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I belong to a great writers’ workshop, and we put on a writers’ conference every year. And this year, DFWcon melted my face off like Dave Grohl rocking during a Foo Fighters’ encore set.

Lemme give you 10 reasons why:

1. I met my agent, Sara Crowe, in person, for the first time ever!!! She’s so phenomenal in eleventy-billion ways, and hanging out with her all weekend just confirmed them all. I had so much fun gabbing and getting into shenanigans. (In-N-Out Burgers! Panel Discussions! Bull-Riding at Billy Bob’s!)

2. I met many other publishing professionals, and it turns out that PR genius Mer Barnes, and super agents Sarah LaPolla and Jennie Goloboy are just as crazy cool as you’d expect. (Psst…they aren’t bad at Texas two-stepping either.) And editor Stacey Barney? When she talks about YA, drop your fork and take notes. Her taste in good books (and dessert) is impeccable.

3. Alec Shane is at Writers’ House. He’s also a former Hollywood STUNTMAN. Dude. Fo Realz. He might not have an official action figure, but hey, google his IMDB page. Then award 1,000,001 street cred points for appearing in a flick called MAXIMUM CAGE FIGHTER. And award another 1,000,001 points for championing boy YA books. (Note to self: Write heartbreaking, edgy YA about a seventeen-year-old mixed martial arts master. Who cage fights. In Post-Apocalyptic Detroit.)

4. There’s a coffee shop in Hurst called ROOTS. They make blackberry green tea Chai lattes. That taste like warm blackberry cobbler. Don’t tell me how many calories are in a Venti. I don’t want to know.

5. Author Rosemary Clement-Moore is a perfect hotel roommate. She doesn’t snore, she doesn’t hog all the hot water, and you can totally pick her brain at 1:00 a.m.

6. Kate Cornell is the world’s best agent wrangler. She gets your agent coffee, packs a mean conference survival kit, tells perfect anecdotes, and absolutely, positively doesn’t hold it against you when you have to drive back to Abuelo’s and kidnap her because you couldn’t figure out the right exit to get to the airport.

7. DFWcon attendees are charming and sweet and 100% inspiring. When you teach a session, they don’t heckle you and they ask great questions. When they practice pitch you, they blow you away with high concept premises (Hey, Sally Hamiltinez!) and well-developed ideas. (Hello, MR. SECULAR APOCALYPSE, I’m talking to YOU.)

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Here’s my selection of interesting (and sometimes amusing) posts about writing from the last week:

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It's time again for another agent pitch contest. I love doing these because not only do they get you in front of an agent but they also help the agents get some fresh queries :)

Today, the pitch is being judged by Sarah LaPolla from Curtis Brown LTD. You can read her interview with me here. And see her agent bio here.

Here are some other interviews to help you get to know her taste and style:
YA Highway
Mother, Write, Repeat
Guide to Literary Agents

Winner: Gets a 1st chapter/query critique from Sarah!

When: Begins today, Tuesday Sept 14th at Noon EST and ends Wed Sept. 15th at midnight EST (I will close comments when it officially ends so if you get a comment in, you are counted.)

What: Leave your paragraph pitch in the comments on this post. Your pitch can be NO MORE than 4 or 5 sentences and MUST be something Sarah is looking for.

Eligibility

• If your manuscript is still in WIP - you may enter since this is a query critique
• Your pitch must only be 4 to 5 sentences. Your entry must follow the rules to be counted.
• This is for unagented/unpublished book writers only. (if you've published articles or essays - you can enter!)
• You can only enter ONCE so choose wisely!
• You must be a follower of my blog and either twitter or my newsletter (whichever you would use more :). If I were you, I would also follow Sarah's blog and Twitter too!
  

In the comments you MUST leave the following information to be considered:

• title of book
• genre
• your paragraph pitch
• your email

Good luck!!

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Here’s Sarah choice for winner and some honorable mentions (there were so many good ones!)

Winner: High Hopes by Lisa (contemporary YA)
You win a critique of a query letter and your first chapter!
Lisa - congrads and email me at sjohannes@bilaninc.com for instructions

HIGH HOPES is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s “Northanger Abbey,” but instead of going to Bath, eighteen-year-old Katie Moreland takes a trip to Florida for Spring Break week. There, she meets Hal Tilney, who quickly wins her over with his charm and wit, and who also happens to live in one of the most haunted houses in America – the home where the events of “The Amityville Horror” took place. When Katie is invited to visit for the weekend, her horror-obsessed brain goes into overdrive and she imagines ghosts and ghouls around every corner. Hal tries to explain to her that all the sinister stories about the house are just rumors, but Katie is convinced that the Amityville home is hiding a dark secret. Katie tries to find the source of her supernatural suspicions, but doesn’t know she also runs the risk of something truly scary – losing the guy she loves.

Honorable Mentions

• Flight by Allison Morris (literary fiction/magical realism)
• Unraveled by Susan Bradley (YA mystery)
• Mercy by Jess (YA magical realism)
• The Last One by Chersti Nieveen (YA dystopia)
• Waiting for April by Jaime Loren (paranormal romance)
• The Ghost Writer by MarcyKate (YA ghost story)

The “honorable mentions” are in no particular order and that they were all great!

Next week, Sarah may post some critiques of these pitches so stay tuned.

I'm unplugging this week and heading out of town to be on faculty for SCBWI Carolina conference in Charlotte. I'll be back next Monday with a whole slew of fun new posts!

Have a great week! :)

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In a blog post, Curtis Brown literary agent Sarah LaPolla (pictured, via) recommended five “band-aid editing” tips for fixing a manuscript before sending it to an agent.

LaPolla first advised that authors avoid sentences that begin with a conjunction. Here is an excerpt from the post: “Sometimes standalone sentences that begin with ‘And’ can be used for emphasis. And that’s OK. Other sentences, however, can end up sounding like a mere continuation of the previous sentence, making them sound weaker in comparison.”

LaPolla’s other tips elaborate on how to steer clear of weak sentences, redundant points, and the passive voice. Can you think of other “band-aids” that would be helpful? (via Elizabeth S. Craig)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

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Here’s my selection of interesting (and sometimes amusing) posts about writing from the last week:
 
Is the second novel really easier? (Douglas W. Jacobson)
 
Launching a Book (Elizabeth Spann Craig)
 
The Case for Putting a Manuscript in the Drawer (Nathan Bransford)
 
10 Signs of a Typical Writing Day (Elspeth Antonelli)
 
Asking a Published Author to Read Your Work (Rachelle Gardner)
 
Do You Really Need an Author Blog if You’re on Facebook or Twitter? (Judy Dunn)
 
My Inevitable Prologue Post (Sarah LaPolla)
 
Reader Impact: Why you should preorder (Mike Kabongo aka onyxhawke)
 
Penguin’s Book Country (Jim C. Hines aka jimhines)

 

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We are excited to kick off our new contest with Sarah LaPolla from Curtis Brown, Ltd and a panel of guest authors who will help you perfect your pitch, lick your logline into shape, and rock your query letter. Over the next few weeks, you'll be paired with a mentor from among our authors, and she, along with our other contestants and our amazing followers, will help you work through the short synopsis and logline elements of your query. Then you will put it all together, and Sarah LaPolla will choose the top three finalists!

The three top finalists will receive a submission request from Sarah LaPolla. In addition, they'll receive:

• 1st Place: Three-chapter manuscript critique from Sarah LaPolla
• 2nd Place: Two-chapter manuscript critique from P.J. Hoover
• 3rd Place: One-chapter manuscript critique from Michele Corriel 

Detailed timetables are here located here, but see below for how today's segment is going to work.

 

To enter, post a comment including:

• Your name or screenname
• The title of your project
• The genre of your project
• Your pitch, no more than 175 words and two paragraphs that briefly synopsize your story.
• If your online profile doesn't include an email address, either provide it or email us privately at kidlit (at) writeedge.com so we'll have a way to contact you. We will not accept anonymous entries or entries without contact info this time. (We spent WAY too much time herding contestants last month!)

8/19 to 8/26: 

• Our panel of mentoring authors will be evaluating and formulating their ideas on your short synopsis (pitch) paragraphs. 

8/26 to 9/1:

• Our mentoring authors will post their comments and suggestions.
• Contestants, please plan to offer courteous, helpful comments on at least five other entries.
• Followers and readers, please help us out and offer your suggestions, too!

9/02: You'll accept your one-sentence logline (elevator pitch) entries. Plan ahead!



Sarah LaPolla began at Curtis Brown in 2008, working with Dave Barbor and Peter Ginsberg. Sarah is interested in literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, science fiction, literary horror, and young adult fiction. She loves complex characters, coming-of-age stories, and strong narrators. Sarah graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Writing and English, and went on to receive her MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. She is always on the lookout for debut authors and welcomes email submissions at sl [at] cbltd.com.

• P. J. Hoover grew up visiting museums and dreaming of finding Atlantis. She eventually married and had two children, shifted her dreams to reality, and began a writing career. PJ enjoys writing fantasy for middle grade and teen readers, boys and girls alike. Her middle grade fantasy novels, T
  58 Comments on YA/MG Pitch-to-Query Contest & Mentored Workshop Starts Today, last added: 8/19/2010
  Display Comments
  A. Grey said, on 8/19/2010 9:00:00 AM
  

  A Grey
  Amarok and the Gone Missing Girl
  Young Adult
  Greyvaledesigns@gmail.com
  
  
  
  What would you do if something that frightened you more than anything, suddenly became someone you didn’t want to live without? Ansel Whitetree is an introverted albino Athabaskan Indian who’s more than happy to stay out of the public eye. But when a delirious runaway girl shows up in his parents storage shed, he’s forced to choose between letting her stay, and calling the police. What starts out as an act of kindness quickly turns into a personal crusade to help a girl he doesn’t know but is already beginning to love.
  Determined to save the girl, who he’s nicknamed Catskin, from her lingering demons, Ansel soon finds himself in a struggle between what’s always been, and what might be. In doing what’s right for Catskin, he’s forced to face what has always frightened him the most. No one ever said love was easy, but Ansel knows that love is worth fighting for. If, of course, he and Catskin can survive the changeover from who they were to who they’re becoming.

  Jessica said, on 8/19/2010 9:00:00 AM
  

  Name: Jessica
  Title: TAG-19
  Genre: YA thriller
  Pitch:
  Sixteen-year-old foster-care veteran Kae Ringer is already having a bad week, when she looks in a Philadelphia newspaper and sees her face under a murder headline. The victim’s name and hair are different, but the face is hers. Within a day, she goes for a run and returns to find her latest family brutally murdered. Kidnapped and taken to Switzerland, she learns her secret twin was a student-employee of a special school. Liberta is a residence and training ground for operatives known as Technical Assistance Guides; her sister Charlotte was known as TAG-19.
  
  The Headmaster covers up Charlotte’s death from the rival agency that ordered the murders, and wants to train Kae to take over TAG-19’s duties. In mourning and danger, Kae cooperates. With a newfound sense of identity and purpose, Kae begins to investigate clues about her birth and plan revenge on the killers. Small problem—with Kae walking around, the spy who killed her twin thinks he missed his target. Now he’s waiting for the right moment to finish the job.

  Meagan Spooner said, on 8/19/2010 9:00:00 AM
  

  Meagan Spooner
  THE IRON WOOD
  YA Dystopian Fantasy
  
  Sixteen year-old Lark Ainsley has never seen the sky. Her world ends at the edge of the vast domed Wall enclosing all that's left of humanity. The city harvests every child's innate magic at adolescence to sustain the Wall that keeps out the twisted remains of the world. When it's Lark’s turn to be harvested, she finds herself trapped in a nightmarish web of experiments and learns that she is that rarest of things: a Renewable, able to regenerate her own power after it’s been stripped.
  
  If she stays in the world she's known, she's doomed to a life of agony as a human battery powering the city. Now, the girl who has never seen the sky must fight her way across the terrible and beautiful ruined landscape beyond the edge of the world in search of a place she can be safe. To guide her, she has only the knowledge that somewhere out there are others like her, and that she must find them in the Iron Wood.

  Melissa Gill said, on 8/19/2010 9:00:00 AM
  

  Melissa Gill
  ZOMBIE RABBIT
  Middle Grade/Adventure
  
  Milo Thimbleberry is a rabbit turned into a zombie because he failed to live up to his potential in life. He wants to move on to the Misty Meadow where good rabbits go when they die, but he’ll have to perform a dangerous task to do so. If he fails to complete the task by the next full moon, or if he dissentigrates completely before he completes it, he’ll have to go to The Hot Place, where he’ll be hunted by predators for eternity.
  
  His task is to lead a group of zombies on a mission to rescue a rabbit from an animal testing lab. They have to overcome a series of challenges inspired by Homer’s Odyssey, only for woodland animals. They also have to defeat the Lady in Pink (the LIP) who runs the lab and wants to use zombie animals in her testing. In the end they succeed through team work and sacrafice. Milo goes from loafer to leader and gets the chance to move on.
  
  Mgill0627@aol.com

  Moni said, on 8/19/2010 9:00:00 AM
  

  Name: Monica B.W.
  Genre: YA paranormal (55,000 words)
  Title: Out of My Body
  Email: moni.bw at gmail dot com
  
  Whenever her soul feels like going out for a float, sixteen-year-old Tanya Reinhart finds herself hovering over her limp, drooling body. Sure, you’d think astral experiences are fun. But they’re definitely not fun when you faint in class—or, crap, fall on the lap of Tanya’s high school crush.
  
  One awful night, after finding her mother unconscious, Tanya realizes being a drooling freak is nothing. Because, according to an ethereal stranger who sifts through the door, her mom has left her body—as she’s done for years, serving the Government. Only tonight, her soul is MIA. The stranger cooks a deal with Tanya: if she becomes an out-of-body spy and discovers a traitor in his agency, he’ll get her mother’s soul back. But what could be worse than working undercover while pretending to be a normal high school student? Well, finding out you’re actually helping the bad guys. And that the traitor not only is the good guy, but he’s your crush. Now, if Tanya doesn’t turn him in, she won’t see her mother again.

  Phoebe said, on 8/19/2010 9:00:00 AM
  

  When eighteen-year-old Irene meets Loril Walker at the boardwalk diner where she works, she’s struck by his sparkling eyes and exotic accent. But she’s shocked to find out that he’s more than foreign—he is, in fact half-merman. He’s come to the boardwalk because he faces a choice: spend the rest of his life at sea with his dying pod or settle down in the alien world of a father he’s never met.
  
  Irene’s been facing hard choices, too: breaking up her band, leaving her friends behind to go to art school in New York City. She’s even been considering ditching college completely to stay in the seamy seaside town she loves. Falling in love with Loril makes these choices a little more complicated. But his pod waits for him, hoping he’ll one day take his place as their leader. And soon the couple will discover the terrible truth about Loril’s human family—when one of them threatens Irene’s very life.
  
  SEAS RUN DRY, complete at 75,000 words, is a paranormal romance for young adults.

  Bekah said, on 8/19/2010 9:01:00 AM
  

  • Bekah K.
  • Parallel Earth, Middle Grade
  • Twins are transported to a parallel dimension of earth and discover a group of aliens who despise humans.
  synopsis: Haley Parker is a mess when it comes to running, but she gets straight A's. Wyatt Parker prefers to leave his books at the front door and play sports or his beloved videogames; it's what he's great at. The only way anyone can tell they're related, let alone twins, is by their green eyes. Plus, they barely stand each other. When they see a strange sign at an abandoned Christmas tree farm, they agree to investigate together. They find a Lens, a view to a parallel dimension, and get transported to a wacky place of shimmering colors.
  The twins are lost with flying stump scooters, talking bushes, and two-headed animals. When they meet a friendly race of inhabitants, they are told about the advanced Pyonians who snatch up humans through the Lens' for genetic experiments to make their population stronger and live longer. The Pyonians know where every Lens is, and they have Humadar to know where every human on their dimension is. Haley and Wyatt want to find the nearest Lens, but they know that won't be easy since they're being hunted by crazy aliens, and they don't want to be their next genetic victims.
  • Providing email to kidlit

  Janice said, on 8/19/2010 9:01:00 AM
  

  Name: Janice Foy
  Title: Salvation
  Genre: YA (Dystopian)
  
  Kerry Adams is a genetically perfect seventeen-year-old whose life was mapped out before she was conceived. She has never questioned the rules that govern her future - when she turns eighteen she’ll commit to her life partner and have perfect babies to strengthen a weakened human race.
  
  Kerry’s life is going to plan until her reckless older sister goes missing. Kerry’s search for her sister takes her beneath the streets of New York – where feral societies live their lives without rules or surveillance. It brings her into the arms of Finn Connors, who knows more about her life than he pretends and it will help her discover the truth about herself and the freedom of choice.

  Sarah N Fisk said, on 8/19/2010 9:01:00 AM
  

  Sarah N. Fisk
  MIRANDA’S FIRE
  YA Urban Fantasy
  Contact: Sarah.N.Fisk(at)gmail(dot)com
  
  Miranda Dakin is the most powerful Fire Mage alive and could win this year’s annual Tournament – if she were three days older. Mages must be at least sixteen to attend The Tournament, the paramount event for the secretive modern-day Mage society. Waiting another year to compete becomes the least of her worries when a horde of supposedly-extinct demons attack The Tournament, killing or kidnapping every adult Mage – including her Psychic Mage mother.
  
  After receiving a message from her mother, Miranda must rescue the surviving Mages from a place she was told doesn't exist. She sets off on a cross-country rescue mission with three others: a strange young Holy Knight, her Witch of a best friend, and a powerful Water Mage she's known since birth.
  
  Miranda grapples with a seductive ancient knowledge while discovering most of what she’s been taught about her magic is a strategic lie. An intimate betrayal, public demon attacks, and an unexpected affection complicate matters when all Miranda wants is her mother safely back at home.

  Jennifer Armentrout said, on 8/19/2010 9:01:00 AM
  

  Jen Armentrout
  Title: Half-Blood
  Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
  
  There’s nothing like crushing on the hot and totally forbidden Daemon to take Alexandria’s mind off training to kill her mother.
  
  In a world controlled by pure-blooded demigods, seventeen-year-old half-blood Alex must defy her growing attraction to her Instructor and commit her life to killing those who have turned into murderous Furies. Falling for Daemon is not a complication Alex needs right now. Relationships between halfs and pures are strictly forbidden. Why? The Gods forbid it. Yeah, even Alex thinks that’s a crap excuse. The more time she spends with him, the more she is willing to take that risk. One perfect night with Daemon could be worth a lifetime of servitude, the only other option suitable for a half-blood. But when she discovers that her mother has become what Alex hates most – a Furie, she faces a heartbreaking choice: kill her mother or risk becoming a Furie herself.

  Suzie said, on 8/19/2010 9:02:00 AM
  

  Name: Suzie Musin
  Title: Time Will Tell
  Genre: Young Adult
  
  Pitch:
  Since age three, Vera’s lived within a secret time traveling guild. When an agent rushes up to her in the ancient Roman market, he claims they’re good friends in her future. Problem one: whether to trust him. Problem two: Ethan’s on the run from a murderer who opposes everything the Guild represents.
  
  When they’re attacked, her traveling powers activate without warning. She’s flung into the driver’s seat for the first time at an age too young to handle it. Because of her inexperience, something terrible happens to Ethan. She’s only starting to cope with it when she meets a confrontational boy with sharp intelligence...named Ethan. This time he’s her age and he can tell she’s hiding something. As Vera tries to figures out what she owes him, besides his Guild-mandated right to live without knowledge of his own future, she searches for answers on what sparked her premature abilities. She uncovers family secrets which force her to question everything she knows about her identity and the Guild which runs her entire life.

  Vincent Kale said, on 8/19/2010 9:02:00 AM
  

  • Vincent Kale
  • Blackwatch: Order and Chaos
  • YA/Sci-Fi
  
  When fifteen-year-old Lamarr Jeffers messes with a funky watch he finds in his Uncle’s pawn shop, he unknowingly stops time and causes a tear in the fabric of order. While the world he knows is frozen motionless, scores of nightmarish demons pour through the rift, overwhelming the warriors put in place to defend it.
  
  With the original Guardians now dead, Lamarr and his best friend Tinka are recruited by a leather-clad biker duo wielding samurai swords and high-tech devices. They are trained in the ways of the Blackwatch, a timeless society of warriors that fight the eternal struggle against creatures from the savage, ash-covered jungles of Chaos. Now it’s up to Lamarr and Tinka to learn fast, train hard and stay alive. If they succeed in ridding their world of the abominations of Chaos, they will earn their ranks among the Blackwatch. If they fail, their world will be annihilated. No pressure.
  
  Blackwatch: Order and Chaos, complete at approximately 60,000 words, is a sci-fi novel for young adults.
  
  •vincentkale@gmail.com

  Dawn M said, on 8/19/2010 9:02:00 AM
  

  Hobo Crane’s life is the pits. He’s the star player on his eighth-grade basketball team though he hates playing. Then there’s the nosy neighbor girl with a Jupiter-sized crush on him who invades his kitchen after school every day to help with the Crane family catering business.
  
  When Hobo discovers a runaway named Up living in the giant blue spruce on an overgrown city lot one afternoon, things get interesting. Up is a sneering, sarcastic shrimp boat. He’s also well-read, carries a jar full of mysterious buttons, and has a past he’d rather not talk about. Through several chance meetings, the boys form a tentative bond. Each sees in the other what they crave most – for Hobo it’s a life without boundaries and for Up, it’s someone to trust.
  
  Soon Hobo decides it’s up to him to change Up’s desperate situation. Throughout THE UPSIDE OF DOWN, Hobo risks losing friendships, his parents’ trust, and his status on the team as he helps his unlikely friend continue a cross-country journey to find a family member.
  
  Contemporary middle-grade
  Dawn Malone
  dawnie23 (at) verizon.net

  Marilyn Peake said, on 8/19/2010 9:02:00 AM
  

  Author: Marilyn Peake
  
  Title: Mermaid in the Summer of Burning Water
  
  Genre: YA Fantasy
  
  Pitch:
  As fires lick the floor of heaven and turtles burn in the dark of night, three teenagers sneak past the military guards and find an unconscious mermaid washed up onshore. Coated in seaweed and the black crude of the recent oil disaster, she’s barely breathing. As the teens touch her shimmering scales, their senses intensify. Over the next few days, they develop the ability to see a web of connections among events. They gradually understand some rather troubling events within their families, including a father's spiraling descent into alcoholism when his fishing business is ruined by the oil spill. Able to see beyond the immediate, they recognize tendrils reaching out from the past, sources of addiction and violence that occurred long before they were born. When the mermaid awakens, she offers them a chance of redemption.
  
  
  Email: I’m sending you my email address privately.

  Natalie Aguirre said, on 8/19/2010 9:02:00 AM
  

  Natalie Aguirre
  THE THIRD TOWER
  Middle Grade Fantasy
  
  When twelve-year-old Jasmine and her best friend Austin follow a talking doorknob into the land of Myrrdin, they’re shocked to learn everyone believes she inherited her adoptive great-grandmother’s ability to perform spells. That’s impossible. She was adopted from China as a baby. Soon, their lives take a dangerous turn after they discover Glazdick, an evil man out for revenge, is desperately searching for a wand-like weapon he needs to destroy Myrrdin’s magic and become king. But he can’t use it without Jasmine’s magical powers.
  
  The clock is ticking for Jasmine and Austin to find the magical weapon before Glazdick steals it. But finding it is not enough. Glazdick is hunting for them too. And he’ll stop at nothing—even utilizing Austin as a pawn—to make Jasmine help him. Now Jasmine must discover how her adoption unlocks her newly found magical powers or face a terrible choice: cooperate in Glazdick’s evil plot or lose Austin forever.

  Brenda Drake said, on 8/19/2010 9:03:00 AM
  

  Brenda Drake
  Library Jumpers/YA Urban Fantasy
  
  Seventeen-year-old Gia Kearns would rather spar with boys instead of kiss them. That is until an out-of-place rebel hottie in the pretentious Boston Athenaeum intrigues her. When he disappears in the space of a distracted glance, Gia's search for him leads to the book of world libraries he was reading before he vanished. While flipping through the pages, Gia speaks the key that sucks her and her friends into a photograph and transports them into the National Library of France. The rebel, Arik, and his multicultural gang of magical Paladijns rescue the three from a demonic beast in the library.
  
  Gia learns she's a missing Paladijn destined to protect humans from the creatures traveling across the gateway books. The fact that she must train to be a Paladijn with her deadbeat father, a man she fears is an unstable individual, makes her uneasy. Now to prevent an exiled wizard from releasing an apocalyptic force, Gia must unleash her suppressed magic to stop him.
  
  *providing email to kidlit

  Jess Pettit said, on 8/19/2010 9:03:00 AM
  

  Jess P.
  Leeam and the World of Two Moons
  Fantasy Fiction
  
  Wheelchair-bound fifteen-year old Leeam Locke is lonely and depressed. But when Leeam sees his long-dead cat watching him from the woods one night, he rolls away from his troubles, and into an incredible adventure. After hitting his head on a rock, Leeam wakes again to discover he can walk and that he is taking his first steps in a strange, alternate world.
  
  Leeam quickly falls for a girl named Maybelle, who hails from a tribe of cat-people: shape-shifters who may have more to do with Leeam's childhood than he could imagine. Soon, he discovers that may be the only thing standing between the dying magical races of Maybelle's world and the tyrannical Overseer of Day, a Living God who seeks to exterminate them. But in order to defeat the Overseer, Leeam must uncover the secrets of his own identity and disability. As catastrophe approaches, Leeam has to decide if he is ready to give his life for a world that isn't even his. And, even more horrifying, a world that may not even be real.

  Shelley Watters said, on 8/19/2010 9:03:00 AM
  

  · Shelley Watters (Twitter: @Shelley_Watters)
  · BLUE LOTUS
  · Young Adult Paranormal Romance
  
  When seventeen-year-old Anna Caerulea travels to Egypt to work alongside her father on an archeological dig in Egypt, she meets the man of her dreams and finds herself caught between sides in an ancient war between Osiris and Anubis.
  
  As the Great Pyramids rise up from the scorching desert sand before her, Anna’s dreams have come true. But when statues whisper to her and touching mummies cause her to collapse with hallucinations of ancient Egypt, she wonders if coming to Egypt was a good idea after all.
  
  Together they explore an ancient tomb, narrowly escaping booby traps and thwarting tomb robbers. After a near-death experience, Anna remembers a past that she didn’t know she had and she discovers that Alex is not what he seems.
  
  It is up to Anna to decipher the clues that lead to the location of Osiris’ tomb before the armies can unleash Osiris on Egypt. Her life, her relationship with Alex, and the fate of the Egypt lay in her hands.
  
  · Shelleykuklish at gmail dot com

  Nicole Zoltack said, on 8/19/2010 9:04:00 AM
  

  Nicole Zoltack
  Hidden in Shadows
  Urban fantasy with romantic elements
  Nicole.Zoltack at gmail dot com
  
  Assassin Lorna McCloud has an advantage over her victims – the power to create and hide in artificial shadows; however, the one target she longs for most remains elusive – her father's murderer.
  
  With no leads, Lorna continues to accept assignments including a small island king with a high price on his head. King Alaric is everything Lorna isn't – noble, kind, good. When she falls for Alaric, Lorna distances herself from her assassin lifestyle but cannot escape her past. A massive gravesite on the island provides clues to her father's murder.
  
  Lorna never desired a normal life before. Torn between murder and love, Lorna cannot escape her ardent desire for revenge even if it means losing her only chance of living a happy life with Alaric.

  June G said, on 8/19/2010 9:04:00 AM
  

  Name: June Goodwin
  Title: Paying for the Sins of My Father
  Genre: YA
  Pitch:
  
  When fourteen year-old Sky moves to South Carolina, she learns that some of the inhabitants of her new hometown are not what they appear to be—and they have plans for her.
  Sky’s father bilked a lot of people out of a lot of money, but one woman is not going to let him get away unscathed. She has connections, but they’re not of this world. That’s where seventeen year-old Ryan comes into play. He’s part of an evil immortal network and they owe this woman. What better way to make a father pay for his sins than to destroy his daughter? There’s just one problem—Ryan doesn’t want to do it. And he’s falling in love. That is definitely not part of the plan. The network is not going to let allow this. Sky and Ryan struggle to find love without losing lives.
  
  email: june (at) writingisablessing (dot) com

  Jess Tudor said, on 8/19/2010 9:04:00 AM
  

  Jessica Tudor (Jessica[at]jessicatudor.com)
  MERCY, YA magical realism
  
  The first time, Madelyn drowns accidentally. The second time, her twin sister Camilla lets it happen, a choice that could pull her under.
  
  Eighteen-year-old Camilla Jay can rewind each day if she chooses. After Madelyn’s death, getting through the day is hard enough once. Then she finds notes hinting that Madelyn knew what would happen. As though Camilla’s guilt wasn’t strong enough. She’s flooded with doubts about her ability, their relationship, and her identity. The only way she can find peace is to answer Madelyn’s question: Why did Camilla go back if she wasn’t going to save her sister? Even she doesn’t know, but she’s determined to figure it out.

  L. Bowser said, on 8/19/2010 9:08:00 AM
  

  L. Bowser
  Bailey Blitztrager and the Worrisome Worms
  Christian Fantasy Chapter Book (early/emerging readers?)
  
  Eight year old Bailey Blitztrager is confused when a worm from her garden scolds her. She gets scared when a giant worm eats her backpack. But she's absolutely stunned when she learns that she is a falling angel and this is the first test she has to pass to get her wings back. Best friend TJ, seeing dollar signs and a Gamestation 6E Mobile in his future, agrees to help her. Their first plan doubles Bailey's trouble when they try cutting the worm in half. After observing a robin on the playground, they hatch a new plan using Bailey's gift for animal languages. But there's a catch. So far she only understands worms. Now Bailey must learn the secret of her gift and defeat the worms before it's too late.

  Carol Riggs said, on 8/19/2010 9:08:00 AM
  

  screen name: Carol Riggs (aka artzicarol)
  email: artzicarol [at] gmail.com
  YA light science fiction: SHAPERS
  
  In 2039, seventeen-year-old Morgan Dey accepts the job of Shaper at an innovative weight-loss clinic. There, the transformation from flabby to fabulous is made possible by temporarily replacing a patient's brain waves with a Shaper's, enabling the workers to do all the strenuous work of losing the extra pounds. Morgan "borrows" a body, whips it into shape, and vows never to do that kind of sweaty, grueling work again.
  
  But there's a catch. Morgan doesn't remember anything she did while in the other body. So when Jodine Kowalczyk checks in at 100 pounds overweight, Morgan eagerly signs up to help her lose that weight. Complications soon arise and multiply in the form of a live-in chef, an aggressive trio of Jodine's enemies, and isolated loneliness. Around the time Morgan-as-Jodine stumbles into an unlikely romance, anti-Shaper protestors become increasingly violent, turning from heckling to bombings.
  
  Then, as Morgan makes a horrifying discovery at the heart of the clinic, she stands to lose not only her new job, but her life as well.

  MarcyKate said, on 8/19/2010 9:09:00 AM
  

  Name: MarcyKate
  Title: THE GHOST WRITER
  Genre: YA Ghost Story
  Pitch: Eighteen-year-old Tessa James can’t even watch Casper the Friendly Ghost without nightmares, so when letters written in a foreign language appear on her nightstand she does her damnedest to ignore the implications.
  
  Soon Tessa realizes the letters are pieces of a diary, and the tale of Ava Dubois, a runaway millgirl turned rising starlet, begins to unravel. As Tessa is unwillingly drawn into Ava’s past, connections to the present become stark—and scary. Manchester’s Castle Theatre, her employer and once Ava's, is about to produce Hamlet, the very play canceled by Ava’s untimely death in 1935. A bizarre series of accidents plague the theatre staff, while the steady stream of letters and rumors of ghosts force Tessa into a dangerous game. Tessa wants no part of it, but the spirits won’t leave her alone, nor will the suspicious detective investigating the accidents. With the body count piling up—in the past and present—Tessa must checkmate her ghosts and Ava's if she wants to live long enough to have a future.

  Jamie said, on 8/19/2010 9:11:00 AM
  

  Jamie Manning
  jmanni32@yahoo.com
  www.jmanni32.blogspot.com
  Title: EVER
  Genre: YA Paranormal
  
  Waking up in a coffin hungry for blood is only the beginning for sixteen-year-old Everly Blue. Things are about to get a lot worse. First, Ever finds out from super hottie Chance that she’s a vampire. Well, half vampire, not that she sees much difference. Then she meets her maker, Devon – the thousand-year-old vampire who turned her into a monster. He gives Ever a tiny shred of hope – kill 100 vampires to save her humanity.
  
  Deciding that being a murderer of the dead is less frightening than being a monster for eternity, Ever sets out to get her life back. But it won’t be easy. She has to deal with her feelings for Chance (who she’s falling for fast), her waning hatred for Devon, some new-found vampire hunting friends and that pesky taste for blood that just won’t go away. In the end, Ever faces a battle – and a decision – that will destroy the ones she loves and change her life forever.

  Stephanie S. said, on 8/19/2010 9:15:00 AM
  

  Name: Stephanie Sauvinet
  Title: Born To Die
  Genre: YA dytopian fiction
  email: stephaniesauvinet@gmail.com
  
  Pitch:
  Axia lives by one motto: kick-ass and don’t ask questions. As a genetically-engineered gladiator, she is used to entertain the crowds, a tamed and controlled killing puppet. The System, the hierarchical echelon dictating everyone’s place in society, has only created her to fight, blades and needles included. But when her master betrays her, Axia finds herself questioning The Rules for the first time.
  
  Her master notices her new found independence and as a remorseful favor allows her to win her freedom. She is released and builds a life out of the arena, falls in love and buries her past. But soon, she discovers she has abilities beyond her planned creation, resulting from illegally tampered genes.
  
  
  As she second-guesses who she really is, her creator hunts her down to fulfill the secret project for which she was created: he wants her to kill The System’s ruler. Axia now has to choose between leaving her past behind and seeking a revenge she never knew possible.

  Traci Van Wagoner said, on 8/19/2010 9:17:00 AM
  

  Title: Searching
  Genre: MG Historical Fantasy
  Chris finds a magical stick that takes her on an adventure she hopes she is strong enough to survive.
  
  When Dad said they were moving west to get a fresh start, twelve year old Crystal, called Chris, had no idea she’d be plopped into the middle of a real live ghost town with a magical stick and buried secrets. All she wants is to go back home. But home is something she'll never have again since Mom died.
  
  After a ghostly figure shows up beneath her window in the middle of the night, she finds a carved stick in an old Indian granary. The Stick is connected to something buried beneath the mountain. And now … so is she. Pulled into a destiny centuries old, from the first age of man when Thunderbirds, beings of power, flew the skies, the task falls to her to find the burial chamber and set the Thunderbird spirit free so he can finally go home. Problem is, she’s not the only one searching for the burial chamber. So is Mr. Blackley, the Boss, and he’s not about to let anyone stand in his way of making the biggest find of the century and becoming rich and powerful. Especially not a few dumb kids. Locked in a smelly root cellar beneath the company store, how can Chris save the Thunderbird spirit and send him home?

  A. J. Spindle said, on 8/19/2010 9:26:00 AM
  

  A. J. Spindle (ajspindle)
  Bennett Nelson and the Maker of the Stones
  Heroic Middle Grade Fiction
  ajspindle@yahoo.com
  
  After surviving a fiery shipwreck, twelve-year-old Bennett Nelson washes up on Isla de Sangra Mala, only to find the natives have been anticipating his arrival. Years before his birth, Bennett’s name was carved into the Shield of Stone by a mystical, prophetic creature.
  
  Bennett is placed in a special camp for children of the Bureau; an organization bound together against an evil man who wants control of the island, Luciadoye the Great. There he attends lessons, learns of magical stones that can do almost anything, but most importantly he learns the power of friendship.
  
  When the only known maker of the stones, Dr. Rivers, goes missing, Bennett, wanting to prove himself to the Bureau, sets out to find and rescue him. But time is running out. Bennett has to hurry and find the Doctor before Luciadoye can use his powers for evil.

  Jess Pettit said, on 8/19/2010 9:32:00 AM
  

  Name: Jess Pettit
  Title: Leeam and the World of Two Moons
  Genre: YA Fantasy
  E-mail: jpettit@sjcme.edu
  
  Wheelchair-bound fifteen-year old Leeam Locke is lonely and depressed. But when Leeam sees his long-dead cat watching him from the woods one night, he rolls away from his troubles, and into an incredible adventure. After hitting his head on a rock, Leeam wakes again to discover he can walk and that he is taking his first steps in a strange, alternate world.
  
  Leeam quickly falls for a girl named Maybelle, who hails from a tribe of cat-people: shape-shifters who may have more to do with Leeam's childhood than he could imagine. Soon, he discovers that may be the only thing standing between the dying magical races of Maybelle's world and the tyrannical Overseer of Day, a Living God who seeks to exterminate them. But in order to defeat the Overseer, Leeam must uncover the secrets of his own identity and disability. As catastrophe approaches, Leeam has to decide if he is ready to give his life for a world that isn't even his. And, even more horrifying, a world that may not even be real.

  Jim Hill said, on 8/19/2010 9:34:00 AM
  

  Jim Hill
  The Case Against My Sister: Sixth Grade
  Middle-grade
  jim@heyjimhill.com
  
  Marshall spent the summer preparing; downloading school bus schedules, memorizing teacher names, studying school maps, and practicing his clarinet (because in sixth grade you never know when a jam session will breakout). With overloaded backpack and trusty clarinet he plans to hit sixth grade with everything he’s got. M.Alice, his sister, has other ideas. Put Lucy Van Pelt, a pit bull and every mean girl you’ve ever known in a blender and you might end up with her equal.
  
  M.Alice begins her takedown during class assembly hitting Marshall with nuclear-level humiliation by way of a hacked presentation and damning photographic evidence of Marshall’s loser-dom (two words: superhero underwear). Then she gets personal and steals his clarinet. His only chance to find it and get to jazz band on time is to overcome the class bully, survive gym, and solve the riddle she left in his empty instrument case. When your evil sister promises to ruin your life, believe her.

  Lindsey C said, on 8/19/2010 9:42:00 AM
  

  Name: Lindsey
  Title: requiem
  Genre: YA Contemporary
  email: apinchofpanache@gmail.com
  
  pitch:
  Eighteen-year-old Crick is *that* guy— the one every girl wants to date and every guy wants to be. But when the boy who has everything decides to chase a bottle of Tylenol with a half a handle of vodka, it flips the world on its axis for the people he leaves behind, especially his younger brother Ben.
  
  As if being a social pariah and a recent reform school attendee weren’t enough, Ben believes Crick’s death will only cement his place as the black sheep of the family. But when Ben discovers a note from “M” among his brother’s stuff, two simple words change everything: I’m pregnant. As the days and weeks pass it become apparent that Miriam, the girlfriend Crick left behind, is not pregnant. However, Marissa, the school slut, is.

  Anonymous said, on 8/19/2010 9:42:00 AM
  

  Thanks for this opportunity!
  
  MEGALAND
  Upper Middle Grade – Contemporary
  Stephfeuer at Verizon dot net
  
  
  When 14 year-old artist Inky Kahn picks the new girl as his secret muse, he never imagines his drawings of her will be used by a predatory game developer to ensnare her.
  
  Inky Kahn is stuck in a deep purple funk of extended grief over his father's death, and doomed to another year in his demanding prep school. His geeky Buddhist friend Rungs steers him to a computer game in development, thinking it will help Inky get past his heartache, and showcase his drawings. The boys’ cyber-sleuthing leads them to discover that their new classmate, Amanda, has made a date with the game developer – a convicted child molester - apparently thinking he’s Inky because of the drawings. Equipped with spy gear from Rungs’ intelligence-officer father, a provocative drawing by Inky, and Amanda’s newfound inner courage, they trap the creep and in the process transcend their adolescent isolation and cement their friendships

  lbdiamond said, on 8/19/2010 9:46:00 AM
  

  Name: Laura Diamond
  Title: SHARP'S BLOOD
  Genre: YA Dystopian
  E-mail: laurabdiamond@yahoo.com
  
  Seventeen-year-old Justin Sharp's blood is poisonous, even to bloodsucking immortals. As an anemic, he's an outcast in a world ruled by fanged immortals who see him as a death sentence if they drink him dry. But one cruel bloodsucker, Eric, knows that anemic blood, in small doses, gives a drug-like high, and he wants to keep Justin as a source for his addiction. Justin has no intention of being a personal pharmacy for Eric, especially when the leech is responsible for the death of his kid sister. He's got a great plan to kill Eric—overdose him with his own blood—but he’s got to figure out how to get close enough to do it without losing his own life in the process.

  Bethany said, on 8/19/2010 9:50:00 AM
  

  Bethany Morrow
  The Last Life Of Avrilis
  YA Steampunk Dystopian
  Bethany.Morrow@ymail.com
  
  Sixteen-year-old Avrilis is an orphaned Sentient living at the end of the age. Like all her kind, she is aware that time replays itself and that the slightest change will make her one of the hunted – the Sentient guilty of deviating from the repetition. When she saves the life of a street urchin meant to die, the two discover the Sentient Underground – and that the father she believed dead is the prophet with a plan to end the world for good. Now Avrilis must uncover the truth about her family, stay one step ahead of the hunters and the end of the world and choose between the boy whose life she saved and the one she’s loved in lives before.

  Erica Woolridge said, on 8/19/2010 9:53:00 AM
  

  When Bee transferred schools to watch over her self harming sister Matilda, she gave up her charmed life with perfect friends and popularity. One misplaced love letter and too tight pair of jeans later, Bee becomes the latest victim of school bully and narcissist Chris. Chris takes an instant interest in her and decides to make Bee his girlfriend, whether she wants to or not. After rescuing her from the weird scenarios he places her—harrassment by the school sluts, bullies, and Romeos-Bee and Chris begin an awkward friendship. After a Chris ordered attack leaves Bee bruised and bloody, Chris confesses that he has been behind her horrible experiences at Forrester High. They begin a truce until he targets her best friend and boyfriend, ultimately revealing that he hasn’t been the one calling the shots all along.
  
  LIKE, LOVE, & LOATHING is a 55,000 word young adult contemporary novel that follows sixteen year old Bee Hewlett as she falls in and out of like, love, and hate, and starts a bizarre relationship with the person making her life hell.

  DKB said, on 8/19/2010 9:57:00 AM
  

  Your name: DK Burrow
  The title of your project: Into the Shadows
  The genre of your project: YA Fantasy
  E-mail: sent to Kidlit
  
  A world cloaked in darkness... A family buried in secrets.... Cassie Hughes doesn't understand why her recurring dreams cause her mother such panic. They've moved more often than Cassie cares to remember. Just as it seems her family will stay in one place for an entire year, the dream intrudes again. Her mother has always said there's nothing to the dream; but when a stranger arrives at her doorstep, she learns of her hidden past.
  
  Forced to leave everything she knows behind as she journeys to a world she doesn't remember, Cassie is the first of the hidden children called home. One of the last of the Powerful, Cassie must learn to harness her powers by herself. If she can't, both her worlds are in danger.

  Larissa said, on 8/19/2010 10:01:00 AM
  

  • Your name: Larissa
  • Title: LURE
  • Genre: YA
  • Pitch:
  Fifteen-year-old Mitch would rather pound a nail through his thumb than read, so when everyone in his small South Dakota town starts obsessing over a book, he hopes the craze will pass quickly. But Lure is no ordinary book—soon teachers are stopping class to read, and Mitch's mom forgets to make dinner as she turns the pages.
  
  Before long, it seems only Mitch and his best friend Jen have avoided getting sucked in—and the situation has become more dire. The streets are empty. People aren't eating or drinking. When Mitch's dad is injured, he continues to read through the pain, and the hospital is full of nurses and doctors absorbed in Lure, their jobs forgotten. Even as Mitch and Jen realize the town is reading itself to death, Jen succumbs to the book's pull, leaving Mitch alone. He must find Lure's secret ... or lose everyone he loves.

  Laurel Amberdine said, on 8/19/2010 10:02:00 AM
  

  Name: Laurel Amberdine
  Title: Tattered Sky
  Genre: YA SF
  Email: amberdine@gmail.com
  
  Civilization has been destroyed by a time travel experiment gone wrong. Now every day the sky rips open to show scenes from lives that have never been, showering the world in radiation. Electronics no longer work, mutations abound, and day-by-day, humanity is dying off.
  
  17-year-old Avilon Dex lives in a disused hunting lodge with her mother and little sister. All they want is to be left alone, but when a group of tyrants kidnaps her sister, Avilon learns there is more to her family that she ever realized. Avilon’s mother admits that the little girl is not her daughter — she might not even be human. She appeared the night the sky tore open, seeming to replace an infant born two nights earlier, dead. With her only help a handsome, mysterious rebel, Avilon must rescue a little girl who might not be her sister, but may be the only hope of saving the world.

  Jessica said, on 8/19/2010 10:09:00 AM
  

  Name: Jessica Love
  Title: Giving In
  Genre: YA Contemporary
  E-mail: jessica.love at gmail
  
  Chelsea Park has been kicked off of dance team for hazing, even though she swears it wasn’t a big deal. Now, to fill the empty elective in her schedule so she can graduate and keep her strict Korean father happy, pretty and popular Chelsea finds herself in the place she never expected to be her senior year – drama class.
  
  She has her own dorky secret (no one knows how much time she spends playing video games), but she still feels out of place with the outspoken, brightly colored drama crew. Plus, the sister of the girl she hazed hates her, her dance friends have abandoned her, and there are three very different, very dorky boys she finds herself drawn to.
  
  Soon Chelsea finds unexpected home on stage but is still too embarrassed to tell anyone about her new life. It’s not until her popular girl tricks backfire and she discovers the truth about the hazing that she makes the most important discovery: that it’s high time that she makes peace with her inner dork.

  Carrie Dair said, on 8/19/2010 10:15:00 AM
  

  Name: Carrie Dair
  Title: CONTROL LINE
  Genre: YA contemporary
  
  Kate McCormac's life is out of control. And her summer doesn't look too promising either. When fire steals the life of Kate's father, it takes more than its fair share, forcing Kate to move from the lush beaches of California to the barren desert of Panaca, Nevada where she'll be living with her Grandma and a herd of cows. Kate must now rise to the challenge of starting life anew while dealing with the horrors of her past. Especially those she has held secret from the last summer she spent with her Grandma.
  
  Betrayed by the government and haunted by the memory of her father, Kate's one hope seems to lie in her friend Grant who knows her better than she does herself, but there's only one problem. He's a fire fighter, just like her father. And his attempts to save her life just might result in her final undoing. Can Kate find hope in a world that's quickly falling apart? And can she resist her feelings for Grant before they both lose control?

  Charlie Eve said, on 8/19/2010 10:17:00 AM
  

  Title: Hero and Villain
  Genre: Adventure/Humor/Fantasy
  email: kidsbookjunky@gmail.com
  
  
  Mason Grey is 12 years old and has always been able to write to life her characters.
  
  Now her neurotic, adventurous cast of characters has taken over her home and inspiration. Hero is constantly dragging his loyal and definitely phobic friend, Sidekick, on his backyard blunders where Sidekick is always on the receiving end of swollen hips and bruised up lips. Villain loves Princess, but has an awfully awkward way of showing it and is convinced that Mason is trying to poison him, while bible-beating Gran and her daffodil spray bottle are determined to rid the house of these “abominations” by spraying them all with a daily dousing of holy water.
  
  With all the commotion, Mason has lost her inspiration and it is only when Princess is kidnapped by an evil doll collector that she begins to write again. Along the way, Hero and Villain find out Mason is not good at writing under pressure and soon horses become wild boars and saving Princess is no fairytale.

  cherylangst said, on 8/19/2010 10:23:00 AM
  

  Name: Cheryl
  Title: Nikko's Bond
  Genre: YA sci-fi
  
  Nikko has never left the nursery. He’s never been to the corner store, or met anyone from the outside – not even his parents. Nikko is a host, a child bred to symbiotically support a Guardian. He’s lived his entire life with a single goal: prepare for the moment when he and his symbiont become one. The emotional connection to a Guardian is deep—and most hosts do not bond with other humans—but Nikko is different. With his merge only days away, Nikko must leave the nursery and say goodbye to the person he loves as much as his symbiont, his best friend Samatia.
  
  Unwilling to face the future without Sam, Nikko concocts a risky strategy to bring her along. His plan succeeds, but what began as a means of staying together becomes a death sentence for Sam when her symbiont dies. Torn between friendship and desire, Nikko must decide: merge with his symbiont and become truly whole, or save Sam and spend the rest of his life crippled—and a fugitive from his Guardian.

  Shellie said, on 8/19/2010 10:32:00 AM
  

  Shelliep
  YA/Historical
  THE LAST STATIONMASTER
  
  Meet Nate Daniels, a fifteen-year-old middle-class African-American with a reputation for pranks. His parents worries he's becoming a juvenile delinquent and send him to his grandparents' North Carolina farm for the summer. But soon after he arrives, Nate uncovers a long kept family secret.
  
  Nate learns the farm has been passed through the family since antebellum times. He questions how his African-American forefathers ran the farm during slavery, but no one wants to talk about it.
  
  With laptop and cell phone privileges revoked, Nate's efforts to research the farm's history stalls until he meets Hannah and her brother. The snooping trio uncovers a link between the farm and the Underground Railroad. Good, right? But more research suggests that Nate's very distant and very black grandfather owned slaves.
  
  Things get complicated when Nate finds an accused terrorist hiding on the farm. But when the terrorist saves Nate's life, it convinces Nate he's innocent. To evade disaster Nate must discover the secrets of the farm, deliver the terrorist to safety, and become THE LAST STATIONMASTER.

  Michelle said, on 8/19/2010 10:38:00 AM
  

  Name: Michelle
  Title: Fried Liver
  Genre: MG Contemporary
  Email: mlbrown90@att.net
  
  For the first time since his mom went AWOL, life is finally looking up for Mike McTavish. When he and his Air Force father land in Wichita, they meet a mysterious mutt. Mike's always wanted a dog, and in Sergeant he finds the first friend he won't have to leave.
  
  Then Mike collides with quirky Carma, who appears and claims the dog, Woofus, belongs to her. She also claims to be the state's top chess player. The McTavish men are all about chess, and Mike's dad gives aid and comfort to the enemy by asking Carma to stay with them and attend chess camp while her mother is abroad. When it seems Mike's life can't get any worse, his mom shows up after three years. His dad sends her away, and Mike follows her on his bike and ends up in the hospital with a head injury. Carma makes a sacrificial move to help Mike reunite his parents, but it may be too late for these "gambit pawns" to save the game.

  brittleighbooks said, on 8/19/2010 10:39:00 AM
  

  Author: Britt Leigh
  Genre/Word Count: YA/ 30K
  Title: Shot on the Wing
  Email: bschlorff@gmail.com
  
  A high school senior journalist probably won’t win the Pulitzer Prize. But feisty Angela Bennett will make headlines when she exposes the seedy underbelly of high school basketball recruitment. Her assignment: the BirchDown BullDogs (and as Angela will tell you, not capitalizing the “d” is a fact error). The Dogs are the town’s saving grace, but not how Angela envisioned launching her reporting career. But the cute JV star at least gets her romantic life on the court.
  
  When Angela accidentally leaves her still-hot tape recorder in the office after an interview with the varsity coach, she stumbles onto a college recruitment scandal involving sex, money, and drugs. Angela must then prove her story, face the repercussions at school and from Ian, and then later in the community, state, and even nation. Everyone’s versions of truth are presented through different media – class notes, bathroom wall graffiti, social networking media, and even news scrawl. With all of these sources, it’s ultimately up to you to decide who has the real message.

  Elan Cross said, on 8/19/2010 10:46:00 AM
  

  Name: Elan Cross
  Title: Grounders
  Genre: YA SF
  Email: elanlove at telus dot net
  
  In the last years of the nineteenth century, children work hard, abusive fathers get away with too much, and teenage girls like Drift Henry are ignored. Since Mama died, Master Henry has gotten worse, drunk, vulgar--he’s a cussed fool. But what can Drift do? She needs a way out. That’s when Ollie contacts her. A boy from the sky city, Chalcis, Ollie promises her a better life: the life of a Peacemaker, one of the most prestigious paths in the game of Grounders. After being thrust into her first task, Drift becomes Ollie’s Grounder.
  She trades her huffing corset and plug-ugly dress for a defensefiber one-piece. And she meets the fourth most highly rated Grounder of all time: the deadly and gorgeous, Mateo Knave. At first Drift’s life improves, but when the prince of Chalcis himself presents her with a glorious, unprecedented task, she must choose whether to complete it (and murder millions of people in the process) or face the consequence of failure. Unfortunately for Drift, when tasks go unfinished, Grounders are expendable.

  Liz Lee Heinecke said, on 8/19/2010 10:47:00 AM
  

  Liz Heinecke
  MERLIN'S DAUGHTER
  middle grade fiction
  
  
  From a granite slab where she’s hanging out with her sister, Jess is literally blown away. She wakes up on an ancient stone table next to her sister Piper and a teenage boy named Will, who joined them just before they vanished. Standing stones surround them, but Jess is sure they’re not in England when they’re attacked by strange wolves. They stumble on Moonstone Castle and discover a society where the adults have been spirited away by Merlin’s son.
  
  Teenage girls have taken over the stone fortress and forced the boys into servitude. Jess butts heads with teen-queen Trina and makes friends with the outcast Seila. The residents of Moonstone Castle all have horses, and Aisling, the black stallion Trina covets, chooses Jess as a companion. The jealous teenager exiles Jess and her friends to the wild mountains, where Seila leads them to her father Merlin’s magical oasis. The friends search for a magic stone as they prepare for a journey that will lead them to old England to find Merlin and his son.

  Slushpile Slut said, on 8/19/2010 11:50:00 AM
  

  Name:Angela
  Genre: YA Historical Fantasy
  Title: Where The Stones Speak
  Email: angelagoughnour@gmail.com
  
  Iona, clan ruler on The Isle of Virgins, hears the weathered stele as they whisper ancient truths and foretellings. But fearful she will be bound as a sibyl and forced to proclaim prophecy to the multitudes, she tells no one about the oracles she receives.
  
  However, when the Scrolls of Destiny are rebuked by King Tarquin of Rome and he learns of Iona’s existence, he pursues her and those she protects with his armored legions and a newly acquired weapon; Attius, a young augur with prophetic talents of his own. And the demon, Asmode, once bound by the ancient sibyl, Sheba, seeks revenge for his centuries of subdual forcing Iona to find her sacred ring of stones before she can be captured by those who seek to silence the last free sibyl.
  
  But Iona is unsure if man is worthy of the divine prophecy and longs to see the noble truths in man before she will sacrifice her own desires and dreams bound behind the sacred standing stones that will both protect and entrap her.

  Traci Van Wagoner said, on 8/19/2010 11:56:00 AM
  

  Title: Searching
  Genre: MG Historical Fantasy
  
  When Dad said they were moving west to get a fresh start, twelve year old Chris had no idea she’d be plopped into the middle of a real live ghost town with a magical stick and buried secrets. All she wants is to go back home. But home is something she'll never have again since Mom died.
  
  The day after a ghostly figure appears beneath her window in the middle of the night, she finds a magical stick in an old Indian granary. The Stick pulls her into a destiny centuries old, from a time when Thunderbirds flew the skies. The quest falls to her to set the Thunderbird spirit free. Problem is, she’s not the only one searching for the burial chamber. So is Mr. Blackley, the Boss, and he’s not about to let anyone stand in his way of making the find of the century and becoming rich and powerful. Especially not a few dumb kids. Locked in a smelly root cellar, how can Chris save the Thunderbird spirit and send him home?
  
  
  ____
  My earlier synopsis was not my 175 word version. Oops. Sorry.

  Bekah said, on 8/19/2010 12:45:00 PM
  

  Okay, so the one from earlier is gone.
  Bekah
  Parallel Earth, Middle Grade adventure/ sci-fi
  Pitch:Haley Parker is a mess when it comes to running, but she gets straight A's. Wyatt Parker prefers to leave his books at the front door and play sports or his beloved videogames; it's what he's great at. The only way anyone can tell they're related, let alone twins, is by their green eyes. Plus, they can barely stand each other. When they see a strange sign at an abandoned tree farm, they agree to investigate. They find a Lens, a view to a parallel dimension, and get transported to a wacky place of shimmering colors.
  
  The twins are lost with flying stump scooters, talking bushes, and two-headed animals. When they meet a friendly race of inhabitants, they are told about the advanced Pyonians who snatch up humans through the Lens' for genetic experiments to make their population stronger and live longer. The Pyonians know where every Lens is, and they have Humadar to hunt humans. Haley and Wyatt want to find the nearest Len without becoming their next genetic victims.

  Charlie Eve said, on 8/19/2010 1:05:00 PM
  

  Title: Hero and Villain
  Genre: Middle Grade Adventure/Humor/Fantasy
  email: kidsbookjunky@gmail.com
  Name: Charlie Eve
  
  
  Mason Grey is 12 years old and has always been able to write to life her characters.
  
  Now her neurotic, adventurous cast of characters has taken over her home and inspiration. Hero is constantly dragging his loyal and definitely phobic friend, Sidekick, on his backyard blunders where Sidekick is always on the receiving end of swollen hips and bruised up lips. Villain loves Princess, but has an awfully awkward way of showing it and is convinced that Mason is trying to poison him. Meanwhile bible-beating Gran and her daffodil spray bottle are determined to rid the house of these “abominations” by spraying them all with a daily dose of holy water.
  
  With all the commotion, Mason has lost her inspiration and it is only when Princess is kidnapped by an evil doll collector that she begins to write again. Along the way, Hero and Villain find out Mason is not good at writing under pressure and soon horses become wild boars and saving Princess is no fairytale.
  
  
  Fixed genre and resubmitted per your email, thank you.

  Valerie Norris said, on 8/19/2010 1:20:00 PM
  

  Valerie Norris
  Title: Shattered Glass
  Genre: YA Contemporary
  
  Shattered Glass is a young adult coming-of-age novel about Emily, a normal, happy 17-year-old from an intact family. The neighbors ask Emily to babysit their children at a lake rental for a month. They drink and argue and never say a nice thing to each other. While Mr. Locke works, Mrs. Locke messes around with the writer next door. The boy Emily likes was the object of Mrs. Locke’s attention last summer. Then Emily hears that the writer next door is writing about a woman and her teenage babysitter, and his exploits with both. The summer culminates in a drunken scene in which Emily is injured. When she finally gets home, she finds out that her father has had a relationship with Mrs. Locke.
  
  After a summer of trying to hold together another family, Emily faces the wreckage of her own. Her parents separate and give their daughters the choice of which parent they’d prefer to live with. She chooses her mother, the person who needs her more.
  
  valerie.norris@hotmail.com

  marleneallen3 said, on 8/19/2010 2:02:00 PM
  

  Name: Marlene Allen
  Title of Project: "The Frog and the Mermaid"
  Genre: Illustrated Children's Book on the adventures of the frog and the mermaid
  Synopsis: This book (which could be made into a series) will provide an adventurous tale about an adorable lovable frog who meets a beautiful mermaid. While entertaining the reader with adventures, the story will also provide learning opportunities for the children about safety, responsibility, accepting others for who they are, and other valuable lessons. Example: When the frog and mermaid first meet, they are afraid of each other because of their differences. But they soon learn to accept and eventually love each other for who they are, and learn that their various talents can benefit each other to become stronger together, and enjoy life more by having the other one in their life.
  Email: marleneallen3@yahoo.com

  Elizabeth Prats said, on 8/19/2010 2:20:00 PM
  

  Name: Elizabeth Prats
  Title: Tainted
  Genre: YA Fantasy
  
  Synopsis:
  
  Evvie Nyx is an abomination within her world, both Light and Dark elf.
  
  She knew the rules; never let the village children see her, keep within the forest, and keep her secret or end up like her dead mother.
  
  Everything changes when she ignores her father’s first rule.
  
  Evvie saves a village boy from drowning and reveals herself to the outside world. Then taken under the wing of the village healing woman, she is able to live an almost normal life--until her sixteenth birthday, when a dark mage murders her friend.
  
  After the fight, dark powers surface within Evvie and an unknown female voice fights for control of Evvie’s thoughts. When a confused Evvie learns that the man who raised her is not her father, she sets out to find the truth about her parentage and instead finds the dark mage and the chance to save another child. In her haste to rescue the child, Evvie stumbles upon a deadly secret about her heritage that she never thought possible.
  
  elizabethsscroll@yahoo.com

  Jared Larson said, on 8/19/2010 2:51:00 PM
  

  Name: Jared Larson
  Title: I'm Here to Save Your Day: The Adventures of Bo Wolf.
  Genre: MG Adventure/Fantasy
  
  
  Bo Wolf is just your average bully-slaying fifth grader. Sure, the other kids tease him about his arms looking like flexi-straws, and they tell him to go back to his home on Dweeb Island, but Bo doesn't care. With his mad fencing skills and soon-to-be ravishing good looks, he's convinced he's on the way to the pinnacle of his awesomeness.
  
  After impressing a school yard gang by defeating their leader in a broomstick combat, Bo agrees to help them take on the meanest, ugliest, and biggest bully known to man– Grendul– who's taken the playground jungle gym for his own.
  
  However, when Bo puts the smack-down on Grendul, he finds a much more powerful adversary in the bully's mom, the school lunch lady. Angered by her precious son's defeat, she plots to poison the entire school with her irresistible ginger snaps. When Bo discovers her diabolical plan, he must find his courage to save his friends and the new love of his life, Reagan, from an imminent cafeteria induced death.
  
  Email: iwillwhisperno@gmail.com

  Janet said, on 8/19/2010 3:12:00 PM
  

  Name: Janet Lloyd Weber
  Title: The Book of Makr
  Genre: Contemporary YA
  
  In one horrible crash, 16 year old Mark Henderson’s abusive, meth-cooking, meth-addicted father is killed and Mark suffers the Traumatic Brain Injury that makes his already crappy life even more crappy. He is reunited with the mother who abandoned him 8 years earlier and starts a scary new life with her in a new town, at a new school with a new stepfather and new half-brother. Once school starts, Mark deals with drooling teachers, bitchy girls, green-toothed bullies, and crazy rumors, all while he tries to keep himself from sneaking looks down the top of his only friend, Glenda and stay the hell away from his stepfather who teaches at the very same school. While he tries to pretend that everything is all right, inside Mark is torn between the desire to feel better and the desire to make someone--anyone--pay for the pain of his past.
  
  After the awful wreck, Mark tries to look normal and adjust to his new life. Along the way, he spies on his parents, makes friends with a bullied girl and deals with the seizures that are the result of the Traumatic Brain Injury he suffered in the wreck. When his worst nightmare comes true and he has a seizure in front of the entire student body, life becomes a constant struggle to control his fists.
  
  Life begins to look up for Mark when his best friend, the bullied girl becomes his girlfriend. As the desire for a driver's license builds in him and his doctor and parents won't let him drive, he convinces her to teach him. All of Mark's struggles come to a head when he wrecks his girlfriend's car. As he ponders the possibility of never getting leaving his parents' home, Mark has to decide if life is even worth living.
  
  mrsjanetweber@gmail.com

  Margay said, on 8/19/2010 3:21:00 PM
  

  Name: Margay Leah Justice
  Title: The Goode Girl
  Genre: Contemporary YA
  Contact: Margay1122@gmail.com
  
  Pitch:
  
  
  Growing up in a family of physically unremarkable sisters, Irene Goode is under no illusions about how she is perceived by the world. She simply doesn’t allow that to keep her from pursuing her own dreams. Dreams that include hooking up with the boy next door, Sam Cassidy, the only guy – the only person – who’s ever taken the time to look beyond the wild hair and public perception of Irene to find her true beauty and appreciate it. And if there’s one thing that Irene and Sam learn during the course of their budding friendship, it’s that the road to happiness is often pitted with challenges and complications. Like their own mixed up feelings for one another, the prospect of playing the title roles in a modernistic high school version of Romeo and Juliet, and the revelation of family secrets. Life is anything but boring when you’re The Goode Girl.

  Anonymous said, on 8/19/2010 3:34:00 PM
  

  Name: Kimberley Rizzo
  Title: THE BOOKWORM
  Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
  contact: k.d.rizzo@gmail.com
  
  Pitch:
  Kara is a twelve-year old girl who isn’t able to make it through a single day of the seventh grade without escaping into the pages of a book. On her first day at a new school, she wastes no time getting lost in a new read, "The Princess of Tirolea." But Kara soon discovers that this is no ordinary book; when a Bookworm gnawed his way through the pages, he turned it into a portal into the world of the story, a portal through which anyone and anything can travel.
  
  Kara steps through the wormhole, hoping to help the enslaved pixies in the story to defeat a tyrannical Princess. But Kara comes to understand that the Bookworm doesn’t just create a bridge between the real world and the story world. He actually creates a wormhole between two stories, one that is about the pixies and the Princess, and one that is about Kara. Each world exists within the other as a written story, making Kara’s own world as much make-believe as all the stories she has read and loved. Despite this knowledge, Kara struggles to recognize that she is the hero of her own story, and even after defeating the Princess and restoring balance to the realm of Tirolea, she needs all the courage she can muster to go back through the wormhole and face her own antagonists.

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