Shelbey

@shelbeyd.bsky.social

Aspiring picture book writer. SCBWI member. Mom to twin boys. Pacific Northwest native.

QUIGLEY AND THE CRANKIES = My Friend is Sad x Grumpy Monkey Quigley quokka and Kip koala never miss the Friendship Festival, but when cranky Kip won’t leave his tree, Quigley fears their tradition is ruined. By using empathy, he uplifts Kip, but can their day be saved too? #PB #Q #SEL #QuestPit

The hook: When a cranky koala won’t get out of bed, can his best friend cheer him up in time to enjoy the annual festival together? The pitch: how do you turn someone’s frown upside down? Comparative titles: My Friend is Sad, A Day So Gray, Grumpy Monkey, The Bad Mood, Jenny Mei is SadVibes: Friendship, Patience, Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Empathy

ETERNALLY DEAD explores how an injured musician gets a second shot at stardom--only it's by joining an all-vampire rock band in the dangerous Vampire Realm. When blood shortages hit the Realm, she's forced to confront if living out her rockstar dream is worth dying for🩸🧛‍♂️🎸 #questpit #a #f #pr #rf #q

Background of concert audience with giant vampire fangs floating above alongside the words "An agent's guide to: Eternally Dead, Adult Paranormal Romantic Fantasy, 103k words, by @katgoestoshows." A one sentence pitch is featured on bottom that reads: An injured musician gets a second shot at stardom -- only its by joining an all-vampire rock band in the blood-thirsty vampire realm. A red splatter of blood is splashed is corner.BildBildBild

LEONARD VS THE IMPOSSIBLE = Bathe the Cat x Robo-Sauce When boy genius Leonard runs out of excuses to avoid cleaning his room, he builds a robot to help. But when the robot goes rogue and wreaks havoc across town, Leonard must overcome the impossible to save the day. #QuestPit #PB #Q #Humor

The premise: Leonard is a boy genius whose biggest challenge is cleaning his room. The pitch: When boy genius Leonard’s cleaning robot goes rogue and wreaks havoc across town, he must overcome an impossible feat to save the day. Comparative titles: Robot-Rumpus, Robo-Sauce, Bathe the Cat, The Mess Monster, Wendel and the RobotsVibes: Chaos, Playfulness, Responsibility, Family Dynamics, Humor, Technology

THIS IS A SERIOUS WORD BOOK = The Book With No Pictures x A Chest Full of Words Professor Knowitall is a porcupine giving a grammar lesson. But his dry tone clashes with the book’s interrupting illustrator whose fun art only distracts. Can serious words and silly pictures coexist? #PB #QuestPit #Q

HE SAVED THE KINGDOM ONCE. MAYBE HE SHOULDN’T HAVE. Disgraced Grand Inquisitor Wynsten is hired to find a missing ambassador. Instead, he uncovers forbidden magic and a conspiracy rooted in the blood ritual that made him a legend and ruined his life. #QuestPit #Q #A #DF #MY

INQUISITOR FOR HIRE

ADULT DARK FANTASY NOIR · 93,000 WORDS · MULTI-POV · STANDALONE

Once Rysia’s feared Grand Inquisitor, Wynsten now catches adulterers to make rent. When he is hired to find a missing ambassador before an uneasy peace collapses, the case leads him through forbidden magic, vanished daughters, and a conspiracy tied to the royal blood ritual that made him a legend, ruined his life, and fused the empire’s worst secrets to his chest.

A MISSING AMBASSADOR.
A DISGRACED LEGEND.
A KINGDOM ROTTING FROM WITHIN.
OPENING LINES

“The heretics had nowhere left to run. Wynsten had made sure of that.

Months of blood and smoke had led him beneath the Sovereign’s castle, into the old mines carved through the bedrock. A stronghold under the heart of the kingdom. 

These apostates would face justice here or burn.”

Twenty years before he became an investigator for hire, Wynsten stopped a ritual fueled by Rysia’s own royal blood.
A FANTASY INVESTIGATION WITH TEETH

THREE TOUCHSTONES. ONE DECAYING EMPIRE.

The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan - Institutional rot and compromised justice

The Tainted Cup - a secondary-world mystery engine

Chinatown - slow-burn corruption and a poisoned victoryINSIDE THE CASE

A dark-fantasy noir for readers who want the mystery and the damage.

A post-conquest secondary world inspired by the Crusader states

Fallen hero / disgraced legend

Missing ambassador

Forbidden magic

Secrets beneath the city

Corruption at the highest level

Reluctant found family

Power no one understands

Morally gray choices

The UK government frames an intelligence agent for a temporal disaster, putting him in the crosshairs of ruthless state assassins. To save his skin he must seal a lethal time rift, before a Russian spy from the future uses its secrets to start a war that will destroy everything. #QuestPit #Q #A #SF

Bild

TEDDY BEARWOLF is Creepy Sheepy x Wolfie the Bunny The hook: What if werewolves didn’t have to be scary? When Teddy can't be scary like his pack, he defies their expectations by choosing friendliness over fear, leading to a discovery that changes the forest for the better. #QuestPit #PB #Q

17yo Zach’s plan to help his friend Stella get back with her ex: 😈 sabotage his teammate’s new crush 🦸‍♂️ dress as his favorite superhero 📝 leave secret notes in her locker (and no trace) 🎄 kiss her at the Christmas market … well, shit! #Q #R #YA #Bluepit

Photo collage: Spiderman mask; Batman comics ; girl with pumpkins; friends hug; boy reading comics; cookies and latte; skeletons

Deciphering puzzles? Solving equations? Finding an answer to world peace? Easy for boy genius Leonard. What’s not easy? Cleaning his room! He builds a robot to help, but one mistake renders replicating robots who only create chaos. To save the day, Leonard must face the impossible. #PB #BluePit #Q

A dark, mythical forest can be a scary place. Especially for TEDDY BEARWOLF, a young werewolf who's too adorable to be scary, yet scared to be adorable. But when he finds the courage to buck the rules by choosing kindness, he makes a choice that changes his pack for the better. #PB #BluePit #Q

Professor Knowitall is a precocious porcupine who loves talking about words. But his seriousness conflicts with the book's playful, interrupting illustrator. As the art continues to distract, Knowitall poses a challenge. Can serious words and silly pictures actually work together? #PB #BluePit #WIP

TEDDY BEARWOLF is Creepy Sheepy x Gustavo the Shy Ghost An adorable, friendly werewolf 🧸🐺 Challenged to be more like his pack ☠️ 😈 Toughness training gone awry 🥊 🚫 Full moon inspiration ✨ 🌕 ✨ Self-acceptance, truths revealed 🫶 🙌 Friendships formed 🧙‍♀️ 👻 🧛‍♂️ A forest changed for good 🌲💗 #QuestPit #PB #Q

QUIGLEY AND THE CRANKIES = Grumpy Monkey x My Friend is Sad A cheerful quokka and a grumpy koala 🐨 👬 An annual festival 🎪 🎊 Friendship troubles 💔 🥺 Empathy channeled, perspectives changed (SEL) ✨🫶 Frowns turned upside down ☹️ 🙃 Fireworks 🎆🎇 #QuestPit #PB #Q

LEONARD vs THE IMPOSSIBLE = Robo-Sauce x Bathe the Cat When boy genius Leonard runs out of excuses to avoid cleaning his room, he builds a robot to do it. But when the robot goes rogue, creating chaos across town, Leonard uses his smarts to perform the impossible, saving the day. #QuestPit #Q #PB

Teddy Bearwolf isn’t like the other werewolves. He’s too adorable! Try as he may, he just can't be scary. When he fails werewolf training, he worries he’ll never fit in. But when he embraces his true self, he unveils a truth that changes the ways of the werewolves for the better. #Q #PB #QuestPit