Mónica B. Wagner's Blog
July 17, 2017
Pitch Wars 2017!
Hellooooo!! *waves enthusiastically* I’m so super excited to be doing Pitch Wars again (click
here
for details about the writing contest). This will be my 6th time. Whoa! Time flies. O.o
Anyway! This year, I'm co-mentoring (fantasy YA & contemporary YA—more about the wish list below) with the FABULOUS Kerbie Addis-Owensagain!
I'm super excited about that. I met her via Pitch Wars, and she’s become a CP and awesome friend. I think she's so smart and talented, and her writing reflects that. Here's her bio in her own words:
Hello potential mentees! *waves*
I'm Kerbie (yes, that's really my name). I was a mentee TWICE in Pitch Wars and was a mentor last year to the amazing Amaris Glass. Currently I'm an intern for a top NY literary agency, but for confidentiality reasons, I can't disclose who. I have an English BA and I'm in a master's program to become a librarian.
Fun stuff about me: My husband's a 1LT in the Army. I have a chubby black cat named Eve who has dominated my Instagram. I wrote my first 'book' when I was 4 and my first 'real novel' when I was 11. I can talk for hours about Japanese horror, feminism, and psychology, and have even presented at academic conferences on those topics.
In my internship and my years CPing for friends, I've worked on manuscripts that went on to be published by Penguin Random House, Sourcebooks, HarperCollins, and other houses. I've also worked with writers who signed with agencies like Writer's House, The Bent Agency, Curtis Brown, etc. You get the idea. I kinda have a magic touch :P
I also have a unique advantage as both an intern and a librarian-in-training. I've seen what is considered "marketable" from both sides of the publishing industry--what publishers look to sell, and what gets booksellers/librarians to purchase. I have a pretty good eye for what will sell and what won't. This doesn't mean you should sit out because you don't think your book is "marketable." We can help get it to that point! :)
So why should you submit to me and Monica?
1. We're clearly awesome at what we do! 2. Two heads are better than one! Usually Monica handles big picture edits (which we discuss) and I help the writer with line edits. 3. We read quickly and reply to emails quickly. From experience, I know Pitch Wars can be nerve-wracking, and you definitely want someone who will be there for you and won't take forever to read your stuff!4. We don't hesitate when it comes to editorial bluntness. We show tough love, but the more notes we give, the more we love your manuscript!5. I'll send you pictures of my cat for every chapter you edit. :-3
***
This is Mónica again. Okay, now about me.
I was born in Peru, and was raised in Chile. I’m a native Spanish speaker, and it took me years to learn the necessary English to, you know, be able to write a book! Now, I live in a rural area with my hubby and three boys, near a Chilean beach, and close to many mountains (a very earthquake-y zone!). Here, I have dogs and a cat and hens—and wild rabbits.
I’ve been a freelance editor for over six years, and I love to edit (not copy edit, though—for some reason, I’m not so good with typos!). I got my first agent in 2010 for a YA fantasy that didn’t sell. Then, after regrouping, I auditioned at Paper Lantern Lit (now Glasstown Entertainment, the imprint founded by NYT best-selling author Lauren Oliver and editor Lexa Hiller), and got a NA deal for a packaged book (the Frosh trilogy). It was a three-book deal, so was busy with that for a while. I learned so much there, working with two editors. Alexa Wejko, and Roda Belleza. Rhoda is now a YA/MG editor at Imprint/MacMillan, and Alexa still works at Glasstown.
Now, I just signed with my third agent (the amazing Stacia Decker at Dunow Carlson, & Lerner) with a YA fantasy I’m currently revising to go out on sub. By the way, that’s something I adore—YA fantasy!
I’ve betaed/edited a lot of books (and my name is on many acknowledgements), like THE MEMORY OF LIGHT by Francisco Stork, CARAVAL by Stephanie Garber, UNDER A PAINTED SKY by Stacey Lee, POSSESS by Gretchen McNeil, ALL FOUR STARS by Tara Dairman, TOUCHING THE SURFACE by Kimberly Sabatini, THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING by Krista Van Dolzer, and I’ve worked with Evelyn Skye, and Kasie West, and many other authors. If you want to learn more, you might want to take a look at the editorial services page of this blog. You’ll find testimonials there, too. Oh, and you might want to check the success stories on this blog, too. There are many. =)
Here's a picture of a few of the books I edited--you can see my name on the acks (more books on the editorial page):
See, this is why I think you should submit to us. We’re the perfect bridesmaids, and we really want to take your book to the altar, so to speak, like we’ve taken so many other books there. We’ve both worked with dozens of authors, helping them get ready to sell their mss, and more than once, help them get six-figure deals. And we both LOVE Pitch Wars wholeheartedly. =D
What we want to see this year:
1) Just like last year, we want YA fantasy. Pretty please. *grabby hands*
Let me specify:We don’t care if it’s historical fantasy YA, or high fantasy YA, or dark fantasy YA, or anykind of YA fantasy, but we want some romance. :) It doesn’t have to be the main plot, but there has to be at least a romantic subplot for me. Also, we’d love it if the ending is unpredictable (though I think that can be edited).
There’s only one kind of YA fantasy we don’t want: boy YA fantasy, like ERAGON.
YA fantasy books that I’ve loved: A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES, DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN, SHADOW AND BONE, THE SCORPIO RACES, LEGEND, AN EMBER IN THE ASHES, STRANGE THE DREAMER, etc.I also loved CARAVAL, but I might be biased, since—like I said—I betaed that awesome book. I loved WORDS OF RADIANCE—what a GREAT fantasy, but I’m mentioning it last because that’s an adult book.
2) Contemporary YA!
We only want something that is NOT quiet, with a unique premise. Said this, the MS could either be funny and makes us laugh, or dark (we both like dark—not downright hopeless though), or both—funny and dark. It’s a plus if it has a romantic thread (doesn’t have to be the main plot).
YA contemporaries we’ve liked: ELEANOR & PARK. THE HATE U GIVE. ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS. Oh, and this isn’t a YA contemporary, but an adult romance: ARCHER’S VOICE by Mia Sheridan. If you have a YA version of that book? OMG, I NEED to see it, please! And if you have something contemporary that’s like Veronica Mars, then I want to see it too. You guys already know I’m a Latina, so Latinx characters would be awesome, too. If you have an exchange student story, I’d like to see it, too.
Overall: If your writing is literary and evocative, then chances are, we’ll fall in love. But, like we said, we don’t want anything that’s too quiet. We also want plot and twists.
While we enjoy other genres, like paranormal, historical, etc, we won’t be taking those this year, because we realized that receiving less entries means that Kerbie will be able to give overall feedback to everyone who submits to us. Isn't she amazing? Anyway, that’s why we won’t be accepting all the genres this year.
If you are not sure whether to submit to us, then I think it would be a good idea if you could check out the PW pages of my previous mentees. There are a couple published books from my previous Pitch Wars teams, too. :) Like this one, and this one. Here are a few other entries: this one , this one , and this one. And if you still want to take a look at more mss that I’ve picked to see my tastes, you can poke around on my blog and see The Writer’s Voice entries. Some of them, like STITCHING SNOW (which landed a six-figure deal) and RESURRECTING SUNSHINE are published , too. Pay attention to the voice of all those entries. If you like them, then we probably have a similar taste.
This step in choosing a mentor is really important, IMO. When I queried, I checked out lots of entries in contests to decide which agent might have similar tastes. I jotted down which entries I liked, and saw the agents who had requested those. Turns out, I had a much bigger success ratio with the agents who had requested entries that I’d liked, versus the ones I hadn’t liked so much.
My editing style is like this: I’ll point out the things that aren’t working for me and tell you why. For example, I might comment that I think the pace is slow, or the characters seem two-dimensional, or there’s a plot hole, etc. I’ll put my finger on what exactly isn’t working for me and tell you why . Then, I’ll give you a few suggestions, examples of how you might want to fix it. Then, I'll leave it up to you. If you want to fix something differently, be my guest. The key to it all is communication. Then, the second round of edits (the line-edits) will be made by Kerbie, who has a lot of experience since she works for a *very* awesome agent at a *very* awesome agency. :)
Let me know if you have general questions on the comments section of this post. You can tweet to us too.
Good luck!<3
M
TO GO BACK TO THE YA MENTORS LINKS ON BRENDA'S SITE, CLICK HERE.
Anyway! This year, I'm co-mentoring (fantasy YA & contemporary YA—more about the wish list below) with the FABULOUS Kerbie Addis-Owensagain!
I'm super excited about that. I met her via Pitch Wars, and she’s become a CP and awesome friend. I think she's so smart and talented, and her writing reflects that. Here's her bio in her own words:
Hello potential mentees! *waves*
I'm Kerbie (yes, that's really my name). I was a mentee TWICE in Pitch Wars and was a mentor last year to the amazing Amaris Glass. Currently I'm an intern for a top NY literary agency, but for confidentiality reasons, I can't disclose who. I have an English BA and I'm in a master's program to become a librarian.
Fun stuff about me: My husband's a 1LT in the Army. I have a chubby black cat named Eve who has dominated my Instagram. I wrote my first 'book' when I was 4 and my first 'real novel' when I was 11. I can talk for hours about Japanese horror, feminism, and psychology, and have even presented at academic conferences on those topics.
In my internship and my years CPing for friends, I've worked on manuscripts that went on to be published by Penguin Random House, Sourcebooks, HarperCollins, and other houses. I've also worked with writers who signed with agencies like Writer's House, The Bent Agency, Curtis Brown, etc. You get the idea. I kinda have a magic touch :P
I also have a unique advantage as both an intern and a librarian-in-training. I've seen what is considered "marketable" from both sides of the publishing industry--what publishers look to sell, and what gets booksellers/librarians to purchase. I have a pretty good eye for what will sell and what won't. This doesn't mean you should sit out because you don't think your book is "marketable." We can help get it to that point! :)
So why should you submit to me and Monica?
1. We're clearly awesome at what we do! 2. Two heads are better than one! Usually Monica handles big picture edits (which we discuss) and I help the writer with line edits. 3. We read quickly and reply to emails quickly. From experience, I know Pitch Wars can be nerve-wracking, and you definitely want someone who will be there for you and won't take forever to read your stuff!4. We don't hesitate when it comes to editorial bluntness. We show tough love, but the more notes we give, the more we love your manuscript!5. I'll send you pictures of my cat for every chapter you edit. :-3
***
This is Mónica again. Okay, now about me.
I was born in Peru, and was raised in Chile. I’m a native Spanish speaker, and it took me years to learn the necessary English to, you know, be able to write a book! Now, I live in a rural area with my hubby and three boys, near a Chilean beach, and close to many mountains (a very earthquake-y zone!). Here, I have dogs and a cat and hens—and wild rabbits.
I’ve been a freelance editor for over six years, and I love to edit (not copy edit, though—for some reason, I’m not so good with typos!). I got my first agent in 2010 for a YA fantasy that didn’t sell. Then, after regrouping, I auditioned at Paper Lantern Lit (now Glasstown Entertainment, the imprint founded by NYT best-selling author Lauren Oliver and editor Lexa Hiller), and got a NA deal for a packaged book (the Frosh trilogy). It was a three-book deal, so was busy with that for a while. I learned so much there, working with two editors. Alexa Wejko, and Roda Belleza. Rhoda is now a YA/MG editor at Imprint/MacMillan, and Alexa still works at Glasstown.
Now, I just signed with my third agent (the amazing Stacia Decker at Dunow Carlson, & Lerner) with a YA fantasy I’m currently revising to go out on sub. By the way, that’s something I adore—YA fantasy!
I’ve betaed/edited a lot of books (and my name is on many acknowledgements), like THE MEMORY OF LIGHT by Francisco Stork, CARAVAL by Stephanie Garber, UNDER A PAINTED SKY by Stacey Lee, POSSESS by Gretchen McNeil, ALL FOUR STARS by Tara Dairman, TOUCHING THE SURFACE by Kimberly Sabatini, THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING by Krista Van Dolzer, and I’ve worked with Evelyn Skye, and Kasie West, and many other authors. If you want to learn more, you might want to take a look at the editorial services page of this blog. You’ll find testimonials there, too. Oh, and you might want to check the success stories on this blog, too. There are many. =)
Here's a picture of a few of the books I edited--you can see my name on the acks (more books on the editorial page):
See, this is why I think you should submit to us. We’re the perfect bridesmaids, and we really want to take your book to the altar, so to speak, like we’ve taken so many other books there. We’ve both worked with dozens of authors, helping them get ready to sell their mss, and more than once, help them get six-figure deals. And we both LOVE Pitch Wars wholeheartedly. =D
What we want to see this year:
1) Just like last year, we want YA fantasy. Pretty please. *grabby hands*
Let me specify:We don’t care if it’s historical fantasy YA, or high fantasy YA, or dark fantasy YA, or anykind of YA fantasy, but we want some romance. :) It doesn’t have to be the main plot, but there has to be at least a romantic subplot for me. Also, we’d love it if the ending is unpredictable (though I think that can be edited).
There’s only one kind of YA fantasy we don’t want: boy YA fantasy, like ERAGON.
YA fantasy books that I’ve loved: A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES, DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN, SHADOW AND BONE, THE SCORPIO RACES, LEGEND, AN EMBER IN THE ASHES, STRANGE THE DREAMER, etc.I also loved CARAVAL, but I might be biased, since—like I said—I betaed that awesome book. I loved WORDS OF RADIANCE—what a GREAT fantasy, but I’m mentioning it last because that’s an adult book.
2) Contemporary YA!
We only want something that is NOT quiet, with a unique premise. Said this, the MS could either be funny and makes us laugh, or dark (we both like dark—not downright hopeless though), or both—funny and dark. It’s a plus if it has a romantic thread (doesn’t have to be the main plot).
YA contemporaries we’ve liked: ELEANOR & PARK. THE HATE U GIVE. ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS. Oh, and this isn’t a YA contemporary, but an adult romance: ARCHER’S VOICE by Mia Sheridan. If you have a YA version of that book? OMG, I NEED to see it, please! And if you have something contemporary that’s like Veronica Mars, then I want to see it too. You guys already know I’m a Latina, so Latinx characters would be awesome, too. If you have an exchange student story, I’d like to see it, too.
Overall: If your writing is literary and evocative, then chances are, we’ll fall in love. But, like we said, we don’t want anything that’s too quiet. We also want plot and twists.
While we enjoy other genres, like paranormal, historical, etc, we won’t be taking those this year, because we realized that receiving less entries means that Kerbie will be able to give overall feedback to everyone who submits to us. Isn't she amazing? Anyway, that’s why we won’t be accepting all the genres this year.
If you are not sure whether to submit to us, then I think it would be a good idea if you could check out the PW pages of my previous mentees. There are a couple published books from my previous Pitch Wars teams, too. :) Like this one, and this one. Here are a few other entries: this one , this one , and this one. And if you still want to take a look at more mss that I’ve picked to see my tastes, you can poke around on my blog and see The Writer’s Voice entries. Some of them, like STITCHING SNOW (which landed a six-figure deal) and RESURRECTING SUNSHINE are published , too. Pay attention to the voice of all those entries. If you like them, then we probably have a similar taste.
This step in choosing a mentor is really important, IMO. When I queried, I checked out lots of entries in contests to decide which agent might have similar tastes. I jotted down which entries I liked, and saw the agents who had requested those. Turns out, I had a much bigger success ratio with the agents who had requested entries that I’d liked, versus the ones I hadn’t liked so much.
My editing style is like this: I’ll point out the things that aren’t working for me and tell you why. For example, I might comment that I think the pace is slow, or the characters seem two-dimensional, or there’s a plot hole, etc. I’ll put my finger on what exactly isn’t working for me and tell you why . Then, I’ll give you a few suggestions, examples of how you might want to fix it. Then, I'll leave it up to you. If you want to fix something differently, be my guest. The key to it all is communication. Then, the second round of edits (the line-edits) will be made by Kerbie, who has a lot of experience since she works for a *very* awesome agent at a *very* awesome agency. :)
Let me know if you have general questions on the comments section of this post. You can tweet to us too.
Good luck!<3
M
TO GO BACK TO THE YA MENTORS LINKS ON BRENDA'S SITE, CLICK HERE.
July 4, 2017
Gearing up for Pitch Wars 2017--Chapter critique giveaway!
Hi, guys! It's going to be Pitch Wars time again this year! And I’ll be mentoring a YA MS for the sixth time ! =D (Details about the contest coming soon.)
For the ones querying, this is a wonderful opportunity to polish your MS and get an agent. Now, gearing up for the contest, you can win a chapter critique by Lorena Hughes. She’s giving this critique away to celebrate that her book, TheSisters of Alameda Street , releases today! She’ll have the critique ready in time for Pitch Wars.
A bit more about my friend Lorena:
Lorena Hughes was born and raised in Ecuador until moving to the U.S. at 18. She has a degree in fine arts and mass communication & journalism from The University of New Mexico. Her previous work won first place at the 2011 Southwest Writers International Contest in the historical fiction category, earned an honorable mention at the 2012 Soul-Making Keats Literary Competition, and was a quarter-finalist for the 2014 Amazon Breakout Novel Award. The Sisters of Alameda Street is her first novel.I’m really excited about her book! In case you like generational sagas, with some romance and Latin historical fiction, you might want to check it out.
Here’s the summary:
ONE FAMILY, FOUR SISTERS, AND A MYSTERY THAT MIGHT UNRAVEL THEM ALLWhen Malena’s tidy, carefully planned world collapses with her father’s mysterious suicide, she finds a letter, signed with an “A,” which reveals that her mother is very much alive in San Isidro—a quaint town tucked in the Andes Mountains. Intent on meeting her, Malena arrives at Alameda Street and meets four unconventional women who couldn’t be more different from one another, but who share one thing in common: all of their names begin with an A.
To avoid a scandal, Malena assumes another woman’s identity and enters their home to discover the truth. Could her mother be Amanda, the iconoclastic widow who opens the first tango nightclub in a conservative town? Ana, the ideal housewife with a less-than-ideal past? Abigail, the sickly sister in love with a forbidden man? Or Alejandra, the artistic introvert scarred by her cousin’s murder? But living a lie will bring Malena additional problems, such as falling for the wrong man and loving a family she may lose when they learn of her deceit. Worse, her arrival threatens to expose long-buried secrets and a truth that may wreck her life forever.
Set in 1960s Ecuador, The Sisters of Alameda Street is a sweeping story of how one woman’s search for the truth of her identity forces a family to confront their own past.
THE GIVEAWAY! a Rafflecopter giveaway
January 17, 2017
YA HARDCOVER Giveaway! THE SECRET OF A HEART NOTE by Stacey Lee, and CARAVAL by Stephanie Garber!
Hi, guys! This month is a VERY special month for me. Two of my best friends, Stacey and Stephanie, are releasing their YA books (The Secret of a Heart Note released a couple of weeks ago, and Caraval releases in two weeks). I'm insanely proud of both of them--my friends are so smart and talented. Here's a picture of the three of us! :) (I'm the shortest one, btw!)
Anyway! Stacey's book, THE SECRET OF A HEART NOTE is about an aromateur who concocts magic potions with flowers and scents and perfumes. It's an amazing Magical Realism YA, with romance and heartache, and diversity and, omg, it's so original!
And Stephanie's book is a YA fantasy full with omg-I-did-NOT-see-that-one-coming kinda twists, and also with romance, and magic, and an awesome sisterly bond, and mystery.
YOU WANT TO READ BOTH OF THESE BOOKS. And sure, you might say I'm biased, but even if I didn't know these two amazing ladies, I'd be in love with their books. :)
So! Now the giveaway! I'm giving away a hardcover copy of each of these two books. It's international! (Because, you know, I live in Chile and I'm always like, boohoo, why almost all giveaways aren't int'l??). Bear in mind that if I ship the books outside the US, though, I'll use Book Depository--which can be a little slow with the deliveries.
Giveaway for THE SECRET OF A HEART NOTE:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway for CARAVAL:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I'll choose a winner for each book by the end of the month!
GOOD LUCK!
<3
M
July 18, 2016
It's Pitch Wars time again! =D
Hellooooo!! *waves enthusiastically* I’m so super excited to be doing Pitch Wars again. This will be my 5th time. Whoa! Time flies. Anyway. I seriously love pitch wars. Thanks to this contest, I’ve met two of my CPs. And met so many lovely people. Like in the pic below you can see Susan Gray Foster (my current CP and mentee from 2014, who now is repped by Caitlin Blasdell).
I really wanted to do the contest again, even though I’ve been getting busier. When I do this contest, I like to pour my heart into it. I read every submission carefully and then make enough time to work with my mentee so their MS is polished and shiny for the agents’ round.
So. I realized that the only way of doing this was to 1) co-mentor with someone awesome, and 2) narrow down my list considerably, and get less applications than other years. That’s why I’m only taking YA fantasy this year . Unlike last year, I’m not taking any NA. Sorry, guys!
Anyway! This year, I'm co-mentoring with the FABULOUS Kerbie Addis-Owens!
I'm super excited about that. I met her via Pitch Wars, too. I think she's so smart and talented, and her writing reflects that. Here's her bio in her own words:
"I’m an intern at a NYC literary agency, where I go through slush and provide manuscript feedback. I have a bachelor’s in English and a minor in Latin (dead languages make me feel alive) and am currently in the master’s program at Texas Woman’s University to become a librarian. I’ve been in Pitch Wars (twice!) so I know all about revising on a deadline and the emotional rollercoaster it can be. I’ve helped many writers on their publishing journey through numerous edits, revisions, and crying sessions filled with hot cocoa and cartoons."
Back to the wish list: Like I said, we're not taking contemporary YA, or paranormal YA, or dystopian YA, or YA thrillers, etc, etc. Just YA fantasy (not over 110k words, though).
Let me specify:We don’t care if it’s historical fantasy YA, or high fantasy YA, or any kind of YA fantasy, but we want some romance. :) It doesn’t have to be the main plot, but there has to be some romantic tension for me to get hooked.
There’s only one kind of YA fantasy we don’t want: boy YA fantasy, like ERAGON.
YA fantasy books that I’ve loved: A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES, DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN, SHADOW AND BONE, THE SCORPIO RACES, LEGEND, AN EMBER IN THE ASHES, etc.
If you are not sure whether to submit to us, then I think it would be a good idea if you could check out the PW pages of my previous mentees. There are a couple published books from my previous Pitch Wars teams, too. :) Like this one, and this one. Here are a few other entries: this one, this one, and this one. And if you still want to take a look at more mss that I’ve picked to see my tastes, you can poke around on my blog and see The Writer’s Voice entries. Some of them, like STITCHING SNOW and RESURRECTING SUNSHINE are published,too. Pay attention to the voice of all those entries. If you like them, then we probably have a similar taste.
I think this step in choosing a mentor is REALLY important. Years ago, when I was querying, I read all the Baker’s Dozen entries (remember that contest on Authoress’ blog?). And I wrote down which entries I liked, and the ones I didn’t like so much. Then I paid attention to the agents who requested those entries. And then I queried them all. Most of the agents who had requested the entries at The Baker’s Dozen that I had liked, requested my ms, too. And ALL of the agents who had requested the entries that I didn’t like so much? You guessed it. They rejected my ms. Really. I think this is, like, the most important step deciding who you should submit to.
About me: I’ve been a freelance editor for over five years, and I love to edit (not copy edit, though—for some reason, I’m not so good with typos!). I got my first agent in 2010 for a YA fantasy that didn’t sell. Then, after regrouping, I auditioned at Paper Lantern Lit (the imprint founded by NYT best-selling author Lauren Oliver and editor Lexa Hiller), and got a NA deal for a packaged book (the Frosh trilogy). It was a three-book deal, so I’ve been at that for a while now. Now, I’m writing a YA fantasy in my free time. I’ve betaed or edited a lot of books (already published and upcoming), like MEMORY OF LIGHT by Francisco Stork, CARAVAL by Stephanie Garber, UNDER A PAINTED SKY by Stacey Lee, and many others—if you want to learn more, you might want to take a look at the editorial services page of this blog. You’ll find testimonials there, too. I'm repped by Lauren MacLeod.
My editing style is like this: I’ll point out the things that aren’t working for me and tell you why. For example, I might comment that I think the pace is slow, or the characters seem two-dimensional, or there’s a plot hole, etc. I’ll put my finger on what exactly isn’t working for me and tell you why. Then, I’ll give you a few suggestions, examples of how you might want to fix it. Then, I'll leave it up to you. If you want to fix something differently, be my guest. The key to it all is communication. Then, the second round of edits (the line-edits) will be made by Kerbie, who has a lot of experience since she works for a very awesome agent. :)
Okay, something else you should know: last year Susan and I got like 120+ entries. (I forget the exact number, though.) About half of those were YA—the rest NA. And I’d say we got like 10 YA fantasies. So, if this year is like 2015, then we’ll get just a few entries, and in that case, I’ll try and give feedback to all the submissions. But if we get more entries than the 10-20 entries we're expecting, then I think we won’t have time to give feedback. BUT! The good news is... Kerbie says she'll have time to give overall feedback on every entry, no matter how many we get. Isn't she amazing??
Oh, before I forget! The letter for that BLOG HOP SCAVENGER HUNT that Brenda is doing? It's on Kerbie's blog!
Let me know if you have general questions on the comments section of this post. You can tweet to us too. I won’t have much access to internet from 7/19 to 7/23, though.
Good luck!<3M
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July 12, 2016
Frosh #2 Cover Reveal and Netgalley News!
Hey guys! I'm so excited to tell you that Frosh: Second Chances's cover is HERE! And you can pre-order it now. :)And the ARC is available on Netgalley too! (Okay, honestly? I have to admit that last part makes me nervous, because it means people are starting to read it. And I just saw that even if it was uploaded there yesterday, it's already getting requests. Meep! Hope you guys like it as much as I loved writing it.)
Anyway, here are the links!
GoodreadsBarnes & NobleiBooksAmazon
And the copy:
In FROSH: First Blush, Ellie, Grant, Devon, and Charlie spent their welcome week falling head over heels for each other--before totally falling apart. Now, in FROSH: Second Chances, they'll have to pick up the pieces.
After ruining Grant's football career (and her own reputation), Ellie has been trying to lie low--which means not making more enemies. But some students still want her to pay for what she did, and now, Ellie's determined to fight back--and fight for Grant.
Grant is adjusting to his new reality: no more football means no more free passes in class, and definitely no more distractions; especially from Ellie, whom he misses even after she destroyed his world. Can he find a way to move on without her--and without football?
Devon finally has it all: her brother's sober and her boyfriend is an adorkable genius. But when her parents threaten to tear her and Charlie apart because he doesn't 'fit' into their high society, she will go to dangerous lengths to prove that nothing--nothing--can defeat Devon Connors.
Charlie's never questioned who he is: pre-med science geek, and now, Devon Connors' boyfriend. But when he discovers a secret about his past, Charlie isn't sure of anything--especially whether he can trust Devon with the truth.
<3
M
P.S.: I'm doing Pitch Wars again this year! Yay! I'll be mentoring YA. More news soon. *hugs*
May 17, 2016
YA hardcover giveaway!! THE CROWN'S GAME by Evelyn Skye and OUTRUN THE MOON by Stacey Lee!
Hi, guys! This week is a VERY special week for me. Two of my best friends, Stacey and Evelyn, are releasing their YA books (today and in a week from now). I'm insanely proud of both of them--my friends are so smart and talented.
Evelyn Skye's book, THE CROWN'S GAME releases today. Hey, look what I found when I was searching for "Evelyn pictures"--haha! A silly photo of Evelyn and me when she came to visit me to Chile. :) We had so much fun that day!
Anyway! Her book is a historical fantasy set in imperial Russia about two teens who have to compete for the right to become the Imperial Enchanter--or die in the process. There's romance and magic and the historical deets about Russia are amazing. I'm so excited about her book! It was an Amazon AND iBooks best book of May, A B&N "most anticipated YA Fantasy of 2016." And wow, on and on and on.
Stacey Lee's book, OUTRUN THE MOON, releases on Tuesday next week. I had a very silly picture with Stacey too, but I can't find it!! Meep! Anyway! Here's a nice pic of us when we met in NY.
The picture was supposed to be just the two of us, but my son REALLY wanted to be in it too. So there you go.
Anyway! Her book is an unforgettable story of determination set against the backdrop of a devastating tragedy. (The San Francisco earthquake in Chinatown, 1906.)
One of the many things I loved about her book is how it shows that tragedies sometimes happen for a reason. It shows how characters change and grow, and it made me think about that in my real life.
Goodreads has it on the highly anticipated books of May and it's been nominated to awards and all. It has a literary feel that I adore. Check it out! :)
So! Now the giveaway! I'm giving away a hardcover copy of each of these two books. It's international! (Because, you know, I live in Chile and I'm always like, boohoo, why almost all giveaways aren't int'l??). Bear in mind that if I ship the books outside the US, though, I'll use Book Depository--which can be a little slow with the deliveries.
I'll choose a winner for each book by the end of May!
GOOD LUCK!
<3
M
a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway
Evelyn Skye's book, THE CROWN'S GAME releases today. Hey, look what I found when I was searching for "Evelyn pictures"--haha! A silly photo of Evelyn and me when she came to visit me to Chile. :) We had so much fun that day!
Anyway! Her book is a historical fantasy set in imperial Russia about two teens who have to compete for the right to become the Imperial Enchanter--or die in the process. There's romance and magic and the historical deets about Russia are amazing. I'm so excited about her book! It was an Amazon AND iBooks best book of May, A B&N "most anticipated YA Fantasy of 2016." And wow, on and on and on.
Stacey Lee's book, OUTRUN THE MOON, releases on Tuesday next week. I had a very silly picture with Stacey too, but I can't find it!! Meep! Anyway! Here's a nice pic of us when we met in NY.
The picture was supposed to be just the two of us, but my son REALLY wanted to be in it too. So there you go.
Anyway! Her book is an unforgettable story of determination set against the backdrop of a devastating tragedy. (The San Francisco earthquake in Chinatown, 1906.)
One of the many things I loved about her book is how it shows that tragedies sometimes happen for a reason. It shows how characters change and grow, and it made me think about that in my real life.
Goodreads has it on the highly anticipated books of May and it's been nominated to awards and all. It has a literary feel that I adore. Check it out! :)
So! Now the giveaway! I'm giving away a hardcover copy of each of these two books. It's international! (Because, you know, I live in Chile and I'm always like, boohoo, why almost all giveaways aren't int'l??). Bear in mind that if I ship the books outside the US, though, I'll use Book Depository--which can be a little slow with the deliveries.
I'll choose a winner for each book by the end of May!
GOOD LUCK!
<3
M
a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway
May 1, 2016
The Writer's Voice Success Story!
Hey, guys! I'm excited to share Jennifer Honeybourn's success story today!! In her own words. =) Have I mentioned how excited I am? I loved how her words showed me how sometimes it's all right to wait, and have patience. What do you think? Anyway, here's her story:
"In 2013, I entered my YA contemporary novel, SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW, in The Writer’s Voice.
I made it through the raffle and into the contest. Monica chose me for her team (yay!), and helped me rework my query letter and the first 250 words of my manuscript. It was a great experience, a supportive environment, and ultimately resulted in a few agents expressing their interest.
After sending it out to a handful of agents, and having those agents pass on it, I knew I’d need to do some revisions. I also knew that I needed to take a break from the book in order to gain some clarity. I was sure I’d get back to it at some point, I just needed a bit of space.
That space turned into three years.
All through that time, I kept writing. I worked on several other novels. I wrote a short story that I published on Young Adult Review Network (YARN). SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW never left me, I still loved the characters and the story. So when I came across Swoon Reads, a young adult and new adult romance publisher, in December 2015, I felt like I might have found the perfect place for it.
Swoon Reads gives readers the opportunity to rate and comment on manuscripts, helping to select the books that will be published. I uploaded my novel and I started to get great feedback from the community of writers and readers on the site. At the very least, I figured I’d get some advice on how to revise. And I did. But, in the end, I also got more than that. Because SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW was recently selectedfor publication!
The encouragement I received through The Writers Voice contest definitely helped strengthen my belief that I could do this, that if I kept at it I would eventually get there. So thank you to Monica and all the coaches who organize this contest!"
Find Jennifer on Twitter and Facebook:
@Honeybourn
https://www.facebook.com/jenniferhoneybourn
"In 2013, I entered my YA contemporary novel, SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW, in The Writer’s Voice.
I made it through the raffle and into the contest. Monica chose me for her team (yay!), and helped me rework my query letter and the first 250 words of my manuscript. It was a great experience, a supportive environment, and ultimately resulted in a few agents expressing their interest.
After sending it out to a handful of agents, and having those agents pass on it, I knew I’d need to do some revisions. I also knew that I needed to take a break from the book in order to gain some clarity. I was sure I’d get back to it at some point, I just needed a bit of space.
That space turned into three years.
All through that time, I kept writing. I worked on several other novels. I wrote a short story that I published on Young Adult Review Network (YARN). SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW never left me, I still loved the characters and the story. So when I came across Swoon Reads, a young adult and new adult romance publisher, in December 2015, I felt like I might have found the perfect place for it.
Swoon Reads gives readers the opportunity to rate and comment on manuscripts, helping to select the books that will be published. I uploaded my novel and I started to get great feedback from the community of writers and readers on the site. At the very least, I figured I’d get some advice on how to revise. And I did. But, in the end, I also got more than that. Because SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW was recently selectedfor publication!
The encouragement I received through The Writers Voice contest definitely helped strengthen my belief that I could do this, that if I kept at it I would eventually get there. So thank you to Monica and all the coaches who organize this contest!"
Find Jennifer on Twitter and Facebook:
@Honeybourn
https://www.facebook.com/jenniferhoneybourn
March 10, 2016
Win a Query Critique! I'm celebrating that Frosh #1 is on SALE since it's a FEATURED ROMANCE on Amazon! =D
Hey, guys! Hope you've been awesome. =D I've been traveling for the last three months in the States, but I'm back home, in Chile. :)
The last few weeks have been lovely for Frosh: First Blush (Frosh #1) . And I wanted to celebrate by giving away a query critique.
It all started with a weekend sale! First, this happened:
Then it continued to sell, on Barnes & Noble, Kobo, etc.
And then Amazon decided to make Frosh a featured monthly e-book! :) So it will be on SALE on Amazon for all March. So, THAT is why I wanted to celebrate by giving away a query critique. :)
I will announce the winner on March 21, 2016, and send an email, too.
Let me know if you have questions on the comment section of this post.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The last few weeks have been lovely for Frosh: First Blush (Frosh #1) . And I wanted to celebrate by giving away a query critique.
It all started with a weekend sale! First, this happened:
Then it continued to sell, on Barnes & Noble, Kobo, etc.
And then Amazon decided to make Frosh a featured monthly e-book! :) So it will be on SALE on Amazon for all March. So, THAT is why I wanted to celebrate by giving away a query critique. :)
I will announce the winner on March 21, 2016, and send an email, too.
Let me know if you have questions on the comment section of this post.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
January 14, 2016
The Secret To Letting Go Cover Reveal!
Hey guys! I'm happy to be participating in the cover reveal of The Secret To Letting Go, by Katherine Fleet ! I have an arc and I'm so looking forward to reading it! :) She was in PitchWars a long time ago, and I'm so happy that this is a success story!
Here's a synopsis,
One summer can change everything...
Haunted with guilt after his girlfriend’s death, Daniel Hudson has no interest in committing to anyone. At the end of the summer, he’ll be leaving Florida for a new start in college. If only he could avoid the mysterious new girl in town, who seems every bit as naive and eccentric as she looks. Trouble is, she’s hard to ignore, with her beautiful piercing eyes, pitiful-looking dog, and unsettling tendency of finding trouble.
Clover Scott lived her whole life off the grid and arrives on the Gulf coast in search of her grandparents. She never expected to nearly drown, or get caught in a hurricane, or fall in love with the boy who rescues her. Now, she has a chance to rewrite her life’s story, to finally fit in somewhere, but Daniel wants answers about her past. When the police start asking questions about the disappearance of her parents, she must make a choice: go to jail or confess her secrets—even if they might destroy her chance at a happily-ever-after.
Goodreads Book Link:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26877648-the-secret-to-letting-go
Buy it on Amazon!
And here's the COVER REVEAL! I love it, don't you?
Here's a synopsis,
One summer can change everything...
Haunted with guilt after his girlfriend’s death, Daniel Hudson has no interest in committing to anyone. At the end of the summer, he’ll be leaving Florida for a new start in college. If only he could avoid the mysterious new girl in town, who seems every bit as naive and eccentric as she looks. Trouble is, she’s hard to ignore, with her beautiful piercing eyes, pitiful-looking dog, and unsettling tendency of finding trouble.
Clover Scott lived her whole life off the grid and arrives on the Gulf coast in search of her grandparents. She never expected to nearly drown, or get caught in a hurricane, or fall in love with the boy who rescues her. Now, she has a chance to rewrite her life’s story, to finally fit in somewhere, but Daniel wants answers about her past. When the police start asking questions about the disappearance of her parents, she must make a choice: go to jail or confess her secrets—even if they might destroy her chance at a happily-ever-after.
Goodreads Book Link:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26877648-the-secret-to-letting-go
Buy it on Amazon!
And here's the COVER REVEAL! I love it, don't you?
November 13, 2015
Reviewer Appreciation Giveaway! (International--and everyone who reviews gets TWO FREE e-books!)
Hey, guys! Hope you've all been great. =D I've been hiding under a rock, writing with pencil and paper the first draft of FROSH #2, and it's been fun!
Speaking of FUN! My publisher is doing something awesome. They are giving away 2 FREE PLL e-books for EVERYONE who has reviewed Frosh: First Blush on Amazon. The giveaway is international, and it lasts till 12/01/15.
The review... it can just be a couple of lines of what you thought. No need to write a testament! But I would appreciate if you could say something that will help others see if my book is for them or not. Critical reviews count, too.
To get the TWO free e-books, just tweet the link of your Amazon review to @paperlanternlit. (If you don't have a twitter account, you can email them, too).
If you review Frosh: First Blush on Amazon you will get TWO of these books:
Happy reading!
<3
Mónica
Speaking of FUN! My publisher is doing something awesome. They are giving away 2 FREE PLL e-books for EVERYONE who has reviewed Frosh: First Blush on Amazon. The giveaway is international, and it lasts till 12/01/15.
The review... it can just be a couple of lines of what you thought. No need to write a testament! But I would appreciate if you could say something that will help others see if my book is for them or not. Critical reviews count, too.
To get the TWO free e-books, just tweet the link of your Amazon review to @paperlanternlit. (If you don't have a twitter account, you can email them, too).
If you review Frosh: First Blush on Amazon you will get TWO of these books:
Happy reading!
<3
Mónica
