QUERYING BEGINS!

Aaand I didn't think this would happen to me again, but I've got a bunch of queries to prepare the second the showcase ends, and I can't. Stop. Fiddling with them. The query letter, the synopsis, the excerpt, the pitch--it all has to be just right. The excerpt I ended up using for the Pitch Wars showcase (which ends now, basically) took my mentors and I maybe seven or eight back-and-forths to make sure it was what we wanted? The process, darlins. The PROCESS.

In case you're interested, here's what we came up with for the showcase. Also, here's a link to my FB Author page, which is...sparse right now. But so it goes. There's a free story there for those of you who like me ;)

https://www.facebook.com/carizcrew/

Pitch Wars Showcase excerpt (and an aesthetic my mentors made me):

Pitch:

Ghostbusters meets CSI. Who needs Slayers when you can combat the supernatural with STEM? Nadege “Dodge” Michaels dreams of revolutionizing the magical hazmat business with science. When her unsanctioned field work lands her in the crosshairs of a ruthless supernatural drug dealer, Dodge must use her forensic-style approach to bring the perp to justice, before she becomes his next victim.

Excerpt:

Few things in life are certain, but one of those things is this: no matter how well you explain it, your intern is going to make you repeat yourself over and over as you drive to your first magical crime scene.

Yellow and black tape festooned the door of Manny’s Reptile Emporium, its name spelled out in big green letters shaped like snakes. I grumbled under my breath as I parked the van—this wasn’t the kind of job I liked. No need for forensic analysis or investigation. Nothing to prove my worth to the council. No hope of cutting my year-long probationary period short.

Just a ‘scrape and scrap,’ and this particular scene was a doozy. When Dispatch called me to report the incident, I knew we were in for a hell of a day. Mongolian Death Worms are good at three things: killing their prey, eating their prey, and making me wish I’d been born without a sense of smell.

“Are we really needed for this, Dodge?” Jared asked again.

“Crime scene tape is a good indicator there’s work to be done,” I said. There was a lot, too. The slayer—I mean, operative—assigned to deal with the illegal cryptid had gone hog wild. They weren’t leaving things to chance with bystanders.

Jared eyed the tape, and I hoped he wasn’t about to bolt. Having an intern was essential. Without one, the council could revoke my license to operate.

Pitch Wars and a New Release: The Art of Possession!

Hey darlins!

Two big, big things today, one of which I'm rather conflicted about. First, the awesome thing--I succeeded in getting into this year's Pitch Wars! For those who don't know, Pitch Wars is an annual contest where aspiring authors pitch their manuscripts to those a little further along the path in the hopes of getting a hands-on mentorship to prep their novel for an agent showcase in February. It's a big deal, and I'm thrilled to be working with Janet Walden-West and Anne Raven (#TeamSubversive) on my book Magical Hazmat, about a biomagical engineer who wants to introduce more science into the magical messes she cleans up. Over 3500 people applied to be mentees, and there were a little over a hundred spots available. I beat some long odds for this, and I'm utterly and completely thrilled.

Now, for my second piece of news, which...*sigh*. Under normal circumstances I'd be thrilled to have a book coming out, but this one is coming out with Dreamspinner. I finished it at the beginning of the year, before things got as dire with the press as they are now, and was paid an advance for it. Until I earn that advance out, I can't take this book back, because I simply can't afford to.

That said, I love this book, which is called The Art of Possession. It's a modern-day adventure/Indiana Jones story, with more mutual affection and less thieving of priceless cultural artifacts. If that sounds good to you, please consider picking it up.

Amazon.com

Dreamspinner Press link

Goodreads links and reviews

Blurb: When a treasure-hunting black ops soldier and a disgraced, reckless archeologist team up in search of a priceless artifact, they might get more than they bargained for.

Ever since leaving the Green Berets to work in private security, Alex Tucker has longed for some excitement—and he’s about to get his wish.

Archeologist Malcolm Armstrong needs the chance to prove he isn’t a fraud. Along with Alex, he’s hired to track down and authenticate a valuable scepter, in a hunt that turns deadlier than either of them imagined as they search dangerous locations across three continents and try to stay ahead of the factions who want the treasure for themselves—and Malcolm and Alex dead.

Just as they realize the feelings between them transcend convenience and the thrill of the chase, a rival reemerges, threatening everything.