Brenda Drake . . . under the influence of coffee: January 2012

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Psst ... I have BIG news

I got THE call! Okay, well, really my husband got the Call since I put his phone number on my manuscript. Doh! You see, our numbers are the same except for the last two digits so I mixed them up. It can happen. Then when the agent asked for my number, my husband gave his number to her again. Yes, that did happen. Great way to start a relationship, right?

When I got off the phone I looked like this...

And then, the cat could hardly believe it either ...

And then, the penguins started dancing ...

And then, I put this guy in the post just because he's too darn cute ...

So who's my agent? I am represented by the lovely Lauren Hammond of ADA Entertainment Group.

And I couldn't be more thrilled! I'm really excited about her plans for my projects. Also, she represents many of my writing buddies. I love my new agent sisters! (And brothers, if there are any.) One of which, Shannon Duffy, I owe big time for referring me to her. Thanks bunches!

To add to the craziness of the week, two days after I accepted, I got an email from a revise and resubmit that was almost a year old. Of course, I made my apologies. I totally connected with Lauren and I love her excitement about my work. Now on to the next stage. Submission (whenever that is). Eep!

To all of you still querying, know that this was years in the making. Keep querying and never give up. I will be here to help in any way I can. Hugs!

74 comments

Monday, January 23, 2012

We have winners ... Can You Hit A Perfect Pitch? Contest with Ammi-Joan Paquette

I'm so excited! We have winners and more! I won't go on and on about how great you all are and how supportive this community is because you'll probably just skip it to see who got requests. So here it goes...

From our fantabulous judge...

Ammi-Joan Paquette

What a terrific selection and great variety! It wasn’t easy narrowing things down, but I’ve finally decided on the winners:

Winners = please send your full manuscript ...

“Extraction” (Stephanie Diaz)

“Jedda Hitler” (Jackee)

Runners-Up = please send first 3 chapters ...

“Black Lace and the Clock Tower” (Kathryn Sheridan Kupanoff)

“The Charge” (Sharon Bayliss)

“The Art of Falling” (Tess Sharpe)

In addition, there were a number of others whose entries caught my eye and for which, while they weren’t part of the winners’ circle, I would be interested in seeing a query with the first 5 pages sent to me. Those names are as follows:

What Evie Saw (Kendra Gale)

Bodyguarding Evil (Ryan James Burt)

Banking Trust (Project383)

The Second Sign (E. Arroyo)

Firekeeper (Rin)

Jeremiah Copperpot (Jess)

Ruhe (R.A. Desilets)

The Dim (Janet B. Taylor)

I’m Game (Riley Redgate)

Biters (Sarah Shade)

FireFlys (Mrs. Trujillo)

Thank you, Joan, and congratulations everyone!

Winners and requests to read more please email me at brendadrakecontests@gmail.com for submission instructions.

And don't forget to check out her most fabulous book . . .

You can get a copy here...

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

That's it, for now ...

28 comments

Sunday, January 15, 2012

It's on ... Can You Hit A Perfect Pitch? Blogfest Contest with agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette

The contest is closed! Thanks everyone for participating and good luck. Please check back for the results soon!

~~Official Entry Post!~~
~~All entries must be posted in the comments below by 8:00am EST January 17.~~

It's finally here! Pitch your Young Adult or Middle Grade manuscript to agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette with the Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Please enter ONLY your entry to this post. If you have any questions, you can comment here.

About the agent...

Ammi-Joan Paquette

From her agency site ...

Joan joined EMLA in spring 2009 as an associate agent and was promoted to agent in fall 2011 after working in the editorial area of educational software development. In the last few years she has placed dozens of manuscripts with editors and is especially passionate about connecting with and launching the careers of debut authors. As the “East Coast branch” of EMLA, Joan works from her home office in Massachusetts, with long-distance support from the main Flagstaff office. She represents all forms of children's and young adult literature, but is most excited by a strong lyrical voice, tight plotting with surprising twists and turns, and stories told with heart and resonance that will stand the test of time.

You can read all about Joan here or here or here.

And don't forget about her most fabulous book . . .

The winners of the drawing for a copy of Nowhere Girl by A.J. Paquette by Random.org are ...

Angela Brown and Amy Jane Helmericks

(Please email me your addresses at brendadrakecontests@gmail.com to claim your prize.)

If you want to pick up your own copy of Nowhere Girl buy it here...

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Here's how it's going down...

On January 15th post a two sentence pitch (no more than 35 words) along with the first 150 words (if it falls in the middle of a sentence, go to the end of that sentence) of your finished Young Adult or Middle Grade manuscript to your blogs. From January 15th-16th hop around each others' blogs and critique or praise them. Revise your entries, if you want, and post them by 8:00am (EST) January 17th to the official entry post. If you want, you may skip the blogfest/critique portion of this contest and just enter the contest. To participate, sign up on the linky below.

Here's how your entry should look...
--------------------------------------------------

Title: Saint Michael's Daughters
Genre: YA Paranormal
Word Count: 70,000

Pitch: Jude's been trained to save good souls, so when the hot bad-boy from her Catholic school is claimed by the devil, she'll break the rules and go to hell and back to save him.

I hate the confessional. The booth is too tight and just plain creepy. You think you can hide your sins in such a dark place but that's a ruse. I feel completely exposed. Vulnerable. I smooth my red and gray plaid dress-code skirt over my knees. The door shuts on the other side of the partition wall. The priest settles on the bench and slides the window open. I hold my breath, praying it isn't Father Romano.

"You know it be a bit early for a confession, Jude."

I exhale at hearing Father Kelly's Irish accent muffle against the lattice screen.

"Yeah, but I sinned …you know."

"You were here not quite a week ago. Surely, your sins can wait a full week."

I sigh. "Well, today's a big day. I don't want to go to the ceremony with sins over my head."

"Alright, then, we best hurry. The proceedings are due to start. Please kneel."

I yank up my socks, shift to my knees on the prayer kneeler, and make the sign of the cross.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, I rushed my logline because I had fourteen girls from my niece's basketball team sleep over last night and had to get this post done during all the craziness. Anyway, you get the idea. Good luck to everyone!

There's still time to join in the fun. Sign up now! All entries must be posted in the comments by 8:00am EST on January 17.

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71 comments

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Can You Hit A Perfect Pitch? Blogfest Contest with agent Ammi-Joan Paquette

It's a brand spanking new year and I'm excited for our newest contest. Can you hit a perfect pitch for your Young Adult or Middle Grade manuscripts to agent Ammi-Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency? This is a great opportunity to get your work in front of her since she's closed to submissions. Also, you'd be lucky to have her as your agent. She's always been so kind during our communications. You can read all about Joan here or here or here.

Not only is Ammi-Joan Paquette an awesome agent, but she's also a terrific writer. I just finished reading her novel, NOWHERE GIRL, with Annika. Usually, I have to coax eight-year-old Anni to read at night, but not for this story. She'd count down the minutes until bedtime so that we could find out what happens to Luchi. Anni would fall asleep, and I'd continue reading because I didn't want to stop. I didn't even mind re-reading what I read without Anni the next time we read. I learned a lot about creating characters and evoking emotions from reading this book. If you don't win a copy, you should definitely buy it. If not for yourselves, for a young person in your life. It's a fantabulous read!

I'm giving away copies of NOWHERE GIRL to a few lucky folks who comment on this post. Just answer this question in the comments below: What is your prison (figuratively and, for some, literally) and have you broken free from it (which, if it's literal, please comment anonymously)? I'll announce the winners on January 15 on the contest's entry post.

Here's a bit about her novel...

A lyrical and enchanting tale of a girl born in a prison, in search of a true home.

Luchi Ann only knows a few things about herself: she was born in a prison in Thailand. Her American mother was an inmate there. And now that her mother has died, Luchi must leave the only place she's ever known and set out into the world. Neither at home as a Thai, because of her fair skin and blond hair, nor as a foreigner, because of her knowledge of Thai life and traditions, Luchi feels as though she belongs nowhere. But as she embarks on an amazing adventure-a journey spanning continents and customs, harrowing danger and exhilarating experiences-she will find the family, and the home, she's always dreamed of. Weaving intricate elements of traditional Thailand into a modern-day fairy tale unique unto itself, Nowhere Girl is a beautifully rendered story of courage, resilience, and finding the one place where you truly belong.

Buy it here:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Here's how the contest is going down ...

On January 15th post a two sentence pitch (no more than 35 words) along with the first 150 words (if it falls in the middle of a sentence, go to the end of that sentence) of your finished Young Adult or Middle Grade manuscript to your blogs. From January 15th-16th hop around each others' blogs and critique or praise them. Revise your entries, if you want, and post them by 8:00am (EST) January 17th to the official entry post. DO NOT POST THEM TO THIS POST. If you want, you may skip the blogfest/critique portion of this contest and just enter the contest. I will have the official post up, along with details on how to format your entries, on January 15th so that you can start posting when you're ready. To participate, sign up on the linky below.

You want to know the prizes? The prize (or prizes) is a request to read more from agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette. I'm crossing my fingers for all of you. Have I told you how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE this agent? Okay, well, I can't say it enough! I totally <3 her!

What are you waiting for? Sign up now!

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57 comments

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Win a copy of Trisha Wolfe's DESTINY'S FIRE

Update: The winner of Destiny's Fire is Meradeth Houston.

Please email me at brendadrakecontests@gmail.com to claim your prize.

I'm so excited for one of my writing buddies, Trisha Wolfe, book release on January 10th that I'm giving away a book here and on DNA Writers.

About the book ...

It’s the year 2040, and sixteen-year-old Dez Harkly is one of the last of her kind—part of a nearly extinct race of shape-shifters descended from guardians to the Egyptian pharaohs. Her home and her secret are threatened when the Council lowers the barrier, allowing the enemy race to enter the Shythe haven.

As the Narcolym airships approach, Dez and her friends rebel against their Council and secretly train for battle. Not only is Dez wary of war and her growing affection for her best friend Jace, she fears the change her birthday will bring. When Dez’s newfound power rockets out of control, it’s a Narcolym who could change her fate…if she can trust him.

Dez’s guarded world crumbles when she discovers why the Narcos have really come to Haven Falls, and she's forced to choose between the race who raised her and the enemy she's feared her whole life.

Teaser ...

He released a heavy sigh. I barely heard it over the music. “Because, no one tries to take advantage of me if I get drunk. I’m not a hot chick that has to worry about some guy trying to get into my pants.” He looked me up and down. “Or my bustle.”

I stretched my eyes wide, amused. “So, I’m a hot chick?” I smiled. “And you’d probably look pretty cute in a bustle.”

He opened his mouth, then shut it. “Did you miss the point of that sentence?”

My thoughts...

I loved reading this book again in its finished state. The characters, action, and setting are fun. Dez is a kick-butt kind of girl with tough choices to make and it's fun to take the journey with her. Did I mention hot boys? Well, check below for the hot boy deets.

Hot boys ...

The author ...

Trisha Wolfe

You can find Trisha Wolfe on her website here or blog here or on twitter here. Buy the book here.Check out the blog tour here.

I'll pull a winner on the release day, January 10th. To enter, just leave a comment below and give Trisha some well wishes!

Don't forget to join Can You Hit A Perfect Pitch? Blogfest Contest with agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette (details in prior post).

12 comments