I’m always a little nervous posting up a PitchWars bio. It’s all sorts of exhilarating, scary, and exciting. These types of contests are amazing. You make great friends, and gain a terrific support network. If you traverse the hashtag and participate, I guarantee you’ll be happy you did. Look, listen, learn, and research everything you can.

I’ve never been very good at pimping myself, but here goes:

A little bit about me:

I’m an Australian expat, currently living in Kansas USA. Hubs and I met in Everquest 2 (MMORPG), and we got married in 2007. Our tiny family includes a gorgeous toddler, two corgis, and a very mellow kitty. Yes, you read that right, I traded Australia for Kansas.

That’s true love right there.

I’m fluent in German, I  binge write and read, and I have a penchant for TV series such as Buffy, Supernatural, Star Trek, and Dr. Who etc. Every story I write or love has dark elements.

My debut – Chameleon (The Domino Project #1) embodies this, and releases August 4, 2015. Take a look at that pretty science fiction-tastic cover. 

Why Me?

I adore the weird and wonderful things of the world. If I fall in love with your manuscript, I will do everything in my power to help you make it the best you possibly can.

No, but really why me?

I got my first agent through the inaugural #PitchMadness, and so I know how it feels to be a part of a competition. Hoping against hope, working your butt off, and closing your eyes and making that wish. I’ve also been through the query trenches twice, and know the utter agony combined with hope that each email ding brings with it.

Along the way I’ve made a lot of friends, and critiqued a lot of manuscripts. And it turns out, that’s something I truly enjoy. To that end I’ve been interning at a NYC agency since August of 2014 in order to learn more about evaluating manuscripts, about what makes the industry tick. And I gobble it all up. In this time I’ve grown as an editor and refined my eye for what a manuscript needs to improve.
 Because of this I began as a freelance developmental editor at Chimera Editorial in January 2015. It’s become a huge part of my life that I adore – and while juggling everything can get tiring, editing is a passion I won’t give up anytime soon.

What else? What am I going to do for you?

Not enough? Okay, I can deal with that. If you decide I’m a potential mentor for you, and we mesh, and have coffee and donuts (I’ll accept tea as a substitute), and celebrate our mentor/mentee status? Then I will read your book, and generate an in-depth reader report addressing all areas that need work. I will talk back and forth with you, and make sure those edits make sense to you. We may even laugh and cry. I promise to be 100% honest, and yet helpful and constructive. If you have problems, we can brainstorm different phrasings, different applications. I will be accessible throughout your edits* to hand out chocolate, hold your hand, or listen to really good music.

In the end, I’ll look over it once more to make sure we didn’t miss a thing. Because, after all, it’s your book, and I will do everything I can to make your story shine. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s about.

And so – a little more about me: I tweet too much, procrastinate a lot, rarely sleep, and love a good gif party.

So that’s pretty much me and what you get from me. Let’s move on, shall we?

Now for the things I like to read.

My reading taste:

This is how I want to feel when I read the subs in my inbox (and every book I pick up ever).

But the thing is – my taste runs a little different. I want story twists I haven’t heard or read a thousand times. Something bold, something new, nothing borrowed. Something frightening, and a bit freaky. Something that shouldn’t – couldn’t possibly exist – but oh how we secretly wish we could stay in that world.

I want to either be so scared, or so engrossed in the book that I have a hard time sleeping. Give me something fresh and cheeky, with sass and sarcasm, but please make sure it has a heavy dose of grit and heart.

I don’t do light and fluffy, but I do like humour – the darker the better.

Never forget that I want to fall in love with your characters. I want relationships that are a seamless, natural part of the story’s progression. What I truly love is strong friendships (actually I adore connected, sometimes kooky, and in synch friendships).

Like this

And this

Examples of books I love:

• Neverwhere – Neil Gaiman
• The Dresden Files – Jim Butcher
• Harry Potter Series – J.K. Rowling
• The Elenium - David Eddings
• Come! Hunt an Earthman – Philip E. High
• Most of Stephen King’s earlier stuff
• Add Dean Koontz and Clive Barker to that list
• Anything, at all,  by V.E. Schwab
• The Night Angel Trilogy – Brent Weeks
• The Time Master Trilogy – Louise Cooper
• Wars of Light and Shadow – Jany Wurts
• Neuromancer – William E Gibson
• Anything, at all, by Seanan McGuire (Mira Grant)
• Anything, at all, by Jim C. Hines

 

My #PitchWars Round Up:

I’m mentoring the NA/ADULT category. I will be looking for the following:

• Fantasy (all subgenres except pure military focus)
• Science Fiction (all subgenres except pure military focus)
• Psychological Horror (I will also do psychological thrillers)
• Supernatural/paranormal/urban fantasy
• Diversity in any and all forms
• Retellings – (I’d probably kill for a retelling with some sort of scifi twist)
• Please note: The darker, creepier, weirder – the better

Clarification: When I say dark, I mean I want it to be hard hitting, not fluffy, not light. While I like humour, I need a balance of it. Serious undertones, real issues, and I don’t require a happy ending.

The Writing MUST be Exceptional. Give me chills, make me salivate on that page because the words demand it. Wow me. However, I’m okay if the potential is there. As long as I can see a glimpse of how amazing it can be.

NOTs

Romance as a main genre. If the fantasy or scifi is only a side to the romance, I an NOT your girl

I am NOT your girl for realistic fiction. Unless it’s psychological horror, there must be some element of the supernatural/scifi/fantasy in it.

 

What do I expect from my mentee?

• Patience. Writing takes time. Don’t expect us to fix things over night. We might need some back and forth
• Willingness to listen to me, because I will always listen to you
• Willingness to come to me if you have an issue so we can talk it out
• The will to work at it and put in the time
• An open mind that accepts honest and constructive criticism
• Doughnuts

Well maybe not that last one, although, I mean, Doughnuts!

Take a look through the list below though – there are lots of people willing to mentor!

If you’re still here, and you think you have the MS for me?

Pop over to Brenda Drake’s Blog and check out how you choose me as one of your potential mentors.

I’m on Twitter as @KTHanna and remember to send me all the weird, creepy, and fantastically scientific adult fiction you have! I can’t wait to see it!

Mister Linky’s Magical Widgets — Auto-Linky widget will appear right here!This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.If this widget does not appear, click here to display it. *caveat – I do try to sleep at night, despite various rumors