Dear (Agent Name),
I am querying because (individualized reason per research). COLD OPEN is a dark romance complete at 124 thousand words.
Divorced and grieving the loss of her daughter, 32 year-old veterinary technician Cailyn Houston is locked in survival mode. When her lawn is mowed for her, she assumes it’s her ex husband attempting to win her back. As more things around her house are inexplicably fixed, and meals are cooked for her to eat, she knows it’s someone else; Cailyn has a care-giving stalker. A stalker who baits her into flirting with him. Cailyn begins to put clues together until she figures out that the man caring for her is her sexy as hell neighbor Silas. Will Cailyn turn in her stalker or, now that she knows the face and voice behind the hacking and the mask, will she let him continue?
Silas Norton moves back to his hometown to help his mom, whose health is failing, and his single mom sister. When he gets a glimpse of his neighbor Cailyn. Silas, a 35 year-old wealthy professional hacker, becomes obsessed with Cailyn and her inability to care for herself. Driven to protect and provide, Silas tumbles down a slippery slope and finds himself mowing her lawn, befriending her dogs, hacking her information, breaking into her house to fix it up, and cooking her meals. Silas’s obsession with Cailyn grows as she flirts with his stalker alter ego. Silas must decide which boundaries to hold and which he’s comfortable with crossing.
COLD OPEN will appeal to fans of the way Abby Jimenez weaves grounded, real world emotional issues with romance, and the stalking-as-care-taking in Little Stranger by Leigh Rivers and Lights Out by Navessa Allen.
I am a full time momma and wife and part-time veterinary professional. I enjoy writing and reading and catching up on laundry. We live in central Alabama with our five dogs, two cats, two horses, and three snakes.
The requested materials are attached and the full manuscript is available upon request. Thank you for your consideration.
Best,
Pen Name
Contact Info
NOTE: I am still working on the word count.