![Confused :?](./images/smilies/icon_e_confused.gif)
Dear _______:
(small personal blurb if one applies)
I'm looking for a home for my first novel. The Verge, a suspense complete at 86,000 words, centers around a long-buried secret that destroys the lives of two women, leading to a harrowing journey in a quest for redemption.
Disconnection is what Angela Sheppard is all about. Alcohol, stripping, drugs- anything to keep reality at bay. Reality is torturous. And when her only friend Cheryl commits suicide, Angela desperately needs answers- before she follows the same path.
The reason for Cheryl's death is unknown until Angela receives a poignant childhood keepsake revealing that they were both viciously abused by the same man: Cheryl's stepfather. Angela had seen signs of Cheryl's previous suicide attempts and is now tearing herself apart for not doing more to help- and she's consumed by resurfacing rage at the man who destroyed their lives. Wrapped in self-loathing and her own suicidal ideation, Angela decides that release can only come from finding and killing the man responsible. She needs to see him suffer- but he has long since disappeared.
An acquaintance in the nightclub industry connects Angela with a shadowy 'Agency' that can get anything done- for a price. They track her quarry to Barcelona, where he has grown wealthy from human trafficking activities. Angela, fighting her self-destructive compulsions and the devastating loss of her friend, heads to Europe to carry out her vendetta. Her prey is well-connected and well-protected, but with the help of the Agency, Angela might finally have her opportunity for retribution. If the past doesn't kill her first.
I have published a body of poetry in various collections, receiving a 2004 Pushcart Prize nomination for my poem 'bus driver'. I have also very recently offered my new chapbook for sale on Amazon Kindle, a collection of travel poems entitled 'before it runs away'.
I would be pleased to send a partial or full of The Verge at your request. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Kind Regards,
Shill Bakespeare, ready to name my firstborn after you.
![Wink ;)](./images/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif)