Now I Take A Break and Wait

Trust No one, Promise Nothing is beta read, finished, and I have sent my query letters to agents. It's time to wait and hope (a line I borrowed from The Count of Monte Cristo). Hai capito?

One of the interesting things the agents I queried online asked for was similar titles. They only wanted the name and author. Okay, I gave them what they asked for, but here's what I really wanted to tell them:

My novel is perhaps most reminiscent of Billy Summers by Stephen King, in that both books feature protagonists with horrific childhoods, vigilantes who are ‘made men’ working undercover for the Mafia and only kill bad guys.

I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt is an epic saga of organized crime, hustlers and hitmen. Like Trust No One, Promise Nothing, these stories chronicle unsolved murders, offer a journey through the hidden inner workings of mafia rivalries, and show the protagonist’s rise to a position of prominence in their mafia families. Although Brandt’s story is nonfiction and mine is fiction, both stories are page-turning crime classics.

I think my novel has a generational saga feel about it, much like Jeffrey Archer’s Clifton Chronicles and Mario Puzo’s Godfather, which takes the reader from heartbreak to triumph.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

The protagonists’ imprisonment destroys both of their innocence while teaching them survival skills. They both are the recipient of an elder’s wisdom and, through adversity, enter a new life.

Superman and Batman came to the forefront of my google inquiries for vigilante protagonists.

1. They hide behind a businessman’s identity to lead a normal life when not engaged in illegal activities and vigilante actions.

2. They protect their loved ones, are mysterious and strike fear into their enemies.

3. There is always a supervillain who is crazy.

4. The Mafia is like a group of superheroes, related to each other but with complicated loyalties.

5. A backstory always tells of the Superhero’s origin to explain his motives.

6. In the battle between good and evil, both superheroes and the Mafia have a moral code of honor they live by. Some crimes are so heinous it would guarantee a sanctioned hit.

7. In unmasking the superhero, the audience is privy to his true identity, but his family is not and are drawn into the intrigue before learning the truth.

FYI: Hai capito means... do you understand? (in Italian)

Wait? What's that I hear? My gardens are calling... they miss me... gotta go.

Hugs,

ginger