Sunday, April 12, 2015

Team True Grit #2: QUEST FOR THE KALEVALA, MG Fantasy

Genre: MG Fantasy
Title: QUEST FOR THE KALEVALA
Word Count: 49,000

Genre: Henry knows there's nothing better than a comic book adaptation, but his nerdy sister Lauren prefers all those girlie Jane Austen remakes (bo-ring!).

Pitch: 

When ten-year-old Henry discovers he’s descended from Finland’s mythological heroes, his first epic task involves stealing an ancient relic before power-hungry scientists, including his Dad, (mis)use it and inadvertently disrupt the Earth’s polarity.

First 250:

A gazillion white cardboard boxes block my escape route. I’m gonna have to unpack my way out of the kitchen. Picking a box at random, I slice the tape. Beside me, Mom unpacks like a maniac—paper flying over her shoulder as she works. 

She flattens an empty box and says, “Oh, Hen, I forgot to tell you the good news. I found you a mowing job!”

“A job? Seriously?” I drop the pan in my hands with a clang. “Like moving to Finland wasn’t bad enough, now you’re putting me to work?” 

“It’s not like I’m asking you to pick up forty hours a week.” She plops a wooden spoon onto the pile on the counter. “Just an hour helping out a nice elderly neighbor.”

“The creepy old Finnish lady?” I wipe my dusty hands on my basketball shorts. “Does she even speak English?”

“Henry James Rollins.” Mom narrows her eyes at me from her nest of papers. “Be nice! Mrs. Lönnrot speaks English as well as you do.” 

I cringe. Why did Dad have to name me after some punk rock geezer? “Oh come on, Lawn-rot? Even her name creeps me out!”

“It’s a very old, non-creepy Finnish name,” she says, hazel eyes giving me her familiar “you’re one nudge from fouling out” stare.

“Have you ever seen her in the sunlight? Maybe she’s a vampire. No, no, I’ve got it—an evil enchantress!” I shudder dramatically. I can’t help it. That lady gives me a serious case of the squirms. 

2 comments:

  1. This is a dark horse hit! Please send query +50pp following query guidelines at jdlit.com with the subject Pitch Slam. It'll be the talk of Tinsel Town!

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  2. Stunning debut. Please send pages to kyra@aplusbworks.com. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete