My #PitchWars Mentee Bio

Okay. So.  I wasn't planning on doing one of these things, but in the spirit of community, here I go!


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If you're interested in adding YOUR NON-mandatory #PitchWars #PimpMyBio mentee bio, then check out this link to learn how!  There you'll also find the linky to bloghop and visit all mentees.  I'm the 200th mentee bio on the blog hop.  There are almost 1600 mentees.  Let's see how many of us can join in the fun!

If you have no idea what this is for, check out THIS LINK to learn more about #PitchWars, hosted by the brilliant and talented Brenda Drake.

My name's Christy. I'm a 30-something first grade teacher, grad student studying literacy, mother of three boys (9,7,3), and wife of an IT and cheese-making husband (he shares ownership of his family's cheese company springside cheese (click the link to order some cheese!)).  I live in Wisconsin, near Green Bay, and am going to watch the Packers practice with my kids today.


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I love to read.  Recent books are Rainbow Rowell's Attachments, Elanor and Park, and Fangirl; Kiera Cass's The Selection series; and Kissing in America by Margo Raab.  I've also done some reading for my newest betas who I met on swoonreads.com this past year.  I'm so fortunate to have a great writing group now.

Fave books include: Jandy Nelson's The Sky is Everywhere, Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Tehereh Mafi's metaphorical writing in Shatter Me, Stephanie Perkin's Anna and the French Kiss, John Green's The Fault in Our Stars, Gayle Foreman's Where I Went, Just One Day and Just One Year, Chelsea Fine's Sophie and Carter, Cassandra Clare's series, Becca Fitzpatrick's series, and Cynthia Hand's series.

What else am I supposed to say?  Um...

I started writing in 2010 (not including the years as a child and teen when I started dozens of stories, usually mysteries as I loved Nancy Drew). The first two novels I wrote are in a drawer, but ms #2's characters and setting lived on in their brand new ms (#4) 27 DAISIES that I've queried.  Novel # 3 is a co-written ms called THE TEXT MESSAGE that I wrote with my blog partner, Erica.  It's been in the revision stage for a while now as life and work got in the way, but I still have hopes for that baby.  Novel #5 SAVING NOAH (the ms I submitted for #PitchWars) I wrote in a little under three months last summer as a plotting experiment.  The plan is for it to be the first in a trilogy.  My current WIP (YA realistic contemporary) is taking off slowly, but I have high hopes for it nonetheless.

I'm completely open to critique and suggestions for my query and SAVING NOAH ms.  I'm thinking the opening is too slow, So...help!  (Dear Mentors, If YOU'RE reading, beginning chapters are my weakness.  If you request more pages, the action picks up and never slows down shortly after chapter two.  Promise!)

My mom passed away this past March, so I'm working through the sadness, and as an only child, helping my dad tackle the day to day griefs as well.  Life's rough. 

I'm Catholic.  I like to be home. I'm not a fan of talking on the phone. I'm addicted to tostitoes with melted cheese on top (and in fact blame my late night snacking of said addiction for the twelve pounds I need to lose), love my coffee in the morning before anyone else is up,  and enjoy a glass of Malbec while I make dinner for the fam. I'm a runner and instead of doing my usual 1/2 marathon in September will be part of a 50-mile relay in October. I'm a bit of a germ-freak, especially when it comes to the bottoms of shoes. I'm a huge classic movie fan, though I haven't watched as many since I've had kids, but love Audrey Hepburn and Ginger Rogers. I enjoy camping and am currently trying to talk my husband into spending our savings on a permanent campsite and camper....wish me luck!

Recent Netflix addictions:


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And most recently (I'm on season one episonde 5):


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And if there's one thing I've already learned from being a part of #PitchWars, it's this giphy thing. Cuz I've never used them before...so thanks for that!!!  :)

Best of luck to all the mentors and mentees.  I look forward to getting to know you. So....if you stop by, please say hi in the comments so I can be sure to stop by and get to know you as well!

Christy