Love Triangle Entry #8

Title: Son Of A (Hired) Gun

Genre: YA Contemporary 

Word count: 86,000

Query:

16-year-old Bixby Darwin’s life is thrown into a flux when he’s catapulted into the Witness Protection program.

Yesterday, Bix was Simon Rook.

Today he learned that he was once Sawyer Rock and that henceforth, he’ll be Bixby Darwin.

Yesterday, Bix was avoiding the get-to-know-my-son lunch his mother insisted on having with her current boyfriend, Omar.

Today, Omar was blown up along with his shop.

Yesterday, Bix suspected Omar was a terrorist.

Today, Bix learned his absentee father is an assassin.

Yesterday, Bix lived in Portland, Oregon where he rode the MAX rails, and drank Starbuck’s coffee at the corner shop. It didn’t matter which corner seeing as they were on every other one.

Today, Bix just landed in Cypher, Indiana where funeral processions are considered mass-transit and Folgers a high-brow coffee.

Yesterday, Bix wrote a successful blog and had over a thousand Twitter tweeps.

Today, he was told if he even tries to go on the internet, the Feds will fry his computer.

He’s a little concerned about what tomorrow will bring.

First 250:

I have imaginary conversations with my dad.

Some people call it blogging. But to me, my posts are the conversations with my dad that I’ve never been able to have, seeing as he abandoned us when I was still incubating. I imagine that he stumbles across my blog, Simon Says, and realizes that this Simon—this short but witty sixteen-year-old—is the son he left without a trace.

I like to think he regrets this loss. I like to think —

“Simon,” Mom calls down the hall to me. “If you make us any later I’ll—.”

“I’m ready.” Heading her off, I save my latest blog. Across the street, MAX pulls out of the station.

You’d think we were having lunch with someone more important than her latest boyfriend. But seeing as she’s reached the critical get-to-know-my-son juncture in this relationship, she’s a little on edge. Or ready to jump off one.

I take out my phone and tweet.

@Simonsays: Lunch at Melting Pot with Omar. Rather stay home than break bread (and dip it) with Mom’s florist/terrorist boyfriend.

“Simon,” Mom’s next call borders on hysteria. “You have to stop calling him a terrorist. What if he reads it?”

“Mom,” I duck under a cloud of hairspray and meet her gaze in the mirror, our brown eyes locking. “You’re assuming he reads more English than plutonium rich.”

Mom bites back a laugh, her mouth forming a heart. “He is not a terrorist.”

Notice she didn’t say he could read.

Love Triangle Entry #7

Title: Half-Souled

Genre: YA dystopian fantasy

Word count: 85,000



Query:

People spend their lives searching for their soulmate, that one perfect person who completes them. It took centuries for mankind to discover the hidden power that resulted from the bonding of such soulmates. Now cities are powered, technology is created and driven, and the government is run using the energy resulting from soulbonds.

Samson Tucker never had a choice about what he would study; his parents started his fight training before he could walk. Now he is following in their footsteps as the best fighter in his school, bound for the Elite Force when he graduates. All he needs is a soulmate, and everyone assumes it will be Alexandra, another of the school's top fighters. But Sam is broken. Only he and one other student, Gretta, can't form even the temporary soulbond used in class. Everyone else knows what it's like to share another's thoughts, to feel the spark of soulpower, to do things no individual alone could ever do.

Until now Sam's skill in fighting has carried him through school, but when Gretta goes insane during an attempted temporary bond, he and the rest of the school are wondering the same thing: is he next? Drawn to the asylum, Sam and Alex must venture beyond the order and security of school to find the secret behind his condition before he shares Gretta's fate.

HALF-SOULED will appeal to readers of Matched by Ally Condie and Divergent by Veronica Roth.

First 250:

I focused on the heavy punching bag in front of me, trying not to see the temporary soulbond being forged in the corner of the gym. Master and Mistress Cawley each placed a hand on the heads of the two students who would be working together today. They linked their free hands together to strengthen their own union, and the bonding began. I couldn’t believe they would form temporary bonds today after everything that had happened.

I spun and kicked. My foot hit the bag with a sound like a firecracker in the too-quiet gym. My timing was off. I stepped away to dodge the back swing, and shook my head and shoulders. I needed to relax. The next few punches snapped against the bag, and my body settled into a routine as familiar to me as breathing.



It didn’t last. The distracting silence in the gym hid the fact that an entire class was working out. Usually the students were joking around, taunting one another about who was going to win the day’s sparring. But today, between the muted sounds of glove against pad and the soft clinking of weights, I could actually hear my classmates breathing.



If I hadn’t already felt in my gut that the rumors about Gretta were true, the subdued activity in the room was enough to convince me that the worst had happened. Right in the middle of an attempted temporary soulbond during first hour, Gretta had flipped out, screaming nonsense and smashing two windows before they got control of her. They said she went insane.

Love Triangle Entry #6

Title: Where Are Boys From, Uranus?

Genre: YA Romantic Comedy

Word Count: 80,000 words

Query:

Seventeen year old Camryn McCaleb’s dating life just plain sucks. Boys splash water on her during dinner, use cue cards for conversation, and even pretend to get beat up for attention. In attempt to get the boys off her back—along with her friends who want to set her up on more dates—Camryn decides to invent a boyfriend and write love letters to herself to prove his existence. Who better to base her letters on than her crush, the ogle-worthy Beckham Peters?

Her perfect plan gets spoiled when her friend Gabby spills that she has a crush on Beckham, too. (Gulp.) Not knowing what else to do, Cam lies about who her letters are from, which is fantastic...until Beckham asks her out.

Soon things begin to unravel:  Beckham becomes jealous when he hears about Cam’s secret, letter-writing boyfriend; Gabby can’t figure out the mystery girl (ahem, Camryn) who has stolen Beckham’s attention; and Cam would rather pour Tabasco sauce in her eyes than admit she’s been lying to everyone. She can only hope to find a way around the mess she’s made before the truth breaks out and her life comes crashing down around her ears.

First 250:

Maybe he’s just really shy. That’s why he won’t look at me.

“I like lots of different bands,” I say in response to my date’s fifty-billionth question. But I feel like I’m trying to get to know the steak knife instead of Tyson. All I’ve seen of him since we got to The Mango Grill is the top of his blonde, healthy hair.

He nods. Is it to let me know he’s listening? Or to make me think he’s listening?

            

Why did I say anything? If I keep quiet maybe he’ll actually look up at me. Maybe he spilled some sauce on his pants and the spot is shaped like a hula dancer.

            

I tap my fingers on my thigh. The Mango Grill is one of the few good restaurants in Cypress, so I’ve been here a million times. Decals of surfers and beaches cover the walls, and they use real cloth napkins and everything. They even serve sushi here.

           

“What’s your favorite book?” Tyson asks, bobbing his lowered head.

            

Sorry, are you asking me or your legs? I try to connect how this question has anything to do with what bands I listen to, or if I like sports, or what my religious beliefs are, or any of the other random questions he fired out before those. Up on the mini stage bordered by fake grass, a big Samoan guy starts singing. 

Love Triangle Entry #5

Title: COGLING

Genre: Steampunk

Word count: 85,000

Query:

When fifteen-year-old Edna discovers an expensive pocket watch hanging around her little brother's neck, she is afraid he stole it.  As she tears the watch off, her brother crumbles into a pile of cogs.  Horrified, Edna flees into the city streets for help, but encounters Ike, a thief who attempts to steal the watch before he realizes what it is—a device to power Coglings.

According to Ike, hags kidnap children to work in their factories and replace their bodies with Coglings—clockwork changelings.  Desperate to rescue her brother, Edna sets off across the kingdom to the hags' swamp, with Ike in tow.  There, they learn Coglings are also replacing nobility so the hags can stage a rebellion and rule over humanity.  Edna and Ike must stop them, but the populace believes hags are helpful godmothers and healers – no one wants to believe a servant and a thief, especially when Ike has secrets that could label them both as traitors.  The two must make the kingdom trust them or stop the hags themselves, even if Ike must embrace his dark heritage and Edna must surrender her family.

First 250:

The window slid up with a squeak.  Green smoke slithered up the side of the tenement and drifted over the cracked sill onto the floor.  It lifted toward the ceiling, solidifying into the shape of a woman.  Crimson curls framed the hag’s narrow face, shadowed by the deep hood of her cloak. 

The scent of lavender hovered on the hag’s robes, clashing with the smell of must that clung to the small room.  Two brass-framed beds took up most of the floor.  Blankets covered the sleeping lumps atop them.  The little boy on the bed wheezed against the head of his stuffed bear, drool dripping onto the brown wool.  The hag tiptoed to the bed across from the door and, from the folds of her enchanted cloak, drew out a mechanical square almost four feet long.  She set the square on the floor at her feet and frowned at the sleeping teenager – too old to be of any use.  The girl faced the wall, with the threadbare blankets tugged around her chin. 

The hag removed a vial and a rag from her skirt pocket.  Holding her breath, she dribbled three drops onto the rag, yanked the teddy bear away, and shoved the cloth against the child’s mouth.  His eyes opened wide, his gasp muffled, and his body jerked. 

By the seven saints, she should’ve cast a sleeping spell over the girl, in case the boy made too much commotion. 

“The Dark Mother will string you up, Simone,” she cursed herself. 

Love Triangle Entry #4

Title: WELCOME TO THE LEPER COLONY

Genre: Contemporary YA

Word count: 94,000 

Query:

To Mike Fitzroy, St. Brigid's was just another school, a sentence to be survived, until his dad moved them again. He'd learned to keep his head down, ignore the bullies long enough and they go away. Or he does.

Because the last time Mike got involved, stood up, fought back, three people went to the hospital. And the fourth... wasn't so lucky. So he'd promised her, never again.

But things start to go wrong when the hottest girl in class invites him to the big party at her place. And Mike's always had problems saying no to a girl, especially a pretty one.

Soon, the same familiar patterns emerge: a bully, his gang of thugs, a girl (or two) Mike just can't bring himself to walk away from. Mike's arrival has upset the balance of power at St. Brigid's, and despite his best intentions, things keep spiraling out of control.

Now battle lines are being drawn and people are picking sides. And Mike has to decide how much he's willing to risk and how far he can trust himself. And if he stands up this time, who's going to pay the price?

Mike combines the intellect and unabashed geekiness of John Green's AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES with a struggle with his inner demons like Dan Wells' I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER. While written as a stand-alone novel, it is meant to be the first in a series.

First 250: 

Some days just aren’t worth waking up for. High school seems to have a lot of them.

"Hey, Snowbird, think fast!"

Like today.

There's the soft thump of shoe-on-soccer ball, followed by a loud whistle of air. And from the Doppler shift of the whistle, it's heading right for me.

I glance up from my book and lean right. The ball hurtles past my head, ricochets off the palm tree behind me, and flies back.

Looks like their aim's improving, if not their hospitality.

The ball clips the top of the low retaining wall in front of me (the one that marks the drop-off to the main field where the rest of the herd roams), angles up enough to hit one of the goon squad in the chest, staggering him back.

I go back to my reading as whichever one it hit yells, "You're dead, loser."

Don’t they ever get tired of this? Apparently not.

"Nice moves, Snowbird." Sounds like Lee, the local King Badass, at least for the sophomore class. And since this is the underclassman’s lunch, that seems to make him the big dog here.

But if Lee’s offering even sarcastic compliments, I guess it didn’t hit one of his boys.

More’s the pity. No, I can't go there. Better to just let it go. Too bad. Whatever, it’s too hot anyway.

I think the concrete's beginning to melt and those idiots are running around playing soccer for the hell of it. And they say I’m the weird one. 

Love Triangle Entry #3

Title: I'M GAME

Genre: YA sci-fi thriller

Word count: 72,000

Query:

Seventeen-year-old Dodge Tellman would do anything to win the Game, but his competitors have an advantage he can't afford: enhanced senses and extra, mechanical limbs.

Dodge lives in the slums of a high-tech megalopolis. The crime rate is higher than the graduation rate, his underpaid parents take pills to stay awake for 60-hour work shifts, and his four-person family lives in a three-room apartment. If Dodge's team wins the Game, his family will finally have their ticket out. The team of Gamers who conquer the objectives of all seven levels win a new life for themselves and their families, a life aboard a luxury space cruiser headed to colonize a distant planet.

Most of the Game's previous winners have had advanced surgery, but Dodge only has enough money for a Chancer, a cheap and risky roulette. He won't know what the operators have done to his body until he walks into the Game, where the implants will activate. Though there's no guarantee of getting his money's worth, he figures it's better than nothing - going in without any surgery would be like asking for elimination.

When Dodge and his team first enter the Gamescape, he thinks he's come face to face with his worst case scenario: zero difference in his body. But he's wrong. His metamorphosis, unlike any he's ever seen or even read about, is gradual, uncontrollable, and inexorable. Little by little, level by level, he's transforming into something without a conscience. Something with the capacity - with the sick desire - to slaughter his teammates, his closest friends.

He can still win the Game, if he's willing to stay in the Gamescape and fight what he's becoming.

But if he can't keep control, he'll lose everything. His family's future. His best friends. His humanity.

And there's no going back.

I have short fiction in Bad Austen, an anthology published November 2011 by Adams Media. I also attended the Backspace Writers Conference in New York in November 2011. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

First 250:

The com on my wall buzzes, spitting out the voice of my best friend Tag. “Dodge, you there?”

I don’t want to untangle myself from my bunk’s covers to answer. The heating in our apartment shell is broken for the second time this winter, and besides this bundle of blankets, there’s no way to ward off the chill leaking in around my bedroom window.

Despite my lack of response, Tag keeps talking. “I know you’re there, bud. Sitting in your bunk and trying to ignore me. Don’t think you’re getting away with it – I’m gonna keep talking until you answer.” A pause. “Yes, that was a threat.”

I roll my eyes. Tag’s not kidding. He’ll go on for hours if I don’t shut him up.

With a sigh, I slide out of my bunk, the icy air calling the hair on the back of my neck to attention. As I rub the goosebumps away, my fingers trail over the microchip beneath my hair. The rectangular chunk of circuiting is cold to the touch.

I kick my way through the clutter on my floor and slap my hand onto the wall-com. “Yeah. What’s going on?”

“There you are.” Tag’s voice vibrates in the old silver disk. “The guys wanna go out. You coming?”

I’m tempted to say no. If I go, they’ll ask me what I’m going to pitch.

Tag pitched Army. I knew he’d do it – it’s a rich kid thing. When they pitch, they get their extras plugged under their natural-born arms, one more arm on each side.

Love Triangle Entry #2

Title: HOW TO DATE A NERD

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Word Count: 61,000

Query:

 Zoe has a great pair of legs, perky boobs, and wears practically nothing to show off her 'assets'.  She works hard for the easy sleezy ‘you only wish you were her’ reputation, burying who she really is--an all out nerd.

Hiding under her comforter to read X-Men comics and sending jealousy stabs at everyone who attends Comic-Con is the only time Zoe gets to be herself.  Keeping up her popular rep is too important, and she’s too damn insecure to care about the consequences.  She dates guys who only want one thing and can be found drinking and necking at the club to drown out the nerdy voices in her head.

But when Zoe gets plastered one night, almost stumbling into her first sexual experience with a guy twice her age, she realizes just how much her fake identity could hurt not only her, but everyone she cares about--including her next door neighbor Zak.

Zak’s a geek to the core, shunned by everyone in school for playing Dungeons and Dragons at lunch and wearing ‘Use the Force’ t-shirts.  But he knows Zoe--the real Zoe.  She’s drawn to him, only feeling happy when she’s by his side.  Only Zak doesn’t want fake Zoe.  He wants nerdy Zoe.

She has to shove her insecurities and the fear of dropping a few rungs on the social ladder aside to prove to Zak who she really is and who she wants to be… if she can figure it out herself.

First 250:

Rules of keeping up your popular rep: 

Number one, the shorter the skirt, the better. 

Number two, natural hair color is a thing of the past. 

Number three, high heels are an extension of your foot. To go without them would be like losing a toe. 

Number four, guys are disposable, and should never be used more than once or for an extended period of time. 

And number five, never ever reveal you collect Star Wars memorabilia, you know every line to Lord of the Rings, and you actually know the birthdates of all the Harry Potter cast members.

Yeah. I’m a total closeted nerd.

I'm not cool with pity glares in the hallways, painful jabs, and permanent scars.  No thanks.  It's much easier to keep my true nature hidden beneath layers of eyeliner, skimpy outfits, and even I must admit to myself, a rockin’ body.  Though the push up bras tend to do most of the work.

Welcome to high school.  Where everyone tries to be someone else.

Well… everyone except Zak.

Zakary Gibbons is my next door neighbor.  I blame him for my extreme nerdy behavior.  He was the one to introduce me to the awesomeness of the Elvish Language, the hidden mysteries of World of Warcraft, and the magical world that lies beyond Platform 9 ¾.  And for some strange reason, when we reached the age of fifteen, he didn’t understand that being accepted into the right cliques in high school was the most important thing.

Love Triangle Entry #1

Title: My Protector: The Calling
Genre: YA Post Apocalyptic

Word count: 70,000 


Query:


Fourteen-year-old Eri sprints into the night seeking a beast that wants nothing more than to feast on her flesh.  She can’t help herself.  Something calls to her, forcing her feet in the perilous direction.  Thankfully, a Protector is watching.


The Protectors are River Island’s only defense against the monsters roaming the darkness.  The clandestine guardians use the Calling—an internal link to the man-eating beasts—to watch over the village. 


As the link grows within Eri, she finds herself repeatedly drawn beyond the borders, hoping to satiate the rage flooding her veins.  But without proper training, the beasts will destroy her.  And as a girl, she’s not allowed the proper training to become one of the Protectors.


With villager deaths on the rise and beast encounters increasing, Eri knows the only way to save herself and her people is to secretly learn the skills of a Protector…if she's given the chance.

First 250:

Going to the river alone is forbidden.  Knowing the clear-cut rule of our people wasn’t enough to stop me from stepping off the gravel path and walking deep into the vacant field.  I no longer controlled my body.

Adrenaline thrummed inside me as I drifted closer.  White-hot anger burned in my belly, if it was even anger churning there.  I had never felt something creep through my veins before.  Whatever this was, it pulled me toward the unknown.

I didn’t belong out there.  I knew better.  I should’ve run in the opposite direction, back to our village.  But I couldn’t turn away.  With each step into the darkness, the foreign emotion intensified, guiding me forward.  I surrendered to the aggression.  I had no choice.

The warning bell struck, ringing through my insides.  My people had fled for safety into the closest shelter possible when it sounded the first time.

Not me.

A few more steps and I would see the river through the trees if the waning light consented.  The coursing water rushed along, mirroring my heightened flow of adrenaline.  The sensory overload amplified, the calling grew louder and became hypnotic, driving me like a machine, steering me down a path I would not otherwise take. 

I should not have been there.

The bell clanged again with faster frequency.  I froze.  The hammering in my chest felt as if my heart would burst through my rib cage and continue onward without me. 

TWO very IMPORTANT things!

Things are about to start moving fast...

First:

The 25 selected entries go up early tomorrow morning. Formatting and such can be a bit of a nightmare, soooo if you see your entry and something major needs to be fixed please email me and let me know. Yes, I said EMAIL ME. Don't just comment. AND make sure this is ONLY to fix something I did wrong. This is not because you realized you forgot a comma or something. Entries will not have a chance to be updated at this point. Thanks!

Anyone can comment on any post tomorrow, but agents won't start requesting until Wednesday. Although, they will probably be reading tomorrow. So, let's get any problems fixed early. (I will post a "reminder of the rules post" late Tuesday/early Wednesday.

I really wish everyone's work could be posted. If you didn't make it in, please, please try in february. Everything is really subjective with this business.

Second:

February's event is going to start rolling almost as soon as this one is over, so be ready. It's also going to ask for a brief query and first 250. But this time we're doing MG, YA, and Adult genres.

It's going to be so fun. I mean just look at the title...

Blind Speed Dating

Oh yeah! Sounds exciting, doesn't it? And, yes, if you participated in January you can participate in February. 

Here's a bit on how it will go down:

1. The event will start with a line up of amazing literary agents (my very special Honorary Cupids) and links to their sites, blogs, twitter...  And there will be an announcement for the guest judges and their links. *All real names used here.*

2. There will be two windows where I will accept emailed entries in MG, YA, and Adult genres (query and first 250 words). The windows will be open until we reach 50 entries in each window, for a total of 100. Stay posted for dates.

3. The first two weeks in February will be used to post the entries in the preliminary rounds. Week 1 for the first 50 entires, then week 2 for the second 50. Our guest judges will be Cupid's bouncers and use undercover names while commenting and selecting which entires make it into the agent speed dating round with a beautiful "You're in!".

4. The agent round will be the third week, where on Monday the entries will be posted (MG lumped together, YA lumped together, Adult lumped together) for all the agents to review, see what they like, and request (similar to speed dating). Agents can come and go at any time during a four day span. *Couple of things...This is BLIND speed dating so there will be no author names given and the agents will work under Honorary Cupid names. Also, the agent can comment with gushy love or harsh love on any entry. For the entries they want to request from, they must say "Struck with Honorary Cupid's arrow!" somewhere within the comment, then how much of the manuscript they'd like to see. Agents can use as many arrows as they want and an entry can receive multiple arrows. 

5. On Friday of the third week all identities will be revealed (except mine, of course :) ) in one majorly exciting post, winners will be announced formally, and arrangements will be made to get the requests to the agents. 

There will also be some fund stuff going on between these times, so stick around once it begins and follow this blog and my twitter so you'll be updated. Thanks!

*Remember those of you who are the five who automatically make it into the agent round. If you are one please do not submit during the windows. 

<3 Cupid

Questions below please...

LOVE TRIANGLE CONTEST details!

WE ARE NOW CLOSED TO ENTRIES. Selected entries will be posted on the blog Tuesday morning, so come check then to see if yours was chosen for Love Triangle with Vickie and John!!! 

Agents have been announced on Twitter, and I'm pleased to officially welcome my very first agents to the blog:

Vickie Motter! Learn more about her and her interests here and here. And her Twitter.

John Cusick! Learn more about him and his interests here and here. And his Twitter.

(Who wouldn't want to get caught in a literary love triangle with those two, right?)

They are so awesome to test the waters with me and be my first agent judges. A big THANK YOU to them. *applauding* They will go down as Cupid's legendary first.

Okay, so as the last post says...email me your YA entires NOW: cupidslitconnection(at)yahoo(dot)com


Include:
Your name
Best email address
Title
Genre
Word count
Query and first 250 words (YA only)
(Just make sure that info is in the email somewhere and remember you MUST FOLLOW this blog-Cupid needs your love.)

I will accept entries up until next Friday, the 20th and you should receive a confirmation email shortly after sending. Then the entries will be judged by a panel of anonymous YA readers and the top 25 entries will be chosen. (Really wish they all could be included.) These selected entries will be posted on the blog on Tuesday, the 24th.

So, here we go...

Day 1 (Tuesday the 24th): Selected Entries are posted to blog for agents to review and public to comment on.

Day 2 (Wednesday the 25th): Agents come in and select ONE for a full request, then can make unlimited amount of partial requests and comments. *Once an agent has put a FULL on an entry it's out of the race. The OTHER agent can notify me if they'd like that requested full after TWO weeks have passed. 

Day 3 (Thursday the 26th): Agents can use their SECOND full request, even if it overthrows the other agent's partial request. More partial requests can be made at this point too.

Day 3 (4pm EST): Contest closes and agents are given ONE last full request to use. And who knows maybe they'll surprise you with no additional request or even an extra. 

WINNERS will officially be announced on the blog and arrangements will be made for the requests. 

Stay posted. February's event will be huge and you can enter both, so no worries. :-)

Ask questions below please!

LOVE TRIANGLE contest!!!! *Not just for love triangle scenes*

Heeeeere weeeee goooooo!

I cannot emphasize enough...THIS IS NOT A CONTEST FOR scenes with love triangles. This contest is called LOVE TRIANGLE because there are TWO agents! I repeat, TWO AGENTS!

I will be announcing who the agents will be very, very soon and all the magical details about how it will go down. So stay posted! Just know it's going to be crazy exciting!! (I cannot use enough !! on that)

This contest is for YA only. I want your queries and first 250ish words, and I want them NOW! NOW! NOW! Email them to this address: cupidslitconnection@yahoo.com *Make sure I know your NAME, GENRE, WORD COUNT, EMAIL. You will get a confirmation email sometime soon after, so if you don't, resend. Entries will stay open for a few days, so you can wait till more info is revealed if you'd like.

FYI: This is for completed YA manuscripts and you must be a follower of this blog. But that's easy enough, right? You know it! Also, make sure your work shines, because not everyone will make it in. More on that later...

Ready, set, polish...EMAIL!!!!!!

<3 Cupid