Janet Walden-West is an Urban Fantasy writer, award winner, and now she's trying her hand at agent wrangling--my words not hers. I've suggested luring them in with chocolate--you know, just set it on top of the manuscript and boom, got yourself an agent. Janet seems dubious, though. I even suggested the good stuff--Ferrero Roche good, but no, she still doesn't think it'll work. As you can see, I've thought of everything.
It might not be as rock solid as sticking candy on your manuscript, but Janet sent me a thing called "Pitch Wars." I looked it over and backed off--my "Light Among the Trees" needs more work, it's in November, my foot's itchy, I've got to clean out the fridge that day... As you can see, I chickened out, but Janet went for it.
She got a mentor, wrote up a pitch, and worked her story like a master craftsman--and I've been rooting for her all the way. Hacking thousands of words from a 120,000 word manuscript, honing it until every word has meaning, so that one scene falls into another--I sweat doing that on a small scale. She trimmed hers down to 109,000 words. Girl deserves some chocolate--the good stuff.
This is her Pitch War pitch and excerpt--Damned If Sh e Do She's number nine.
Her heroine's name is Sloan Carr. The story is full of lurking debts, family drama, Tennessee hills, sleek weapons, and above all, that question that lurks in the heart of most every Urban Fantasy story--when have you crossed the line between hunting monsters...and becoming one.
There's a handsome ex-monster hunter with secrets lurking on the sidelines, a vampire friend carving normalcy into his life, while questions lurk as to who is leaving bodies on his doorstep. But he might not like the answer--and neither will Sloan.
I don't know how wrangle an agent, how to find the one that will completely change your life, but I'm rooting for my friend. If you know an agent (or are hunting for one yourself) check #PitchWars
Check out #9, Damned If She Do by Janet Walden-West and mentored by JC Nelson.