Face-Lift 96

Guess the Plot

Sandstorm

1. Curtis the Camel, bullied by the other camels because of his glowing neon ears, becomes a hero when he leads the caravan to safety.

2. When a flurry of wiener-stuffed fists and elbows raises a sirocco over LA during the Venice Beach hot dog eating contest, only Corps of Engineers specialist Grim Carnage can rescue the city.

3. Josh and Lauren wanted an adventure honeymoon in Outer Mongolia. They hadn't planned on becoming CIA agents in the process.

4. An inexplicable explosion rocks the antiquities collection of a London museum -- a devastating blast that sets off alarms in clandestine organizations around the world.

5. Lost in a desert ghost town, Emma comes across a group of children led by a one-eyed boy named Miguel. But are they friend or foe?

6. Two camels trapped in a sandstorm muse on the human condition and the philosophical merits of existentialism. Is the world merely a manifestation of our own subconscious desires, or a shared hallucination of the collective consciousness? And why is there so much sand?


Original Version

Evil Editor:

I am seeking representation for my middle-grade fantasy novel, Sandstorm, complete at 48,000 words. Based on your listing in the Whatever Catalogue of Publishers, I believe that this manuscript is a good fit for your imprint.

Emma Tellerman is lost. Stranded in a derelict ghost town, she doesn't even know where she came from, let alone how she ended up in this unearthly red desert. [Allow Evil Editor to enlighten her. She's on the desert planet Tatooine, and she was knocked out by Tusken raiders (sand people) who stole her droid and left her to die.] All she wants is to find her home and memories--but she has little time to search in a place where everything from the weather to the statuary is out to get her. [Statuary? Is there an art museum in this desert ghost town?] After her only ally loses his soul to swarms of beetles, [Who was her ally, an azalea bush? And what do you mean, "loses his soul?" Is he now a zombie?] she meets a group of children [named Jack, Piggy, Ralph, Simon . . . ] who survive week to week on their own wits and the strength of their leader, a one-eyed boy named Miguel who has more experience in the desert than he will admit. [He played Paul Atreides in the Dune miniseries.] [Note that Evil Editor has managed to bring Star Wars, Dune, Lord of the Flies, and zombies into his critique. But how many of them can I bring in a second time?]

On a mix of intuition and desperation, Emma strikes out across the desert to seek answers in the mysterious mountain far in the distance. She finds allies along the way, [Including Anakin Skywalker.] but the desert is also full of enemies... [Sandworms.] and all of them are hungry. [Hungry for human flesh? May I suggest a better title? Zombie Desert.] [Desert of the Living Dead.] [Re-an-Emma-tor.] [While extensively researching the previous titles, I came across a list of actual zombie movies, which includes the following: I Eat Your Skin; Dr. Butcher, M.D.; Chopper Chicks in Zombietown; Redneck Zombies; and Zombies on Broadway.] [Wait, how about, Miguel and Emma Visit the Zombietown White Castle?

Pursued by predators, deadly swarms [of Beasties], and an increasingly hostile environment, Emma must fight to hold on to her identity in a world where it is challenged at every turn--or she will be lost to the desert forever.

I have enclosed a short synopsis and a few sample pages. I would be pleased to provide sample chapters at your request; the manuscript is available electronically. I have enclosed a self-addressed stamped envelope for your reply. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Best regards,


Notes

Is Emma an adult? Middle school age? It's not clear what makes this a middle-grade novel, unless she's a kid, so perhaps her age should be mentioned. Outside of that, it sounds good, or will, if you answer a few of Evil Editor's questions.