Pitch Madness Agents - 2013

Pitch Madness is fast approaching and we have a crazy, awesome line up of agents competing for your pitches! If you're not sure what Pitch Madness is, check out this post here.                           




And here are the agents ...

Andrea Somberg

Harvey Klinger Agency

Website

Twitter: @andreasomberg

Andrea represents a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, including projects aimed at a young adult and middle grade audience. She's always actively looking to take on new authors who write in the following categories: Fiction; literary, commercial, women's fiction, romance, thrillers, mystery, paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, young adult, middle grade. Visit her website for more details.

Louise Fury

L. Perkins Agency

Website

Twitter: @louisefury

Louise is seeking well written, teen Sci-Fi and Young Adult horror. She is also on the hunt for deep, dark contemporary YA and select Middle Grade fiction with a literary feel--it must be realistic and thought provoking and the characters must be authentic and original. Louise loves horror and romance, especially Regency & Victorian. Visit her website for more details.

Nicole Resciniti

The Seymour Agency

Twitter: @NicLitAgent

Nicole loves a tight read she won’t be able to put down, signature voice she’ll fight to represent, and HEA’s are a must for romance. Mainstream suspense, thrillers, mysteries, YA and inspirational novels, and she'd love to find the next great science fiction/fantasy novel or action/adventure masterpiece. Visit her company's website for more details.

Jodell Sadler

Sadler-Caravette Children's Literary

Website

Twitter: @picturebklunch

Jodell is interested in YA, MG (especially funny) , fiction and nonfiction, book proposals, and picture books. She will also coach writers wanting to self publish. She simply loves a well-paced story that moves her between joy and tears. Visit her company's website for more details.

Terrie Wolf

AKA Literary Management

Twitter: @AKA_Terrie

Terrie is seeking: well-written MG/YA fiction (especially fantasy, historical and action/adventure) and nonfiction (especially biography and teen pop-culture). Terrie specializes in: Empowerment, Children’s (all age groups – F/NF), Romance, MG/YA, Westerns, Women’s, Multi-Cultural and a variety of Nonfiction. Visit her company's website for more details.

Jodell Sadler

The Booker Albert Literary Agency

Twitter: @bluedragonfly81

Jordy is interested in romance (contemporary/historical/paranormal), YA/NA contemporary/historical romance, MG and YA (YA heavy on romance) action/adventure, sci-fi, fantasy, dystopian, and realistic fiction, and is open to YA LGBT within those genres. Visit her company's website for more details.

Melissa Jeglinski

The Knight Agency

WebsiteTwitter: @MJeglinski

Melissa is currently seeking projects in the following areas: Romance (contemporary, category, historical, inspirational) Young Adult, Middle Grade, Women’s Fiction and Mystery. Visit her company's website for more details.

Sarah LaPolla

Curtis Brown, Ltd.

Website

Twitter: @sarahlapolla

Sarah represents both adult and YA fiction. For adult books, she is looking for literary fiction, urban fantasy, magical realism, dark/psychological mystery, and literary horror. On the YA side, she welcomes all genres and is drawn to unique voices and strong, complex characters. Visit her website for more details.

Peter Knapp

The Park Literary Group

Website

Twitter: @petejknapp

Pete is currently looking for young adult and middle grade fiction that surprises, delights and thrills -- particularly stories with a lot of heart, regardless of the genre. Visit his website for more details.

Jessica Sinsheimer

Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency

Twitter: @jsinsheim

Always on the lookout for new writers, Jessica is most excited about finding literary, women's, and Young Adult fiction, and — on the nonfiction side — psychology, parenting, self-help, cookbooks, memoirs, and works that speak to life in the twenty-first century. Visit her company's website for more details.

Carlie Webber

CK Webber Associates
Website

Twitter: @carliebeth

Carlie welcomes both new and established authors in the following genres: Young Adult, Middle Grade, Women's fiction Literary and general fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Memoir. Visit her website for more details.

Marisa Cleveland

The Seymour Agency
Website

Twitter: @marisacleveland

Marisa is accepting queries for middle grade fiction. Need more details? She is searching for a middle school novel she can’t put down until the last page and can’t stop discussing. Voice is definitely key for her. The writer’s voice has to speak to her. She wants to find characters she’d want as her best friends and partners in crime long after the story ends, whether it’s in this world or an alternate universe. Visit her website for more details.

Margaret Bail

Andrea Hurst & Associates

Twitter: @MKDB

Specific Adult genres Margaret represents include the following: Romance (all subgenres EXCEPT Christian or inspirational), Science fiction (including dystopian and post-apocalyptic),Thrillers/action adventure, Historical fiction,Westerns, Fantasy (think Song of Fire and Ice or Dark Tower NOT Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia). Visit her company's website for more details.

Erin Harris

Folio Literary Management

Twitter: @ErinHarrisFolio

Erin is seeking ADULT Fiction set against the backdrop of another time, place, or culture. Novels that incorporate some kind of surreal or magical element. Mystery and suspense in their DNA, or ones with a noir aesthetic. Regarding YOUNG ADULT, she's interested in Contemporary and stories with highly original supernatural concepts or undertones. Visit her company's website for more details.

The submission window for Pitch Madness is this Friday, March 15 from 6AM EST to 12PM EST. Check details here.

Your blog hosts,

Brenda Shelley Sharon Summer

and co-hosts,

Erica Marieke Fiona Dee

And check out the Slush Zombies on this post here.

Friday Frenzy Wish Lists and Free Critiques

Entranced Publishing is holding competitions in March and April!

First up is #FridayFrenzy on Twitter every Friday in March and April. Writers are invited to submit their polish manuscripts via a 140 character twitter pitch that includes #FridayFrenzy. The senior editors at Entranced will then go through the submissions and make requests.

Their current wish list includes:

• YA - particularly with strong female lead and a sense of humour.
• NA contemporary with strong leads.
• NA Romance.
• Dystopian Romance
• Science Fiction
• Urban Fantasy
• Steampunk and Gaslamp
• Paranormal Romance - request for fresh voices, flashy and fun, witty and piquant (think Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark Series) also a request for some minus "creatures".
• Space Opera
• Time Travel
• Manuscripts that blur the line between Science Fiction and Fantasy
• Historical Romance (BIG ON MULTIPLE EDITORS' WISH LISTS) including: WWII, Civil War,
• Classic Hollywood/film industry romance.
• Sexy Pirates, Johnny Depp style (BIG ON MULTIPLE EDITORS' WISH LISTS).
• Sexy Space Pirates, Nathan Fillion Style.
• "Sleeping Hunky" fairytale, where the guy is the "damsel" in distress and the MC saves the day with smooches.
• Superhero/mutant fiction (adult or YA - a la Hush Money or Touch).
• Re-imagined myths and fairy tales from cultures other than Greek/Roman/Anglo
• Any manuscript with strong lead characters with intelligence, resourcefulness and wit.

Please note Entranced is not accepting High Fantasy at this point and Friday Frenzy is only open to Entranced Twitter followers.

ALSO

Entranced is giving away critiques for every 50 new followers on Twitter, including 1st page, 1st 5/10 pages, 1st chapter and query critiques.

Other recipients:

 

Other recipients:

 

The Dark Side of Fairy Tales - Edge of the Falls Blog Tour

Today my blog is being taken over by Nazarea Andrews as part of her Edge of the Falls Blog Tour.

When I was fourteen, I started a phase—looking back, I’m not sure what started it, but I devoured every book of fairy tales I could get my hands on. Which, oddly enough for our tiny town library, was a lot.

What struck me then, and even more so now is that fairy tales aren’t happy stories. These are the stories we were raised on—if your anything like me, Cinderella, Pinocchio, Beauty and the Beast, ect, were the cartoons you watched and part of life.

But in reality—dude. Sleeping Beauty is twisted. The queen cursed a baby. And then, some random prince was obsessed enough with her to fight a dragon? Something wasn’t quite right there.

The thing is, every fairy tale has a dark side. Cinderella had the stepmother who was emotionally abusive and locked her in her room. Hansel and Gretel have a cannibalistic witch that the kids eventually burned to death. Red Riding Hood hacked open a wolf to get her mother. Beauty is forced to live with a monstrous Beast. Rapunzel is kidnapped and locked in a tower and when the prince tries to rescue her, he has his eyes picked out by crows.

So, seriously. Why are these the stories we’re drawn to? Why are we still reading Grimms, centuries later?

I’m a firm believer that fiction should reflect—in a distorted, imperfect way—the realities of our world. And the dark side of fairy tales does that—it shows the dangers in imperfect parents, the predators who prey on children, and that while not always pretty and clean—you can rescue yourself.

Life isn’t pretty. It’s messy and dark and dangerous. But it has it’s magical moments—the moments of falling in love with the last person you’d expect, the kind stranger who helps you to the most important event in your life—the bond between siblings. All of them are real. Life is dark. But it’s also gorgeous and if you don’t embrace the sometimes dark days, you won’t get to the beautiful moments, or learn how strong you can be.

Of course, when I was fourteen, I didn’t realize all this. I just liked the swan brothers being saved by their silent sister, the princes saving their sleeping ladies. And the delightfully darkness of the stories. I loved that, too.

 Nazarea Andrews is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. She loves chocolate and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, and overgrown dog. Her first book, Edge of the Falls, is available March 12. 

Sabah always knew where she belonged—with Berg—and what was expected of her—to care for the other children the Mistress took in.

But when a ban-wolf saves her life, things begin to change.

Arjun isn’t like the other ban-wolves, the savage creatures that are barely human. He’s gentle and furious and as Sabah spends time with him, she can’t seem to get him out of her mind. But in a world of darkness, control, and danger, is there a place for two outcasts?

A romantic retelling of Beauty and the Beast in a dark dystopia.

Celebrating my new job in publishing with a giveaway!!

If you haven't heard the news then you're not paying enough attention to my Twittering.

Drum roll....
I am now the Director of Marketing at Entranced Publishing! I'm really looking forward to the challenge and the new opportunities.

So I've decided to celebrate with a giveaway, which focuses on my followers to know my new publishing home. Up for grabs is your choice of a $30 egift voucher from B&N or $30 to spend at Book Depository.

Enjoy!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

How being an intern helps your writing

I did a piece on YAtopia about How to become an Intern and I'm inspired to share with you why I believe being an intern improves your writing.

I've been interning for a publisher, which means I provide them with reader reports on submissions they give me. While I can't talk about the submissions, I can talk about my personal process for this.

Basically I jot down notes chapter by chapter looking for the naughty no-nos, like:

• Telling
• Info dumping
• Poor punctuation and grammar
• Plot issues
• Wayward characterization.

Then I do a little summary about my overall thoughts.

I'm not a good editor of my own work naturally, but I love editing other people's work. But I don't get to do it as often as I'd like. However with my internship there has been a steady flow of work for me to read and I've found my mind stays in reader report mode now.

I was looking for five pages of sample writing to send off to someone and was horrified as I looked through a draft manuscript that I thought was some of my best work. Yikes! I found so much telling and info dumps where the MC is continuing explaining the world building. Yes it's a very complicated world building I've created, but I was about as subtle as a sledge hammer.

But it doesn't upset me as I know that when I get back into that manuscript I will weed out all the naughties with my new found report report mode.

So, for those of you who are interns - what are some of the things you love about it? (I love the fact I get to read amazing books before they're published and FOR FREE!)

And those of you thinking about interning, what would you like to get out of it?

One Lovely Blog Award

My Pitch Wars pal, Stacey Lee, nominated me for One Lovely Blog Award. It's so pretty I could refuse!

 

Part of the blog post for this is to share seven interesting facts about me (I might have to think very hard to find seven things):

1. I'm an obsessive compulsive collector and horder.
2. I've never broken a bone.
3. I once dated a student teacher at my school (I'm a good girl, really!)
4. I have been stalked by women on separate occasions wanted to know where I bought my shoes from.
5. As a teenager I was seronaded by three guys in the middle of the street because they thought I looked like Mariah Carey. They sung me a Whitney Housten song *palms face*
6. I married my highschool sweetheart.
7. Giggle too much.

And now for my own One Lovely Blog award nominees:

Stacey Nash - My amazing Alpha Reader and fellow Aussie Owned and Read blogger
Katie Teller's Stories - My Aussie Owned and Read pal
Lauren's Written Word - My Aussie Owned and Read pal
K.A.Last - My Aussie Owned and Read pal

\

Stacey Lee, Kittens and Me

My friend Stacey Lee has started a new blog series called WHEN I'M NOT WRITING and the first post features me!

So it's filled with tid bits about me when I'm not writing. Here's a video hint for your enjoyment.

 

Laced in Malice: Interview with Riley Gray

Riley Grey has brought us a great YA novel that's like Cruel Intentions meets Mean Girls. I chatted with her about her risque novel LACED IN MALICE.

 

Sharon: This reminds me of a modern day Cruel Intentions. What prompted you to write about such a risque subject?

Riley: It's always been a pet peeve of mine that we're so cavalier about violence, but when it comes to sex, it's so taboo. As much as we might not want to think about it, teens are sexual fiends. If they're not thinking about it, they're doing it! This isn't an erotic YA. It's a YA with some sexual nature to it, though it probably goes above what an 'average' YA might detail. I wanted to write a story that focused on the malicious side of people, and sex is often used as a weapon.

Sharon: Tell us a bit about Zara and what readers can expect from her.

Riley: Zara is too naive for her own good. She gets called naive a fair few times in the book, and it's not until the end that she finally realises that they're right. In a way, Zara is a lot like most teenage girls. She only wants to be liked. She doesn't want to face up to the truth if it means losing her friends. But she's also got morals and her own beliefs that won't easily be destroyed. I think people will either love or hate her.

Sharon: You've given readers a reboot with Written in Malice from Oliver's POV. What promoted you to do this?

Riley: There's a lot to this story that readers won't see because Zara doesn't know it. Much in the same as Cruel Intentions, the story was told from the Antagonist's POV and therefore the viewers were aware of what was happening behind the scenes; what prompted the interest in the new girl. This story is told from the new girl's POV and I think readers will find it interesting/beneficial to see what went down before Zara came to town (poet and I didn't even know it!).

Rapid Fire Questions:

Favourite animal? Horses

Favourite colour? Pink

Favourite drink? Anything Mango flavoured

Favourite writing place? Starbucks

Favourite author? Loving Courtney Summers

Find Laced in Malice on Goodreads and Amazon.

You can find Riley on Twitter and on her website.

The Sekrit Project revealed

I saw so many glorious pitches come through my own inbox for Pitch Wars, as well as other mentors', that it made me really sad that only a small percentage were going to make the final cut.

Then a new opportunity arose for me to scout through the entries for two independent publishers. I've received a wish list, which includes YA and NA pitches.

How I'm doing it to protect the authors:

Because the decision to query an independent publisher is a very personal one I am not passing on the queries. Instead I am creating a micro pitch that identifies the genre, a one sentence pitch and then adding any personal thoughts on the query. This way the author, the MS name and the main premise are kept private in case the author isn't interested in those publishers.

The editors will let me know if they're interested in seeing any of these pitches in query form. I will then contact the author letting them know that an editor is interested in seeing their query and that they can reference the Pitch Wars Sekrit Project in their query.

It will be totally up to the author if they want to submit to the publisher, or if they want to hold out for an agent.

So, if you are a Pitch Warrior (a Pitch Wars participant) and you want me to look at your pitch for Sekrit Project consideration, please leave your name and MS title in the comments and I'll make sure I hunt it out to look at it.

Also - let me know in the comments if you DO NOT want me to micro pitch your project (you want an agent first, you're not interested in independent publishers).

Please note I won't be putting it out there publicly who I micro-pitched to the editors and it'll be up to the authors if they want to put anything out in the public area if they get an invitation to query.

The Sekrit Project is only for people who participated in Pitch Wars and did not get selected as a top pick or as an alternate.

Pitch Wars: My Team!

I had so many amazing pitches come through my inbox. Each time one came through my inbox I oohhhed and ahhed. The pitches were so strong. My writers had amazing concepts. Lots of pitches thrown around on Twitter were awesome. But the submissions or the first five pages weren't strong enough. The ones that caught my eye with their pitch and had intriguing five chapters scored a request of the first three chapters. This was when I worked out what really fitted me and what didn't.

I ended up with Historicals, Retellings, Speculative Fiction and a contemporary amongst my favourites. I could only have one top pick and then two alternates (you WANT to be an alternate). And mine are:

Top Pick
Dark Moon by Crystal Collier. Pitched to me as "a YA genre blend of Brothers Grimm, Heroes, and Pride & Prejudice that we’ll call Historical Fantasy" I was spellbound from the start.







I'll be working with Crystal to get her pitch and MS ready for the eagerly awaiting Pitch Wars agents.

Alternates
Grand Scheme by Meagan. This is a haunting contemporary that deals with some deep issues, regret and guilt.

The Phoenix by Tiffany Johnson. A Speculative Fiction that drew me in with a killer pitch and an awesome opening line: This just in: There's a dead boy at my window.

Both of these pitches will be pitched in an open call editor and agent contest  that will run around the same time as Pitch Wars.

I'd like to also give special mentions:

Loving Lavender Girl. This was one of my favourites. I absolutely loved it. But I didn't feel I was the right mentor for it. I read the words and was worried I had nothing to offer. So I pimped it out to Monica to have a look at and she ended up having it as her top pick.

Mad as a Hatter. Fiona and I were both fighting over this one on Twitter with some friendly rivalry. I was so happy when Fiona picked it as an alternate.

The Sovereign Place. I thought it deserved a mentor and put it in the up for grabs folder and it found a home too!

Now the Sekrit Project info will be out later this week, so stay tuned.

Cover Reveal: Suicide Watch

Former YAtopian and my friend, Kelley York, is releasing her latest novel, Suicide Watch this month! And I'm happy to be hosting the cover reveal!

She released the ground breaking novel Hushed and now brings us more heartbreaking new novel. Subscribe to her latest news on her blog for information on how to buy Suicide Watch when it's launched.

Blurb:

18-year-old Vincent Hazelwood has spent his entire life being shuffled from one foster home to the next. His grades sucked. Making friends? Out of the question thanks to his nervous breakdowns and unpredictable moods. Still, Vince thought when Maggie Atkins took him in, he might’ve finally found a place to get his life—and his issues—in order.

But then Maggie keels over from a heart attack. Vince is homeless, alone, and the inheritance money isn't going to last long. A year ago, Vince watched a girl leap to her death off a bridge, and now he's starting to think she had the right idea.

Vince stumbles across a website forum geared toward people considering suicide. There, he meets others with the same debate regarding the pros and cons of death: Casper, battling cancer, would rather off herself than slowly waste away. And there’s quiet, withdrawn Adam, who suspects if he died, his mom wouldn't even notice.

As they gravitate toward each other, Vince searches for a reason to live while coping without Maggie's guidance, coming to terms with Casper's imminent death, and falling in love with a boy who doesn't plan on sticking around.

GoodReads link:http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16240541-suicide-watch

Steal the flag...or an agent's heart: Pitch Wars

Pitch Wars ... the agents!

Are you ready for this? We have 16 incredible agents vying for our Pitch Wars team manuscripts. We're so excited to see what pitches they fall in love with, and what teams will win the coveted Pitch Wars Most Requested Manuscript title.

And, in no particular order, here are the agents...

Louise Fury
L. Perkins Agency
Twitter: @louisefury


Louise is seeking teen Sci-Fi and Young Adult horror. She's also on the hunt for deep, dark contemporary YA and select Middle Grade fiction with a literary feel--it must be realistic and thought provoking and the characters must be authentic and original. Louise loves horror and romance, especially Regency and Victorian.

Jessica Sinsheimer
Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency

Twitter: @jsinsheim


Jessica is seeking Literary, Women's, Middle Grade, and Young Adult Fiction.

Natalie Fischer Lakosil

Bradford Literary Agency

Twitter: @Natalie_Lakosil


Natalie is looking for commercial fiction, with an emphasis in children’s literature (from picture book-teen), romance (contemporary, paranormal and historical), and upmarket women’s fiction. Specific likes include historical, multi-cultural, paranormal, sci-fi/fantasy, gritty, thrilling and darker contemporary novels, and middle grade with heart.
 

Pam van Hyckama Vlieg

Larsen Pomada Literary Agents

Twitter: @BookaliciousPam


Pam represents young adult and middle grade children’s book authors, and adult romance authors.

Jordy Albert

The Booker Albert Agency

Twitter: @bluedragonfly81


Jordy is on the look out for Romance (contemporary, historical/Regency, and paranormal). YA contemporary/historical or dystopian, sci-fi/fantasy with romance elements. She's also open to YA GLBT within those genres. She'd love to see unique, well-developed plots featuring time travel, competitions, or travel.

Andrea Somberg

Harvey Klinger Inc.

Twitter: @andreasomberg


Andrea's looking for the following categories: Fiction; literary, commercial, womens fiction, romance, thrillers, mystery, paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, young adult, middle grade.

Jennifer Mishler

Literary Counsel

Twitter: @literarycounsel


Jennifer is seeking Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult Contemporary, Young Adult Literary, and Young Adult Historical.

Suzie Townsend
New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc.
Twitter: @sztownsend81


Suzie represents adult and children's fiction. In adult, she's specifically looking for romance (historical and paranormal), and fantasy (urban fantasy, science fiction, steampunk, epic fantasy). In Childrens' she loves YA (all subgenres) and is dying to find great Middle Grade projects (especially something akin to the recent movie SUPER 8).


 

Victoria Marini
Gelfman Schneider Literary Agents, Inc.

Twitter: @LitAgentMarini

Victoria is looking for literary fiction, commercial fiction, pop-culture non-fiction, and young adult. She is very interested in acquiring engaging Literary fiction and mysteries / suspense, commercial women's fiction (romantic suspense, sci-fi, fantasy), and Young Adult (contemporary, sci-fi/fantasy, thriller and horror ).

 

Kerry Sparks

Levine Greenberg Literary Agency, Inc.

Twitter: @Kerry_Sparks

Kerry is looking for Young Adult and Middle-Grade fiction, both commercial and literary. She tends to shy away from werewolves, zombies, faeries, and the like, but she’ll read anything with a fresh voice and compelling characters. She is particularly keen on contemporary YA, quirky MG, books with a strong cinematic element.

 

Drea Cohane

The Rights Factory Literary Agents

Drea is currently seeking: fiction, memoir, crime, non-fiction and YA. Her roster consists of British, American, and Canadian clients. International talent is welcome.

Katie Shea

Donald Maass Literary Agency

Twitter: @AgentShea

Katie specializes in fiction and memoir, especially women’s fiction and commercial-scale literary fiction, and realistic YA. She is most interested in coming-of-age stories and stories of unique relationships.

Elise Capron

Dijkstra Literary Agency

Twitter: @EliseCapron

Elise is interested in serious character-driven literary fiction, well-written narrative nonfiction, and short story collections. (Note: She is not interested in Fantasy, young-adult/middle-grade, picture books, romance, and sci-fi.) She aims to work with writers who have a realistic sense of the market and their audience.

Jodell Sadler

Sadler-Caravette Children's Literary

Twitter: @picturebklunch

Jodell is interested in YA, MG (especially funny) , fiction and nonfiction, book proposals, and picture books. She will also coach writers wanting to self publish. She simply loves a well-paced story that moves her between joy and tears.

Corvisiero Literary Agency

Brittany and Michelle are teaming up to look for Adult, YA, and MG manuscripts.

 

Michelle Johnson
Twitter: @MJsRetweet

Michelle’s published one novel, The Footloose Killer, and edited several others for publishing houses and private clients. She also is a Script/Story consultant on an independent film in Halifax, NS, Canada, and enjoys working closely with writers to help them develop their voice and craft.

Brittany Howard
Twitter: @brittanydhoward

When reading, Brittany loves to be introduced to new and interesting people and places. She looks for strong voice, good storytelling, and fascinating relationships between characters—romantic or otherwise. More than anything, she loves when a book surprises her.

 

There's just one more day to get your applications in for Pitch Wars. Make sure to check out this post here to get all the details.