My Pitch Wars 2019 #BoostMyBio Post

Pitch Wars is a mentoring program where writers are paired with a published/agented author or editor for a chance to revise their manuscript and be featured in an agent showcase. Literary agents look through the entries and request materials.

This is my first year entering Pitch Wars and I’m so excited to meet new writer friends and see if my MS has what it takes! My main goal is to get at least one full request from a mentor but, of course, becoming a mentee and participating in the showcase would be awesome, too!

Here’s my entry:

THE SINGULARITY OF COOKIES

Women’s Fiction

For fans of THE HATING GAME and THE COINCIDENCE OF COCONUT CAKE

A Puerto Rican high school drop-out working at a cookie manufacturing plant in Florida assists CEO with an inspection that may disrupt their family-like community while trying not to lose herself in a romantic relationship like her mother

featuring:

• A diverse cast composed mostly of Puerto Ricans
• A feminist, foul-mouthed, and anti-romantic protagonist
• Work inside a cookie manufacturing plant, Singular Cookies, Inc., where every cookie has a personality of its own.
• Interpersonal conflict
• Food safety and quality
• Gossip (it’s a small company so everyone knows everything about each other)
• Humor and drama
• Sex and romance

If you want a sneak peek at this novel, read my short story, SINGLE, NOT ALONE, which is included as a chapter in the book but here, it’s from the perspective of one of Karina’s best friends, Marisa.

About Me

• I was born and raised in Puerto Rico and currently live in Germany with my German husband and 2-year-old daughter.
• I never thought of becoming a writer and only started writing five years ago at the age of thirty-seven out of depression when I was unable to find a job in Germany.
• This is the second novel I’ve written. The first one was shelved after a year of querying unsuccessfully, but I hope to revise it again soon.
• I have a PhD in Food Science and used my knowledge to design Singular Cookies Inc. I based situations and characters in the novel on my own experiences as a Quality Assurance Manager in the food industry.
• My writing style and story ideas are heavily influenced by telenovelas and the show “Sex and the City”.
• When not writing, you can find me thinking about my MS, dealing with a toddler, snapping at my poor husband, doing housework or groceries, reading, having trouble sleeping, and trying to find the time to do yoga, meditate, watch TV, and be lazy (it’s been a stressful year).

fun Facts:

• I don’t drink coffee or beer (I don’t like how they taste). My drinks of choice are: water, Earl Grey tea, and wine.
• I hate bell-peppers; love cheese.
• I don’t know how to swim or ride a bicycle.
• I love to sing and growing up, I wanted to become a singer.

As for me as a mentee, I’m a perfectionist, and will probably obsess about things I shouldn’t be obsessing about (like this post). I welcome tough and honest feedback – I want to learn and continuously improve (I’m a former QA Manager, after all). I’m very meticulous and detail-oriented, disciplined, and focused on the main prize of landing an agent and getting my books traditionally published. The dream is what drives me!

Good luck to my fellow mentee hopefuls! I hope we all accomplish our goals and become better writers in the process.