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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 #24: CITRUS (Speculative Thriller)
Mentee:
Jennifer Mandula
Mentored by:
Rob Hart
Book Title:
CITRUS
Category:
2020 Adult Entries
Genre:
Speculative Thriller
Word Count:
91,000

Pitch:

Ten years ago, Miranda created an artificial intelligence algorithm called C.I.T.R.U.S. Then, she walked away—from her career, her fiancé, and her family.

But when her sister disappears, Miranda is lured to Apex Island, an augmented-reality theme park now powered by the algorithm. As she unravels the park’s many secrets, Miranda begins to suspect that C.I.T.R.U.S. is more advanced—and her sister is in more danger—than she ever imagined.

 

Excerpt:

Miranda’s sister is missing.

The fear is a slick curl in her stomach, a wave of nausea when she swallows. She moves through the doorways of her childhood home like a ghost out of place. Her hands tremble as they slide over dusty countertops and a tree branch taps at the window, and everything feels thin and unreal.

Your sister is missing, Dad texted last night. Miranda was on the other side of the country, in bed with a stranger—she can’t remember his name now, Carl or Carter, something like that—who wouldn’t shut up about finance podcasts.

The time between that first text and now is a smudge. An Uber to the airport. A standby flight, JFK to LAX. A tense car-ride with Dad to the house.

Only now, as she stands in the kitchen of the house in Los Rios, does she let the fear touch her, and all the small hairs behind her neck stand up.

Aria is missing. Most missing persons are found within forty-eight hours, according to the excessively useless officer at the Los Rios police station. And Aria is eighteen. Thirteen years younger than Miranda. An adult, legally, if not wholly.

Guilt presses Miranda’s lids closed for a brief moment; Aria’s eighteenth birthday had come and gone, and she’d forgotten.

14 responses to “PW2020 Adult #24: CITRUS (Speculative Thriller)”

  1. Amanda Orozco says:

    Hi Jennifer,

    Your pitch sounds awesome; I’d love to read more!

    Please send the query and full ms to amanda@transatlanticagency.com with “Pitch Wars” in the subject line. You can read more about me and Transatlantic Agency at: https://www.transatlanticagency.com/about-us/agents/amanda-orozco/. (Please only submit to one agent at Transatlantic at a time.)

    Feel free to reach out with any questions. Many thanks!

    Warmly,
    Amanda Orozco

  2. Grace Ross says:

    Augmented-reality theme park? I’m hooked, and I’d love to read more. Would you send the first 50 pages to grace@rhaliterary.com? Please include Pitch Wars in the subject line. Thanks!

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

  3. Sharon Pelletier says:

    Hi Jennifer, I’d like to read more! Could you please send your query and the first 50 pages?
    I’m with Dystel, Goderich & Bourret – if others here request, just choose who you think is the best fit and mention who else requested when you send to them.
    Thanks!
    -Sharon Pelletier
    spelletier@dystel.com

  4. Devon Halliday says:

    You had me at “augmented-reality theme park”–I’d love to read! You can send the query and full manuscript to querydevon@transatlanticagency.com with PitchWars in the subject line. If you get multiple requests from Transatlantic agents, please submit to us one at a time.

  5. Hi Jennifer,
    I loved what I read here and can’t wait to read your full manuscript. Please use this link to upload your pages: QueryManager.com/1353/PW2021
    Thanks,
    Joanna

  6. Kimberley Cameron says:

    Like the beginning here – please send the first 50 pages!

    Thanks,

    Kimberley

    ETA: email Kimberley@kimberleycameron.com with “Pitch Wars” in subject

  7. Jennifer Unter says:

    Hi Jennifer,
    We’d love to take a look! Please forward the opening 50 pages, as a Word attachment, along with your query pasted in the body of an email to jen.nadol@theunteragency.com.
    Thanks!

  8. Josh Getzler says:

    Hi Jennifer,

    I’m intrigued by your pitch–and I hope my client, Rob Hart, was a great mentor to you throughout this process. I’d love to read more of CITRUS. Could you please send the full MS as a Word doc to my email, with PitchWars in the subject line? Looking forward to reading.

    All the best,

    Josh Getzler
    Hannigan Getzler Literary
    HGLiterary.com
    josh@hgliterary.com

  9. Penelope Burns says:

    Hi Jennifer,

    I would love to see this! If you’re interested, can you send your query and the full to penelope@gelfmanschneider.com, with PitchWars in the subject line? Thank you!

    All best,
    Penelope

  10. I’d love to see a query, synopsis, bio, and full manuscript. Please send as Word documents to EWRquery@mcintoshandotis.com. Looking forward to reading more!

  11. Mollie Glick says:

    Hi Jennifer, I would love to read this! Please send your full manuscript, query and synopsis via email to mollie.glickasst@caa.com with “Pitch Wars Requested Submission” in the subject line. Please let me know if you are submitting to more than one agent at CAA.

  12. Amanda Rutter says:

    I really enjoyed your pitch and extract. Can you send the full through to Amanda Rutter from Azantian Literary Agency? Please also include the query, but no synopsis. The email should have Pitch Wars and the novel title in the subject line. The email address to use is amanda@azantianlitagency.com. If two agents from Azantian have requested, then please pick your preferred – we will share amongst ourselves if we think another agent would be a better fit. Thank you, and I look forward to reading!

  13. Zabé Ellor says:

    Intriguing! I love a creepy theme park setting!

    Please could you send the query and first fifty pages to me, as an attachment, at zrellor.books@gmail.com? Please paste your query on the first page of your attached sample pages, and also in the body of the email, and include PITCH WARS in the subject line. If more than one JDLA agent requests, feel free to first submit to the one you think is the best fit.

  14. Christine Lee says:

    Hi Jennifer! You’re welcome to send your full manuscript to christine@leshneagency.com. Please include “Pitch Wars” and your book title in the subject line. Thanks, Christine