Agents:

Kim Lionetti, Bookends Literary Agency

As the first literary agent to charm BookEnds into hiring her, Kim has been an integral part of growing the agency, along with her clients' careers. Using the editorial skills learned during her first eight years in the industry at Berkley Publishing, Kim helps authors shape their works into books their readers will love.  With over twenty years of publishing experience, she's worked with award winners and bestsellers in a variety of genres.

Kim's journey into publishing began in middle school when she raided her grandmother's collection of Phyllis Whitney books and transformed into an incurable bibliophile.  Her other addictions include honey cinnamon lattes, British period dramas, Ryan Gosling memes, Indian food and Frescaritas.

With a client list including women's fiction, mystery, young adult and romance, Kim enjoys working on a wide range of fiction.  She's currently eager to grow her list in the areas of  women's fiction and young adult. She’d love to find women’s fiction with the complexity and darkness of LianeMoriarty, but she also enjoys more romantic storylines like Jojo Moyes. If it’s set at the beach or a rocky coastline, all the better. 

She’d also love to see more women’s fiction and contemporary young-adult novels (á la Cammie McGovern) featuring characters and their families and friends dealing with physical and/or developmental challenges. As an Autism mom, she’s naturally pulled toward books that authentically portray what that family life is like: both the heart and the humor.

You can learn more about BookEnds at http://www.bookendsliterary. com or follow Kim through Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ BookEndsKim .

Melissa Edwards, Stonesong Literary Agency

Melissa Edwards joined Stonesong as a literary agent in August 2016. Previously, she was a literary agent at the Aaron Priest Literary Agency, where she managed the foreign rights for a 40-year backlist. After graduating from Washington University in St. Louis and Vanderbilt Law School, Melissa began her career as a litigation attorney before transitioning into publishing. She is a tireless advocate for her clients and a constant partner during the publication process and beyond.

Melissa represents authors of children’s fiction, adult commercial fiction, and select pop-culture nonfiction. She is looking for warm and timeless middle grade fiction and accessible young adult fiction. For adults, she is looking for fast-paced thrillers and smart women’s fiction. She can be found on Twitter @MelissaLaurenE, where she often tweets her active Manuscript Wishlist requests under #MSWL.

Lauren Bieker, Fineprint Literary Agency

After a brief career in the fashion industry, Lauren made her move to publishing. After interning with agent Paige Wheeler, Lauren has made her move to FinePrint Literary Management where she works daily with FinePrint’s CEO, Peter Rubie. Along with helping with day to day administrative tasks, Lauren is starting to develop a list as an agent, and is looking for select clients. She is a “sucker” for outstanding writing and convincing characters.

Lauren is also a writer in her free time and has been involved in many writing workshops and intensives and has been published on various online platforms. She moved to the UK in 2015 prompted by an acceptance to the National Academy of Writing’s intensive at Cambridge University. She has developed a keen eye for storytelling and is a careful and patient editor.

Lauren is looking for commercial and upmarket women’s fiction and well-crafted YA novels. She is open to the romance genre, particularly when strong and differentiated characters are featured. She is also open to select dystopian science fiction, as well as high concept and literary fiction works. While she is primarily interested in fiction, she will consider non-fiction proposals that are having to do with the world of fashion.What Lauren is not looking for: Religious fiction, horror, fantasy, political/military fiction.

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Editors:

Cat Clyne, Sourcebooks

Cat Clyne has been helping writers hone their craft for most of her adult life. She worked in academia and magazine publishing before joining Sourcebooks in 2010. Cat acquires single title romance in all subgenres: romantic suspense, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, erotic romance, Highlanders and historicals. She is looking for stories with a slam-dunk hook, curl-her-toes romance, and out-of-the-box thinking (surprise me!). Cat has a fondness for damaged heroes and a well-written band of brothers bond. Born in Germany to diplomat parents, Cat has a Master’s degree from New York University and lives in Brooklyn. Learn more at www.sourcebooks.com.

Madeleine Colavita, Grand Central Publishing

I always knew I wanted to work in publishing, and I was lucky enough to make that dream come true in 2013 when I joined the Grand Central/Forever team. Over four years later, I still love every minute. As I build my own list, I’m looking for stories and writing that take me someplace new. I’d love to dance at a Regency ball, explore the Scottish Highlands, visit a charming small town, or go on a paranormal adventure, all without leaving the comfort of my apartment. I prefer reads that make me laugh to ones that make me cry, but no matter what, I want to feel that swoop in my stomach when the main characters realize, “This is the one.” I’m looking for heroes I can fall in love with and heroines who can become my best friends. And I never say no to reading about sweethearts reunited.
 

In particular, but in no particular order, I'm looking for:
·    Cowboys
·    Highlanders
·    Rock stars
·    Athletes
·    Office romance
·    Smart, beautifully written historicals
·    Romantic suspense/contemporary with a band-of-brothers hook (think law enforcement/military heroes)
·    Shifters
·    Strong heroines who know who they are/what they want
·    Jane the Virgin in romance novel form
·    Ocean's 11 (orother heist story) in romance novel form
·    Women’s fiction with a central friendship like the one in Playing House
I am not looking to acquire inspirational romance.

Erin Molta, Entangled

Erin Molta has been working in publishing (Scholastic, Disney/Hyperion, S&S) for more than two decades. Living in NJ with her very own firefighter/EMT husband, college-age daughter, and three feline overlords, she has edited novelty books, children’s books, YA, and now focuses on historical romance. She is looking for epic Viking romance—stories of a shield maiden who can hold her own against any Viking warrior and the jarl who finds a chink in her armor who can’t steal her heart without a fight. Or a Viking who has gone a-wandering and fetches an Irish lass who does not go willingly. Also, stories set in the Scottish Highlands, with rugged chieftains holding their own against the hardy Scottish lasses hell-bent on stealing their hearts, medieval lords and ladies in the Great Halls of Scotland and England. And, of course, Regency, where it’s all about le bon ton and where one’s worth is dictated by one’s title—unless it’s not. Opposites attract/Brother’s best friend/even boy next door who becomes the jarl, or the laird, or the duke are just some tropes that can work in any of these eras. Sassy and wicked heroines, alpha-male heroes (with tender hearts), and witty banter and humor are a plus because those qualities are timeless.

Elizabeth May, Kensington Publishing

Elizabeth May is an Editorial Assistant at Kensington Publishing Corp. She is a graduate of Emerson College in Boston, and taught English Language abroad for several years before returning to her first love of reading and book publishing. She loves working with authors and being able to read romance and work with books is literally her dream job. She is currently accepting queries for romance in all subgenres, but has extra special room in her heart for historical romance. She would love to find the next hit Highlander series.  You can follow her on Twitter  @LizMay05, or query email toemay@kensingtonbooks.com

Patience Bloom, Harlequin

Patience Bloom is a senior editor for Harlequin Romantic Suspense. In addition to devouring true crime and all things suspenseful, she also loves reading the latest celebrity memoir or romantic comedy. At Harlequin, she tends to work on a wide spectrum of romances—from Love Inspired to Harlequin Dare, with a specialization in suspense. Prior to joining Harlequin in 1997, Patience taught French and Latin at Sandia Preparatory School in New Mexico. She holds a B.A. in French and Latin from Oberlin College and a master’s degree in French Literature from the University of New Mexico. She is the author of her own true romance, Romance Is My Day Job. 

Alexandra Sehulster, St. Martin's Press

Alexandra Sehulster is an Assistant Editor at St. Martin’s Press.  She began her career working at Macmillan in the Merchandise Sales department, where she assisted in the selling of hardcover, trade paperback, and mass market titles to the book distributors for WalMart, Target, grocery stores, and airports.  After three years in sales, she transitioned to editorial in St. Martin’s Press, a part of Macmillan, and has been there ever since, which is a dream come true for her.  Alex is committed to publishing interesting, varied, and diverse projects across a wide range of categories.  A die-hard lover of all things suspenseful, atmospheric, and thrilling, Alexandra is passionate about romantic suspense and dark contemporary romance, particularly women in jeopardy novels with creepy stalkers and serial killers.  A long-time lover of mysteries, thrillers, and suspense, her tastes range from hard-boiled mysteries to fun and spunky cozies and everything in between, with a special emphasis on anything with psychological ambiguities, unreliable narrators, and questionable morals and motives.  She is constantly on the lookout for well-written fiction with a commercial hook that turns tried and true tropes on their heads and brings familiar topics and fresh and interesting slant.  On the young adult side, she is looking for high-concept fiction, ground-breaking fantasy, and deeply emotional reads.  She lives in Stamford, CT with her husband and piles of books on every surface imaginable. 

Lauren Smulski, Harlequin Teen 

Lauren Smulski is an associate editor for Harlequin TEEN. Her author list includes #1 New York Times bestselling YA author duo Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings, as well as rising stars Laurie Forest (The Black Witch), Summer Heacock (The Awkward Path to Getting Lucky), Amanda Foody (Daughter of the Burning City), Gregory Scott Katsoulis (All Rights Reserved), and Kaitlyn Sage Patterson (The Diminished). Before coming to Harlequin, Lauren interned at Dorchester Publishing and graduated from Pace University with a master’s degree in publishing.

Wishlist (all young adult):

- Fantasy w/ well-developed world-building – the more epic, the better.
- Science fiction, ranging from speculative/futuristic to full-on space opera, and everything in between.
- Cleverly written contemporary retellings of classical stories, particularly Shakespeare or Austen.
- Issue-driven fiction, especially stories with a focus on addiction/alcoholism.
- Epistolary novels a la DEAR MARTIN and THE INNOCENCE TREATMENT (both forthcoming in October 2017).

- Tech-driven thrillers
- Original teen superhero stories, a la Smallville or a YA Agents of Shield.