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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 #18: CROOKED LETTERS (Mystery)
Mentee:
Jasmyne Hammonds
Mentored by:
Trisha Tobias
Book Title:
Crooked Letters
Category:
2018 Entries
Genre:
Mystery
Word Count:
90,000

Pitch:

Avery is convinced her senior year is ruined when she’s uprooted to rural Mississippi to care for her dying grandmother. The only saving grace? The gorgeous girl next door who introduces Avery to her tight-knit group of friends. But when one of the friends is murdered in a race-fueled attack, suspicion falls on Avery. Now she must uncover the small town’s bloody past in order to find the truth. Sadie meets Dreamland Burning.

 

Excerpt:

Now Entering Bardell, Mississippi

Population: 13,127

Welcome to the Cotton Capital of the South

A Great Place to Grow!

#

Ten.

That’s how many bullet holes I count puncturing the rusted Bardell welcome sign. There are probably more, but by the time I pull out my phone for a picture, the sign is a blur behind us as Mom accelerates into town. I sneak one last glimpse through the rear window. Sunlight streams through the bullet holes, and it’s like God herself is letting me know that someone besides me was just as upset to arrive in this wasteland.

“Cotton capital of the South!” Dad says from the passenger seat. “Avery, what could be more exciting?”

“Winning the lottery,” I say. “Making out with Rihanna.” Or how about the obvious? Not being dragged to the middle of nowhere before my last year of high school.

“Rihanna, huh? Solid choice.” Dad snickers and high fives me. Mom’s smack to the back of his head comes so quick, it makes me jump.

“Y’all can cut the sarcasm,” Mom says. “I get it. You think my hometown sucks. But just wait. Bardell is a diamond in the rough!”

I lower my sunglasses, taking in the passing soybean fields and farms. The same landscape I’ve been staring at for hours. No diamonds, only rough.

“Yup,” I say. “Absolutely gorgeous.”

26 responses to “YA #18: CROOKED LETTERS (Mystery)”

  1. Jess Dallow says:

    Hi Jasmyne,

    This sounds awesome! I’d love to take a look at the full manuscript. Can you send it – as well as your query letter – to me at jess@browerliterary.com with PITCH WARS and your title in the subject? Thanks! Can’t wait to read.

  2. Clelia Gore says:

    This sounds great! Please send me the full manuscript (Microsoft Word form is best) at clelia@martinlit.com, along with a query. Please include “Pitch Wars” in the subject line. Thanks for sharing! Nice job!

  3. Lauren Spieller says:

    Congratulations on completing Pitch Wars! I really enjoyed this and I’d love to see more. Please send your query in the body of an email, plus your full manuscript and a synopsis (attached). I look forward to reading!

    Lauren Spieller
    TriadaUS Literary Agency
    lauren@triadaus.com

  4. Sarah Landis says:

    Hi! I’d love to read the full manuscript. Please send to slandis@sll.com. Thanks!

  5. Brent Taylor says:

    I’d be delighted to read more of this. Please send the full manuscript (as a Word doc) to me at brent(at)triadaus(dot)com.

  6. Kim Lionetti says:

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

  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. Danielle Burby says:

    You have a very compelling voice. I’d love to read more! Please follow this link for submission guidelines: http://queryme.online/1352/PitchWars2019

  9. Elizabeth Bewley says:

    HI Jasmyne,
    I’d be happy to read more! Can you please email me the first fifty pages as a Word doc? My email is ebewley@sll.com.
    Thanks,
    Elizabeth Bewley
    Sterling Lord Lit

  10. Amelia Appel says:

    Dear Jasmyne,

    I absolutely need to see this. Please email me at amelia@triadaus.com with PITCH WARS REQUEST – CROOKED LETTERS in the subject line, your query and full synopsis pasted into the body of the email, and the full manuscript attached.

    Thank you so much – I can’t wait to read!!

    All best,
    Amelia

  11. Tess Callero says:

    Hi – I’d love to take a look at your work. SADIE is a great comp and this sounds right up my alley! If you’d like to share, please send the first 50 pages attached as a word doc to tc@cbltd.com when you get a chance.

  12. Elana Roth Parker says:

    Hi! I’d love to read more! Please email me at eparker [at] ldlainc [dot] com:

    * Subject line: PitchWars Submission: YOUR BOOK TITLE
    * Your query letter in the body of the email
    * The full manuscript attached as a Word document

    Thanks!
    Elana Roth Parker
    Laura Dail Literary Agency
    http://www.ldlainc.com

  13. Abrams Artists says:

    Great sample! If you could send the full manuscript to books@abramsartistsagency.com, we’d love to read!

    -Abrams Artists Agency

  14. Alyssa Henkin says:

    Hi Jasmyne,

    I would love to read the full manuscript for this! Would you please send it to my email ahenkin@tridentmediagroup.com and copy my assistant henkin.assistant@tridentmediagroup.com. I look forward to reading!

    Best,
    Alyssa

  15. Suzie Townsend says:

    I love the voice here! Would love to keep reading! Please send the query and full manuscript to me at suzie (at) newleafliterary (dot) com.

  16. Penelope Burns says:

    Hi Jasmyne,

    I need to see this! Can you send your query and full manuscript to penelope@gelfmanschneider.com with #PitchWars in the subject line? Thanks so much!

    All best,
    Penelope

  17. Erica Bauman says:

    Hi Jasmyne,

    This sounds fantastic, and I’d love to read more! Could you please send a query and the full manuscript to ebauman@aevitascreative.com and put “Pitch Wars” in the subject line?

    Thanks!

  18. Heather Cashman says:

    I love the voice!
    If you think we’d be a good fit, please send the full to heather.stormliteraryagency@gmail.com with Pitch Wars Query, your name, and the title in the subject line.
    Thank you and good luck!
    Heather Cashman
    Storm Literary Agency

  19. Katie Grimm says:

    Dear Jasmyne,

    The concept sounds fantastic (I loved SADIE), and this opening with the sunlight filtering through the bullet holes in the sign is so evocative. Please send your query letter and the full manuscript as a Word doc to dca@doncongdon.com with PITCH WARS REQUEST in the subject line. Thanks and look forward to reading more!

    Best,
    Katie Grimm

  20. Laura Bradford says:

    Great voice here! And I love the dad! You are setting up what sounds like a dark story but it doesn’t seem like it is going to feel heavy. Tell me more about the town’s bloody past! Please send me the full ms + synopsis at laura@bradfordlit.com and put Pitch Wars in the subject line. Looking forward to reading more!

  21. Kari Sutherland says:

    I love the voice in this sample! Can you please send me the first 50 pages as an attachment and use “Requested PitchWars” in the subject line? Thank you!! Kari — kari@bradfordlit.com

  22. Stefanie Lieberman says:

    I’m eager to read more!
    Please send the pitch and the full manuscript in an email addressed to submissions(at)Janklow.com with the following subject line: For Stefanie Lieberman – requested Pitch Wars material.

  23. Adria Goetz says:

    Ahh yes I need to read more! Love the zippy writing here + Avery’s voice. Can you send the first chapter to me at adria@martinlit.com?

  24. Allison Remcheck says:

    Dear Jasmyne,

    I would love the chance to read CROOKED LETTERS. Please feel free to send me the first three chapters via my inbox at this link:

    http://stimolaliterarystudio.com/#/Submissions

    It would be great if you could use #pitchwars requested material as the subject.

    Thank you so much!

    Best,

    Allison Remcheck

  25. Annie Hwang says:

    Please send query letter in the body of the email and attach the full manuscript and a brief 1-2 page synopsis as word docs with the subject line: Pitch Wars: [Title]. You may send to me at: annie@foliolit.com. Thanks so much, I look forward to seeing more!

  26. Sandy Lu says:

    Hi Jasmyne, it’s so difficult to convey a distinct narrative voice and introduce characters who people want to root for right off the first page, and you’ve done just that. Bravo! Please send the full manuscript with complete synopsis and author bio (all in one Word document) to sandy@lperkinsagency.com. Looking forward to reading!