NaNoWriMo - Chapter 5

Hiromi Kato

I dig my nails into my palms as a panicked voice calls over the intercom system.

“All personnel are to remain inside the building until further notice. This is not a drill. Please remain indoors.”

Two nurses—a male and female dressed in light blue scrubs—whisper to one another on the elevator as we descend to the lower levels of the hospital. Most of what they’re saying to one another is blocked out by the loud beeping at every floor, but from what I gather, they’re talking about the protest in the front parking lot.

“They’re throwing rocks now,” says the male. He cups his hand around his mouth as if that’ll keep me from hearing him in this small box.

“Don’t worry, the Eradication Squad will handle them,” the woman responds.

At least they decided to throw rocks instead of using their mahou. An angry group of Pyro Dancers could burn this place down in minutes. Rocks and furious chants won’t harm us. Luckily, Anette’s office is on the sixth floor and doesn’t have a window.

The elevator doors pull open and I step out into a bright corridor lit up by the sun shining through skylights. At least the cafeteria is business as usual. The soup lady smiles as I walk through her line. She’s wearing way too much red lipstick, as usual, but her spirit brightens my day.

NaNoWriMo - Chapter 4

Kenji Higa

Good morning, Caara Island. Who am I kidding? It’s hardly ever a good morning here. Another day, another list of reported infections.

Sergeant Emika has us meet at the Eradication Squad base before heading out to our post. Check-in time was supposed to be at 7:00 AM, but she let us wait three hours. Good. I never pass up on extra hours of sleep.

My squad and I sit in a small classroom with two other small squads. We’re all dressed in the standard squad uniform: black combat pants and boots with a dark gray or black shirt under a black combat jacket. Most of the other squad members are women. One male soldier sticks out. He’s an Okamikiin, a wolf hybrid with pointed ears, fangs, and vertical pupils. I’m surprised they let him enlist—with their overactive temper—then again since we’re low on numbers the general probably wants all the able-bodied people that are willing to sign up. The metal suppression collar around his neck will keep his powers in check.

Tidus sits in the chair next to me. His gray eyes are focused on the blackboard in the front of the room, but he nudges my arm every few seconds as if he’s trying to get my attention.

“Any idea why we’re here?” he whispers.

I shrug. “Nope, but it’s better than being in the heat.”

NaNoWriMo - Chapter 3

Hiromi Kato

My hands shake. Kenji should be here by now. I sit down on top of a concrete picnic table next to the playground and then scan the empty park for any sign of Kenji. The swing sets sit empty, slowly swaying in the breeze. No one’s outside laughing or chasing each other around the jungle gym. After the attack at the hospital, I’m sure most people would want to stay inside. As if concrete walls kept anyone safe from the virus. A few cars drive past on the main road outside of the park followed by a produce delivery truck. Despite the outbreak scare, we still need to eat.

I scan the deserted park once more. If it wasn’t for the bright green trees and pale pink sakura petals, this would make a perfect nightmare.

I shove my hands under my arms to keep them from shaking. If anyone were to see me, they’d probably think I was freezing by the way I’m sitting. It’s funny because I’m wearing a short sleeve tee shirt. Where is he? I wonder. The wind rustles the trees and for a short moment, I swear I smell death. Rotting flesh from over the large wall most likely.

Footsteps crunch on the gravel walkway. I spin around.

NaNoWriMo - Chapter 2

Kenji Higa

Caara Island, one of the only inhabitable places remaining on this ruined planet. To think politicians were so stupid centuries ago, using nuclear warfare to solve their problems. Then again, are we any different?

The day I joined the Eradication Squad, I was promised a role in protecting the city. If I had known that included staring at a fifty-foot high brick wall all day, I would’ve become a researcher instead. Okay, maybe not a researcher—I don’t have the patience to stare at test tubes or listen to the scientific lingo. Waste management is probably more suitable for me. Being on the squad isn’t all bad, though. Most days we have to save the city from a rogue squirrel. Today, however, our main mission is to stand here, at the wall, all day. With half the city in a panic over the virus and the other half fleeing to the outskirts of the island, there’s not much happening.

The lonely streets are peaceful in a way. It gives me time to daydream about being a waste management supervisor and saving the city one trashcan at a time. It’s nearly silent, other than the occasional sound of a truck driving past or the construction workers drilling steel beams in the tall unfinished buildings. It’s as if the city officials held a meeting and said, People are dying from the incurable virus, so let’s build yet another useless building to block out the sun. I cringe thinking about it.

NaNoWriMo - Chapter 1

Hiromi Kato

“If it can be created, it can be destroyed,” I mutter, staring at the data filling the holographic panel above my crowded desk. I’m sure the gods said the same thing about us.

The loud beep from the intercom snaps me out of my thoughts. The voice is calm, almost uninterested, as it pages one of the many doctors in the hospital. The small lab I work in sits on the sixth floor, away from the sick patients and buzzing medical staff. I prefer it this way. Cultivating a cure for the virus ravaging our island city is far less heartbreaking than watching people die from it. Especially people that I know.

As I settle back into studying the data on the panel, another sudden noise draws me back to reality. This time it’s from the door swinging open. Anette walks into the lab with a manila folder tucked under her arm. Her lab coat is unbuttoned revealing a red, button-down shirt underneath. The bright cloth clashes with her dark skin. As I straighten myself in my chair, she drops the folder on my desk. It’s another unwelcomed addition to the ever-growing mountain of assigned labor. My chest tightens as I glance down at the stack of papers. The work around here never ends. Blowing my bangs out of my face, I move the papers aside and grab my notebook from the drawer.

I tap a pen against my lips as I let out a long breath. It’s not until Annette reaches her desk that she speaks.

Dear Suicide, It's Me Again

Dear Suicide,

I thought of you again today. You were so close that I could feel your embrace. I wanted to forget about you, push you out of my mind, yet here you are. Why can’t I let go of you? I always think of you when I make a mistake that makes people hate me. I hear your voice saying that I’m better off with you. Maybe you’re right. We’ll meet one day, Suicide. You’ll win in the end.

Signed,
Your old friend

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About 69 MILLION THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU:

Driven into exile years earlier, due to family scandal, Declan Sinclair is called home, devastated to discover his brother has been murdered and he’s the new Duke of Darington. When clues point to the man he blames for both his exile and his brother’s death, Declan resolves to ruin the culprit. If only the daughter of the man’s business partner, lovely Lady Alethea Swinton, didn’t tempt his resolve.

Lady Alethea Swinton has cultivated her pristine reputation in the hopes of winning her father’s praise. When her childhood friend returns, Alethea finds she’s willing to court scandal and defy her father to help the handsome Declan uncover the truth behind his brother’s death. Until she realizes Declan’s redemption will mean her family’s ruin.

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Venture capitalist Cameron Price is a workaholic and great at his job, but his boss is convinced Cam needs a more balanced life. A wife on his arm would prove Cam’s the right man to take over the company. When a gorgeous caterer cooks up the perfect event and catches Cam’s eye, he proposes an innovative arrangement they’ll both benefit from.

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Kassidy Thomas decided to stop hiding behind her past and start living, but she didn’t quite bet on that start including her singing a horrible song in front of the handsomest bachelor in the NFL, Wyatt Hamilton. She also doesn’t think he’d then consequently ask her out on a date, but turns out when you’re actually living life…crazy things happen.

He needs to win…

Wyatt Hamilton is a player in every sense of the word. Married to the game, he has no interest in relationships, love, or even second nights with the same woman. But from the second the girl-next-door beauty Kassidy knocks on his door to deliver a singing telegram, nothing goes as planned. He can’t stop thinking about her and keeps showing up on her doorstep for more. That is, until the unthinkable happens…

And all bets are off.

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Author Mentor Match Bio #AMM

It's that time again!

Hello, fellow mentees and future mentor of my dreams! My name is Elisa and you can find me on Twitter @elisa_stryker

This will be my second time trying to earn a mentor with Author Mentor Match. I tried Pitch Wars as well...but it's obvious how that turned out. Third (fourth, fifth, hundredth...) times the charm, right? RIGHT?!

Let's start with the book. So it's called IMMUNITY HUNTER. It is YA Fantasy. If you like zombies, magic, werewolves, evil organizations, and secrets, then you'll love my book. Let me stress: This is very anime-ish. So if you do not like anime or do not understand anime then it's probably not the book for you.

A few things you may not know about my manuscript:

• It's written like an anime including cheesy poses and over exaggerated expressions (no nose bleeds, though)
• The zombies have tentacle tongues, long claws extending about five inches, and sharp teeth that extend out like a shark
• It's set in the distant future after a nuclear war and massive earthquake tore Japan into multiple islands. 
• Magic exists
• My fiance helped with most of the "blow em up" scenes

Query

Two years after disgusting undead mutants known as Konadai killed Sasame’s parents, she joined an agency that turned her grief into revenge. Now an Immunity Hunter, seventeen-year-old Sasame kidnaps those who are immune to the Konadai virus. The downside: her victims are harvested for their blood and bones by the agency in order to create a stronger antidote.

Although the work causes gut-churning nightmares, Sasame trusts her boss, Omi, and his belief that this is the only way to save her island city.

Then she meets Konan, a persistent teen working with a group fighting to figure out why people are vanishing. His passion and dedication to the city reel her in, but she refuses to fall for him. Connections lead to distractions and heartache. Eventually, Konan’s constant interference with her missions breaks her guard and Sasame uses his attention to distract from the madness.

Immunity Hunters are well-oiled machines, and Omi won’t tolerate a petty romance distracting his agents. After forcing her to watch the murder of another agent's girlfriend, Omi presents Sasame with a choice: kill Konan to prove her loyalty to the cause, or be killed herself.

Say hello to Konan Henslee, Sasame Kai, Jeiku Okamimuto, Nevin Rockiest, and Ashley Sonnie.
The Investigator, The Hunter, The Protector, The Hero, and The Princess

Pitch

In a city protected by a large wall, five teens hone their magic and fighting skills to take on their worst enemy. Little do they know the undead, flesh-hungry mutants aren't the only things threatening their lives. When deadly betrayal shatters their friendship, each teen is forced to decide who to trust and who to leave behind.

Yes, this is a multi-POV novel. If the plot doesn't hook you, the characters will.

Now About me...

• I work all the time but I work for myself so it's not bad
• I'm always around my laptop and/or smartphone
• I prefer electronics over paper and pen
• I do not like cats at all...not even a little bit. They are the spawn of the devil sent to destroy my home
• Social media has ruined my life

Favorite Video Games

• Skyrim
• Left 4 Dead (1 & 2 and all the DLCs)
• Dragon Age
• Kingdom Hearts
• FFX & FFX-2 (you may recognize one of the character names in my manuscript)
• The Last of Us

Favorite Movies

• Saw (all of them)
• Paranormal Activity (all of them)
• The Conjuring (both of them)
• Guardians of the Galaxy (the 1st one)
• Pirates of the Caribbean (most of them)

If anyone wants more information, go to Author Mentor Match.

#SonOfAPitch Query & 1st Page | Immunity Hunter

Hey, peeps! Below you'll find my query and the first page of IMMUNITY HUNTER. Thank you all for the helpful advice.

Title: Immunity Hunter
Genre: YA Fantasy
Word Count: 98,000

Query:

Two years after Sasame’s parents were devoured alive by undead mutants known as Konadai, she joined an agency that helped turn her grief into revenge. Now an Immunity Hunter, seventeen-year-old Sasame kidnaps those who are immune to the Konadai virus. Her victims are harvested for their blood and bones by the agency so they can create a stronger antidote.

Although the work tears at her conscience, Sasame trusts her boss, Omi, and his belief that this is the only way to save her island city.

Then she meets Konan, a persistent teen working with a group fighting to figure out why people are vanishing. His passion and dedication to the city reel her in, but she fights her attraction to him—connections lead to distractions and heartache. Eventually, Konan’s constant interference breaks down her guard and Sasame uses his attention to distract from the madness.

Her weakness angers Omi. His Immunity Hunters are well-oiled machines, and a petty romance is a distraction he won’t tolerate. After forcing her to watch the murder of another agent's girlfriend, Omi presents Sasame with a choice: kill Konan to prove her loyalty to the cause, or be killed herself.

Two years after Sasame’s parents were devoured alive by Konadai—undead mutants, she joined an agency that let her turn her grief into revenge. Now an Immunity Hunter, seventeen-year-old Sasame kidnaps those who are immune to the Konadai virus. Her victims are harvested for their blood and bones by the agency so they can create a stronger vaccine.

Although the work tears at her conscience, Sasame trusts her boss and his belief that this is the only way to save her island city.

Then she meets Konan, a persistent teen working with a group that’s desperately trying to figure out why people are vanishing. His passion and dedication to the city reel her in, but she fights her attraction to him. Eventually, Konan’s persistence works and Sasame uses his attention to distract from the madness.

Her weakness angers Omi. His Immunity Hunters are well-oiled machines, and a petty romance is a distraction he won’t tolerate. After forcing her to watch the murder of another agent's girlfriend, Omi presents Sasame with a choice: kill Konan to prove her loyalty to the cause, or be killed herself.

IMMUNITY HUNTER, a YA Fantasy novel of 98,000 words, follows six teens’ points of view as they fight to protect their city. With an ensemble cast like SIX OF CROWS and the action and teamwork of ATTACK ON TITAN created by Hajime Isayama, this anime-themed, character-driven novel is the first in a planned series. It will appeal to fans of THE ENEMY series.

First 250 Words:

Prey comes in different forms. Luckily for me, my target is an idiot.

With his face glued to that small, bright screen, this will be an easy hunt. Forget sneaking—short of yelling his name, he won’t notice me.

I follow him past decorated storefronts and dull office buildings. The faint scent of pastries and coffee still lingers in the midnight air. Sakura trees line the sidewalks a few feet apart. Pink and white petals give pleasant color to the concrete surroundings.

Downtown is deserted this late at night. Few people live close to the oversized buildings towering just high enough to see the top of the concrete wall surrounding our city. And around this time, most people are locked safely away in their cozy beds. They prefer living in the smaller homes in quiet neighborhoods and farmland.

Anything to avoid reminding themselves of the outside world.

Usually, my prey takes the time to enjoy the lasting smell of baked goods and the blossomed sakura, or at the very least, care. But this guy refuses to turn around or take his eyes off the screen. I could’ve taken him down at any point during this seemingly endless trek through the empty downtown streets, but his attentiveness to the phone intrigues me. How can someone get attached to something so trivial?


Irritation rushes over me—both from the fool I was sent to capture and the too-tight bra strap cutting into my shoulder. Then it hits me.

Prey comes in different forms. Luckily for me, my target is an idiot. 

With his face glued to that small, bright screen, this is an easy hunt. Forget sneaking—short of yelling his name, he won’t notice me. 

I follow him past decorated storefronts and dull office buildings. The faint scent of pastries and coffee still lingers in the midnight air. Sakura trees line the sidewalks a few feet apart. Pink and white petals give pleasant color to the concrete surroundings.

Downtown turns silent this late at night. Few people live close to the oversized buildings towering just high enough to see the top of the wall surrounding our city. And at this time of night, most people are locked safely away in their cozy beds. They prefer living in the smaller homes in quiet neighborhoods and farmland.

Anything to avoid reminding themselves of the outside world.

Usually, my prey takes the time to enjoy the lasting scent of baked goods and the blossomed sakura, or at the very least, care. But this guy refuses to turn around or take his eyes off the screen. I could’ve taken him down at any point during this seemingly endless trek through the empty downtown streets, but his attentiveness to the phone intrigues me. How can someone get attached to something so trivial?

I pull at my bra strap—this thing is digging a hole into my skin. Maybe he knows I’m here and is leading me into a trap?

How To Waste An Agent's Time

This post was inspired by a guy in a Facebook writing group who asked:

"I don't want to traditionally publish my first series, but would it be alright to query agents to see if there's interest then turn them down?"

I'm paraphrasing since the post was removed due to backlash (for good reason).

DISCLAIMER: I'm no expert. I'm just a writer trying to make the best of this crazy publishing world.

Short Answer: DO NOT WASTE AN AGENT'S TIME by querying them with zero intentions of signing with them. STOP IT. Agents have enough going on and do NOT need arrogant writers wasting their time. Not only that, but you're taking away time from potential and current clients.

If you receive an offer from an agent (or multiple offers as some of you fabulous writers may get), but turn around and deny them because you only wanted to see if there was interest, you're only setting yourself up to be put on the blacklist.

No one wants to work with an arrogant time waster.

If you want to self-publish then go right ahead and do so. If you want to go through an agent, then query your heart out. But please, for the sake of all of us, DO NOT QUERY AGENTS UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE SIGNED BY AN AGENT.

Alexa's Tears

Alexa dug her nails into the dirt as she crawled away from the screams of her people dying around her. With one leg bloodied and broken, running wasn't an option. Twigs and small rocks ripped her thin nightgown leaving shallow cuts across her stomach. She ignored the pain. Her mind was focused on escaping—surviving.

The sun had set hours ago leaving the village Haringard hidden in the valley. But when the Black Ravens, an army controlled by Queen Evelyn of the Hightower Commonwealth, came for them, being hidden wasn't enough.

Using her good leg and every ounce of her strength, Alexa pulled herself into the surrounding woods. Shadows danced on the trees from the flames that devoured the small cottages. Her dark hair stuck to her face wet with blood and sweat. Most of it wasn't her blood. She was forced to watch her sister get slaughtered like an animal. Part of her was glad the dark army chose murder over enslavement. The women would be used for breeding while the men would be used as food.

Alexa made it to a clearing before stopped to catch her breath. She choked back a scream. Sounds of death and battle echoed through the trees. Alexa cried silently, staring up towards the heavens. Bright stars shined down on her. She cursed them for not protecting her family the rest of Haringard. Her leg ached. Blood seeped into the dirt beneath her.

The sound of footsteps on snapping twigs approached. Alexa's heart went rapid. She couldn't move. Her body froze. A whispered prayer escaped her scarlet lips as she shut her eyes tight awaiting her death.

Rejections, Rejections, Rejections

Isn't it funny how all your hopes and dreams can scatter before you can say, "Wait!"?

There's nothing worse for a writer to see a "Thanks, but no thanks" letter in their email. People say it's the way things are. Rejection is part of life.

You can throw a rock at a writer's conference and hit any bright-eyed hopeful that has been rejected. You might get lucky and hit a published author who earned their fair share of rejections. They'll turn to you and try to throw in some logic, "I got [insert random number] rejections before I published my first book. Just keep pushing."

Keep pushing. Keep going. Everyone says "don't give up." Then you have those that say, "Write something else." That's probably the worse advice of all. Sure I'll just plop down in my handy dandy writing chair and spend the next 9 years writing a brand new story filled with brand new characters, a brand new voice, and a brand new plot. How hard could it be?

I have seven ideas sitting in my documents folder. Seven ideas I started writing because I was told to "write something else." All seven put together never made it passed a grand total of 10,000 words. Why? Because my heart isn't there. The go-to advice of "write something else" seems to work for some people, but it's not one-size-fits-all advice. More people should learn that before throwing it out there.

There probably won't be anything else for me to write, at least not in this lifetime. The story I have to tell is the one I want to be told. Not something that will please others.

So I have two choices:

1. I can continue to mentally torture myself with querying agents, small pubs, and maybe even self-publish, editing my MS until it's no longer recognizable, and hope and pray someone gives me the slightest bit of chance.
2. I can give my sanity a break and quit.

My Twitter account is gone and this blog may soon follow. I guess we'll find out in the next week.

Good luck to the rest of you out there. You all are a lot stronger than I am.

Ashley Sonnie | Immunity Hunter

Name: Ashley Sonnie
Age: 16
Occupation: Student/Eradication Squad Leader
Weapon: N/A
Magic: Energizer

They call me "The Squad Princess". I wear it as a badge of honor. My father is the General and head coordinator of the Eradication Squad. Being his daughter means I have to prove myself daily. I got that chance when he gave me permission to lead my own squad.

Don't get me wrong, I love my father, but I also want to be my own person. His guards suffocate me with attention. Sometimes I just want to break out and run around the city without constantly being watched.

Being a "princess" isn't all that bad, people respect me. I have my friends and my adorably goofy boyfriend, Nevin, to back me up. I want to see him reach his goal, but he'll have to train to reach it. He expects me to use my status to get him into the squad, but he's wrong. I love him, but I won't beg my father to throw him into battle. Nevin will have to prove himself the way I did. There are no shortcuts in this world. Especially not on Caara Island.

Illustration by: Autumn-Sacura on DeviantArt

#PimpMyBio PitchWars 2017

Hello, fellow mentees! My name is Elisa and you can find me on Twitter @elisa_stryker

This is my very first #PitchWars and I'm not sure what I'm doing. I saw a hashtag on Twitter with the word "pimp" in it so here I am. (No pimps or Doggs were harmed in the making of this blog)

So, I have no idea what to say about myself that's interesting. This is the part I usually skip on interviews, contests, meeting new people, classrooms...but let's pretend I'm interesting for a bit.

Scratch that, let's start with the book. So it's called IMMUNITY HUNTER. It is YA Fantasy. If you like zombies, werewolves, evil organizations, and secrets, then you'll love my book. Let me stress: This is very animeish. So if you do not like anime or do not understand anime then it's probably not the book for you.

A few things you may not know about my manuscript:

• It's written like an anime including cheesy poses and over exaggerated expressions (no nose bleeds, though)
• The zombies have tentacle tongues, long claws extending about five inches, and sharp teeth that extend out like a shark
• Magic exists
• My fiance helped with most of the "blow em up" scenes

Blurb

Seventeen-year-old Sasame’s city is at war. The enemy is horrific, reanimated mutants that rip people apart with their tentacle tongues and eat them alive. But unlike other people, Sasame can actually make a difference. As an Immunity Hunter, she does the dirty work for her agency, kidnapping those immune to the mutation virus so the agency can create a stronger vaccine.

Although the work tears down her mental state, Sasame trusts her boss, Omi, and his vision for the future of their city. That's before she meets Konan, a persistent teen desperately trying to figure out why people are vanishing. Sasame shouldn’t be attracted to him—connections lead to heartache—yet his passion and dedication to the city reel her in. As the missions leave her with horrible nightmares, she uses Konan as a distraction from the madness. That distraction turns into wanting more than a quick fix.

Omi isn’t pleased with this turn of events. His Immunity Hunters are well-oiled machines, and petty romance is just gunk in the gears. After forcing Sasame to watch the murder of another agent's girlfriend, Omi presents Sasame with a choice: kill Konan to prove her loyalty to the cause, or be killed herself.

Pitch

In a city protected by a large wall, five teens hone their magic and fighting skills to take on their worst enemy. Little do they know the undead, flesh-hungry mutants aren't the only things threatening their lives. Together, they must overcome their own internal battles to save the city.

Yes, this is a multi-POV novel. If the plot doesn't hook you, the characters will.

Now About me...

• I work all the time but I work for myself so it's not bad
• I'm always around my laptop and/or smartphone
• I prefer electronics over paper and pen
• I do not like cats at all...not even a little bit. They are the spawn of the devil sent to destroy my home
• Social media has ruined my life

Favorite Video Games

• Skyrim
• Left 4 Dead (1 & 2 and all the DLCs)
• Dragon Age
• Kingdom Hearts
• FFX & FFX-2 (you may recognize one of the character names in my manuscript)

Favorite Movies

• Saw (all of them)
• Paranormal Activity (all of them)
• The Conjuring (both of them)
• Guardians of the Galaxy (the 1st one)
• Pirates of the Caribbean (most of them)

Unnamed, Unedited Retelling

Sometimes, when my mind wonders, I come up with random thoughts about alternate lifestyles. This is one of those thoughts. It may end up as a novel, or it may just stay a random blog post. Only time will tell.
----------
Every day I used to dream of what it'd be like to live in one of those fancy houses we passed everyday ok the way to school. Now that I'm grown, that dream faded like the others. I was happy with my tiny apartment in the west part of town. The neighbors kept to themselves, and only a few people were robbed. It wasn't so bad.

Most days were the same. I'd wake up, grab a bowl of cereal, then head off to my boring retail job at Bigglymart. They sold everything from clothes to electronics to groceries. It was really a one-stop shop. I didn't care much for it but it paid the rent.

I daydreamed a lot while I waited for a customer to wander into my lane. Sometimes about traveling out of the country. Other times about what I'd cook for dinner. Who was I kidding, I hardly cooked anything. The stacks of pizza boxes outside my door proves that. Still, for a nineteen-year-old, I sure spent a lot of time with my head in the clouds.

"Good morning, Ms. Miller." Ms. Mary, the customer service manager, walked over to my register and snapped me out of one of my daydreams. Her sweet smile warmed everyone in the mornings even on the cold days like that day.

"Good morning," I replied back, returning the warm smile. Ms. Mary carried on about her business while I went back in my daydream.

A customer appeared in my line, a tall white man with brown eyes and shaggy dark hair. He was dressed in a black tee with a leather jacket and tattoos down both arms. This guy had trouble written all over his brooding face. It was hardly 9 AM, why was he so angry looking?

"Good morning, sir," I said in the best cherry voice I could muster up.

He glared at me and dropped a box of Life cereal on the belt.

"Hey," he said in a deep voice. He's defiantly from Arkansas.

"Rough morning?" I asked, and immediately regretted. He glared at me again, but this time a slight smile crossed his lips.

"For starters, I found out I was out of cereal after I woke up craving some," he said. His smile quickly faded.

"That sucks. Life is my favorite brand, too."

He let out a small chuckle as he pulled out his wallet. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, very much so," I replied. "That'll be $3.09."

He handed me four wrinkled $1 bills and said, "Keep it, I hate change."

He grabbed his single bag and headed straight for the door.

Is It Too Early To Be This Excited?

On April 25th, I participated in the #DVpit Twitter party. I wasn't expected much, but to my surprise, I received a good number of likes from literary agents, most of which were on my "to-query" list. The next day, I revised my query and first pages as much as possible and started sending them out to the requesting agents. Again, I wasn't expecting much.

Not even two hours later, I received my first reply. Nervous, I opened the email thinking it was yet another rejection. Instead, it was my very first FULL REQUEST! I was more than ecstatic. I went over my manuscript for about five hours before sending it to the agent's assistant. I had to force myself to press the SEND button on the email. A few minutes later, I received a confirmation email stating that she [the assistant] received my manuscript. According to their website, full requests take about 60 days for a reply. So here I am in the most painful 60-day wait ever.

That's not all. To distract myself from waiting for a response from the other #DVpit agents and my full request, I decided to send out a few more queries. On May 3rd, I queried an agent from a well-known agency that reps two of the authors with popular Young Adult books-to-movies. Once again, I wasn't expecting much, especially since most of the feedback from other authors is negative (she hardly responds if she's not interested...and she's hardly interested).

Five days later, I received an email from the agency's editor stating that she'd like to read the first 50 pages of my manuscript. She also asked if I had any other requests out with agents. I squealed! This isn't a full request, but the thought of possibly being among some of the best-selling authors made my day. I went over the first 50 pages for any errors that jumped out, saved it as a PDF, then sent it as requested. I added a note that I do have a full request out with an agent currently. Again, a few minutes later I received a confirmation email. I'm not sure how long I should wait on a partial request, but I read that it's a 3-month wait. According to Query Tracker, she usually responds to partial fairly quick so maybe I won't have to wait as long.

I'm excited but I'm keeping it cool. This doesn't mean either of them will be ringing my phone offering me representation, but it's one step further. I feel as if I've accomplished step 1 of my goal to being published, and that's something to celebrate. Ice cream for me! (as if I need a reason to eat ice cream).

Nevin Rockiest | Immunity Hunter

Name: Nevin Rockiest
Age: 17
Occupation: Student/Eradication Squad Trainee
Weapon: Lightning Sword
Magic: Lightning Rod

Everyone in this city is freaked out about the Konadai. Well, I am too but not as much as them. I'm just a laid-back kind of guy. The city isn't all that bad. We have everything we could ever want here, including PIZZA! But there is something I want more than anything—well besides Ashley of course, she's my world. Too bad her father doesn't like me. Does he think I'm a bad influence? I don't think I'm a bad influence. . .

Anyway, I wanna be on the Eradication Squad's sweep team! That way, I can show everyone I'm not just some loser. Then Ashley's father would have to respect me. . .right? Maybe they'll even make me a squad leader! That'll be cool.

Illustration by: Autumn-Sacura on DeviantArt

Jeiku Okamimuto | Immunity Hunter

Name: Jeiku Okamimuto
Age: 17
Occupation: Student/Eradication Squad Trainee
Weapon: None
Magic: Okamikiin

I'm Jeiku but my parents call me Fang...yeah, they thought it would be funny to give me such a stupid nickname, but mom said I bit her when I was born so I guess the name fits.

Don't worry about the collar. The humans force us to wear it but it's really just a bad joke. It's supposed to suppress our powers. Ha! Like that'll stop me. Those humans have bigger things to worry about than us Okamikiin. They'll be begging us for help when the Konadai breach the wall. Sure, the humans can use fire, lightning, and energy, but can they use their claws to tear a Konadai's heart out with ease? I doubt it!

At least my friends accept me for who I am. And Rin...she still likes me—for now. They're the only ones that matter. The rest of the humans on this island can rot like the Konadai for all I care.

Illustration by: Autumn-Sacura on DeviantArt

Konan Henslee | Immunity Hunter

Name: Konan Henslee
Age: 17
Occupation: Student/Field Agent
Weapon: Double Axes
Magic: None

The Konadai aren't going anywhere anytime soon, but that doesn't stop us from trying. My dad thinks training is the best way to spend my time. Mom says I need to spend more times with friends. They're both right; friends and family are what's important in this city. Without them we're nothing, but I have other things on my mind now. People are going missing and no one seems to have any answers. That's where I come in. With the help of my partner, Aaron, we'll find out what's happening to our neighbors one way or another.

I hope she's not involved.

Illustration by: Autumn-Sacura on DeviantArt

Sasame Kai | Immunity Hunter

Name: Sasame Kai
Age: 17
Occupation: Immunity Hunter
Weapon: Shortsword
Magic: Pyro Dancer

Our city has been at war with the beasts known as the Konadai since, well, forever. It became personal the day my parents died. I was thirteen when they left for a routine operation and never returned. Nothing is ever routine in this city. I sat up for hours waiting for them to come back, but all that came was a knock on the door from one of the squad leaders. It would've been better had she brought some ice cream with her before dropping the "your parents are never coming home" bomb.

Now, I'm a trained immunity hunter fueled by grief. The job isn't all that great, it takes its toll on me, but at least it keeps my head clear—well, sort of. I can deal with that. It's the pain and abandonment I can't get over.

Illustration by: Autumn-Sacura on DeviantArt

Banned From A Writing Forum

Today I was banned from Absolute Write. Why? Because I posted a critique I received on a query. I didn't name the site, I didn't name the poster. The only way anyone would've known was if they themselves were a member.

The reason for the ban: You can find another forum to bitch about. On top of that, one of the moderators sent me a tweet stating "You can find another forum to bitch about, you've overstayed your welcome." Really? How? I didn't cause drama on the board. Yes, I may have gotten defensive over critiques and that's my fault. But overstayed my welcome because I posted a critique I felt was rude?

They did me a favor, though. After an online research I learned that the site is full of bullies and if you don't fit into their little cliques then you're a target. I tried staying on everyone's good side, but I guess the screenshot was the last straw.

No hard feelings, I'll take my punishment and walk away with my head up. No writer should be forced to deal with such hate. Yes, there are some really helpful people there, but they are taken over by bitter, angry, assholes that just want to argue and put people down.

There are healthier writing communities out there than Absolute Write Water Cooler. Be sure to do your research.

Vegas Proposal | Flash Fiction

This is the result of having too much downtime on a long bus trip. Enjoy

---

"If I hit blackjack on this hand, I'll propose to her right here, right now," the man sitting next to me says to the dealer.

We've been sitting at this table for nearly an hour and neither of us has hit blackjack yet. So, of course, I meet his bet.

"If I hit blackjack, I'll say yes to his proposal."

What do I have to lose? He's handsome, looks amazing in that black suit, and seems to have some sort of wealth to him considering he's been bidding way above the minimum. Who sits at a ten dollar table and makes one hundred dollar bets? Besides, it's not like either of us will hit blackjack on this hand.

The dealer gives us both a smirk as he deals out the cards. My first card is a face card, king of spades. His card, ace of hearts. The dealer has a two of spades. To build up suspense, the dealer deals our next cards facedown.

"So who wants to flip theirs first?" he says with a grin. The handsome man with the fat wallet lifts the corner of his card to take a peek.

Sweat builds on my brow as he takes his time turning the card over. He glances over at me and winks. Is he seriously considering proposing to a woman he just met?

No, I Will Not Tell You What My Novel Is About

It happens, you find yourself talking about your new shiny WIP and someone asks "what is it about?" What do you do? You tell them, right? Of course, you do, you're excited about it and want people to know you're writing some unique.

Except...it's not unique. It's the same overdone crap that rots on the shelves of every bookstore known to man. You didn't write anything different. At least, that's what people tell you after you waste your breath telling them what you're writing.

They say, "It won't ever sell, so work on something else." They mean well. They're trying to help you. Does it help?

So let's get to how I feel about this. No, I will not tell you about my story. My story is the same crap. It's over done. Agents will reject it because they can't sell it. Publishers are tired of it. Readers don't want it. I should write something else. Forget that I've spent the last 8 years writing, drafting, adding or removing characters, fleshing out their personalities, building the world for them to live in, giving them a reason to protect their friends. Forget all that and write something else.

I mean, it's easy, right? To hear people tell you that your story won't sell before they even look at the first sentence. To hear people say stop working on that crap and write something that will sell. Why not? You're only doing it to see your name on a book as big as James Patterson's ego.

So what do you do?

Me? I'll finish my WIP, edit it to perfection, and find out for myself is it'll sell. Even 1 copy sold is a sell last time I checked.

So no, I won't tell you what my novel is about, but you can read about it when it's published.

Caara Island Short Stories | Rin Youngbrook

It's hot today, too hot to go do anything productive. It's not like the guards are allowing me to leave the compound anyway. Michael has us on some sort of lockdown. I guess he's worried about Ashley and I. Sure, we both got hurt, but we're alive—somehow.

Sitting in my room, I day dream Shadow, the boy that stole my heart. He's as mysterious as his name. We've been seeing each other for a few months now, but neither of us has taken the leap to make it official. And then there's Jeiku, the Okamikiin that makes me laugh. He has the cutest ears I've seen on his people. He's determined to sway my affection toward him, but my heart belongs to Shadow, though. At least, I think it does.

I know, I shouldn't be messing around with the both of them, but they seem to make one complete guy. Jeiku is funny and ready for adventure while Shadow is more serious. Maybe I'm making excuses.

A small rock hits my window. My heart feels like it's about to jump out of my chest. I walk over to see who is trying to get my attention. It must be one of the guards playing tricks or something. No, it's Jeiku sitting on a tree branch about a foot away. He smiles at me and waves.

"Can I come in?" he asks with a large grin on his face.

I smile and open my window allowing Jeiku to enter. I don't know why he insists on climbing that tree.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"I wanted to see you. I was thinking we could sneak out of this place and go get something to eat."

"You know I can't do that. The guards have this place locked down."

Jeiku laughs pointing at the window.

"Then why was it so easy for me to get in? C'mon, what do you have to lose?"

What do I have to lose? My freedom. Well, sort of. Being locked up in this house only allowed to go out into the garden or the pool isn't exactly freedom. But if the guards see me sneaking off with an Okamikiin—I don't want to think about what will happen.

"Jeiku, I…"

My head hangs, I don't want to turn him down but I also don't want him here. Not now. He puts his hand underneath my chin and lifts my head up to face his. A smile comes across his face, but I turn away.

"Do you want me to go?" he asks finally.

"Yes, you should. If the guards catch you, then you'll get a worse punishment than a visit to the hospital."

Jeiku turns toward the window with his bottom lip poked out and his head hanging low. I touch his right shoulder, but he shrugs it off. I hurt him, that's clear, but I have to look out for myself. I can't fall for an Okamikiin.

"I want you to know something." He keeps his back to me. "Even though you may not feel the same, I like you…a lot. I don't risk my life for anyone, ya know. I wanted you to understand that."

He climbs out of the window across the tree branch. I stand in the middle of my room in shock. His words flow through my head, but they didn't make any sense. I mean, I know he likes me, anyone can see that, but did he say he loved me? That's what it translated to, right? My stomach flutters. I keep repeating the words in my head: I can't fall for an Okamikiin.

Son Of A Pitch Query | Immunity YA Fantasy *Updated*

Title: Immunity
Genre: YA Fantasy
Word Count: 78,000

Query (minus the bio)

Seventeen-year-old Sasame Kai hates the mutated undead more than she hates doing petty missions for her agency. Those flesh-eating bastards took her parents and left her with no one. She trains every day at the fighting and magic academy envisioning ripping off the mutants' heads.

The agency sends her on a mission to hunt students at the academy whose blood is the key to the mutation virus antidote. Sasame's emotions have no place in her missions; her victims' blood is more valuable. The problem is, the more time she spends learning about her targets, the more she grows to actually enjoy their company. Even if some of them are annoying. Her handlers aren't happy. They have strict rules against relationships. Insubordination means death.

When questioned about her new friends, Sasame pretends they aren't important to her, but her regret over hunting students interferes with her missions. Sasame confronts the agency and they answer by threatening her life. If she goes against her orders, she will be forced to kill her new friends to prove her loyalty to her cruel employer or risk becoming the next target herself.

IMMUNITY is complete at 78,000 words and is told from the points of view of five characters. It is a standalone novel with series potential.


First 250 Words

It's only another mission, I keep telling myself as I try to sleep. I stare at the ceiling fan spinning on the lowest setting. There really isn't a need for the fan as the air is surprisingly cool tonight, but its sound comforts me. Tonight is different. In my mind, the blades of the fan turn to knives. Blood rains down on my face and the screams of my victims pierce through my ears. Tomorrow will just be another mission.

The sound of Yuki talking to her husband—my substitute parents—enters my ears from the next room.

"I pulled some strings and got the perfect mission for Sasame," Yuki says. "She's going to Summer Fest to meet teenagers her age for some much-needed interaction."

I'm seventeen, not twelve. I don't need to make friends. Yuki's been laughing and talking about how great the festival will be for the last hour. Her squeaky, high-pitched voice is like nails on a chalkboard. It sounds like she had the same cold for years. Ever since my parents disappeared, The Organization that I devote my loyalty to was kind enough to give me replacements. Not that I need them, I can take care of myself.

I roll over and close my eyes. The walls are so thin in this townhouse; I'm surprised they've never heard me scream into my pillow at night. I cover my face with my pillow to block out the sound. How blind can everyone in this city be?

Diversity Is Becoming More of a Trend

When I started creating the characters for my debut novel, I made them all diverse. This was back in 2008. I made it obvious of what race/culture each character was from. After many, many rewrites I removed their racial diversity. Not because I wanted to "whitewash" them but because I found myself digging into the character racial backgrounds more than the actual plot of the story.

My novel has an anime feel to it although I never say the characters are Japanese. They have weird colored hair and features (purple eyes, blue hair…) but they don't really have a race. Some of their names are a little giveaway, though. Such as Lin Ming, Tee Lin, Sasame, Rin…but I still never mention race or culture.

Don't get me wrong, I love diversity but it seems like people are trying to force it. Agents or publishers only taking submissions from #OwnVoices or LGBT characters that are anything but white and screaming it throughout Twitter. I'm not white; I'm a black woman living in Arkansas that's engaged to a white man. I prefer rock and metal over rap and hip-hop. I'd rather go camping than to a club. I'm in love with anime, zombies, and dead things. I don't wear long nails and I'm not that fond of watermelon.

But I don't want to turn myself into a character in a book just for the sake of saying "Look at me! I'm diverse and shit!" I like my characters the way they are and I have a very specific look for them in my head. My readers can decide if they are black, Asian, Hispanic, or whatever.

Diversity isn't a trend, although now it seems to be that way.

GUARDIAN OF SECRETS Release

We're celebrating the release of Brenda Drake's GUARDIAN OF SECRETS (Library Jumpers #2), today! Check out the teaser excerpt, and be sure to enter the giveaway via Rafflecopter below!

GUARDIAN OF SECRETS
(Library Jumpers #2)
by Brenda Drake
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Publication Date: February 7, 2017

Being a Sentinel isn’t all fairytales and secret gardens.

Sure, jumping through books into the world’s most beautiful libraries to protect humans from mystical creatures is awesome. No one knows that better than Gia Kearns, but she could do without the part where people are always trying to kill her. Oh, and the fact that Pop and her had to move away from her friends and life as she knew it.

And if that isn’t enough, her boyfriend, Arik, is acting strangely. Like, maybe she should be calling him “ex,” since he’s so into another girl. But she doesn’t have time to be mad or even jealous, because someone has to save the world from the upcoming apocalypse, and it looks like that’s going to be Gia.

Maybe. If she survives.

Thief of Lies (Library Jumpers #1):

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Guardian of Secrets (Library Jumpers #2):

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

Excerpt from GUARDIAN OF SECRETS

She did a U-turn and drove off. I sprinted to the area where I spotted the lightning. A shadowed figure sat on a white bench near the water. Another flash of light kissed the sky and illuminated Nick.

Since discovering he was a wizard, Nick struggled with his new magic. And he was careless. Anyone could spot him out here. How would he explain it to someone who was human and not from the Mystik realm? I couldn’t imagine how it felt to have that much power. Unlike him, I was a Sentinel. I had little magic and relied on my battle training to best wizards and other-world creatures. He only needed to shock or electrocute his adversaries.

“What exactly are you doing?” I asked, approaching.

He almost fell off the bench. “Shit, Gia. Don’t sneak up on a person like that.”

“Seriously, Nick? What are you doing? Someone might see you, and then we’d be discovered.”

“Just leave me alone.”

“I’m not going to just leave you alone.” I sat down on the bench beside him. A light breeze swept loose strands of my hair across my face. The briny smell of the ocean filled my nose. “Talk to me. You’re my best friend, Nick. I’m here for you.”

He formed an electric charge on his palm. I created my pink globe and tossed it on his hand, snuffing out the charge.

He made another electric ball and I cast another globe at it.

“Quit doing that.”

“You stop it.”

“I get it. Your globe is badass. It can counter magic and shield people, but it makes you weak. I can do this all night and wear you out.”

“You’re not nice.”

He buried his face in his hands. The knuckles on his right one were torn, with blood coagulating around the wounds. “I don’t know what’s happening to me. I can’t stop myself. I know I’m being mean to Deidre, to my parents…to everyone.”

“You haven’t been that mean to me, yet. That has to say something. I’m the most annoying one of the bunch.”

He snorted. “Did you just snort?”

“No.” He looked startled. “It was a sneeze.”

“I think you snorted.”

His face brightened. “I know what you’re trying to do. And it’s working.”

“I’m not trying to do anything. That was a full-on snort.” I wrapped my arm over his back and watched the water lap against the retaining wall in front of us. “I know you can’t see a therapist for this, ’cause what would you say? That you just found out you’re the son of the most evil wizard of the Mystik world and the curers recently released your magic?”

He gave me a half smile. “Yeah, that might not go over too well.”

“Or maybe you could. They’d think you were delusional, and you’d score some drugs.”

“Drugs make me nauseous.”

He stared at his hands, and I stared at the water, searching for the right words to say. “This has to be tough for you. I get it. I’ve been there. It’ll take time to adjust. How about I be your counselor? Anytime you feel anxious or angry, you call me and we’ll punch some bags or whatever. It always helps me to relax. Plus, my services are cheap.”

“Violence would make you relax.” He was pleased with his retort and laughed, which was followed by another snort.

Be sure to add GUARDIAN OF SECRETS to your Goodreads to-read list,
and grab your copy today!

About Brenda Drake

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram

Brenda Drake is a New York Times bestselling author of Thief of Lies (Library Jumpers #1), Guardian of Secrets (Library Jumpers #2), Touching Fate (Fated Series #1), and Cursing Fate (Fated Series #2). She grew up the youngest of three children, an Air Force brat, and the continual new kid at school. She hosts workshops and contests for writers such as Pitch Wars and Pitch Madness on her blog, and holds Twitter pitch parties on the hashtag, #PitMad. When she’s not writing or hanging out with her family, she haunts libraries, bookstores, and coffee shops, or reads someplace quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment). Look for her upcoming novels, Thunderstruck, Seeking Fate (Fated Series #3), and Assassin of Truths (Library Jumpers #3) coming soon from Entangled Teen.

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Looking At Old Work...

I decided to dig up some of the bios I created for my characters when I started writing Immunity. Looking back on some of this brings up a lot of memories...and a lot of questions. I can't help but think "Why did I write that?"

According to my old work, I created a fully living world with in-depth information about the magic used, the population of the city, and the age and stats of the main and secondary characters. This is a lot of stuff that I forgot.

The writing is pretty bad, though. I believe I've come pretty far with my writing to where I can't believe I wrote like that a few years ago. Now if only I could remember where all these made up names for the magic came from.

I'm thinking I should clean some of this up and post about it on this blog. Some of you might be interested in it.

Querying Is The Devil

A post of me whining.

Writing a full-length novel is hard. Telling people what it's about is harder. If the first line sucks, you're thrown into the rejection pile. If they somehow make it past the first line and you say one wrong word: REJECTED.

Honestly, I'm losing more sleep over trying to polish a pretty query than I ever did polishing my manuscript. But I get it. Agents see thousands of queries a month and they don't have time to read everything. So if the hook sucks, you suck. Better luck next time, sweetcheeks.

Luckily, I have someone interested in my manuscript without a polished query. Hopefully things will work out for the better.

Beta Readers Needed

I finished Immunity at 77,000 words and now I'm searching for beta readers. I never thought trying to find someone interested in reading would be this hard (ha). I followed some other blogs with detailed information about the location of the mystic beta reader such as BELINDA POLLARD. I did find a few who were willing to read while I was still writing on Goodreads, but now I need the rest of the novel read and reviewed. 

What am I offering in return? A free copy of the finished novel and your name listed in the acknowledgments section (if you want your name listed).

So, who wants to be my first victim?

Contact me at elisastryker@gmail.com

Trying To Figure Out This Blog Thing

I don't blog for a few reasons, one being that I tend to whine...a lot. Even the first sentence is whining. Anyway, I'm trying to start a blog and hopefully, this will go well.

I am a new writer attempting to have my first novel published. I have been tweaking this novel for years. The title is Immunity which will be the first book in a series. There might be two books, or three. We shall see how the story unfolds.

Stay tuned, things are getting exciting.