Query Trackers Making Tracks, #19

Welcome to installment number nineteen of my series on successful authors from QueryTracker. Some of my guests have agents, others have found success in less conventional ways. But one thing they all have in common is the utilization of the QueryTracker website to help make their tracks in the publishing world.

Today’s guest, Kerri Maniscalco (known to QTers as mystree1), is, according to the bio on her fabulous blog Write. Eat. Repeat, "a twenty-something native New Yorker who drinks too much tea, loves avacados, reading, writing, and supporting friends and local musicians." She signed with her agent Barbara Poelle of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency at the end of February this year. To read her call story, visit this post on her blog. 

One of the things I love about Kerri is her effervescent personality and positive outlook on life. It shines through her tweets and blog posts. She's helped so many other writers with her amazingly inspirational blog. In fact, she's the only blogger I know to have ever earned the Blog That Sparks the Soul Award.  So it's only fitting that today she's in the spotlight.

AGH: Kerri, welcome to my humble online abode! Could you give us a quick summary of the book which snagged your agent?

KM: Sure! INVARIANCE is a YA science fiction adventure story. It’s about a seventeen-year-old supernova hunter that has one week to solve a mystery that spans the space-time continuum almost a thousand years, or humanity will be lost forever.

AGH: Before you signed with your agent, how many books had you tried to query?

KM: This is my sixth novel. Before signing with Barbara I queried five other books for two years. While querying I would start writing another manuscript, that way if project “A” didn’t work out, I’d have project “B” polished and ready to go. I’m kind of a workaholic, so being idle for too long makes me anxious. (On top of already being super anxious over the querying process!)

AGH: What were the responses to those queries (stat-wise: fulls, partials, etc.)?

KM: Oh my gosh, I’m not sure. If I had to take a guess I’d say I racked up three or four hundred rejections, and averaged around a 40% request rate. I saved all my rejections as motivation, so I’ll have to count them one day and come up with accurate stats.

INVARIANCE was a little different when I queried it. I emailed it to Barbara first, then sent out a handful of queries and ended up with a 70% request rate. My offer came a week or two after directly submitting it.

I had A LOT of close calls with the last manuscript, and received a few direct submission requests. One of those came from my agent. If you’re still getting rejections, but an agent says to try again with your next project - take them up on it! You’re getting closer. The only time you fail is when you stop trying.

AGH: What genre(s) do you write?

KM: I write YA science fiction but there are always other elements that creep in. I’m a huge fan of genre bending and I enjoy adding horror, romance, fantasy, or thriller and mystery elements to my work, too.

AGH: What inspired your very first book idea?

KM: Fair warning, it’s a crappy story - but it does have a happy ending.

Writing is something I’ve always loved doing and there was a perfect storm leading up to that first book. Putting it mildly, I was going through a rough year personally. I had just gotten out of a relationship that played out like a brutal divorce, lost my job, my apartment, and I desperately needed an outlet to sort through all of those feelings. I felt blindsided and devastated by what happened and writing was my way of coping with it. Out of all the negative things that were going on, I was able to make a new world and turn it into something positive.

It was like the Universe decided I needed a major change and gave me a clean slate to start over. Terrifying (and painful) as it was at the time, I couldn’t be happier now. If I wasn’t forced to reexamine what I wanted out of life, I don’t think that first book would have ever gotten written.

AGH: How do you come up with titles?

KM: Titles are probably one of my favorite parts about starting a new project. My process is always slightly different with each book, so I’ll just talk about the last one. INVARIANCE was originally called “Relativity” since it deals with Einstein’s theory of Special Relativity. About halfway through writing it, I changed the title because there’s this theory called “Galilean Invariance” and it’s very fitting for the plot of my book.

AGH: What books / authors have most influenced your own style and concepts?

KM: I love authors (and poets) like Salinger, Frost, Dylan Thomas, Kerouac, and Shakespeare. Growing up I couldn’t get enough of Shel Silverstein, I must have read WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS and A LIGHT IN THE ATTIC a million and one times. I think that both he and Roald Dahl had a fairly large impact on my own style. Or my imagination at least. Ray Bradbury, Madeleine L’Engle, and Neil Gaiman were/are really influential, too.

AGH: How did you find QueryTracker, and how did it help you in your effort to get inside the publishing doors?

KM: Prior to querying (or even finishing that first novel) I was googling information on literary agents and how to draft a query letter. I think I found Nathan Bransford’s blog first, then Miss Snark, and eventually I came across QT. I thought it was a fantastic resource for finding agents that rep your genre and cross-referencing information.

As far as how it helped in my effort to get inside the publishing doors, that’s easy! Being around other writers who are going through the same process helps on the bad days when you question your sanity.

AGH: Have you recently learned anything about the business side of publishing that you can share with up and coming writers?

KM: Definitely! Up until the last few weeks, I had never heard of literary scouts before and the important role they play in foreign rights. I thought you had your agent and foreign rights agent, and that was it. After being completely immersed in EVERYTHING publishing I couldn’t believe I’d never come across information on them. They are another great resource for authors, since they have their thumbs on the pulse of everything that’s going on in publishing. It’s pretty incredible.

AGH: Do you have any current news to announce?

KM: As you know, publishing is a world filled with dirty little secrets - so I sort of have a gag order on what I can and can’t say at this time. We are on submission and it’s been equal parts thrilling and surreal. And terrifying. Always a little terrifying.

***Five for fun***

1.) Which would you rather do: carry an umbrella or sing in the rain?

KM: Sing in the rain! Carrying an umbrella is super practical, but sometimes you’ve just got to be wild and free.

2.) What’s your favorite breakfast?

KM: Oh man. I’m a little quirky with food. I always start by having green chai tea with agave and soy milk, and a strawberry/oat milk smoothie with a dairy-free meal replacement vitamin powder. The smoothie is packed with lots of nutrients and much needed brain-food. It’s also fast and easy to make when I’m writing so that automatically makes it my favorite.

3.) When would you go to if you had a time machine, and why?

KM: LOVE this question! I would travel back to 1610 when Galileo published STARRY MESSENGER and he described his observations of the 4 moons of Jupiter. It was basically the beginning of his conflict with the church because of his support of Copernican astronomy. The why? Let’s just say it would be in-depth research for my book.

4.) If you were tight with one of the Greek gods, which one would it be and what favor would you ask of them?

KM: This is tough because there are a few I’d love to be tight with. That being said... I’d have to go with Dionysus and I’d ask him to keep me supplied with endless wine. Writing can be stressful and let’s be honest, having a free wine tap would be awesome.

5.) Drinking tea … pinky up, or heavy on the Long Island?

KM: Both! In the morning and afternoon it’s pinky up all the way, but once it’s five o’clock somewhere the Long Island comes out to play :)

***

Kerri, thank you so much for stopping by! Your book's premise sounds awesome (love me some sci-fi) and I'm also interested in your wine tap idea! I know several writers who would be eternally grateful for such an invention. :)

You can follow Kerri's publishing journey on her twitter or website. And please give her some writerly/readerly love in the comments!

Have a great weekend, everyone! If you have a chance, stop by next week. I'm going to give a peek at my publishing timeline (how long it took me to from when I first started querying to the signing of the contract) and also I'll be announcing some pretty big changes on my blog. Hope to see you then!

Meet Splintered's Naughty Hotty...

Today I'm over at my YA group blog ADR3NALIN3 with Splintered's bad boy. It's a recap from a post I did here last year, so anyone new to the blog who wants a little peek at Morpheus, just hop right over. He'll make it worth your while. ;)

Also, Friday I'll be having the lovely Rachel Harris over for a successful QT author interview. We'll talk about her debut YA:

Pitched as MTV's Super Sweet Sixteen meets Ever After

Hope to see you then!

Query Trackers Making Tracks, #17

Today is installment number seventeen of my "First Friday of the Month" series on successful authors from QueryTracker. Some of my guests have agents, others have found success in less conventional ways. But one thing they all have in common is the utilization of the QueryTracker website to help make their tracks in the publishing world.

Today’s guest, Ryan Graudin, is a very accomplished lady. She majored in writing in both high school (attended a a fine arts school) and college. She's also been a kindergarten teacher in South Korea, working around 45 hours a week while still fitting in time to write. To say I'm impressed by that feat would be an understatement. Her official QueryTracker success story can be found here.

Welcome to the interview box, Ryan!  

AGH: Could you give us a quick summary of the book which snagged your agent and publisher?

RG: Luminance Hour is the story of a Faery named Emrys who finds herself forced to guard the partying Prince of England from soul feeders (ie. Spirits who prey on mortals). She soon finds that she has very un-Fae-like feelings for him. There are also assassins and paparazzi in the mix.

AGH: Before you signed with your agent, how many books had you tried to query?

RG: I queried a YA urban fantasy for about a year before I finally threw in the towel and started trying to find representation for this project.

AGH: What were the responses to those queries (stat-wise: fulls, partials, etc.)?

RG: For my first book I sent around 200 queries and got 2 partial requests. (Yes, you read that right). For Luminance Hour I sent about 66 queries, got 12 requests (I can’t remember how many fulls vs. partials) and 2 offers for representation.

AGH: What genre(s) do you write?

RG: I write Young Adult novels with fantastical slants (paranormal/urban fantasy). They usually have a good bit of romance in them as well.

AGH: What inspired your very first book idea?

RG: I can’t even really remember… I’ve been dreaming up stories ever since I was really little. For Luminance Hour, the inspiration actually came out of a submission to a short story anthology. It was an anthology that called for “sexy, modern” portrayals of faeries. I started thinking about it an thought it would be interesting to write a story from the perspective of a modern-day Faery Godmother.

AGH: How do you come up with titles?

RG: I don’t. (Ha!) I’m actually really terrible at titles and it’s likely that Luminance Hour is only a working title. It was originally called Godmother, but it wasn’t “sexy” enough for a teen audience (I have since removed all references to Godmothers in the manuscript too!). I really love poetic titles, but it’s hard to come up with one that it both poetic and commercial!

AGH: What books / authors have most influenced your own style and concepts?

RG: I’m a huge fan of Maggie Stiefvater’s writing. I was also really blown away by Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I love writing that is lyrical and poetic and carries weight. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that I studied and wrote lots of literary fiction in high school and college.

AGH: How did you find QueryTracker, and how did it help you in your effort to get inside the publishing doors?

RG: I found QueryTracker just through a Google search. The forums there really helped me figure out what I was doing with my query letter and how I should mold it into something better! I also discovered a lot of agents through the listings and kept an amazing record of everything.

AGH: Have you recently learned anything about the business side of publishing that you can share with up and coming writers?

RG: There is a lot of waiting involved in the publishing process. Be prepared to be patient. (This coming from one of the least patient people ever, just ask my husband.) Also, interact with your audience! Be active online by blogging, tweeting, tumbling and pinning (and whatever else is out there!). When you take the time to talk to people they will become loyal.

AGH: Have you been given a release date for your book yet, and do you have any other current news to announce?

RG: Sadly no. It is still ambiguously Summer 2013…

***Five for fun***

1)      In your opinion, what was the best thing before sliced bread?

RG: Caffeine. I don’t know how the world survived without it. How did people wake up with the sun? (I still can’t, even with a triple espresso).

2)      What’s your favorite breakfast?

RG: When I was a teenager I went with my parents to Paris and we stayed in a hotel where the breakfast was fresh croissants and thick, creamy hot chocolate every morning. It was the best thing ever. A close second? Pumpkin pancakes. Third? Hominy grits with cheese and butter. (As you can tell I loooove breakfast).

3)      Are you Team Dog or Team Cat?

RG: Team Alaskan Malamute. I love them and I want one oh so badly. Perhaps one day when we don’t live in a hobbit-hole of an apartment.

4)      When would you go to if you had a time machine, and why?

RG: Oh wow. What a tough question. I think I would have to choose the 1940s. I’ve always been really fascinated by the history surrounding WWII and the great men who lived in that time. I’d probably go to England and try to crash a meeting of The Inklings.

5)   Drinking tea … pinky up, or heavy on the Long Island?

RG: Depends on the time of day! I love Earl Grey and Jasmine tea for mornings and afternoons. And Long Islands… let’s save those for a bit later in the evening!

***

Thank you for the interview, Ryan. Jasmine tea is one of my favorites, too! And I sure hope you get to keep your working title. Luminance has always been one of my favorite words. It's so lovely and evocative. 

To our readers, please feel free to offer support and kudos to Ryan in the comments. Also, you can follow her publishing star on the internet:

GoodReads

Blog

Twitter

Hope to see you next Monday for some poetry, and have a safe and productive weekend!



Query Trackers Making Tracks, #14

Today is installment number fourteen of my "first Friday of the month" series on successful authors from QueryTracker. Some of my guests have agents, others have found success in less conventional ways. But one thing they all have in common is the utilization of the QueryTracker website to help make their tracks in the publishing world.

Today I'm extra excited because my guest is Claire Merle from the beautiful city of love: Paris, France.

You heard right! My interview is going international, yo! (◕‿-) Actually, I've had one other author from London way back in the beginning phases of this interview series. Just goes to show how far reaching QueryTracker is and proves that a truly amazing idea backed by inspiring and enthusiastic people has no bounds.

Claire's book has already sold to Faber and Faber and is coming out in the UK June 2012! You can pre-order it right now from UK amazon, waterstones, and WHSmith.)

AGH: Welcome Claire! Could you give us a quick summary of the book which snagged your agent?

CM: THE GLIMPSE: In a near future society is segregated according to whether people are genetically disposed to mental illness. 17-year-old Ana has been living the privileged life of a Pure due to an error in her DNA test. When the authorities find out, she faces banishment from her safe Community, a fate only thwarted by the fact that she has already been promised to Pure-boy Jasper Taurell. Jasper is from a rich and influential family and despite Ana’s condition, wants to be with her. The authorities grant Ana a tentative reprieve. If she is joined to Jasper before her 18th birthday, she may stay in the Community until her illness manifests. But if Jasper changes his mind, she will be cast out among the Crazies. As Ana’s joining ceremony and her birthday loom closer, she dares to hope she will be saved from the horror of the City and live a ‘normal’ life. But then Jasper disappears.

AGH: Before you signed with your agent, how many books had you tried to query?

CM: I’d written and queried one book prior to The Glimpse.

AGH: What were the responses to those queries (stat-wise: fulls, partials, etc.)?

CM: I queried my first book long before I found QT and I knew very little about the process. I didn’t really keep stats or anything. I probably queried around thirty agents. From those I received 2 full requests and a phone call, but didn’t land an agent.

AGH: What genre(s) do you write?

CM: Young adult. Within that genre, I’m particularly drawn to sci-fi, fantasy and stories with a paranormal twist.

AGH: What inspired your very first book idea?

CM: I wrote my first full-length screenplay when I was thirteen and though it wasn’t a book, I’d say it was my first real effort to tell a ‘big’ story: Two best friends awake a malignant spirit that gives them the power to speak mentally to each other, but also leaves them running for their lives. I guess I’ve always been drawn to danger, adventure, the paranormal and psychological.

AGH: How do you come up with titles?

CM: Usually, when I start a project the title just seems to come at the same time as the ideas. Though sometimes I rework the title once I’ve finished a first draft and know more about my story.

AGH: What books / authors have most influenced your own style and concepts?

CM: Personally, I’m not sure I can be objective enough about my own writing style to give you any sort of definitive answer to that. I think an author’s style and concepts probably come as much from who they are, what they believe, what sort of questions they’re asking, and the experiences that have shaped the way they see the world, as anything else. Though I’m imagine along the way I’ve also picked up techniques and absorbed various elements from the stories that have had the greatest impact on me.

Some of those books include,

Favourite books pre-teens: ‘The Faraway Tree’ by Enid Blyton, ‘Ballet Shoes’ by Noel Streatfeild, ‘The Hounds of the Morrigan’ by Pat O’Shea.

Favourite books as a teenager: ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ by Margaret Atwood, ‘Rebecca’ by Daphne du Maurier, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ Jane Austen.

Recent favs include: ‘The Sky is Everywhere’ by Jandy Nelson, ‘Fingersmith’ by Sarah Waters, ‘Hunger Games’ by Suzanne Collins, ‘The Gift’ by Alison Croggon. (Better known as The Naming in the US.)

AGH: How did you find QueryTracker, and how did it help you in your effort to get inside the publishing doors?

CM: I think I found Query Tracker through googling for agent information. QTs amazing forum helped me work and rework my query, get feedback on my first chapter, and introduced me to many wonderful writers – two of whom critiqued my whole manuscript before I sent it out. That sort of help is priceless.

AGH: Do you have any current news to announce?

CM: Yes, some very exciting news! Next week, Faber are launching online Open Auditions for a series of fictional video diaries that will be a prequel to The Glimpse. The videos will centre around a character from the book – 16-year-old Tamsin Strike – and anyone in the UK from 13 upwards will be eligible to audition. The videos will be shot by an award-winning British director in the Spring. So if you want to be the first to know when The Glimpse facebook page launches (sometime during the second week in Jan) with all the hows, whens, and wheres about auditioning, follow my author facebook page where I’ll be giving you the links and the most up-to-date info. I'll also be running an international giveaway for anyone who is kind enough to help spread the word.

Here's the linkage: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Claire-Merle-Author/195817850451377

**Five for fun**

AGH: In your opinion, what was the best thing before sliced bread?

CM: Hey, I live in Paris where they have baguettes and fresh, chunky loaves which I prefer to sliced bread, so I’m not convinced about the whole sliced bread thing!

AGH: Which would you rather do: carry an umbrella or sing in the rain?

CM: I’ve never been one for carrying an umbrella. Way too practical. I’d go for singing in the rain.

AGH: What’s your favorite breakfast?

CM: Coffee with whatever story I’m working on.

AGH: Are you Team Dog or Team Cat?

CM: Grew up with a cat, which I adored. But I think I’d like to try Team Dog now.

AGH: When would you go to if you had a time machine, and why?

CM: 150 years into the future. Wow! I’d love to see that!! And then I’d write a book about it.

Thanks so much for having me on your blog!

****

And thank you so much for coming, Claire! Two things, your premise sounds INCREDIBLE, and WOW on the promo-videos! If anyone out there knows a teen girl who's been looking to break into acting, this would be an excellent start! And if you're on twitter, please tweet Claire up so we can pass on the word!

Also, you can find Claire at these online haunts:

Website: http://clairemerle.com 
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ClaireMerle
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5130544.Claire_Merle

Thanks everyone for stopping by. Have a happy and safe weekend, and see you next week!

Guest Interview with Patrick McDonald *AND* QueryTracker Gift Card Giveaway!!!

(click on the above image to visit site)

Today I'm honored to have Patrick McDonald, founder and moderator of QueryTracker.net, joining us for an interview. *waves to Patrick*

(click picture to read Patrick's QT bio)

Patrick, who works in Industrial Automation by day, started QT back in 2007, and since then it's grown to be one of the most extensive online data bases for aspiring authors, boasting statistical information for 1,253 literary agents and 131 publishers. To date, there are 681 success stories born of the some 47,530 QT members.

Yet the most important service QT provides is the community fellowship. There's such a supportive spirit to be found at the blog, the agent/publisher threads, and the groups/forums. When I first started hanging around the threads, I was touched and impressed by the cheerleading and encouragement taking place. In spite of the fact that these people were all vying for the same thing, no one was competing. They were there to lend a helping hand or offer a word of comfort when someone was down, or share in the celebration when someone got good news.

I'll never forget the people who reached out and helped me, Patrick included. And even though I don't get over there like I used to, I know that there will always be someone to take up the slack. Because writers rock like that. (◕‿-)

One of the best things about QT is it's completely free to join and get access to the agent/publisher info, threads, etc... BUT, a $25/yr premium membership opens a whole new world of features. Click here to check out that list.

Interested? At the end of this interview, I'll let you know how you can win a FREE premium membership gift card. So stay tuned...

In a prior post, I put out a request to my readers: What would you like to ask Patrick Mcdonald, the wizard who so humbly stands behind the curtain to keep things running smooth in QueryTracker Oz? The last several questions in this interview were born of that post, so thank you ladies for your contributions! 

And off we go...

AGH: It’s rumored that you dabble in writing yourself. What genres are you drawn to creatively?

Patrick: It's been a long time since I've dabbled in writing, and that's a good word for it. I'd be the first to admit I'm just not very good at it. Now days, when I feel the urge to write coming on, I resist with every ounce of willpower.  I've accepted the reality that my poor brain is much better suited for programming than writing. When I write, it always comes out sounding like a computer manual, and we all know how much fun those are to read. 

AGH: Are you working on any current projects you can tell us about?

If you mean writing, then no. Besides being terrible at it, QT has kept me too busy to give it much thought. There are some new QT features I've been considering lately, and I hope to have time to get to them real soon. Maybe over the Christmas Holiday when I'll have some time away from my day job.

AGH: How did you being an aspiring author influence the birth/growth of QT?

It certainly helped me to identify the need for something like QT. Way back, when I was querying, I used AgentQuery (which is a great resource, by the way) but I kept thinking it would be really nice if I could mark off agents right there on the site as I went along. I looked around, couldn't find anything that did what I wanted, and since my queries weren't going anywhere, I decided to give it a shot. And, thanks to all of you out there who gave it a try and continue to use, it has been a success.

AGH: Who comes up with all of those great premium membership feature ideas?

I'm always on the look out for new ideas, so if anyone has any thoughts on new features, please let me know.

AGH: Speaking of features, QT has a recent one for premium members where if you mark which agents have your full MS it'll tell what other agents have "similar tastes." Kind of like the “customers who liked this book also bought this one” feature on Amazon. How do you come up w/that information?

It is based on the query results recorded by users. So, if two agents request the same material then they must have similar tastes.

Angela Cook: Some of the comments left on agent profiles are brutally honest and/or emotionally charged. Have you ever been asked by an agent to remove those comments? If so, did you?

I don't recall ever being asked "nicely". There have been a few cases where an agent threatened legal action if I did not remove a comment. In those cases I just removed the agent entirely. Those kinds of people don't deserve to be listed.

Jenny Phresh: Have you ever considered letting authors choose the look of their frowning/smiling status faces from a gallery? I would be prefer my frowning face, for example, to have an insouciant, devil-may-care expression that shows that I Will Rise Again! Right now it's too durned sad and beaten-down looking.

That's actually a pretty good idea. But I don't have the artistic talent needed to draw up a bunch of different icon sets. So, if anyone out there wants to contribute, just let me know.

Mindy McGinnis: How do you keep your agent contact information updated? Do they inform you of changes or do you hunt this information down?

Some agents will inform me of changes, other changes I find myself. But the majority come from users who send me a note about something they found, or post it on the agent's profile. After confirming the change, I update the agent's profile. And I really appreciate all the help I get from users. There's just no way I could keep up with all the agents on my own.

Krista V:  How can QueryTracker users get the most out of QueryTracker? And what is QueryTracker's best little-known feature? 

There's a lot going on at QT, and it can be a little overwhelming at first. So, I think the best place to start is with the tutorial videos (which can be found at QueryTracker.net/videos.php).

As for best little-known feature, it's hard to think of just one. But, one of the things that I think is really simple, yet highly useful, is the agency cross-reference. When you view an agent's profile page, there is also a list of all the other agents at that agency along with your query status to any of them (if you happened to have already queried them). It helps to know, so you don't query the same agency twice. If you're a premium member you'll find the cross-reference on the right side of the page, where the advertisements would be.

**Five for fun**  

1) What’s your favorite breakfast?

Lunch. I like to sleep in.

2) Are you Team Dog or Team Cat?

It depends on how they are cooked.

3) If I were at your house right now, what would I find in your refrigerator?

Absolutely nothing. Just ask my teenage son.

4) If you could morph into any food, what kind would you become and why?

Turkey. It's the holidays and I always wanted to be the guest of honor. 

5) What would be the first thing you would do if you woke up to find you were a fish?

Drown. I can't swim.

***

Eek on the drowning! Hee. And I get what you're saying about your teenage son. I have one of those, too. Hungry little critters.

Thank you, Patrick, for the interview, and for everything you do for us!

Now for the GIVEAWAY: Patrick has offered to donate a premium membership gift card to give away to one of my readers. All you have to do is leave a comment* on this post, from today through Sunday at midnight (central time). I will close the comments then, and will draw the lucky winner's name TBA on Monday.

Thanks for dropping by. Have a fabulous weekend and see you next week!

*Please note: this pertains to legitimate comments ... I reserve the right to use the delete function if there are any naughties out there ... 'nuff said. ;)

Going viral ... let's hope they never find a cure.

Viral used to be such an ugly word. But now it's something we as writers -- seeking to promote ourselves and our books -- aspire to. On that note, here's a teaser for our second QueryTrackers Making Tracks guest, David Kazzie, who will be joining me here on Friday:

What does this very familiar and hilarious video have to do with my guest? Well, he watched it like all the rest of us, for one. But there's something a little more personal this video did for David ... some way it played into his recent offer of representation. Want to know more? Stop by on Friday for all of the dirt on David's unconventional journey toward publishdom!

Also, since we're talking viral, I'd like to help fellow author, Jessica Bell, get closer to reaching that sought after status. Her debut novel, STRING BRIDGE, is a women's fiction about a woman who gives up her career as a musician to have a family, then later plots a return to the stage to try to find the person she lost along the way.

Jessica's having a contest to help spread word of the book trailer she's posted on YouTube. Visit her blog here to meet her and win prizes!

To further entice you, I have a sneak peek below (and heads up: that's Jessica herself singing a song her mother wrote. So this lady is twice talented. What an incredible gift!). Now without further adieu, I give you, the trailer.

Thank you Leigh T. Moore for cluing me in to this amazingly talented author/musician. I LOVE this song!! And the story looks every bit as fantastic!

Good luck, Jessica!  And I hope to see you all on Friday for David's guest post. He's got some interesting insights into the viral phenomenon. Maybe, if we're nice, he'll share. ;-)