I finished my manuscript and I have an idea for a new story, but I’m having trouble detaching from my characters from the old one. It sounds silly, but they’re so real to me it feels like I’m abandoning them. 🤣
Has this happened to anyone else? If so, how did you deal with it?
Dear [Agent],
[Personalization]
I’m excited to share DON’T BE A STRANGER, an Upmarket Women’s Fiction novel complete at 101,700 words. This story combines the emotional journey of grief and healing found in Linda Holmes’s EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER with the escalating psychological tension of Stacey Willingham’s A FLICKER IN THE DARK.
Twenty-four year old Amelia Hinson has mastered the art of standing still. She’s spent all of her life in small town Cedar Valley, working the same shifts at The Harvest Market, seeing the same customers, and avoiding the thing she fears most: change.
Then, a reluctant night out with her sister leads to an unexpected connection with Owen James, a charming medical student with an irritating ability to break Amelia out of the routines she spent years getting used to. Amelia quickly finds herself drawn into his world, and the future she expected begins to evolve before her eyes.
When Owen suddenly dies in what appears to be a tragic accident, Amelia’s new plan shatters overnight. As she struggles through her grief, strange events begin to further disrupt her life. Cryptic notes are left where no stranger should have access, photos appear that were taken without her knowledge, and evidence suggests that someone has been watching Amelia and Owen long before his death. As grief makes way for obsession, each memory of their time together starts to replay itself differently. The deeper she digs, the more she realizes that Owen had secrets of his own, someone has been paying far more attention than she ever noticed, and to uncover the truth may cost far more than she’s prepared to lose.
Thank you for your time and consideration!
Looking for 3-5 beta readers for a voice-driven women's fiction novel about love and obsession, all wrapped inside a murder mystery.
Description:
Twenty-four year old Amelia Hinson
has mastered the art of standing still. For many years, she worked the same shifts at The Harvest Market, seeing the same customers. Amelia told herself that she was perfectly content with a life that feels frozen in time, as long she could avoid the one thing she feared most: change.
Then, a reluctant night out with her sister leads to an unexpected connection with Owen James, a charming medical student with an irritating ability to break Amelia out of the routines she spent years getting used to.
As Amelia is drawn into his world, the future she planned begins to evolve before her eyes.
But when unsettling events begin to disrupt the life she thought she was building, Amelia finds herself pulled into a mystery that forces her to see everyone around her differently. The deeper she digs, the more she realizes that someone has been paying far more attention than she ever noticed, and uncovering the truth may cost far more than she’s prepared to lose.
Set in a small town where everyone knows everyone, Don’t Be A Stranger is an emotional Romantic Mystery about love, loss and obsession.
I’m mainly looking for opinions on:
Whether the story keeps your interest or if not, places where it drags.
Convincing and rewarding relationships
Character development
Hey! I have just completed draft 3 of a Romantic Suspense/Mystery novel, so I am looking for my first beta readers! We are currently looking at 101k words and 60 chapters.
I’d love to exchange with someone who has a similar or adjacent genre.
Here’s a short summary/blurb:
Amelia Hinson never expected a chance encounter to change her life. But as a new relationship begins to reshape her future, a series of unsettling events force her to confront secrets hiding in plain sight.
Amelia finds herself pulled into a mystery that challenges everything she thought she knew about the people around her—and the future she thought she was building.
This novel is complete.
If anyone is interested in reading further, I’m also looking for a couple of beta readers!
Completed novel: The Harvest Market (101,673 words).
Genre: Romantic Suspense / Mystery
Amelia Hinson never expected a chance encounter to change her life. But when she meets Owen, the new relationship begins to reshape her future as a series of unsettling events force her to confront secrets hiding in plain sight.
As strange coincidences become impossible to ignore, Amelia finds herself pulled into a mystery that challenges everything she thought she knew about the people around her—and the future she thought she was building.
The Harvest Market is a romantic suspense novel about love, grief, obsession, found family, healing, and the difference between being watched and being truly seen.
Content includes:
Stalking
Grief and loss
Violence/threats
Emotional trauma
I'm especially looking for insight on:
Pacing
Character development
Suspense and mystery
Emotional impact
Overall reader engagement