Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Surprise Agent Invasion #31


Title: INK
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Mystery
Word Count: 34,000

Query:

With a slip of paper and a lighter, Mazie ruined lives. With her sketch pad in a tattoo shop, she’ll try to save one.

She didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt. Now, fresh out of juvie for arson, fifteen-year-old Mazie is living on the streets and searching for a missing girl—the daughter of the firefighter who died in the flames Mazie started. Bringing Samantha back to her family could help make up for the loss she caused and put an end to Mazie’s nightmares.

But finding Samantha means NOT laying low—a dangerous proposition considering a sexy tattooed stranger, maybe Samantha’s kidnapper, is hunting Mazie down.

INK will appeal to fans of fast-paced suspense such as Lisa McMann’s WAKE series and Gail Giles' WHAT HAPPENED TO CASS MCBRIDE.

First 250:

I was the only guilty kid in juvie—or the only one who admitted it. When they stamped TIME SERVED on my court docs and Aunt Deb was done posing as a responsible adult, I stepped into the street and kept walking. Past the chain-link-fence-covered basketball courts. Past the half-lit Bail Money Now sign. Past Luther’s Pawn Shop and its promise of the best price for my gold.

If I went far enough, there would be a grassy park where people walked dogs and flew kites. If I took enough steps, nobody would know enough to whisper and wonder about the girl who lit the spark that grew into the flames that devoured the house on Decatur Road.

The sun breathed on me. I squirmed as sweat drops rolled down my back. A car turned onto the street with its bass pounding. I looked at the cracks in the sidewalk and studied the ants. They hurried like a liquid line to a smashed crispy frog.

Still, they knew where to go.

I slid my hand in my pocket and felt for the wad of ones Mama sent me. Still there. Not enough for a bus ride to South Carolina, but she couldn’t keep me anyhow.

“I’ll send more when business picks up,” she wrote.

I wondered where she’d send it.
My stomach growled. If I could hold off until sunset I could dumpster dive at the bread store. Maybe I’d even score some banana bread.

I walked quicker. A lone ant.

7 comments:

  1. Sounds cool. GAIL GILES is a client of ours. Would you like to send me the manuscript?

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  2. I would like to see the first 5 chapters please. pam.vhv@gmail.com

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  3. This DOES sound like an amazing story. I'd love to see a complete manuscript. Gpanettieri at talcottnotch dot net.

    It's a terrific query and first page. I couldn't wait to read more. The main character was incredibly sympathetic and you did a wonderful job of expressing her dire situation. Wonderful voice.

    Great work. Good luck all around!

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  4. I really like the voice a lot and who doesn't love a teenage criminal? I like that she's trying to atone for her crimes and all the other elements seem very juicy. Plus the promise of a sexy stranger I hope means there will be a bit of romance. Please email me the full ms + synopsis as attachments at laura at bradfordlit dot com. Please note that the submission is an Agent Invasion submission.

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  5. This sounds really intriguing! I'm afraid I already have a teen-chick arsonist on my list so I'll defer to the other interested agents in this case. All the best with it!

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  6. I also found this really interesting, but am very hung up on how short it is.

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  7. The voice of your first page really caught my attention. I'd love to see more of this (though I'm also wondering why it's so short). Please send the first 50 pages to submissions@fullcircleliterary.com. In the subject line, include my name and Agent Invasion. Really looking forward to hearing from you!
    All my best,
    Taylor Martindale
    Full Circle Literary

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