PAY IT FOWARD ENTRY AND DEDICATION

I am repeating yesterday's intro, just in case you have missed it. 

Bloggers, I have exciting news for you today. Shelli Johannes at Market My Words is holding one AMAZING contest. Shelli is agented by Alyssa Eisner Henkin of Trident Media Group and is offering a personal recommendation to her agent to the winner. Hop over to her blog. Become a follower of both her blog and twitter and then enter your maximum four sentence pitch on a completed M/G or Y/A novel. Follow the rules of the contest and you're in. Dates Jan. 31st through February 4th, 2011.

Shelli will then pick her top five choices and ask for a full query pitch letter. The top two or three will get a query critique and the opportunity to send your first three chapters!

Her favorite she will recommend to her agent. How awesome is that! So start writing that four sentence pitch and enter!

Today as part of the Pay it forward entry it will be my pleasure to dedicate a post to the people who have helped and encouraged me through my writing.

First and foremost to my wonderful friend Ulises who has always encouraged me to never give up in whatever project I might be working on whether it be a design, art, or writing.

My parents, who are no longer with me, but I feel their guiding hand when I'm on my last nerve.

Now for the people who have helped teach me what it is to be a writer and who I still learn from. I know I have mentioned her before, but I will again; my first virtual writing friend Erica Olson, of erica and christy fame. Without her I would not have discovered the blog world.

I would also like to thank the best critique partner a guy can ever have, Joshua Jacobs. He has taught me the most about writing. He pushed me to see things differently. Tough love all the way. An excellent writer and extremely busy guy, he still had the time to line edit with me for four months. Thank you, Josh.

There have also been so wonderful writing friends I have met through blogging. You know I appreciate and love all of you, but a few special people have influenced me with there talent and caring. Roland @ Writing in the Crosshairs If you don't know Roland, visit his blog, he takes writing to an art form.

Another special person, who is now going through a very stressful time in her life. I hope and pray for her and her mom who is very sick. She is always in my thoughts. You are very special to me Patty.

There are others. You know who you are. But most of all this community has influenced me and helped me become the writer I am today. I learned so much from all of you and I plan to keep learning so I can give back and help others in any way I can. Thank you all for being there for me, because I am always here for you.

Okay, enough of the mushy stuff....  Now let me show you my entry for Shelli @ Market My Words If you want to learn more about the contest scroll down to yesterday's post or visit Shelli....

I have chosen to enter my first novel, AMBER AND THE WHISPERING WILLOWS. I'm back to the original title. Here is the pitch I plan to use.

Hidden among humans, eleven-year-old Amber discovers she can control the winds.  Amber's refuge, an enchanted willow grove, is threatened by the evil fairie, Sedah, who creates a plague to kill off all vegatation in both the fae and human worlds. With the help of her best friend, Nina, Amber enlists the aid of the fae folk and the creatures of the Willows to combat Sedah, driving It back to the fairy underworld ... if they don't die in the attempt.