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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.
PW2020 Adult #28: CHARM CAMPAIGN (Contemporary Romance #OwnVoices Neurodiversity)
Mentee:
Maggie North
Mentored by:
Ruby Barrett and Rosie Danan
Book Title:
CHARM CAMPAIGN
Category:
2020 Adult Entries
Genre:
Contemporary Romance #ownvoices Neurodiversity
Word Count:
92,000

Pitch:

THE KISS QUOTIENT X PARKS & RECREATION.

Accidental politician Bell Scott is set to become the first autistic mayor of Borden, Ontario when a surprise challenger ruins her plans. Unlike Bell, football hero Aron Winters is a natural charmer – adept at hiding parts of himself he doesn’t want the world to see. Soon everyone’s falling for him…including her. As heat rises on and off the campaign trail, corruption threatens the race and rivals must unite—risking their hearts to save their city. 

 

Excerpt:

12 weeks to Election Day

Not for the first time, Bell Scott considered what it would be like to be cool. To be the type who could relax on a day like today – a day that only seemed like a big deal.

But she’d seen too many sure things evaporate to trust this one.

Late July heat twined its humid fingers in Bell’s hair, teasing the unwillingly straightened ginger strands into frizzy mischief. She had about ten minutes on the side of the road before her photo op this afternoon would feature more hair than woman. 

The highway stood empty, the rise and fall of cicada songs punctuating the soupy summer air with its perfume of dry forest and fresh paint. Mayor Bob should have sent someone else to do this job. He should have had the sense to keep her at City Hall, today of all days. Why couldn’t it have been Ken, it wasn’t like he– 

Just in time, she caught her brows in the act of drawing down. For practice, she flipped her Resting Bitch Face into Politician Face, like Bob had taught her: neutral, open, slightly smiling. I-hear-you face. I-care-about-you face.

Wiping her sweaty palms on her passenger seat, Bell rolled up her pants. The linen would crease, but it couldn’t be helped. 

20 responses to “PW2020 Adult #28: CHARM CAMPAIGN (Contemporary Romance #OwnVoices Neurodiversity)”

  1. Jess Dallow says:

    Hi Maggie,

    This sounds fantastic! I’d love for you to send your query letter and synopsis in the body of the email with the full manuscript attached in a word doc to jess@browerliterary.com, Pitch Wars in the subject line.

    If someone else from Brower requests this, just email us both and we’ll decide in house who will read and let you know.

    Looking forward to reading!

    Warmly,
    Jess

  2. Tara Gilbert says:

    I’d love to see the first three chapters! Please use this link to send in the materials. QueryManager.com/TaraGilbert/PitchEvent

  3. Kari Erickson says:

    Hi Maggie, I’d love to read more of this! Please upload your full manuscript, synopsis, and query letter here: QueryManager.com/KariErickson/PitchWars
    Thank you for considering me!

  4. Grace Ross says:

    I could use this book in my life right now! I’d love to read more. Would you send the full manuscript to grace@rhaliterary.com? Please include Pitch Wars in the subject line. By the way, I represent Andrew David MacDonald, love Helen Hoang, and believe we need more neurodiverse characters.

    – Grace Ross, Regal Hoffmann & Associates
    http://www.rhaliterary.com

  5. Andrea Cascardi says:

    Dear Maggie,

    I couldn’t resist a pitch like that! I’m loving the opening–you’ve put just the right amount of detail in so that I’m right in the moment. I’d love to read the full and see how this develops! My email is andrea@transatlanticagency.com and our website is http://www.transatlanticagency.com if you want to learn more about me as an agent and our agency overall. If you do receive requests from more than one of our agents, we just ask that you send first to your preferred agent.

    Thank you and fingers crossed I’ll see this in my in-box!
    Regards,
    Andrea Cascardi

  6. Jessica Alvarez says:

    This sounds wonderful! I’d love to give it a read. Please upload your manuscript, synopsis, and query at this link: http://www.QueryManager.com/JessicaAlvarez/PitchWars. Looking forward to diving in!
    Jessica Alvarez, BookEnds Literary

  7. Ann Leslie Tuttle says:

    Dear Ms. North,
    Congratulations on being in the Showcase. You’ve got an engaging premise, and I’d welcome the chance to read further. If you are interested in my considering your work for representation, please do send the first 50 pages to me at atuttle@dystel.com. If more than one DGB agent has responded, please choose who you’d like to submit to first and let that agent know who else at the agency requested, and we will work it out amongst ourselves. Good luck with your writing, and I will hope to hear from you.
    Best,
    Ann Leslie Tuttle

  8. Tara Gelsomino says:

    I’d like to see more! Please send full ms, query and synopsis to tara@onetrackliterary.com if you’re interested. Thanks!

  9. REBECCA STRAUSS says:

    Hi Maggie,

    I’d LOVE to read more of CHARM CAMPAIGN! That description of her hair really hits home. 😉

    Could you please email the query and full manuscript to: rebecca@defliterary.com? Please label the subject as: ‘Pitch Wars Requested.’

    Thanks so much!

    Cheers,
    Rebecca Strauss

  10. Ashley Blake says:

    Hi Maggie! This sounds like so much fun–I adore this opening and I’d love to read more of Bell’s story. If you’d like to query me, please include your query letter and upload your full manuscript using the link below. If you end up querying more than one agent at Rees, that’s totally fine, just let us now you did so in the query. Thanks and congrats on all your hard work!

    QueryManager.com/AshleyBlake/PitchWars

  11. Lauren Spieller says:

    Hi Maggie! Congratulations on completing Pitch Wars! I’d love to see this again. Please send your query + full manuscript to Lauren@triadaus.com, and put “PW Request” in the subject line. I look forward to hearing from you! ~Lauren

  12. Claire Friedman says:

    Hi Maggie! I remember this one from my query box a few months ago — what a fantastic concept! I’d love to consider. Please send the full manuscript to claire@inkwellmanagement.com/. Can’t wait to read!

  13. Samantha Wekstein says:

    Hi Maggie! Love this premise and your opening page. If possible, I’d love to see the first 50 pages. Can you please send them to samantha@thompsonliterary.com? Thank you!

  14. Dear Maggie,
    I can’t wait to read the rest of your manuscript. I really love the voice here. Please use this link to upload your pages: QueryManager.com/1353/PW2021
    Thanks, Joanna

  15. Jessica Errera says:

    Maggie, you had me at these comps! Would love to read your full ms, and a synopsis if you have, so please send them to me at jerrera(at)janerotrosen(dot)com at your convenience. Thanks and be well!

  16. Maggie Cooper says:

    Hello, fellow Maggie! Can I just start by admitting how much the set-up here maps on to my own experience in a long-ago middle school student council election? (Ha!) I feel for Bell already and would love to read more! I would so happy to have you send your query letter and a full manuscript—you can email me at mcooper@aevitascreative.com and mention Pitch Wars in the subject line.

    Very best,
    Maggie

  17. Jana Hanson says:

    Hi, Maggie —

    Congratulations on being selected for Pitch Wars! I’d love to read the full of CHARM CAMPAIGN. If you wish to submit, please e-mail it to me directly at jhanson at metamorphosisliteraryagency dot com.

    Thank you so much!

    Jana

  18. Jennifer Weis says:

    Hi! I am an agent with Ross Yoon.
    I would love to read more material so hope you can send me your manuscript at jenniferweis@rossyoon.com
    Fiction is first love for me.

  19. Aimee Ashcraft says:

    Hi there! I’d love to read this one. Could you send the full manuscript in Word format to aimee@browerliterary.com with “Pitch Wars” in the subject heading? Thank you!

    Note: if you notice that another agent from my agency (Brower Literary & Management) has also requested your manuscript, could you please let us know so we’re on the same page?

  20. Diana Fox says:

    I’d love to read more! Please email me the full manuscript at diana at foxliterary dot com.