Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Mystery Agent: February



Thanks to everyone! We'll keep everyone posted on the results. Lots of great entries
You are all AWESOME!


It's time! It's time! It's time!!

It's Mystery Agent contest time! I'm happy to announce we have another fantastic agent for you who, until the grand reveal, is hidden away in a secret location. I can promise that this agent IS fantastic. He/She is one of my all time favorites agents. Seriously!

Here are the details:

All MG and YA fiction. Completed Manuscripts Only. Please include title/genre in the comments.

The first 50 pitches posted will be considered. The word count for the pitches are 25 words or FEWER.

Mystery Agent will choose one winner.

The winner will have Mystery Agent's full attention when they send their full MS. Yep, you heard me right -- YOUR FULL MS! So don’t forget, please have your manuscript ready to send before you pitch.


Want some help with your pitch? Here are some handy links:

Query Tracker - the one sentence pitch
QueryTracker Blog - the elevator pitch
Elana Johnson - one-sentence pitching.
Michelle McLean -- how to write a logline

The contest will close when the fifty entries are filled. Even if it looks like we have 50 spots filled, check the comments anyway (we do our best, but some comments could be duplicates/questions). So keep checking back to be sure you don't miss the chance.

Want to know who the agent is? Come back when the winners are announced and we’ll have an interview with the agent extraordinaire.There will also be a special prize opportunity for all those who participate.

Good luck.

Now ready, steady, go!

59 comments:

Lori M. Lee said...

Woohoo!

Title: The House of Dering
Genre: YA urban fantasy

When London inadvertently "creates" a girl, will answers to newly raised questions about himself and his family be worth the price of the girl's soul?

Anonymous said...

Title: Riding on the Tail of the Devil
Genre: Ya Fantasy

Homeless teen turned vampire, fourteen-year-old Mathias, finds himself fighting for his “unlife” when the reigning Queen decides to kill him because he threatens her rule.

Elena Solodow said...

Title: THE WHIP-SLIP
Genre: YA Fantasy
Author contact: esolodow at gmail dot com

Pitch:
A teen whose touch heals or infects struggles to unearth her past before the forces of Life and Death deploy her as a weapon.

Magan said...

Yeah!

Title: How to Date an Alien
Genre: YA Science Fiction

A dark prophecy looms over Circe Operations Center, where intern Alex Bianchi learns that falling for an alien is only the beginning of her problems.

Stina said...

Title: Still
Genre: YA contemporary

Most seventeen-year-olds struggle to keep secrets, but if Calleigh screws up, her best friend is dead.

Ryann Jansen said...

Title: The Haunting of Vienna Drive
Genre: MG Adventure/Mystery

Cursed gold, flying with ghosts, falling down wells—eleven year old Charlotte has gotten herself into one heck of a pickle. Can she get out?

Norma Johnson-MacGregor said...

Title: VEX

Genre-YA fantasy with a techie twist

Pitch: Virtual Environment Ten—VEX—turns deadly when Tana discovers something living there is preparing to download itself into her body and take over her life.

Jessica L. Brooks (coffeelvnmom) said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mariam MacGregor said...

Title: Daring Ivy
Genre: Middle Grade Adventure

While searching for a missing man, eleven-year-old Cotton and his best friend Ivy unexpectedly unravel the mystery of Jesse James’ long-lost fortune.

Jess said...

Thanks for the opportunity!

Title: Waiting For Augusta
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary (w/ a speculative element)

An Alabama boy runs away with his daddy’s talking cremation urn, hoping to scatter the ashes at Augusta National Golf Course...during the Masters tournament.

Claire Legrand said...

Title: The Cavendish Home For Boys and Girls
Genre: MG dark fairy tale
To save herself, her best friend, and the other “degenerates” of Belleville, 12-year-old Victoria Wright must outsmart demonic Mrs. Cavendish and her living, breathing orphanage.

Taryn said...

Title: Splasbhack
Genre: YA Contemp
Burnt-out but still top-ranked, Lottie wants to quit swimming. Too bad the only way to save her missing sister is to make the Olympic team.

Jessica L. Brooks (coffeelvnmom) said...

TITLE: FLORA
GENRE: YA urban fantasy

When sixteen year-old Dahlia discovers the place she's been visiting in her dreams is actually real, her family's mysterious past is finally revealed.



~Jessica

Alicia said...

Quintessence/Young Adult

The estranged Walker sisters are tricked into becoming witches, and even though finding out should be a bonding experience, it's tearing them apart.

Molly said...

Title: Hyperion Keats
Genre: MG Mystery

Pitch: When Hyperion discovers a diary written by “To A Lady Seen For A Moment At Vauxhall", uncovering the Lady's identity changes the literary world.

Angelica R. Jackson said...

Kept hitting refresh, waiting with bated breath for the latest contest to open! Thanks again for the opportunity, OA and MA.

Title: Spirits from the Vasty Deep
Genre: YA Historical/Paranormal

A haunted girl is determined to see justice for her murdered friends--only to face imprisonment and hanging as the killers accuse her in turn.

Don McFatridge said...

Title: THE CANDLE DARK WICKED
Genre: YA Fantasy

Teagan unlocks Grandma’s forbidden study with a key from her sister Ryanne’s diary. Forbidden, because nine years earlier while playing hide and seek, Ryanne disappeared.

Kate said...

Title: Stuck
Genre: YA Paranormal

Young and overachieving soul collector finds herself trapped in an unsuspecting teen body. Revelations and romance ensues in her journey to get 'unstuck'.

Lucinda Bilya said...

Title: The Last Meatball
Genre: YA Contemporary

Growing up in a violent world, Sam and his brother Mark create Santan, an imaginary world where they learn to laugh when most would cry.

Chelsey said...

Title: Background Vocals
Genre: YA Contemp
Pitch: Seventeen-year-old guitarist Meridian will return to Paris, as soon as her cousin can walk again. Meridian doesn’t realize every great musician needs backup.

Eliza Tilton said...

Title: winds of change
Ya fantasy

Avikar is seventeen and has already killed three people-including his brother.

Steph Schmidt said...

Title: Mirrored Oasis
Genre: YA Scifi

Getting accepted into University never caused problems for normal people, but normal doesn't include oracles, bodyguards, and being friends with government defectors aiming for revolution.

Blazer67 said...

Title: The Fall of the Tunetellers
Genre: YA Fantasy

17-year-old princess Galatrin Lofstra must flee her home with a precious orb and face not only her fears but the man who betrayed her family.

Janet Johnson said...

Title: The Peanut Butter and Jelly Friendship
Genre: MG Contemporary

When selling her appendix on e-bay doesn't pan out, ten-year-old Annie Jenkins plots other ways to save her best friend's house from foreclosure.

Anonymous said...

Title: Colors Like Memories
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Julia killed the guy she loved, on accident—sorta. To save her friend’s life she’ll face her past, though some memories are better left buried.

Thanks for doing this--they are always a hoot! :)

Andrea Mack said...

Title: The Grand Chef’s Apprentice

Genre: MG

When Maya sneaks into a forbidden city to enter a cooking contest, the unmasking of her disability threatens her hopes of overcoming her outcast status.

Kittie Howard said...

Thanks for awesome links and info. You made my day!

Christine L. Arnold said...

YA fantasy
The Kingery Conservatory of Elemental Enchantment

Jemma Stone must harness her water-manipulating talents to defeat the Cardinal Keepers’ Cult before they kill her, or worse, the man she’s come to love.

Jaye Robin Brown said...

MG Contemporary
Title: The Happy Kind

When her family moves to Appalachia, Tully discovers a place where horses beckon, friends are hard-won, and having two moms marks her as a sinner.

Marquita Hockaday said...

Title: The Blues
Genre: Contemporary YA Mystery

Sixteen year old Blake Farmer must delve into the underground world of drugs and violence to find out what's happened to his best friend.

Nicole Settle said...

Genre: YA Dystopian
Title: Moral Compass

Although a moral compass controls seventeen-year-old Tobin, he defies his compass and risks imprisonment by being with a girl he’s forbidden to love.

Saba said...

Title: “Snowtrapped!”
Genre: MG Adventure/Suspense

Cold, frighten and all alone, Amana will have to push the limits to survive solitary life under an avalanche of snow and darkness.

Donea Lee said...

Thanks for the opportunity, ladies!

The Glass Prince
YA contemporary fantasy

Pitch: A glass prince transports 17-year-old Clara through time to break the family curse, with the help of a royal who never made the history books.

abby mumford said...

Title: Invisible
Genre: MG

Angela Cole doesn’t realize she’s an angel. Riley Razer doesn’t know she needs help. With Angela hogging the spotlight, will Riley ever learn to shine?

Unknown said...

Title: Blackbird
Genre: YA Fantasy Thriller

A spy school recruit must discover what a team of dark sorcerers is trying to steal... and get it before they kill her.

Katy Upperman said...

Where Poppies Bloom
YA Paranormal

Guilt-ridden Callie Ryan chooses between life with the golden boy who dulls her pain, or eternal escape with the ghost who holds a dark secret.

Anonymous said...

Title: THE PROS AND CONS OF BREATHING
Genre: Young Adult contemporary

Death of a parent, rehab, threatening texts—could life get any worse? For Ariel, her brother’s rival is about to answer that question.

Misty Nelson said...

Title: Reaper
Genre: Paranormal YA

Chris longs for excitement. His brother longs to not cross ghosts for a living. When the dead begin to rise both may get their wish.

Steven Cordero said...

Title: I, NEMESIS
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Armed with hell-spawned raptorial skills and razor-sharp talons, sixteen-year-old Sofia Sanchez wages a bloody vendetta against MS-13, the vicious street gang that ruined her life.

Tricia Clasen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
D. Friend said...

Title: After All
Genre: Young Adult

From city girl to farmers daughter, Anna falls for the strange boy who's been shunned after his break-up with the most popular girl.

Jenn said...

Thank you guys! You're (shall we say it) awesome? :)

Title: The Plastic Slipper
Genre: MG Fairy Tale

Happily Ever After is NOT what Princess Evie wants. When faced with marriage, she flees and accidentally hits her head against a rock, forgetting everything.

Tricia Clasen said...

Title: FIGMENT
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

George wants to be the best imaginary friend to thirteen year-old Audrey Parker. He makes one crucial mistake: he becomes human.

Jessi said...

Title: Sonata for the Young Pianist
Genre: YA Contemporary

When an eighteen-year-old piano wunderkind is suddenly reunited with his biological brother, secrets from his past put his family—and his playing—on the line.

Anonymous said...

Title: Shimmering Angels
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Former mental patient, sixteen-year-old Rayna "Ray" Evans discovers the suicides at her school are somehow linked to the two angels she finds herself falling for.

C.R. Evers said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
C.R. Evers said...

UNSEEN
YA Fantasy

A runaway slave encounters forbidden love and an unseen enemy while rescuing her best friend. However, success means becoming what she despises most.

Nicole Zoltack said...

Alexia's Pen
YA Fantasy

Alexia's pen is magic - everything she writes comes true - but the power also turns people into demons each time she uses it.

Shannon O'Donnell said...

Title: Scott and the Naughty Boy Factory
Genre: Chapter Book

Willful ninja wanna-be, Scott’s off to The Naughty Boy Factory--a place he'd always believed was about as real as Bigfoot or the Bermuda Triangle.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the opportunity

Title: Embrace
Genre: YA Fantasy

Anything can happen in a town where there are people who possess magical powers. Sixteen-year-old Madison Riley will discover these powers exist and she will need to embrace them if she hopes to save her friend.

Lisa said...

Cyber-Bullied
Genre: YA Contemporary

Melinda is a cutter. Jen is an average students who becomes delusional. Kevin is a loser. When Mel sexts her boyfriend, the pictures are imposed with Jen's face along with the tag line, "I want you Kevin." One teen you will live to see their senior year.

Shelley Watters said...

Blue Lotus
Paranormal Romance

A teen meets a mysterious intern at an Egyptian dig, has romantic visions of ancient Egypt, and must find Osiris’ tomb before he is unleashed.

Katrina L. Lantz said...

@cuinbooks, @Lisa, your entries are too long and will be disqualified. If you'd like to be counted, just delete your comments and comment again with a pitch 25 words or FEWER! Thanks!

@everyone, entries are looking awesome, guys! I'm blown away by the talent here.

Kristal Shaff said...

4 spots left!

Empress Awesome said...

TITLE: Chronicles of a Demonsbane
GENRE: YA Dark Fantasy 62,000 words

When sixteen year old Fay discovers she’s a demon killer her romantic troubles become secondary to all of hell trying to knock her off.

Rachel Harris said...

Title:2nd Type of Girl
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Obsessed with Homecoming, Aly devises Operation Sex Appeal to get her crush to fall for her . . . or at least ask her to the dance.

Steph said...

Title: The Matter of Souls
Genre: YA Paranormal

Sixteen-year-old Riley has three more months to live, and her life becomes even more complicated when Hayden, her dead ex-boyfriend, appears.

L. T. Host said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kristal Shaff said...

Contest is now closed!