Jericho Effect ABNA Pitch

As I think some of you know, I recently entered THE JERICHO EFFECT in the YA category of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. (You can learn more about the contest @: www.amazon.com/abna) Over the next month the judges will be reading through the pitches of all the novels entered in the contest. The pitch is a 300 or less word description of what the novel is about intended to catch the judges' interest and make them want to read more. The novels which advance to the next round of the contest will be chosen based on this pitch. I've decided to post my pitch here so you can see if it catches your interest. Would you advance this book to the next round based on the pitch? Let me know in the comments!

Crystal’s apprenticeship is cut short when she is chosen by the wizard council of Rovinien to hunt down and subdue a dangerous warlock named Wikeon. Wikeon, a thief raised by werewolves, flees his home country after using black magic to murder a man in order to protect a werewolf friend. When Crystal finds that Wikeon is more than a ruthless killer, she develops feelings for him. Her feelings soon blossom into love, causing her to betray the council and assist Wikeon.

As enemy wizards close in on them, Crystal and Wikeon turn to Wikeon’s werewolf family for protection and take shelter at a castle high in the mountains. When they are discovered there by a group of bounty hunters, Crystal, Wikeon and the werewolves are forced into a ruthless battle for their lives and freedom. After the lead bounty hunter sets out on a vendetta against the werewolves, the pack faces their greatest threat – a threat from which even Crystal and Wikeon’s combined power may not be enough to protect them.

THE JERICHO EFFECT mixes elements of fantasy and monster stories and will appeal to teens who are fans of both. The idea for the story came from a strange dream which haunted the author’s memory for years after waking from it.