Hello all! Sorry for the dearth of blog entries this past month. I’ve been committed to helping preserve sanity at my job, exercising, applying to grad schools, and loving my boyfriend in the blink of an eye that is a 24-hour day. I am happy to say that I’ve worked up the courage to start posting chapters from my first novel, a Young Adult (YA) work called “In the Words of Your Love.” Tonight I’ll start with my query letter, and tomorrow I’ll begin with chapter one.

Reaching out to the writing community at large, I hope that I can earn a little bit of feedback, and heck, maybe even find one or two loyal readers! So without further ado, here is my query letter for “In the Words of Your Love.”

Dear agent:

Ross Chappell has a broken heart, not the best way to end his junior year, especially when track stars with girlfriends are considered gods of the social scene.

After being dumped by the free-spirited Analise Barreras, Ross finds himself plunged into a bleak pessimism about dating. But hope appears in the aftermath of Hurricane Eduardo, which demolishes the high school in a nearby town and compels the administrators of Bishop Lynn to accommodate thirty new students. Among them is Malerie Knighten, a cute artist with a penchant for homemade t-shirts and unrestrained sarcasm. An unlikely pair, Ross and Mal agree to take on a last minute yearbook project, entitled “What Makes a High School Romance?” Their plan? To interview twenty couples and single students and find out what people are really looking for in a romantic relationship.

Juggling his interviews with track practice and classes, Ross must also contend with Ana’s swift rebound with LeRoy Espinoza, an ill-tempered teammate who once vied with Ross for her heart. As the District meet fast approaches, Ross learns to grow out of his apathetic persona to help Malerie grapple with her own demon: leukemia. Through an acceptance of his new friend’s mortality and his own humility, Ross finds the courage to forgive Ana and build a legacy of disclosure at Bishop Lynn – one that will live on in his and Mal’s greatest work.

In the Words of Your Love is complete at 100,000 words, and closely matches the strong narrative voice of Katie Alender’s Bad Girls Don’t Die and the wit of Lauren Conrad’s Sugar and Spice.

I graduated from Texas Tech University in December of 2011 with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in English.

Thank you for taking the time to review my query, which is part of a multiple submission. I look forward to your response.

Yours truly,

RMC