Renae Mercado recently signed with agent Bree Ogden at Martin Literary Management. Thank you Renae for agreeing to this interview, and good luck with your book.

QueryTracker: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you’ve found representation? What inspired you to write it?

Renae Mercado: The book is titled Fatal Beauties and is a young adult, paranormal romance. I chose this genre because it’s one that I myself love to read. Anything paranormal is right up my alley, but as many will tell you, agents and editors are looking for something different. That’s where the idea for my book originated. After scouring and researching mythical creatures I had my main characters. Sirens. After that the storyline came together.



QT: How long have you been writing?

RM: I’ve dabbled with writing on and off since junior high. I didn’t start actually sitting down and seriously mapping out a manuscript until about two years ago. I had an idea for a story that I couldn’t get out of my head so I sat down at the laptop and just started. My sister read the first chapter and loved it. After that I was hooked.



QT: How long have you been working on this book?

RM: I have been working on Fatal Beauties for around nine months. It took me about three to four months to write it, then another five or so to get it right.



QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?

RM: Many, many times. Rejection is never easy. But I had great encouragement along the way.



QT: Is this your first book?

RM: No, it’s my third. The first two I now consider my warm up books. Though I loved them at the time, I can see the flaws in them. They are now hidden safely away from human eyes. Maybe someday I’ll rework them.



QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

RM: A creative writing class in college along with my basic comp classes and that’s it. So I would say no.



QT: Do you follow a writing "routine" or schedule?

RM: I write when I have time. A little in the morning and late at night when it’s quiet. I keep a journal with me just in case I have an idea I don’t want to lose. I try not to stress myself out about it. That seems to be when I go blank. I plot and scheme ideas while doing other things then type them vigorously when I get home.



QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?

RM: I lost count. At least five or six times. When I got to a point where I felt stuck, I would re-read and edit. Then once I was finished I would edit again. That part of the process was actually longer than writing the entire book.



QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

RM: Absolutely! I couldn’t do it without them. My sister was the first to read everything. She managed to keep me going because she would fly through whatever I sent to her and want more. There were also many times I would have to bounce ideas off of them or have them talk me off the ledge when I thought of something with the potential to derail the entire book.



QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?

RM: I write a vague skeleton outline, just to give myself an idea as to where I am going. But other than that, I let the story unfold as I write. Toward the end of the book, I start taking notes, making sure all loose ends are tied. But other than that there is no method to my madness.



QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?

RM: My other books I sent out a few queries and had some positive response, but ultimately they weren’t ready to see the light of day. With Fatal Beauties, I sent out a few queries, had some positive responses. Did more editing, then had great responses.



QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?

RM: My query tracker results say 45. I sent out a first round then found the forum. What an essential tool! Though it was hard to read some of the comments, they were dead on. It’s wonderful to get an unbiased opinion of your work. I went back through my entire manuscript. Again. Then sent out a fresh batch of queries and within two weeks had positive responses from nearly every agent I had queried. A week later, I was signed.



QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?

RM: I started out attempting to tailor them, but it ended up taking a very long time. So I sent out the basic information, making sure they represented my genre and only submitting what they asked for.



QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?

RM: Stay strong. If I can do it so can you. And join the Query Tracker community. The site, the forum, what great resources right at your fingertips! Everyone in the forum is fantastic and they want each other to succeed.



QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us?

Dear Agent,

Their screams can stop a human heart, their songs can drive humans to the brink of madness. But these cruel fates are nothing compared to what could happen if a Siren falls in love…

Toying mercilessly with humans and delivering them to their darkest hour was all part of daily life for Amber Ballentine and her sisters. But that normal life is turned upside down when Amber grows tired of the monotony and matriculating from town to town.

But living by the rules comes with a price. Amber grows weak, lets her guard down. And then she meets Kellan Westwick. Kellan is everything one would expect from the proverbial bad boy…brooding, rich, and devastatingly handsome. He’s also off limits for Sirens aren’t allowed to fall for humans…the risk is too great.

Though she fights against her feelings Amber finds herself drawn to this hauntingly mysterious human. As they grow closer, Amber stumbles upon the buried past of Kellan's family . . .the Westwick’s are Reapers, a group of humans with the strength and power to destroy all paranormal creatures including Sirens. When the truth comes out Amber must ask herself if Kellan is her hero or the one who will lead to her ultimate demise.

This gothic tale mixes elements of mystery, romance and the paranormal bringing a fresh new twist to this young adult novel. FATAL BEAUTIES is complete at around 100,000 words with series potential.

I am an elementary school teacher by day and an avid writer by night. If you would like to consider FATAL BEAUTIES, I’ll happily forward the manuscript at your request.

Thank you for your time and consideration.