BLOODFRUIT First 250 words and Query Summary

In my sleep deprived haze I was able to make into the fabulous contest hosted by Brenda Drake of Brenda Drake Writes, Cupid of Cupid’s Literary Connection, Monica B.W. of Love YA, and Krista Van Dolzer of Mother. Write. (Repeat.).


Title: BLOODFRUIT
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Wordcount: 97,000
First 250 words:

A no-kill order was unprecedented in Hell.

 It’s why he was here. Tam felt his heart catch in his throat as Eres’ cold eyes cut through the crowd of eager demons. Every eye watched her, waiting. Waiting to hear who Eres wanted so badly to offer such a lucrative reward. She laid out the details for the bounty, except the detail Tam was most curious about—why? Why the no-kill order? There had to be some sort of explanation.

“No killing,” Eres repeated.

The menace in her voice quelled the disgruntled murmurs from the low-level demons who’d come to hear about the bounty.

Eres and her mate wanted a girl. Tam wondered who this girl was, and why they wanted her alive—why they wanted her at all. What had she gotten herself into that Hell would set such a high price on her head?

But before he could speculate about the girl’s sordid business, an alarm began wailing. The sound echoed off the golden chamber walls, creating turmoil in the crowd.

Tam swore, drawing the hood of his cloak over his face. Bodies in the room reacted like a single organism, swelling in apprehension. This was a mistake. He didn’t like to involve himself with Hell anymore. But the money was good. Too good to ignore. He could use it to hide for a century—longer if he was smart about it.

And he wouldn’t have to kill anyone to get it this time. 

Query summary:

BLOODFRUIT is a YA urban fantasy that combines a retelling of the Sumerian myth of Inana’s descent into the underworld with PARADISE LOST to create a world where a teenage girl is being hunted by demons. Demons who want to use her blood to create bodies for the incorporeal souls of the damned so they can build an army.

Fifteen year-old Ana is relieved to cross paths with the immortal bounty hunter Tam. But only because she’s unaware that she is his bounty.

Ana suspects she’s losing her mind when she’s attacked by four men who recoil in agony at her touch. Things get weirder when the boy from her dreams waltzes into reality and kisses her in front of her boyfriend.

Eres is a demon with plenty of clout and an excess of gold who just discovered her little sister Inana is still alive. She wants little Ana’s blood.

Tam has been dodging his past for thousands of years, and Eres’ gold is just what he needs to disappear. But when he finds Ana, he realizes she’s not his typical bounty. There’s something bigger going on, and Tam is determined to figure out what it is.

Ana is pleased when Tam shows up, saving her from her attackers. But she’s suspicious too, because he seems to know a lot about them. She decides Tam is her best bet for figuring out why she’s being targeted and how to stop it.

Damon just escaped from Hell with the precious piece of fruit that holds all the answers. He’s determined to keep the horde of bounty-hunting demons from finding his soul mate. But saving Ana is complicated because she no longer remembers him.

As Ana digs for the truth, she learns that Hell is after her, but no one can tell her why. She must figure out a way to stop them before the demons succeed in dragging her down to Hell.