Review: Perfect For You by Ashelyn Drake

From Goodreads:
Seventeen-year-old Meg Flannigan isn’t very self-confident, but what girl would be after her sophomore-year boyfriend dumped her by making out with another girl in front of her locker? 

Now a senior, Meg catches the eye of not one, but two gorgeous guys at school. Sounds good, right? What girl wouldn't want to be in Meg's shoes? One cute boy happens to be her boyfriend, and the other? Well, he wants to be. And Meg? She't torn between Ash, the boy she's been with for nearly five months, and Noah who is pretty irresistible. 

But Meg is playing with fire. Pitting two boys against one another, even if she doesn't intend to, could end badly if she isn't careful. PERFECT FOR YOU is a teen romance from bestselling author Ashelyn Drake, where one girl will risk everything to find her perfect match.




My Thoughts:
This was a book I've had sitting on my kindle for a while. I had it on my 2017 TBR purge, so I squeezed it in right in the nick of time!
My feelings were pretty meh. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great.  The characters were pretty ordinary, and I didn't feel any real connection to the MC. She was just a typical silly girl. The guys were the same, just ordinary.
I did root for Ash all along, simply because Noah was so... stereotypical.
Anyway, read it, thought it was cute, and checked it off my list.

Review: Rival Love by Natalie Decker

From Goodreads:
Skylar Fletcher is a proud Harris Academy Bulldog! She has everything she’s ever wanted: a perfect boyfriend, great friends, and her dream college waiting for her in the fall. But nothing lasts forever. Skylar's world shatters when her mom decides it is time to move and drags Skylar, kicking and screaming, into Bobcat territory.

At Delmont High School, home of the Bobcats, Skylar has no friends and is often bullied. To make matters worse, her home life sucks thanks to all-star quarterback Caleb Morgan, nephew of her mom's live-in boyfriend.

At first Skylar and Caleb want nothing to do with one another. But they soon discover they're not that different after all--and each is harboring a secret attraction to the other. But can a Bulldog and a Bobcat ever really be more than friends? And are Skylar and Caleb willing to risk everything to find out? Rival Love is a debut young adult contemporary romance from Natalie Decker. 



My Thoughts:
I read this book because it's been sitting on my kindle for a few years and I'm trying to shrink my TBR  list, especially long term items. This was an easy read, good pace, although sometimes I wished there was more detail and internal dialogue.
I enjoyed Skylar and Caleb. Both had strong personalities and good depth to them. I enjoyed watching them come together, which helped me speed through this book.
The problems came from two things for me.
1. That ending. Absolutely killed an otherwise great YA story. Seriously, it sucked hard. I feel like there needs to be one more chapter or something to give a real conclusion.
2. Skylar's mom. Oh. My. Gosh. I'm not sure to start. Let's try from the beginning. No mother is that selfish. Yeah, she's in love with a guy after forever being alone. That's great, but moms, especially single moms, are fiercely aware of their kids needs and feelings. There were so many better ways her mom could have and would have handled things like waiting until the end of the school year, arranging a boundary exception, especially since these were private schools, attending a different but closer private/charter or even a public school etc. A mom also would never have removed a kid from a situation where a potential full ride to college through sports was established.  Especially knowing how hard a kid worked and how passionate they were. I also feel like making her mother that oblivious to an obvious and clearly harsh rivalry was a plot device and made her mom unbelievable. And to add to the insult, her mom was completely clueless to the bullying when her own boyfriend worked at the school. As someone who works at a school, we know who the bullies are, and the signs of bullying, even if none of the kids tell. Teachers aren't stupid, especially in this day and age of anti-bullying. The resolution of her mom thinking a few friends would make things better was too weak for me.
These two things alone ruined an otherwise enjoyable novel. The characters were great, the typical teen scenes were amusing, and I enjoyed flipping through the "pages".  I will read the next book though, and hopefully my issues will be resolved.

Cover Reveal for my Novel; Quest for a Popstar!

I'm so excited to reveal the cover for my new novel and the first book in my new trilogy Reality Romances! I seriously love this cover and I think it captures the essence of the book perfectly!

So, here it is:

Reviewers Needed!

Okay guys, normally I go hunting for reviewers, but at the moment, I'm really short on time so I'm going to put this out there.

I NEED reviewers for:

Widow of Papina

Amazon Goodreads

Quest for a Popstar

(Reality Romance #1)

(Cover and links still to come)

Blurb:

I haven’t done much performing, not since high school. Yet here I am, backstage, waiting for my turn to audition.

I’m excited, I’m nervous, and after witnessing the talent of the Murphy family that performs before me, I almost throw in the towel. But I don’t. I walk out on that stage, and what happens next is something I never could have predicted.

The events that follow all fall like well lined-up dominoes. My life, my world, everything changes. Suddenly success is overshadowed by exploitation, loyalty wrecked with betrayal, and trust gets slaughtered by life changing secrets.

Oh, and then there’s Lucas, the guy—of course there’s a guy—who might end up being the deciding factor on whether walking out on that stage would end up being the best decision of my life…

…or the worst.

Dwarves of Calcus (Fairytale Galaxy #3)

(Cover still to come)

Goodreads

Please only offer if you will post on Goodreads and later Amazon when they go live (Widow of Papina is already live FYI) I have electronic ARCs, no paperbacks.

If you are interested, please contact me at katiejteller@gmail.com
Feel free to pass this on to anyone who would be interested.

RELEASE DAY for Widow of Papina!

I am so excited for this release! Originally titled "Papina", Widow of Papina was a novel I trialed as a self-published book. But, I felt like going down that road wasn't giving it the attention it deserved, so I pulled it, and signed a contract for it with Soul Mate Publishing, who have previously published three of my other works.(Branded, Dancing in the Athenian Rain, and Brownlow Baby)

And now, today I am launching back into the world with a new cover, fresh editing, and ready to to amaze! (I hope for that last part at least) So grab your copy today!

AMAZON

Cover Reveal for My Novel: Widow of Papina

As you may, or may not know, I am re-releasing one of my previously self-published titles through Soul Mate Publishing. The self-publish route wasn't doing what I'd hoped for, so I took the manuscript to SMP who I have previously published the novels; Branded, Dancing in the Athenian Rain, and Brownlow Baby. With that comes new packaging and some wonderful editing to really make the novel sparkle. Papina, now titled Widow of Papina will release on...

Dec 13th 2017.

Yeah, it's CRAZY close! You can pre-order Here.

For now, here is the brand new cover! Enjoy!

Review: Rebekah by Orson Scott Card

From Goodreads:
Born into a time and place where a woman speaks her mind at her peril, and reared as a motherless child by a doting father, Rebekah grew up to be a stunning, headstrong beauty. She was chosen by God for a special destiny.

Rebekah leaves her father's house to marry Isaac, the studious young son of the Patriarch Abraham, only to find herself caught up in a series of painful rivalries, first between her husband and his brother Ishmael, and later between her sons Jacob and Esau. Her struggles to find her place in the family of Abraham are a true test of her faith, but through it all she finds her own relationship with God and does her best to serve His cause in the lives of those she loves. 

In Rebekah, Orson Scott Card has created an astonishing personality, complex and intriguing, and her story will engage your heart as it captures your imagination.



My Thoughts:
I read Sarah earlier this year, and I read Rachel & Leah several years ago (not long after it released) but Rebekah is hands down my favorite of the three books.
I struggle to like Rachel & Leah, mostly because the whole premise, even the biblical version, hurts my heart and I really dislike Jacob for the way he treated the women. Sarah hit some tender places in my with her fertility struggles, and self-sacrifices, and I always empathized with her. But Rebekah. Rebekah I really felt like I knew because I saw myself in her. Her fire, her fight, even her relationship with God reminded me of myself. Isaac was wonderful too, even if he couldn't see past his own self-loathing at times. Rebekah's love for him made up for that.
I also really enjoyed seeing so much of her younger years, as the foundation of her adult life was put in place. The strong, devoted young girl was incredible.
It makes me wish there was more in the bible about Rebekah and Isaac.
LOVED!!!

Cover Reveal: Promise: A Christmas Novella by Melody Winter

Promise: A Christmas Novella
Melody Winter
Publication date: December 5th 2017
Genres: Adult, Romance

Charlotte Walker and Adam Middleton were childhood sweethearts until the day he and his family disappeared. All he left Charlotte was a scrappy piece of paper with a few throwaway words:
‘I’ll never forget you. I promise.’
After eight years of hoping he’d come back into her life, Charlotte can no longer bear the heartbreak of Adam’s broken promise. Retreating to a remote cabin to spend a quiet Christmas holiday alone, Charlotte is determined to push the ghost of Adam into the past and focus on moving forward with the rest of her life.
But when a bearded man knocks on the cabin door on Christmas Eve, could he hold the answer to Charlotte’s years of heartache?

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order

Author Bio:
Growing up, Melody Winter showed a natural ability in art, a head for maths, and a tendency to write far too long English essays. Difficult to place in the world when she graduated, she pursued a career in teaching, but eventually ended up working in finance. Melody is convinced that the methodical time she spends working with numbers fuels her desire to drift into dream worlds and write about the illusory characters in her head.
Melody lives in North Yorkshire, England, with her husband and two teenage sons. When not dealing with football, rugby, and a whole plethora of ‘boy’ activities, she will be found scribbling notes for her stories, or listening to 80’s music on her IPod.
Melody has a tendency to fall head-over-heels in love with her main characters, even when they frustrate her and refuse to act the way she wants them to. She is a romance writer at heart and loves reading and writing about anything mythological or magical, as well as exploring the gritty side of love affairs and the complexities of being in love.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Amazon / Pinterest

Review: The Preacher's Bride by Jody Hedlund

From Goodreads:

In 1650s England, a young Puritan maiden is on a mission to save the baby of her newly widowed preacher--whether her assistance is wanted or not. Always ready to help those in need, Elizabeth ignores John's protests of her aid. She's even willing to risk her lone marriage prospect to help the little family.

Yet Elizabeth's new role as nanny takes a dangerous turn when John's boldness from the pulpit makes him a target of political and religious leaders. As the preacher's enemies become desperate to silence him, they draw Elizabeth into a deadly web of deception. Finding herself in more danger than she ever bargained for, she's more determined than ever to save the child--and man--she's come to love.






My Thoughts:
I didn't expect this to be perfectly timed for Thanksgiving, but I'm glad it was! Learning about the puritans before they became pilgrims couldn't have been more perfect for the season.
Elizabeth's story begins when a mother dies soon after delivering her baby. Elizabeth, headstrong and bright, puts her talents and loving heart to the task of keeping the infant alive. Her faith gets her through, which is something I greatly admired, especially in the darkest times she faced. She's outspoken, but she's a quiet and powerful force, a person whose influence isn't really noticed, but needed and present.  I think that's what I enjoyed about her love with John; it's so honest and built on him noticing her character and her quiet strength.
Clean read, and well worth the time, this book charmed me and transported me to a time of struggle and reform well worth understanding.

Review: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

From Goodreads:
Eleven-year-old orphan Anne Shirley has just arrived at Green Gables, and already her guardians want to send her back. First, she’s not the boy the Cuthberts expected. Second, she talks too much. And even with her generous spirit, the redhead’s a trouble magnet. She gets the neighbor drunk and nearly poisons the pastor!

Still, despite a rocky start, the fiery Anne wins over her guardians and her new community. She enjoys life at Green Gables, excels in school, and earns a coveted scholarship. But when tragedy hits, Anne must choose between her dreams and the only home she’s ever known.

In this beloved coming-of-age story, Lucy Maud Montgomery drew from her own experiences growing up in Canada during the nineteenth century to introduce generations of readers to one of literature’s most original and inspiring characters. 




My Thoughts:
I know this book is in no need for reviews, but I have made a goal to read more classics, especially North American literature since I wasn't exposed to them much growing up, and I also leave reviews for all that I read. So, here we go!
This was an interesting one for me. I loved it, but then, I didn't. It was engaging, yet, it didn't keep me flipping the pages. I felt like the end finally became interesting, and there were parts that were also engaging, but the writing didn't pull me in like I wanted. I'll put it down to the older "style" of writing employed that I'm not used to reading anymore. Aside from that, it's a cute story. Each chapter seems to have mini stories that show Anne aging, learning, and growing,which all ends up with an ending tht I wanted to cry about, but, couldn't for the above reasons.
I will now continue my reading of classic books, and include the rest of the seven Anne books.

Blog Tour: My New Crush Gave to Me by Shani Petroff

My New Crush Gave to Me
Shani Petroff
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: October 31st 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

This sweet, funny holiday romance from the author of Romeo And What’s Her Name features cute boys, plenty of rom-com mishaps, and a determined heroine readers are certain to fall for.
Charlotte “Charlie” Donovan knows exactly what she wants for Christmas: Teo Ortiz. He’s a star athlete, a National Honor Society member, and the most popular guy in school. Plus he contributes to the school paper, where Charlie is a co-editor. Basically, he’s exactly the type of guy Charlie’s looking for. The only problem is—he barely knows she exists.
But Charlie has a plan: rig the paper’s Secret Santa and win his heart with the perfect gift. The catch? She has no idea what to get him. Enter J.D. Ortiz–Teo’s cousin, and possibly the most annoying person on the planet. He’s easy going, laid back, disorganized, and spontaneous—the exact opposite
of Charlie (and Teo). But he knows what Teo wants, so she’s stuck with him.
Yet, the more time Charlie spends with J.D., the more she starts to wonder: Does she really know what, or rather who, she wants for Christmas?
Shani Petroff’s newest young adult comedy of errors, My New Crush Gave to Me, is the perfect read for those searching for some love and laughter along with their holiday spirit.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Author Bio:
Shani Petroff is a writer living in New York City. She’s the author of the “Bedeviled” series, which includes Daddy’s Little Angel, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Dress, Careful What You Wish For, and Love Struck, and is the co-author of the “Destined” series which includes Ash and Ultraviolet. She also writes for television news programs and several other venues. When she’s not locked in her apartment typing away, she spends a whole lot of time on books, boys, TV, daydreaming, and shopping online.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
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Blog Tour: So Near the Horizon by Jessica Koch

The No. 1 Bestseller from Germany - based on a true story! A story of true love ...

Release Date: September 6th 2017

Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Jessica has an uncomplicated life and a promising future. Leaving the house one evening, she has no idea that she’s about to meet the love of her life - or that her entire understanding of the world is about to change. And before long, she’s going to face a decision that will shape her forever…
In 'So Near the Horizon' Jessica Koch describes a life lived somewhere between hope and fear, confronting true events from her own past with raw honesty and frank reflection - and exploring more than one difficult subject along the way.
A story of deep love. A story of trust, courage, pain, despair, and the strength to let go. A true story.

Add to Goodreads

About the Author

Jessica Koch (born in Ludwigsburg, Germany) began writing short stories when she was still in high school, but never submitted her work to publishers. In late 1999, shortly after beginning her studies to become an architectural drafter, she met Danny, a German-American dual national. Her experiences with him eventually formed the basis for So Near the Horizon, though it was nearly thirteen years before she felt ready to bring the manuscript to the public.

The author describes a life lived somewhere between hope and fear, between optimism and despair. She reflects on events from her own past with raw honesty, confronting more than one difficult subject along the way.

Jessica Koch lives near the city of Heilbronn with her husband, their son, and two dogs. The second and third books in the trilogy, So Near the Abyss and So Near the Ocean, are already best-sellers in Germany as well.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Facebook

Blog Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

Blog Tour: Premonition by Leigh Walker

Release Date: July 19th 2017

Summary from Goodreads:

For fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent...this exciting new science-fiction romance series, filled with twists and turns, will take you for a wild ride! 

When Riley heads off to boarding school for a summer work-study program, she knows it'll be demanding. What she doesn't expect? To be thrust into an intense physical training program described as special, exclusive and worst of all--top-secret. She signed up for tuition assistance, not to be held in a secret government facility for boot camp...

Welcome to The Division, the government agency that's so classified, most United States senators have never heard of it. 

The Division wants Riley bad, but she can't figure out why. Skeptical of what she's being told, Riley's determined to uncover the truth. Boot camp is intense, physically and mentally draining. The upside? One of her new teammates is the cutest boy ever. Watching Finn hit the gym wearing a tank top doesn't suck--although sometimes his brooding attitude does. But when training forces Riley to confront her tragic past, even Finn's big biceps aren't enough to make her want to stay...

Beware: The Division isn't something you just walk away from. You better run. 

Riley realizes her capabilities and strengths are greater than she'd ever imagined. But she also learns she wasn't just chosen for this special program...

She was made for it.

Add to Goodreads

About the Author

Leigh Walker lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children. She has a degree in Journalism and a law degree. 

She's never been to the Naval Shipyard prison in Kittery, ME, but she's driven by it...and boy, is it creepy!

Leigh has lots of books planned for The Division Series. She loves to hear from readers, so feel free to email her at leigh@leighwalkerbooks.com.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads │Facebook

Blog Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

Review: For All Eternity by Dr. John L Lund

From Goodreads:
Popular speaker, author, and marriage counselor, Dr. John L. Lund shares his wealth of knowledge, insight, and humor on the all-important topic of improving communication and strengthening marriage relationships. In this four-talk set you will laugh as you and your spouse see yourselves in Dr. Lund's descriptions of the differences between men and women and how we communicate. You will be enlightened as you take his Love Language Quiz and find out how to speak your spouse's love language. You will learn how to use active and reflective listening skills to resolve conflict in your relationships. Finally, you will understand the art of giving an apology and accepting responsibility. All of these tools and more, combined with Dr. Lund's trademark humor and stories, will make this set an important resource in strengthening your marriage and helping it last For All Eternity.

My Thoughts:
I truly loved this book (audio). It's not JUST for newlyweds. I've been married almost 9 years and Lund's guidance has helped and inspired me. This is great counsel for any relationship, but especially marriage. It gave me not only an idea of my and my husband's love languages, communication skills, etc, but also helpful way to implement them, while keeping the discussion light, humorous and realistic. The message on forgiveness really rang true with me, and stands out in my mind. I loved that he implemented how the Savior plays an crucial part and how I can rely on Him to help me forgive not just others but myself.

Highly recommend this to Everyone!!! 

Review: Behind Every Good Man by John Bytheway

From Goodreads:
"Behind every good man is a good woman," the old saying goes. How can a wife help her husband grow and progress and be a priesthood leader in the home without criticizing, nagging, or making him feel like he is not measuring up?

As a result of some wide reading, pondering, and research, John Bytheway attempts to answer that question in this book. With his trademark humor and unique insights, the author shares experiences from his own marriage, practical counsel from several marriage experts, and inspired statements from Church leaders.

Simple tools such as: praising betimes with sharpness, and making requests with an exit strategy will bless marriages and help husbands and wives fulfill their roles as they try to lead their families in the latter days.

My Thoughts:
This was a wonderful short read. My parents bought me this book (signed copy!) a few years ago, and I set it aside thinking I didn't really need it. Boy, was I wrong!
 I just recently finished the marriage talks by John Lund, and this book reinforced those talks as well as add to the discussions the talks raised. My marriage is so important to me, and I'm so glad the Lord has inspired people like John Bytheway--who I devoured his talks as a teenager--to give helpful advice and guidance filled with love to help me grow and, as a consequence, help my marriage grow. The only downside for me is that this book is so short so I read too fast. But for someone who isn't as avid a reader as me would definitely benefit.
Recommend for anyone wanting to strengthen or take steps toward repairing their marriage.

Review: Souls Endure by Anne B. Cole

From Goodreads:
‘Without faith, love may not exist. Without love, evil takes control.’

Protected against the ring’s curse by their bond in marriage, Sam and Gretta begin a new life together. Gifted with a free honeymoon from strangers, they encounter visits from spirits of dead loved ones as they travel to the origins of the curse on Gretta’s ring. The beautiful Greek Islands become not only their honeymoon getaway, but their fated destiny where they will be forced to either break the curse or succumb to its evil.

With help from ancestral spirits Roxana and Katarina, Sam and Gretta time travel to the nineteenth century in search of answers to the mysteries behind the ring’s final curse. Faced with challenges of faith, trust, and forgiveness, Sam and Gretta prepare to make the ultimate sacrifice.



My Thoughts:
I have LOVED this series, having read one after the other as the released, and watched as Cole went from querying to this final book. Sam and Gretta were fabulous from the beginning, their love raw and strong, and their family bonds tangible.
Book 1 is still my favorite though. Each book had a different feel about it, this one hving a fantasy, mythological feel about it. But this wasn't my favorite of the 3 books. Were the other books kept me flipping through the pages, this one had me getting disinterested in places. I think with the gods bickering like children it became disjointed emotionally for me. Where the first two books were focused on getting to know Sam and Gretta and their family backgrounds, this book didn't really have that.
But, that said, the writing was as strong as ever, and I enjoyed the conclusion. I'd recommend this series to anyone who likes history or mythology.

Review: 18 Thoughts (My So Called Afterlife #3) by Jamie Ayres

From Goodreads:
Olga Gay Worontzoff left the Underworld for her final year of high school anxious for things to return to normal, but fate has other plans.

The new hottie at school reads her thoughts but nobody else’s. Her best friend wakes up from his coma acting like a completely different person. Caught in a world that’s a mix of familiar and supernatural, she must confront what she will—or won’t—do to bring him back and stare down her own perceived inadequacies to face a couple of tenacious demons, figurative and literal.

Everything she thought she knew about reality will change as she walks the line between past and present, fear and faith, love and loyalty.

And by the end of a heartbreaking year, she might be forced to realize “normal” in the conventional sense of the word is the one thing she may never achieve.




My Thoughts:
After I finished the first two books, I jumped straight into this one to see how things would end with Olga and the boys. This book started out strong. I loved that we saw Nate and Connor's perspectives as well, although it did make me like Connor even less. He always came across as selfish, even with his intentions for Olga.
But about halfway through, things just got... weird. Things made me uncomfortable and I found myself glancing around to make sure no one else was around.
But what bothered me the most was in book 1 I felt like Olga made massive progress, even book 2 had her continue to grow in ways I understood, even when they were reckless. But I felt like the memory wipe made all of it get reversed, and the parallel "18 Things" were just not as good.
And the ending. Blurg. It was like an anime ending; unsatisfactory. No spoilers, though. I just want to say I did not like it. It could have been so much stronger and way more interesting, plus again, satisfying.
Anyway, I'm glad I read the books. Like Hunger games, most of it was great, except that ending.

Cover reveal: Conduit by C.C.Dowling

When college senior Jane Lamb dies suddenly, she discovers that the afterlife is less pearly gates and fluffy clouds and more standing in line at the DMV. But before she can spend eternity lamenting over her short, unremarkable life, she’s offered a do-over—as a Conduit, a reincarnated messenger contracted to reap souls.

Determined to do things right the second time, Jane takes the job and reincarnates as eighteen-year-old college freshman Liv Hartley. Only, the excitement for her new life doesn’t last. There are consequences to bearing the coveted infinity symbol tattoo marking her as a Conduit, and Liv quickly finds that getting a second chance doesn’t mean getting a better one. Possessive demons, stolen assignments, and a love life that’s decidedly complicated are all a far cry from the mundane existence Jane led. But with more questions piling up than bodies, there’s only one thing Liv knows for sure: life doesn’t get any easier after death.

Filled with sparkling wit, conflicted romance, and more spirit than a haunted mansion, Conduit is a fun-filled paranormal that explores the idea of regret, love, and what we would give to live twice.

Release Date: October 31, 2017 (Halloween!!!)

Pre-Order Link: $0.99 pre-order off the REUTS website and get it a weekend before everyone else! http://www.reuts.com/product/conduit-c-c-dowling/

Son of a Pitch Round Three!

Here we are, the final round of Son of a Pitch! Last week we had a crazy but exciting time reading through and critiquing entries, which hopefully are improved and strengthened to earn those book deals!
But, we could only put 20 through to this round, so below are the links to those entries:

Derek Hyde Knows Spooky When He Sees It

The Magic Within

Fearless

Dream A Little Dream of Me

Robot Dreams

Elise & the Seer

White Soul

Hunting Legends

Flesh & Ink

Hazelwood

Liked

Accounting for it All

Let the Canyons Weep

The Savage

The Merged

From Smokeless Fire

Hanging

Salvation

Scrapetown

Death of a Bachelor

Good luck to everyone!

Son of a Pitch Finalist: Derek Hyde Knows Spooky When He Sees It

Title: DEREK HYDE KNOWS SPOOKY WHEN HE SEES IT
Category and Genre: MG, Paranormal
Word Count: 41,000


Query:
Derek Hyde isn’t tingling with undiluted joy that the spookiest old mansion in town is about to become the Hyde Funeral Home & Used Coffin Outlet. Especially since he has to live there with his adoptive mortician parents, Jack and Formalda.

Of course, being driven in the family hearse to his first day at middle school doesn’t exactly add whipped cream to his broccoli.

As if things couldn't get more horrific, an evil classmate named Nussbaum attacks him in the cafeteria with a plate of beef stroganoff. Seems this kid loved living in the old mansion himself, but got yanked out after accidentally blowing up his own mom and dad. With his chemistry set. Now his dead parents are stuck as ghosts and Nussbaum is a foster kid stuck on revenge, vowing to get even with Derek’s family for taking over his haunted home.

All twelve-year-old Derek needs is a nice place to live—preferably without any blood-curdling apparitions that scare the pants off him and a classmate bent on ensuring he doesn't make it to thirteen. Piece of cake. Sure.



First 250 Words:
There are far worse things in life than being raised in a funeral home. For example, you could… um…
Okay, here’s one. You could have your brains eaten alive and slurped down by cranky, overworked zombies who haven’t had their morning coffee.
Or how about this? You could be stuffed into a spin dryer at Leo’s Laundromat & Hideous Stain Removal Service and set to Extra Dry/Huge Load.
But Derek wasn’t eaten and he definitely wasn’t spin dried, either. Just driven to the narcoleptic town of Littleburp in the family car (actually, an old yellow school bus), and then to a really unfortunate and grossly undesirable address: 1313 Slimeytoes Lane.
As the bus splashed its way through a beautifully timed thunderstorm on the worst day of Derek’s life (so far), his mom and dad worked at keeping his spirits up by singing their favorite, most embarrassing song: Poopy Head, Poopy Head, Don’t You Be a Poopy Head.
It didn’t help.
It was bad enough his adoptive parents dragged Derek out of his seventh grade class and away from all his friends to limp across the country in a broken-down school bus on this Journey to Nowhere. Much worse was the notion that they were about to move him into a spooky old mansion they planned to convert into a funeral home.
You see, his parents were funeral directors. Morticians. Undertakers.
On this appropriately stormy autumn day, noisy brakes slowed them to a squealing stop in front of their new home.

Son of a Pitch Finalist: The Magic Within

Title: THE MAGIC WITHIN
Category and Genre: YA contemporary with elements of magic (Not true magical realism)
Word Count: 73,000

Query:
Fifteen-year-old Ana Samuels is not excited about moving to the rainy Pacific Northwest. It's bad enough she's leaving her BFF Clara behind, but she's worried her albinism will turn her into a stare magnet. Ana's plans for survival include playing her fiddle, and keeping to the shadows at her new performing arts school.

Falling for James, a hearing-impaired redhead, is not part of those plans. Neither is finding an old violin in her attic—especially not one that shoots electric shocks and blue flames when she touches it. Sensations no one but Ana can see or feel. A note tucked inside the case promises a gift to whoever can endure the magic long enough to play. Willing to try anything to fix her lonely life, Ana is determined to play. Unfortunately, each attempt fails miserably. Even a ten second touch sends her flying. Frustrated, Ana decides to give up. But the violin has other plans and refuses to let her go, delivering headaches and bouts of unfathomable itching. Symptoms relieved only by touching the violin again. Now she's trapped. She can't play but she can't stop trying. As Ana's obsession grows and the magical side effects chip away at her sanity, her grades plummet, her friendship with Clara crumbles, and her blossoming romance with James is threatened.

When she begins to suspect her mother is seriously ill, Ana realizes her mother needs the gift more than she does. Miraculously, James believes her fantastical story and together they attempt to unravel the mystery of the violin's hold over Ana. In the process, they discover the magical offer is about to end. Ana faces an impossible decision. Play to receive the gift—risking the potentially deadly magic—or refuse, and not only continue her descent into madness, but lose her chance to save her mother.


First 250:
I'm not sure how to get the italics to show up on the website, but I think they are important to show that the vision is happening in real time, like dialogue.
Sweat dripped down the back of my neck and trickled between my shoulder blades. Gross. I swear it was hot enough to melt the lips off a chicken. A vision of a plump hen with liquefying lips flitted through my mind. I grimaced at ridiculous image. Clearly, despite my hat—big enough to cover the entire state of New Mexico—the desert sun had finally fricasseed my brain.
I slid deeper into the shade of our old Desert Willow, careful to keep my pale, melanin-free skin under cover. As far as I could determine, the only positive feature of our impending move to the rainy and miserable Pacific Northwest was the promise of cooler temperatures.
After spending the morning helping my parents do a final sweep of our house, searching through closets and empty rooms for forgotten items, I'd escaped outside. Despite the heat, I needed to get away from the memories of my childhood that tugged at my heart from every corner of our house.
I leaned against the tree and opened my book, trying to lose myself in the magic of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude. I read for a few minutes, then the words began to dance and blur. The world around me hushed and became silent. Our yard disappeared in a smoky haze as I slipped into some kind of bizarre vision.
I’m sitting on a dirty, wooden floor. A dim light filters in through the two stained glass windows at each end of the long narrow room.

Son of a Pitch Finalist: Fearless

Title: Fearless
Category and Genre: YA Contemporary
Word Count: 83,000

Query:
Seventeen-year-old Annie Armani’s life has been a whirlwind: her world was first shaken by the death of her brother, whom she idolized, and then turned upside down when she won her first mixed martial arts title by knocking her opponent out in a single punch. With her next title match on the horizon, Annie’s worried everyone will learn what she already knows: that her victory was a fluke.

Despite being filled with self-doubt and a healthy dose of imposter syndrome, Annie finds herself the focus on a half-documentary, half-reality show chronicling her journey. While she may be a fighter in the ring, she’s shutting out the people around her, including Jake Duff, her new trainer. While TV producers and interviewers attempt to wrangle a sob-story out of her, Annie avoids talking about her personal life, not wanting to come off as anything other than “strong.” If the TV show goes too deep into her life, the whole world might learn about her father’s disappearance during her childhood, her mother’s attachment to a jailbird boyfriend, and Annie’s deep grief over her brother’s recent passing.

As her next title fight approaches, Annie begins to realize her opponent isn’t the only person she’s up against—she’s also battling herself.

First 250 Words:
As I walked into the convenience store, I immediately recognized the fight showing on the old TV sitting in the corner. I pulled the hood of my sweatshirt over my head, stuffing my hands in the pockets. I cursed the fact that my sweatshirt advertised Donovan’s Fight Club, Philly’s premier mixed martial arts—MMA—training facility. I grabbed the milk I had come in for and scooped up a bag of Skittles for my half-sister, Margie. Walking up to the counter, I pulled out a wad of bills from my back pocket. The clerk's attention was on the TV, the fight reflecting in his gray eyes as I put my items on the counter.

“Gimme one sec, okay?” His gaze never left the fight. “This girl’s gonna throw a punch like nothin’ I ever seen before.” He paused to chuckle, still watching. “She’s gonna be the next big MMA star. They’re saying she’ll never lose a fight.”

I swallowed. My throat went dry at any mention of the fight. “Look, I have somewhere to be. Besides, isn’t this fight old news?”

“Old news? They show it over and over, and every time, I have to stop and watch. It’s—what do the kids these days say?—it’s gone viral. The girl’s local, too. Her first real fight, and she won like it was nothin’."

Turning my head to the TV, I was just in time to see the knock-out punch. Just as it had in real time, my stomach lurched.

Son of a Pitch Finalist: Dream a Little Dream of Me

Title: Dream a Little Dream of Me
Category and Genre: (YA/Magical Realism/Time-travel)
Word Count: 86,000

Query:
A year has passed since sixteen-year-old Ellie Barrett’s mother died. She pulled away from her two best friends and her once-beloved Aunt Jane who’s now her guardian. She only talks to Nate, the loner guy at school with a mysterious past. She doesn’t see her life ever changing until the night she wishes on a shooting star to get her mother back. And she does, just not the way she imagined.

Now, instead of sleeping, she travels to 1976 when her mother was sixteen-year-old Trix. Being with her mom is a dream-come-true . . . almost. Ellie loves Trix and adores her grandmother and her aunt at twelve. But Trix isn’t a mom-substitute, and time-travel has its downsides. Besides never sleeping, Ellie vanishes when she travels from one time to the other. In the past she’s healthy, but in her present Ellie fears she won’t survive.

Time-travel is killing Ellie, so she must choose—if she can—life in the past with her sixteen-year-old mother or life without her mother at all.


First 250 Words:
The breeze on top of the Empire State Building gusts Mom’s soft hippie skirt behind her, her black and silver hair intertwining with mine. “Can anything be better than this?” she asks.
We pose like figureheads on a ship, arms outstretched, hugging all of Manhattan, the car lights streaming like rivers far below.
I laugh. “When did heights stop bothering you?”
Mom wraps her arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. “When I died, my sweet.”
My alarm went off, the droning buzz erasing Mom’s voice. I hit the clock, needing to smack something. To break something. My heart pounded, my eyes teary.
Mom Dream #365. She leaves me. Again.
I curled into a ball under my comforter, my arms wrapped around me. Me pretending they’re hers. I didn’t know which was worse—great dreams where Mom is herself or the ones like last night’s where she sat next to me at her funeral, skeleton thin, accusing me of forgetting her, preferring Aunt Jane.
No matter which kind of dream, waking up was torture. I wanted her here, whether she was nightmare Mom or real Mom. Real Mom—pushy, loving, funny, mush under impatience—would know how desperately I missed her, that I’d do anything to get her back, to have her open the door, hear her say my name.
“Ellie, you up?”
Wrong! Wrong person!
The door creaked opened. “Ellie, answer so I know you’re awake.”
Every morning we did this. She’d sound like Mom, but every morning she wasn’t.

Son of a Pitch Finalist: Robot Dreams

Title: ROBOT DREAMS
Category and Genre: YA Science Fiction
Word Count: 80,000

Query:
All wayward android Ada can remember, after having her memory wiped upon arrival, is the bunker belonging to the eccentric humans who took her in. A mistaken outburst shows she isn't as pliable as they would have liked and she soon finds herself cast out into the night.

A human army's press gang finds Ada while securing recruits to retake territory from the machines, with her training from the bunker helping her to play human convincingly.

When she is selected for a vital mission with commander Nico to the heart of machine controlled territory, with the most powerful anti-robot weapon at their disposal, Ada must decide where her allegiances lie. She’s never had a choice before and finds herself increasingly drawn to Nico, his easy friendship making her feel as if she is truly alive.

As they fight through hostile machines to the factory where Ada herself may have been created, Ada must decide which she'd rather be: woman or machine. Nico's mission is to deactivate robots and if he discovers her true identity her very existence will be on the line.


First 250 words
The couple opposite me closed their eyes and murmured words of thanksgiving together.
“Thank you for our home, for this food we eat today and for our safety from the metal-lovers outside.”
The thick steel walls around us were suffocating, enclosing us in a space barely big enough to stretch our arms out. Scott and Janet weren’t fans of decorating, so the only unnatural marks in the room were small indentations at head height on the wall closest to me. They wouldn’t tell me what had caused them. Wasn’t my place to ask questions like that, apparently.
“May I be excused?” I asked, shifting uncomfortably in my seat, the charging wire plugged into my spine rubbing against the back of the chair.
Scott looked up first, peering at me over his wiry glasses.
“Stay, Ada. There are things you can be thankful for too. Why don’t you share them?” Scott’s voice was low and melodic, almost hypnotic.
“I’m thankful for...”
I looked over at Janet for clues, but today she wasn’t in the mood to be helpful. She shook her head insistently, looking like the little nodding dog in the old commercial they made me watch once. We were two hundred feet below ground, playing at happy families, and I was completely reliant on them for the electricity I needed to survive. I might never have seen the outside world but I wasn’t dumb enough to think that a family consisted of Mum and Dad and a metal-girl.

Son of a Pitch Finalist: Elise & the Seer

Title: ELISE AND THE SEER
Category: Young Adult, Contemporary Fantasy
Word Count: 69,000


QUERY:
Space opera nerd Elise Kan only wishes there was a Dark Side to defeat.
Instead, she’s stuck with AP Econ problem sets, pseudo-friends with useless supernatural abilities like vomiting M&Ms, and (literally) hovering Asian parents who nag her constantly about how much she eats. Yes, half the population gets unique Gifts when they reach their teens, but most of these abilities are pointless, and others just suck.
So Elise counts calories. Obsessively. Because maybe the most significant thing she can do right now is prevent the Freshman Fifteen.
Then Elise’s dormant Gift finally erupts: she shapeshifts into a bear in the middle of lunch, devours way too many cinnamon rolls, and gets tranquilized by Gift Control. Self-exiled from the cafeteria, she’s forced to cross paths with Tanata, a new kid with Gift-related problems of his own. As they bond over eighties space opera Third Millennium, take down a cyborg bully, and try to revive Tanata’s comatose mother, Elise’s eating disorder tightens in a Gift-fueled downward spiral. Elise has to decide if she’ll open up about her mental health—and in the process, learn how to fight for good even when there’s no clear Dark Side.



FIRST 250 WORDS:
By October, no one cares that Ms. Stickelman fades in through the back wall to start first period Econ, but she keeps doing it anyway.
“Okay, AP guys, I’d say we’re eighty-seven-point-five percent awake,” she says, her body solidifying as she sits down at her desk. Her words come rapid-fire like she’s on Five Hour Energy, except she doesn’t drink caffeine. If she did, I think the world might explode. “Which is decent, considering last week it was only--” she picks up her attendance sheet-- “seventy-five. Kevin Shao?”
Kevin jerks awake. His butt is starting to float a few inches above his seat-- only his knees, which knock on the underside of the desk, keep him from drifting to the ceiling. “Huh?”
“G’morning to you too,” Stickelman says, smiling pleasantly. “Can you give us a reason why a firm’s supply curve might move right?”
Kevin flushes all the way up to his carefully sideswept bangs. Stickelman moves on with her attendance/cross-examination, calling on Jane Meyerowitz (Gift: making cutesy rain clouds above the heads of people she doesn’t like), Mara Dale (Gift: baking perfectly round macaroons), and James Jorgensen (Gift: running super fast, so he can’t compete in regular track meets but all the girls flock to him anyway).
I stuff my cold hands under my legs. The heater roars, but there has to be a draft from the window because I always have goosebumps crawling up my neck and my fingers are blocks of ice.
Not enough body fat, Mom nags in the back of my head. You get too cold, you will die of pneumonia.
Yeah, right. I push her voice away.