Side 1: Images surrounding “an agent’s guide to BEYOND THE MIST, Laurel Grant, adult fantasy 105k words”: female mermaid, bridge over a river, glowing hands on a tree trunk, cavern, male sailor aboard a ship, a girl running to the sea, a medallion, and a fishing shack. Side 2: coastal background. The Pitch - When fisherwoman Nerissa’s best friend is kidnapped by immortal Fae after she failed to warn her people that the kingdom’s warded Mists were evaporating, she must learn to face her guilt and fight to save her, or climb the mast herself.
Side 1: ocean waves background. The Comps - THE VOICE- A fiery tempered, iron willed female protagonist who will stop at nothing to deliver justice to her people, however different she is from them – or how much pain she carries (pictured: The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent); THE POLITICS- Class elitism, prejudice, political infighting, coups, betrayals, conspiracies, rebellious royalty – and lies, lies, lies (pictured: The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen); THE CAST-
A multi-POV ensemble cast of unlikely friends, reluctant allies, magic wielders and wannabes, and converging paths that you won’t want to see parted (pictured: Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard; THE STAKES-
The protagonist is fighting for a noble goal – but once it is achieved, she’ll realize the true
rot is under the surface (pictured: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas). Side 2: coastal background. The Blurb: What if it wasn’t curiosity that pulled the Little Mermaid out of the sea, but guilt? With a cynical eye to all but the fisherfolk who raised her, Nerissa lives in a sea-glass prison of her own making. She did nothing when she suspected the Mists were failing – so now, Nerissa must abandon her home to rescue her best friend, Alicen. The royal knights dismiss Alicen’s abduction as a peasant’s delusion, and their rejection propels Nerissa desperately forward to the kingdom’s criminal underbelly, where a violent outlaw fresh out of the dungeons is in the mood to make a deal. The conditions of securing his supposed militia? Murder the knight who locked him in chains. Nerissa harbors no loyalty for the knighthood that has neglected her people, but the closer she gets to delivering the poison promising Alicen’s survival, the more Nerissa doubts the righteousness of her bargain. The Fae grow impatient with a prisoner whose value wanes each day, and before her assassination plot is exposed, Nerissa must decide with whom she will place her faith: the bandit, the knight, or herself. N…
Side 1: coastal city road background. The Opening: The slick burn of wine rolled down my throat as another strike of lightning flashed outside, the spark illuminating just enough to confirm what I already knew. The dark figure in the corner of the tavern was staring back. It was the senselessness of a waking dream: for an evening promising a quickening storm, the tavern was reasonably sparse … and far too quiet. Others should have noticed him. And yet, only I seemed to know that he was watching us – had been watching us. Side 2: cavern background. The Tropes: lovers betrayal, stages of grief, father & daughter bond, abandonment issues, morally grey protagonist, found family/sisterhood, he sails to save her, knight academy, the Quest, mythical creature sidekick, discovery of power, runes & ancient magic, decoding messages, healing magic
Side 1: apothecary desk background with scrolls, herbs, flowers, journals, and burlap. The Style: I yearned for that intoxication, not to save me from the nausea, but to numb the torment that relentlessly pinched my heart with every moment of Alicen’s absence. I knew I couldn’t feel anything more. It was unfamiliar. For all my life, I’d noted the absence of my mother, but I’d had no tangible sensations, no vivid memories to attach to her. Her absence was a constant; the origin. Missing her was to miss something that had never been there . . . to love a phantom, to long for the touch of nothing. When Andris had decided to leave for Fjordan, I’d feared that the same curse would befall us, and he’d join my mother in being utterly lost to me, as if he’d never been there. Though, the morning after Alicen disappeared was so much more horrifying than that. So much more vivid and surreal than I could’ve ever imagined. Suddenly, the grief over my mother that had always consumed me, that had likely been the genesis of the melancholy that had become inherently part of me, seemed merely more than a passing wind. What I felt now was a storm. Side 2: map of the Glynea continent; an island with 5 offshoot bluffs joined by bridges.
Hi Bluesky & #QuestPit!
🌊 What if it wasn’t curiosity that pulled the little mermaid out of the sea, but guilt?
Adult crossover fantasy ⚓️ BEYOND THE MIST 🗡️ is a dark twist on the original Little Mermaid tale & is out for querying! ✨
#agentsguide #Q #A #F #amquerying
![Movie poster for The Sea Curser, a work of speculative fiction by Bette Bergeron. Photo of sand with footprints fading into the sea.
Text: An ancient evil awaits off Maine's iconic coast. The Sea Curser, a work of speculative fiction (84,000 words) from the Maine-ic [sic] mind of Bette Bergeron. Remote Island. Mythology and Sea Lore. Ancient Curses. Closed Setting.
Sketch of a cat reading with the text: Editorial Assistant's Disclaimer. No portions of this manuscript or poster were generated by malevolent AI robots (cursed or otherwise).](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:os42bmk4cavx2emgjfb5veha/bafkreid7zq3h6ejuf7zf3xsqmx3n6jomf657hhaynz2kh27ndqko2gapiy)
