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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 #4: NO SIGN OF A STRUGGLE (Thriller, Bisexual #OwnVoices)
Mentee:
Michelle Hulse
Mentored by:
Kit Frick
Book Title:
NO SIGN OF A STRUGGLE
Category:
2018 Entries
Genre:
Thriller (Bisexual #OwnVoices)
Word Count:
81,000

Pitch:

Callie’s gone, and the police are hunting Louisiana’s I-10 Killer. But Mallory knows they’re wrong about what happened to her best friend. When she takes Callie’s place at drum corps camp, the last place her friend was seen, a fresh trail of secrets makes Mallory’s search twistier—and more dangerous—than she ever imagined. Perfect for fans of Far from You and Last Seen Leaving.

 

Excerpt:

Local Teen Missing

May 10, 2018
News Source: KLTC

LAFAYETTE PARISH — Police are asking for the public’s help in locating missing Broussard teen Callie Bertrand.

Bertrand was last seen in Metarie, LA during a rehearsal camp for the Crescent City Drum and Bugle Corps. Authorities have located her vehicle abandoned at a nearby gas station along I-10.

Bertrand is five feet, two inches tall, weighs approximately one-hundred-and-five pounds, and has blonde hair and light brown eyes. She was last seen wearing black running shorts and a gray T-shirt with a stack of books pictured on the front.

Anyone with information about Bertrand or her whereabouts should call the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office or the Broussard Police Department.

4 Days Earlier

The gym is a massive, muggy oven—an oven reeking of sweat and floor polish. The huge fans are gone, stowed away for another month, but somehow inside is a welcome respite from the oppressive Louisiana sauna outside those doors.

Most of the corps kids have headed to their cars, but the blonde girl is still squatting beside her rolled sleeping bag. Her gray T-shirt hangs loose on her small frame.

She stuffs a book and earbuds inside her backpack and zips it, then snaps a photo of her gear. Another fun weekend. Last camp before summer! Can’t wait for tour! She adds the #CrescentCorps tag, hits post, then slips her bags onto her shoulder.

30 responses to “YA #4: NO SIGN OF A STRUGGLE (Thriller, Bisexual #OwnVoices)”

  1. Jess Dallow says:

    Hi Michelle,

    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. Patricia Nelson says:

    Hi Michelle,

    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: No Sign of A Struggle.”

    Thanks so much!
    Patricia

  4. Kiana Nguyen says:

    Hi, Michelle. Yes, please! Sign me up IMMEDIATELY!! I would love to see a full in a Word doc sent to query.knguyen@maassagency.com with the subject – Pitch Wars 19: Title. Please don’t forget to paste your pitch in the email as well as first page of attachment. Your book sounds like my jam!

  5. I love the Louisiana setting here and have been dying for a good thriller! 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!

  6. 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

  7. Brent Taylor says:

    Sounds amazing. Please send the full manuscript (as a Word doc) to me at brent(at)triadaus(dot)com.

  8. Kim Lionetti says:

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

  9. 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!

  10. Amy Elizabeth Bishop says:

    Dear Michelle,

    This sounds totally fabulous! I’d love to take a look at your full manuscript. Could you send it along as a Word doc to abishop@dystel.com, with #PitchWars in the subject line?

    Thanks so much!

    Best,

    Amy

  11. Michelle,

    YES, YES, YES!!! This is sooo my kind of book! Can you send me the pitch, the full, and a synopsis (2-4 pages)? Please use Times New Roman, size 12, black, double-spaced text, 1” margins all around, and ½” paragraph indents. Attach the manuscript and synopsis as two separate Word documents (docx). Sent to: lynnette (at) theseymouragency (dot) com and add “Pitch Wars Request” along with your title in the subject line. Thanks.

    If more than one agent from The Seymour Agency likes your entry, please send requested material to the agent you feel will be the best fit. #OneAgentAtATime

    Looking forward to reading more.

    Best,

    Lynnette

  12. Karyn Fischer says:

    Hi Michelle,

    Wow! This looks like an interesting read and I would love to see more! If you’re willing, would you mind sending me the first 25 pages? You can query me at http://www.QueryMe.online/1325/PitchWars. To find out more about me, feel free to visit http://www.bookstopliterary.com/info.html.

    Thanks and I hope to hear from you!

    Karyn Fischer
    BookStop Literary Agency

  13. Kat Enright says:

    Ooh, I’ve been dying for a good thriller, and I love those comps. 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.

  14. Natascha Morris says:

    Hello Michelle,

    I can’t wait to see what you have done with this revision! If you wouldn’t mind uploading the full manuscript, QueryMe.online/1067/PitchWars2019, I would love to it. Thank you!

    Best,
    Natascha Morris
    BookEnds Literary

  15. Danielle Burby says:

    I would love to read this one! Please follow the submission link for upload instructions: http://queryme.online/1352/PitchWars2019

  16. Stacey Donaghy says:

    Dear Michelle,,
    This sounds really interesting! I would love to read the full MS.
    Please send your query to http://queryme.online/Stacey_PITCHWARS
    Be sure to add #PitchWars In front of your book title on the query form. Once your query arrives, I will request the full!
    All the best,
    Stacey

  17. Peter Knapp says:

    This sounds great – 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

  18. Alexander Slater says:

    Hi Michelle,
    This looks totally captivating. I’d be thrilled to read a full manuscript. Please feel free to email the Word document at your convenience. ASlater@tridentmediagroup.com.
    Best,
    Alex Slater
    Trident Media Group

  19. Erica Bauman says:

    Hi Michelle,

    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!

  20. Ginger Clark says:

    Hi, I would love to see this. Please send the full manuscript as an attachment (a PDF, RTF, or Word Document is fine) to my email address which is gc@cbltd.com . Please include “Pitchwars 2019 Request” in the subject line. Thank you very much.

  21. Jenny Bent says:

    I would love to see this one. Can you please send the full ms to me at info@thebentagency.com. Please put the query in the body of your email and #pitchwars in the subject line. Thanks!

  22. Erin Harris says:

    Hi Michelle,

    Erin Harris at Folio Literary Management here. I loved the opening of NO SIGN OF A STRUGGLE! Please use the email subject line “Pitch Wars Submission” and send the first 50 pages as a Word Doc attachment to eharris@foliolit.com. Looking forward!

    Best,
    Erin

  23. Jennifer Unter says:

    I’d love to read more. Please send the first 50 pages as a Word attachment to assistant@theunteragency.com. Thanks!

  24. Taylor Martindale Kean says:

    Dear Michelle,
    Thank you for participating in Pitch Wars! I loved this pitch for NO SIGN OF A STRUGGLE, and definitely want to keep reading. Can you send me the full manuscript as a Word doc to fullcirclelit@gmail.com? In the subject line, please include: Attn: Taylor Martindale Kean – Pitch Wars, NO SIGN OF A STRUGGLE. Can’t wait to see more of your work!
    All best,
    Taylor Martindale Kean
    Full Circle Literary

  25. Christa Heschke says:

    I’m definitely intrigued and I love a good thriller! Please send the query, synopsis and first 100 to chquery [at] mcintoshandotis [dot] com with Pitch Wars request in the subject line. –Christa Heschke, McIntosh & Otis

  26. Heather Flaherty says:

    Hi there – sounds great! Can you send Query + 10 Pages Pasted in the body of the email + Full ms attached, to: flahertyqueries@thebentagency.com, with subject line: PITCHWARS + Title. Thank you! 🙂 Heather

  27. Hi Michelle,

    After reading your pitch and excerpt, I would love to read more of this story! If you’re interested in submitting to me, please go to QueryMe.Online/SavannahBrooks and follow the instructions for how to do so. In the title space, please put “Pitch Wars: [your manuscript title]” so I can keep track of your submission. You can paste exactly what you submitted here in the corresponding categories. After you submit, you’ll receive and automated message saying I’ll be back in touch within six weeks, but I’ll be back in touch within two.

    If more than one JD Lit agent requests from you, please feel free to submit to the agent you think is the best fit, and we’ll exchange materials among ourselves.

    Best,
    Savannah

  28. Adria Goetz says:

    Oooh yes this is definitely up my alley. LOVE your title. Can you send the first chapter to adria@martinlit.com?

  29. Eddie Schneider says:

    Dear Michelle,

    Your query sounds interesting—I’d be happy to look at the first 50-75 pages of NO SIGN OF A STRUGGLE, 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

  30. Rebecca Podos says:

    A queer thriller comped to LAST SEEN LEAVING–yes please! If you’ll send the full to Rebecca@reesagency.com, I’d love to read!