QK Agent Round 9: I Kidnapped the Prom Queen, YA Thriller

Title: The Takedown

Entry Nickname: I Kidnapped the Prom Queen

Word count: 77K

Genre: YA Thriller (Ownvoices: About POC by POC)



Query



When Oakdale High School mean girl, Sophie Ferguson, is reported missing during spring break, everyone immediately suspects her quarterback boyfriend. That is, until two masked intruders are discovered on the Fergusons’ home security camera hauling away their precious daughter. Soon, panic erupts as rumors spread across the sleepy town of Forrest Hills, Texas, about the mysterious kidnappers who targeted the town’s wealthiest family. Only BFFs Rylee and Danni know the kidnappers’ true identities, and it’s a secret that could cost them their future.

The plan was simple: take down the queen bee in order to spend spring break lounging lakeside with Sophie’s boyfriend (and Danni's secret hook-up) and his hot cousin (Rylee's new crush). For Rylee, it was supposed to be the best spring break ever--one final adventure before graduation and a chance to fall in love. But any hopes of a drama-free week are shot when kidnapped Sophie disappears and Rylee and Danni have no clue what happened to her. Now what started as a stupid prank has become dangerously real and their takedown could have deadly consequences. With Sophie missing for real this time, Rylee must decide if she should come clean and risk destroying her future or keep her secret and have the most epic spring break ever.

My Young Adult Thriller, THE TAKEDOWN, is 77,000 words and best described as MEAN GIRLS meets JAWBREAKER. I am the author of the young adult novel, KILLING CAROLINE, published by Etopia Press.



First Page



There are two kinds of seniors who ride the bus during their final year of high school: the poor kids and the losers. My best friend, Danni, and I were both. If you were lucky, at least one friend in your girl squad had a car, but since Danni was my only friend, we were pretty much limited to public transportation.

“Hey, beyotch,” she said as she made her way down the bus aisle.

“You’re seriously wearing a turtleneck today?” I said. “That’s the second time this week.”

Danni glanced down at herself as if she’d forgotten what she was wearing and shrugged. “So?”

“So…it’s like a thousand degrees outside. Aren’t you worried about having a heat stroke in that thing?” I fanned myself with a folder and pushed the damp hair off my forehead. Eighty degrees already and it was just morning. Another Forrest Hills, Texas scorcher. The armpits of my shirt were completely soaked, and I had to sit on my bookbag to keep the back of my thighs from sticking to the vinyl seat. Times like this made me wish more than ever for my own car with the AC on full blast.

“For your information, I’m not hot at all and I happen to like what I’m wearing,” she said.

“If you say so.” I decided not to mention the tiny beads of sweat dotting her hairline. At least the turtleneck covered Danni’s three day old hickey, courtesy of her latest boy-toy, Jared.