Pitch Madness SJ-3: THE REFORMED THIEF

Genre:  
 Commercial Fiction

Word Count:  85,000

Pitch: Valentina Philips is a respected curator for the Met. She's also a thief. When Luca, former lover/current jewel thief reappears as she's mounting a Faberge egg exhibit, she knows it can't be a coincidence.

Excerpt: 

I smiled as I led the group of ten-year olds quietly through the halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Except for the occasional snicker from a couple of boys as they passed the naked statues in the Greek hall, they were a well-trained band of future art historians. Although giving tours to school age children did not fall under my curatorial responsibilities, I welcomed the opportunity to expose fresh minds to the museum.  Some jostled for prime viewing positions while a few others hung farther back, their boredom and restlessness apparent on their young faces. Although I loved my position at the museum, I’d been feeling the same way lately. I envied them their candidness.

"This one, the Blue Serpent Clock Egg is a favorite of mine.  A majority of the eggs held a surprise. Unfortunately, most of them got lost over the years."

"Oh, like a box of Fruity Pebbles!" shouted a young boy.

I continued, "These Imperial eggs were often referred to as Easter eggs. I bet you'd love to find something as beautiful as these hiding in the grass at your next Easter egg hunt."

This would be my last tour for a while since I was set to prepare the eggs for exhibit at the Bargello Museum in Florence.  The expressions on the children's faces were priceless as they absorbed the intricacies of the eggs in the showcases. I remembered the first time I'd seen a Fabergé egg—that sense of joy has never left me.