Today was a special day for me. When I went to get the office mail, at the mailbox was a copy of JONESBRIDGE: ECHOES OF HINTERLAND (Diversion Books, 2015), the first book I took on as an agent. 

Originally the book was titled HINTERLAND, but during the shopping process Bloomsbury came out with a book bearing the same title (Kimberley always says titles come in pairs), so we had to go back to the drawing board. 

Jonesbridge is the dystopian landscape where main characters Myron and Sindra make their way sorting salvage metal to fuel a war effort they fail to doubt exists. 

I'm so very happy to see this book in print, and Diversion's enthusiasm for this project makes me so happy; they snapped up the next two books in the series and have already begun recording the audio book. 

Here is the original query I used to pitch M.E.'s book:

HINTERLAND falls at the intersection of Fahrenheit 451 and The Road.  It is a story of loss of information and the onset of dystopia with elements of steampunk/enviropunk.

In a landscape where the world's knowledge has fallen into ruin through disaster and war, a fractured society has rebuilt from known industrial-revolution-era technology, a stymied culture mired in constant conflict for remaining resources.

Young protagonist Myron Daw knows little of life outside the restrictive "protection" of the Jonesbridge Industrial Complex, where he has sifted metals to fuel the war effort for years.  He longs to escape to a place called Bora Bora. When new arrival Sindra joins the salvage line, Myron's world changes to include her. Sindra confides in Myron that the Complex guards are violating her and she is pregnant despite the sterilization procedure. Myron confides in Sindra that he's been building an airship to escape Jonesbridge. As the two plan their escape together, they are separated and caught. Sindra struggles with the feeling that Myron has flown to Bora Bora without her, unaware that Myron has also been captured...and put on trial for the murder of a guard he did not commit.

M.E. Parker is founder and editor in chief of nationally recognized Camera Obscura Journal of Literature & Photography (distributed to 177 B&N stores and 150 independent bookstores). The journal website generates 60K unique visitors annually. M.E.'s  short stories have appeared in numerous literary journals, and his websites can be viewed at www.obscurajournal.com and www.meparker.com. M.E. is active across all social media platforms and attends publishing conferences in promotion of his journal on a regular basis.

To view M.E.'s website, click here. 

I am very excited to share this Publishers Weekly review for my author Tj Turner's alternative historical novel LINCOLN'S BODYGUARD (Oceanview, April 2015).

"The plot twists of the imaginative what-if will keep readers guessing."

Tj's book poses the questions: What if America's beloved President Lincoln had lived? What would this country look like? And will he hold it against his bodyguard for costing him his legacy?

The Publishers Weekly review of LINCOLN'S BODYGUARD is timely in that we are upon the eve of Lincoln's birthday and the book will release in April, just days before the commemoration of Lincoln's death.

Tj Turner has an interesting background that only adds to this story. Tj has served on several presidential details and is a Major in the United States Air Force. He was recently awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service in Afghanistan. He also holds a civilian job as a materials research engineer for the Air Force.

To see the full Publishers Weekly review of LINCOLN'S BODYGUARD by Tj Turner, click here.

To learn more about Tj Turner, visit his website at http://www.tjturnerauthor.com.

Taking Pitches At SFWC This Friday!

I and my esteemed colleague, Amy Cloughley, will be taking pitches during the Agent Speed Dating sessions at the 2015 San Francisco Writers Conference. 

I have gotten a few questions whether I am taking pitches even though it states that I am closed to submissions on the KC&A website. 

Although my current schedule does not allow the time for unsolicited queries via email, otherwise known as the slushpile, I am always looking for new clients, albeit at a slower pace. Thus conferences are one of the few places I do take pitches. (I also make requests via #PitMad, a wonderful resource for writers, and I consider Writers Digest Bootcamp participants.) I hope to someday soon to be open to a slushpile, but for now those are the places I take submissions. 

If you are attending SFWC, I am most actively seeking adult science fiction and fantasy. I also will consider literary/upmarket fiction with magical realism or a surrealistic bent, romance, historical, and speculative YA. I am not interested in non-fiction (memoir included), mystery, or women's lit. 

Amy, on the other hand, enjoys literary and upmarket fiction of all types in addition to commercial—including well-researched historical and well-told women's fiction. She also loves a page-turning mystery or suspense with sharp wit and unexpected twists and turns. She has a soft spot for distinctive, strong, contemporary characters set in small towns. She is also interested in narrative nonfiction when the plot and characters are immersed in a culture, lifestyle, discipline, or industry and will  consider a travel or adventure memoir.

She is not currently focusing on military/government thrillers, fantasy, or YA projects. 

So if you have a project that fits one or both of us, stop by and give us your pitch!

Looking forward to seeing you there. 

@AmyCloughley

@Mary_C_Moore

PARIS JE T'AIME

By the time you read this, I will have left my home in Paris for San Francisco... the events of the past week here will always be imbedded in my psyche.  The heinous actions of the men who took innocent lives in their personal Jihad to extinguish a form of free speech, failed.  I have witnessed the true spirit of the French people, as well as the world, as we have united in solidarity to memorialize those lives that were lost.  Writers are heroes.  They use their pens in cartoons as well as articles to voice their opinions - free speech is a precious and fundamental right that we must protect and celebrate.  I am saying "au revoir" to Paris for a time, but I will never forget the beauty and fragility of this lovely country.  Nous sommes tous, CHARLIE....

Cover Reveal!

My client, Sean Danker-Smith's cover is here! THE FALSE ADMIRAL is coming October 2015 from Roc Penguin.

It's a creepy fast-paced military science-fiction that will make you laugh and want to read more.

Check out Sean's author site: evagard.com

Kauai Writers Conference

I am lucky to call myself a founding member of the Kauai Writers Conference.  Last year, I planned a vacation to visit friends on Oahu, and let a couple of my other friends on Kauai know I was coming. We'd been talking about a writers conference in Kauai. With two months to go, I said, "Are you up for it?" They responded quickly with a big yes. In just two months my friends and their writing group managed to pull together a lovely, intimate conference with much Aloha spirit.

The 2nd Annual Kauai Writers Conference is scheduled for May 1-3 this year, with an amazing faculty of agents (myself included), editors, and best-selling authors.  There is an early bird rate for the conference that ends in a couple days (under $400). As conferences go, this is an inexpensive conference. You will get a lot of bang for your buck, so to speak, even at full price. And it's the perfect opportunity to invest in your writing in the new year! Think resolution.

Some of the faculty (click on a name to view their website):

Colson Whitehead

Jill Marie Landis

Laura Moriarty

Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Lynne Cox

Kristin Hannah

The Kauai Writers Conference is also now a federal nonprofit. If you are looking for a tax write off in the new year, think Kauai Writers Conference. As a nonprofit, the Conference has started a Kickstarter campaign in order to raise money to pay the expenses of faculty. If you can, please help Kauai Writers Conference meet its fundraising goal by donating through Kickstarter.

I hope to see some of you there. Last year's conference was really something special, and this year should be even better, with double the workshops and classes as well as faculty. Please take a look at the links below, one to register and the other to donate to Kickstarter.

To donate to the Kauai Writers Conference on Kickstarter, click here. 

To register for the Kauai Writers Conference or read more about it, click here. 

 

Free Book Giveaway

A Woman's Paris blog is giving away two free copies of Janet Hubbard's Bordeaux: The Bitter Finish for subscribing to the blog.  Sign up now as the deadline is January 9th!

To read or subscribe to A Woman's Paris blog, click here.