Monday, March 26, 2012

Surprise Agent Invasion #8


Title: CATCH MY GRIFT
Genre: YA contemporary
Word Count: 80,000

Query:

Julep Dupree is not a real person. In fact, Julep isn't even her real name. She's a grifter, a con artist, an expert forger, and a sophomore at St. Agatha High. The downside of St. Agatha's is that its private-school price tag is a bit higher than Julep's father, an old-school grifter with a weakness for the ponies, can afford. So Julep makes up the difference by running petty scams for her classmates, while dodging the dean of students and maintaining an A+ (okay, A-) average.

But when she comes home one day to a ransacked apartment and a missing dad, Julep's carefully laid plans for an expenses-paid golden ticket to Yale start to unravel. Even with help from St. Agatha's resident Prince Charming, Tyler Richland, Julep struggles to trace her dad's trail of clues through a maze of creepy stalkers, hit attempts, family secrets, and worse, the threat of foster care. With everything she has left at stake, Julep must tap all her resources and use every grift in the book to find her dad before his mark finds her.

First 250:

Two thousand and change years ago, some guy said, “let the lily-white goodie-two-shoes among you cast the first stone.” As it turns out, every persecutor there felt guilty enough about missing his son’s bar mitzvah to drop his rock in shame. Or at least that’s how the story goes. My theory is that the ancient Hebrew word for goodie-two-shoes is more accurately translated as “wuss.” But in either case, it worked. The harlot got off scot-free.

People like to think this story is about the power of compassion and forgiveness. And maybe it is, if you tilt your head and squint at it in just the right light. But what it’s really about is that everyone has something in her past she’s not proud of--well, that, and that any good con man with enough rope can hang an entire mob.

But my story doesn’t start with the mob. It starts with a pair of borrowed pumps and the front walk of a black-shuttered Colonial.

I am Ms. Jena Fischer, the youngest attorney at Lewis, Duncan, and Chase Law. Or at least I am for the next thirty minutes. Then I’ll turn back into Julep Dupree, sophomore at St. Agatha’s Preparatory School and all-around fixer. (Julep’s not my real name, either, but that’s a story for another time.)

You may be wondering why I’m standing in front of a stranger’s house pretending to be someone I’m not. The truth is I have a soft spot for harlots.

7 comments:

  1. I'm intrigued by this and I'd love to read more. Please send the first three chapters by attachment to Nephele[dot]Tempest[at]knightagency[dot]net.

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  2. Miss Tempest has already beat me here I see. I would also like to see the first 3 chapters. pam.vhv@gmail

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  3. The plot here sounds like a really good time. I love stories where the character's brainy and world-wise, but really, when it comes down to it, really all about family and friends. I'd love to see the full manuscript and synopsis in word doc attachments to gpanettieri at talcottnotch dot net. Thanks and I look forward to seeing it!

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  4. Would love to see more. Please send query, synopsis and full to Esubmissions (at) SarahJaneFreymann (dot) com.

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  5. Wheeeee! I love a good grifter story...I am a sucker for fictional con-artists. Please email me the full ms + synopsis as attachments at laura at bradfordlit dot com. Please note in the subject line that it is an Agent Invasion submission. Can't wait to read it!

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  6. I think a full manuscript request is in order here. Love the flavour of your voice and looking forward to reading more! Please send to alison (at) therightsfactory (dot) com. Will keep an eye out!

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  7. I'm very intrigued by the voice here. I'm coming in a bit late, but nevertheless would also love to see the full manuscript. Please send to andrea (at) tla1 dot com (that is tee el a one, by the way.) If you put Agent Invasion Requested Submission in the subject line, that would be best.
    Thank you!
    Andrea Cascardi

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