Back to the push, too...

Worked on another 2 chapters of APoS Book Three... which I'm calling Return but really want something more meaningful. The image is of Gatwick Airport in 1981. Brendan flies through there en route back to Derry, where he finds his sister, Maeve, is overwhelmed and his mother really is wasting away from cancer. He feels relieved...to his shame. She still hates him, from how she talks to him, but now he's not so sure he cares about knowing why. He's not even sure she'll be honest with him.

I also got back to sending out queries to agents for APoS. I really want this to be offered through a publishing house that has the reach to get it publicized and into book stores. Self-publishing is not great unless you know how to self-promote and do it for hours each day. Which I don't.

Anyway, here's my latest letter, and I emailed queries to 2 agents in NYC:

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My three volume novel, A Place of Safety, is the story of Brendan Kinsella, a lad who just wants to live his life. But he was born and raised in Derry (aka: Londonderry), Northern Ireland, and history interferes with his plans.

The first volume, Derry, begins in 1966, when Brendan's father is murdered. He is but ten years of age. Thought of as simple but with an innate ability to repair things, he navigates his way through a society in thrall to history and the Catholic church as he tires to forge his own path. He forms a relationship with a Protestant girl...a relationship that must be kept secret from all family and friends, for fear of reprisals.

The story is told through Brendan’s eyes and sweeps through:

·      the 1968 Civil Rights demonstrations in Derry 

·      the attack on peaceful marchers at Burntollet Bridge in early 1969 

·      the lead-up to The Battle of Bogside in August of that year 

·      the arrival of British troops to separate the two warring sides

·      the re-introduction of internment in 1971

·      Bloody Sunday in 1972

·      witnessing a horrific bombing in October, that year

This section is currently 132,845 words and 583 pps long, double-spaced and in Courier 12 point font. I have short synopses of each chapter, as well.

Volume 2, New World for Old, is set between 1973 and 1981. Thanks to the bombing he witnessed, Brendan is in a catatonic state so is stashed away at his aunt's home in Houston, Texas until he recovers. Eventually, he tries to rebuild his life, there, but finds the hates and prejudices in Houston are not much different from Derry. This is in third draft, 122,427 words and 542 pps.

In volume 3, Return, he is called home during the hunger strikes, where he learns his father’s true history, is betrayed to the British army, is brutally interrogated, and finally accepts his destiny. I am currently working on a third draft of this part.

This story is modern historical fiction. I have been working on it off and on for several years. While I have self-published 14 books in both print and ebook, I would like to situate A Place of Safety with a mainstream publisher to avoid the limitations that come with self-publishing. I am hoping you can assist me with this.

Below is the first 5 pages of the story.

Thank you for considering A Place of Safety. I believe it will align perfectly with your interests.

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Kyle Michel Sullivan