I just spent the last 24 hours rewriting my query letter… and rewriting and rewriting and rewriting. To be frank, I’m pretty sure the stupid thing counts as a straight-up obsession now. Technically, I’m on my 6th draft, but considering the fact that each ‘draft’ went through at least twenty revisions… well, you get the picture. Each night after polishing up my latest attempt at perfection, I’m tempted to quote The Princess Bride: “Good night… Good work. Sleep well. I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.”
Check out my latest draft, and tell me what you think!
Query Letter
Hazel Alina Galbraith is a 17-year-old spy from an alternate reality with a secret that might save the universe. Or destroy it.
The only problem is, she doesn’t remember any of that.
What Hazel does remember is her life on earth: her recent breakup with her boyfriend, Josh; the mean-girl-esque bully who spreads rumors about her; that huge English project coming up. And Alek, an unfairly attractive foreign exchange student with piercing eyes that haunt Hazel’s dreams. Hazel can’t shake the feeling that she somehow knows Alek, and when his strange behavior convinces Hazel he must be hiding something, she decides to investigate.
Hazel’s search for answers leads to an accidental trip to a shadow dimension, an encounter with a pyrotechnic phoenix, and, most importantly, the truth about her past. Hazel learns she and Alek are from a realm called Hespera: a dangerous reality filled with mythical beasts and ruled by a power-obsessed Council of Warriors. Hazel has been exiled to earth for treason. And as she remembers why she was branded a traitor, Hazel realizes she might be the only one who can prevent the rulers of Hespera from destroying the universe.
With the fate of two worlds hanging in the balance, Hazel must decide whether she is willing to sacrifice her normal life on earth to save the world she’s left behind. After all, in a universe where dreams look more like nightmares, being normal might be the happiest ending you can hope for.
REGNUM TERRA is a complete 73,000-word YA genre-splice that blends fantasy and science fiction. It is the first in a planned trilogy, and will be enjoyed by fans of The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. I have a bachelor’s degree in English Teaching with a minor in Physics Teaching, and I currently spend 40 hours a week working with my target audience as a high school English and Physics teacher. The manuscript to REGNUM TERRA is available, in part or full, upon request.
Thank you for your consideration,
Ellie Penner
The Regnum Trilogy 