Bish Denham's Current Query

Back to queries today on The QQQE. It's what we do. In fact, it's going to be queries for the rest of the week here. So get ready, get pumped.

Anyway, today's is Bish Denham's. Before we go on, please visit her blog, and click that little follow button. I'll wait ...

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Today is just Bish's query letter. Feedback is being reserved for tomorrow. So please say hello, in the comments, but save your critique until Wednesday. Thanks!

The query:

Dear Agent,

From the moment he hatches, Marvin P. Tinkleberry knows he is destined for greatness. For one, he has a marvelous, well-groomed tail. For another he can puff out his throat pouch in the most spectacular way. Maybe the other lizards in his colony don’t take him seriously, but he knows the truth, it lives in the marrow of his bones, he’s going to be a hero.

When a feral cat threatens his home of Stone Wall in the Garden by the Sea, clearly there’s only one lizard for the job. Travelling Over the Hill to find and befriend a dog should be as easy as snapping up a sleeping moth. And as for help, he doesn’t need any! After all, if Marvin’s ancestor, Prince Leopold, could go it alone, so can he.

It doesn’t take long for Marvin to see that the world beyond Stone Wall is not the same as his pampered life back at the garden. A beautiful tail is not much help against deadly scorpions or navigating the fearful Sucker Cactus Forest. Nor are hungry mongooses and rats frightened by a pouch display. It becomes clear, if he’s to complete his mission, Marvin must deflate his ego, accept help, and make a plan. Along with El Grekko Gecko, the Great Iguana, and a lovely female named Leeza, Marvin sets out for the poisonous wasteland of The Dump where he must find the one key to befriending the fearsome dog and saving his colony from extinction: a Bone.

But it will cost him, and Marvin will have to decide if he is willing to pay.

A Lizard’s Tail is a fun MG adventure approximately 24,000 words in length. It is steeped with the exotic flora and fauna of the Caribbean. I am a fourth generation U. S. Virgin Islander and have had stories and articles published with Spider Magazine, Wee Ones, Blooming Tree Press, Fun For Kidz and My Friend. I also placed first in the Children’s Writer Fantasy/Folktale Contest put on by the Institute of Children’s Literature.

(Personalization bit here.) May I send A Lizard’s Tail for you to view?

Thank you for your consideration

Sincerely,
Bish Denham

That's it! Thank you very much for having the courage to share this with us, Bish. I'll provide my thoughts tomorrow.