Finalists and Prizes!!!

It's done! The 1st round judges of the small press contest have worked their magic and now the rest is in the editors hands.

The winners moving on in the YA-Other group on my blog are:
Warwick Hall
Desiree
151
The Children of the Nephilim
The Guardian Lineage
Against the Falling Moon
Daughter4254
Uncovered
Daughter of the Moon

And if you want to check out the finalists in the other groups...
YA Contemporary and YA Historical
NA/MG
Adult

Congrats to you all! I can't wait to see how it will all go down Monday which is the day the final round begins right here.

Now for winners! Again, I have two this week because I fell behind in this department and am doubling up once more:)

Here are the prizes for week 4:

Query Critique from one of awesome 1st round judges, Denise Tompkins 

AND 

A copy of Eric Devine's Tap Out, straight from Running Press

Week 5 Prizes

30 Page Critique from fabulous host Juliana Brandt

AND 

3 extremely awesome books:

And the winners are...

Week 4: #315 Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Week 5: #263 Beth Pond

1st Round of the Small Press Pitch Contest is Here!!!

I can't quite believe we've been at this GUTGAA thing for over a month! We're closing the party out with a final pitch contest, and the time to begin it is now!

Rules for the Small Press Pitch Contest - Round 1

NOTE: If you were around for the Agent Pitch Contest, you will see this one will be very similar.

-We have 102 participants in this first round. They are divided into genre groups which you can find on 4 host blogs:

Tara Tyler - Adult Entries
Juliana Brandt - YA Contemporary & YA Historical
Me - YA Other (you can find them below or in the right sidebar)
Ink in the Book (Talynn) - NA/MG

Initially, I was going to divide these entries into groups of 25, and the 1st round judges would pick their top 5 or so. Then, I realized, after getting the entries, that it wouldn't be fair.

Instead I divided the query and first 150 words up in the groups you read above. They didn't come out even, so the amount of votes will be different on every blog based on the number's ratio. Here is how the votes will be doled out:

Adult - 31 entries: 8 votes
YA Contemporary - 23 entries: 5 votes
YA Other - 36 entries: 9 votes
MG/NA - 12 entries: 3 votes

I know some of you may not be happy with this, but as I've said before, there is no perfect way. All I can say is I've tried to do it as fair as possible.

Back to the rules...

-The judges will leave feedback and place votes under their SECRET NAMES from Monday until Thursday and the winners will be announced no later than Friday:)

Here are the secret judges assigned to each blog:
Adult: Rose Cardinal, Slave to the Muse, Kinderella, Manchee
YA Contemporary: Writerlicious, Indigo, Jammy Dodgers, Marlowe
YA Other: Mystery Science Theater Geek, Lone Star, Escape Artist, Honey Badger
NA/MG: Goldilocks, The Purple Pixie, Saphira, I'm Just Sayin'

-Others are welcome to leave feedback on your entries as well.

-Your entries will be anonymous, but you're welcome to spill the beans about who you are if you want.

-If you did your math above you will see there will be 25 finalists going on to the final Small Press - Editor Round.

Good luck to all those in the mix!!!

1st Rd Sm Press Contest #1 - Flesh Eating Zombies and Evil Ex-Girlfriends

FLESH EATING ZOMBIES AND EVIL EX-GIRLFRIENDS
YA horror novella
32,000 words

Query:

Erwin is in hell.

He was working out after school, thinking his day couldn't possible get any worse, when Rob showed up, his seven-year-old sister in tow. Rob tells them the girl's babysitter was viciously attacked by a neighbor. He saw him biting into her.

They discover that similar attacks are happening all over the states, the cause a virus that makes people act irrational and violent. The school is locked down, but some of the infected are already inside.

After a bloody battle only fifteen remain, including Erwin, seven-year-old Amy, Erwin’s ex, and Sylvia, the girl who is helping him forget her. When people start arguing about whether or not to stay at the school it becomes clear that Erwin won’t be able to save everyone.

He must decide whether or not to go, and who he’s willing to leave behind.

First 150:

Erwin had been on his way to lunch when he first saw them. Justin had Natalie pushed up against her faded orange locker, his tongue down her throat. Erwin’s own throat had tightened and his stomach churned. So much for lunch.

It had only been a week since Natalie broke his heart, after dating for ten months. Now she had her fingers wrapped around the fat neck of that dick, Justin.

Erwin tried not to think about it. Problem was he could hear the cheerleaders finishing up their practice in the empty lunchroom across the hall from the gym doors.

It was 4:15; there were only a few other guys in the weight room. Basketball practice didn’t start for another forty five minutes. Then he’d have to face Justin. With any luck he’d get a chance to elbow him in the face when Coach Spears wasn’t looking.

1st Rd Sm Press Contest #2 - Jennifer Strange

Jennifer Strange
YA Paranormal Horror
55,000

Query:

Fifteen-year-old Jennifer Strange never wanted her parents to go missing, a ghost to haunt her, or a Ghost Hunter named Marcus Blackwell to tell her she is a Medium. She believes in measurable facts, not in the occult. When a ghost tears apart her Chemistry class, Jennifer must admit that ghosts exist and a spirit needs her help.

Jennifer pairs up with Marcus to find out the ghost's identity and inadvertently meets Marcus's sinister Grandmother and their family of Ghost Hunters. While she doesn't believe the Grandmother's claim that Jennifer is the most powerful Medium to ever live, one thing is clear: Jennifer can touch ghosts. With no desire to use her power, Jennifer must still help the ghost remember who he is before a wraith possessing his soul is unleashed and devours them all.

In a “Ghostbusters” meets Kendare Blake's "Anna Dressed in Blood," JENNIFER STRANGE shares dark occult themes, black comedy laughs, vibrant horrors, and forbidden love told through both Jennifer's and Marcus's perspectives in alternating chapters.

First 150:

If the house is the face of a home, my grandmother’s house was an obvious mental case. I wasn’t thrilled about visiting her. My mother hadn’t even bother to ask me if I wanted to meet the stupid old bird. There wasn't a word from my Grandmother in the thirteen years since I was born. If she didn't want to meet me, I wanted nothing to do with her.

“Be polite Marcus,” Mom warned.

“Why?” I yawned. “I shouldn’t have to. Why are we even bothering to come here?”

“Grandmother Miriam wants to meet you. You should be excited.”

I rolled my eyes at her.

“This blows.”

Mom shook her head in disgust and said nothing. I knew she was pissed, but I didn’t care. I was tired of Mom always changing the subject when I asked about her past, my Grandma, and the photo of the house on Blackwell Mountain.

1st Rd Sm Press Contest #3 - Touch

Touch
YA Paranormal Romance
89,000 words

Query:

Five years after Lily’s suicide, Tessa Chase must deal with the ramifications of being the crazy girl’s sister. And she is failing horribly. She’s spent the last years battling an Empathic ability she wants no part. Now sixteen, Tessa is looking for answers and trying to make sense of who and what she is.

John was the boy no one seemed to notice, the boy that didn’t need to creep in the shadows to be ignored. But with his looks and snarky personality, Tessa can’t help but befriend him. At one touch, she knows there is something wrong with John and will prompt him to a shocking confession: he’s an angel and invisible to everyone but her. He’s here to investigate a decades old killing spree before the killer finds her next victim.

But when the killer’s sights land on Tessa, her world will collide with John’s in the most unexpected way forcing her to choose between saving a friend and sacrificing herself to stop the killer.  

First 150 words:

I had forgotten how much effort it would cost to be amongst strangers. Their everyday emotions came in waves, sweeping across my palms as physical pains. Yet another delusion to my so-called anxiety?

I hoped not.

I crossed my arms over my chest and gritted my teeth. A row of white psychics tents were pushed far enough away from the rest of the Peddler’s Fair and had captured my attention two days ago.  Trash skittered around my legs in tiny wind tunnels.

I sighed. There weren’t any answers here.
           
“What exactly are we doing?” Michael asked around a mouthful of hot dog. In a few hours, it wouldn’t matter. The weekend was almost over and with it, so would be the fair.           

I pulled at the frayed edges of my gloves and shrugged. “I don’t know yet.” Despite, the many layers of clothing I wore, the silvery night air bit into my skin.

1st Rd Sm Press Contest #4 - Pure

Pure
YA paranormal
85,000

Query:

In PURE, sixteen-year-old Katie Wickliff makes her home with her grandmother in the small town of Elspeth's Grove – a place they have lived in since coming to the U.S. from Russia when Katie was only five years old. One night, Katie's quiet life is shattered when two strangers arrive from Russia with a dire warning: the creature of evil that killed Katie's mother and forced Katie and her grandmother to flee Russia has returned from the grave and will soon be after Katie.

Katie's grandmother sends the strangers away, but soon people in the town begin to disappear, and Katie finds that she is being followed by the handsome William, who appears to be only a few years older than she is. Katie is attracted to William, but she senses that something is different about him. She begins to suspect that he is a vampire.

William is indeed partially a vampire, but he is also one of the Sídh, an ancient clan whose members are gifted with great power – a clan to which Katie's mother also belonged. After being bitten by a vampire, William has been shunned by the Sídh –he is no longer pure.

When Katie's house is attacked in the middle of the night by a terrible monster, Katie and her grandmother are forced to return to Russia to find answers. William follows them, and despite her feelings for him, Katie is forced to confront the question she wants to face the least: is William her otherworldly protector, or is he the creature who killed her mother?

First 150 Words:

I leaned my forehead against the dark window, welcoming the feel of the cool glass against my feverish skin.

I could feel the night calling to me, though I didn't exactly know what I meant by that. It had been happening more often lately – it was a strange tugging on my mind.  Something was pulling me out into the dark.

In an unguarded moment, my grandmother, or 'GM' as I had always called her, had told me that my mother had had visions. The way the night called to me, I wondered if this feeling was the beginning of a vision. I wished I could talk to my mother. I'd been wishing for that more and more often lately.

I pushed away from the window and walked to my bed. I picked up the picture that always sat on my nightstand by my pillow. A man and a woman, he with curly brown hair, she pale and blond, smiled as they kneeled on either side of a laughing, fair-haired girl of five.

1st Rd Sm Press Contest #5 - Warwick Hall

Warwick Hall
YA Paranormal Murder Mystery
95,000 words

Query

At Warwick Hall, the living and the dead both have secrets. Cassie has been waiting two years for her body to be found. She can’t remember how she died but she knows something is with her in the darkness--something from which even death is no protection.

Sophia Cross is a new student at Warwick Hall. Her father has taken up a teaching position at the school and they’re looking for a fresh start after a car crash left her mother dead and Sophia in a month-long coma. She doesn’t know where she was as she hovered between life and death, but she can still sense the darkness.

When Sophia moves into Cassie’s house, the girls learn to communicate via Magnetic Poetry. Cassie and Sophia will have to work together if they are to unravel the mystery behind Cassie’s death and the menacing presence that haunts them both. The answers are hidden somewhere within Warwick Hall, where everyone is a potential suspect and trusting the wrong person could get you killed.

First 150 words:

It was a beautiful day to be dead.

Cassie lay in a bed of leaves on the riverside. The sun peeked out from behind a cloud. She couldn’t feel it, but she imagined it to be warm.

She found herself waking up here more and more often. Cassie had been waiting almost two years for her body to be found. She didn’t know if this was Hell, but it sure wasn’t Heaven.

She shook the foliage out of her hair--to a passerby it would look like a sudden, isolated gust of wind. Cassie could never actually move anything when she wanted to, of course, but sometimes her energy brushed against the Living world.

She meandered back toward Warwick Hall, the prep school where her father had been the chaplain. She spied a doe taking a drink from the river, cool and sweet. The animal tensed as if it knew that she was there. The deer locked eyes with her and startled, loping off like it had seen, well, a ghost.

Cassie threw her hands in the air in frustration. The only sentient creatures that could see her were afraid of her. They sensed she shouldn’t be there, that she’d stayed too long at the party.

But she had no idea how to “move on” or “go into the light,” or whatever it was restless spirits were supposed to do. She couldn’t even have any fun haunting anyone because she didn’t know how to make the Living hear or see her.

1st Rd Sm Press Contest #6 - Calling Death

CALLING DEATH
YA Paranormal
64,000

Query:

Sixteen-year-old Daughter of Death, Damaris, was born evil. The only way her kind gain access to Heaven is to steal human souls and trade them for eternal life. Or so she's been told. But Damaris doesn't buy that and refuses to kill anyone. She's also determined not to let her little sister, Genie, end up a heartless, soul-stealing murderer like her parents.

The key to saving them both is Chase, a smokin' hot stranger with a penchant for breaking in through her bedroom window. Bent on retrieving his sister's stolen soul from Damaris's family vault at any cost, he offers a trade. He can free captured souls in exchange for her help.

They only have three weeks until her father's Death Day. Twenty-one days to find Chase's sister. Five-hundred hours to free all the souls before her dad hands them over to Death and they are lost forever. Thirty-thousand minutes to save Genie and prove to her kind that their ancient beliefs are wrong. The clock's ticking, and Damaris is running out of time.

First 150 Words:

I spin the loan crystal vial between my fingers. The silvery-blue soul dances erratically inside the glass like misty water. For the millionth time, I whisper an apology to the little soul in its cold, beautiful prison. I know it means nothing at this point, but pretending it does makes me feel better. Just in time to hear my sister giggle maliciously, I put the vial carefully back in it's place on my bookshelf.

Sighing, I squeeze my eyes shut, count to five while holding my breath, and all I get is a head rush and those stupid white spots flickering in my vision. That's when the tingly feeling hits me.

Someone is watching me through my window.

Genevieve squeals down the hallway again, dragging something heavy and loud across my bedroom door. But, luckily for her, it's not Genie that is my main concern anymore. It's whoever is spying on me.

1st Rd Sm Press Contest #7 - Dracian Legacy

Dracian Legacy
YA Paranormal Romance
92,500

Query:

Ren and Axel are caught between two powerful magical races: one destined to end the bloodshed, the other out for vengeance.  

Seventeen-year-old Ren Pernell is prophesied to end the war between the Dracians and the Telalians.  Losing her parents in a gang-related incident tears her perfect world apart. When a Dracian, Axel Knight, is sent to find and bring back the prophesied one before she turns eighteen and Telalians discover of her existence, unexpected sparks start to fly between the two. Once Ren finds the truth behind Axel’s arrival, she wants everything to do with him and nothing to do with his mission.

Things prove to become difficult as Ren’s life is constantly threatened by the Goarders, humans who sold their soul for wishes, a Proxy Succubi, and the leader of the Telalians who has been searching for her as well.

With the clock ticking and Ren’s life in jeopardy, it is no longer just a mission for Axel.  It becomes a personal endeavor to save the only one he’s ever loved. In a heart racing ending, they must find a way to evade the preordained war that won’t also end Ren’s life.

First 150 Words:

Sunlight shimmered between the branches.  Quiet sobs and hushed words of comfort reached me, as suits and dresses gathered around us—filling my vision with one color.

Black.

In the midst of all the sorrow, the joyful chirping of a hummingbird touched my ears, shedding light to my heavy, darkened heart.  Even though my hair was neatly styled in a tight bun held by twenty hairpins, one stubborn strand kept coming loose without mercy as the wind blew around us.

The weather was the exact opposite of my mood.  I felt nothing, as if a black hole had sucked the life out of me.  My eyes were swollen, my body refused to respond, and I was cold.

Deathly cold.

“As we commit Jim and Irene Pernell to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection.  We enter this world with nothing and we leave wi—”

1st Rd Sm Press Contest #8 - Kiss of Fire

Kiss of Fire
Young Adult, paranormal
108,000

Query:

Joclyn Despain hasn’t heard from her father since a scar appeared behind her right ear on her fifth birthday. Eleven years later he sends her a cursed stone, referring Joclyn to what she can only assume is a cult. According to Joclyn’s delusional father, her scar has given her supernatural powers, and the cult will ‘save’ her. Now, she is being stalked by a tall blonde man, and her best friend, Ryland, has a father who is threatening more than just her friendship with his son.

Joclyn only wishes to hide behind her large clothes, ignore the romantic advances from Ryland, and try to forget about whatever mess her father has gotten her into. But, weird things have begun to happen. Normal people shouldn’t be able to throw their enemies ten feet in the air or fall fifteen feet without getting hurt, right?

Joclyn finally begins to find her footing, when Ryland finds her scar. Not only does he know what it is, but he insists that she will be hunted and killed because of it.

Joclyn barely escapes, only to discover that Ryland has been captured by those who would kill her. Now Joclyn must find the ability to save Ryland before he is tortured to death by a man who will stop at nothing to find Joclyn’s location.

First 150 words:

My longboard clicked rhythmically down the sidewalk as I moved, the warm wind of early summer tugging against my dark hoodie, pulling at the long strands of black hair that had fallen out of my hood. I didn't like traveling in front of the houses in this part of the neighborhood. I normally took the back alley but today, some road crews were working on pot-holes and I had to make my trip in front of the giant mansions that littered the hills of the east side of the city.

The rich ladies with their upturned noses liked to look out their windows at me as if I were somehow infecting their perfect little world with a contagious disease. They looked at me like I was poor (which I was), a menace (which I wasn’t), and like there was something wrong with me (which I wasn’t even sure of). Normally I would laugh at their response to me, but I didn't like them taking so much notice.

1st Rd Sm Press Contest #9 - Nympha

NYMPHA
YA paranormal
62,905

QUERY:

Sixteen-year old Alexander is wanted by two opposing nymphs: Cynthia, mover of clouds, is using him set herself free from immorality, while her sister Phoebe, an earth nymph, strives to save the earth from impending environmental collapse. Alexander becomes entangled in Cynthia’s snare and ignores the fact that his own family is falling apart: his baby sister has died, his parents’ marriage is ending and his twin sister, Ariana, is hiding her pregnancy from the world. The imbalance of the earth is replicated in Alexander’s family life, and yet it will require him to act in a way that will prove his strength and courage. Meanwhile, Ariana will have decide if she is strong enough align with Phoebe to make the greatest sacrifice of all: her newborn children.

First 150 Words:

Phoebe

We awake from our broken eggs, and Cynthia wastes no time. She unfurls her large, luminous wings and shoots out of the cave, flying deep into the forest. She has been waiting for this—this freedom, this new opportunity, the possibility of an exit. I open my wings and chase after her, trying to catch up, but she has always been faster than me, the broad expanse of sky her special realm. I fly, as quickly as I can, over the trees, trying to trace her path, trying to eye her wings. The mortal ones do not realize how hard we nymphs must work to hide from them; our bodies are the same size, for we are descendants of the same first egg. It should be easy to find her. Her wings span the full length of her body, as do mine.

1st Rd Sm Press Contest #10 - Forbidden Secrets

FORBIDDEN SECRETS
YA Fantasy/Paranormal
95,000

Query:

Seventeen-year-old senior, Kyra Siefert races toward two goals - a full track scholarship to college and defending her state cross-country title.  Things change when Kyra is attacked while on a training run.  Now she's plagued by terrifying visions that wrench her into an alternate reality at the most inopportune moments – like in the middle of the crowded cafeteria, or while having a heart-to-heart with Aidan, the über chivalrous guy who sits next to her in Calc.  Trying to forget about the mugging and avoid the label “Koo Koo Kyra” are priority number-one.

Eighteen-year-old Aidan MacGregor might be immortal, but he's not invincible. Grieving and guilt-ridden over the death of his twin almost two years ago, Aidan uses his expressive drawings as an escape.  When Aidan agrees to do a portrait of Kyra, a romance between them quickly develops.  But bound by a strict code of silence and honor, Aidan can't tell Kyra he belongs to a clandestine society of Celtic immortals who guard an ancient Masonic treasure trove.

In this Romeo & Juliet meets Highlander, Kyra becomes the pawn for one rogue immortal pursuing the sacred treasure, and another seeking to settle a centuries-old blood feud. Aidan must make an impossible choice: betray his family or protect the girl who's claimed his heart.  But haunted by visions of Aidan’s death, keeping her secret may ultimately cost Kyra everything – including the boy she loves.

First 150 Words:

I always failed at ordinary.
Ordinary wouldn't have weird, freaky, come-true dreams or a scar that ached when something god-awful was about to happen. Ordinary wouldn't have guilt hanging over her head like an anvil. And ordinary would snuggle under the warmth of her down comforter, especially on a rain-soaked Sunday.

Instead, I dashed down the hardwood stairs with iPod in hand, prepared to hammer through six miles in under forty-two minutes and praying the twinge in my scar was weather related.

Mom sat at the kitchen table, reddish-blonde curls boinging in all directions. She squeezed her forehead, like trying to stave off a tension headache. Without looking away from the Asheville Citizen Times, she handed me my cell phone. "Sweetheart, do us both a favor. Humor your father with a response."

Dad's text read: Love the hills and they'll love you back. Before I'd finished reading, the phone chirped with more pre-workout advice: Be one with the mud.

1st Rd Sm Press Contest #11 - Terra Incognita

Terra Incognita
YA post-apocalyptic paranormal
98,000

Query:

Seventeen-year old Haylee Wells stumbles through a portal into a post-apocalyptic future. Taking refuge with a group of humans, she learns the Pale Ones – creatures that can kill with a single touch – have propelled her through time to claim a power she didn’t know she had.
Now she must survive in a world where these creatures reign. A world where the supernatural is common: inanimate objects become poisonous organisms, humans survive – and fight back – with powers of their own, and Seers discern what secrets lie within the confines of your mind and heart. In a time when nearly everyone has an ability, Haylee doesn’t feel particularly special.
Until her power becomes evident. The gardens flourish with a touch of her hand, her wounds heal quickly, and she can see the auras of those around her. Her companions wonder if the supposedly immortal creatures regard her – an inexperienced Seer – as a threat. Or a potential weapon.
She knows she should return home. But the journey to the portal will be dangerous, and her growing affections for her new friends, particularly the duty-bound protector of the group, leave her unsure in which time home resides. If she doesn’t leave, the Pale Ones will decide her fate. They will either kill or enslave her.

First 150 Words:

As with most of life’s extraordinary problems, I felt ill equipped to handle the beast hurtling toward me. The monster’s yellow eyes focused upon me. Its tongue, dripping saliva, lolled from its mouth.
My eyes flicked left and right, looking for cover. A door to slip through. Anything. But could find no escape.

In a matter of seconds, it lunged for me.

I hit the ground, the air forced from my lungs. And, before I could take a breath, my face was plastered with my dog’s kisses. Laughter bubbled up in my throat, and I tried to shove the more than one hundred pound wolf-hybrid away to no avail. So, arms shaking, I managed to hold him several inches from my body, draw my knees up, and roll us both to the side. I made it to my feet and brushed strands of dark blonde hair away from my mouth.

1st Rd Sm Press Contest #12 - Demolition

Demolition
YA dystopian
53,000

Query:

Two street kids from opposing urban tribes fall in love while struggling to stop the Global Government from turning their all-night dance venue into a recycling depot. Think Lord of the Flies meets Starhawk’s The Fifth Sacred Thing, but with more romance and three genders.

Aidan is an in-between, a member of the middle gender, and it's up to the reader to decide whether Aidan is male or female. Lawson, on the other hand, is all guy. Aidan belongs to the pacifist, celibate Bee tribe and follows the teachings of the Buddha. Lawson is a Real Dealer, a militant anarchist who doesn’t seem to believe in anything except violence and instant gratification. The two tribes don't mix, but after Lawson saves Aidan from one of the frequent beatings Bees endure in D-town, Aidan can’t stop thinking about him.

A demolition sign brings the pair together to save The Dance, but their attraction might just destroy D-town before the wrecking ball does. That is, if the spies who have infiltrated the tribes don’t beat them to it.

First 150 Words:

Noplace in D-town to escape the sound of The Dance, and I’m glad. The techno beat gives something to latch onto as punch number I’ve-lost-count crashes into my stomach like it will tear through and shatter my spine. Air leaves my lungs in a shocked oomph—always a surprise, no matter how many blows have landed—and my body curls, absorbing the violence.

Awareness narrows to brilliant agony and the boom of the bass. If only my meditations were half this focused. A timeless moment later, I can breathe again, but not for long, because the next hit comes, with its oomph exhale followed by aching stillness.

The beat carries me, red flashes of pain pulsing in time, and I lose track of everything else until the blows stop. I am lying on the ground with my right eye swollen shut. I open my left a little and meet the glazed eye of the A who’s been beating me.

1st Rd Sm Press Contest #13 - Daughter4254

Daughter4254
YA Dystopian
60k

Query:

Daughter4254 used to think life in a community where art, music and names are outlawed would suffocate her creative spirit. Now that she’s rotting in a prison cell, she’s not sure her dying mother made the right choice when she entrusted her with the secrets of rebellion. Prison has given her plenty of time to relive every mistake and lose all hope. Her next stop is the MindWipe.

Then she meets Thomas, a fellow inmate, who teaches her about faith and love. He tells her stories of the mythical mountain colonies where people have names and the arts thrive. Together they plot an escape, knowing if they fail, they will die. Or worse, their consiousness will be taken by the MindWipe,leaving their bodies free for the government to use. When nothing goes as planned, Daughter4254 must choose between using her mother's secret to better the world she hates, and following Thomas to the quiet life of freedom she has always craved.

FIRST 150 WORDS

It was against the law for my mother to comfort me when I cried, but that’s what I remember most vividly; her arms circled about me, her hands patting my back. When possible, she held me while I sobbed like a brand new child. My mother tried to teach me not to show my emotions when I was young. Any expression of feeling would give away my mental status.

But it was not a lesson I learned quickly or easily. The hugs and kisses and pats on the back were part of many secrets we owned. We constantly gambled that the Auto Eye attendants would not notice us; one small blip of a family on hundreds of monitoring screens. Still, the large round bubble loomed like a wicked insect on the ceiling of our home pod. The camera and microphone concealed beneath the dark plastic lump recorded our every word and move and sent them back to the government for monitoring.

1st Rd Sm Press Contest #14 - Forget-me-not

Forget-me-not
YA Speculative Fiction
76,000

Query:

Anamae’s mother is missing.

She’s been gone for nine years. When seventeen year old Anamae accidently activates technology that makes her invisible, it attracts an attacker, leaving her wondering if this is what happened to her mother. Forced to take shelter in a safe house, she learns the attacker was an agent of a secret society. They suppress the knowledge of technology so advanced it could be straight from a science fiction movie.

Now Anamae knows the secret, she’s at the top of their hit list.

Anamae must stay in hiding until her new protectors secure her safety. But when she discovers the society used mind altering technology on her father, her worst fears become a heartbreaking reality. The society has made her disappear from the world, just like her mother. The need to regain control of her life and restore her father’s memory, leads her to join the fight against the society. But she’s not prepared to idly wait for others to regain her freedom for her. With her newfound tech, allowing her to blink into and out of visibility, she sets out to destroy them. She must learn to depend on her new friends. If they fail she’ll never be able to return to her old life, the society will continue to manipulate the world around her and she will be in danger forever.
 
First 150 Words:

How do I tell my mother what’s happened, what she’s missed, everything about my life?

I can’t.

Chin cupped in hand, I sit at the desk in my room and stare at the pale yellow notepaper before me. The blue lines across it are as empty as my pounding head. I hold my favourite pen, poised in my hand ready to write, but the words elude me. I let out a long sigh.

Two faces stare up from the photo waiting to be slipped into the envelope along with the letter. It’s a ‘selfie’, not one of my beautiful nature shots that I normally put with my annual letter. My cheek’s pushed up against Will’s. His sandy blonde hair falls into his bright blue eyes. His arm, resting over my shoulders, pulls us close together. Our grins say more than words ever will. I smile, he’s my best friend.

1st Rd Sm Press Contest #15 - Devastation

DEVASTATION
YA Romantic (Soft)Sci-Fi
95,000

Query:

After sixteen-year-old Lexa Castiel's dad dies, things go sideways. She sprouts giant-ass wings, her love life’s in the crapper (that’s what happens when you fall for your best friend), and she finds out she’s half alien. Her mom wants her to learn to fly, but there ain't no way in hell that’s happenin'. Lexa has a puke-producing fear of heights, so when aliens abduct her, her feathered wings are as useless as teats on a boar hog.

To top that, the aliens who abduct her to harvest her regenerative DNA are out to colonize Earth. Their spaceship is a stinking, dark labyrinth, fully equipped with a slimy, bloodthirsty beast. Almost every turn presents its own dangers as she searches for an escape route and a way to stop the aliens’ schemes. If Lexa does find the exit, she'll have to fly home, probably puking up her toenails on the way. If she can't get off the ship, she'll be trapped like lab-rat in a maze with that slimy bastard of a monster. Lexa's suck-o-meter buries the needle.

First 150 Words:

The first suck-ass moment of my life happened when Gabe, my best friend, and I were on summer vacation with our parents in New York City. Gabe hoisted himself onto the balcony railing.

I cocked my head and frowned. “You’re gonna fall. We’re on the tenth floor, dummy.”

“Naw. It’s a’ight.” He waved his hands above his head. “Look, no hands.”

I shrugged and hopped up next to him. Gabe was a year older than me, but if he could do it, so could I. I was a determined little shit.

He poked my leg. “Don’t you fall, Lex.”

“Stop it.” My elbow shot out, bumping his arm.

Gabe batted his thick fringe of black lashes. “Stop what?”

I twisted sideways to smack him, but slid instead. Toppling backward, I gasped, flailing to grab hold. Too far away. I left my stomach on the rail as I fell to the ground below.

1st Rd Sm Press Contest #16 - Against the Falling Moon

Against the Falling Moons
YA light fantasy romance
95,000

Query:

Luc's sixth birthday is marked by tragedy when his best friend, Auri, falls through a rip in the fabric of Trillua and disappears into a parallel world--Earth. But Luc soon discovers that the strange bond he always shared with Auri survived. Over the next ten years he watches through his dreams as she grows into a beautiful sixteen-year old girl who doesn't trust anyone.

When the leaders of Trillua open a Portal to travel to Earth, Luc risks banishment from the home he loves to hijack a spot on their mission and rescue Auri. But the fall has wiped Auri's mind of all that came before it. Luc has just one month to convince her she belongs with him before the Portal home closes.

As the clock ticks down, Luc realizes that his proximity to Auri has somehow made him faster, stronger and almost invulnerable to pain or injury. He knows his unheard of powers seem like magic, something punishable by death on his world. Unlike his dreams of Auri, his new abilities are impossible to hide. When the leaders learn the truth, they demand he Portal home to be examined as a potential danger to Trillua. If he fails to immediately return, his family will be banished into the treacherous Outerlands.

Now Luc must choose. Abandon the girl he was born to love, or save the family who's depending on him for their survival.  

First 150 Words

Outside, the glow of the ThriceMoon is being replaced by the glare of the rising sun. Absorbed in my notes on Auri's world, it takes me a few seconds to understand. The sun? I bolt upright from Sin's desk chair, scattering my papers to the floor. Half-asleep on his bed, Sin startles. "Blast it, Luc! I'm trying to slee..." Seeing my face, he trails off. "What?"

I point at the window that takes up the west wall of Sin's bedroom. Beyond it, the blue stretch of valley is steadily brightening. Black emotion-trails erupt around me. I wave my hand, as if I can physically brush them aside.

Sin's eyes widen. "It's daybreak? But your..."

"Test is today. I know. Emelina will banish me if she realizes I've been out all night."

Sin's voice takes on a lilt, "I cannot convey the importance of a good night's sleep, Luc." He does a disturbingly good imitation of Emelina.

1st Rd Sm Press Contest #17 - Uncovered

Uncovered
YA Sci-Fi Romance
62,000 words

Query:

When Hallie Hartman’s life turns into nothing short of a freak-show, she knows she took her ordinary life for granted. Running into tall, dark, and swoon-worthy Colton Reed changed everything. He’s teeming with secrets and his cryptic answers about who he is and where he’s from have Hallie yearning to punch him—whenever she’s not thinking about kissing him. When she finally uncovers the truth, she finds he’s not just from out of town.

He’s an alien.

Unfortunately, there are other secrets far more terrifying. The Megaera, a deranged alien mafia group, is hunting Hallie. They claim she’s a Hamartia, a half human race who isn’t allowed to exist. The Megaera think she could be an asset but they didn’t anticipate finding a Hamartia without any abilities. Hallie’s not sure if Colton can be trusted but she knows she’ll be their prisoner until she decides which is worse, being a pawn or being dead.

First 150:

My entire life has consisted of a level of normalcy that makes me want to stab myself in the eye with a pen.

That was the only sentence of my English essay I had written after thirty minutes of mindless pen tapping. All my brilliant ideas had vanished—if I’d really had any to begin with. Spinning my chair around, I resigned myself to the fact that staring at the paper would not magically make words appear.

I decided to distract myself with a run. After I’d changed, pulled on my shoes, and grabbed my iPod, I left the house and started pounding pavement. Clearly, I couldn’t write an essay to save my life. In fact, the only thing exceptional about me is how fast I can run but what is that going to do for me? Now, if I could find a way to run straight out of my dull life and into one that’s electrifying, maybe I’d have a use for it.