking a basement. This place is just an excuse for non-stop partying, with the added bonus of no mature adults. The dimmed lights and smoky atmosphere make the graffiti on the walls glow. A couple of pinball machines and sagging lounges line the walls. The crowd surrounding me and my opponent takes up the rest of the space.
Her blows come quick – and hard – knocking me back into the fleshy wall of the crowd.
#11 VELVET BALL AND THE BROKEN FAIRY (Revised)
Dear Secret Agent,
VELVET BALL AND THE BROKEN FAIRY is an MG low fantasy novel, complete at 30,000 words. Sprites have the power to grant wishes, but if they don’t pay attention at magic school, they may never learn how.
After an illness, Velvet Ball moves to a new town, but none of the kids in fourth-grade want to hang out with a bald girl. When they poke fun at her for having no eyelashes or eyebrows, she decides to walk home through the woods. No way is she catching the bus to be tormented again.
Trudging through the forest, she stumbles upon a fairy caught in the bow of a tree. The fairy claims to be Roseberry – Fairy of Crabtree Forest and she promises to grant Velvet a wish if she saves her. After rescuing the fairy, Velvet wishes for her hair back, but nothing happens. Roseberry explains how she was tossed into the tree by bullies, and now she has no magic and her wings are broken. Velvet feels sorry for the helpless little sprite and decides to look after her until she recovers and her power returns.
Happy to finally have a friend, Velvet hides the little fairy in her bedroom. Trouble is, Roseberry isn’t an endearing fairy. She’s rude, demanding, bad-mannered and spoilt. She acts like a princess and expects to be waited on. Velvet figures that Roseberry doesn’t know how to use her powers because she didn’t pay attention in Magic School. But Roseberry’s not interested in learning. She’s too busy trying on doll clothes, looking in the mirror and dancing around the bedroom. And to make matters worse, she creates problems for Velvet and gets her into trouble. Velvet’s patience runs out and she wonders why she’s even bothering to help such an ungrateful little thing, but when the meanest school bully breaks into her house and kidnaps the fairy, Velvet’s heart breaks. She realises how much she loves the little sprite and can’t bear the thought of someone hurting her. After all, Roseberry is her only friend in the whole wide world and Velvet has to save her.
Thank you for your time and consideration. My full manuscript is available upon request.
Sincerely,
Patricia Puddle.
* * *
Velvet Ball stretched her butterfly headband over her bald head and sighed. If only she’d listened to her father and worn the beanie he’d knitted her, the two girls in front of her wouldn’t keep peeking at her and giggling.
Belinda Bragg flicked her blonde plait over her shoulder and turned around. “Stop stickybeaking on us!”
“I’m not,” said Velvet.
“You were too,” said Emily Pratt. “You’re always spying on us.”
“Yeah,” said Belinda. “She’s always staring at our hair.”
Velvet held her mouth and chuckled. At least she didn’t catch head lice.
Emily squinted meanly at her. “Are you laughing at us?”
Before Velvet could reply, the bell rang. She blew out a big breath and collected her books. There was no point in answering. Those dingbats would still be mean.
When the teacher dismissed them, Velvet grabbed her backpack and bolted out the classroom. She put her hat on and ran across the playground to the gate, but her father was nowhere in sight. Her shoulders dropped and she trudged to the bus queue. Why’d he have to work late again? Now she’d have to suffer the stupid bus trip.
When Bradley Murphy pushed in front of her, Velvet bowed her head to hide her face and stared at the footpath, but he knocked her hat off and held it above her.
“Hey! Give it back!” Velvet stood on her tiptoes, but she couldn’t reach it. Her face hot with embarrassment, she glanced around, but no one would help her.
VELVET BALL AND THE BROKEN FAIRY is an MG low fantasy novel, complete at 30,000 words. Sprites have the power to grant wishes, but if they don’t pay attention at magic school, they may never learn how.
After an illness, Velvet Ball moves to a new town, but none of the kids in fourth-grade want to hang out with a bald girl. When they poke fun at her for having no eyelashes or eyebrows, she decides to walk home through the woods. No way is she catching the bus to be tormented again.
Trudging through the forest, she stumbles upon a fairy caught in the bow of a tree. The fairy claims to be Roseberry – Fairy of Crabtree Forest and she promises to grant Velvet a wish if she saves her. After rescuing the fairy, Velvet wishes for her hair back, but nothing happens. Roseberry explains how she was tossed into the tree by bullies, and now she has no magic and her wings are broken. Velvet feels sorry for the helpless little sprite and decides to look after her until she recovers and her power returns.
Happy to finally have a friend, Velvet hides the little fairy in her bedroom. Trouble is, Roseberry isn’t an endearing fairy. She’s rude, demanding, bad-mannered and spoilt. She acts like a princess and expects to be waited on. Velvet figures that Roseberry doesn’t know how to use her powers because she didn’t pay attention in Magic School. But Roseberry’s not interested in learning. She’s too busy trying on doll clothes, looking in the mirror and dancing around the bedroom. And to make matters worse, she creates problems for Velvet and gets her into trouble. Velvet’s patience runs out and she wonders why she’s even bothering to help such an ungrateful little thing, but when the meanest school bully breaks into her house and kidnaps the fairy, Velvet’s heart breaks. She realises how much she loves the little sprite and can’t bear the thought of someone hurting her. After all, Roseberry is her only friend in the whole wide world and Velvet has to save her.
Thank you for your time and consideration. My full manuscript is available upon request.
Sincerely,
Patricia Puddle.
* * *
Velvet Ball stretched her butterfly headband over her bald head and sighed. If only she’d listened to her father and worn the beanie he’d knitted her, the two girls in front of her wouldn’t keep peeking at her and giggling.
Belinda Bragg flicked her blonde plait over her shoulder and turned around. “Stop stickybeaking on us!”
“I’m not,” said Velvet.
“You were too,” said Emily Pratt. “You’re always spying on us.”
“Yeah,” said Belinda. “She’s always staring at our hair.”
Velvet held her mouth and chuckled. At least she didn’t catch head lice.
Emily squinted meanly at her. “Are you laughing at us?”
Before Velvet could reply, the bell rang. She blew out a big breath and collected her books. There was no point in answering. Those dingbats would still be mean.
When the teacher dismissed them, Velvet grabbed her backpack and bolted out the classroom. She put her hat on and ran across the playground to the gate, but her father was nowhere in sight. Her shoulders dropped and she trudged to the bus queue. Why’d he have to work late again? Now she’d have to suffer the stupid bus trip.
When Bradley Murphy pushed in front of her, Velvet bowed her head to hide her face and stared at the footpath, but he knocked her hat off and held it above her.
“Hey! Give it back!” Velvet stood on her tiptoes, but she couldn’t reach it. Her face hot with embarrassment, she glanced around, but no one would help her.
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