An Agent's Inbox #6

Dear Ms. Marini,

I was excited to see on your website that you're looking for dark/edgy YA and truly original tales like Graceling. I love Kristin Cashore, too, and I just completed a revision to make my own YA novel darker. (I'll let you decide if it's edgy.)

A week before graduation, sixteen-year-old Bruno Nazaire murders someone outside his seventh period class. Even if the guy deserved it, now Bruno must become someone else to avoid being identified as the killer. That means a haircut, a change of wardrobe, and most important, getting rid of his once cherished Blue.

In Télesphore, the glowing color of a person’s palm determines their place in society, and touching hands with another mixes the colors permanently. Once a member of the Blue elite, now Bruno must do the unthinkable and dilute his color to stay one step ahead of the investigators. Suddenly he’s visiting parts town he never new existed, and making friends with people he would’ve crossed the street to avoid only weeks ago.

But the officials hunting him are getting smarter, and in a city enclosed by jagged iron fences, there are only so many places to hide. At the last minute, Bruno’s parents arrange a deal to clear his name and get his life back. All Bruno has to do turn his back on those in the Red slums that look to him as a leader, dump his new smoking-hot girlfriend, and let a Green boy die in his place.

Yeah right.

 

Complete at 94,000 words, AN UNCOMMON BLUE is a YA sci-fi with a colorful twist. My previous publications include a collection of comedy sketches by Meriwether Publishing, and various other skits for Brand X Comedy, a university performance troupe. I have a BS degree in Youth Leadership, which provides me with insight into adolescent trends and struggles. I am also a member of SCBWI.

 

Thank you for your time. I've included the fist page of my manuscript for your consideration.

 

Sincerely,

R.H.

 

 

AN UNCOMMON BLUE

 

There are three unspoken rules in high school rugby.

 

1. Your team members are family.

 

2. You support your family.

 

3. This support must be shown periodically with an affectionate slap on the backside.

 

After four years as the starting right winger, I had almost gotten used to this. Almost. At least I no longer felt the urge to bloody my teammate’s nose when they tried it.

 

But in the middle of the hall? No way. During school hours my glutes were off limits.

 

I whirled around to explain this to whichever of my idiotic team members was behind me, only to find myself face to face with an attractive redhead.

 

“Hey, Bruno,” Drea said with a smirk. “Ready for the test?”

 

I opened my mouth but no sound came out.

 

Even with her super-short hair, Drea was stunning. Before last summer she’d often been mistaken for a boy, but that all ended when puberty hit. With both fists.

 

I recovered from my embarrassment enough to nod.

 

She leaned against the lockers. Her pale white skin reflected the light from her blue palm.

 

“History should be a breeze compared to pre-calc. I wanted to stab myself in the eye when I got to that section on antiderivatives.”

 

I mumbled something incoherent and fumbled with my lock.

 

Without warning she came up close and spoke in a half-whisper. Her hair smelled like coconut. “I know someone that likes you. If you hurry, we might have time to talk before the final.”