Thanksgiving dinner!
As I have for the past three years, I am spending Thanksgiving with Bear and his family because New Jersey is a lot closer to New York City than California. Thanksgiving at Chez Sacramento Joneses (my branch of the Jones family broke with tradition to settle in southern California instead of NorCal) was very traditionally American–turkey (tofurkey for me), mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, sweet potatoes baked with brown sugar and cinnamon, etc.–but not so Bear’s family.
Bear comes from a mixed racial background, the same as me, but his Thanksgiving dinners reflect a bit of his heritage: Indian-Portuguese (Goan)/Slovak. This year we have paneer, chicken curry, and pilau rice in addition to turkey and all its accoutrements. Bear’s younger brother is vegetarian like me, so the Indian food is for us.
Things I Am Thankful For
- A warm Bear and a fuzzy White-Harp
- A job I love
- My family (nuclear, extended, forged, and found)
- The winners of St. Martin’s “New Adult” contest
The winners follow below the cut, including the winners of TEMPTED by P.C. and Kristin Cast! Also below the cut are instructions for what to do next.
TEMPTED by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Winners of TEMPTED by P.C. & Kristin Cast
- Elissa Hoole THE DHARMA BUM BUSINESS
- M. P. Morehead ZOMBIE PROOF FENCE
- Kristan Hoffman TWENTY-SOMEWHERE
Please email me your addresses so I may send you a copy!
Requested Partial Winners
The aforementioned three and:
- Luke Tennis BERNARDO THE DAREDEVIL
- Barbara Hacha THE ART OF CARVING METTLE
- Sharon Biggs A MAD, WICKED FOLLY
- Jennifer Rummel WAITING
- Amanda Brice PARTY LIKE IT’S 1899
- Ruth F. Long MAY QUEEN
- Rae Carson – Princess Elisa novel
- Nicole Beattie – novel with obituary writer
- Laura Diamond PICTURE OF FATE
- Pab (no last name) MALL BATS
- Jennifer Al Lee VINNIE’S DINER
- Simon Barkley – novel about hipster/working stiff
- Topie Winn VERTERE
- Glenn P. Johnston THE WORLD AND ITS PARTS
- Bonnie Davidson AFTER THE END
To everyone listed, please prepare a one to two page synopsis of your work and the first 50 pages of your manuscript. (This is a ballpark number–I would prefer to read to the end of the nearest chapter rather than be cut off in the middle. However, don’t abuse my indulgence.) Some time next week, I will email you from my St. Martin’s account and ask you to email me the synopsis and partial.
(P.S. For those of you whose last names I don’t have, or whose titles I don’t have, please comment here or email me so I can correct it. Thanks.)
I am afraid I can’t be accurate about response times at this moment as I do have 18 of you to read and critique and bring to Dan. I am hopeful that I will respond to you within two months, maybe sooner.
Thanks again to everyone who entered the contest and have a happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks again, JJ! I can only imagine what going through all these entries must have been like, especially getting sick and approaching the holidays. I hope you enjoy all the partials!
Also I want you to know that this totally brightened my holiday, and my mother’s, hehehe. :)
WHEE! Thank you again…what a great Thanksgiving surprise! (there may have been kermit flailing, I’m just sayin’…) :D
Congratulations to all the winners. I am so proud of you!
xoxo-
Georgia
Could you comment on how some of the winners exceeded the guidelines of a 2-3 sentence pitch and first paragraph? Most of the advice on blogs or at conferences says that the guidelines are there for a reason and should be respected, and for this contest it seemed to come down to a judgement call on the writer’s part: exceed the guidelines and perhaps make yourself ineligible for the contest, or hope that even if you exceed the 2-3 sentences, you will do it so brilliantly that the judges won’t mind.
So what were your thought processes as you made your decision based on the pitches, both those that followed the guidelines and those that exceeded them?
Waiting is the current title of my free verse novel starring Emily and her first year of college. This IS so exciting.
Wow! This is fantastic news! What a wonderful Thanksgiving surprise! THANK YOU!!!!
Last name for “Pab” is “Sungenis.” Thanks!
I have a question about this new imprint. The St. Martin’s Press website states there are no unsolicited manuscripts accepted. Does that go for this new adult market as well? I was unable to find information there, so figured I would ask here. Thanks! And, great idea on the contest. Good luck to all the participants.
JJ: Thanks for all your hard work. It’s wonderful to know publishers are willing to take risks. That is so cool!