Sunday, June 26, 2011

Birthday Blowout First Page Contest Entry

Want the opportunity to show the first page (250 words) of your completed manuscript to Victoria Marini of Gelfman Schneider Literary Agency? Check out Shelly Watters’ site Is It Hot In Here or Is It This Book?

I look forward to reading your entry and repaying the favor. Thank you for reviewing my entry below.
 
Title: The Silver Strand
Genre: MG Fantasy Adventure
Word count: 55,000
First 250 words:

“Let me pluck your silver hair.” 

Bianca’s stumpy fingers crept up Isabelle’s arm and she swiped them away.  “Shhhh!”  Her skin crawled as if everyone on the crowded school bus heard her loud-mouthed friend and now stared at the girl with the freaky, silver strand.  Isabelle glanced backward at the rows of black vinyl seats.  A seventh grade boy gave a kid across the aisle a dead arm and his mates whooped.  Four rows behind her, a group of girls competed in blowing gum bubbles. 

“Pleeaasssse.”  Bianca’s almost invisible eyebrows drew together and she made a sad, puppy dog face. 

Sinking in her seat, Isabelle hunted through her honey-brown hair for the silver strand.  Thick like a skewer, it resembled polished silver, and sent tingles rippling through her fingertips.  A little voice inside her head begged her to leave it alone.  But it had caused nothing but trouble since sprouting.  Like the time in science class when magnets attracted it as if it was made of metal.  Boy that spooked her lab partner.  And news of her freaky hair spread like wildfire.  Twirling the strand around her finger, Isabelle looked at her friend, suddenly feeling torn about getting rid of it. 

Bianca sighed and slumped in her seat.  “Fine,” she said, using her navy school blazer to wipe a year’s worth of smudges from her glasses.  “Don’t whine to me next time someone calls you, grandma.”  She mimicked the high pitched old lady’s voice that had haunted Isabelle for two months.