Pitch Wars 2019 Mentor Wishlist!

​Pitch Wars is a mentor program where agented/published authors, editors, or industry interns choose a mentee to help them revise their novel and bring it to the next level for three months, ending with an Agent Showcase in February, where agents can read a pitch/first page and can request to read more.

Image of an Owl in a camp setting with the words: I am a 2019 Adult Mentor, with the Pitch Wars logo.

GIF of Barnie and Robin from How I Met Your Mother jumping on a bed, with champagne squirting.

Hey Pitch Wars hopefuls, and other curious people! I’m thrilled to be back as an Adult Mentor for my fourth (!) year. There will be gifs below, so if you are not in a gif friendly environment, come back later to check me out! I’m flying solo this year, and while some of my wish list items might be the same, there will also be changes, so be sure to read on! I’ve had a soft spot for Pitch Wars since before I’ve had the honor of being a mentor, so let me say a few things first: this contest provides a wealth of information. Just by participating, by reading the mentor bios, by hanging out on the hashtag and making friends, you will learn so much. Trust me. I owe a lot of my success to participating in contests, and I’ve never been a mentee. ​

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Before we get into what you really want to know (what’s on your wishlist!) let me tell you a bit about me: I write Contemporary Romance and have two NA books out with Avon, Signs of Attraction and Friend (With Benefits) Zone. I have an adult contemporary romance publishing in November with Lakewater Press, A PERFECT MISTAKE, and a rom-com coming next year with Entangled, MATZAH BALL SURPRISE. I’m represented by Lynnette Novak of The Seymour Agency. I also offer some editing services, including sensitivity reads.
 
Beyond the professional stuff, I live with my husband, son, and two cats in Massachusetts. By day I work in the family window treatment business, squeezing in my writing anywhere I can. I’m Hard of Hearing, and neuro-diverse, a big supporter of disabilities.
 
But, enough about me, you want to know what I’m looking for this year, right? You’ve probably guessed by now the main element I want: Romance! What does that mean? I want a novel that has a heavy dose of romance, complete with HEA (Happy Ever After) or HFN (Happy For Now) and all the swoony feels. Yes, there are some exceptions to that list, and I’ll get to those below. Your novel has to have an obvious romantic plot for me, so if the romance doesn’t naturally work into your query, I might not be the mentor for you.

Kissing GIF of Nick and Rachel from Crazy Rich Asians

Kissing Gif of Emma and Hook from Once Upon A Time

I’m open to New Adult novels, but like you’ll see others mention, it will probably have to be aged up or aged down. I love NA, I write NA, but the market isn’t giving NA a clear home. So send your swoony NA my way, just be prepared to have a chat about how to alter things.
 
And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for (or scrolled to, it’s cool if you have, just scroll back up at the end and read more, okay?), my specific wish list:

• Diversity. Whatever that means to you: race, sexuality, gender, religion, disability, etc. I especially would love some own voices as I’m super sensitive to authentic portrayals. Note that I’m white/cis/straight, so I’m counting on you to bring a respectful and accurate diverse element across. Also note that I want diversity to be an is, part of the make up of the character not a plot point (own voice issue books the exception). If a disabled character is “cured,” I’m not your mentor.
• RomComs! I love me some humor and in today’s day and age, we need a good laugh. I’m not a big of fan of uncomfortable humor, though. Make me laugh and fall for your characters!​
• I’m a sucker for a second chance romance, or friends to lovers. Show me either of these and you’ll have my attention. Secret babies (or babies/kids/pregnancy) also strike a chord, but must stand out from the crowd.
• I recently finished Just One Night by Lauren Layne and Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey and I'm totally down for a best friend's older brother (or sister)!
• I dig unrequited love finally getting its chance (note, see above, both those books have this trope as well).
• I’m also a big fan of the underdog.​

GIF from Always Be My Maybe where Marcus watches while Sasha kisses Keanu Reeves

• I love me some alphas, as long as they are nice guys underneath all the roughness, but I also love some beta and gamma heroes! Show me your sweet good guys who get the girl (or guy)!
• I like a story with meat to the plot, that is more than the romance. A story that knows the rules and breaks them just enough to be unique.​
• One of my favorite parts to a story (or movie or television series) is the interpersonal relationships. I love to see those relationships grow and change over the course of a novel.
• I like characters who are real. Sure, we all love the tattooed bad boy, but the hot guy who reads a book at the coffee shop is just as hero worthy!​
• Got a Women’s Fiction novel with a strong romantic component? Send it my way! But this is where it needs to be a strong enough part of the central plot that the romance is clear in the query.
• While I tend to fall in love with a little of everything, I’m a best match for contemporary stories.
• That said, I’m game for some light fantasy, thanks to an overwhelming obsession with Once Upon A Time (I’ve been watching this on loop since I started, but not season 7). Got some fairy tale lore or True Love, gimme! Just keep in mind that another mentor is your best bet for full on fantasy novels.​
• A few other sub genres I’m open to: Romantic Suspense and some Paranormal.
• I want amazing chemistry between the two main characters. That can be off the charts or a slow burn.
• In regards to chemistry…I prefer my sex on page, please. You may be able to tease me with no sex but good build up, however full on BDSM makes me blush far too much!
• Ultimately, it’s voice that will seal the deal for me. And That’s not something I can explain beyond: I’ll know it when I see it. 

There are certain tropes and themes that I tend to shy away from as a reader. This by no means they are on my no list, I've read plenty of books with these areas and loved them, but it does mean that it needs to have other elements from my list in order to be a good match. With that said, I might not the best match for sports or horse related stories. 
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Things I am not a good match for:

• Historical
• Science Fiction
• Heavy Fantasy
• Non HEA or HFN, I need my happy endings!
• Spiritual
• Abuse/Rape. If you have a character with a past of sexual assault, or recovering, I’m open to this. But I don’t want it on the page.

So why should you choose me? I will praise you as much, if not more, than I will point out areas to fix. I’m a firm believer of the compliment sandwich. I’m a plot hunter. I love nothing more than to find plot issues and point them out. Developmental edits are kinda my jam. And I will go back and forth happily over issues until they shine! I love seeing how things can be made better and stronger. I’m a revision nut. Some of my best work has come from revisions and I’m not afraid to rip things apart and put them back together. I have a soft spot for kick-ass romance black moments. I may have also developed a fondness for torturing characters.

GIF of Eleanore from The Good Place saying, "This is the bad place!"

I communicate mostly via email or messaging due to my hearing loss. However, I’m happy to work with what form is best for you!
 
Some of my favorite stuff, to help give you an idea of what I like. I love to watch romantic comedies (While You Were Sleeping, Stardust, Penelope, Sweet Home Alabama) and a romantic plot or subplot has addicted me to more than one television series (Frasier, How I Met Your Mother, Coupling (British version, American doesn’t exist), Once Upon A Time).
 
My favorite author list ranges from those I’ve followed for a long time, to those I’ve recently discovered and can’t get enough of: Jennifer Crusie, Jill Shalvis, Nora Roberts, Tracey Livesay, Naima Simone, Alishia Rai, Alyssa Cole. I’m currently devouring the Stiletto and Oxford series by Lauren Layne, around other books on my way too long TBR list!

I'm always happy to chat or answer questions if I can! You can post a comment below, find me on twitter, or check me out at my AMA on the Pitch Wars Pro Boards. Happy mentor hunting! And be sure to check below for other mentor wishlists! You can also find the main Pitch Wars blog post here.

Gif of Elizabeth and David holding hands and kissing from Just Like Heaven

Pitch Wars 2019 Adult Mentors' Wish Lists