Overview
During my career in publishing, I've edited more than 700 books, most notably the bestselling BLUE DAYS, BLACK NIGHTS by Ron Nyswaner, Oscar-nominated screenwriter of PHILADELPHIA. For seven years, I worked at Alyson Books in Los Angeles, where I spent three years as the company's editor in chief. I've edited many high-profile and award-winning titles, including NEW YORK TIMES bestseller Teresa Mummert's PERFECT LIE, Dete Meserve's GOOD SAM (number-one Amazon bestseller and now a Netflix film), Chaz Bono’s memoir THE END OF INNOCENCE, Tom Kakonis's TREASURE COAST, five novels in Elizabeth Sims’s acclaimed Lillian Byrd Crime Story series, and two graphic novels by National Book Critics Circle nominee Alison Bechdel. I've worked with established and up-and-coming authors as a developmental editor, writing mentor, line editor, and copy editor. My essays and commentary have appeared on NPR and Pacifica Radio and in USA TODAY, among other places.
I specialize in genre fiction (sci-fi, fantasy, mysteries, thrillers, horror, speculative/paranormal, dystopian fiction, action-adventure, romance, chick lit, YA, westerns, and children's books), as well as literary fiction if it's influenced by one or more of these genres. Occasionally I will take on a nonfiction book if it feels like a good fit, so try me. Once we begin collaborating, I'll work side by side with you as your editor, mentor, nagging pal, helicopter mother/tiger mom, kindly sleeve tugger, and loudest cheerleader. We will come up with a plan to help you either find a traditional publisher for your book or create a road map for self-publishing, identifying goals along the way. We'll work together as a team to develop your ideas and your book and make sure it tests your chops as a writer—I'm here to challenge you and help you produce writing you never thought possible! When things click into place like this, it is magic. And the angels sing. At least this one does.
I’ve been told I have a knack for making books the best they can be while retaining the author’s voice and style. In other words, I don’t change an author’s writing to suit my personal style; I let her or his voice shine through on each page. It is my passion to take great books and help make them fantastic. As one of my authors says, I push writing "over the brink of what's acceptable into the realm of what's extraordinary.”
Come join me on this adventure.
And don't forget to bring a book!
I specialize in genre fiction (sci-fi, fantasy, mysteries, thrillers, horror, speculative/paranormal, dystopian fiction, action-adventure, romance, chick lit, YA, westerns, and children's books), as well as literary fiction if it's influenced by one or more of these genres. Occasionally I will take on a nonfiction book if it feels like a good fit, so try me. Once we begin collaborating, I'll work side by side with you as your editor, mentor, nagging pal, helicopter mother/tiger mom, kindly sleeve tugger, and loudest cheerleader. We will come up with a plan to help you either find a traditional publisher for your book or create a road map for self-publishing, identifying goals along the way. We'll work together as a team to develop your ideas and your book and make sure it tests your chops as a writer—I'm here to challenge you and help you produce writing you never thought possible! When things click into place like this, it is magic. And the angels sing. At least this one does.
I’ve been told I have a knack for making books the best they can be while retaining the author’s voice and style. In other words, I don’t change an author’s writing to suit my personal style; I let her or his voice shine through on each page. It is my passion to take great books and help make them fantastic. As one of my authors says, I push writing "over the brink of what's acceptable into the realm of what's extraordinary.”
Come join me on this adventure.
And don't forget to bring a book!
Services
Fiction
Fantasy
Horror
LGBTQ Fiction
Literary Fiction
Middle Grade
Mystery & Crime
Science Fiction
Thriller & Suspense
Young Adult
Languages
English (AUS)
English (CAN)
English (NZ)
English (UK)
English (US)
Awards
- Five-time Lambda Literary Award nominee
Work experience
Self-employed
Nov, 2009 —
Present
Developmental editor, writing mentor, line editor, ghostwriter, and anthology editor for a variety of authors and publishers, including Kensington Books, Cleis Press, First Books, University of Wisconsin Press, Inkwater Press, Daedalus Publishing, Watermark Entertainment, Midnight Shadow Productions, and Little Acorn Press.
Alyson Books
Oct, 2002 —
Nov, 2009
(about 7 years)
Hired and managed editorial staff for a midsize trade book publisher and oversaw the timely completion and overall quality of all books from manuscript to final product. Acquired 50–60 novels and nonfiction books per year. Edited 20–25 titles per year while working closely with authors on character development, story development/structure, tone, style, grammar, and commercial viability. Worked closely with the copy editing, art, production, and marketing departments to ensure the delivery and promotion of all titles. Negotiated contracts with agents and authors. Monitored sales data and industry trends. Pitched titles at sales conferences and spoke on publishing panels on behalf of the company. Wrote and reviewed jacket copy and Amazon promo material.
Portfolio
The only things Alex Rains cares about are rock ’n’ roll, classic cars, and killing vampires—that is, until he meets Carmen, a tough-as-nails cop who's hot on the trail of her missing little sister. When the two join forces, they leave a trail of corpses acros... read more
From a #1 bestselling author:A fresh and funny romantic mystery series about a witty, down-to-earth heroine with a job you've never seen before..."So good I absolutely could not put it down! ... The entire book crackles with memorable characters ...The plot is... read more
Treasure Coast is the wild new thriller from Tom Kakonis, the acclaimed author of Criss Cross and Michigan Roll. A compulsive gambler goes to his sister's funeral on Florida's Treasure Coast and gets saddled with her loser-son, who is deep in debt to a vicious... read more
Sometimes love burns so hot in your veins that it consumes all rational thought. That’s why Brock and I never had a chance. I had to start my life over. College was my chance to become someone new. I changed everything about myself to fit in, but one person sa... read more
Reunited by tragedy, Andrew and Will are unlikely pawns in a high-stakes game of A.I. and religious fanaticism. Answering a call from beyond the grave they are unwittingly thrown into a vast technological world both deadly and fascinating. This is the breathta... read more
This novel follows three characters: Lorraine, Lexy, and Ella. Lorraine: Not long ago, Lorraine lost her husband to another woman. She thought that was the worst thing that could happen to her, but soon she realizes it’s just the beginning of an everlasting ni... read more
Melody didn't create complex phrases. She didn't connect words together. She simply spoke by putting words one after the other...until a mysterious code written in an ancient language changed everything. 1904. The Klondike Gold Rush is yesterday's news, but no... read more
From the bestselling author of Good Sam comes a fast-paced and thought-provoking follow-up, Perfectly Good Crime. Featured as "Best Summer Read" in Parade, Sunset Magazine, BuzzFeed, Working Mother and more."Dete Meserve, bestselling author of Good Sam, provid... read more
Is this The End of Sadie Myers? Ever since tragedy struck her family one year ago, Sadie’s life has become a dark brew of unearthly visions and vivid dreams in which a mysterious shadow man follows her every move. Are all these bizarre happenings real or figme... read more
The 21st Century will be remembered by the rise of the Android. Alia Vicadora is not your normal Android. Created at the hands of a disgruntled genius working in a Washington DC lab, she was engineered with stolen government technology to be used in war games,... read more
Sarah and Nickolas McGuire—ages ten and twelve, respectively—never even knew they had a Great-Aunt Vivian. But now, all of a sudden, they’re being rushed off to her manor in Australia, where they’re about to encounter a series of events beyond anything they co... read more
In the second book of The Odyssey of Jon Sinclair trilogy, Jon and his grandfather Alistair are desperate to return to the twenty-first century. Their space-time ship, however, lacks the antimatter that will enable them to travel forward in time. Realizing tha... read more
In 2099 the United States is gone. In its place stands the most powerful government the world has ever seen: the Kingdom. Led by King Charles and his Centurion Guard, Americans live in fear of being abducted north in a train marked for death. Deacon Larsen boa... read more
WINNER OF THE 2015 NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARD IN FANTASY!On the heavily forested planet of Lumin, the Network has slept, dormant, for over six hundred cycles. Only a select few remember that it resides beneath the crust of the planet, waiting, and for tho... read more
New York City, 1949. At the Candy Box Club, three steps below the street, the show is about to begin. But in this club, the world is upside down. Emcee Blackie Cole is Blanche Cohen, the chorus line is led by a stunning dark-eyed boy named Titanic, and the onl... read more
Lillian Byrd is a small-time reporter with a flair for making big-time mistakes--so her investigation into the disappearances of women around the Detroit area might not be the best idea. But when one of the victims turns up dead and Lillian recognizes the curi... read more
"My father’s body was found floating facedown in the waters off Chappaquiddick. Naturally, everyone assumed a Kennedy did it." Well, perhaps not everyone, as Graydove Hoffenstein, the Native American Jewish heir to a parking meter empire discovers after his mo... read more
In they heyday of pirating that was in the late 1600's, a group of pirates buried an enormous treasure of gold bullion in the Gallapagos Islands off the west coast of South America. It lay unmolested for more that an century, until two whalers from Nantucket, ... read more
As the gatekeeper of the Malibu social scene, Alana Fox is used to helping her clients with finding a bridge group, or even a new man. When Hollywood widow Francis Ferguson contacts Alana, however, she’s in search of something a bit more complicated–something ... read more
#1 Amazon Bestseller and multi-award winner! Romantic mystery with an uplifting ending. Good Sam is in production as a feature film. "If you are a Nicholas Sparks or Richard Paul Evans fan, I'm betting you will like author Meserve's new book GOOD SAM. Upliftin... read more
No one in his small, impoverished town believes Rick when he announces that he heard a warning on his car radio. The townsfolk cling to the hope that Mors Mortis, the gang of violent vigilante vampire hunters who will kill or enslave anyone who crosses their p... read more
Valencia Brandywine, heiress to a hotel empire, has been kidnapped, and the ransom is $7 million and her brother Rico's denouncement of his homosexuality. Valencia has been kidnapped by a group of zealots determined to convert the world's homosexuals to a life... read more
Traveling The Silk Road: an interview with author Jane Summer"Adults have forgotten the feel of a teenager's love. For you a teenager will walk through glass doors, stay awake three days in a row, be an angel standing under your window in the rain. So what tha... read more
Jo Jacuzzo is a bit down on her luck when she accepts a job offer that will take her from Buffalo, N.Y., to Tampa, Fla., to pack the belongings of the aged Mrs. Phipps and drive her back to Buffalo. But fetching heiress Charity Redmunn diverts her far from her... read more
In this, the fourth Connor Hawthorne mystery, Connor (former prosecuting attorney turned novelist) and her partner, Laura Nez, travel to Boston to attend the funeral of Catherine Wainwright, the mother of Connor's college friend and former lover, Grace. Connor... read more
After vaccinations banished it to the history books, no one ever expected a second major epidemic of the bubonic plague. But it’s here, and deadlier than ever—sweeping around the world and resistant to every form of defense medical science can throw at it. And... read more
"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword"- Matthew 10:34Jennifer Ainsley: The First Demon War is a gripping, fast-paced fantasy/horror New Adult novel grounded in the contemporary world. The book ... read more
Sigve the Awful is a renowned swordsman, soon to fight for mighty kings. But his immediate task is to survive.The Lethal Oath, the second book in The Viking Series, continues the late-Viking Age saga of Sigve the Awful – begun in The Slayer Rune.Despite his yo... read more
From the depths of the spirit And the chasms of the darkness Eight precious stones Eight matters of the soul For Mattie who was eleven and just a frizzy red-haired fifth grader, magic wasn’t even a remote possibility. Not in the basement of Sears in Hackensack... read more
Sheila Marie Palmer delivers a classic battle of good versus evil in "Life and Death on Siesta Key", her follow-up to "Life and Death on the Tamiami Trail", and the second installment in the "Life and Death" murder mystery series. Sheriff Charlotte Bernadette ... read more
The Pinnacle of History through the Eyes of a Boy This spellbinding work of historical fiction offers the eyewitness account of 15-year-old James, son of Joseph bar Jacob, and the dangerous and heartrending choices his family must make in the days leading up t... read more
Emma, Jason, and Danny Hollen are just three ordinary kids living near the Everglades National Park in Florida, that is, until they find an unexpected visitor in their backyard. To their surprise, the trio come across an egg - the egg of an extraordinary allig... read more
Syney's life may seem like a fairy tale but it is far from perfect... Six months after her coronation, the newly discovered seated queen of Altera Realm is finding it harder and harder to conform to the rules. This passionate and brilliantly written installmen... read more
"Jones' well-designed future world—and especially his driving, infectious storytelling—may win over all but the most adamant skeptics. Fans of S. M. Stirling's Dies the Fire (2004) and its sequels are likely to see this as a fantastic new series to follow. An ... read more
When a clandestine agency abducts his parents, a young boy escapes to the family’s remote beach hideaway. But as love blossoms on the beach, chaos overruns his village, and he eventually returns to find that all hope is not lost. An uplifting and illuminating ... read more
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