Friday, April 1, 2011

Mystery Agent Contest: April!



THANK YOU to all who entered! Stay tuned for the results! :)



First of all, Happy April Fool's day!!!


Second of all, THIS IS NOT AN APRIL FOOL'S JOKE. There really is a Mystery Agent who lives, breathes, walks, and talks. Said Mystery Agent will be judging this contest. Pinky swear.


*clears throat*


Here we go again, folks! Brace yourselves for another Mystery Agent contest!! *fist pump*

Le rules:

1) Entry limit: 50 one-line pitches

2) Novels pitched MUST BE COMPLETE

3) You may only enter once. If you entered a past M.A. contest, you are still eligible to participate today.

Our Mystery Agent is accepting submissions for: YA, adult, and adult nonfiction manuscripts. No MG, thrillers, women's fiction, romance, poetry, short stories. 

BUT our M.A. is particularly looking for:

YA: Fantasy, urban fantasy, contemporary, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, steampunk

Adult fiction: Fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, dystopian, post-apocalyptic

Adult nonfiction: Cookbooks with a strong platform, humorous memoirs, healthy living, narrative, and current events.

Other cool stuff our M.A. wants: all things weird, fantastical, morbid, and romantic. Has a special love of unique plots, dark themes, strong characters, an engaging voice, and witty humor.

Sounds AWESOME, right?

Now get those pitches out and post them in the comments! The contest will close once the fiftieth pitch is up! The winner will get a FULL MANUSCRIPT REQUEST! 

BEST OF LUCK to everyone :)

53 comments:

Eliza Tilton said...

woot!

Title: Broken Forest: A Keening Blade Novel
Genre: YA Fantasy
wordcount: 61,000

Seventeen-year-old Avikar thought he was rescuing his sister from bandits, not a reptilian lord planning his race's annihilation.

Kate said...

Title: Not From Here
Genre: YA Fantasy

Sixteen-year old Shae sees visions of her unknown twin in another universe and unravels a secret that could break apart the life she's always known.

Huntress said...

*yesssssss*

Title: The Magic Withheld
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Justus Aubre, bar owner and occasional conjuror, dodges the wizard guild's iron grip until another mage blows his cover and leaves him with two choices; surrender or face an opponent he cannot fight.

Unknown said...

Oh wow, thanks for the amazing contest!!

Title: Robyn Hood
Genre: YA Historical Retelling

After attacking a guard, Robyn must hide in Sherwood Forest, disguise herself as a man, and fight alongside a band of criminals to end poverty in Nottingham.

Loralie Hall said...

I love the contest idea this month - so challenging but awesome ^_^

Title: Uriel's Fall
Genre: Urban Fantasy

A freshly-minted angel discovers truth is subjective and must assemble her own version of reality before gods, mortality, and the voice in her head claim her sanity and life.

Danielle DeVor said...

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

Homeless-teen-turned-vampire, Mathias Drvar, must fight for his second life when the reigning queen decides to fight him to the death because he is a threat to her rule.

Unknown said...

Title: BlOOD OF THE GODS
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Julia becomes stranded with the ancient Persian Gods of Darkness and Death who recognize that she has an unknown and forbiden bit of immortality which makes her the perfect sacrifice for their latest godly gambit.

Charity Bradford said...

Woot!

Title: Sendek
Genre: Science Fantasy Romance

As her nightmares of invasion and death become reality, a scientist embraces forgotten magic to save her world from an ancient evil.

SM Johnston said...

Title: Mishca
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy/Speculative Fiction
wordcount: 50,500

Heart transplant recipient teen’s search for her birthparents is interrupted by freaky post-operation nightmares, a sinister stalker who knows the truth about her past and a fling with her university literature professor.

alexia said...

Title: Countless
Genre: Urban Fantasy

A young corporate climber discovers she’s a witch who’s lived countless lifetimes and must escape the immortal sorcerer intent on possessing her soul.

Creepy Query Girl said...

Title: FOSSEGRIM
Genre: Urban Fantasy

When seventeen-year-old foster kid Sage Reynolds wakes up on the bottom of the ocean with a freaking fish tail, he figures he's covered all his bases in 'the screwed department'...until he realizes what he must sacrifice in order to reclaim his humanity.

Tracey said...

Woohoo!

Title: Wicked Miserable
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Jessica Moore loathes the curse that gives her a magical high from human suffering, but it becomes her only means of proving her innocence when she’s framed for a series of murders that land her in the middle of a demon gang war.

Unknown said...

Title: Fate Crest
Genre: YA Fantasy

Bearing a mark signifying strength, strategic skill, and the ability to predict outcomes, sixteen-year-old Angelyn will fight anyone and anything to claim her place as the first female knight in the Knights Academy.

Cherie Colyer said...

Title: Challenging Destiny
Genre: Urban Fantasy

17-year-old Logan Ragsdale has finally created a safe life for himself and his sister, but when his girlfriend turns out to be a demon, Logan finds himself searching for a way to outsmart supernatural beings before they succeed in ripping his world apart.

Unknown said...

Title: BOYFRIENDS, SPIES, AND LIES
Genre: Contemporary YA

If Carissa’s oppressive parents weren’t paying her boyfriend to be her bodyguard, moving to New Orleans for art school would have been her perfect escape.

Josin L. McQuein said...

Title: Arclight
Genre: YA dystopian/sci-fi

A teenage survivor may be the key to destroying the dark-dwelling, chameleon-like horde which has left humanity cowering in the last pocket of light on the planet... then again, she may be a Trojan horse.

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 for his immoral crimes by being with a girl he’s forbidden to love.

Melissa West said...

Title: TWISTED ROOT
Genre: YA dystopian

A sixteen-year-old girl falls for an alien spy only to discover he’s leading a mission to destroy humankind.

Sarah Ahiers said...

Title: Glimpse of Another Shore
Genre: YA Fantasy

In a country where one member of each household must serve the navy in the war effort, sixteen-year-old Pier Arvin rescues an orphaned sea serpent and discovers a way to save his home from war.

Angelica R. Jackson said...

Title: Spirits from the Vasty Deep
Genre: Ghostly historical (1850s)

Olivia Herald set a ship afire while escaping the same fate as her murdered friends; her attackers went down with their ship, but now the spectral crew wants retribution, forcing a final reckoning with Olivia's haunted past.


Good luck, everyone!

Lori M. Lee said...

Title: Soul Without a Boy
Genre: YA urban fantasy

A 17-year-old boy accidentally creates a girl, but in a world where souls can be turned into weapons, he learns the hard way that standing out can be deadly.

Christi Goddard said...

Title: Postmortal
Genre: YA Fantasy

Roused from the dead into an albino body with amazing abilities, Travis must trek across America to find his new purpose, unaware he is the amusing puppet in a bored god's game.

Regina said...

Title: Winters Gift
Genre: Paranormal Romance - Adult

The tragedy plagued world of Selene Winters transforms as she endures the death of her father, a lover's betrayal, and unintentional suicide attempts that bring her back to a tainted past in Maine and uncovers her secret gift that could jeopardize her life or bring new light to her future.

Mandy Taylor said...

Title: Dark Scion
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Word Count: 86,000

Murder might be common in paranormal Memphis, but when a young cop investigates the city’s latest supernatural killing spree more than just bones come to the surface: She learns of the inter-office cover-up surrounding her mother’s death and uncovers the killer’s real target—her.

A. Lockwood said...

Title: Olympus Gate
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy

A girl from a broken future travels back to ancient Rome to stop her sister's murder, confront the gods, and prevent the coming apocalypse.

Taryn said...

Title: Playing God
Genre: YA Dystopian

Pitch: : In a dystopian future where humans are gods, a shy teenager exploited by the government discovers the awful charade by which writers seem to create portals to other worlds.

Don McFatridge said...

Title: THE CANDLE DARK WICKED
Genre: YA Fantasy

To rescue her best friend, and a younger wanna-be boyfriend from her comatose twin sister’s dark world after a seance to awaken Sis goes bad, sixteen-year-old Teagan must sacrifice herself, or visit Sleeping Beauty’s bedside to smother her with love--followed by a pillow.

Holly Hill said...

Title: Happily Never After
Genre: YA Fantasy

Sixteen-year-old Kate is trapped in a fairy tale, and if she doesn’t escape soon, she’ll lose all her memories -- or worse, she'll get killed.

Mim said...

Title: Dreaming Isis
Genre: YA Contemporary Fantasy

Seventeen-year-old Isis discoverers she the dreamer--someone with the power to control people through their dreams--but as she learns to harness her power she must choose between two warring magical societies, and between saving her cousin or following the boy who understands it all.

Tina Moss said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Michael Di Gesu said...

Title: The Blinded Gardener
Genre: Y/A Contemporary

With only nine months to his eighteenth birthday, Aidan plans his escape through each blow from his father’s fist.

Tina Moss said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Toni Kerr said...

Title: Secrets of the Makai
Genre: YA Fantasy

A psychic teen fights a vicious battle to save a self-proclaimed plant queen and a mythical creature sealed in an emerald while secret societies plot his untimely demise.

Tina Moss said...

Title: BLOOD BOND
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Word Count: 80k

Submit to madness, demon enslavement, or bonding to a vile angel, Cassie’s out of options, if she can’t master her powers, she’ll forfeit her freedom.

Marie Rearden said...

Title: Deadly Dark Dreams
Genre: Paranormal YA
Word Count: 65K

Souls speak, command, even steal memories, and when Kat bargains with the gatekeeper of the afterlife to escape death, she'll learn how little of life and death mortals truly know.

Chersti Nieveen said...

Title: The Color Transparent
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
wordcount: 90k

Family loyalty can kill you… or worse.

A.J. Locke said...

Title: Ravenous Dusk
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy

Pitch: Necromancer Blake loses control of her life when she goes from de-possessing people to unwillingly helping a gorgeous Reaper channel ghosts to the Underworld.

Alexandra said...

Title: Cry Havoc
Genre: YA dystopian/Sci-Fi

On twin sky planets in the far future, young pilots known as Dogs of War are bred in facilities called Kennels to fight each time their planets swing into close orbit.

Jenilyn Collings said...

Title: My Stepsister is a Succubus
Genre: YA Contemporary Fantasy

Pitch: When David chooses Olivia's stepsister over her, Olivia is heartbroken and makes a deal to become a succubus in order to steal him back.

Anonymous said...

Title: Coveted
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Heaven wants him to vanquish evil, hell wants him to dethrone grace, and the humans caught in the messy middle just want him dead.

Christina Mercer said...

Title: Arrow of the Mist
Genre: YA Fantasy
Word Count: 59,000 words

Lia—a 15-year-old tree mage—must decipher an elixir and defeat the demon shade who poisoned her beloved father and others by means of enchanted tree roots, before the demon convinces her to serve him.

Beth said...

Title: Phantom Fires
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Word count 85,000

Bridget and Laurent are fated, but she's charmed by the demon controlling the fire that will devour her love; a secret Laurent knows but won't tell.

Christine L. Arnold said...

Title: Synched
Genre: YA Fantasy

16 year old Jemma Stone must learn to control the elements and the raging case of telepathy she shares with her crush to stop the cult that wants her dead.

Lisa B. said...

Title: Shimmering Angels
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Word Count: 66,000 words

To stop the angel-caused suicides plaguing her school, former mental patient, sixteen-year-old Rayna Evans, must confront the two angels she may be falling for and find a way to save her classmate’s souls.

Marquita Hockaday said...

Title: The Blues
Genre: YA Contemporary Mystery

Pitch: Blake uncovers a secret high school drug scene when his pill pushing best friend turns up dead.

Thanks for doing this, ladies :D

Jessica L. Brooks (coffeelvnmom) said...

Title: Flora
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Sixteen year-old Dahlia Kennedy finally figures out why a mysterious flower arrives on her birthday every year when she meets Rowan Rochfort in her dreams and learns their lives are connected in a way she never could have imagined.

Norma Johnson-MacGregor said...

Title: VEX
Genre-YA fantasy with a techie twist

Pitch: Created to rebuild damaged and missing pathways in people with brain injuries, the virtual environment VEX carries heavy consequences for perfectly healthy sixteen-year-old Tana when she
becomes addicted to it and discovers an entity living there is preparing to download itself into her weakening body, killing her and taking over her life.

Unknown said...

Title: BURN OUT
Genre: YA Apocalyptic

One of the last people on Earth, a teenage girl yearns to escape after the sun turns "red giant," but discovers her fellow survivors are more deadly than the hostile environment.

Chen Yan Chang said...

Title: Summer of Firsts
Genre: YA Contemporary

Pitch: Grace Washington is buddies with Mr. Darcy, Dracula, Hester Prynne, Mr. Hyde, and Ishmael, but too bad they’re made of words, paper, and a girl’s imagination.

Unknown said...

Title: Blood Thief
Genre: Paranormal/urban fantasy

In a deadly race for her bloodline’s stolen reliquary, vampire Celeste St. Ange must choose her mate or the human thief stealing her heart.

Nicole Zoltack said...

Riona's Pen
YA Fantasy

When fifteen-year-old nerdy Riona uses a cursed magical pen, her people turn into demons - the very thing she is trying to save them from.

Unknown said...

Title: Shadow Embraced
YA Urban Fantasy

In order to control the creature inside of her, 16 year old Scar joins an underground fight club of vampires, witches and werewolves.

S. A. Joo said...

Title: Journey
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy Romance

Helen has only threes rules for her first journey: never reveal her race, never exercise her powers, and never form close relationships, but she breaks all three when she falls in love with a human.