Success Story Interview - Kalyn Fogarty

An Interview with Kalyn Fogarty (kalynfogarty on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Katie Reed of Andrea Hurst Literary Management.

04/08/2025

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?

Kalyn Fogarty:
It is the first installment of what I hope will be a Young Adult Trilogy. BOUNDLESS is the story of Laurel McIntyre, a seventeen year old girl, who is transported back in time via an old computer game that her late mother left to her and finds herself at the start of the Oregon Trail where she must uncover the secrets that mother left behind. My love of the original Oregon Trail computer game and that particular time in history inspired me to begin this story.

QT: How long have you been writing?

Kalyn Fogarty:
My whole life. I have two women's fiction titles published by Alcove Press (WHAT WE CARRY in 2021 and EVERYTHING'S STILL THERE in 2023.)

QT: How long have you been working on this book?

Kalyn Fogarty:
The idea has been with me since high school but I began writing in earnest in 2021 during the pandemic and finished my first draft in 2023.

QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?

Kalyn Fogarty:
The querying process was quite long. There were a lot of requests but then I found many agents weren't quite sure where to place this story since it straddles a few genres and there are not a lot of direct comps in the YA section of the bookstore.

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

Kalyn Fogarty:
I have two young kids and own my own business so I try to write whenever I have free time. This is often on my day off (Mondays) and in the early morning hours before the kids wake-up. I save editing for later in the day since it uses a different part of my brain and I don't mind a little noise in the background.

QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?

Kalyn Fogarty:
Many! I think this is the fifth draft and we are working on a sixth.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Kalyn Fogarty:
Yes! I had readers on each draft and they have been instrumental in helping shape the story.

QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?

Kalyn Fogarty:
I love a very detailed outline.

QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?

Kalyn Fogarty:
I began querying at the end of 2023. I almost signed with another agent in 2024 but we ultimately had different visions for where the story went. I signed with Katie in March of 2025 after agreeing to a R & R in October of 2024.

QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?

Kalyn Fogarty:
I would say about fifty-sixty. I had about 20 full and partial requests and a lot of great feedback from some generous agents.

QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?

Kalyn Fogarty:
I knew I wanted an editorial agent who wanted to help an author throughout all stages of their career. The novel I signed with is a YA, but I also hope to write in other genres so I wanted an agent who represented different types of books.

QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?

Kalyn Fogarty:
Yes, I tried to research the agents I was querying. If I had listened to any podcasts they were on or read any of their substacks I tried to make a little connection.

QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?

Kalyn Fogarty:
Don't give up!! I sent my query to Katie in February of 2024 and she requested the full right away. I nudged her when I had some interest from a few other agents and she got back to me in October 2024 about a R&R. I loved her notes and worked on them over the holidays and resubmitted. We had "the call" in March 2025 and here we are. Agents are busy and the publishing industry moves at its own pace. Be patient and keep working on your book while you wait!!

Query Letter:

Dear Katie,

I’m writing to you seeking representation for my YA novel, BOUNDLESS: Into the Great Unknown, the first book in a trilogy that can also stand alone. At 120,000 words, this novel is a blend of portal fantasy and time travel, set between modern day and 19th century America. On a broad scale, it’s a young adult OUTLANDER meets Taylor Sheridan’s “1883.” Based on your interests, I hope you will enjoy this genre-bending speculative story with an angsty protagonist, slow burn romance and a little bit of magic. Similar in tone to Melissa Albert's "The Hazel Wood," my novel explores the mysteries of family secrets and fantastical worlds that are adjacent to our contemporary reality. The setting, reminiscent of Rae Carson's "Walk on Earth a Stranger," takes place in 1860 along the infamous Oregon Trail.

BOUNDLESS follows Laurel McIntyre, a high school senior whose life is upended by the untimely death of her mother. When she discovers a cryptic note from her mother, along with a puzzling journal and a floppy disk for a defunct game, Laurel sets off to unravel the mysterious legacy her mother left behind. Upon playing the game, Laurel is transported back to 1860 Missouri, to the starting point of the Oregon Trail.

As Laurel learns the “rules” of the game, she travels back and forth between her life in 2022 and her new reality on the prairie. In both worlds, she struggles to grieve her larger-than-life mom while battling her anger at her mother for leaving her behind. As she faces the grave challenges of the trail, such as disease, dysentery, and escalating animosity between native settlers and frontiersmen, she finds herself lying to everyone and risking her carefully curated future in the real world.

Delving deeper into the unknowns of the game, Laurel must decide whether to continue West or hit "end" and leave her mother's secrets buried. But her life in 2022 is predictable and filled with sadness. On the trail, the possibilities are boundless. Laurel cannot deny the magnetism drawing her to the beautiful Lakota boy and the only way to see him again is to ride on, even if that means riding into danger. Just when the choice seems easy, disease sweeps through one of the forts. Laurel decides to risk everything to save her best friend on the trail, even if it means being cast out by the rest of the travelers and endangering both her life and her chances of being discovered for who she truly is.

Although BOUNDLESS is my debut in the Young Adult space, I have two women’s fiction titles published with Alcove Press (WHAT WE CARRY, 2021; EVERYTHING’S STILL THERE, 2023.) I hope to continue writing in both genres and would love an agent who can help me navigate the publishing realm in all aspects of my career. When I am not writing, I can be found at the barn where I work as a professional equestrian. I live on Long Island with my husband, two young daughters, and a pair of very energetic German Shepherds.

Sincerely,
Kalyn Fogarty