IWSG: Not Insecure! But Need Help...

I'm NOT feeling insecure today! For the first time in a long time I've gotten to work on my book, and it's been amazingly fun.

My first novel is a space opera (I think), but it has a lot of sci-fi, and some double agent intrigue stuff. So one of my readers said, “space opera meets Tom Clancy” and that would work except I actually hate his books. They have too many tiny details. Love the movies though, and I think the action in Worlds Colliding (that link is for the post I wrote about finding the title) is a bit like those.

My story also has a love angle to it. So I've been saying space opera/sci-fi/double agents/romance and that's just too long. If I say space opera, does that include all of the above? Or is there another genre which better describes it? Carol Kilgore calls her books “crime fiction with a kiss”, which is so perfect. Short, sweet, and conveys the point. I want a phrase like that...any thoughts?

Here's the current version of my synopsis, tinkered with a bit since the W(h)IP It Good Blogfest.

In the last decades since First Earth got used up, technological advances have made life better for the inhabitants of Second Earth and its many orbiting colonies. However, corruption in government agencies, especially in the top levels, has not changed in centuries.

Leah has been slowly building a cover and infiltrating the TIA, as a double agent. Her mission is classified, and very personal.

With Ian as her lifeline to the FBI on First Earth, she's getting closer to the truth, and closer to the top rungs of the Titan Patrol. If she's honest with herself, she's probably too close to Ian, too.

Can she hold on? She's slowly succumbing to the pressure, and some of her old demons are coming back to haunt her. Will she be able to control her personal issues long enough to complete her assignment?

So yeah, please, what's my genre? 

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Thank you, Alex J. "Ninja Captain" Cavanaugh for this group.  If you want to join, we post the first Wednesday of the month, and you'll find the linky in Alex's tabs.

The W(h)IP IT GOOD Blogfest!

Yup.  It's blogfest week...didn't realize how close together they were until the reminders started coming.  This party is hosted by the amazing D.L Hammons, fellow co-host of the A-Z and my super supportive blogger buddy, and Elise Fallson, whom I met today!

WIP Title:  Worlds Colliding

Word Count (projected/actual so far):  8500/50,000 (doing BuNoWriMo in June. Again. And did a NaNo...but it will probably end up being longer. I'm a pantser.)

Genre:  Space opera meets Tom Clancy

How long have you been working on it?: Since February 2011

Elevator Pitch (if you came across an agent in an elevator ride, what couple of lines would you use to summarize your book):  Leah has been slowly infiltrating the government agency responsible for her brother's death. Living on one of the new floating colonies orbiting Second Earth, she's lonely, out of energy and hope, and on the brink of losing control of her mission. Being a double agent isn't turning out to be as easy as she had thought.

Brief Synopsis (250 words or less): 

In 2149, technological advances have made life better for the inhabitants of Second Earth and its many orbiting colonies. However, corruption in government agencies, especially in the top levels, has not changed at all.

Leah has been slowly building a cover and infiltrating the TIA, as a double agent. Her mission is classified, and very personal.

With Ian as her lifeline to the FBI on First Earth, she's getting closer to the truth, and closer to the top rungs of the Titan Patrol.

Can she hold on? She's slowly succumbing to the pressure, and some of her old demons are coming back to haunt her. Will she be able to control her personal issues long enough to complete her assignment?

Are you looking for a Critique Partner?: not yet...

Are you looking for a Beta Reader?:  Once it's done...

Now that I've said all this in public, I've got no more excuses for not putting some serious time into this project. My family is on board, and as I told you, I'm doing BuNoWriMo in June. As in tomorrow. Please hold me accountable...I really do want to finish this. It started as a short story, in a writing contest, in February of 2011. I never finished it, just ran out of time. Then when I tried to finish it, I realized I couldn't because it was a novel and not a short story. If you want to read the few installments I did manage to write, they start here.