Manuscript Title: Rammed (The Song Wreckers, Book 2)
Manuscript Genre: Women’s Fiction w/ romantic elements
Manuscript Word Count: 65,000 (out of approx.. 110,000 – 115,000)
Is your manuscript finished?: No (But what I have is polished)
Hook:
Molly was a wreck, but now she’s ready to face life as it comes. After all, she’s grown more in the last two years than the thirty years before that! With her husband Caleb by her side, there’s nothing that can send her back to crazy town. Really. Not even discovering the creep who almost killed her is someone she’s known all along. Or finding out the jerk who left her high and dry after getting her pregnant took a bullet meant for Caleb. Ooh, and then there’s the fun of caring for the jerk—after all, he’s the biological father to her twins and likely saved her husband’s life. While we’re at it, better add the stress of a new career, her mom’s growing emotional distance, and her best friend’s mom insisting on being called—wait for it—Meemaw. Ugh!
This life thing? She’s got it! Totally. Well, hopefully.
First 750 Words:
Rammed
Ch. 1
All five Song Wreckers stood on the stage, equipment set up, ready to rock.
Katie, my best friend and lead singer, was front and center. Our bass player Heather stood to her right, bass guitar slung over her body. Our violinist Courtney was on Katie’s left, but walked several steps back to stand by Josh, our drummer and her husband. I play guitar and sing back up, and also stood to Katie’s left, but as soon as the time came I scurried to the back of the stage and hopped off. I jogged to the office and grabbed Brett’s portable radio.
There’s a huge black curtain that runs the length of the back of the stage so bar patrons aren’t able to see into the back hallway that leads to the alley door, Brett’s office, and the back side of the bar. I held the radio in one hand, pushed the curtain out of my way with the other and hopped back up on stage.
Katie was announcing the song. My song. “Alright y’all,” she twanged. “I think this is it.”
I plugged the radio in and turned it on. It was already on the correct station. I held it up to my microphone so it would blast through our speakers. After a series of commercials, the DJ’s perfect announcer voice came on. “Here’s the first single from Gina Swinger’s debut album. It’s called Bring Me Down. Go to our website when the song is done and let us know what you think. Thanks for listening to Detroit’s number one country music station, WYCD.” Despite it being the first time played on the air, I knew every piece of lyric.
That’s because I wrote it, along with eight other songs on this particular album. How cool am I? Molly Ramsey: Song Wrecker, and former high school teacher turned professional song writer. Go me.
Through the magic of music industry connections, I was able to find that Gina Swinger’s very first single from her very first album would be played at eight p.m. on the country music station in our area for the very first time. Since it happened to be the Saturday of a Wreckers Weekend, we decided to make it part of our first set. The audience at Brett’s, the only bar where The Song Wreckers plays the first weekend of every month, seemed to like it. They bopped along to it, and when it was over they cheered.
Later I would go online to see what the listeners in the metro Detroit area thought of it, but right now I had to tunnel my giddiness into the music I play live—right here, right now.
I spent the next several days with the radio on constantly, and became obsessed with listener feedback. It was very positive overall. There were a few trolls out there, but screw them. I felt vindicated in giving up my teaching career for this. Yeah, it was only one song on the album, but it wasn’t even my favorite one and was already receiving a fair amount of air time.
One late morning I darted into the kitchen and turned up the radio as soon as the DJ announced she was playing the song again. I paced around my kitchen as it played.
Halfway through the song Juanita walked into the kitchen. She comes over three or four days a week and helps me with my kids and the housework. But she is not a nanny. I don’t need one of those. “Molly—”
“SSHHHH! It’s on, it’s on!” I whispered.
She rolled her eyes, sick of me quieting her every time the song came on, but stood silent and listened while I continued to pace. When it was over, she said, “When you ran in here you left Zander’s diaper off. He just pooped on the floor. I cleaned him up and put a diaper on him, but I’m not touching the poop on the carpet.”
I planned on going online to see if WYCD’s listeners had anything new to say, however this took priority.
We walked back to the family room. Our faces pinched in disgust when we saw the mess. My twin boys, four months old, were now on the other side of the room laying on a blanket.
“Maybe you should just replace the carpet,” she suggested, covering her nose.
“What are you, afraid of a little poop?” I taunted.
She shivered in disgust. I walked to the kitchen and grabbed a huge wad of paper towels, then stuck them out to her. “Here you go.”
What do I look for in a beta reader?:
I’m looking for someone who will point out plot holes. I also want to know if my MC is likeable, and you are endeared to the Hero. Do you root for them as a couple? This is book 2, and the Heroine and Hero are married now, so I want to make sure you as a reader feel their spark. Also, does it work as a stand alone novel?
Manuscript Genre: Women’s Fiction w/ romantic elements
Manuscript Word Count: 65,000 (out of approx.. 110,000 – 115,000)
Is your manuscript finished?: No (But what I have is polished)
Hook:
Molly was a wreck, but now she’s ready to face life as it comes. After all, she’s grown more in the last two years than the thirty years before that! With her husband Caleb by her side, there’s nothing that can send her back to crazy town. Really. Not even discovering the creep who almost killed her is someone she’s known all along. Or finding out the jerk who left her high and dry after getting her pregnant took a bullet meant for Caleb. Ooh, and then there’s the fun of caring for the jerk—after all, he’s the biological father to her twins and likely saved her husband’s life. While we’re at it, better add the stress of a new career, her mom’s growing emotional distance, and her best friend’s mom insisting on being called—wait for it—Meemaw. Ugh!
This life thing? She’s got it! Totally. Well, hopefully.
First 750 Words:
Rammed
Ch. 1
All five Song Wreckers stood on the stage, equipment set up, ready to rock.
Katie, my best friend and lead singer, was front and center. Our bass player Heather stood to her right, bass guitar slung over her body. Our violinist Courtney was on Katie’s left, but walked several steps back to stand by Josh, our drummer and her husband. I play guitar and sing back up, and also stood to Katie’s left, but as soon as the time came I scurried to the back of the stage and hopped off. I jogged to the office and grabbed Brett’s portable radio.
There’s a huge black curtain that runs the length of the back of the stage so bar patrons aren’t able to see into the back hallway that leads to the alley door, Brett’s office, and the back side of the bar. I held the radio in one hand, pushed the curtain out of my way with the other and hopped back up on stage.
Katie was announcing the song. My song. “Alright y’all,” she twanged. “I think this is it.”
I plugged the radio in and turned it on. It was already on the correct station. I held it up to my microphone so it would blast through our speakers. After a series of commercials, the DJ’s perfect announcer voice came on. “Here’s the first single from Gina Swinger’s debut album. It’s called Bring Me Down. Go to our website when the song is done and let us know what you think. Thanks for listening to Detroit’s number one country music station, WYCD.” Despite it being the first time played on the air, I knew every piece of lyric.
That’s because I wrote it, along with eight other songs on this particular album. How cool am I? Molly Ramsey: Song Wrecker, and former high school teacher turned professional song writer. Go me.
Through the magic of music industry connections, I was able to find that Gina Swinger’s very first single from her very first album would be played at eight p.m. on the country music station in our area for the very first time. Since it happened to be the Saturday of a Wreckers Weekend, we decided to make it part of our first set. The audience at Brett’s, the only bar where The Song Wreckers plays the first weekend of every month, seemed to like it. They bopped along to it, and when it was over they cheered.
Later I would go online to see what the listeners in the metro Detroit area thought of it, but right now I had to tunnel my giddiness into the music I play live—right here, right now.
I spent the next several days with the radio on constantly, and became obsessed with listener feedback. It was very positive overall. There were a few trolls out there, but screw them. I felt vindicated in giving up my teaching career for this. Yeah, it was only one song on the album, but it wasn’t even my favorite one and was already receiving a fair amount of air time.
One late morning I darted into the kitchen and turned up the radio as soon as the DJ announced she was playing the song again. I paced around my kitchen as it played.
Halfway through the song Juanita walked into the kitchen. She comes over three or four days a week and helps me with my kids and the housework. But she is not a nanny. I don’t need one of those. “Molly—”
“SSHHHH! It’s on, it’s on!” I whispered.
She rolled her eyes, sick of me quieting her every time the song came on, but stood silent and listened while I continued to pace. When it was over, she said, “When you ran in here you left Zander’s diaper off. He just pooped on the floor. I cleaned him up and put a diaper on him, but I’m not touching the poop on the carpet.”
I planned on going online to see if WYCD’s listeners had anything new to say, however this took priority.
We walked back to the family room. Our faces pinched in disgust when we saw the mess. My twin boys, four months old, were now on the other side of the room laying on a blanket.
“Maybe you should just replace the carpet,” she suggested, covering her nose.
“What are you, afraid of a little poop?” I taunted.
She shivered in disgust. I walked to the kitchen and grabbed a huge wad of paper towels, then stuck them out to her. “Here you go.”
What do I look for in a beta reader?:
I’m looking for someone who will point out plot holes. I also want to know if my MC is likeable, and you are endeared to the Hero. Do you root for them as a couple? This is book 2, and the Heroine and Hero are married now, so I want to make sure you as a reader feel their spark. Also, does it work as a stand alone novel?
