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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.
YA #22: WILDFIRE (Contemporary Fantasy #OwnVoices)
Mentee:
Jessica Lewis
Mentored by:
Brittney Morris
Book Title:
WILDFIRE
Category:
2018 Entries
Genre:
Contemporary Fantasy (#OwnVoices)
Word Count:
81,000

Pitch:

16 y/o Katrell lives on the brink of homelessness, until she discovers she can raise the dead. Turns out, people will pay top dollar to see their loved ones again. But when the dead develop a taste for blood, Katrell must decide just how much her money is worth. Especially since Katrell is next on their list.

 

Excerpt:

I’m painting Will’s nails when she asks me to talk to her dead grandma.

“Didn’t we talk to her last week?” I don’t look up from my work as I paint a coat of hot pink. Will’s nails are short and brittle from nervous chewing, so it takes extra effort to make them look good.

“It’s been a month, I think.” Her voice is a hesitant whisper. “Katrell, please? I wanna tell her about the contest.”

I finish the second layer before looking up at her. Will’s eyes search mine, brimming with cautious excitement. She’s always been like this—desperately hopeful, but expecting someone to crush her at the same time.

Will’s big. Not just heavy, but physically imposing. Five foot ten, huge arms that could hurt someone if she wanted. But she always sits with her shoulders hunched, like she’s trying to take up as little space as possible. A bear who doesn’t know she’s been let out of her cage.

I lean forward and blow gently on her nails. Summonings aren’t difficult, and Will never asks for much. At least she has someone to summon. My only family is Mom; I don’t have any aunts or cousins or dead grandmas. Will has a whole host of dead people to talk to, which is better than no family at all.

I’ll do it for her.

23 responses to “YA #22: WILDFIRE (Contemporary Fantasy #OwnVoices)”

  1. Patricia Nelson says:

    Hi Jessica,

    I would love to read more of this! Could you please send your query, along with the full manuscript as a Word doc attachment, to patricia@marsallyonliteraryagency.com? Please make the subject line “PitchWars YA Request: Wildfire.”

    Thanks so much!
    Patricia

  2. This sounds fantastic. I’d love to read more. Please send your query and full manuscript as word doc attachments to hilary@ktliterary.com with PitchWars in the subject field. Can’t wait!

  3. Jim McCarthy says:

    I’d love the chance to read this full manuscript. You can send to me at jmccarthy@dystel.com. Thanks so much.

    Happy Pitch Wars!
    Jim

  4. Kim Lionetti says:

    Sounds great! I’d love to take a look. Please upload the synopsis and full manuscript here: QueryMe.online/KimLionetti/PitchWars

  5. Laura Crockett says:

    I’d love to read more! Please send the full manuscript in an attached Word doc to laura(at)triadaus(dot)com, subject line containing “Pitch Wars.” Looking forward! –Laura, TriadaUS

  6. Melissa Edwards says:

    Hi! I’d love to take a look. Please email the ms. as a double-spaced .doc to medwards@stonesong.com. Thank you!

  7. Rena Rossner says:

    Hi there!

    I’d love to take a look at this full manuscript. Can you please send it attached as a word document to: rena@thedeborahharrisagency.com

    Thanks! I can’t wait to read!

    Best,

    Rena Rossner
    The Deborah Harris Agency

  8. Kaitlyn Johnson says:

    Hi Jessica,

    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

  9. Kat Enright says:

    Hi Jessica! I just love the concept and the voice, and I would love to see more. Can you please send me the query, synopsis, and full to kat@theseymouragency.com?

    P.S. If more than one agent at the Seymour Agency requests this, please only send to one of us! Best of luck.

  10. Colleen Oefelein says:

    Full please! Please see my bio at JDLit.com, and if you’d like, send your query + synopsis pasted into the body of an email with your full attached to: colleen@adventurewrite.com with the subject, #PitchWars – WILDFIRE.

    If more than one agent from JDLA requests your manuscript, please feel free to submit to the best fit (I hope it’s me!)

    Thank you and looking forward to reading!
    Colleen Oefelein

  11. Peter Knapp says:

    This sounds wonderful – I would love an opportunity to consider! Can you please send the query letter (in the body of an email) and manuscript (attached as a Word doc) to queries@parkfine.com with “Pitch Wars submission – Pete Knapp” in the subject? Thank you!

    – Pete Knapp / Park & Fine Literary and Media

  12. Zabé Ellor says:

    This looks absolutely fantastic and I can’t wait to see more! Please send the query, synopsis, and first 30 pages to me via QueryManager (http://queryme.online/ZabeEllor)

    If more than one JDLA agent requests your project, please submit to the one you feel will be the best fit!

  13. Quressa Robinson says:

    Jessica!

    You know I want to see this. Please query me the full MS at this link (QueryMe.online/QueryQuressa/PitchWars2019) and follow the directions. If more than one NLA agent requests work from you it is okay to query more than one of us, just give us a heads-up. Good luck!

    Quressa

  14. Suzie Townsend says:

    Oooh! This sounds so unique, I love it. Please send the query and full manuscript to me at suzie (at) newleafliterary (dot) com. Can’t wait to read!

  15. Alexandra Weiss says:

    Hi Jessica! I’m so intrigued by your pitch! I’d love to read more. Please send a query letter and attach the first 50 pages as a Word doc with “Pitch Wars” in the subject line to alexweiss.jdlit@gmail.com.

    If more than one JDLA agent requests this, please feel free to submit to the best fit. Thank you!

  16. Ayesha Pande says:

    Dear Jessica Lewis,

    I’m most intrigued by the description of your novel, WILDFIRE. Could you please send me the full manuscript as an e-mail attachment? I can be reached at queries@pandeliterary.com.

    Thank you very much. I look forward to reading your work.

    Yours truly,

    Ayesha Pande

  17. Jessica Errera says:

    Hello (fellow) Jessica! I would love to see the first three chapters of WILDFIRE and a synopsis if handy. If you could email them to jerrera(at)janerotrosen(dot)com–pasted into the body is fine and please mention PitchWars in the subject–I’d be delighted to dive back in!

  18. Melissa Nasson says:

    I’d love to read more of this! 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

  19. Kristin Nelson says:

    This one sounds terrific. I know that Quressa on my team has already requested and her client Brittany is your mentor. I’ll let her take lead on this one. Kristin

  20. Kerstin Wolf says:

    Raising the dead? Sign me up! I’d love to see the full manuscript of this! You can send it to me through QueryMe.online/kerstinwolf/Pitch_Wars.

  21. Nicole Payne says:

    I like! Please send the query, synopsis and first three chapters to nicole@goldenwheatliterary.com with Pitch Wars in the subject line. Thanks!

  22. Hillary Jacobson says:

    Hi Jessica,

    I would love to read this! Please send the full manuscript as a word document to hjacobson@icmpartners.com.

    My best,
    Hillary

  23. Eddie Schneider says:

    Dear Jessica,

    Your query sounds interesting—I’d be happy to look at the first 50-75 pages of WILDFIRE, along with a 1-2 page synopsis. A .rtf file for the former is preferred, and the body of your e-mail is perfect for the latter.

    Thanks, and I look forward to reading your work.

    Best,
    Eddie