I'm still feeling sad as the end of July approaches.

Any of my former students, coaching/mentoring writers, or anyone else who wants to say in contact, here's my information:

Email: [email protected]

Website: Live Your Writing Dream - Online Classes for Aspiring Authors

Thanks to everyone at Savvy Authors who've made the last many years an incredible experience.

June, who's still hoping SA will make a comeback

I'm so sad that SavvyAuthors, in its current iteration, is going away. I've loved my time here and all the writers/mods/admins I've worked with.

If anyone would like to keep in touch, please feel free to reach me at www.writergarage.com or teremichaelseditor(at)gmail(dot)com.

Good luck and happy writing to all!
Tere Michaels

Hi there,

My name is Mike, and I am interested in helping our, partnering, or taking over Savvy! I am posting this thread to see if there is anyone who wants me to be involved or not. Please message me on LinkedIn or DM me here if:

1. You would like to help moderate or manage
2. You would like to run some classes
3. You have some ideas for the future
4. You think I would be better off finding a different hobby

A bit about me:

I'm from the Chicago, IL area. I went through the system growing up. Got into Harry Potter and Tolkien at a young age, and started going online to many message boards and digital communities. I founded some of my own communities. Early on I wore all the hats, such as editing people's fanfics, articles, and posts, graphic design, web design, etc. Eventually I focused a lot on engineering and web and founded Audentio, a digital agency, which has a bit over a dozen or so team members from around the world specializing in online community building and management.

What must be some 6-8 years by now, our team built some of the tools used here at Savvy today. We've been around behind the scenes helping with managing the server and web hosting (the energy company so to speak), building the web interface here (the foundation and interior design of the house, as it were), and the lessons system (Im out of analogies ). In general we've been around, but just as hired help. We would stop in from time to time, and always loved seeing everyone and the care they put into this community.

The reality is that communities like this are becoming far more rare. More and more platforms like this are bought by data/AI companies, their user data fed to the models. And while this may just be the way of the world, I feel it my responsibility to help communities stay open, democratic and free wherever possible. So I have offered to step in in some capacity to rebuild Savvy, continue it, or perhaps do nothing at all... and that is why I post here today, to see what you the community members would like out of me.

So maybe an AMA might be a good idea? Ask Me Anything. Looking forward to meeting you guys!

Hi All!
Well I have been contacted by someone who is interested in taking over SavvyAuthors! Watch this space for more information!

Also please post here if you would like to see us continue and your ideas for a NEW SavvyAuthors!!!


Leslie

Hi all
It is with great sadness that I post this tonight.
SavvyAuthors is closing for business effective immediately.
These are the details:

• All class registrations are closed. (Completed 6/26)
  • You may not register for any class or event on the site.
• Site registrations are closed to new members. (Completed 6/26)
• All currently ongoing classes will continue as planned.
• No new classes will start, including those scheduled to start this Monday, July 1. (Completed 6/26)
• CritPartner Match is closed. (Completed 6/26)
• All instructors will be paid as scheduled in your contract (15 days after the end of your class).
• If you have registered for a class, you will be refunded.
  • I estimate it will take about two months to process all refunds.
  • I will process them by refunding the classes that start next week first and then process each week of classes each week after that--so you will be refunded on the day your class was to start.
• If you have paid for a premium membership, I am planning to refund those in a prorated manner (from the date you paid to June 26) after I have refunded all the class registrations. this will take more time as it's not straightforward to figure out what is owed due to prorating and the vagaries of PayPal. (PSA..if you do not have to use PayPal as a vendor, don't. They are horrible to work with.) I do not have an estimate on this. I am working on this now.
  • I will cancel all the recurring membership subscriptions on our side. (Completed 6/28)
• We have a policy that any content you have here such as classes you took, will be available as long as we are here.
  • We will leave the site up in a view-only manner until after the last class finishes. Once that class is done, we will archive the site. Once the site is archived, you will not be able to access any content. We suggest that you download anything you want to keep by the end of July.
  • The last classes will finish on July 15, the site will close for access on August 1.
    
    • We will update this post when I have a firm date for the site to be archived.

Thank you all for being SavvyAuthors members! RJ, Dawn, Walker, and I and all our wonderful mods will miss you.
~Leslie

Congratulations to all the participants in our Hot Summer's Flash Contest and Special Congrats to @suzylangevinwrites for her story: West Mesa Highway!

Flash is a great way to hone your writing skills and have fun! Sign up for our next Flash Contest:
Write your Fantasy Flash Contest! Starting in July!

Thanks to everyone who participated and voted!

Hi all, so today I got what was initially a pretty scary email from what purported to be a legit organization...Read on.. for today's Foil the Hacker Extravaganza!


Scary, right? So I did a quick search and yep this is a legit if sort of smarmy legal firm in the UK that goes after license infringers.
But its a phishing attempt. How do I. know?
I found this wonderful blog article on these guys, which helped. And in the UK there is a law, the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 that requires the following for any claim to be held up in court:

1. Identified the copyright holder (your client).
2. Established your authorisation to act on their behalf.
3. Identified infringing content.
4. Requested removal of offending items.
5. Cited the law(s) in question.
6. Possibly, you would site loss of earnings in exact amounts

Also the IP address is tied to a bunch of known scam and spammers
You can do an IP lookup to determine that. Just type into your search engine: WHOIS <IP address>

I did reply to them via our contact form here at Savvy asking for details. I will update you if they respond!
Stay safe out there!
Leslie

The desert stretched off away from the road for miles, dotted with wind-twisted trunks of trees that had long since given up the ghost. A hot wind swept over the arid landscape, blowing up sand that stung Ari’s eyes. It was a convenient way to explain away the tears of frustration that welled up as she squeezed them shut before turning back to the sunbaked highway, their rusted out Jeep lifeless in the breakdown lane.

Jerry had popped the hood, but he had no fucking idea what he was doing under there, so it wasn’t going to do any good. Ari checked her cell phone for the dozenth time, as if reception would magically appear to get them out of this absolute disaster of a situation.

Mitch had tried to warn her.

Mitch, with infuriatingly reasonable stances on everything. Mitch was steady, safe.

He was also boring as hell.

So Ari had broken it off with him and agreed to this whirlwind road trip with Jerry, crossing the country from their tiny hometown in New Hampshire to San Diego. Jerry was everything Mitch wasn’t. Spontaneous, fun. Every day with him was an adventure.

But as they crossed the southwest, there were more and more misadventures along the way.

The motel they’d crashed at three nights ago in Texas had roaches in the bathroom, and the one before that, mold around the air conditioner that barely wheezed out any cold air in the thick heat of Louisiana in July. And now they were stuck on the side of the road in the desert somewhere outside Albuquerque, unsure when or if anyone else would come through and bail them out. Because there was no way in hell that Jerry was getting that shitbox going again on his own.

Ari sat down in the dust on the side of the road, drawing her knees to her chest while Jerry huffed and swore a few feet away.

“I can’t believe this fucking thing,” Jerry said before slamming his hand down on the bumper.

Ari could say the same about him.

Jerry had left town the minute he could, taking off for California just three days after they’d graduated high school. He and Ari had been a thing back junior year, when he was the best looking guy in their class and the star of the football team. Ari felt like she was living out some teenage movie fantasy. But she’d dumped him after he got so drunk at prom, he couldn’t even take her home.

Mitch picked her up instead.

Three years later, Jerry blew back into town on a wave of promises and bluster, and Ari believed him. Tired of waiting tables between semesters and waiting for her life to feel more like something she was living rather than just getting through, she bought everything Jerry was selling. So off she went, leaving a heart broken Mitch in her wake. He was the son of the wealthiest family in town, she reasoned. He’d end up doing just fine without her.

She wasn’t so sure she’d be able to stay the same.

Eventually, a pickup drove by, rolling to a stop next to them. “Need a hand?” the kid in the passenger’s seat asked.

“Please!” Ari said, jumping to her feet, before Jerry’s ego would turn down the only offer of assistance they’d had in hours.

Both he and the driver got out of the car. They couldn’t have been more than seventeen, both with jet black hair and dusty sneakers.

“Don’t know what’s wrong with the damn thing,” Jerry mumbled as they looked under the hood.

“I think you’re just out of gas, man,” the first boy said. “We’ve got some in the back of the truck, it’s a long way between stations out here.”

“Thank you,” Ari said, shooting daggers at Jerry. How fucking stupid could he be? He didn’t say anything, avoiding looking her way completely as the boys grabbed their gas can from their truck bed.

She’d barely spoken another word to Jerry the rest of the day. By the time they checked into another cheap ass motel that night, Ari’s phone was completely dead from searching for a signal all day through the desolate stretches of desert highway. While Jerry took slugs of Jack straight from a bottle, she plugged her charger into the wall in the bathroom and walked straight out past Jerry to the convenience store several doors down. As she sat in the parking lot having Takis and Diet Coke for dinner, she had to admit this whole thing had been a giant mistake.

Ari dragged herself back to the room, once again not acknowledging Jerry as he called her name and passed by to the bathroom. She sat on the edge of the tub, ancient mildew clinging to the corners, and picked up her phone, now halfway back to life.

Scrolling through her contacts, she selected a number and hit call. The phone rang once, twice.

Like always, Mitch picked up before the third ring.

Unlike always, an unfamiliar woman’s voice came through the line. “Hello?”

Ari nearly dropped her phone in shock. That definitely wasn’t his mom, the only other woman who had any reason to pick up his phone.

Unless…

When she recovered, she hung up as fast as she could. Mitch with a new girl? Already? Sure, he was handsome and wealthy.

But he was hers.

Always had been. Since they were kids, he’d idolized her, chased her, wanted her to love him.

And eventually, she did.

Now she’d let that slip away, too, like the sand on the desert wind.

Ari looked up at the ceiling, with a soft spot of water damage in the corner that looked like it could crumble at any moment. She closed her eyes for a moment, before she settled down on the worn out linoleum floor, waiting for Jerry to pass out in the next room.

Sorry if this isn't the right forum for this topic. I'm curious how other writers in fantasy (and sci fi!) choose slang for their world. I've noticed a trend in YA and crossover where everyone just uses modern-day words like "fuck," to great response. But I think it's a missed opportunity to know the world better by the ugly words the characters use within it. How do you guys approach this in dialog?

As my querying journey for my fantasy trilogy continues, I've actually not received much in the way of personal feedback. But I did recently receive one note that said third-person omniscient narrator is a dated writing style that isn't very common anymore. I admittedly tend to read older literature more than recent titles. But most of my favorite books use a third person omniscient narrator. Is this really a mostly dead practice for novels these days? Should I be writing in present third person or first person instead?

BROKEN BAYOU - FIRST READS

Y'all I am absolutely giddy that my debut novel, BROKEN BAYOU, was chosen for Amazon's June First Reads!!
That means you can read it for FREE!! Woohoo.
Click the link above for more info!!

Good Morning and happy Memorial Day to all of us in the U. S.!

We have some on-demand classes but at Savvy we do ours slightly differently. We offer occasional updates with recent material. This is what I just posted today in The Writer's Guide to AI class. I thought others might be interested in this as well.

If you have not considered an on demand class, I also recorded a free one regarding Information Security for writers ( Information Security for Writers (a free class from SavvyAuthors!)) and (best of all) the amazing Angela Knight has her Blueprint to Book: Plotting and Writing a Novel with Angela Knight now available on demand!

---

Hi all
Here is a quick update today on an interesting blog article I read from WritersWeekly:
Generative vs. Assistive AI…and When Writers Need To Disclose – K.M. Robinson

TLDR on this one: If you use generative AI (like ChatGPT and Claude) to create or write content, that content cannot be copyrighted per the US Copyright office. That is because YOU are not the author! It does make sense. Robinson gives a nice overview of this and how agents and editors see the use of generative AI in published work.

More when I learn more!
Leslie

I want to opt out of crit match. How do I do that?

Congratulations go out to @coreymp for her winning flash fiction: The Game!
Definitely read this tension-packed story!

Thanks to all the participants! If you are interested in participating in our next contest, registration is now open!
HOT SUMMER Fortnight Flash Fiction June 10 - 23

Thanks!

I recently started querying my fantasy novel trilogy. Or the first book in the series anyway. This is my first time querying a novel specifically. Honestly, it has been a mostly positive experience for me so far. I have gotten 3 rejections of the 20 I've submitted, but that has not gotten me down. In general, I have felt way more positive about this process than I ever did querying screenplays.

My real struggle has actually been finding publishers to query. As I don't have an agent, I'm looking at publishers willing to take unagented fantasy submissions. So many publishers that were recommended to me to try have closed their submissions. Then there are tons of walls to me personally. I have run into roadblocks because I'm the wrong gender, race, nationality, orientation, and so on. And, sadly, a lot of the publishers I had been recommended in the past have gone under since I started publishing.

I'm hoping to get to at least 100 query submissions, but I'm struggling to find them. I have used query tracker, but the number of open fantasy submission opportunities was very limited. I continue to believe there's room for me somewhere though, so I'll keep looking and submitting where I can.

Story Title: The Game
“I found it!” Stella yells, waving a yellow envelope up in the air.

The girls cheer in unison, and one by one, appear through the thick fog.

“Finally!” Becky says, trudging her steps. “I don’t know how much longer I can walk.”

“I knew we were close,” Stella says, mopping off the mist on her glasses with her sleeves.

Maggie approaches and pauses, while Victoria trails behind her.

“Just read the clue,” Maggie says, resting her palms on her knees.

Stella rips the flap open with her fingers and yanks out a white folded card.

“What does it say?” Becky asks impatiently, wiping the sweat on her forehead with the bottom of her sweatshirt.

“It says,” Stella pauses, now squinting her eyes.

“Well? Tell us. We can still win,” Victoria says, her hands clasped together.

“How can we win when it’s already dark? For all we know, it’s all over,” Becky scoffs at her.

Victoria throws her hands up in disgust.

“It’s hard to see,” Stella says, swiveling the card in front of her.

“Flash your light at her,” Becky says, nudging Victoria with her elbow.

“Give me a second,” Victoria says, fumbling with the button on the flashlight.

No car has driven down this dark road in almost two hours. The next street light is a mile away. The girls were supposed to find the last envelope before dark.

Stella shut her eyes and sticks her hand out as Victoria’s flashlight blinds her.

“What are you doing? Lower that. She can’t see,” Becky pushes Victoria’s arm down.

“Sorry, I can’t see either,” Victoria says. “Why do I have to be in charge of the light anyway? This isn’t even mine,” she says, grinding her teeth.

“Just do it!” Becky orders.

Victoria lifts her fist at Becky.

“I saw that,” Becky huffs.

“Good,” Victoria retorts.

“Just read it, Stella,” Maggie says, rolling her eyes at the girls.

As the wind howls, Stella grips the sides of the card and moves it toward the light. “Thanks,” she says. “I-I can see it now.”

Victoria steadies her arm.

Stella blinks her eyes before proceeding to read the clue.

“Keep walking until you clear the trees. After the flash, you’ll see this,” Stella says, taking her time with every word.

“After the flash, you’ll see this,” Maggie mumbles to herself, pacing back and forth.

“What could it be?” Becky says, with her hands now on her waist.

“The flash must be something bright,” Victoria blurts.

Becky’s eyes widen as she turns her head toward Victoria. “The street light,” she says. “Which means…”

“You’ll see this…is?” Maggie says.

“The house!” Victoria and Becky say in chorus.

“Regina’s house!” they shout, smacking their hands together in loud hi-fives.

“We’re close. Let’s go!” Maggie says, rushing down the empty road.

“Victoria flashes her light as they all follow behind Maggie.

A thousand steps later, Maggie jogs ahead and announces, “I think I see Regina’s house!” she says, pointing at what appears to be a gray roof, half a mile away.

“Thank god,” Victoria’s blurts, out of breath. “Trust me, guys. On my 16th Birthday, we’re just eating cake. No scavenger hunts.”

“This party better be worth it, because I can’t feel my legs,” Becky complains, her arms around Victoria’s shoulders.

“Well, I can’t feel my arms,” Victoria says. Becky looks up at her and they chuckle.

“Hurry up, guys!” Maggie says, as she scurries down the dirt road.

Maggie turns around and sees Becky and Victoria dragging their steps toward her. As they catch up to her, Maggie notices Stella standing alone behind them, looking back at the cluster of trees.

“Wait up, guys!” Maggie yells out, waving her hands at Becky and Victoria.

They sigh and turn around. “What is it?” Becky says, as they follow Maggie back.

Maggie takes giant strides and approaches Stella.

“What’s wrong?” Maggie asks.

“T-t-the last clue,” Stella stammers, then swallows hard.

“What about the last clue?” Becky asks, releasing Victoria.

Stella does not move or answer.

“You’re freaking us out. Just tell us!” Victoria cries.

Stella retrieves the envelope from her back pocket and stares at it.

“Something is missing,” Stella says.

“What do you mean?” Maggie asks.

“There’s more?” Becky whines. “I’m tired and hungry. I can’t take any more of this,” she says, throwing her hands up in the air.

“But we found the house. It’s right there. Riddle solved.” Victoria says, her eyebrows furrowed.

“That’s not the house,” Stella says, glaring at the darkness. “I made it up,” she continues, her voice cracking.

“Made what up?” Maggie asks, her heart racing.

“The clue,” Stella says. “I made it all up,” she explains, avoiding their eyes.

“What do you mean? You found the envelope and read us the clue,” Victoria says.

“But that wasn’t what the card said,” Stella explains, her voice now deep and stern.

With her hands trembling, Stella pulls the card out of the envelope and opens it.

Maggie, Victoria, and Becky cling to each other.

Stella moves forward, crushing the leaves beneath her shoes. She opens the card slowly and faces them. Cold sweat drips down the girls’ backs, as they wait in anticipation.

Stella stands before them, her knees knocking against each other. Her head drops as the piece of paper slips off her quivering hands and falls to the ground—revealing the inside of the card.

The girls gasp—theirs lips trembling in fright. Their faces, pale. Stark white.

Like the absence of ink on paper.

Congratulations to @R. A. Gatescf1 for her very cute story, The Book Dragon! Great story!

Our next Flash Fiction contest starts on April 29th: Special MYSTERY Flash contest! April 29 - May 12

Join us for more Flash Fiction stories that are fun and help you improve your writing craft!

Story Title: The Book Dragon
“Why did I agree to be here so early?” Kody yawned as he stopped by the pile of paint cans in front of the old, faded mural on the side of the magical bookstore.

“Because repainting George is an all-day job.” Laney leaned a ladder against the wall. “Plus, you’re an artist and need to suffer.”

“His name is George?” Kody glanced up to the focal point of the advertisement; a red dragon sitting on a pile of books, reading. His wings stretched out and his tail curled around the corner. “He looks more like a William with those reading glasses.” He opened one of the paint cans and frowned. “This is the color Mrs. B wants to use? It’s so…dull. I thought she wanted to really liven him up?”

Laney shrugged. “This is the paint she said to use.” She agreed with him about the muted colors. “I can try a spell to brighten the pigments. Just don’t tell her. She’s been on my case about frivolous spell casting.” She recited the enchantment over all the cans at once to save time. The colors had intensified, looking more vivid.

“Much better.” Kody leaned his cane against the wall and then slowly climbed the ladder to start working on George’s head. “A little help, witch,” he called down to Laney.

She placed an enchantment on the paint cans he’d need so that they floated up to his level so he wouldn’t have to keep climbing up and down. “There you go, wolf.”

“That’s werewolf to you,” he mumbled as he dipped his brush into the bright red paint.

Laney worked on the background and the lettering for The Dragon’s Lair Bookstore. “What kind of books do you think Geoge would read?” Surrounding the dragon were many piles of books that needed titles.

“The Joy of Cooking People.” Kody concentrated as he painted tendrils of smoke coming out of George’s nostrils. He even added a Fu Manchu to his upper lip.

“Do you think he’d like something more mainstream?” She had the idea to add current titles to the book spines.

Kody laughed. “Anything but the books about those sparkling vampires. Gesundheit.”

Laney lifted her brush off the wall right after finishing the Tw. “I didn’t sneeze.”

Kody stepped down a level on the ladder to work on George’s long neck. “Someone did.” As he applied the paint over the old scales, he noticed that there was more depth and dimension to them. Laney’s spell worked better than he thought it would. She was getting much better.

“I like that series,” Laney mumbled as she continued touching up the piles in front of the dragon’s wings.

“Oh, me too.” Kody kept his eyes on the work in front of him. “Team Jacob all the way.” The ladder trembled, making him grab on to keep from falling. “Stop shaking the ladder.”

“I’m not.” She was a good few feet away from it. A shadow fell over her. She glanced up to see what was blocking the light. She gasped. “Holy ogre crap!” George’s head and neck had come out of the wall, and he was looking down at her.

Kody screamed when he noticed and scurried down the ladder. He grabbed Laney and pulled her away from the wall. “What did you do?”

She struggled to think as her heart pounded in her ears. “I didn’t do anything. At least, I don’t think I did.” Did she mess up a simple color spell? She wanted to bring the colors to life, but this was too real. She walked to the corner to get a better look from a side angle. His head was fully three-dimensional while his wings and body were still flat on the wall. “What have we done?”

“We?”

George whimpered as he shook his head, trying to pull the rest of himself from the wall. Laney’s heart ached watching the poor thing struggle. “We can’t leave him like this.” She turned her pleading eyes to Kody, still standing in the middle of the street.

“Yeah, we can. He’s a dragon. They eat people, remember?” He crossed his arms as if the discussion was over.

“But he’s not a real dragon. He’s just life-like.” Laney forgot that Kody was new to magic and its limitations. “He was created to read, not eat.” She picked up a brush and started painting the tail.

After a moment’s hesitation, Kody relented. “Alright. But if he tries to barbecue me, I’m leaving.” He climbed back up the ladder and continued where he had left off. George giggled with every brush stroke, making it that much harder to paint him. “Great. He’s ticklish.”

“George! Stop pushing me.” Laney regretted painting his tail first.

Soon, everything was done except for the wings. The poor thing struggled to get free but couldn’t do more than hang from the wall. He reached down and picked Laney up so she could reach his wings. George even grabbed his own brush to help get them finished.

Once the painting was done, they stood back and watched George fully pull away from the wall. Only piles of books remained in the painted scene. A small crowd had gathered around them, marveling at the red dragon hovering over the street.

“What is Mrs. B going to say when she finds her book dragon missing from the painting?” Kody asked.

How was Laney going to explain to her boss that she messed up another spell? Especially when she wasn’t supposed to be casting at all? “I don’t—”

Mrs. Burns walked out of the bookstore and glanced up to the hovering dragon. She smiled and waved. “George! Glad to have you back, my friend. Now come inside. We have books to sell.”

They glanced at each other with gaping mouths. Then Kody burst with laughter while Laney frowned. “She could’ve at least told us her plan.”

Hello from Taiwan!

I'm Terrence. Though I'm originally from Los Angeles and studied screenwriting at the University of Pennsylvania, I haven't lived in the US for nearly a decade. I work in tech marketing, which has allowed me to gain a great many creative professional experiences including screenwriting, acting, video editing, voice acting, producing, directing, IP development, comic writing, and novel writing, off the top of my head.

I've already written 4 full-length novels, 3 of which are the first part of a series that I'm about to start querying, but probably the most interesting project I'm currently involved in is my fourth novel, Xtreme Saga - Book One: The War for Rig. I was hired to establish a new transmedia IP for a tech brand called XPG. The project includes animation, web comics, and full-length novels. I'm the lead writer and narrative director of the project. It's an epic sci-fi adventure story that takes place in another galaxy and centers around a teenage girl fighting against an evil empire that has invaded her home planet. You can find all the released content for free on the official website. Or just Google "Xtreme Saga". We release new content every week as part of our digital marketing strategy, so while the first of multiple planned novels is fully written, only the first 17 chapters are currently available online.

What's most interesting about Xtreme Saga is that the IP is owned an managed by a tech company with no real background in entertainment media, so they give me a lot of creative freedom. That said, they also aren't fully equipped to do a lot of the things that an entrainment company would be able to do. For example, we'd really like to do a physical publishing of the first novel. But the company doesn't know the first thing about the publishing process. So we're currently in the process of trying to find a traditional publisher to partner with for the physical printing of the novel series.

Thanks for reading my overly long introduction. If you like sci-fi, I hope you check out Xtreme Saga. If you're a publisher looking for sci-fi or fantasy novels, please reach out. I've got four books looking for homes.

Truly an embarrassment of riches! Congratulations go out to:

Not All Who Wander Are Lost (But We Are) by @MSTufail​

Choosing Fate by @LaurenDMSmith​

Portal Roulette @R. A. Gatescf1​

Congratulations to our three winners this week! I think since we have three wonderful winners, and we can only have one prompt for tomorrow's contest, I will choose one this time.

If you have not had a chance to read these stories please do so! They are great!

Thanks to everyone who participated and KEEP WRITING!
Leslie

Thanks to all the wonderful agents who spent hours reviewing the submissions. We could not hold these events without you, and we very much appreciate your time and efforts! Thank you for supporting the SavvyAuthors community!

This Spring Pitchfest, we had over 4,000 submissions to Agents and Editors. Thanks also to all of you who pitched! If your story did not find a home in this Pitchfest, we are certain it will with your dedication and perseverance!

And do not forget that we are a short 6 months away from Autumn Pitchfest and registration for this free event is OPEN!

~RJ Garside, Leslie Dow, Dawn McClure, and Walker Dow and all the volunteers at SavvyAuthors!

---

Agent Requests​

• All requests have been submitted. Updated March 31 @ 3:10 p.m. EST

Andie Smith, Booker Albert Agency​

Please have these authors send me their query, synopsis, and first 3 chapters to Andie’s QueryManager: Query Submission.
* Please include “Savvy Authors” in the referral box.

• Sex, Lies, and Dating Disasters by Cheryl Smith
• Play It Again by Katie Jung
• City of Second Chances by Aurrice Duke-Rollings
• Somewhere Along the Continuum by Rain Sullivan
• A Whisper in the Trees by Susan Dalessandro
• Dare to Lose by Angelique Russell
• Drives Like a Girl by Patti J. Kurtz
• The Accident by Lori Miller Kase
• To Belong by Emily Hoisington
• The Brink Box by Kimberly Christensen

Colleen Oefelein, MacGregor and Luedeke Literary​

Please send your query, synopsis, and first 10 pages to [email protected]

• Death is in the Air by Ellen Gardiner
• 100 DAYS OF UNLOVING YOU by Marisa Salvia
• Aramide and the Sea Creatures by Olumayowa Pamela Odunaiya
• Idunnuola by Olumayowa Pamela Odunaiya
• Free to Love by Judy Malcolm
• Holden House by Emma Leigh Reed
• Who Killed Dani Tanner? By Dan Marz
• Old Flames, New Beginnings by Lea Schizas
• A Summer In the City by Eileen Joyce Donovan
• WORKING (IT) OUT by Jody Wenner
• DEAR SLOANE by Lauren Khan
• One Man’s Salvation by ML Uberti
• Beneath the Southern Stars by Amy Craig
• Jenna by Marianne Joyce
• Light in Dark Places by Rebecca Clyburn
• THE INK & PAPER SOCIETY by Jennifer Hawes
• The Ninth Genius by Emily Bergren
• A SCOOP ON MURDER by Paula Barr
• Murder in Circulation by Kaitlin Morton-Bentley
• Murder in Old English by Marian Rakestraw
• Make a Grown Man Cry by Jody Lebel
• Running Into the Fire by Jody Lebel
• Saving Ember by Lorah Jaiyn
• Cabana Bay by Ruben D. Gonzales
• Defy the Crown by Kristi McManus
• Laws of the Heart by Rachel Levy Sarfin
• How to Wreck a Life by Rebecca Minelga
• You Will Be Mine by N.J. Adel
• Viral Chase by Brad Kalbfeld
• SHADOWMIRE by Elizabeth Keysian
• The Rescue Remedy by Marcy Bassett-Kennedy
• So Much Vengeance From A Loser by Rosie Schreiber
• Surviving Shelby by Lynn Dyskievicz- Dick
• SCARS by Denise Redman-Satterly
• Holiday Connection by Lianne Robinson
• THE DEBTOR’S DAUGHTER by Melissa Byrne
• CRIME BITES by Barbara Preslier
• BECOMING THE BONES by Susan Burdorf
• UNDER GROUND by Susan Burdorf
• Midsummer Madness by Mary Senior Harwood
• Love Throws a Curveball by Lorah Jaiyn
• I LOVE THE WAY YOU DIE by Bianca Malcolm
• Charity Ball by Mara Holguin Fouts
• Never Go Back by Stephanie Cotela
• Dying to Open by Shelli Margolin-Mayer
• Green Mountain Bride by Laura Davies Tilley w/a Alyssa Roberts
• A Duke She Couldn't Refuse by Victoria Elliot
• Reining In Love by Melanie McCarthy
• Whispered Hearts by Patience Akpan-Obong and Terri Fields

Jackie Kruzie, Focused Artists​

Please send query, synopsis, and first 10 pages to: Query Submission

• BLUE STREAK SUMMER by Evelyn Krieger
• Free to Love by Judy Malcolm
• BONE APPÈTIT by Kari Ann Gonzalez (requests first 10 pages of MG and full PB)
• Baking Your Heart Out by Bethany Perry
• FIVE TILL PLACES by J. Myles Hesse
• A SCOOP ON MURDER by Paula Barr
• LOCKED-IN by Susie Robinson
• Pour Decisions by Tobi Doyle
• Black Courtier by Audrey L. Dowling
• Nu-Yo and the Old Dragon's Daughter by Shuazong Chanthalakeo

Jacqueline Lipton, The Tobias Literary Agency​

Please send query, synopsis, and first 20-30 pages of their manuscript (wherever a page or chapter break works most naturally) to: Query Submission

* Please include "Savvy Authors Spring Pitchfest Request" in the referral line.

• Scones and Skull Bones (Jacque Rosman)
• Untitled Crime Thriller, 85k words (Allison Meldrum)
• Ghost in the Set (Arielle Fenger)
• Griddles & Grudges (Desiree DiFabio)
• Mask of a Thousand Angels (Maryn Boess)
• Pebble Girl and the Secrets of Mount Hua (Natalie Ku)
• Working (It) Out (Jody Wenner)
• The Achilles Factor (Marianne Joyce)
• A Time for Hate (Caitie Finlayson)
• Murder in Old English (Marian Rakestraw)
• Disorder (Peyton Garland)
• Chantal Amber House (Laura Blackwell)
• Facets of Murder (Julie Ciccarelli)
• You Will Be Mine (N.J. Adel)
• This One Little Life Stephanie Webb)
• The Statue of Cliffside Manor (C S Simpson)
• Malicious Devotion (Jocelyn Chen)
• The Shadow Spectacular (Kay Bynum)
• The Curse of Tlaloc (Claude Forthomme)
• Haunter: Ghost-for-Hire (Christopher Jones)

Jordy Albert, Book Albert Agency​

Please send query, synopsis, and first 50 pages to: Query Submission

• Dare to Lose by Angelique Russell
• Going Back to When We Began by Laurel Hill
• Red & Remembrance by C.R. Ware
• The Witching Hour by Dana Nuenighoff
• Parsidus by Karin Maatman
• The Billionaire Bourbon Bet by DK Marie
• The Tenth Blessing by Taylor Wylie
• The Rescue Remedy by Marcy Bassett-Kennedy
• The Empyreans of Kamadhatu: House of Nakt-Kshatra by Pearly D’Souza
• Surviving Shelby by Lynn Dyskievicz-Dick

Louise Buckley, Hannah Sheppard Literary Agency​

Please send query letter, synopsis and first 10 pages to: [email protected]

• Carol Ayer - A Storybook Christmas
• Laura Jordan - The Isla Collective
• Katie Maugatter - Beyond Here Lies Nothing
• Danielle Winston - Haunted Women
• Dan Marz - Who Killed Dani Tanner?
• Nola d'Enis - Long Shadows
• Joan Ramirez - Parisian Saviour
• N. J. Adel - You Will Be Mine
• Stephanie Webb - This One Little Life
• J M Ledwell - Red Snow
• Mary Senior Harwood - Grace Notes
• M. William - Birth Witch
• J Alexander Cohen - The Library at Eventide
• Christopher Jones - Ghost-for-Hire

Lynnette Novak, The Seymour Agency​

Genre specific submission guidelines – see requested information at send to [email protected]

• Picture book request: Send query and attach the picture book MS as a Word document (docx). Add "Requested Picture Book – Savvy Authors" along with your title in the subject line. If author/illustrator, please include dummy as PDF (if available).
• Non Fiction Request: Send query and attach your proposal as a Word document (docx). Add “Requested NF Proposal – Savvy Authors” along with your title in the subject line
• Fiction Request: Send me the query, full, and a synopsis (2-4 pages)? Please use Times New Roman, size 12, black, double-spaced text, 1” margins all around, and ½” paragraph indents. Attach the manuscript and synopsis as two separate Word documents (docx). Add "Requested – Savvy Authors" along with your title in the subject line

Requests:

• COOKING UP LOVE by Rachel Scott
• What I Learned on the Bus by Maria C. Palmer
• Cinderella's Dusting Damsels by Susan Johnston Taylor
• The Sentry-Box Del Diablo by Kim Vazquez
• PEBBLE GIRL AND THE SECRETS OF MOUNT HUA by Natalie Ku
• Cinderella Caterpillar: A Monarch Tale by Emily Dolbin
• Sam's Intergalactic Sleepover by Robin wiesneth
• Puppy Princess Letters by Alice Carty Fulgione
• Camera Shy by Chandra Mayer
• The Sound of Justice by Jimmy Dennis and Queen Muse
• Fresh Tracks by John Zeleznik
• Sunderella by Jayne Toman
• Impossible Luck: My Life as a Pro Sports Owner and Entertainment Promoter by Dr. Leonard Bloom as told to Karen Marchetti
• Memoir of a Mangled Mind: Surviving My Multiple Personalities by Steven Shelton
• Feeding Wars: The Making and Meaning of Nourishment by Mallory Thomas
• Naked Conversations: Body Confidence Lessons from a Boudoir Photographer by Meghan Hof
• Nu-Yo and the Old Dragon's Daughter by Shuazong Chanthalakeo

Tamanna Bhasin, The Rights Factory * Just added​

Please submit query letter, author bio, and first three chapters of the manuscript to [email protected]

• Swipe Right by Taylor Ellis
• Racing Heart by Emma Dicker
• Maclen Kivi and the Chozin Defenders: The Astrid Quest by N. Aubrey Cairney
• Life After Death by Jade Winters
• I Love the Way You Die by Bianca Malcolm
• The Library at Eventide by J. Alexander Cohen
• Somewhere Along the Line by Mallory Thomas
• Violet Thistlethwaite is Not A Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz
• Disorder by Peyton Garland
• The Ivy that Chains Us by Catherine Holdt
• Waking Other Lives by Alena Des
• The Ghost of You Lingers by Mel Lake
• The Flametenders by Gabrielle Story
• Kannagi by Bhargavi Kumaran
• Ghosted by Allorianna Matsourani
• The Amulet of Amun by N. M. Mainardi
• How I Met My Demon by Jason Antares
• The Billionaire Bourbon Bet by DK Marie
• Miss Foy's Wicked Month by Jenna Bigelow
• Aramide and the Sea Creatures by Olumayowa Pamela Odunaiya

Amy Nielson, Purcell Literary Agency​

Please submit query, synopsis, and first 10 pages to: Query Submission

• Baking Your Heart Out by Bethany Perry
• FIVE TILL PLACES by J. Myles Hesse

---

Editor Requests​

Helen H. Wu, Yeehoo Press​

Please send email to [email protected]
The email subject line must read: “SavvyAuthors PB: TITLE by AUTHOR”
Attach text-only manuscripts as Microsoft Word attachments.
Send art samples, dummy and other materials via a link.

• Paws Off Our Library! by Catherine Friess
• GOLDIBOT by Daryl-Lynne Gottier
• MEL by Emily Keifer by Firefly's Light by MK Stone

Holly Ingraham, Alcove Press & Crooked Lane​

Please submit blurb/description, short synopsis if available (1-2 pages max), and the full manuscript as a Word document to [email protected]

• Beyond Here Lies Nothing by Katie Maigatter
• The Perfect Replacement by Viviana Vasiu
• That Which is Lost by Alice Fitzpatrick

Jess Verdi, Alcove Press & Crooked Lane​

Please submit blurb/description, synopsis, and 3 chapters as a Word document to [email protected]

• Hallie Demers Gets It by Sarah Vance-Tompkins
• Ripped from Time by H.H. Pilz
• The Perfect Mistake by Megan Hof

Josh Gregory, Albert Whitman​

Please submit query, synopsis, and full manuscript to [email protected]

• “Florence’s Rose” by Stephanie Maksymiw
• “Crack! Chick! Boom!” by Angela Calabrese
• “Soccer Stars” by Christina Farley
• “Time for Dominoes” by Malik Toppins and Janice Torres
• “A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Finding Your Family” by Robin Wiesneth
• “The Pearl Necklace” by Jessica Wendi Abel
• “The Inclusion Club” by Cassie Silva
• “Onions for Breakfast” by Sarah Heaton
• “Friendship at Manzanar” by Eloise Freeman and Sandra Martin
• “Rangoli of Hope” by Reenita Hora
• “The Lockdown Rule” by Nicole Garnett
• “Chispa of Hope” by Norma Cardenas
• “Blackbird” by Krista Barrett
• “The King of Bollywood” by Nadia Ali

Taylor Gelderman, Sourcebooks​

Please submit query, synopsis, and full manuscript to [email protected]
* Please include SavvyAuthors or Pitchfest in the subject line.

• THROUGH THE ASH TREE by Amy Higgins
• FROST AND FLAME by Margo Bond Collins
• THE FORGOTTEN APOCALYPSE by Robert Roper
• BLOOD MANOR by Elvir Belardi
• THE BOYFRIEND VARIABLES by Crystal Nikish
• STOLEN FATE by Mary Rose Luksha
• HELLBOUND by Stephanie Bruneau

Tess Jones, Egret Books​

Please email full query letter at [email protected] with the following:

Email Subject:
GENRE – MANUSCRIPT TITLE – AUTHOR NAME – TODAY’S DATE – SAVVYAUTHORS SPRING 2024 REQUESTED MATERIALS

Email Content:
- Everything that you originally posted in your pitch
- Short biography and your contact information including social media and/or website
- A summary including the beginning, middle, and end of the story
- Paste the first THIRTY pages of your manuscript in the body of the email. Do not attach content, all text must be inline in the email.

• THE SPACE BETWEEN ATOMS by Meredith Mackin Rilley
• Dairyland Acres RV Park: A Novel by Michelle Caffrey
• UP THE CREEK by Shelley Marsh
• A Summer In the City by Eileen Joyce Donovan
• Coming Up for Air by Heather Shoning
• Last Look by Carol Morrison
• DEAR SLOANE by Lauren Khan
• One Man’s Salvation by ML Uberti
• Awakened Bayou by Dawn Chartier
• Harvest On the Bayou by Dawn Chartier
• Inkwell Confessions by C, Deanne Rowe
• How to Wreck a Life by Rebecca Minelga
• Miss Trusted by Janice Bremec Blum
• Surviving Shelby by Lynn Dyskievicz-Dick
• Holiday Connection by Lianne Robinson
• SCARS by Denise Redman-Satterly
• Austen Inspired by Alana Highbury
• Austen Persuaded by Alana Highbury
• The Bridle Path by Constance Elliott
• Seeking Sasha by Laura Frost
• Pictures of My Desire by Caroline Goldberg Igra
• The neighbours baby by Gemma S
• The Merry Wives of Windsor by CoeDee Shaner Burba
• SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE by Mallory Thomas
• The Unknown Voice by Louise Pelletier
• Perfectly Planned Life by Leslie J Hall
• City of Second Chances by Aurrice Duke-Rollings
• DICE FOR LOVE by Wyatt Ong
• Charity Ball by Mara Holguin Fouts
• PAPER AIRPLANE by Corey M. Panergo
• Home for the Holidays by Rosie J. Potter
• The Nesting Plot by Catherine Mallette
• Falling Around You by Jennifer McDonough
• The Perfect Mistake by Meghan Hof

Tova Seltzer, Holiday House​

Please email the full manuscripts to me here at [email protected], with "SavvyAuthors Request" in the subject line, and the pitch included in the email body would be great. The manuscripts can be word docs, PDFs or just pasted in the body.

• A Castle for Queens
• The Very Curious Artist
• The Rivertown Mystery
• Friendship at Manzanar
• How to Package a Giraffe in a Hurry
• What is Help
• Chispa of Hope

Michael Dolan, Winding Road Publishing​

Please submit query, synopsis, and full manuscript to [email protected]

• #2 Matt Leyshon: I Smell A Rat
• #36 Elvir Belardi: Blood Manor
• #57 Suzanne Mattaboni: Gore, Lust & Kin
• #65 Arlene Kay: The Acolyte
• #67 Mark Philbin: Kill Them All
• #71 Paula Barr Skillcorn: A Scoop on Murder
• #90 Sheri Taylor-Emery: What She Thought She Knew
• #98 Greta Gize: You Were the Topic of Discussion

Story Title: Portal Roulette

“What are we looking for again?” Kody asked as he and Laney tromped through the woods on the way to the Portal Forest.

“Earlberry. I need it for my Potions final. It’s only found in the desert.”

They reached a grove of hundreds of trees with a shimmering aura around them. Each one a portal to a different place either on Earth or a different realm.

None of them were marked. “Which way should we go?” Laney asked.

Kody shrugged. “I thought you knew.”

She glanced at each tree, trying to figure out which one to choose. They all looked alike. All they could do was to try one. “Let’s go that way.” She led Kody through the nearest tree.

They came out of the tree to a beautiful meadow of colorful wildflowers. Laney’s nose tingled and her eyes watered. “Oh, no.” She sneezed, violently. Her throat began to swell.

“You didn’t take your allergy elixer.” Kody immediately turned around and pulled her back through the portal. Twenty minutes and a couple dozen tissues later, Laney was ready to try again.

“Let’s go this way,” Kody said as he led her to another tree. They entered a densely wooded area. The thick canopies interwove overhead, completely blocking out the sunlight. But glowing green eyes stared at them from the treetops and the ground.

Laney’s heart pounded against her chest as she recognized those eyes from last semester’s lesson on magical arachnids. When the clicking started, she slowly backed away. “We can’t be here.”

“What is that?” Kody asked, following Laney’s lead.

“You don’t want to know.” They ran back when the eyes started advancing toward them.

They tried dozens of other portals but couldn’t find the desert. Laney sighed. “We are oh for seventy-three. We’re never going to find the earlberry plant.” She slumped down to the ground, dabbing her nose with a tissue. “I can’t believe I’m going to fail. Why did I get assigned a potion with such a rare ingredient?” Her eyes stung with frustration.

Kody tapped his cane as he glanced at the remaining trees. “You stay here, and I’ll try this one. We will find this earlberry plant if it’s the last thing we do.”

Laney bit her lip as she wondered if him going in alone was a good idea. “Are you sure? What if you end up in a dragon lair or the Bog of Despair? At least I know some helpful spells.”

“I got this.” He turned and strolled through the tree.

A warmth spread through her chest knowing what a treasure their friendship was. No sooner had she opened her book to go over the potion again did she hear Kody’s voice.

“Retreat!” he screamed as he burst from the tree.

She jumped up. “What happened? Did you find the earlberry?” Laney clutched his arms to keep him from falling over as he bent over to catch his breath.

“Yeah, but…” *pant* “There’s a problem.” *pant*

Laney smiled. Finally, after all they went through, they found it. “Whatever the problem is, we’ll deal with it.”

He straightened up but still leaned on his cane. “It’s at the mouth of a cave being guarded by a vicious beast.”

Laney’s eyes widened. “What kind of beast?”

“A giant gorilla-dog thing. I don’t know. We can’t go in there.”

“But I have to. I need that earlberry.” She paced, trying to think of possible spells to use against such a dangerous animal.

After a moment of watching her, Kody sighed, his shoulders slumped. “You’re not going in alone. Are you good with first-aid spells? I have a feeling I’m going to need one.”

Laney clapped, bouncing in place. “I’m going to ace this potion after all, thanks to you.” She pulled an empty satchel from her bag to hold the collected berries.

“Okay,” Kody said as he stretched his arms and popped his neck. “I’ll distract el diablo while you go pick your berries. But you gotta be quick.”

On Kody’s “Go,” they took off running at the tree. Immediately the hot air hit Laney in the face like opening an oven door. She let Kody pull ahead as he headed right toward the…prairie dog? At first Laney thought he was crazy. The little thing was so cute sitting at the entrance to the cave, nibbling on some grass. But when it saw Kody coming towards it, the claws and fangs came out.

Kody used his cane to keep the animal as far from biting range as possible. “Get it!” he yelled at Laney who had unknowingly stopped to gawk at the battle.

“Oh, right.” Laney sprinted over to the earlberry plant. The bush had a lot more thorns than she expected. Most of the berries were concentrated in the center. The thorns pierced her skin as she reached in to get the precious fruit. Blood trickled down her arm almost as fast as the tears down her cheeks, but she kept going.

Once the bag was half-full, and she could no longer take the pain, she yelled to Kody. “Got it!” She ran back through the portal while Kody followed.

Laney clutched her treasure to her chest as she caught her breath. She hoped she grabbed enough. She opened the book to see how much she actually needed. She ran her finger down the page until she got to that ingredient. Her fingertip snagged on something sticking to the page. When she peeled off what resembled a dried-up piece of onion skin, she made an unfortunate discovery.

“Hey,” she turned to Kody who was examining the rips in his shirt. “I don’t need this for the potion. I need Pearlberry. Something was covering up the P. I’ve got plenty of Pearlberry at home.”

“Of course, you do,” Kody said before collapsing to the ground. “Of course, you do.”

Story Title: Not All Who Wander Are Lost (But We Are)

“Well, that’s not much help,” I murmured, hands on hips. This had to be someone’s idea of a joke. There was nothing, no one, as far as the eye could see, except for this sign. This seeming beacon of salvation. I squinted at the sign post towering over me with arrows pointed every which way labeled with particularly disobliging directions such as THIS WAY, THAT WAY, ANOTHER WAY.

I turned as hysterical laughter bubbled up from behind me. My best friend Kristin was doubled over, hands on her knees, laughing, with tears streaming down her face.

“You okay?”

She tried to speak, pointing at the sign, but was laughing too hard to get the words out. She wheezed and clutched her sides, as if she could hold in the involuntary laughter. She’d obviously snapped.

We’d been walking for forever, hours at least. We were hot and tired and thirsty, but we kept our spirits up reminiscing about old times and talking shit about mutual acquaintances, cracking each other up by making fun of ourselves and our shared terrible sense of direction, which is what had gotten us into this mess in the first place. We’d been flagging when we’d seen the sign post in the distance and the sight had buoyed us enough that we’d increased our pace, hurrying toward the distant bellfire. As soon as we got to that sign, we’d know where the hell we were and how long we had left to go…

And now, here we were.

And here was this stupid, unhelpful, demoralizing sign.

Kristin straightened, pulling herself together, and inhaled, letting it out in a long shuddering breath.

“The sign,” She gestured at the object of offense with a flattened hand. “The sign…”

She snorted, dissolving into peals again, and sat down hard on the ground. I surveyed her as she convulsed and whooped. Yep, she’d totally lost it.

“We’re lost!” she practically screamed through her hilarity.

“Yes,” I drew out the syllable as if humoring a child.

“We’re fucked,” she managed before laughter exploded out of her again. The laughter took on an unhinged edge and her face grimaced slightly. Now I wasn’t sure if she was laughing or sobbing. Possibly both?

I watched this hysteria manifest for several minutes. Eventually, her laughter slowed.

“Whew,” she said, wiping her eyes, with only a slight giggle in her voice. She looked up at that stupid sign and chuckled again, shaking her head. “Oh man.”

She let herself fall back, lying on the ground.

After a moment, I sank to the ground and lay down next to her.

“Oh man,” she said again, addressing the cloudless sky, a restrained mirth still tremoring her voice. “We are so screwed.”

I glared at that stupid fucking sign.

“Yep. Totally screwed.”

Story Title: Choosing Fate

The harsh metallic thuds echoed through Melantha’s research facility. She did her best to ignore them but could feel the sweat on her palms and her back grow ever colder. She pushed the sensation away, eyes focused on the sigil she was drawing on the stone floor.

The banging was as oppressive as the emptiness of this stone building. She could only hope the others had gotten far enough away through the emergency tunnels. Hartmut, who’d always looked more like he should be wielding a sword rather than a pen. Taimi, her fingers dirty from her time in the garden. Menander, who doodled little pictures on the edges of his papers. Blythe, with her easy smile and jokes to ease the tension.

The people who’d become her family. The people she’d unknowingly put into danger with this. She blinked the prickles in her eyes away, focusing back on the elaborate symbol her chalk created. She couldn’t afford to make a mistake, any more than she could have afforded to go with them, despite what they’d begged.

She should have known it would come to this. Should have known better than to trust the promises of Emperor Cyneric, despite her ties to Empress Lucasta.

Her research was supposed to help people. To save them. When she’d first proposed creating a universal antidote, she’d envisioned it being used to save people, to give them time for a healer to purify their body before the poison fully spread. The poison she’d created in the process had been an accident, but she’d thought her antidote would be the perfect failsafe for it.

Until Cyneric had weaponized it with magic, his operatives deploying it in the heart of Viltautasian capital.

When she heard what the symptoms of the poison decimating the city were, Melantha had known the truth. Cyneric would never let them live. She’d locked them all into the facility, tried to contact their allies for help, for a way out, anything, but found they’d already been blocked.

And now the imperial soldiers were trying to break in.

It was only a matter of time until they succeeded. And while the others might be able to hide, to change their identities and get away, Cyneric wouldn’t rest until she was dead. Not just because she was the driving force behind the project, but because if Melantha got the truth to Lucasta, she’d hate Cyneric for the rest of their lives. And that was the one thing Melantha knew he feared most.

The tortured screech of twisting metal was followed by a clanking crash. Melantha didn’t need to hear the stomping of heavy boots to tell her she was out of time. Sweat dripped down her cheek as she worked to finish the last letter, the last piece in a design that was the culmination of her personal research.

She couldn’t be sure it would work, but she didn’t have any other options. She’d bet on this, on a different future, one where her knowledge might be able to undo the horror she had never meant to unleash.

Melantha threw the chalk away, dropping her shaking hands onto the ground at the base of the intricate combination of loops, swirls, and magic characters that stood out white against the dark stone of the floor. She poured her magic into it, not holding any of it back. There was no point now.

She heard the splintering crash of doors being kicked in, almost swallowing the sound of the still approaching footsteps. She ignored it, feeling her body go cooler as she pushed every last bit of warmth, of the spark of her magic, into the sigil. It absorbed it all like the myth of the ever-hungry dragon.

Melantha could taste blood as her muscles felt weaker and weaker. The door behind her exploding was almost distant, the shouts like the buzzing of a flies. Her vision swam and wavered, everything dyed red, before she could feel the last breath leave her lungs.

The sword that should have pierced her back met only air, one filled with fading sparks.

The hairs all over Melantha’s body rose, an odd sensation when she’d already left her corporeal form behind. She saw the imperial soldiers, in their dark uniforms, looking around, bewildered. Before she could do anything else, she felt herself being pulled away.

Caught in the swirl of time, magic, and power that flowed invisible through the world, unable to do anything but be brought along with the current, she wondered if she’d made the right choice. Not that she had any other option. Cyneric had seen to that.

In the flow of power that sparkled iridescently, she caught brief glimpses of the world. Or worlds. It was hard to tell whether she was seeing the past, present, future, or something else entirely. Her research had hinted at the possibility of other worlds beyond hers, but she had never found hard evidence.

Up ahead she could see it. Several streams converged and spread back out again, the flow like a giant web. Or a crossroads. Each direction looked the same, and yet, Melantha knew that whatever way she chose, it would change both herself, and where she ended up, forever.

It had cost her magic, her lifeforce, even her body, but Melantha thought the price would be worth it. Her decades of memories would be preserved. And that could only make this next life better. Closing her eyes, she let the currents of power choose her fate.

This week's winning story is Contribution by Rose Gardner!
Congratulations to Rose for this very uplifting and fun story!