[QCrit] Adult Queer Gothic Horror-All My Love, Forever (70K, First Attempt)
Hello everyone! Thank you for your help in advance, but I have to say I'm very nervous. This is my first query attempt, and any help is appreciated!
Dear agent,
I am excited to present ALL MY LOVE, FOREVER, a dual-narrative queer gothic horror novel of 70,000-words that blends the obsessive love from A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson and the monstrous transformation of grief of Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield, and is inspired by the poem Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe.
No story is too outlandish for amateur journalist Elizabeth’s attention; anything to solidify a name for herself and earn a position at the coveted newspaper, Donohughes, which has yet to hire a female reporter at the turn of the century. When her advertisement for unbelievable stories is answered, she eagerly travels to the crumbling estate of Brightmoor.
Within the halls of Brightmoor, she interviews Helen, a centenarian whose wish is to tell the story of her deceased love so that it may live forever: the tale of Annabel. But as Elizabeth delves deeper into Annabel’s life and investigates the strange, gurgling sounds of the manor, she finds horrors she can scarcely believe: rot becoming flesh and life becoming hunger.
She was never summoned for an interview, but to be interviewed.
Anguished with the knowledge and trapped inside a manor that will not allow her to leave, Elizabeth is forced to inherit the life of Annabel, and as Helen takes her last breath, she is burdened with a choice: become the caregiver for a creature whose hunger is never sated, or die with Annabel’s kiss as she is released from Brightmoor.
I am a medical social worker with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and trauma counseling. When not writing, I can be found with my partner at amusement parks and volunteering with cat charities.
Thank you,
My Name