And the Mystery Agent is..... (plus winners!!)

Please give a warm round of applause to our Mystery Agent, LANE HEYMONT, of the Seymour Agency.

Lane has chosen three winners from the batch of 50-Word Blurbs, so without further ado, congratulations go to: 

Michelle Rose: OUTLANDER meets TITANIC when a girl is sent back in time to the ship after holding a séance to summon a boy aboard Titanic. There, she discovers the witchy powers that send her there can no longer get her home. She has a choice: save the ship, or save herself.

Laurence King: Deirdre Walsh (16) finds herself at the center of a faerie quest to conquer humanity using a magical stone that has been in her family for generations. Unawares, she teams up with the son of her family’s archenemy to retrieve the stone, ransom her kidnapped grandfather, and stop the faeries.

Salma T. Wahdy: Set in a world reminiscent of the Balkans during WWI with an energy-field that is manipulated by second-class Loders, HEIRESS OF DANISKAR is a reimagining of Shakespeare blended with elements of STAR WARS and DOWNTON ABBEY. Hamlynne’s thirst for revenge is complicated by her Loder abilities and approaching war.

WINNERS! I'll be in touch to tell you what to send the amazing Mr. Heymont. 

We couldn't let Lane go without an introduction and asking a few questions. :-)

Hi all, Lane Heymont here. I’m an agent at The Seymour Agency. My fellow agents include Mary Sue Seymour, Nicole Resciniti, and Julie Gwinn. We represent a range of genres from Christian/Inspirational to Fantasy/Science Fiction and a great deal of Romance.

(OA) How did you become an agent?

(Lane) I saw a tweet that The Seymour Agency was looking for an intern/reader, so I applied and got the job! After a few months they bumped me up to literary assistant. Then, a year and a half later our senior agent Nicole Resciniti asked me if I wanted to make the switch to an agenting position. That’s where I am today.

(OA) What draws you to Sci-Fi and Fantasy?

(Lane) I grew up on science fiction and fantasy. I was a huge Trekkie as a kid, read fantasy novels intended for adults in middle school, and played Dungeons and Dragons, Shadowrun, and even Marvel Legends. As kids we all have our ways to escape during tough times, and science fiction and fantasy film and literature were mine.

(OA) Best advice for querying authors? (besides "never give up")

(Lane) Do. Your. Research. I cannot express that enough. I have submission guidelines. All agents do. If I ask for five pages pasted in the body of the email you should give me five pages pasted in the body of the email. If I sound curt, it’s because this is something I see constantly and don’t understand why. If having your baby (book) published is your dream, then why wouldn’t you go for that dream as hard as you can. People may say, “I don’t know where to begin” and I feel that’s a cop out. Google “how to find a literary agent” and go from there. You cannot run a marathon if you haven’t trained a day in your life. Just like you cannot succeed as a writer without learning the craft and industry.

(OA) Will you be at any conventions this year?

(Lane) Yes! I will be at several, including RT Booklovers Convention in Dallas, RWA National in NYC, Unicorn Writers’ Conference in New York, The Southern California Writers’ Conference in Los Angeles, and the 2015 Florida Writers’ Association Annual Conference.

I’ll be taking pitches, sitting on several panels, and presenting a workshop on worldbuilding. For dates, registration, and more information you can click here to view my conference schedule.

(OA) Are there trends in plots that you get tired of seeing? 

(Lane) I’m tired of post-apocalyptic and dystopian settings. Demons as antagonists is getting old for me, mainly because I have clients and agency mates who write demons so perfectly that it’s an unfair competition. I’m also not a big fan of space opera. For me it’s become oversaturated with outlandish settings and alien species that just don’t make sense. Flying toilet people don’t sit well with me. I thrive on subtlety and subtext.

QUICKIES:

Sugar or Salt? Truvia in my coffee and salt on my popcorn.

Coffee or Tea? Both! I have a constant IV of coffee and only drink green tea.

Dream Vacation spot? Only one? The Caribbean.

Dream Car? A Bugatti Veyron 16.4, or Ford Mustang (I’m simple).

Proudest moment of your life? Reading letters from Holocaust survivors thanking my grandfather for changing their lives while he oversaw the Landsberg DP Camp.

Most embarrassing? Winter. Ten years ago. Walking outside, I slip on a patch of ice and land on my ass in front of my boss. I’ve never heard a man cackle so loud.

You can connect with Lane Heymont on Twitter, Facebook, and follow his blog. 

March Mystery Agent Reveal and Winners!

Meant to get this post out earlier today, but life does happen! However, without further ado, let's meet our Mystery Agent!

The wonderful Laura Zats of Red Sofa Literary! And the winners are...

FULL REQUEST (including query):
Name: Carissa Taylor
Genre: YA sci-fi
Word Count: 95,000


PARTIAL REQUEST (query + 3 chapters):
Name: Kelly deVos / THE SIX
Word Count: 65,000

Name: Krista Wayment
Genre: MG Science Fiction
Word Count: 42,000

Name: Laura Rueckert
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Word Count: 79,000

Name: Aniko Rajci
Genre: YA Fantasy
Word Count: 75,000

Please email us a operationawesome6 (at) gmail (dot) com with the subject March MA Winner for further instructions.

Laura was kind enough to answer a few questions for us so we can get to know her a little better.

Any tips for writers struggling with their pitches? Common mistakes you see in them?
The biggest mistake I see authors make is either going too big or too small. Some people just can’t resist giving me enough details to amount to almost an entire synopsis. Other authors live in the Land of the Vague, where “ordinary girls” roam in packs and decide to either “put everything on the line for love” or save the world.

What books have you read lately that you’ve fallen in love with (manuscripts you’re currently working with or others)?
Published books I’ve fallen in love with lately include ANCILLARY JUSTICE, Lev Grossman’s THE MAGICIANS, and ALTHEA & OLIVER.
All are odd, quirky, and push the envelope in some way.

What are you seeing a lot of in your slush pile lately? What would you like to see? What are you tired of?
As someone who reps YA, I get tired of a lot of stuff really easily, because I see it a ton!
Things currently on the hit list include:
Horror movie creatures (including Death)
Chosen Ones
Dystopian
Tolkienesque fantasy
“Normal” or “Ordinary” characters who fall in love with a popular guy

What do I want to see?
Diversity of all kinds
Non-Western settings
Geekery
Witches

Any exciting news to share?
The first book in my list, Aimee Hyndman’s HOUR OF MISCHIEF is slated to come out this fall!

And a few just for fun:


Favorite caffeinated beverage?
Tea! Lady Grey tea, to be exact.

Sea or mountains?
Er…both. As long as I’m in the shade!

Chocolate or bacon?
Bacon.

Ebook or print book?
Print!

Favorite TV show?
Three-way tie between Buffy, Doctor Who, and Breaking Bad.

Thank you so much to Laura for being our Mystery Agent this month! And congrats to all the winners!

Stay tuned for info on our next Mystery Agent contest!

Mystery Editor Reveal + Winners!

Thank you so much to all who participated in the December Mystery Editor contest! And our Mystery Editor is...

Mandy Schoen from Swoon Romance!

Mandy Schoen is the managing editor of Swoon Romance. She lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with her husband, dog and books. When she's not reading or editing, she can usually be found hovering over her coffee pot, muttering nonsense until it gives her what she wants.

And the winners are:

THE WHITE LEHUA: full manuscript request, and a 10-page critique of this or any other work

LOOKING FOR ORION: full manuscript request

Congratulations to both of our winners! Please e-mail operationawesome6(at)gmail(dot)com for submission instructions, and include "December Mystery Editor winner" in the subject line.

And if you'd like to learn more about Mandy, check out our interview with her below:

1. Any tips for writers struggling with their pitches? Common mistakes you see in them?

The most common mistake I see in pitches is writers trying to cram the entire plot into the pitch, instead of focusing on the hook. A pitch, by design, is a few sentences designed to hook someone’s attention while conveying the basic concept, tone, voice, and genre. That’s a lot of work for a few sentences to do. Leave the details for the query.

2. What books have you read lately that you've fallen in love with (manuscripts you’re currently working with or others')?

I’m currently editing THE ACCIDENTAL SOCIALITE, which is a new adult novel about a girl who moves from small-town Canada to London on a whim to redefine herself, and accidentally becomes famous. It’s seriously the funniest thing I’ve ever read. Which makes sense, since the author, Stephanie Wahlstrom, is hysterical.

3. What are you seeing a lot of in your slush pile lately? What would you like to see more of?

I’m seeing a lot of paranormal lately, and we’re sort of full up on that. On a smaller, semi-interesting side-note, I tend to see a lot of submissions with the same main character name come in at the same time. The last common MC name was Shelley.

I’m not looking for anything specific right now. I just want a love story that grabs me and won’t let go. How’s that for non-specific?

4. As a romance editor, what are some tropes you’re particularly drawn to? How about tropes that turn you off?

I love to see unique twists on familiar situations. I love “falling for the friend’s old brother” and “falling for the older brother’s friend.” I also love contemporary retellings of classic tales. One example is Stephanie Wardrop’s SNARK AND CIRCUMSTANCE series, which is a retelling of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. We also just acquired a YA contemporary retelling of Rapunzel.

5. Any exciting news you can share?

Yes! We’re working on sequels to a few of our titles. One I can tell you about right now is the sequel to EFFORTLESS WITH YOU by Lizzy Charles, which has been one of our most popular young adult books. I’m so excited about this one!

6. And a few just for fun:

Coffee or Tea?

Coffee, definitely.

Sea or mountains?

Sea. I’m terrified of it, which I think is why I’m drawn to it. I’m not the most normal person ever.

Chocolate or bacon?

Um, there better never be a situation where I’d have to choose.

Ebook or print book?

Print. I buy a lot of ebooks, but there’s just something satisfying about holding a printed book.

Favorite tv show?

Right now? Probably The Big Bang Theory. Or The Mindy Project. Or Supernatural. Or…


Thank you so much to Mandy, and thank you all for participating in our final contest of 2013. Here's to many more success stories in 2014!

July Mystery Agent Winners and Reveal

Unveiling our July Mystery Agent: 

Michelle Humphrey of Martha Kaplan Literary Agency

Before returning to the Martha Kaplan Agency, where she was previously an agent 2009-2010, Michelle Humphrey was an agent with International Creative Management and Sterling Lord Literistic. She has served as an assistant for Renee Zuckerbrot Agency and Anderson Literary and worked as an English teacher, proofreader, and freelance book reviewer.

For this month's contest, Michelle requested a first line contest instead of a one-line pitch, and she explains what grabbed her in each winner. Without further adieu, the winners!

Michelle's Picks and Comments

Runner Up #3: Ari Susu-Mago / UNFAMILIAR SPELLINGS. First line: "It was way too early to be awake and this idea was stupid." 

First, I should say, I'm drawn to first lines that both establish an interesting character and set a plot in motion, and this opener definitely does both. I already like this protagonist because she's not a morning person (something I rather subjectively connect with) and I'm enamored with the humorous notion that she's embarking on something she feels is a bad idea; my interest is piqued to discover what this bad idea might be, and I'd like to read on.

Runner Up #2: Janice Sperry / SHE CAME FROM THE HILL. First line: "Nothing thrived at the far end of the park." 

Interestingly, this line doesn't quite follow my formula of establishing character and plot, but rather evokes what is, to me, a very intriguing setting. I have a sense of what this section of the park looks like -- dead trees, junkyard stuff on the ground,  lots of shadows -- it successfully conjures a mood and an archetypal place that has an immediacy and makes me want to read on.

Runner Up #1: Nikki Urang / BROKEN. First line: "Red and blue lights dance off the roof of my mother's car." 

I love the duality of the line: we are about to encounter the police and the tension that follows, as well as meet the character who caused the trouble in the first place. I also suspect the narrator is a counterpoint to the mom, and likely a reasonable sort of young person with a wry sense of humor. (I'm particularly enamored with the way the police are evoked -- a concise, light-hearted description of their lights dancing. ) Well done.

WINNER: LL McKinney / COVETED. First line: Caleb learned long ago being friends with Martin MacMurty required two things, inhuman patience and a tolerance for impromptu fashion shows. 

This is the line that made me (and my intern Aimee) laugh out loud. Martin MacMurty, in one line, successfully comes across as a quirky and humorout character; as a counterpoint, Caleb comes across as tolerant and cynical, almost Martin's "straight man" buddy. And, I suspect that tension between the two will follow shortly. So: we have the establishment of two characters, really effective humor (which is partly effective because the line is so concisely worded), and the promise of conflict. Really nicely done.

Congrats to the winners! Runners-Up should send a query and 10 pages to Michelle at michelle.c.humphrey@gmail.com. Winner, please send your full.

Michelle also answered a few more questions about what she's looking for and is open to other queries as well.

On to the questions!

What kind of books are you most interested in seeing right now?

Middle grade and Young Adult contemporary. Also, I'd love a murder mystery, something intricate, like an Agatha Christie YA or middle grade. I'm also looking for non-fiction picture books -- perhaps a biography about someone from the 20th Century who accomplished something important, but who appears to be a bit overlooked by the history books.

Rejections often say "I couldn't connect with your character." What makes a main character appeal to you?

In the first three pages or so, I look for a character's nuances: specific details that make her/him both likeable and flawed, as well as a sense that this is a character who very clearly desires something, and they're nowhere near getting it.  As a writing teacher, I loved doing an exercise where the class would read the first five pages of a book, and make a list of all the memorable details about the main character - things that were really quirky, unusual, contradicting, and surprising (and thus, human.)  The more "quirky" details I get about a character, the more likely I'll connect. 

Can you tell us about any recent or upcoming client books you're excited about?

I'm very excited about Denise Jaden's NEVER ENOUGH, a young-adult novel about two sisters, one of whom struggles with bulimia. It's a poignant, moving, and very page-turning story; I'm also excited about 37 THINGS I LOVE by Kekla Magoon, which came out last spring, a young-adult novel about a girl who deals with a quickly-changing friendship with her best friend while her family goes through difficult times (her dad is in a coma and she and her mom are at odds over the decision to remove him from life support). Both books have been getting great reviews.

Other than client books, what other recent books have you enjoyed?

I'm in a book club, so other books would include what we have been choosing to read as a group: QUIET, by Susan Cain, POSSESSION by A.S. Byatt, and DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY by Eric Larson. We read a lot of adult fiction and non-fiction, but I'm hopeful our next pick will be a YA. :)

Thank you to Michelle and all the participants, and congrats to the winners. Come back August 1 for our next Mystery Agent contest -- get your pitches and first lines ready. You never know when you have a chance to pitch!

And the winners....

chosen by the ever-handy Random.org, are....

Runner Up #2, who will receive a $10 Amazon gift card, a query crit, a first chapter or 10 page crit, and a copy of Jennifer Carson's Hapenny Magick is....

A.K. Fotinos-Hoyer!

Runner Up #1, who will receive a $10 Amazon gift card, a query crit, a first chapter or 10 page crit, and a pre-order of Rachel Hartman's Seraphina is...

Heather Hawke!

And the Grand Prize winner, who will receive a $15 iTunes gift card for an ebook of the winner's choice, a query crit, a 1,000 word crit from the awesome Bookshelf Muse, a copy of Leah Cypress's Mistwood , and the first four books in Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series is....

Aldrea Alien!!

Congrats you three!!! Shoot us an email at OperationAwesome6 (at) gmail (dot) com and we'll get you set up with your prizes.

And thanks so much to everyone who played along with us. We'll definitely be doing more of these in the future :)

Special Announcement:
We also want to announce the launch of the Operation Awesome Facebook Page. Go and "Like" us and get updates, posts, contest info, and lots of other OA awesomeness right at your Facebooking finger tips :) And don't forget to follow us on Twitter! Lots of ways to stay connected and always know what's going on with the OA gang :)

Winner of Paranormalcy by Kiersten White!!

And the winner of the random commenter giveaway is... Nata ArtistaDonna

goodreads

I've contacted our winner via email for her shipping info.


THANK YOU to everyone who entered and shared the booklove! I'm happy to see so many who are already Kiersten White fans, and hope to see many more of you join the fun. Buy it here.

TGIF!

And The Golden Globe Book Contest WINNER Is...

Rebecca Little!!!!

CONGRATS, Rebecca! You just won a preorder of your most anticipated read of 2012:

Please email us your address to operationawesome6@gmail.com!!

And to those who didn't win--don't fret! We've got lots more contests on the way, including our February Mystery Agent!!! Stay tuned for ze details :)

Happy Monday!

Winner of Shifting by Bethany Wiggins!

And the lucky winner (chosen by my husband who was prompted to pick a number) :D is......

Becca Puglisi!!!

Congrats!! Send your addy to authormichellemclean (at) yahoo (dot) com and I'll get your signed copy of Shifting on its way to you :D

Stay tuned on Saturday for our brand new Mystery Agent contest - and the announcement of the winner(s) of our September contest will be coming soon soon soon!

If you didn't win, you can buy this awesome book HERE :) Happy reading!!

Celebration Prize Pack Winners!!!

Thanks to everyone who entered! We've got an amazing list of new blogs to follow and books to read now :) Thank you so much for all the amazing recommendations :D

And now, on to our fabulous prize pack winners! (Chosen by the tried and true method of putting everyone's name in a big bowl and having my 8 yr old choose six) :D

Winner of Prize Pack #1.....

Kristen Lenz!!

Winner of Prize Pack #2.....

Sarah Nicolas!!

Winner of Prize Pack #3.....

tfwalsh!!

Winner of Prize Pack #4.....

Faith E. Hough!!

Winner of Prize Pack #5....

A.E. Martin!!

and Winner of Prize Pack #6....

Angelica R. Jackson!!

Congrats to everyone!! Please email us at operationawesome6 (at) gmail (dot) com with your addresses and we'll get your prize packs mailed out to you and give you instructions on receiving your critiques.

We will also be starting an Operation Awesome Book Corner (coming soon on Saturdays) where we will be highlighting new book releases and their amazing authors, and stay tuned for another awesome Mystery Agent Contest coming up next week!!

And our Mystery Agent and Winners Are....

First a huge THANK YOU to our amazing Mystery Agent...

Victoria Marini!

Victoria Marini is the newest member of the Gelfman Schneider literary agency. She began taking on clients in 2010, and she has begun to build her own client list which includes Young Adult fiction, Women's fiction and pop-culture non-fiction. She is very interested in acquiring Young Adult (contemporary, sci-fi/fantasy, thriller and horror ), Middle Grade (fantasy, light sf/f, mystery, and contemporary with a hook) commercial women’s fiction ( urban fantasy, romantic suspense and romance).. Above all, she is looking for anything with an engaging voice, compelling narrative and authentic characters. She is unafraid of debut authors.

Victoria wanted me to pass along how impressed she was with all the entries and the authors' imaginations :) and she wanted to point out that she already has a few of our entrants' manuscripts through other contests, so she made sure to choose manuscripts that she hasn't yet seen.

And now for the winners of Mystery Agent August 2011.....

First Place: Winner of a Full Manuscript Request

#5 - HAUNTED MELODY by Christina Lee

The police ruled the death of Melody's best friend a suicide; Her best friend *strongly* disagrees.

Second Place: Winner of a Partial Manuscript Request

# 19 - JUST A CON by Jenn Nguyen

16-year-old con artist, Megan Benson lands a place living in the wealthy Keller mansion only to realize too late this is the one family she doesn't want to pull a heist on.

Third Place: Winner of a Partial Manuscript Request

# 11 - MANAS by Amber

Zellie, a prodigy spy with pink hair and a penchant for knitting, must uncover the genetic mystery surrounding her mysterious past while keeping her hacker boyfriend safe and tracking a rogue agent hell-bent on a mission to recreate the dangerous 'Project Manas.'

Honorable Mentions: Please send a query and receive a personal response with some feedback

# 25 - THE PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY FRIENDSHIP by Janet Johnson

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.

# 28 - AT THE EDGE OF ELSEWHERE by Mary

Six teens ban together in haunted New England town and, with the help of several sentient buildings, save two friends.

# 32 - THE CURSE OF ELIZABETH BREWSTER by Julie True Kinsley

Banished to Pemberton Academy in Western Massachusetts, Eli quickly finds herself embroiled in a four hundred year old love triangle that leads her to lost secrets about America's earliest beginnings - turns out those Puritans were not so pure-can she survive it?

Congrats to all our winners and another massive thank you to our awesome agent!! Winners, please send us an email at operationawesome6 (at) gmail (dot) com and we'll pass along instructions on how to claim (or submit rather) your prizes :)

Victoria shared a little more about who she is and what she's looking for:

OA: Is there anything specific you’re just dying to get your hands on?

Victoria: Some good YA thrillers, horrors and sci-fi! I want a good southern gothic YA. I’d love a great middle grade with an interesting commercial hook. Also, I recently read Ally Carter’s HEIST SOCIETY and while I don’t want anyone copy-catting, I did love that and wouldn’t mind getting my hands on something equally delightful, commercial, and fun!

OA: What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to queries or submissions?

Victoria: People who simply don’t do their homework; not knowing what I take on, not knowing who I am, that it takes more than a week to answer, that I don’t represent popular science etc…

OA: Are there any concepts that you are seeing way too much of?

Victoria: Hmm, every one has been pretty diverse lately. I’m still seeing a ton of dystopians (which I don’t mind as long as the concept is new & interesting) mermaids, road trips, guardian angels.

OA:What is your favorite part of being an agent?

Victoria: There’s a lot I love about it, but I can’t tell you how uniquely thrilling, joyful and fantastic it is when I pick up a manuscript and fall in love with it or when an editor says “I love it!” The discovery of something I know is special is my favorite part, I think. Plus, being an agent means I can fall in love with whatever I please - I only need to know whether I truly love something and believe I can sell it.

OA: Do you have any exciting client or agency news?


Victoria: Yes, I do! I recently sold (gulp!) an Adult literary novel called The Dangers of Proximal Alphabets to Other Press, and I can’t wait for it to come out. It’s scheduled for Fall of 2012. And it’s damn revolutionary if you ask me!

OA: Any last thoughts for queriers?

Victoria: I’m going to quote an advice columnist I love for this one: “Do the work. Keep the faith.” Just work hard and know your stuff. Use all the resources available to you!

Many, many thanks to Victoria for being our Mystery Agent this month and another huge congrats to all the winners!! 

Stay tuned for September because it is going to be a truly AWESOME month. We will have another amazing Mystery Agent for you and we will also be celebrating reaching 500 followers with some seriously EPIC festivities :)

We Have Winners!

Remember the critique contest on Wednesday? Random.Org has munched on all the delicious entries, and I can announce the winners! 

Alicia Gregoire wins the query critique from Amparo. 

Steph (stephaggie99) wins a first five page crit from Angie.

Lo wins the query critique from Lindsay.

Ann Bedichek Braden gets the choice of either a first chapter or query critique from Michelle.

Landra Graf gets the choice of either a critique of the first ten pages or query critique from Katrina.

Cheree wins the first chapter critique from Kristal.

Congrats to all the winners. I shall be passing your email addresses on to the other OA ladies. They should be in touch with you soon.

Thank you all for entering the contest. 

And stay tuned for a new Mystery Agent contest!