Writer's Voice

The Writers Voice competition, run by the AMAZING Brenda Drake, Monica B.W., Krista Van Dolzer & Cupid, is inspired by the TV show "The Voice." I'm contestant #88. If I'm lucky, one of these brilliant ladies will choose me for her team, and with her help, I'll be able to polish my submission until it gleams and have a chance to be seen by 8 awesome agents! Wish me luck!!

Title: KISSING FROGS
Entry #88
Genre: YA Contemporary
Word Count: 52,071

Query:

Seventeen-year-old Alaina Andersen is waiting for her white knight to ride up and sweep her off her feet with the perfect, magical kiss. She desperately wants to be the princess, even though she feels like a frog, compared to the perfect, popular girls who used to be her friends. When Shane Crawford, the most gorgeous boy in school, shows interest in her, Alaina thinks she’s finally found her fairy tale, but the kiss is a disaster and happily ever after is nowhere in sight.

In true fairy godmother style, Alaina’s friend, Kendra, offers to help her become the perfect “princess.” But Alaina’s best guy friend doesn’t want her to change, and her sister doesn’t trust Kendra.  When Shane comes back, begging for another chance to win her heart, and the “mean girls” turn out to be true friends, Alaina wonders if Kendra might be more wicked witch than fairy godmother after all.

KISSING FROGS is Young Adult contemporary novel, complete at 52,000 words.

First 250:
I’m not exactly the fairy-tale princess type. Flowers don’t bloom at my feet, and birds don’t follow me around, singing happy little songs. I’m seventeen years old, and I’ve never even been out on a real date. So when my best guy friend, Jarod, pretends to be in love with me, it’s kind of fun to play along.

“Hi gorgeous, how was your day?” Jarod, met me at my classroom door and took my books.

“Typical Tuesday. Pretty boring. You?”

I sat on the wobbly old desk Mr. Finn kept outside his classroom, careful to avoid the pile of graded homework assignments stacked in the corner.

Jarod twirled the combination and yanked my locker open. “Well, I’m talking to you. I’d say it’s been a great day.” He wiggled his eyebrows and winked.

He dropped his backpack on the bottom shelf and handed my flute to me. Turning back to my locker, he tore down the list Kendra had taped to the inside of the door.

“How many times do I have to get rid of this?” he demanded.

I shrugged. “Kendra says…”

“Kendra’s evil.” He tore the paper in half. “Why do you believe her lies? You do not have a big nose!”

I pulled the ponytail holder out of my hair and bent my head, letting my curls fall down to hide my nose. “Kendra’s trying to help me become a better person,” I mumbled. “I can’t improve myself if I don’t know where I need work.”