My Query

Okay, I realized that I probably should post my query, which, if you don't know, is the pitch an author creates for his/her book that's supposed to whet the appetite of the agent/editor to the point that they simply MUST read the novel!! So, here it is:

Dear Agent,

During the dogged-heat of July, the small farming community of Ashmoore, Oklahoma is as it always is: slowly moving through the long hot days of summer. At least until news that 17-year-old Jenny Wade has been attacked shudders through the town.

Initially, the people of Ashmoore band together, determined to find the “monster” who has done this to “one of their own;” but with no immediate arrests, the gossip mills soon begin to grind the story into pulp, churning with speculation, distrust and doubt, ultimately aimed at Jenny Wade herself.

After hearing the news and gossip, 13-year-old Brian Thompson turns to Mr. Barnes, his former sixth-grade teacher and emerging surrogate father figure, who preys upon Brian's growing sexual confusion, pulling him into a relationship that crosses all lines, and also adds grist to the ever-grinding gossip mills.

In the shadow of gossip and rumor, an unlikely friendship develops between Jenny and Brian—a friendship of outcasts, that is all too soon marked for destruction by a town seeking to reclaim its, once safe but now fragile, existence.

On the Edge of Someplace Else is a 68,200-word work of literary fiction. While predominantly revolving around the three central characters of Jenny, Brian and Mr. Barnes, the story is also revealed through the eyes of various residents of Ashmoore, as the novel is ultimately about the town and its desperate acts to save the idea of itself.

Originally from Oklahoma myself, I have been in the New York area for the past 8 years, the past 4 spent at NYU pursuing my BA in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Creative Writing. Previously, I have been published in Dovetails Literary Magazine. On the Edge of Someplace Else is my first novel.

I thank you for your time and consideration.

Best regards,

Jeffrey Richards

So, who wants to read more?!