Thursday, February 23, 2012

Deniz Bevan's Current Query

Do you guys know Deniz? She blogs over at The Girdle of Melian (and if you don't know what that references, we probably can't be friends). Go on. Go follow her.

Back? Excellent.

Here's her query:

Dear [Agent],

Rosa becomes separated from her family as they flee their Spanish homeland – and the Inquisition. Now her one hope of reaching Constantinople, and reuniting with her family, lies with a stranger, Baha, an artist from the Ottoman Empire. As they travel together, Rosa's drive to find her loved ones is matched by a deepening desire for the man at her side.

Her family refuses to accept this man of a different faith, but when janissaries arrest her father and brother, Rosa and Baha risk everything to rescue them. Together they will prove that their love can withstand their differences... if the Grand Vizier doesn't throw them both into the dungeons first.

OUT OF THE WATER is complete at 115,000 words. I admire your client [Name] and found your website through [his/her] blog. Based on [xyz], you might find my 15th Century historical romance a good fit for your interests.

I have lived and worked in Turkey, and my non-fiction work, including travel articles, book reviews and personal essays, has most recently appeared in the trilingual (English, French, and Turkish) newspaper Bizim Anadolu. Initial drafts of OUT OF THE WATER were revised through participation in author Barbara Rogan's invitation-only Next Level Workshop.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Deniz Bevan

That's it.

Please save your feedback for tomorrow, when I'll be sharing mine.

25 comments:

Sarah said...

Followed! Thanks for introducing me to Deniz. I'll be back tomorrow!

Karen Baldwin said...

yes, thanks for the intro. I'll be back tomorrow. I too followed.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Wow, short and to the point!

Unknown said...

I love Deniz, she one of the most amazing people I have met online. She gives so much support to the community.

Rusty Carl said...

Uh oh. I saw an em dash.

Michael G-G said...

Janissaries and grand viziers?! Hooked!

farawayeyes said...

Hi Deniz nice to meet you. I like it.

Cathy Olliffe-Webster said...

Followed! Matthew, you certainly have us all well trained. Looking forward to feedback tomorrow. Good luck, Brave Deniz!

Anonymous said...

I'm a huge fan of Deniz, so this is great to see!!

Abby Minard said...

Looks great- can't wait to see the suggestions for tomorrow.

Donna K. Weaver said...

Nice. Can't wait to see what you suggest.

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Oh I know Deniz! She's brilliant!

Bryan Russell said...

Sounds great!

Carolina M. Valdez Schneider said...

Yes, I know Denise! And dang, what a query! Well done straight out of the gate.

Carolina M. Valdez Schneider said...

And by Denise, I meant Deniz. Sorry. I really should proofread.

Christina Lee said...

Wowee, I agree on the short and sweet! A good skill to have!

Old Kitty said...

Deniz is lovely!! Love, love, love Deniz!!!! And can I say now, I think this query is really really strong!!
Yay Deniz!! Take care
x

Jessica Salyer said...

Nice to meet you Deniz. Nice Query. As always, looking forward to see what Matthew has to say tomorrow.

Jemi Fraser said...

Deniz is terrific and it sounds like she's got a great story on her hands :)

Golden Eagle said...

Deniz is awesome!

Susan Kane said...

Intriguing query...The topic is so unexpected and therefore interesting. Tired of vampires.

mshatch said...

Can't wait to see what Matt has to say. I'll check back tomorrow :)

Deniz Bevan said...

Eek! You guys are making me blush!

Zan Marie said...

I've known Deniz from the Books and Writers Forum for years! And I'm a confirmed believer in anything she writes.

And I'm following, too, Matthew.

Theresa Milstein said...

Tight query. I'd like to see a hint of who the protagonist is instead of what's happening to her. She's fleeing her homeland and she's falling in love. But who is she? Just an adjective thrown in might suffice.