Henrie must find her birth-mother’s killer and clear her own name.
Antagonistic Force:
G is dead because the antagonist wants something she has and she refused to give it up. As G’s heir, Henrie now has what the antagonist wants, but she has no idea what or where it is. A threatens Henrie with written and voice messages demanding what is his. A prefers the anonymity of these modes of communication—he wants her to hand it over by putting it in a place he can get it, or to get her out of the house so he can go in and retrieve it. When they see each other in person at the local coffee shop, he flirts and smiles, never letting on his role in G’s death or the threats to Henrie.
H's abusive ex-husband continues to plague her from off the page, impacting her ongoing sense of safety and how she assesses her judgment of character when she is determining whom she can trust to help her solve G’s murder.
Title:
INHERIT THE DEAD
Genre and Comparables:
Mystery / Paranormal
Comps:
Coming in 2022: Gretchen Rue's STEEPED TO DEATH, the first two books in a new cozy mystery series centering around a woman as she takes over her aunt's book and tea shop and discovers that her aunt may have had some magical help for making her delicious scones and teas, to Melissa Rechter at Crooked Lane, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in fall 2022 (found in SinC Links Nov 3 2021)
2021 Broken Spine (2021) by Dorothy St James, Berkeley Books
I have a few other possible comps. Still working on what is smartest. Be My Ghost by Carol J. Perry, another 2021 release, for example.
Log line:
When a librarian adopted at birth learns that her murdered neighbor was her birth mother, she must decide whether she can trust the not-so-imaginary friend she dismissed years ago to help her find the real killer and clear her name.
Inner Conflict:
On two levels, Henrie is uncertain about trusting her judgment of others.
First, there is Nivia, her childhood friend. Nobody else sees or hears Nivia, and when she moves from childhood to her teen years her parents push her away from the relationship that is otherwise so helpful for her, worried that she is mentally ill. Although Henrie has mostly learned to ignore her friend’s presence, Nivia has never gone away, and when Gloria dies and Henrie needs someone, Nivia is there.
As Henrie begins to acknowledge Nivia for the first time in her adult life, Henrie slips up occasionally around others she knows cannot see or hear Nivia. And yet, there are hints that some people do see Nivia. Henrie must decide how to respond to these hints — perhaps jealous and unbelieving (of Chad, whom Nivia helps) or nervous (around Daniel).
In one scene Daniel has confronted her. Who? What? He senses but does not hear words. Henrie isn’t sure she can fully trust Daniel in general, but she wants to — and she is attracted to him. Will telling him blow her chances with him? Will he think she’s crazy, and perhaps because she’s crazy that she could be capable of Gloria’s murder?
On a second level, Henrie is uncertain about whether to trust her judgment of others—men, especially, in the wake of her abusive marriage. The main detective on Gloria’s case, who was her high school crush, is behaving like a jerk. And while Daniel’s intentions seem positive, he knows things about her past that even she doesn’t know. She’s falling for him, but not sure if she can trust him on the most basic levels, including helping her find Gloria’s killer.
Secondary Conflict:
Henrie’s adoptive parents never told her she was adopted, even outright denying it when she figures it out in fifth grade discussion of basic genetic traits. Even when they did finally admit it, it was clear they didn’t want to talk about it.
Now, having discovered her birth mother — dead — Henrie isn’t sure how or if to share this information with her parents, or how this will affect her relationship with them. When her mother is hospitalized, Henrie must consider the impact of this news on her mother’s health. And yet, it’s also burning a hole inside of her.
Setting:
Seattle is a city in flux, growing rapidly and with a changing economy increasingly forcing lower income people either out of the city or onto the streets. The Green Lake neighborhood, where this story is set, is no exception. The area is beautiful, the park an attraction to people of all incomes, from those who live in mansions with a lake view and the homeless who camp wherever they can find a spot, and those who come from surrounding neighborhoods to swim, jog, or play.
The library branch across from the park is a similar attraction, a gathering place for families, those who need wifi or a computer to work on, older members of the community looking for something to read, or simply a dry place to sit for a few hours.
Having returned to Seattle with nothing after a bad marriage, Henrie counts herself fortunate to have found a job and an affordable apartment in a city she hardly recognizes.
New York Pitch Assignments - March 2022
in New York Write to Pitch 2023 and 2024
Posted
Story Statement:
Henrie must find her birth-mother’s killer and clear her own name.
Antagonistic Force:
G is dead because the antagonist wants something she has and she refused to give it up. As G’s heir, Henrie now has what the antagonist wants, but she has no idea what or where it is. A threatens Henrie with written and voice messages demanding what is his. A prefers the anonymity of these modes of communication—he wants her to hand it over by putting it in a place he can get it, or to get her out of the house so he can go in and retrieve it. When they see each other in person at the local coffee shop, he flirts and smiles, never letting on his role in G’s death or the threats to Henrie.
H's abusive ex-husband continues to plague her from off the page, impacting her ongoing sense of safety and how she assesses her judgment of character when she is determining whom she can trust to help her solve G’s murder.
Title:
INHERIT THE DEAD
Genre and Comparables:
Mystery / Paranormal
Comps:
I have a few other possible comps. Still working on what is smartest. Be My Ghost by Carol J. Perry, another 2021 release, for example.
Log line:
When a librarian adopted at birth learns that her murdered neighbor was her birth mother, she must decide whether she can trust the not-so-imaginary friend she dismissed years ago to help her find the real killer and clear her name.
Inner Conflict:
On two levels, Henrie is uncertain about trusting her judgment of others.
First, there is Nivia, her childhood friend. Nobody else sees or hears Nivia, and when she moves from childhood to her teen years her parents push her away from the relationship that is otherwise so helpful for her, worried that she is mentally ill. Although Henrie has mostly learned to ignore her friend’s presence, Nivia has never gone away, and when Gloria dies and Henrie needs someone, Nivia is there.
As Henrie begins to acknowledge Nivia for the first time in her adult life, Henrie slips up occasionally around others she knows cannot see or hear Nivia. And yet, there are hints that some people do see Nivia. Henrie must decide how to respond to these hints — perhaps jealous and unbelieving (of Chad, whom Nivia helps) or nervous (around Daniel).
In one scene Daniel has confronted her. Who? What? He senses but does not hear words. Henrie isn’t sure she can fully trust Daniel in general, but she wants to — and she is attracted to him. Will telling him blow her chances with him? Will he think she’s crazy, and perhaps because she’s crazy that she could be capable of Gloria’s murder?
On a second level, Henrie is uncertain about whether to trust her judgment of others—men, especially, in the wake of her abusive marriage. The main detective on Gloria’s case, who was her high school crush, is behaving like a jerk. And while Daniel’s intentions seem positive, he knows things about her past that even she doesn’t know. She’s falling for him, but not sure if she can trust him on the most basic levels, including helping her find Gloria’s killer.
Secondary Conflict:
Henrie’s adoptive parents never told her she was adopted, even outright denying it when she figures it out in fifth grade discussion of basic genetic traits. Even when they did finally admit it, it was clear they didn’t want to talk about it.
Now, having discovered her birth mother — dead — Henrie isn’t sure how or if to share this information with her parents, or how this will affect her relationship with them. When her mother is hospitalized, Henrie must consider the impact of this news on her mother’s health. And yet, it’s also burning a hole inside of her.
Setting:
Seattle is a city in flux, growing rapidly and with a changing economy increasingly forcing lower income people either out of the city or onto the streets. The Green Lake neighborhood, where this story is set, is no exception. The area is beautiful, the park an attraction to people of all incomes, from those who live in mansions with a lake view and the homeless who camp wherever they can find a spot, and those who come from surrounding neighborhoods to swim, jog, or play.
The library branch across from the park is a similar attraction, a gathering place for families, those who need wifi or a computer to work on, older members of the community looking for something to read, or simply a dry place to sit for a few hours.
Having returned to Seattle with nothing after a bad marriage, Henrie counts herself fortunate to have found a job and an affordable apartment in a city she hardly recognizes.