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Pitch Wars Showcase

Please note: These are the entries for the Pitch Wars season beginning in 2021 and continuing through 2022. Please note that our Agent Showcase ends at 9:00 p.m. ET on Monday, February 14, 2022. Agents will not be able to leave comments requesting material after that time.
MG #19: THE HOUSE OF DEAD BOYS (Horror)
Mentee:
Laura A. Woollett
Mentored by:
Jenna Lehne and Tara Creel
Book Title:
The House of Dead Boys
Category:
2018 Entries
Genre:
Horror
Word Count:
47,000

Pitch:

Still reeling from his mother’s death, Nat moves with his estranged father into a ramshackle house, haunted by a girl murdered in 1928. At first, Nat rejects rumors that the vengeful ghost has killed every boy to live there. But when green eyes stare from shadowed corners and a bloated corpse floats over his bed, Nat must race to uncover the secrets of Hex House before he becomes the ghost’s next victim.

 

Excerpt:

The old six-sided house watched from its perch on the hill as the man carried the cardboard boxes from the moving van to its porch. Its yellow paint curled in distaste as a golden-haired dog jumped from the van, trotted to a spot on the patchy lawn, and did its business.

It had been many years since anyone had lived inside its walls, but when the ladies in bright green uniforms had arrived and dusted the cobwebs from the wood paneling and scrubbed the scratched floors, the house could feel a change coming.

Despite the inconsiderate dog, after such a long time of neglect, the house was ready to be useful again. Giving a shake of its creaking wooden bones as a strong summer breeze whipped by, the house got ready to open wide its double doors. But then the man brought out a box with a quilt spilling from the open top. A blue quilt with baseballs and bats. A boy’s quilt.

And just like that, the house’s joy dissipated into the surrounding trees. The house wished it could control its locks and keep the man out, but it could not. And so, it would happen all over again. The terrible thing that had happened many times before. She would be back, and there was nothing the house could do to stop her.

13 responses to “MG #19: THE HOUSE OF DEAD BOYS (Horror)”

  1. Suzie Townsend says:

    ooh! this sounds so creepy and delicious! I can’t wait to read more. Please send the query and full manuscript to me at suzie (at) newleafliterary (dot) com.

  2. Kaitlyn Johnson says:

    Hi Laura,

    I’m intrigued! I’d love to see the first 50 pages. Please submit your query, synopsis, and first 50 to http://QueryMe.Online/KaitlynJohnson/Contests. Looking forward to the read!

    Best,
    Kaitlyn Johnson
    Corvisiero Literary Agency

  3. Laura,

    Sounds creepy, which is right up my alley! ☺ Can you send me the full and a synopsis (2-4 pages)? Please use Times New Roman, size 12, black, double-spaced text, 1” margins all around, and ½” paragraph indents. Attach the manuscript and synopsis as two separate Word documents (docx). Sent to: lynnette (at) theseymouragency (dot) com and add “Pitch Wars Request” along with your title in the subject line. Thanks.

    If more than one agent from The Seymour Agency likes your entry, please send requested material to the agent you feel will be the best fit. #OneAgentAtATime

    Looking forward to reading more.

    Best,

    Lynnette

  4. Melissa Nasson says:

    I’m intrigued and would love to read more. Please send the first 50 pages as a Word doc or PDF attachment to melissa@rpcontent.com with “Pitch Wars” in the subject line. Thank you!


    Melissa Nasson, Esq.
    Associate Agent
    Rubin Pfeffer Content, LLC
    https://www.rpcontent.com

  5. Christa Heschke says:

    I am a big fan of middle grade horror (and horror in general) and would love to read this! Makes me think of Anna Dressed in Blood for MG 🙂 Please send the query, synopsis and full manuscript to chquery [at] mcintoshandotis [dot] com with Pitch Wars request in the subject line. –Christa Heschke, McIntosh and Otis

  6. Penelope Burns says:

    Hi Laura,

    I’m intrigued here. Can you send your query and full manuscript to penelope@gelfmanschneider.com with #PitchWars in the subject line? Thanks so much!

    All best,
    Penelope

  7. Jenny Bent says:

    I’d love to see this. Can you send the full ms to info@thebentagency.com? Please put #pitchwars in the subject line.

  8. Laura Bradford says:

    I just LOVE your writing sample here. I admit that I can be a bit of a baby when it comes to horror so a lot of it is just too scary for me and the category had me prepared to flip past this one quickly. But the writing sample totally pulled me in and I can’t wait to read more! The voice of the house is super compelling…curious to see whether you continue to give the house a voice throughout. Please email me the full ms + synopsis at laura@bradfordlit.com and put Pitch Wars in the subject line.

  9. Tara Gonzalez says:

    Hello! I’d love to take a look at the full manuscript of THE HOUSE OF DEAD BOYS! Please send it along as a word document to tara@emliterary.com at your convenience.

    Thanks so much!

    Tara Gonzalez
    Associate Agent
    Erin Murphy Literary Agency, Inc.
    http://emliterary.com/

  10. Abigail Samoun says:

    I’d love to see it! Please send entire ms as a Word or Pages attachment to Abigail (at) redfoxliterary (dot) com. Thanks!

  11. Wendi Gu says:

    Dear Jenna and Tara,

    Having just watched THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, this sounds like just the book I was looking for. Please send me the full manuscript at wgu@janklow.com. I would love to read more!

    My very best,
    Wendi Gu

  12. Josh Getzler says:

    This sounds like (twisted, scary) fun! Would like to see. Please send first 50-ish (wherever it breaks best) and query letter to jgetzler@hsgagency.com. Thanks!

  13. Sandy Lu says:

    Hi Laura, I got chills and am ready for more! Please send the full manuscript with complete synopsis and author bio (all in one Word document) to sandy@lperkinsagency.com. Looking forward to reading!