Kimberly Sayers Bartosch, Winner – Pitch Week XXII

Ask the Girl is a young adult paranormal mystery set in the small town of Parkville, Missouri. The ghost of Kate Watkins possesses Rose, the sister of sixteen-year-old Lila Sadler. Nobody believes Lila. That’s what happens when you’re diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Or is it because of the lying? Rose’s health worsens each day. The only way to save Rose is to uncover the awful truth of Kate’s death so many years ago. Time is limited and Lila must confront her own demons and betrayals. But it’s hard, almost impossible. Will Lila be able to forgive the unforgivable?

Kim Bartosch is a novice ghost hunter. Kim and her youngest sister have visited more than a hundred haunted hotels, homes, towns, and cemeteries. Their most haunting experience was the ghost they saw at Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Crescent Hotel was a cancer hospital in the 1930s claiming the spring water would cure cancer. Kim and her sister saw a silhouette of a man in a hospital gown in the wing where they hid the dying cancer patients. They even have the picture to prove it!

As an advocate for Autism and Bipolar Disorder, Kim offers her support to many charities and programs, such as Joshua Center and Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA). Kim feels there aren’t enough programs for mental disabilities. Her goal is to give as much help to set up these organizations for success so individuals, such as her autistic son and bipolar sister, will have the support they need.

Kim is also the mother of two boys and is happily married to her loving husband, Jason. She enjoys spending time with her family on nature hikes and traveling. Kim teaches English as a second language online to children in China and Europe, which she claims is the best job she has ever had aside from writing! She is also an active member of the Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI.org) and WriteOnCon.

“I had a lovely experience with Pitch Week. It’s a Renaissance! Meeting, discussing, and perfecting our craft. I made great friends as well as met some unique and interesting people. Writing is a lonely craft, and the publishing world is so vast and cruel at times. It’s wonderful to have When Words Count and Pitch Week, which enable new authors to accomplish their goals making long-time dreams come true. Thank you!”

Meet our other Pitch Week XXII finalists here.