Hi! We both know why you’re here, but before we jump right in, go ahead and read my official bio here. I’ll wait…
Elevator Music brought to you by Nick Bateman. You’re welcome.
Who am I?
What my shiny, super official bio doesn’t tell you is that I’ve been writing for a long, long time. That for most of those years, I’ve gotten over 200 rejections. And that I never really got anywhere with my writing until I found Twitter, more specifically, until I found the #Pitchwars community.
I am a two-time Pitch Wars hopeful (never a mentee). Back in 2015, I subbed my Prime Vector novel to three awesome YA mentors. I didn’t get in, but I listened to their advice, and kept revising, and writing. I tried my luck again in 2016 with my latest title, Love Over Lattes. Still no luck. However, I received a lot of feedback on specific areas where my manuscript needed re-working.
Long story short, I re-wrote my manuscript, and six months later I received an offer for a three-book deal from The Wild Rose Press. Book Two in my Desert Monsoon series is due to release Spring 2019. Here’s the shiny new cover!
Gif by @GifGrrl
Wait, I had a point…even if you don’t get in, you’re here, you’re networking, and honing your craft. That means you’re well on your way to success! Yay, you!
Want to learn more about me? Follow me on Twitter, or better yet, join my closed reader group on Facebook, where I chat about my favorite sexy reads.
Why am I here?
I told you my Pitch Wars story, so I could answer this question. This community has helped me so much, I’m afraid I’ll be struck by lightning if I don’t find a way to pay it forward. Last year was my first year as a Pitch Wars mentor. And I can tell you there’s nothing more gratifying than helping other authors achieve their writing goals and land that dream agent. I’m looking at you Gia!
My strengths/weaknesses?
Commas are my kryptonite. I can spot grammar errors, but I’m not your best bet if you’re seriously lacking in this area. What I can do is break down your story to its bare bones, and figure out what’s missing…from story structure, pacing, and plot holes to character development and deep POV. I’m tough with my critiques, but only because I can see the potential in the writing and I really, really want it to shine and succeed. If you’re cool with tough love, keep reading…
My ideal Mentee?
My ideal mentee would be a hard worker. We only have three months to polish your MS, so we’ll need to hit the ground running. I’ll have charts for you to fill out, and there’s also a spreadsheet. If you want to get a head start, go read Debra Nixon’s GMC: Goal Motivation and Conflict and Damon Suede’s Verbalize. We’ll start by dissecting your story and your characters. My goal is to get two rounds of edits in, so we can focus on sentence structure and flow.
What am I looking for?
Send me your new adult/adult romances! I’ll take contemporary (my favorite), romantic suspense (my second favorite), sci-fi, magic realism, paranormal, light fantasy. If romance is the main story line, send it to me!
To save you time, here’s a list of what I’m NOT looking for:
- High fantasy
- Historical Romance
- Inspirational Romance
- Sweet Romance
- Horror
- Women’s fiction
- Non-fiction
- Thrillers
- Memoirs
- Western
If your work does NOT fall into any of the sub-genres listed above, we’re getting warmer. What will make me hot for your MS?
- I have no preference for POV or tense, as long as your prose is fresh with an authentic voice (not necessarily flowery). Also, please do your absolute best to make sure your grammar is in decent shape.
- Give me a hooky meet cute. I love tropes. My favorite is enemies to lovers, and second chances, but it has to be believable. Same if you’re going for the friends to lovers trope, or strangers to lovers. Give me some sizzling chemistry.
- This is a given in romance, but I’ll put it on here so you can check it off the list. Happily Ever Afters (HEAs), or Happy For Now (HFNs) are a must. There are no loop holes here.
- Heat required. I don’t do sweet romance. Send me your spicy and erotic romance. I’m mostly a contemporary author, but if your characters are falling in love, and doing all the sexy things in outer space, I WANT your MS!
- Consent required. I want strong heroines who know what they want, and know how to ask for it.
- Rape is a deal breaker for me. Just no. Not even as backstory.
- Diversity welcome. Bonus points for interracial couples!
- Contemporary is my main jam. Send me your hot and kinky CEOs, rock stars, bad boys, and men in uniform. Tattoos? Yes, please! I’m all about the romance, but I also need grit and heart. Who/what are these hot guys fighting for?
Some of my recent favorite books:
After Burn, After Shock by Sylvia Day
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
The Pawn by Skye Warren
Paige in Progress by Brighton Walsh
Remember Yesterday by Pintip Dunn
You made it all the way to the end! For that, you get one more pic of Nick.
Thank you for checking out my wish list. I hope I answered all your burning questions. If not, find me on Twitter, and ask. Like seriously, I don’t mind questions at all. I’ve been there, so I know how difficult it is to choose a mentor. I’m here to help!
That’s it!
Check out all the other Adult mentors!
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