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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 #27: DOWNHEAD (Historical Fiction – Literary LGBTQ #OwnVoices)
Mentee:
Milo Todd
Mentored by:
Samantha Rajaram
Book Title:
DOWNHEAD
Category:
2020 Adult Entries
Genre:
Historical Fiction (Literary LGBTQ #ownvoices)
Word Count:
77,000
Manuscript Content Warning(s):
Assault, Police Brutality, Pedophilia, Queer/Transphobia, Slurs, Murder, Alcohol/Drug Abuse, Depression/Suicidal Ideation

Pitch:

CARTER SICKLES x POSE x MIDNIGHT COWBOY. Hustler Cupid works the queer-smearing streets of 1969 New York for one reason: to keep his chosen family of homeless trans kids alive. When trans boy Bucky arrives in dire need of safety and help, Cupid sees himself in the child and offers protection. But as violent cops and predators close in, Cupid must decide how far he’ll go to save Bucky, and if he’s willing to kill for him.

 

Excerpt:

I woke up too beautiful for this world: cotton-mouthed, hungry, and naked from the waist down. That damn pedo’d wanted to fit me in before his cufflinky job again, and I was so tired upon my return to Trannyville that I’d forgotten to unpin my bulge. So I just took off my underwear and chucked them across the room. I wish I could say this was an uncommon occurrence.

I rubbed my eyes, which felt like that part of the matchbook you strike, and I reached for my cigs. Only then did I remember that Radio had given them to the kids.

I groaned and tried to find a dry spot on the mattress, me already sweating in the heat of the morning. Grey sunlight sliced its way past the unbroken window above me. For just a moment, I stared at it and pretended I was anywhere else.

I soon tripped over some of my busted med texts and shuffled out to our main room. Radio sat at the counter, hunched over a mess of electronics. Her face looked worse than last night.

“How’re you feeling?”

“Mmh.” She caught me eyeing the Jack, sighed, and returned to her work. “Just take it.”

I snatched the bottle, bringing it to my lips. My body had craved poison ever since it’d learned its worth.

2 responses to “PW2020 Adult #27: DOWNHEAD (Historical Fiction – Literary LGBTQ #OwnVoices)”

  1. Tara Gilbert says:

    This sounds fantastic and right up my alley. I’d love to see the the full! Please use this link to send in the materials. QueryManager.com/TaraGilbert/PitchEvent

  2. Melanie Castillo says:

    Hi Milo,

    Congratulations on successfully completing PitchWars! I love the immediacy in this excerpt, and your voice is really pulling me in. I’d love to continue reading!

    If you’d like to share the full MS, please send the query in the body of an email with the full manuscript and synopsis attached as a Word document.

    The subject of the email should be “Pitch Wars Request: YOUR TITLE for Root Literary” sent to submissions@rootliterary.com.

    Although not all of Root Literary is participating in Pitch Wars, please feel free to query whomever feels like the best fit! We’re happy to coordinate internally.

    Best,
    Melanie