Free Blind Submission by Debra Ginsberg Page B

it—”
    â€œFabulous. I’m so excited about this book, Angel. See if you can make some inroads on it tonight. We’ll discuss it in the morning.”
    â€œOkay.”
    â€œAgain, I’m so pleased that you’re joining us, Angel. I knew you were sharp the moment I laid eyes on you.”
    â€œThank—”
    â€œJust one more thing, Angel, and then I really must go. I realize that today was your first day and all, but I must insist that you dress a little more professionally. There’s no need for a business suit or anything that formal, but I believe that jeans are too casual and send the wrong message. So no more jeans, all right, Angel?”
    â€œNo more jeans,” I repeated thickly.
    â€œFabulous. I’ll see you in the morning. Early. Good-bye, dear.”
    I replaced my phone in its cradle, tenderly, as if it were a newborn. The last thing I wanted was for it to wake up and start ringing again. I picked up the manuscript that Anna had so summarily rejected and stared at it, the words blurring in front of my tired eyes. For the first time that I could remember, I had a fully formed desire for an alcoholic beverage. But I had no time to think about when or where I might get one because, to my horror, the handle to my front door was turning, opening, and someone was walking in.
    A handsome blond man stood in front of me, holding a bottle of wine in one hand and what looked like a very large manuscript in the other.
    â€œBaby!” he said. “How was your first day?”
    Malcolm. For a second, I hadn’t even recognized him.

THREE

    Lucy Fiamma
    Lucy Fiamma Literary Agency
    Â 
    Dear Ms. Fiamma,
    Â 
    I am a writer seeking representation for my first novel, titled ELVIS WILL DANCE AT YOUR WEDDING. As per your recommendation in the guide to literary agents, I am enclosing the first fifty pages of the novel, a synopsis, and a self-addressed stamped envelope for your response. The entire novel is available if you’d like me to send it.
    Although this is my first novel, I have published several short stories in literary journals over the last few years. Most recently, my stories have appeared in
Elephant Cage Quarterly
and
Flabbergasted.
I would be happy to furnish you with copies at your request. I am a graduate of the MFA writing program at California University. ELVIS WILL DANCE AT YOUR WEDDING was originally written as my master’s thesis, but I have since revised it substantially.
    The novel is about a road trip that takes place over a twenty-four-hour period of time. The two main characters, Michael and Jennifer, drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, get married, and drive home again. They are a young couple and know very little about each other as they begin their journey into matrimony. Over the course of the novel, several secrets are revealed and they learn a great deal about themselves and about each other.
    I understand that your time is valuable, so I’ll keep my letter brief and hope that the writing will speak for itself. I look forward to hearing from you.
    Sincerely,
Shelly Franklin
    Â 
    ELVIS WILL DANCE AT YOUR WEDDING
    By Shelly Franklin
    Chapter 1
    Michael’s eyes are the color of phosphorescent algae. They are so bright and so green that as Jennifer opens the back door and walks in, she speculates for a moment that the color is chemically induced. But love, Jennifer thinks, can do this too. Her thought is a bright spark in the darkened room. So, this glow is from love. This is what Jennifer chooses to believe as she approaches the man who will soon be her husband.
    He is sitting in near dark and the TV is on without sound. He’s left the windows open and the September air is warm and moist coming through the screen. Jennifer doesn’t wonder why he has turned out all the lights. She knows he uses the TV like some people use food. For him, it’s a nurturing lifeline. She glances quickly at the TV and recognizes a home