Introducing "Goblin's Humiliator"

Hey guys! Here's something I've been working on that is finally ready to roll out:


Goblin's Humiliator
The Humiliator is a motivation tool for writers. It's a bit of Javascript code that displays a small image on your blog or personal website, and this image--depending on how many days in a row you've skipped writing--becomes increasingly embarrassing.

The idea here is that once you've put the Humiliator on your website, your fear of public embarrassment will goad you into writing every day consistently. And who can't use a little extra incentive?

Please click the link to go to the home page of The Humiliator, and consider signing up. It's completely free and kinda fun!


Click here to get Goblin's Humiliator
for your website or blog!

Query #21: "Left of Unsaid" by Perri

This query is from Perri for the novel Left of Unsaid. Thank you Perri for the honour of allowing me to work on and post this!

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ORIGINAL QUERY

As far as the Orange Lake Sheriff’s concerned Hap Taskett’s death is an open and shut case: heart attack. But for Hap’s daughters, there’s nothing simple about it. Wild Claudette, the eldest, was with him when he died. Though she won’t share details about the incident, she insists she killed him. Eighteen year old Leanne fears the answers her questions might bring. Once inseparable, the sisters can’t hold a civil conversation.

With their father’s last project, a decrepit motel, crumbling around them in the slick North Florida heat, they make separate plans for escape. Claudette hooks up with a petty criminal in a truck stop and sleeps her way to “somewhere cold.” Leanne plans for college, marriage and all the trappings of a normal life, but she has a secret of her own: she is pregnant and freefalling out of love with her good-hearted fiancé.

When Citra Starke, as much a part of Orange Lake as the blue-tailed skinks, appears on her doorstep, Leanne is willing to take her in as a sort of surrogate sister. But Citra’s motives are not what they seem. When Leanne discovers the truth, she must make the sort of leap she’s never dreamed of, track her missing sister and piece together the details of her father’s life and death if she is to salvage what’s left of her tattered family.

Left of Unsaid is complete at 84,000 words. It is contemporary fiction, an edgier, Southern “Where the Heart Is.” It is told in alternating points of view.

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GOBLIN-EDIT

As far as the Orange Lake Sheriff is concerned, Hap Taskett’s death was a heart attack, but for Hap’s youngest daughter Leanne, it's not that simple. Her elder sister Claudette was with Hap when he died, and although she won’t share the details, Claudette insists she killed him. Leanne is afraid to dig deeper, and although once inseparable, the sisters now can’t hold a civil conversation.

With their father's decrepit motel crumbling around them in the slick North Florida heat, they make separate plans for escape. Claudette hooks up with a petty criminal in a truck stop and sleeps her way to “somewhere cold.” Leanne plans for college, marriage and all the trappings of a normal life despite her own secret: she is pregnant and freefalling out of love with her good-hearted fiancé.

When Citra Starke, an eccentric as much a part of Orange Lake as the blue-tailed skinks, appears on her doorstep, Leanne takes her in as a surrogate sister, but Citra’s motives are not what they seem. When Leanne discovers [something specific], she must face her terror of her family's tattered history and track her missing sister to piece together the details of their father’s life and death.

Left of Unsaid is contemporary fiction, an edgier, Southern Where the Heart Is, and complete at 84,000 words. Thank you for your time and attention; I hope to hear from you soon.


Have any thoughts about either the original or the re-written query? Please join the discussion in the comment thread!

Also, I'd be delighted if you would please help draw more commenters to the site by mentioning this post to your online friends. Thank you!

Query #20: "Daze and Knights" by Melanie Stanford

This query is from Melanie Stanford for the novel Daze and Knights. Thank you Melanie for the honour of allowing me to work on and post this!

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ORIGINAL QUERY

Her name is Jessica Jacobs. She is sixteen years old. She is a super spy, an actress, and a princess.

Okay, not really, but she likes to daydream that she’s all of those things. So on the day she wakes up, a medieval knight digging his sword into her throat, it seems like just another daydream. Until she realizes that, 1- dude is actually causing her neck to bleed, 2- her dress is so hideous she never would have daydreamed herself into it, and 3- Zac Efron is nowhere in sight. Definitely NOT a daydream.

After pondering her sanity at length (while being hauled into a town called Hampshire), Jessica is left with only one option: ride out her time in crazy medieval land until she can figure out a way home. But riding it out means working for the Count’s slutty daughter and doing her best to avoid Lord Pervy with his icky come-ons and wandering hands. It sucks being the peon instead of the princess.

Then Lord Alric, aka: knight-in-freaking-hot-armor shows up. He teaches her how to swordfight and amidst her inner pleas for him to take his shirt off, she falls in love. How could she not? He even makes decapitating another human being look good. Going home isn’t all that important anymore.

But life in Hampshire just gets more dangerous by the day. With whispered revolts, mysterious traitors, a possible battle, and Lord Pervy going from creepy to downright freaky, will her new (but very cool) sword fighting skills be enough to keep her alive? Staying in Hampshire means leaving behind her family and friends forever. But going back to a life of daydreaming means leaving Lord Alric- and that will cost her heart.

DAZE AND KNIGHTS is an 89,000 word YA novel. Thank you for your time and consideration.

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GOBLIN-EDIT

Her name is Jessica Jacobs. She is sixteen years old, a super spy, an actress, and a princess. Okay, not really, but she likes to daydream she’s all of those things.

So on the day she wakes up with a medieval knight digging his sword into her throat, it seems like just another daydream until she realizes, 1- dude is actually causing her neck to bleed, 2- her dress is so hideous she never would have daydreamed herself into it, and 3- Zac Efron is nowhere in sight.

After pondering her sanity at length (while being hauled into a town called Hampshire), Jessica is left with only one option: ride out her time in crazy-medieval land until she can figure out a way home. However, riding it out means working for the Count’s slutty daughter and doing her best to avoid Lord Pervy with his wandering hands. It sucks being the peon instead of the princess.

Then Lord Alric, a.k.a. knight-in-freaking-hot-armor, shows up. He teaches her how to swordfight, and amid her inner pleas for him to take his shirt off, she falls in love. Going home isn’t all that important anymore.

But life is getting more dangerous by the day, with whispered revolts, mysterious traitors, a possible battle looming, and Lord Pervy going from creepy to downright freaky. Will her new (but very cool) sword fighting skills be enough to keep her alive? Staying in Hampshire means leaving behind her family and friends forever, but going back to a life of daydreaming means leaving Lord Alric--and that will cost her heart.

DAZE AND KNIGHTS is an 89,000 word YA novel. Thank you for your time and consideration.


Have any thoughts about either the original or the re-written query? Please join the discussion in the comment thread!

Also, I'd be delighted if you would please help draw more commenters to the site by mentioning this post to your online friends. Thank you!