New Query for Lit Agents

We all know what a tough job literary agents have. Thanks to modern technology, everyone and their mother's uncle can write and self-publish, so agents are peppered with daily queries.

The key? Make it good. Does mine make the grade? I sure hope so, but I'm posting it here. If you have any suggestions I would love to hear them.

Dear _____;

 I would like you to consider LIVES OF FUTURE-PAST, my adult future urban fantasy novel set in a distant planet in the 29th century, as well as a restored Earth of the 43rd century. This is the first book in THE VROL TRILOGY, part of THE CHRONICLES OF MAX GUNNARSSON (COMG).

PROLOGUE:

Mages. Lycans. Vampires. The immortal Prīmulī, Jah's (God's) greatest creation, were sent out to seed the universe, and eventually created Mankind, who resembled them most. Some rebelled against Jah's wishes and were cast from the stars, due to the fact that humans would evolve, while the Prīmulī were static – forever immortal and never changing. Those in league with Jah watched humanity's progress and tinkered with our genetics, creating various enhanced subspecies. Each subspecies had its purpose, and things went well for a few centuries. But when humanity's progress came to a standstill, in the 6th century CE, the Prīmulī deactivated these special abilities, preferring to have Mankind advance without supernormal assistance.

###

In the 29th century, Max Gunnarsson, a brilliant young scientist on a far-away human colony, develops humanity's first feasible faster-than-light travel drive. When he is forbidden by the military from testing his invention he sets out on his own, going to the planet of his ancestors – Earth – with whom there has been no contact for roughly 600 years.

Max finds a dead world, not even containing traces of human DNA. Hiding at the base of Machu Picchu, Peru, he investigates what happened, and is greeted by Draagh, one of the aforementioned Prīmulī. Draagh informs Max that, thanks to his mother, he carries the inactive genes of the lycan subspecies. Further, he learns that his true father is Mija-El of the Prīmulī, more commonly known as Saint Michael the Archangel. Earth had been destroyed by a virulent insectoid race – the Vrol - and they are on their way to Max's home world, Azul, to do the same thing (albeit at slower-than-light speeds). Draagh's job is to train Max in the ways of magic and his lycan heritage, so that he can eventually return to his world and fight the alien invaders; due to arrive in less than five years.

However, before they go anywhere they have to wait for someone.

Rear Admiral Luigi Bagatelle has been sent to Earth to retrieve Max, dead or alive. The dead option is perfectly fine for his junior officer, the beautiful Lt. Jennie Escalante. Arriving at Earth, the two locate Max and Draagh and attempt to take the scientist into custody. Instead, Jennie finds she is also an inactive lycan, and accompanies Max and Draagh to a restored, yet ancient Earth of the 43rd century, their genetics being activated upon arrival. There they learn to hone their enhanced abilities in the massive castle of lycan king Krynos, while Max further learns to manipulate magic. Their relationship is tenuous at best, but the young scientist falls for the woman who is way, way out of his league.

Max and Jennie slowly learn to work together as a team, so they can return to their world and fight the Vrol, but first they must experience their first full moon transformation - a change that can be deadly for the uninitiated.

To make things worse, Jennie's sociopathic ex-boyfriend, Lt. Ryder Johnson, has followed them to the 43rd century, and promptly joins up with those of his own genome – the rotting, short-lived vampires. They plot an attack on Krynos during the full moon, when nearly all lycans are locked away in small, individual cells to keep them from murdering each other. Accompanying the vampires is Marnn, Draagh's hate-filled brother, who only desires to kill his estranged sibling.

Max and Jennie must fight enemy forces, assisted by a small lycan girl with a penchant for violence (and comic profanity). The battle is only local, but to fail is to doom the entire human race.

_______________________________________

LIVES OF FUTURE-PAST is unique in the future urban fantasy genre, blending science fiction, fantasy, and modified components of western religions, giving new readers a sense of familiarity. Note: this is not a religious book in any manner of speaking. An excellent example of the COMG mythology would be how Mija-El has taken on many different personas during history. He was once known as Thor, and his hammer returning to his grasp is explained by it containing the Primulus' ghanlo – a non-sentient, soul-like supercomputer that all Prīmulī possess. The ghanlo never leaves its owner's location in space/time, and will always return on demand.

Magic is explained in a plausible, scientific manner, while space/time is described not as linear, but as thousands of concurrent timelines. A change to a timeline results in a fracture, which creates a time schism, resulting in an imbalance in the whole of space/time.

My writing features some light profanity, as well as sexual innuendo, but in no way qualifies as being tagged as adult content. I believe it's too easy to write smut just to gain readership, and I'd like for my books to be readable by high school students all the way up to senior citizens.

LIVES OF FUTURE-PAST is complete, at 117,300 words, and a manuscript is available on demand. Just name the format you'd like.

The other two books in THE VROL TRILOGY are also available. Book #2 is LIVES OF LOST ANGELS (172,400 words), where book #3 is called LIVES OF THE PROVECTUS (estimated at 150,000 words). LIVES OF THE PROVECTUS is complete, but is currently being edited.

I realize that LIVES OF FUTURE-PAST must stand on its own before there could be any consideration for future publications. The book has an excellent ending that segues into LIVES OF LOST ANGELS, but can still be enjoyed very much as a solo read.

Always looking ahead, THE CHRONICLES OF MAX GUNNARSSON continues with METATRON'S CUBE, starting in Arthurian times, where Merlin's assistant, Edmund, discovers the mythical magic-enabled device and starts traveling throughout history, making changes and creating time fractures. He truly believes he has undertaken a noble task, but fails to understand the implications of his actions. Max and Jennie chase him, repairing the damage he has wrought before his changes make permanent schisms. This story features fictional settings in actual events throughout history. METATRON'S CUBE will be available by spring 2016.

A story concurrent with METATRON'S CUBE, called LILI G. AND THE SECRET VAMPIRES, is written for younger readers (12-14). It documents the adventures of the Gunnarsson's adopted daughter, Liliana, as she attends the prestigious St. Mary's Academy on Max and Jennie's home world and hunts activated vampires, all while trying to keep her budding magical skills under control (and out of the government's Enhanced Subspecies Act database). The story uses the parallel of specieism as an allegory to racism, teaching children that the latter is completely wrong, and that everyone should be judged on the content of their character (but it's not preachy). I hope to attract younger readers with the LILI G. series, so that they will grow into reading the COMG books. LILI G. AND THE SECRET VAMPIRES will be complete by late 2015.

FUN FACTS: I have actually visited every real location in my books. Being a prolific traveler, I have gone to nearly every continent on the planet on numerous occasions (with the exception of Africa and Antarctica at this point), and recently returned from two weeks in Greece, Turkey and Italy. I also own a beach home in Pimentel, Peru, and am fluent in the Spanish langue (my wife was born in Peru). In fact, there are smatterings of Rioplatense Spanish in the COMG series, as Max and Jennie are from Nueva Argentina, Azul (with the real Argentina being one of my favorite countries). Oh, and magical spells, called cantuses, are in the Latin language, as enhanced subspecies were initially created during the beginnings of the Roman era.

I am also a computer programmer, and have even included concepts from video gaming into COMG (i.e. all lycans possess an organic levels meter in their peripheral vision, detailing Strength, Health and Stamina. This meter is analogous to that which is found in MMPORGs, such as WORLD OF WARCRAFT, and provides plausible limitations to one's abilities. Nothing's worse than having overpowered characters. Even Draagh has limitations, being in a corporeal form).

DISCLAIMER: I know self-publishing can be the ultimate death knell, but it was what originally inspired me to finally put my stories to paper (well, hard drive). It's not like you wouldn't find out anyway – type LIVES OF FUTURE-PAST in GOOGLE and you'll see. I have also developed a substantial social media presence for my books, including TWITTER (https://twitter.com/AuthorSKBenton), FACEBOOK (http://on.fb.me/1fvKw2f), BLOGGER (http://skbenton.blogspot.com/) and my own website, www.maxgunnarsson.com.

I have also done all my own artwork to this point. I used to teach PHOTOSHOP and ILLUSTRATOR to the artists at WALT DISNEY IMAGINEERING, so I have substantial experience in bitmap and vector line art development. However, this doesn't mean I am against a publishing company creating their own cover art. In fact, I would gladly eliminate my entire online presence and pull all books off their various distribution outlets if this was the wish of the publisher. I am seeking a long-term representation partnership, and am completely flexible when it comes to getting my creations out to the world at-large. Want to to make a new cover? Sure! Heck, I'd even consider a new title, like The Lycan Genome, Son of Mija-El, or even Jennie's Amazing Boobs (well, I'm kidding on that last one).

AND ONE LAST THING (I know, this is super-long): My greatest dream (aside from seeing my books on that first table you encounter when entering Barnes & Noble) is to be on the stage at Comic Con®, answering fan questions. I have substantial public speaking experience, and have crafted a fun public persona over the years. I've learned much through my travels, and am also an expert-level alpine skier, even having gone to Switzerland this last winter to ski The Matterhorn. I also ride a downhill mountain bike (much to my wife's chagrin) and am a pretty darned good surfer (with Chicama, Peru being my favorite spot).

Many of my readers have expressed a desire to see my stories on the big screen, but first things first, right? 

I believe that together we can start the long, but fun, process of bringing Max and Jennie to the literary world.

BARE YOUR FANGS AND FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE

Thanks for your consideration;

Steve (SK) Benton