The Hollow and the Haunted
BY camilla rainestitan2024Query Letter
I am currently seeking representation for my queer, ownvoices YA magical realism novel, THE HOLLOW AND THE HAUNTED, which is complete at 83,000 words and pitched as Cemetery Boys meets The Raven Cycle Series. It is the first book in a duology.
For Miles, being part of a psychic family means his life is more complicated than most teenagers. He can sense people’s emotions, knows more about rituals to banish malevolent ghosts than what’s going on with his calculus homework, and spends his nights digging up graves in the local cemetery and investigating potentially haunted houses. Not to mention that he’s living in a house where it’s nearly impossible to keep secrets while trying to figure out how to tell his family he’s gay. Things only get infinitely more complicated when he starts seeing death premonitions of Gabriel Hawthorne, the middle son of the family that Miles is sworn to hate due to a centuries-old feud.
As much as Miles dislikes Gabriel—he’s cold, pretentious, and his ridiculous-looking sweater vests probably cost more than Miles’s car—even he knows better than to ignore the forces that are bringing them together. Forming an uneasy alliance, they work together to solve Gabriel’s murder before it happens and discover a sinister secret at the core of the Hawthorne family.
Fighting against a future that promises Gabriel’s death, twisted spirits seeking revenge, and dark magic crawling forth from the depths of the Hawthorne estate, Miles’s loyalties to his family, the boy he cares about more than he wants to admit, and his own beliefs are put to the test.
I have several published short stories through Lemon and Lime. Most of my stories include light or heavy fantastical elements, queer characters, and mental health representation, as I’m a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community and I openly struggle with chronic anxiety. I aim to write stories that I wish I’d been able to read as a young adult while searching for my identity and acceptance.
The full or partial manuscript is available upon request. Thank you for your consideration!
About
Age Range
Young Adult
Genre
Fantasy (Contemporary)
Word Count
83,000
Book Link
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201090979-the-hollow-and-the-haunted
Agent
Kat Kerr
Query Stats
Number of Queries Sent
72
Number of Full Requests Received
21
Number of Offers of Representation
2
Number of Months Spent Querying This Novel
8 months
Years Spent Writing Before Getting an Offer
2
Number of Manuscripts Queried Before This One
0
Publication Status of The Book Queried
Under Contract (Independent /Boutique / Indy Publisher)
Years Spent Writing Before This Book was Published
My whole life for fun, 2 years with serious intention to try and get published