Querying & Seeking Literary Representation

Genre: YA Dystopian/Sci Fi

Word Count: 63,269

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After the Fall Out, mankind survived on Ships built to circle the toxic oceans for centuries. These communities hope to one day return to the Land, where no one survived. 

 

Seventeen-year-old Annalla Richards' post graduation dreams include working with her best friend and class co-president Odo Parker to uphold the future of their Ship. These plans are cut short after the Optic Exam, when Nala and her classmates are manipulated into their own kidnapping.

 

In order for the Shippers to return home, they are forced to help the Land of Living Hope community. As they work, Nala unravels the lies about survival on Land, and the shocking differences between Ship and Land cultures. Eventually Nala must decide how far is she willing to go to uncover the truth about her kidnappers and ultimately choose which community is worth fighting for.
 

Genre: YA Dystopian/Sci Fi

Word Count: 75,933

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Many years after the Shippers leave the Land, the Models are thriving again. The most recent cohort was made in Princess Odevva Parker's image, and she wishes to get as far away from the glitches as possible. Devv dreams of expanding her myEye social media legacy to be adored for herself and herself only.

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Odevva 596, on the other hand, wants to be as anonymous amongst her cohort as possible. She doesn't want to be paraded in front of her new mysterious benefactor. The Colonel scrutizines O-E's every move as she trains to become a Caring Patron. But O-E only wants to keep her girlfriend happy and be placed in one of her sister or brothers' homes after graduation.

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O-E and Devv's worlds eventually collide due to an extravagent engagement, a terrible boyfriend, a flirtatious brother, more than one bad attitude, and a generation defining superstorm. Devv must put her prejudices about the Models aside and O-E must face her social fears as they step up to save their community.

Genre: YA Contemporary Lit

Word Count: 78,046

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Because my mental illnesses are so intrinsically wrapped up in my experiences, I write those features into my main characters. My contemporary lit novels are inspired by experiences I've been through, but they are pure fiction. Similar to my real life, Ghost Kingdom is about an Italian-American girl with anorexia nervosa whose illness spirals when she heads off to college.

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The story starts when Gigi Sorrentino comes home from university for a holiday break and hides from her family by doing crunches in her bedroom. She wants to join in on the festivities but her eating disorder is holding her hostage. This is the story of how the illnesses' painful power unravels, and Gigi reclaims her life back.

 

"When I want to fantasize about when I was sick, I write, and disappear into the Ghost Kingdom. But honestly, I don't want to go to the Ghost Kingdom anymore. Does this mean that I'm cautiously moving into the real world? The world where I'm recovered? I think maybe it does. So I'm going to keep going."

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It's important to include these illnesses in my writing, because it's too rare to find honest account of living with eating disorders or anxiety. Too often our media glamorizes mental illnesses, contributing to widespread stigma and misconceptions. (More about that in my essays).

Genre: YA Contemporary Lit

Word Count: 62,369

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New York suburbs weren't exactly what Caroline Alonzo had in mind for her senior year. Especially stuck alone with her dad and stepmom just in time for pandemic quarantines. She would rather be at home in her tiny apartment with Mom, twelve time zones away, where civil unrest had closed down her school.

 

Caroline's year in the US is a mess of clashing cultures, homesickness, college-starting nerves, modern loneliness and discovering ways to cope with all of it, the growing up, on her own. She does the best she can, but her new best friend can only help her so much. A foodie school project, a pizza in a park, and a TV truce may be enough to get her through.