All A lot of Oysters
Preface and Chapter One teaser recently published in The June Issue (2025) of The Write Launch @thewritelaunch www.thewritelaunch.com
I am seeking representation for my novel, "All A Lot of Oysters," a contemporary women's fiction work of approximately 90,000 words that blends humor, heart, and the realities of modern romance.
Ryn is a twenty-something former Literature Major with a penchant for classic romance novels, she finds herself trapped in a dead end restaurant job in a sleepy beach resort town and has had a toxic cycle of relationships, constantly trading her independence for the fleeting affection of men she labels as "boyfriends." Fresh off yet another heartbreak with a charming but unreliable man, her well-meaning friends stage an intervention, challenging her to embrace a year of dating any man who asks her out. The goal? To discover her own identity outside of love, learn to say "no," and ultimately define what she truly desires in a partner.
As Ryn embarks on this wild dating journey—navigating meet-cutes and awkward first dates from the hostess stand of the five-star restaurant where she works as a maître d'—she grapples with the alluring charm of fictional heroes from her beloved books. The valiant knights and perfect gentlemen of literature clash with the reality she's facing: men are complex, flawed, and often confoundingly different from the characters she idolized. With each new encounter, Ryn learns painful yet enlightening truths—men can be vulnerable and disappointing, romantic and frustrating, but ultimately, they are human, just like her.
Caught between her nostalgic fantasies and the messy reality of her own life, Ryn begins to peel back the layers of her own identity. She discovers that love is not simply about finding the perfect partner but about understanding herself, her desires, and that real independence comes from within.
"All A Lot of Oysters" is a story of self-exploration, the search for authenticity in love, and the journey to appreciate the beauty in imperfections. It is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey and will resonate with readers who enjoyed "Sweetbitter" by Stephanie Danler and "Happy Hour" by Marlowe Granados, as well as anyone who has ever felt torn between the allure of fantasy and the reality of human connection.
Thank you for considering representing my work. I look forward to the opportunity to share "All A Lot of Oysters" with you.
Read Prologue and Chapter One at https://thewritelaunch.com/2025/06/all-a-lot-of-oysters/