Query/Synopsis

October 2010

Samuel Woodfolk

                                                            QUERY LETTER

Dear Literary “Cyber” Agent



I have completed a 107,814 word, stand-alone, time travel adventure manuscript titled Spinder. I would like to have you represent me in selling this, and the other books I plan for the future. This story, with the help of your agency, would have the potential to reach the broad audiences of western buffs, fans of crime investigations, and of time travel enthusiasts.

I’d like to send you [legitimate literary agent] the manuscript, and am interested in your evaluation of its commercial potential and any recommendations that you might have on how to make it a better book. After your response to my query/synopsis I will check your ratings status on the Predators and Editors website (if I hadn’t checked it previously), and I have strong hopes that you’re exactly the agent I want to have representing my work.

I reside in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and have literally dug my heels in the dirt as a brick mason around the region. Unfortunately, the last two and a half years I had fallen victim to unemployment as a result of the failing economy. I have no previous experience in writing but I have more than a handful of stories floating around in my imagination, including sequels and a prequel, and I do my best to research information needed to make my stories interesting.

To help decide if you might be interested in representing me, I’ve included a 3 page synopsis of Spinder with this letter, and will mail the completed manuscript or a portion at your request. I’ve included my email address and cell# for your response. (please leave msg)

Thanking you in advance, for your time and assistance. I eagerly await your response.



Yours truly,



S. E. Woodfolk





SPINDER                                                                                                                      SAMUEL WOODFOLK

                                                              SYNOPSIS



Spinder is about the character Jake Spinder, who is an outlaw that turned family man in the 1800’s, he is suddenly awakened by a recurring nightmare that he’s having about some outlaws from his past. His wife, Elizabeth, who’s aware of his nightmares (but not their content), is constantly asking him about them, but her persistence is futile.

Jake, however, is finally forced to tell his wife about his nightmares only because the outlaws have murdered his friend, Ned, and sent his mutilated body, on horseback, to Jake’s cabin with a note stating that they are going to murder him and his family next.

After explaining to Elizabeth and his children that he has to set out to intercept the posse, he gears up for the deadly encounter, and for the possibly long arduous journey, then eventually leaves his family. But the outlaws outsmart Jake and approach the Spinder family cabin from behind Jake’s back and succeeds in murdering his family. Jake is within earshot of the brutal massacre.

He is devastated, in momentary denial, even shock. And it all seems surreal. He sets off to chase the outlaws, but is caught, along with the outlaws, in a violent thunderstorm. The storm is so violent that not only are the posse struck by lightening, but Jake is also hit by the deadly, natural force. Unexpectedly, they are all time translated to our present time.

In the year 2097, Doctor and scientist, Elisabeth Corrin teams up with colleague, Alan Yen, who is conducting a search and annihilation of a superior, rogue satellite weapons system equipped with time travel capabilities. This rogue satellite is tracked and located in the early 19th century time continuum, to which Dr. Corrin attempts to bring the satellite forward to its original tome period, but instead brings the outlaws to the early twenty-first century, who is in the middle of their chase.

But there is one bizarre side affect to being time translated−Jake and the outlaws’ clothing has now fused to their skin at the molecular level. Yet, they can still feel through their clothing because their nerve endings have also fused with their clothing. And to make matters worse, the outlaw’s leader, John Grainger, is “dropped off” in the year 1954. This outlaw is also dramatically metamorphosed and is keeping track of when, if ever, he is going to meet up with his posse and his long time enemy, Jake Spinder.

Realizing their horrible mistake, Drs. Corrin and Yen must translate themselves back to our present time to intercept Jake Spinder and the deadly outlaws from disrupting the time, space continuum. But by the use of an antiquated, yet functional sterilization and purification process in the year 2097, Drs. Corrin and Yen are now subject to the procedure before being time translated.

Jake not only must continue his quest to avenge his family’s murder, but he must also try to make sense of his metamorphosis, and adapt to his new surroundings in our present time. And when Drs. Corrin and Yen succeed with their ‘one-way ticket’ to our present time, they must contend with our antiquated society and also try to locate the killer outlaws first, yet continue with their secret mission−to track the rogue satellite weapons system.

Once the scientists reach our time period, they eventually meet up with a detective David Scorpio, who has been actively on the case since his father died. David’s father had been on the case investigating  John Grainger’s crimes that began in 1954, but constantly stumbled upon dead ends due to possible evidence of cross-contamination, human failure, and the then non-existent DNA processing. Detective David Scorpio, like his father, has been having as equally a difficult time solving the cold cases.

Eventually, with the help of detective Scorpio, Drs. Corrin and Yen find their outlaws, and with the assistance of Drs. Corrin and Yen, the detective finally catches the criminal that baffled the department since his father’s time in 1954. And Jake Spinder avenges his family’s murder, but now Jake and the scientist are permanent on our present time with no way of going back to their respective eras in time.

But to the scientists, the journey continues as they secretly begin their search for the rogue satellite weapons system.