An Agent's Inbox #12

Dear Ms. Smith:

I understand you are looking for contemporary young adult, science fiction and romance featuring minority characters. I hope you will enjoy a blending of these genres in FIRE IN THE WOODS.

When a plane crashes in the woods near Jess’s home, the boy of her dreams falls out of the sky--literally, since he’s from another planet. But David’s not here to find a girlfriend, and if Jess can’t help him get back to his ship, he’ll be stuck on Earth with nothing to look forward to but a military lab and the pointy end of a dissection scalpel.

Racing through the woods with the army and the air force one breath behind them, Jess and David cling to each other for survival and form a bond stronger than either of them bargained for. But David has a genocide-sized secret, and one betrayal later, Jess is in handcuffs and alien warships are positioning themselves around the globe. Time is ticking down to Armageddon, and Jess must think fast if she's to save the boy she's come to care about without sacrificing Earth--and everyone on it.

FIRE IN THE WOODS is a 68,000 word stand-alone novel for young adults. My story LAST WINTER RED is published as part of the Make Believe Anthology. PAPER WISHES will be released in August, 2013 from Astraea Press, and my story THE FIRST DAY OF THE NEW TOMORROW will be available in late 2013 from Muse It Up Publishing.

I am an active member of South Jersey Writers, The New Jersey Author’s Network, and South Jersey Women Authors.

Thank you for your time and consideration.  Please find the first page of my novel attached.

Sincerely,

J.M.E.

FIRE IN THE WOODS

My mattress vibrated beneath me as the scream of jet engines ruined a perfectly good daydream.

“Dad! The stinking Air Force is flying over the houses again!”

I turned up the volume on my MP3 player, leaned back on my pillow, and lost myself in musical bliss--until Dad’s heavy footsteps jolted me back to reality.

He plucked my pink earphones out of my ears. “I said, what do you expect me to do about it?” Dad dropped the earbuds on my lap and folded his way-too muscular arms.

“I don’t know. You’re the Army, aren’t you? Go invade them or something.”

His lips set as his eyebrows rose, twitching the spikey hairs where a normal person’s bangs would be. “Invade them?”

“I don’t know. Do something. It’s annoying.”

A smile almost crossed his lips. “How about we…”

The walls shuddered as the engines of another plane throttled overhead, followed by another. Dad crouched as if ducking, his six-foot body folding with military precision.

I grabbed my pillow and clutched the warm case to my chest. “What…”

“Shhh.” His hand shot out, silencing me as a rattle broadcast through the clouds. “That sounds like…” His eyes widened. “Jess, get down!”

The pictures on the walls shook as a deadening boom carved through the neighborhood. Dad’s hand gripped my arm, pulling me to the floor as he shielded my body with his own.

The ground quaked as if a thousand tractor trailers passed the house.  A soda can shimmied off my dresser, crashing to the floor and fizzling Coke all over the carpet.