Query--whatcha talking about, Angela?

Here is the query that seems to be working for me (for some of you who have been curious as to what a query is):

August 12, 2010

Dear (insert agent name),

Samantha Jean Haggert is a beautiful twelve-year-old girl—but no one knows it. All they see is an awkward boy in a baseball cap and baggy pants. Sam’s not thrilled with the idea of hiding her identity, but it’s all part of her older brother’s plan to keep Sam safe from male attention and hidden from the law. Fifteen-year-old Jacob will stop at nothing to protect his sister, including concealing the death of the one person who should have protected them in the first place—their mother. 

Sam and Jacob try to outrun their past by stealing the family car and traveling from West Virginia to Arizona, but the adult world proves mighty difficult to navigate, especially for two kids on their own. Trusting adults has never been an option; no adult has ever given them a good reason to. But when Sam meets “Jesus”—who smells an awful lot like a horse—in the park, life takes a different turn. He saved her once, and may be willing to save Sam and her brother again, if only they admit what took place that fateful day in West Virginia. The problem? Sam doesn’t remember, and Jacob isn’t talking.  

Desert Rice is a 74,000-word young-adult novel. I have a B.A. in English, and I am an active member of The League of Utah Writers. Desert Rice won first place in the Absolutely Write 2010 Annual First Page Contest.

I thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to your response. 

 Sincerely,

 Angela Scott
(insert info) 

I will post my first chapter on My Writing page (see tab above). Like I said, it may never see the light of day. These two agents may not like my work at all, but that doesn’t mean I will stop dreaming—it only means I still have more work to do :)

Per Nemo--"Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming."

Or in my case--"Just keep writing. Just keep writing."