35 word Pitch: Siren-blood McKenna breaks the most sacred laws of her kind; binding her song to one Siren, her soul to another, while discovering that being heard, being obeyed, is much more satisfying than being silenced.
Genre: YA Contemporary Fantasy
Title: IN LYRES AND LIES (A Siren's Lament)
Word Count: 70,000
If you're main
character could be any Star Wars character, who would they choose and why? Honestly? McKenna
won't get likability points for this, but she'd choose someone like
Mother Talzin. Sure, she's evil as hell itself, but Talzin knows exactly
what she's capable of. She knows her power inside and out, and isn't above
using it for her own personal gain. McKenna has always been too afraid of
herself to explore her True potential. At least Talzin dies defending her
son though, right?
A familiar pressure
lives in the gap between my collarbones. I rub at it absently, trying to banish
the thought that it hurts worse than yesterday. Every day it builds and
festers, and every day I’m sure there’s nothing I can do to
hold it any longer. I imagine myself breaking apart, right down the center, and
letting that viral pain leak out into the world because skin isn't strong
enough to contain it.
“Is it bothering you
again?” Mother asks from the hallway.
I drop my hands, but
it’s too late. She’s already crossing my bedroom to lay the back of her
cool hand against the base of my burning throat, checking for heat in the
way a normal mother might inspect for fever.
I shrug away her
question, hoping she’ll leave it at that. She doesn’t.
“You’ll learn to
ignore it,” she says like she does every time we discuss my pain. When she
speaks again, Mother addresses my demon spot instead of me.
“I’ll be working through the night, so call Charly to come sit with you.
Remember the rules.”
Her message
delivered, she checks the heat at my throat once more before her
usual absence replaces her in the doorway. I stay right where I am until
the front door closes, count to one-hundred, then peek through the pink
curtains to make sure she’s gone.
A strangled sigh
aggravates the pressure building in my throat. Twenty more seconds,
I promise myself, then the rule-breaking can begin.
You have the reflexes of a Jedi: Query and first 50 pages
ReplyDeleteThe Force is strong with this one. I'm intrigued- can't wait to read more!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see a query and 50 pages.
ReplyDeleteYou have the reflexes of a Jedi! Please send your query and first 50 pages to lauren@triadaus.com, and include "Query" an "Pitchslam" in the subj line. I look forward to reading! - Lauren Spieller / TriadaUS
ReplyDeleteThese are the pages I'm looking for.
ReplyDeleteDisciplined, you are! Please send me the first 100 pages as a Word doc or PDF at melissa@rpcontent.com. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteDisciplined, you are.
ReplyDeleteYou have the reflexes of a Jedi!
ReplyDeletePlease send your materials to phelanqueries[@]thebentagency[.]com with "Pitchslam Request" in the subject line and everything pasted into the email. Just ignore the closed-to-queries auto-response, since this is solicited. :)
You have the reflexes of a Jedi: Query and first 50 pages attached as a word doc
ReplyDeleteTo: rena (at) thedeborahharrisagency (dot) com
Thanks!
- Rena
You have the reflexes of a Jedi!
ReplyDelete