Two agents at Stringer Agency seek picture books, middle grade, young adult, and adult fiction

The Vine Witch by Luanne G Smith
represented by Stringer Agency

The Stringer Agency

P.O. Box 111255

Naples, FL  34108

https://www.stringerlit.com/

Note: Don't ever miss a post on Quick Brown Fox. Fill in the “Follow Brian by Email” box in the right-hand column under my bio, and get each post delivered to your Inbox. ~Brian

The Stringer Agency was founded by Marlene Stringer in 2008. Recently, she was joined by Shari Maurer, making it a two-person agency, specializing in commercial fiction, for both young people and adults – though they also do nonfiction.

Shari Maurer graduated from Duke University with a degree in English, and later studied Dramatic Writing at NYU. Following a stint at The Children’s Television Workshop on international productions of Sesame Street, she published both novels and nonfiction, and worked as a writer and editor. Shari has also written Parenting & Lifestyle columns for several websites. A mother of three, she lives in New York with her husband. Like all new agents, she needs authors

Right now, Shari wants to see:

YA & MG - all subgenres

Non-Fiction YA & MG, including biography

New Adult

Narrative Non-Fiction

Parenting

More generally, in fiction, she’s seeking:

Picture Books

Middle Grade: Contemporary, Historical, Literary and Mystery

YA: Contemporary, Historical, Literary, Mystery, Paranormal Romance

New Adult

Romance

Women's Fiction

In nonfiction, she’s seeking:

Biography

Juvenile (YA and Middle Grade)

Memoir

Narrative

Parenting

Query Shari, through her query manager, here.

Marlene Stringer was raised and educated in NYC, and started her publishing career as a proofreader. She eventually became an in-house publisher for a corporate magazine before taking a detour to have her family, move to NJ, and write and edit for local publications. Following a move to Florida, she founded TSLA after eight years with Barbara Bova Literary Agency. Mother of four, she lives in Naples with her husband.

Right now, Marlene Stringer wants to see:

Psychological horror

Historical mystery or thriller

Suburban-set suspense/domestic thriller

A contemporary hacker or web-based thriller

Romantic comedy/a new take on chicklit

Alternative futuristic/PKD-type SF

Conspiracy thriller set in US

More generally, she’s seeking:

Book club fiction that straddles the commercial/literary line

Historical fiction, especially that featuring notable historical personages

Women's Fiction, both contemporary & historical 

Older YA, both fantasy and contemporary

Grounded Science Fiction (no space, aliens, etc.)set on earth, with real science components)

Thrillers of all types

Suspense

Mysteries of all types

Magical Realism

Query Marlene, through her query manager, here.

Meg Wheeler

If you’re interested in getting published, soon or somewhere down the road, don’t miss the How to Get Published workshop, Saturday, June 8, in Waterloo with literary agent Meg Wheeler (see here). 

Coming this fall: Writing for Children and for Young Adults with Kids Can Press senior editor Yasemin Uçar and children's author Jennifer Mook-Sang at the Burlington Central Library, Saturday, Oct 5. Details here.

And don’t miss these other great workshops coming soon:  How to Write Great Characters, Saturday, June 22, in Oakville, (see  here), and Finding Your Voice, Saturday, July 13, in London (see here).    

But the best way to grow as a writer may be with a weekly course. Here’s what’s coming this summer:

Oakville Woodside Library: Exploring Creative Writing, Tuesday afternoons, July 2 – Aug 13. See here.

Burlington: Intensive Creative Writing, Wednesday afternoons, July 3 – Aug 21, 1^st readings emailed June 26. See here.

Burlington: Intensive Creative Writing, Wednesday evenings July 3 – Aug 21.  1^st readings emailed June 26. See here.

In the fall, join us at the ... 

November at the Briars Writing Retreat

Friday, November 1 – Monday, November 4; four days of creativity in a setting that provides the warmth of a country estate steeped in history while providing all the benefits of an extensive, modern lakeside resort. Details here.

To reserve a spot in any upcoming weekly course, weekend retreat, or Saturday workshop, email Brian at: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Read reviews of Brian’s courses, retreats, and workshops here.

The Briars

 See Brian’s complete current schedule here, including Saturday writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Alliston, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Jackson’s Point, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, New Tecumseth, Oakville, Ottawa, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Navigation tips: Always check out the Labels underneath a post; they’ll lead you to various distinct collections of postings. If you're searching for more interviews with literary agents or a literary agent who represents a particular type of book, check out this post.

Plotting novels & Writing short stories workshop, Saturday, Sept 14, in Toronto

How to Build Your Story

 ~ Plotting novels & Writing short stories

Saturday, Sept ember 14, 2019

1o:15 – 2:30 p.m.

Glenview Church, Bethlehem Room, 1 Glenview Ave, Toronto, Ontario (Map here.)

This workshop will show you how writers plot a novel and will give you the best tips on writing short stories. We’ll also look at where to get your stories published and how to win contests. Best yet, you’ll see how to apply the story-building techniques you’ve learned to your own writing.

Instructor Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada's most popular blog for writers, teaches creative writing at Ryerson University and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Saint John. But his proudest boast is that he’s has helped many of his students get published. 

Read a review of Brian's various courses and workshops here (and scroll down).

Fee: $37.17 + hst = $42 paid in advance 

or $39.82 + hst = $45 if you wait to pay at the door

To reserve a spot now, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See Brian’s complete current schedule here, including writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Hamilton, Jackson’s Point, Kingston, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Saint John, NB, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

“Oh well” by Helen Patterson

I knew I was in trouble when the lights came on. It’s not as though I hadn’t seen the cruiser in my rear-view mirror. I was just hoping he hadn’t seen me. Fat chance. Driving my brother’s apple green Mustang with muffler set to stun, I kinda stood out. Running that red light?  That hadn’t helped, I suspect. What was the line from that movie?  “Red means stop; green means go; yellow means go faster.” Too bad I was such a poor judge of distance. Otherwise I might have made it through the lights. Without the police escort. Oh well.

     I pulled over – like I had a choice – turned off the engine and rolled down the window. I would have enjoyed the silence except for the fact that now I could hear the static of the police radio and then the crunch of gravel as the cop approached my car. Not my favourite soundtrack.

     Then there he was. All six-foot, twelve-inch of him. Was it written down somewhere that all traffic cops had to be wannabe NBA stars?  Would someone of normal human height not have the requisite looming ability? 

     “Good afternoon, officer.”  Did I get any brownie points for being pleasant, I wondered.

     “You blew through that red light pretty quick, didn’t you!” 

     Okay, no preliminaries. Let’s get right to the heart of the matter.

     “Uh, yes sir.” (Indicate awareness and contrition)

     “Make a habit of that, do you?”

“Oh, no sir!” (Emphatic implication of previous innocence)

“License and registration, please.” 
I began rummaging in my purse. Purely for show. I had no idea where the registration was. And – you’ll laugh at this – silly me, I didn’t have a license. Sure, I was stalling. Sure, I knew that I was only delaying the inevitable, but who walks voluntarily to the gallows?

“I seem to have misplaced my license, officer.” 

He stared down at me from somewhere among the clouds. Pity me, oh, giant arm of the law. Forgive my trespasses!

“Step out of the car, please.”

No!  Don’t want to. You can’t make me. That was what I wanted to say.

“Yes, sir.”  That’s what I actually said.

I stepped out of the car, not especially gracefully, not with any great speed. Why not try to delay the inevitable?

Then there was the walk of shame to the back seat of the cruiser. Of course, my boss drove by and stared at me. Of course, he slowed to make sure it was me.

“Gee, there’s not a lot of leg room back here.”

Steely-eyed blue stare for ten seconds. “They aren’t designed for comfort.”

I got off with a ticket for the red light thing, a fine for the registration thing and a date for the license thing. That’s a “promise to appear” date, not the fun kind.

And my brother was pissed because while his apple green baby was parked on the side of the road, somebody splashed mud on it. Geez, my life should be so hard.

Helen E. Patterson is a life-long theatre addict with no interest in rehab. She has had plays of varying lengths produced in The Grand Theatre’s Playwrights Cabaret, the London One Act Festival, and the London Fringe Festival, as well as some independent productions.  She currently spends her days (well, part of them) slaving over a hot keyboard, completing the final(?) rewrite of her first novel, with the encouragement of her writing group, The 13th Hour.

See Brian Henry’s schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Ingersoll, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Saint John, NB, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

You're invited to Author Readings – June 9 in Toronto and June 23 in Burlington

Author Readings

Sunday, June 9, 2019 

11:45 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.

The Wallace Gastropub, 1954 Yonge St, Toronto (Just north of Davisville. Map here.)

And

Sunday, June 23, 2019
12 noon – 4 p.m.
Barra Fion Restaurant, 1505 Guelph Line, Unit 10A, Burlington, Ontario (at the corner of Upper Middle Road  in Burlington Heights Plaza. Map here.)

Michele, owner of the Barra Fion, at work

At these readings graduates of Brian Henry's writing classes get to strut their stuff. Come hear some of the most amazing emerging writers in the Toronto area reading some of the best work you’ll hear this year. This will be a fun get-together and everyone’s invited. Don’t miss it!

And if you want to read from your own work, email me, and I’ll let you know if there’s still room on the roster – as of now, there certainly is space – on both dates. (But you must arrange to read in advance; you can’t just show up on the day and hope to read.)

On Sunday, June 9, at the Wallace in Toronto, doors open at 11:45 a.m. noon. Arrive for lunch by 12:00 noon, or if you’re just having a drink or coffee and a snack, please arrive by 12:30. But because we’re monopolizing their second floor, you can’t order just a coffee (or they might not want us back). The actual readings will start by 1:30 and go to about 3:30. We must be finished, paid and out by 4:00.

On Sunday, June 23, at the Barra Fion in Burlington, doors open a titch later, at 12 noon. Arrive for lunch by 12:15, or if you’re just having a drink or coffee and a snack, please arrive by 12:45. But because they’re opening exclusively for us, you can’t order just a coffee (or they might not want us back). The actual readings will start at about 1:30 and go to about 3:30 / 3:45. 

If possible, RSVP as soon as possible and let me know you’re coming: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

I look forward to seeing you all there! ~Brian

This summer join us for weekly classes. Here’s what’s on offer:

Oakville Woodside Library: Exploring Creative Writing, Tuesday afternoons, July 2 – Aug 13. See here.

Burlington: Intensive Creative Writing, Wednesday afternoons, July 3 – Aug 21, First readings emailed June 26. See here.

Burlington: Intensive Creative Writing, Wednesday evenings, July 3 – Aug 21.  First readings emailed June 26. See here.

And in the fall, there will be a full roster of weekly courses on offer:

Burlington: Intensive Creative Writing, Tuesday afternoons, Sept 24 – Dec 11. First readings emailed Sept 17. Details to come.

Georgetown: Intensive Creative Writing, Wednesday evenings, Sept 18 – Dec 11 (no class Oct 9). First readings emailed Sept 11.  Details to come.

Burlington: Writing Personal Stories, Thursday afternoons, Sept 26 – Nov 28 (no class Oct 31) . Details to come.

Oakville Library, Welcome to Creative Writing, Thursday evenings, Sept 26 – Nov 21 / 28. Details to come.

Toronto: Intensive Creative Writing, Friday mornings, Sept 20 – Nov 8 (no class Nov 1).  First readings emailed Sept 13. Details to come.

Toronto: Writing Personal Stories, Friday, afternoons, Sept 27 – Nov 29 (no class Nov 1) . Details to come.

See Brian’s full schedule here, including Saturday writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Alliston, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Hamilton, Jackson’s Point, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, New Tecumseth, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.