"The Writer's Voice"

Yay! I've made it into "The Writer's Voice" contest held over at Mother.Write.Repeat (love her blog, btw).

So, for the contest, here is the plot summary for my current manuscript and the first 250 words:

Plot Summary

Twelve-year-old Anna Fraser once heard that necessity is the mother of invention, but for her, it was all accidental.  

After suckering Chris, her genius younger brother, into doing their school project over Christmas break, Anna has the best vacation ever— a cheerleading team party, a family trip to Disney, and not a single care in the world… Until their project is missing the night before school starts. 

In their panic, they create a tasty invention that will revolutionize kids’ lives all across the world— a spray that makes any food (cafeteria food, vegetables, etc.) taste like cupcakes. Soon, Yuck Away Cupcake Spray becomes the hottest-selling product in America and Anna and Chris are running a company.  

As CEO, Anna quickly discovers that business is not all about having her teammates work for her, or bossing around her brother, or even doing interviews with the local news stations. Nope. It’s working long hours in the office, doing homework past midnight, and maybe even disappointing her cheerleading team by missing the biggest competition of the year.  

Toss in a bet with some bullies, a scheming Chief Operating Officer, and a threat to their family’s financial future, and you have KIDS, INC., a middle grade novel complete at 35,000.

First 250

Anna Fraser tapped her foot against the metal leg of her desk to the song in her head:

Deck the halls with boughs of holly

Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.

Four more classes, then I'm jolly

Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.

Christmas break is almost here

Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.

No more homework for the rest of the year

Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.

She added the dull drumming of her pencil as it beat on the thick social studies book that sat open to page 241: Economics. Twenty more minutes. She glanced up at her social studies teacher, Mr. Bower, aka. Mr Shower, and beat a little louder on the book to the rhythm of his lecture. 

“Economics,” he was saying, or rather spraying. 

Tap tap-tap tap

“Is the study of buying and selling goods and services.” 

Tap tap tap-tap tap tap-tap tap tap-tap tap-tap-tap 

Anna couldn’t believe he was actually trying to make them learn on the last day of school before Christmas break. Her other teachers let them watch movies, read books, and even have a holiday party. She’d scored four candy canes already. And there, Mr. Shower stood at the front of the class reading from his notes, his beady eyes not lifting from the yellow memo pad clenched between his chunks of fingers. He continued earnestly, wiping the corner of his mouth every now and then. 

If you've had an opportunity to enter, May the Odds Ever be in Your Favor!