Overview
Lit Reactor gave me a nice write-up!
I've been a book editor at New York publishers for more than 30 years, most recently at Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Press. There I had 6 Times bestsellers, including a #1, and worked with top political figures on both sides of the aisle: Bernie Sanders, John Kasich, John Boehner, Terry McAuliffe, Jane Harman, and Stu Eizenstat, to name a few.
My list there, as they've always been, was a balance of serious nonfiction and more fun commercial nonfiction often focused on pop culture, such as a behind-the-scenes look at the MCU and an oral history of Star Wars. I also handled upmarket fiction, thrillers and crime fiction.
Previously I was at Amacom, where I had three books win or longlisted for CEO-READS Best Business Book awards; Wiley, started a sports list and had 3 Times bestsellers and 1 Edgar Award winner; and Avon, where I started a history imprint, helped start a heath imprint, and did books in every genre except romance.
I'm also an author. S&S published my fantasy novel "The Dragon Round" in July 2016, and I've published 50 speculative fiction stories.
Prior to writing fiction, I wrote poetry, publishing more than 70 and earning a Pushcart Prize nomination.
I received a B.A. in English from Wesleyan, then an M.A. in English from the University of Florida, where I published a paper in the WVU Philological Papers and taught writing for two years.
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Management
Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences
History
Sports & Outdoors
Fiction
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Literary Fiction
Science Fiction
Short Story
Languages
English (US)
Awards
- Commissioned and edited "The Science of Sherlock Holmes" by E. J. Wagner, 2007 Edgar Award Winner
- Commissioned and edited "We Are Market Basket" by Daniel Korschun and Grant Welker, 2015 CEO-READ General Business Book of the Year
- NY Times bestsellers at Thomas Dunne Books: "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump" by Bandy Lee, "Team of Vipers" by Cliff Sims, "Ladies Who Punch" by Ramin Setoodeh, "Two Paths" by John Kasich, and "Beyond Charlottesville" by Terry McAuliffe
- NY Times bestsellers at Wiley: "Never Give Up" by Tedy Bruschi, "Heaven and Hell" by Don Felder, and "The Worst Person in the World" by Keith Olbermann
Certifications
- M.A. in English, University of Florida
Work experience
Thomas Dunne Books
Dec, 2016 —
Jun, 2020
(over 3 years)
Handled serious and commercial nonfiction along with upmarket fiction, thrillers and crime novels.
Amacom
Sep, 2013 —
Present
I handle "books for bosses": leadership, management, general business and HR titles.
My top titles include: "We Are Market Basket" by Daniel Korschun and Grant Welker, the CEO-READ General Business Book of the Year and an Amazon Best Business Book of the Month; "Winning Well" by Karin Hurt and David M. Dye, longlisted for the 2016 CEO-READ Business Book of the Year in the category Management and Workplace Culture; "The Hidden Leader" by Scott Edinger and Laurie Sain, twice a Washington Post bestseller; "Lead with Humility" by Jeffrey Krames; "The 10 Laws of Trust " by Jet Blue chairman Joel Peterson; and "Smart Mom, Rich Mom" by Kimberly Palmer.
Wiley
Feb, 2000 —
Apr, 2013
(about 13 years)
Created the sports list, including Tedy Bruschi’s NY Times bestseller "Never Give Up," as well as books by Hank Haney, Jim McLean, Yogi Berra, and NPR’s Scott Simon
Helped build the pop culture list with Eagle guitarist Don Felder’s NY Times bestseller "Heaven and Hell" and Ian Christe’s "Everybody Wants Some."
Contributed to the current affairs list with Keith Olbermann’s NY Times bestseller "The Worst Person in the World," then his book "Pitchforks and Torches."
Commissioned half of the above titles, as well as many in science and history, including EJ Wagner’s Edgar Award-winning "The Science of Sherlock Holmes."
Created many tie-in properties, such as official ones with CBS’s “Criminal Minds” and PBS’s “History Detectives” and unofficial ones such as Jim Brady’s Hero of the Pacific (published alongside HBO’s “The Pacific”).
Avon Books
Feb, 1993 —
Sep, 1999
(over 6 years)
Directed Brandon Tartikoff’s fiction imprint until his passing.
Created Post Road Press, a history imprint.
Captained “Team Nonfiction,” a five-member editorial group that commissioned more than 30 titles in all genres and formats.
Also captained “Team Health,” a similar group that built the foundation for the imprint WholeCare.
Coordinated all tie-in publications, repackaging existing titles and commissioning novelizations.
Handled books in every format and every genre except romance.
Portfolio
For fans of Scott Lynch and Naomi Novik comes a high fantasy epic that blends swashbuckling adventure with a dark tale of vengeance--when a ship captain is stranded on a deserted island by his mutinous crew, he finds a rare dragon egg that just might be the ke... read more
An enthralling look at the convergence of brain science, biological computation and quantum physics, and what it implies about our minds, our selves, our future, even God Do we really have free will or do we just imagine we do? Do we create our own destinies, ... read more
Hannah Holmes A mesmerizing expedition around our dusty worldSome see dust as dull and useless stuff. But in the hands of author Hannah Holmes, it becomes a dazzling and mysterious force; Dust, we discover, built the planet we walk upon. And it tinkers with th... read more
Prepare yourself for the action-packed thriller starring Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington. The plot mixes The Hunt for Red October and Fail Safe to tell the story of a mutiny aboard the U.S.S. Alabama, a nuclear submarine, which has been ordered to fire its ... read more
Become your family's Chief Financial Officer. Of all life's financial shocks, few compare to bringing home an infant. Just one tiny person costs $250,000 to raise-- not including college! How will you pay for it? That agonizing question fuels mothers' choices ... read more
Think you can spot the leaders in your company? Don't assume that you can identify them by their positions. What about those employees who consistently step up: the field agent who solves a previously intractable problem; the service rep who thinks outside the... read more
When Fortune announced its list of the World's Greatest Leaders, the top spot was awarded--not to a captain of industry--but to the new pontiff. In the year since his election, Pope Francis earned that accolade...and more. He has achieved the remarkable: breat... read more
Shortly after Thomas Marlowe's arrival in Williamsburg, Virginia, all in that newfound capital city are speaking his name. With the bounty from his years as a pirate--a life he intends to renounce and keep forever secret--he purchases a fine plantation from a ... read more
James Carlos Blake is a masterful chronicler of the restless, outcast, the lawless, and the lonelyheart. His previous novel, In the Rogue Blood, was awarded the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction. Now he has written a powerful and rousing historical saga... read more
American history is a complex weave of heroism and courage, conquest and carnage -- and no novelist today better understands the checkered character of our past than Los Angeles Times Book Prize winner James Carlos Blake. In prose as richly colored as an artis... read more
Throughout the annals of history, the best of intentions—and sometimes the worst—have set in motion events with a vastly different outcome than originally intended. In this entertaining, fact-filled chronicle, William Forstchen and Bill Fawcett explore the wat... read more
"Bernard Weisberger has once again brought the past to life. If you want to experience the crossfire of intellectual and political ferment at the dawn of our Republic, open these pages and start ducking."--Bill MoyersAmerica Afire is the powerful story of the ... read more
The adventure spans the world from Stonehenge to astronomically aligned pyramids at Giza, from Mayan observatories at Chichen Itza to the atomic clock in Washington, the world's official timekeeper since the 1960s. We visit cultures from Vedic India and Cleopa... read more
A bold new theory on what sparked the ""big bang"" of human cultureThe abrupt emergence of human culture over a stunningly short period continues to be one of the great enigmas of human evolution. This compelling book introduces a bold new theory on this unsol... read more
For the bestselling miscellany market, an NPR librarian's compendium of fascinating facts on history, science, and the artsHow much water do the Great Lakes contain? Who were the first and last men killed in the Civil War? How long is a New York minute? What a... read more
Praise for The Court of the Last Tsar""Any book by Greg King is a book to be kept and savored. He has not only given us a fresh, clear-eyed, and often startling new look at the life of the last Romanovs, but also lived up to the promise of his title. He has sh... read more
How an oddly attributed $19,000 picture proved to be a $100 million work by Leonardo da Vinci—a true art-world detective storyIn late 2010, art collector Peter Silverman revealed that a ""German, early 19th century"" portrait he had bought for $19,000 was, in ... read more
A thorough, exciting examination of 18th-century pirate life,with wonderful details.--Publishers Weekly""Interesting and exciting . . . a thoroughly enjoyable chronicle of an interesting life and interesting era.""--BooklistThe definitive biography of history'... read more
The dramatic arc of Saigo Takamori's life, from his humble origins as a lowly samurai, to national leadership, to his death as a rebel leader, has captivated generations of Japanese readers and now Americans as well - his life is the inspiration for a major Ho... read more
An extraordinary new series intended to capture extraordinary moments in history.-Chicago TribuneTURNING POINTS features preeminent writers offering fresh, personal perspectives on the defining events of our time.Available NowEleanor Clift, Founding Sisters an... read more
When above-the-knee amputeeswalk, we generate seven to nine times the force of our body weight right into the point where the prosthesis meets our residual leg. For me, that's almost 1,500 pounds slamming into that socket.For any amputee, learning to walk with... read more
A son comes of age in a fiercely political world""Thomas Fleming gives us an unforgettable story about an immigrant family--his family--as it struggles to find a place in the American century. He shares with us the dreams and heartaches of his parents, and, in... read more
An adult LEGO fan's dual quest: to build with bricks and build a familyThere are 62 LEGO bricks for every person in the world, and at age 30, Jonathan Bender realized that he didn't have a single one of them. While reconsidering his childhood dream of becoming... read more
One Marine's gripping story of the bloody battles, the Surge, and the Awakening of Sunni tribes that changed the tide in Iraq's Anbar provinceSeven minutes into the first patrol a firefight erupts. Quickly, the Marines of Rage Company became acquainted with th... read more
The story that captivated a nation?how a horribly neglected little girl was rescued by her loving adoptive parentsIn July 2005, a six-year-old girl named Danielle was removed from her Florida home after authorities found her living in bug-ridden squalor, subje... read more
A Special Memoir for a Special Moment in Hollywood History . . .Some Like It Hot occupies a unique place in American culture. This beloved classic showcases five comic geniuses: Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, I. A. L. Diamond, Billy Wilder, and Marilyn Monroe. It h... read more
Inside the making of one of the biggest-selling albums of all time: Fleetwood Mac's RumoursFleetwood Mac's classic 1977 Rumours album topped the Billboard 200 for thirty-one weeks and won the Album of the Year Grammy. More recently, Rolling Stone named it the ... read more
The first definitive biography of the ultimate American rock bandHow did a pair of little Dutch boys trained in classical music grow up to become the nucleus of the most popular heavy metal band of all time? What's the secret behind Eddie Van Halen's incredibl... read more
An extraordinary book . . . invitingly written and brisk.--Chicago Tribune""Perhaps no one has ever told the tale [of Robinson's arrival in the major leagues] so well as [Simon] does in this extended essay.""--The Washington Post Book World""Scott Simon tells ... read more
The most valuable team player in sports shows you what ""teamwork"" really meansWhat does it take to be a real team player, especially in a society that glorifies selfishness and a corporate culture that often uses ""team player"" as a buzzword but rewards onl... read more
Top golfing instructor Jim McLean shares the secret to a better swing and a better gameIt's what every great golfer knows and every struggling player wants to know: how to find ""the slot,"" the perfect channel through which the shaft and club head can meet th... read more
Praise for The Secret of Hogan's Swing""The Secret of Hogan's Swing goes beyond pure instruction, offering insightful shot-making and strategy tips passed on to former tour pro John Schlee from Ben Hogan and interpreted wonderfully by Tom Bertrand and Printer ... read more
""Hank knows more about ball flight and what controls it than anyone in the game."" —Masters and British Open champion Mark O'MearaGet back to basics and build your best possible golf swingLots of golf instructors can show you tricks to correct a hook or to st... read more
Moonbase Vegas has become a mecca for wheelers and dealers--and a bagman named Deuce McNamara. Working for one of the six controlling families, the Borgiolis, Deuce enacts the dual roles of both dealer and agent, until he realizes that this cutthroat game is a... read more
A unique and splendidly researched story, following the trials and triumphs of Julius Caesar's Legio X-arguably the most famous legion of its day-from its activation to the slogging battle of Munda and from Thapsus, Caesar's tactical masterpiece, to the grim s... read more
Praise for The Science of Sherlock Holmes""Holmes is, first, a great detective, but he has also proven to be a great scientist, whether dabbling with poisons, tobacco ash, or tire marks. Wagner explores this fascinating aspect of his career by showing how his ... read more
Because you can't afford to lose it... Trust is the glue that holds an organization together. It turns deflection into transparency, suspicion into empowerment, and conflict into creativity. With it, a tiny company like John Deere grew into a worldwide leader.... read more
What if a company were so treasured and trusted that people literally took to the streets - by the thousands - to save it? That company is Market Basket, a popular New England supermarket chain. After long-time, CEO Arthur T. Demoulas was ousted by his cousin ... read more
Tedy gives you something to believe in. Whether we're winning or losing, he holds his head high, and he knows himself and handles himself so well, others can't help but follow him. The way he practices and plays forces you to become a better teammate; the way ... read more
All of the failings and missteps of celebrities, politicians, and a few just-plain-dumb folks, as seen on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith OlbermannKeith Olbermann is more popular than ever, and ratings for Countdown are up 85 percent over the last year. A key fea... read more
The Eagles are the bestselling, and arguably the tightest-lipped, American group ever. Now band member and guitarist Don Felder finally breaks the Eagles’ years of public silence to take fans behind the scenes. He shares every part of the band’s wild ride, fro... read more
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