I’ll start with the gift:
I’ll read and critique the first 5 query letters any writer who is looking to find representation sends me. Simply send me a note via our contact page and I’ll get back to you with details.
The reason for the gift is the sad news. April 14th saw the passing of literary agent Janet Reid, AKA QueryShark. I never met Janet, but I stumbled upon her insanely useful blog at some point in my journey and her blog and the people I met through it were absolutely instrumental in helping me find my way to my wonderful agent and publication. If you’ve never heard of her or of her blog, go to it. Read it. You will find gems.
I can’t think of a better way to honor her memory and the way she helped me than by doing my best to help other writers who might be struggling with their queries right now.
And Now for Some Good News!
Our very own Susan Breen just sold a novel at auction to Alcove Press! Woohoo!
And another MissDemeanor, Marni Graff, has a story in the upcoming Mystery Most International anthology
And My News?
Plugging away at a WIP that started out shiny and exciting, hit a wall, and is now growing shinier, deeper, and maybe even more exciting by the day. Writing can be magic.
How about you? What’s going on with you, gentle reader?
Emilya Naymark
Her short stories appear in the Bouchercon 2023 Anthology, A Stranger Comes to Town: edited by Michael Koryta, Secrets in the Water, After Midnight: Tales from the Graveyard Shift, River River Journal, Snowbound: Best New England Crime Stories 2017, and 1+30: THE BEST OF MYSTORY.
When not writing, Emilya works as a visual artist and reads massive quantities of psychological thrillers, suspense, and crime fiction. She lives in the Hudson Valley with her family.
Glad your WIP is growing more exciting. And congrats to Susan!
What a perfect way to honor Janet! And congrats to you, Susan,and Marni!
That’s very generous. I’ll share this in a couple of groups right now!
Very sad to hear about Janet’s passing. After Dawn at Blue Ridge, it’s too many too soon.
But thank you for acknowledging my story in the anthology! It’s a Nora story set in Oxford as the theme was for international murder.
I think your gift idea is marvelous!