Thank you to Deana Barnhart for organizing the Gearing Up To Get An Agent Blogfest. Check out her site for all the details.

Today is the pitch polish blog hop for those who did not get into the official one posted on Deana’s blog. I didn’t even submit mine because I didn’t have my revised edition ready, so I thought I’d try the blog hop instead.

Here is my entry.
Title: The Proper Way to Say Goodbye
Genre: Contemporary YA
Word Count: 72,000 words

Query

Only one person knew Chloe was gay, and his love and support disappeared when he hung himself.

Chloe starts her freshman year of college with two big secrets. She hides her sexuality, afraid it may affect her friendships and jeopardize her mother’s job, and tells nobody of her brother Brock’s suicide.

She is stunned to learn her crush, and teaching assistant Sasha, was friends with Brock. As their relationship deepens, Sasha reveals the reason behind Brock’s suicide, that he was sexually abused as a child. Chloe refuses to believe it, until she reads Brock’s journals. But even they don’t explain what pushed him over the edge, and she continues the search for the answer why.

After finding Brock’s last journal, she is consumed with his plan to take revenge on his molester. But Chloe’s obsession comes at a cost, and she might have to give up everything she’s ever wanted—her girlfriend, her best friend, and her sanity—in order to discover Brock’s final secret.

1st 150 words

The biggest thing I had in common with my older brother Brock was that we both liked girls. And he often reminded me of that fact. His whispers still invaded my mind two months after he committed suicide. It wasn’t really Brock talking. I didn’t need a therapist to tell me that, but sometimes his words comforted me. Other times they annoyed me.

I slouched in my chair during Freshman Composition, my first semester of college. I couldn’t take my eyes off Sasha. Her long blonde hair. The way her red lips moved. Her deep, sexy voice.

Sasha… Sasha… Sasha…

I’d do her, Brock said in my head. A surprise considering he preferred silly party girls over professional educated ones.

Shut up, I silenced him, the blush creeping into my face. Good thing she was my teacher, and I had to watch her. What would she do if she could hear my thoughts?

So that’s it. I’d appreciate any comments you may have. And here are the other blog hop participants.