Not In The Plan
BY dana hawkinsstorm2024Query Letter
Celebrating queer love, body positivity, and coffee, NOT IN THE PLAN is a 75,000-word, dual-POV, contemporary romance set in lush, evergreen Seattle. It will appeal to fans of the humor-plus-heart in Ashley Herring Blake’s Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, the service industry vibe of Ruby Barrett’s Romance Recipe, and the steam level of Casey McQuiston’s Red, White, & Royal Blue.
Free-spirited Charlie is flying solo for the first time in a decade after divorcing her childhood sweetheart. Fiercely protecting her broken heart, she funnels all love and energy into saving her sinking coffee shop. Miscalculations and fluctuating costs push her to the brink of financial ruin, and if she doesn't pay her creditors in three months, she'll lose everything: her shop, home, and dignity.
Crime novelist Mack drowns under the pressure to outperform her surprise debut best-seller. Crushed by writer’s block, she escapes NYC and seeks refuge in Seattle’s serenity. She stumbles upon a quaint residential coffee shop, where she meets Charlie, a beautiful, curvy, sharp-tongued barista. For the first time, she has a muse.
Charlie distracts herself from daily debt collector calls with Mack’s sexy-as-hell Brooklyn accent, perfect cheekbones, and deep curiosity about her life. Meanwhile, Mack’s publisher threatens her with a breach of contract if she doesn’t deliver by next month, so she uses Charlie's private childhood stories to inspire her manuscript. As Mack digs into Charlie's past, she falls in love – and guilt consumes her. Charlie falls in love too. Now she must decide whether to risk cracking her fragile, recently mended heart. And Mack must choose between love or her career.
I am a caffeine-fueled queer mom of three humans and one adorable yet slobbery St. Bernard from Seattle, WA. I have attended numerous writer's conferences and romance writer classes, worked with critique partners, and have as many writing craft books in my home as coffee mugs.
Thank you for your consideration.
Query Stats
Number of Offers of Representation
2
Number of Months Spent Querying This Novel
9 months
Years Spent Writing Before Getting an Offer
3
Number of Manuscripts Queried Before This One
3
Publication Status of The Book Queried
Published (Independent /Boutique / Indy Publisher)