Please Vote for my Story BREEDERS!

Hey guys!  Please take a second and vote for my story BREEDERS on Greyhaus Literary Agency's contest HERE.

And for your reading pleasure, here's my entry:

TITLE: Breeders

When human satellites identify a massive alien craft orbiting the earth, Macey is thrilled when she is chosen to serve on the team of ambassadors. Then she learns that they are not ambassadors, but sacrificial lambs. But when she is presented to her new mate Rex, the heir to the throne of the AVB race, she discovers that being selected as a ‘sacrifice’ might not be such a bad thing.

Soon the AVB’s secret agenda is revealed –to enslave human females as breeders. But how can Macey be enslaved when she has found heaven in Rex’s arms?

STORY:

Macey tugged the collar of her gown up a little higher in an ineffectual attempt at some modesty. She snuck a glance at the trembling line of women beside her. Each of them had been chosen to serve as an ambassador based on the new ‘visitors’ request: virgin females with ample bosoms and hips, narrow waist, long hair, between the ages of 18 and 25. Most of them barely met the age requirement. It had been a difficult task for NASA to find virgins in the requested age range. She tugged the collar once more with little success and realized that the goal of these god-awful brocade corsets with full skirts was not to cover their ample cleavage -- it was to showcase it.

She squared her shoulders as the hatch hissed open, sliding into a hidden recess in the wall. At first, she expected to see something similar to Fred, her first grade class pet, hop into the hangar. An icy finger of fear stroked down her neck as she got her first true look at the Alien Vampire Bunnies who had a mother ship orbiting the earth. He marched into the hangar, with two massive grey AVB’s flanking him who brought to mind the private body guards the mob bosses used.

The AVB leader’s floppy snow-white ears and blood red eyes reminded her of Fred, but the razor sharp front teeth that emerged from his cleft upper lip as he let out a hiss of satisfaction were nothing like Fred’s blunt buck teeth.

“This is the first shipment?” the albino male asked, his voice strangely soft and gentle despite the fear that his fangs elicited.

“Yes sir. We selected them carefully based on your requirements,” the scientist said. He mopped the sweat away from his shiny brow with a shaky hand.

A flame of doubt singed her skin as Macey wondered why he seemed so terrified. According to the announcement that she had responded to, they were the human ambassadors to the AVB’s and were guests on the mother ship while it was in orbit. So why was this head NASA scientist scared out of his mind right now?

“Good, very good. I’m impressed with your selection,” the albino said as the he sauntered past the line of trembling females. Macey’s stomach dropped to the floor when he stopped directly before her, his blood-red eyes trailing over every inch of her exposed skin. The unmasked hunger in his eyes made her skin crawl, like a thousand fire ants scurrying across her naked flesh.

“Mmm, very good indeed,” he said and spun on his heel, returning to the center of the line. She let out a quiet breath of relief that she was unaware she had been holding.

“Thank you sir,” the sniveling scientist said.

“My son will be by momentarily to select his mate.” His announcement elicited a collective outraged gasp from the gathered women.

Macey stared at the stocky, sweaty scientist that the AVB leader had addressed. He lifted his steel blue eyes to meet hers and a look of remorse crossed his face. Her stomach churned at the confirmation in his gaze: they were not ambassadors – they were sacrificial lambs.

Silence filled the hanger as the women regained control over themselves. She wasn’t given much time to contemplate her new future as the door slid open again with a hiss. A cloaked figure strode confidently into the hangar and bowed deeply before the albino.

“Father,” a deep melodic voice filtered out from under the heavy hood. The voice sent delicious chills over Macey’s body that had nothing to do with fear.

“Rex – pick your mate,” the albino commanded.

Rex made his way to the first of the women in the line. He stepped forward and reached a gloved hand out to brush her flaming hair away from her neck before leaning his cloaked face towards her neck. Macey tensed. The redhead’s shoulders relaxed, and relief washed over her features as he pulled away. He turned and continued down the line, sniffing each woman in the same manner, until he finally stopped before Macey.
She stood ramrod straight, her shoulders back, her jaw clenched, eyes flaring. His face was hidden behind the cloak, but his blue eyes burned intensely as he returned her gaze. He pulled the glove off his hand and brushed her silky hair from her face before resting the warm, smooth skin of his hand on her bare shoulder, his thumb gently stroking her neck.

“What is your name?” he asked, his voice caressing her. His hand was warm and soft against her neck, and she had to fight to keep her eyes from sliding closed on their own accord. The trails his thumb was tracing on her neck caused delicate goose bumps to rise over her skin in response.

“Macey,” she said, her voice strong, and fearless.

A rumble of satisfaction came from deep in his chest as he pulled her forward, his face lowering to her neck. His whiskers tickled her skin as he inhaled her scent deep within his chest. He tentatively pressed his lips against the tender skin at the base of her neck and an involuntary moan escaped her lips. He smiled and pulled away.

“I select Macey,” he said as he slipped her hand in to his and turned to face his father.

As the warmth that had overwhelmed her body the moment his lips touched her throat ebbed, her heart froze. She had just been selected to be the first human ‘mate’ for an Alien Vampire Bunny, an she didn’t even know what he looked like.

Fabulous Friday - Agent Interview - Natalie Fischer from Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency

Today's Fabulous Friday - Agent Interview's fabulous agent is Natalie Fischer from Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency in San Diego. You can read her biography on the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency website here.

SWW: How did you get into agenting?

NF: By interning! I learned about agents during my query process back when I was still writing, and when I got to college and saw the listing for an intern at the Dijkstra Agency, I jumped on it!

SWW: What genres do you rep?

NF: I represent romance (all genres), young adult, middle-grade, chapter books, picture books, historical fiction, and select nonfiction (including biographies, pop culturish self-help, and memoir).

SWW: A query comes across your in-box that has you jumping out of your seat to request the full ASAP. What is it about?

NF: Well if I knew the answer to this it wouldn’t make me jump out of my seat…because the query that would make me do this is so hot I haven’t even thought of it yet! ;)

SWW: What are your pet peeves for queries?

NF: Not following submission guidelines, addressing to the wrong agent, typos, sending me queries for genres I don’t represent.

SWW: The query rocked - so you requested a partial/full. Now you're passing. What happened between query and pages?

NF: The pages didn’t live up to the premise. Usually this will happen if I don’t connect with the main character or the voice, or I find the pacing is off.

SWW: What do you want to see more of in your submission pile?

NF: Hmm, more chapter books, more adult romance.

SWW: Do any of your clients have books coming out soon?

NF: Yes. Elisabeth Spurr’s MONSTERS MIND YOUR MANNERS is due out in Spring of 2011 from Albert Whitman, and Jessica McCann’s ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF FREE is due out in March 2011. Roseanne Thong’s RED IS A CHILI PEPPER will also be coming out sometime in the coming years. Sorry, nothing more recent; it takes usually 18 months from contract to pub, and I’ve only been selling since last November!

SWW: What are you currently reading? (Other than fantastic client manuscripts and slush)

NF: Well, I’m trying to read THE DUFF and THE PARTICULAR SADNESS OF LEMON CAKE. And…a bazillion other books piled up!

SWW: Salty or sweet?

NF: Salty!

SWW: If you could give writers querying you one piece of advice, what would it be?

NF: Don’t give up – and embrace new directions. Keep writing, and developing your talent, and don’t get stuck in one place with one book. You’ll get there eventually if you follow where advice and edits and rewrites lead.

SWW: Do you twitter?

NF: Yes! @Natalie_Fischer and adventuresinagentland.blogspot.com.

SWW: If you were stranded on a desert island with only one book to read, what is it?

NF: HOW TO GET UN-STRANDED AND OFF A DESERTED ISLAND IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS.

Thank you Natalie Fischer from the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency for participating in this interview. If you are interested in querying Natalie please follow her submission guidelines that can be found here.

It's official - I've registered for NaNoWriMo!

Well ladies and gentlemen, I've caved and signed up to participate in the National Novel Writing Month starting November 1st.  This is where you write an entire novel (at least 50,000 words) by November 30.

The title will be... drum roll please....... BURN ME.  Right now the premise (I'm thinking) will be a murder/crime mystery (arson) with firefighters.  Because honestly, who doesn't find firefighters sexy??  Anyway - I've been tossing this idea around in my head for a while.  It's a diversion from YA (where I have 3 WIP's currently in progress) but I LOVE romance.  I'm a sucker for romance.  I LOVE JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series.  I love Nora Roberts.  So why not?  Write what you know right??

I'll keep you guys posted as I move forward.  If all goes as planned I will come out Nov 30'th with a first draft of an amazing Romance novel.  (Or it might be complete crap - it is a VERY short amount of time to write A LOT of words!) Anyway - the whole point of Nanowrimo is to stimulate your creative juices, to push you beyond your internal editor that makes you criticize every word you put on the screen and just write.  (Not that I have a problem with letting loose on the page - but revisions can be  painful.)

Please Vote for my Story BREEDERS!

I've entered a writing contest that Greyhaus Literary Agency is running, and he's using popular vote to determine the finalists for his contest.  The winner will get two partial manuscript critiques and the potential to have him request a full for potential representation. 
So if you have a few minutes, please read and vote for my entry titled BREEDERS.  And feel free to share this request with your friends.  I really want to win this contest! :) 

http://www.greyhausagency.com/Alien-Vampire-Bunny-Contest.html

Thanks!
Shelley