Monday, May 20, 2013

Team Mónica # 1 FINVARRA'S CIRCUS



FINVARRA'S CIRCUS
YA fantasy
91,000 words

QUERY

Finvarra's Circus is coming to town, and seventeen-year-old Leanna is determined to see it. Everyone knows once the circus leaves, the fairest girl in town is found dead, deformed, and heartless. Rumors say it’s the handsome ringmaster, Finvarra, who steals their beauty and their hearts, but this means little to Leanna. Her heart is damaged and failing her. Surely he won't want it. She sneaks into the circus, but caught by Finvarra, he gives her a choice: become their tightrope walker or die.

Leanna accepts, and now a part of their strange family, she learns that Finvarra never meant to harm her. He needs her to stay. An ancient curse binds the troupe to their circus. They must perform forever or perish. To break the curse, Finvarra must die, and only the famed muse, the Leanan Sidhe, can kill him. 

Finvarra believes he’s found his muse in Leanna, and Leanna can’t deny the growing attraction between them. But not everyone wants freedom for the circus and they’ll kill any girl suspected of being Finvarra’s inspiration.

With her life and the circus’s on the line, can Leanna sacrifice her love to free the troupe?  Will her feelings for Finvarra be their demise? Or will her heart fail her when she needs it the most?


PAGE

Leanna Weston looked at the newspaper on her lap and cursed her broken heart. Gracing the headlines in bold text were the words of her lifelong dream, a dream her damaged heart made impossible.
“Finvarra’s Circus, coming to Winter Abbey,” she whispered, trailing a finger along the vine-like symbols bordering the header. A sad smile curled her lips as her hand danced over the printed images of clowns and lions. Each gentle stroke unfurled memories in her mind of her mother’s stories, tales of dancers performing fluidly atop white unicorns and fire breathers riding chariots pulled by centaurs while they battled one another’s fire dragons.
“Don’t even think of it, child,” her nurse said, pouring Leanna a glass of water. She set it at the night table and took the paper from Leanna’s lap. “Your heart is much too weak for a journey to Grover’s Field, much less in this cold.” She gazed out the arched windows, to the gilded leaves brushing past in a gust of autumn wind. “This winter will be a vicious one, I tell you.”
Leanna ignored this. Though the newspaper was gone from her hands, she held fast to her memories and to the crystal necklace that dangled around her neck. “If opening night is in a week and their show so grand, they should be here by now.” She looked out over the tree tops. No tent peaks marked the landscape, but she sighed wistfully at the thought of them there.


20 comments:

  1. I *love* how lyrical this is. Absolutely stunning! Good luck! :D

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  2. Wow what a beautiful story!!!

    Yay!!

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  3. Wow what a beautiful story!!!

    Yay!!

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  4. I'm totally sold. I love the circus and this feels like an entirely new take on the idea! Would read it all right now!

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  5. This sounds great!!! Kind of like THE NIGHT CIRCUS meets HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE. I'm definitely cheering for this one!

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  6. This sounds amazing. I love the voice that's present in your query and your first 250. Rock on!! Good luck!

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  7. Two words: Imag. Ery.

    LOVE. Want to read more!

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  8. I absolutely love the query and 250! :)

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  9. This really does sound wonderful. I can't wait for it to be snatched up so I can read it soon! I love the idea of the circus and that the protagonist has a weak heart.

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  10. Your first page is so lovely! I dig the HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE-like element here, and I'm such a huge fan of anything circusy. Good luck!

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  11. I've been looking for a circus story, so I'd love to see this. Thanks!

    Sarah

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  12. This looks really fun! I'd be glad to see it.

    -Mollie

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  13. I'd love to see this. It sounds great!

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  14. I'd love to see this!

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  15. This looks great -- I would love to see it!

    Monika

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  16. I was hooked by this from the moment I started reading it! I would love to request the full manuscript. From, Your Friendly Neighborhood Ninja

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  17. This sounds so amazing!! I would love to request the full manuscript. From, Your Friendly Neighborhood Ninja

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  18. You've been ninja'd! I would love to see a pitch, one-page synopsis, and the first fifty pages. Please send it as a word attachment to...(contact Monica/Brenda for further details!). Looking forward to reading your work :)

    --RED NINJA

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  19. KAPOW!! Ninja Agent here. I'd love to read the full!

    --MacNinja

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  20. So. A not-so-secret ninja agent requested this one by email!
    It's...
    *drum roll*
    The lovely Laura Bradford!!
    YAY!!

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