Bring on Pitch Wars 2015!

Hello there budding Pitch Wars aficionados. I am so excited you decided to swing by to check out which category I am mentoring, and which genres I am hoping to see in my inbox.

But first … a little about me.

I’m Scarlett Cole, and I write contemporary romance and contemporary romantic suspense. I'm repped by Beth Phelan (who I adore) at The Bent Agency. St. Martin’s Press released my debut, The Strongest Steel, book one of The Second Circle Tattoos Series, on July 7th. It has already become an amazon best seller in the romantic suspense genre. My editor is the lovely Lizzie Poteet.

I’m technically a full time writer, although there are days when I truthfully acknowledge that I'm a part-time internet surfer. This is my first year as a Pitch Wars Mentor, but I'm an A-type personality and a Scorpio star sign. Competing comes naturally and I am dying to be blown away by your submissions.

Feel free to find me on twitter @itsscarlettcole if you have anything specific to ask.

So what am I looking for? 

ADULT

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I’ve been warned that narrowing my genres might limit my submissions, but I know you lovely people have some stunning manuscripts for me.

I’m looking for women’s fiction and romance. If I could get the perfect mash up of both, even better. Either way, I’m on a quest for the happy ever after, but not before generous helpings of tension and conflict. I want to be so gripped by your story, whatever it is, that I can’t go to sleep at 2am because I have to know how it ends. Keep me on the edge of my seat.

In romance, I have a strong preference for contemporary, romantic suspense, and historical. I’ll take everything from sweet to super-hot. I’m all for instant chemistry, but give me something more than flash and burn. If yours is inspirational, I am probably not the right mentor for you. At the RWA conference in New York, the panel on trends said paranormal is on a downswing, so any new books need to be absolutely stand out. If yours fits that bill, send it along.

I am really hoping to see some strong heroines/protagonists with great character arcs. Send me your broken and bruised, but wow me with their stories as they head toward their happy ever after. Give them flaws, make them human, but no dramarama conflict for the sake of it.

Bring me your bad … An evil antagonist, a monopolistic business, a corrupt administration – anything that will make me wonder how our h/H will survive. Think big stakes, people.

Send me your small towns, submit your big cities, bring me your boats, tropical islands, and the Highlands … wherever it takes place, I want to feel your location as if it were a character in the story. Immerse me in the surroundings.

In romance, alphas all the way, baby … not a huge fan of jerks, so give me redeeming characteristics that temper bad boys. Betas don’t really float my boat, but I won’t automatically dismiss them if they wrapped up in a hugely distinctive women’s fiction premise where the protagonist’s journey is the spotlight.

I’d love to see sensitively handled and well-researched social issues.

Random notes: I prefer third person, but I won't reject a first person manuscript as long as the voice is authentically adult. If you are unsure if I'm interested in your genre, ask me on twitter.

What kind of CP/Mentor am I?

·      I’m very straightforward. I spent years as a senior vice president of a $34 billion company. So I am a straight shooter. I want you to be successful, and I want to help get you there. I’ll tell you what works (the fun stuff) and will offer feedback on what doesn’t (the not-so-fun-but-oh-so-good stuff).

·      I don’t expect you to make all the changes I suggest. My job is to challenge your thinking. I’m fortunate to have a great group of CPs who do that for me. I get how difficult it can be to have someone suggest you remove your favorite scene because it doesn’t develop the plot (true story), but this should be a partnership and you should totally feel comfortable to push back. My only request is that you think through the suggestion objectively before doing that.

·      I am a character/plot/structure/pacing person – if you are looking for someone to fix commas or line edit, I am not the mentor you are looking for. (Tell me you didn’t say that like Obi-Wan).

I can't wait to see what you have to show me, I'm ready to be dazzled.

I'll leave you with this. Here is what my own CP, and fellow Pitch Wars mentor Laura Salters has to say:

Scarlett Cole is so much more than a CP to me. We originally bonded over beta reading, but quickly became great friends—she’s exactly the kind of cheerleader you want in your corner. Kind, motivational, deeply intelligent. And did I mention AMAZING at critiquing? Her character work is insane—she can take a flat protagonist (or antagonist!) and make them vivid and real, with fascinating arcs and deep psychological profiles.
— Laura Salters

Whopping great rounds of applause go out to Brenda Drake for her organization of this event. You can follow her here: http://www.brenda-drake.com/

And here are my amazing fellow mentors. Check out their blogs to see what they are looking for.

 

1. Kes Trester (co-mentoring with Jennifer Hawkins)
2. Mindy McGinnis (co-mentoring with Kate Karyus Quinn)
3. N.K. Traver
4. Kristin B. Wright
5. Laura Heffernan
6. Mary Ann Marlowe
7. Joy McCullough-Carranza
8. Lisa Lewis-Tyre
9. Jenni L. Walsh (co-mentoring with Trisha Leaver)
10. Sarah Glenn Marsh
11. Julie C. Dao
12. Kellye Garrett
13. K.T. Hanna
14. Jessie Devine
15. Rosalyn Eves
16. Jami Nord
17. Samantha Joyce
18. Helene Dunbar
19. Jenna Lehne
20. Linsey Miller
21. Jessica Vitalis
22. Stacey Graham
23. Dan Koboldt
24. Brighton Walsh
25. Kate Brauning
26. Lisa Maxwell
27. Wendy Spinale
28. Sarah Cannon
29. L.L. McKinney
30. Juliana Brandt
31. Scarlett Cole
32. Hayley Stone
33. Jennifer Blackwood
34. Kendra Young
35. S.P. McConnell
36. Nikki Roberti
37. Emmie Mears
38. Lori Goldstein (co-mentoring with Chelsea Bobulski)
39. Jennifer Hawkins (co-mentoring with Kes Trester)
40. Elizabeth Briggs
41. Ron Walters (co-mentoring with Meredith McCardle)
42. Fiona McLaren (co-mentoring with Dionne McCulloch)
43. S.M. Johnston (co-mentoring with Stacey Nash)
44. Max Wirestone
45. Jaye Robin Brown
46. Molly Lee
47. Rachel Lynn Solomon
48. J.C. Nelson
49. Holly Faur
50. Sonia Hartl
51. Natasha Raulerson
52. Marty Mayberry
53. J.C. Davis
54. Rebecca Wells
55. Michelle Hauck
56. Tabitha Martin
57. Rebecca Petruck
58. Sarah Henning
59. Alex White
60. Jeanmarie Anaya
61. Laura Salter
62. Wade Albert White
63. Brooks Benjamin
64. Margarita Montimore
65. Megan Grimit
66. Charlie Holmberg
67. Diana Gallager
68. Stefanie Wass
69. Tamara Mataya
70. Rebecca Sky
71. Kara Seal
72. Lee Gjertsen Malone
73. Katie Bucklein
74. Kevin A Springer
75. Brianna Shrum
76. Kate Karyus Quinn (co-mentoring with Mindy McGinnis)
77. Kim Graff
78. Emily Martin
79. Trisha Leaver (co-mentoring with Jenni Walsh)
80. Kim Long
81. Catherine Scully
82. Stacey Trombley
83. Stephanie Scott (co-mentoring with Valerie Cole)
84. Valerie Cole (co-mentoring with Stephanie Scott)
85. Lizzy Charles
86. Dannie Morin (co-mentoring with Alexandra Alessandri)
87. Kate Foster
88. Elly Blake
89. Julie Sondra Decker
90. Lady Lioness
91. Susan Gray Foster (co-mentoring with Monica Bustamante Wagner_
92. Kelly Calabrese
93. Sarah Nicolas
94. Kelly Siskind
95. Roselle Kaes
96. Monica Bustamante Wagner (co-mentoring with Susan Gray Foster)
97. Renee Ahdieh (co-mentoring with Traci Chee)
98. Traci Chee (co-mentoring with Renee Ahdieh)
99. Janet B. Taylor
100. Jessie Humphries (co-mentoring with Mara Rae)
101. Lynnette Labelle
102. Erica M. Chapman
103. Summer Spence
104. Marieke Nijkamp
105. Meredith McCardle (co-mentoring with Ron Walters)
106. Thomas Torre
107. Phil Stamper
108. J.A. Souders

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