Finally, submission

So I just sent off a novel to a publisher for the first time. Harper Voyager had calls for open submissions. It was a clear sign from the universe saying "Joseph, stop being a lazy bum and submit the damn novel anyway".  Odds are pretty good they won't pick it up. I mean, it's open submissions for gods sake. Everyone on the planet who wants to publish and hasn't yet will be applying. Still, it was the kick in the but I needed.

Here's the query letter I sent with the novel:

Query Letter

Book Title: Council of Peacocks

Series Title: Activation

The Council of Peacocks is an urban fantasy set in modern times. There are two main characters: Wisdom – an immortal sorcerer and Josh Wilkinson a young man with telekinetic abilities.

After centuries of freedom, Wisdom is once again pursued by the powerful Djinn that kidnapped him as a child. We start with Wisdom bloodied and wounded but victorious: the Djinn is dead. However, Wisdom’s victory is short lived. He learns the Djinn’s sudden appearance was nothing but a distraction. While he fought his father, the Council of Peacocks has been busy. They captured Wisdom’s students and turned them into monsters.  Wisdom also learns the woman he loves was killed by the leader of the Council, a rival sorcerer named Propates.  When Wisdom realizes this he transports himself back in time to stop the Propates.

The goal of the Council of Peacocks is simple: the forced evolution of the human race.  Their members are among the most rich and powerful on the planet.  They also have magical powers themselves. They use these abilities to contact a shadowy group of demons, the Orpheans. Together, they have created half-demon humans with brutal Psionic abilities. These young men and women, the Anomalies, are intended to be lieutenants in the Council’s attempt to seize control of the world.  Josh Wilkinson is one of those humans, an Anomaly, but he doesn’t know it. Yet.

While on summer vacation in the Laurentians Mountains, Josh and his friends are kidnapped by employees of the Council.  After several of his friends are killed and tortured, Josh’s dormant abilities activate.  He uses them to escape and rescue his remaining friends; however, using his power sends out a signal to the Council. Strange reptilian creatures pour of the shadows to recapture him. Wisdom arrives just in time to save Josh.

Wisdom recruits Josh hoping this new addition to his team will be enough to prevent the future he has seen.   However, even though Wisdom has seen the future, there is another force at work, one Wisdom knows nothing about.  A stranger from another planet, Defksquar, has been tracking Josh for years. He is always one step ahead of Wisdom and it appears he has been guiding the Council in their activities for reasons of his own.  Wisdom learns Josh is central to the Council plan to activate ancient terra-forming technology to re-write Reality on Earth. Wisdom realizes stopping the Council of Peacocks is no longer just about saving Echo: it is about saving the world.