I know you’ve got a lot of blogs to hop to, so let’s get right to it with a simple infographic! 

Question 1: What are you mentoring? 
I’m mentoring New Adult and Adult books. 

Question 2: What’s on your Wishlist? 
Anything that has at least some speculative elements and some romantic elements. I define both rather broadly.  
As for romance, don’t hop to the next blog just because you don’t think your book is a “Romance.”  My favorite kind of book has a heavy romantic subplot, but other things driving the main action. But I also enjoy subtle romantic subplots and full-on romances. So really, any level of romance, as long as there’s some, is going to pique my interest. 

As for the speculative part, this includes paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi, etc. etc. etc. Basically, whether you’re twisting reality a little bit or creating a whole new reality, I’ll be interested to learn more.  

But what if your book doesn’t have romance or speculative stuff? Well, if your story is a retelling or deals with real-world politics…then forget my “requirements” above and send it to me anyway!  

If you happen to have a speculative romance that’s also a retelling that also deals with real-world politics then...  

 Question 3: Why would I want to work with you? 
Okay…so you’ve decided your novel is a good fit interest-wise. Yay! But there are other mentors too, so why would you want to work with me? 

Well, I think my novels are pretty good. But don’t take just my word for it. HEARTSICK and RED BLOODED, have received positive reviews from Library Journal,  RT Book Reviews, and USA TODAY.  My Wattpad novel, DENALI IN HIDING, has more than 250k views.   

I’ve been in the query trenches before, so I know what it’s like! I also successfully landed an agent—I am represented by Andrea Somberg. 

I don’t just write novels. My short writing has also earned accolades from  Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Glimmer Train, and Writers & Artists, and my stories have appeared in multiple publications, including The Alarmist, The Binnacle, Crunchable,  Jersey Devil Press, and  Northern Virginia Magazine.  
​
I also earned a master's degree in writing from  Johns Hopkins University. While in the program I learned how to carefully and constructively offer feedback to other writers. I’ve continued to do that while CPing and offering critiques.  
 
Question 4: What is your word for the scavenger hunt?  
Off, (for the RED puzzle)

Question 5: I still have questions!!! How do I ask them?
You can leave a comment here, email me, go to my AMA on the Pitchwars Board, or connect with me on Twitter. :) 

​I know you’ve got a lot of blogs to hop to, so let’s get right to it!
​
Question 1: What are you mentoring?
I’m mentoring New Adult and Adult books.

Question 2: Are you going to like my book?
Probably if it is one (or more!) of the following:

• A mystery
• A retelling
• SFF
• A story involving politics
• Literary Fiction
• A romance involving fame
• A romance with a hero who is a bodyguard, cop, or other type of protector

Scroll down for more details on all of these, as well as books I’ve enjoyed and genres I may not be the best mentor for.

Question 3: Why would I want to work with you?
Okay…so you’ve decided your novel is a good fit interest-wise. Yay! But there are other mentors too, so why would you want to work with me?

Well, I think I know how to write a good novel. But don’t take just my word for it. HEARTSICK and RED BLOODED, have received positive reviews from Library Journal, RT Book Reviews, and USA TODAY.  My Wattpad novel, DENALI IN HIDING, has close to a quarter of a million views and is consistently on the list of top Science Fiction novels on the site. 
I’ve been in the query trenches before, so I know what it’s like! I also successfully landed an agent—I am represented by Andrea Somberg. :)

I don’t just write novels. My short writing has also earned accolades from Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Glimmer Train, and Writers & Artists, and my stories have appeared in multiple publications, including The Alarmist, The Binnacle, Crunchable, Jersey Devil Press, and Northern Virginia Magazine.
​
I also earned a master's degree in writing from Johns Hopkins University. While in the program I learned how to carefully and constructively offer feedback to other writers. I’ve continued to do that while CPing and offering critiques.
 
If you have any questions before you’d like to submit, just let me know. :)
​
Question 4: What is your letter for the scavenger hunt?

 
Mysteries: I love a good mystery, from cozies to gritty procedurals. I also define mystery loosely. If you’ve got a sleuth who’s solving a puzzle, send it to me. :)
Retellings:  I love seeing how creative authors can get with these. Bonus...If you have a Jane Austen retelling, definitely send it to me! :)
Speculative/SFF: I love magical worlds, strange twists on the real world, and anything else that’s got some speculative elements to it. One caveat though: if your book is very high fantasy or really hard scifi, I might not be the best mentor for it. I’m into what you might call “pop” SFF. Think X-Files and Harry Potter, not Dune.
I realize that might be vague, so to give you a better feel for what I’m in to, here are a smattering of speculative books I like:

• Uprooted, Naomi Novik
• Throne of Glass, Sarah Mass 
• The Cahill Witch Chronicles, Jessica Spotswood
• The 5th Wave, Rick Yancey
• Charm, Franny Billingsley
• The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood
• Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card
• Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

 
Anything political: I was born in DC. I work in DC (on a policy journal). I read the Washington Post and Politico on a daily basis. I’m a total political junkie, so if you’ve got something involving politics, send it to me! :)
And, if you also like political books, I recommend these!

• The Easy Part series, Emma Barry
• All-American Girl, Meg Cabot
• Sammy’s Hill and Sammy’s House, Kristin Gore
• Red Blooded, Caitlin Sinead (yeah, that’s me ...sorry, I couldn't help myself)

 
Literary Fiction: While the novel-length writing I do is all genre, I’ve also published literary short fiction and my work has been recognized by Writers & Artists and Glimmer Train. I also have a highfalutin master’s degree in writing.
 So if you have a literary novel, please send it my way.
A few recent literary books I’ve enjoyed:

• The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Mohsin Hamid
• Redeployment, Phil Klay
• Love Walked In, Marisa de los Santos
• Charm and Strange, Stephanie Kuehn
• And the Mountains Echoed, Khaled Hosseini

 
Romances with a Fame element: 
I’m a sucker for celebrity romances. A few I enjoyed...

• The Royal We, Heather Cocks
• Jesse’s Girl, Miranda Kenneally
• Under the Lights, Dahlia Adler

 
A romance with a hero as "protector" (cop, bodyguard, etc.)
These heroes make me weak in the knees. :)
 
Books I may not be the best mentor for​
Historical: I don’t read a lot of these, so I may not be the best person to mentor you if you have a historical novel.
That said, if you’d still like to give it a go, here are some historical novels I enjoyed

• The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
• Caleb’s Crossing, Geraldine Brooks
• The Girl with the Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer

Books w/ no diversity, unless there is a darn good reason for it:
I grew up and live in a diverse community, so, basically, books that aren't diverse just..honestly...don't ring true to me. So, if your novel lacks diversity (aka an old, old wooden ship), there better be a really good reason for it. But that's hard to imagine. While there are certainly communities where almost everyone is of the same ethnicity, it would still be hard for me to buy a community/setting where EVERYONE was heterosexual, neurotypical, etc. etc. So, just something to keep in mind. 

I recently  published a collection of my short writing. Here is just one of the pieces included in YOUR ROOM.


A New Life™ at 30
You have no doubt been thinking about this for a while. Perhaps since the day after your 20th birthday, the first chance to transfer your mind. As you know, according to the Mind Transfer Act, which regulates corporations, such as New Life, Inc., and the technology associated with moving your consciousness into another body, you get a chance at a new life every ten years of your adult life. We hope you will find this pamphlet instructive. It is based on extensive research on the common thoughts and feelings that emerge during the first 30 days, the adjustment phase. We thank you for your business, and we hope you enjoy your New Life™!
 
Day 1
After the procedure you will feel as though you just finished riding a mechanical bull after hours of swigging skunked beer and fresh fruit punch. This feeling will soon pass as you reflect on the joy of having left all the cares, worries, and concerns of your past life and immerse yourself in the wonder of entering into a new body, a new family, a new job, and a New Life™. The excitement may feel intolerable, but don’t worry, everyone tolerates it.
 
Day 2
Pumpkin seeds may seem very attractive to eat today. Feel free to indulge, but be careful of overloading with sodium.
 
Day 3
To tame your new tongue, speak sad soliloquies about seashores with shimmering seashells and shady sharks.
 
Day 4-6
It will be difficult to keep names and faces straight, but remember that everyone, from your boss to your friendly neighbor to your new two-year-old daughter, has been briefed on the situation. Many of them have already or will eventually mind transfer themselves. Also, you will remember that you were not that good with faces before.
 
Day 7
Don’t look directly at the sun. This is always true.
 
Day 8
You may find yourself stretching out your leg, pointing the toe tip, like a ballerina, and feeling that the heel, the bump on an otherwise long stem of a leg, gets in the way. But remember you had heels in your former body as well.
 
Day 9
You will wonder if the universe has a color. It does: Cosmic Latte.
 
Day 10
It is on this day, as you may feel a strong desire to contact the person who has been transferred into your old life, we must remind you that every mind transfer is a move up in the world. This move up is based on multiple categories, such as relationship, career, bank account, ability to whistle, and other things too cumbersome to mention. Knowing that, the person who transferred into your old life is not only thrilled to be there, they are probably better suited to live it than you were. And you, better suited to live your current life.
If this explanation does not placate you, we suggest walking in grass blades barefoot. That usually does it.
 
Day 11
You will begin to realize that activities you avoided before, like walking in the rain and long lines at grocery stores, suddenly seem okay, even desirable. You will wonder at the wasted enjoyment of all the times you did those things before and were annoyed.
 
Day 12-15
You may realize you are allergic to new things, like cats, peanut butter, or cucumbers. You may also hear odd noises emitting from body parts when doing otherwise normal things, like bending down to arrange miniature civil war figurines in a reenactment of the battle of Chattanooga, while Glenn Miller is blaring of course. We suggest you consult your New Body Manual before doing anything.
 
Day 16
You will watch your old favorite movies out of a sense of nostalgia and need for familiarity, but will notice, clear as day, all the plot holes that eluded you before. The small inconsistencies from shot to shot, evidence that people on the set buttoned previously unbuttoned shirts or pulled back a formerly unruly strand of hair, will be blatantly obvious. Instead of being in despair, you will be proud you have come to know these movies so well. Then you will try out your new life’s movie collection, and despite the well-executed plots and unnoticeable inconsistencies, you will feel despair.
 
Day 17
You will hate waiting in any lines today, especially grocery store lines. Also, avoid rain.
 
Day 18
You will wonder if the moon ever wanted more out of life than to just revolve around the earth. You’ll find out that it is actually moving away from our planet, and you will smile at its small steps toward independence.
 
Day 19
Nothing much happens on this day.
 
Day 20-22
Teeth feel especially volatile, as though they are tingling, itching to get out of the gums holding them in place, keeping them from freedom.
 
Day 23
Go ahead and submit to your urge to try a brand new beverage, like a cappuccino.
 
Day 24-26
The tingling sensation in the pads of your fingers, your ability to eat habaneros, and the way you can now clearly discern the difference between an extremely dark navy blue and a faded black will make you think you have sprouted superhero powers. You have not.
 
Day 27
A cupcake, preferably chocolate, will help today. This is always true.
 
Day 28
You will probably pause and think about all the genes and cells you left behind, in your arms, in your heart, in your eyes, and in your nose. But, consider that there are ten times more bacterial cells in a human body than there are human cells, or you cells. So, really, you just left a bunch of bacteria for a new, better, batch of bacteria.  
 
Day 29
You will get excited when your cell phone rings, but be disappointed each time you realize it’s not a telemarketer.
 
Day 30 and on
You awake. The tingling in your fingers has stopped, mostly, and you are almost used to the new smells, sensations, and noises. You may see your old college friend or mother on the street. Remember, they don’t know you anymore. You may even see your old self, in your old favorite pair of jeans, ordering a Diet Coke. Remember that you don’t know yourself anymore. Finish your cappuccino, get the check, and leave.
Bring this pamphlet in in 3,622 days, when you are eligible for another New Life™, and get 3.5% off!
 
 
 
This story was a finalist in Glimmer Train’s Very Short Fiction Award - July 2014. It was also shortlisted in the 2012 Writers & Artists Arvon Short Story Competition. It is also included in my short writing collection: YOUR ROOM.

Guys, SPIN THE LOVE is out now!!! Lisa Terry is one of my critique partners and she writes very fun, twisty books! Be sure to check out this YA Romantic Psychological Thriller! :) 

Sixteen-year-old Whispy Callahan lands in trouble thicker than Florida’s humidity when she plays a twisted game of Dare. Everything would have been fine if she hadn’t fallen for one of the player’s “targets” along with dredging up buried murderous tendencies. Forget the game—now Whispy needs to find her boyfriend’s murderer, but that might prove difficult since everyone thinks she’s insane. They could be right.

Note: Unfortunately the document view doesn't render well in mobile versions, so it's best to view this on a laptop. I know, that's annoying... sorry :(.  If I can figure out a way to fix it I will!

You wrote a book. Awesome! In fact, you’re so proud of it, you might even let other people give you feedback on it so that you can make it even better. Awesome again!

But, your book is really great as is. So, you won’t need to make that many changes in order to get a book deal and send it out into the world. Right?

Well, maybe not. But it’s more likely that, yeah, there probably will be some changes along the way. While I can’t say exactly what is best for you and your book, I can show you the changes that the first chapter of my book HEARTSICK went through along that bumpy road to publication.

A couple things to consider before we get started.

• Believe it or not, despite the many blocks of red passages, I actually thought this would be a good exercise to do with HEARTSICK's first chapter because, in many ways, it didn’t change much. There were many scenes that were cut completely and many new scenes that were added along the way.But this first chapter stayed relatively intact (meaning, it was pretty much the same scene) throughout the entire process. So these are the types of changes you might be able to expect in scenes that don’t end up on the cutting room floor.
  
• I’m starting with the first version I felt comfortable even sharing with people (i.e., my writers group). There were many other drafts that you don’t get to see here because, well, they are so shitty I don’t want to share them even in a “this is a rough draft!” way. My first (and second, and third, and….you get the idea) drafts are glorious, raw monstrosities that I, and I alone, get to see. But isn’t that what makes writing fun. :)
  

So, first, let’s just see how many overall changes we’re talking about here. What’s the difference between the version I shared with my writers’ group when this books was just getting going and the final, published version…

Egad that’s a lot of red! Okay, let’s step back a little bit. How many changes did I make after I talked to my writers’ group, posted the first page in forums to get more feedback, and thought over things a little more? What was the difference between that first submission to my writers' group and the version I sent to critique partners once the entire book was “done.”

Okay, still a lot of red. As you can see I also took out a whole person (Jake really wasn’t pulling his weight in the book) and changed David’s name to Conrad. I also changed things that no longer made sense in the grand scheme of the story. (When I submitted the chapter to my group, I only had about 25% of the book written. I sent the entire, completed novel to my CPs). 

My critique partners are amazing and they pointed out several things I should change in the book overall. Some of those things affected the first chapter. This shows the changes between the version I sent to my CPs and the version I sent to agents! 

Yeah, lots of changes. You'll notice I changed up characters and had Danny as the center of the action instead of Mei. Danny plays a greater role in the book and it made sense to make him more prominent in this first scene. Honestly, most of the really big changes in the revision don't happen until after the midpoint of the novel. But, as you can see, that doesn't mean the first chapter didn't need a lot of work. 

And what happened with this version? I got an offer of representation from Andrea Somberg!!! This, of course, was fantastic news, but it in no way meant that my work was done. Far from it. Andrea worked with me on some major revisions that would make the book more marketable. I also sent the revision to two new critique partners to get additional feedback. These are the changes between the version I originally sent to  agents and the version my agent sent to editors. :)

And, you know what? I was lucky enough to sign with Carina Press for a two-book deal! Kerri Buckley, my brilliant editor, worked with me on developmental and line edits to really whip the story into shape. Those changes are shown here:

And, finally, a copyeditor and a proofreader gave everything one final polish and ensured that it followed Carina Press style (which, as you can see, for some strange reason prefers you don’t negatively portray real-life products…whoops…).

And, that’s it! it’s out in the world now!

If you have any questions about this, feel free to add them in the comments below or shoot me an email. :)

I'm very happy to share the cool cover of Keith W. Willis's book, TRAITOR KNIGHT. 

Morgan McRobbie will do anything to protect the kingdom of Kilbourne.

Even betray it.

When Morgan rescues a damsel-in-distress from an errant dragon, he expects she’ll swoon, murmuring “My hero!” Instead, Marissa has only loathing for the man everyone believes will betray Kilbourne. That’s fine with Morgan. A woman in his life would just complicate things.  

A high-level informer threatens the kingdom’s security, and Morgan is out to stop him. Posing as a turncoat himself, he walks a fine line between honor and betrayal. A single misstep could result in disaster, and his mission is fraught with distractions: the pesky dragon, a pair of conniving courtiers, a surfeit of spies, and the disillusioned damsel who’s certain Morgan can’t be trusted. 

If Morgan’s going to save the kingdom, win the girl, and manage to stay alive, he’ll need to step up his game. Because the traitor is lurking in the shadows, and his scheme calls not just for the betrayal of Kilbourne, but also the destruction of Morgan McRobbie.

About the author:  Keith W. Willis graduated (a long time ago) from Berry College with a BA in English Literature and a desire to tell stories. He lives with his amazingly patient, loving, and supportive wife Patty in the upper Hudson Valley region of New York. Keith believes that those rumbling noises long attributed to Henry Hudson’s crew bowling are in actuality dragons grumbling. When Keith isn’t writing down fantastical tales from the land of Kilbourne, he manages a group of database content editors for a global information technology firm. TRAITOR KNIGHT is his first published novel. Check out Keith’s website Writing@Knight or the TRAITOR KNIGHT Facebook page. And be sure to follow @kilbourneknight on Twitter.



Enter below to win a copy!

My critique partner, Lisa Terry, has an amazing new book coming out soon. TRICOLOR has lots of interesting characters and twists, and, now, a beautiful cover! I asked Lisa a bit about her books and writing in general. 


This is a cover reveal so, first, tell us more about the cover! What are your favorite parts?
I think the blood drop is my favorite, but the heart with my characters in it is my second favorite because the two go hand in hand. 

There are a few twists in TRICOLOR. Did you have these planned out or did they come up as you wrote?
I had that planned out. I'm a planner :) The idea of one of the twists came to me when I asked myself: What would you do if you feared for your life and the only way to get help was to out yourself as a criminal.

O'Ryan is a tough and interesting character. What inspired you write her?
At first O'Ryan came to me because I wanted a tough female character who you could never see staying in a bad relationship - except she does - and then we figure out why. There's a lot of tension in that dynamic. But that's only on a smaller level. When that same dynamic is forced upon her in a broader sense, her life and other's depend on her keeping a level head, and she's scared.

Do you have a favorite piece of dialogue from TRICOLOR?
Oh, that's tough. So many of my favorites are spoilers, but I'll give it a go.There's this ironic bit:"So we're the bad guys now?" Jamie shakes his head."No, we're the bad guys too." 

And this one that tore at my tear ducts:I roll away from the guy with Peter in my arms, and the little boy comes easily with me. “Get up,” I whisper into his hair. “Go. Run as fast as you can.”“Love you,” he says. There’s extra pressure on my stomach, then he’s off. Gone.

What projects are you working on now? 
I'm working on a semi-epistolary novel called THE TROUBLE WITH YOU IS THE TROUBLE WITH ME, a YA contemporary novel

You've been busy this year, with two other published books, MOMENTS and WHITE STAR. Are you planning to publish anything else this year?
Yes, TRICOLOR will be out this month, and I have a book I co-wrote with Ashley Chegwyn, 17 PROMISES, that we'll publish in August. My next novel, SPIN THE LOVE, a romantic psychological thriller will also come out later this year.

What advice do you have for other writers?
Keep writing (I'm talking to myself also). Don't stop just because you need to edit the novel you finished a month ago. Write, edit, and write some more. 

What's the best piece of advice you've received?
Don't stop reading. You need to know what's out there, understand your craft, what's working, what isn't.

#SFFPit is this Thursday, June 18!!! My friend Dan Koboldt does a great job of running this hashtag and it's an awesome opportunity to get your speculative ideas in front of agents and editors. Read all the details here.

If you would like feedback on your pitch, please post it below sometime today or tonight and I will respond to all pitches tonight. And if you have thoughts on other pitches, feel free to weigh in! :)

You can check out some of my previous rounds of pitch critiques if you're looking for inspiration/thoughts.

• First #SFFPit Critiques
  
• Second #SFFPit Critiques
  
• More Twitter Pitch Critiques! 

And, as a friendly reminder, I also offer free query and first page critiques to my subscribers.

I'm looking forward to reading your pitches! :)