If you are visiting the editorial team page on our website, it’s with the eye to know who we are and what we do. Our lists are as varied as the personalities here, and I’m thrilled to be overseeing publishing programs at SMP. But for me, personally, as an editor, it boils down to this: I want to discover books that surprise me and make me feel something. Whether that’s the joy of a mother’s reunion with her child or the terror of a woman discovering something very unexpected or sinister about her past, I want to find authors who make me look at the world in a way I haven’t prior to reading his or her words. In addition to being publisher, I also edit a few of my beloved authors including: Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Hannah, Chevy Stevens, C. J. Box, Diane Chamberlain, Lisa Lillien a.k.a. Hungry Girl, Sarah Addison Allen, Katherine Center, Sarah Pekkanen, Sally Hepworth, Jamie Day, Michele Campbell, Rob Bell, and Nina de Gramont.

I have always believed that there is nothing more thrilling, deep-down soul satisfying, than reading someone’s work and then (literally or figuratively) grabbing someone else by the lapels and saying, “You have got to read this.”

As editor in chief, I’m responsible for managing many of our editors, connecting them with authors, agents, and ideas, and helping them plan and publish books in the best way. St. Martin’s publishes across the entire spectrum of books; our list offers breadth and depth to all kinds of readers. Discovery, energy, and commitment to authors are the driving forces of our house.

I publish commercial, voice-driven books on politics, current affairs and issues, investigative journalism, memoir, narrative nonfiction, sports/adventure, popular science—and the occasional literary novel, if it’s right for me. Nonfiction highlights include The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton and Lara Love Hardin; The Threat by Andrew G. McCabe; If You Want Something Done by Nikki Haley; Freedom by Angela Merkel; Cobalt Red by Siddharth Kara; Who Could Ever Love You by Mary Trump; Buses Are a Comin’ by Charles Person and Richard Rooker; Sixty One by Chris Paul; After by Bruce Greyson; The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire by Henry Gee; and the Killing series by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard. Notable fiction: Rednecks by Taylor Brown, A Place to Hide by Ronald Balson, and All the Ruined Men by Bill Glose.

I began my career in publishing at St. Martin’s Press in 1993; now I serve as the Publishing Director of Minotaur Books, our celebrated crime imprint, and I also acquire and edit about ten books a year for Minotaur. Leading Minotaur’s quest to publish the finest and broadest range of today’s crime and mystery fiction is my number one goal. Personally, my taste in crime and thriller runs the gamut but focuses on the more serious and deeply drawn, but is always on the commercial side; furthermore, I am looking for authors with an eye on building a career, not publishing just one book. Some of my recent books include New York Times bestsellers Louise Penny’s The Grey Wolf and Stacy Willingham’s A Flicker in the Dark, and John McMahon’s Head Cases. In addition, I work with several longtime genre superstars like Kelley Armstrong, Rhys Bowen, C.J. Box, Allison Brennan, and David Rosenfelt. Upcoming titles include Stacy Willingham’s Forget Me Not, Gillian French’s Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell, and Rebecca Philipson’s How to Get Away with Murder.

What speaks most to me is a strong narrative voice with a commercial bent, usually somewhere at the crossroads of quality writing and commercial landscapes; if a book tells a gripping story, launches the career of a promising writer, is race-to-the-last-page unputdownable, or introduces unforgettable characters, it just might be for me.

Having begun my career at Pan Macmillan UK, in early 2017 I moved across to Minotaur Books at St. Martin’s Press. I’m excited to be a part of the dynamic Minotaur team where every book is given focus, energy, and creativity from acquisition to publication and beyond.

I’m actively looking for thrillers, mysteries, suspense, and psychological thrillers at the upmarket end of commercial—in particular female and diverse voices. I love when a writer can create a totally immersive experience for the reader; having you turning the pages, heedless of your surroundings. For me, the secret sauce is a compulsive plot driven by an emotional heart: complex relationships with secrets that threaten them; ordinary people pushed by extraordinary circumstances; small, close-knit communities with a dark core. I also love books that can offer a spin on traditional crime fiction tropes, and I have embraced the recent trend for sharply humorous voice-driven mysteries.

I’m proud to publish several New York Times bestselling authors, including Ann Cleeves, whose Shetland, Vera, and Two Rivers series are also all major TV series; queen of domestic suspense B.A. Paris, author of Behind Closed Doors; Elle Cosimano, author of the beloved Finlay Donovan series, a hilarious and heartfelt crime romp about a single mom who accidentally becomes a hit-woman; and Sandie Jones, author of the twisty and thrilling Reese’s Book Club pick, The Other Woman.

My list also includes Alex Finlay, who writes character-driven and pulse-pounding thrillers including the forthcoming Parents Weekend; the acclaimed Ausma Zehanat Khan, whose latest series features a Muslim police officer whose investigations intersect with issues of policing in minority communities; Mariah Fredericks, whose novels The Wharton Plot and The Girl in the Green Dress reimagine famous 20th century crimes through the unique lens of an adjacent literary figure; Ragnar Jonasson, Icelandic ; and Catherine Mack, whose series debut Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies was an instant USA Today and #1 bestseller in Canada. New to my list are LM Kemp, with a darkly comedic series about a former spy and mother, returning to the game, starting with I, Spy, and Jack Holiday, whose forthcoming series starting with Peach Fuzz features a PI in Texas investigating his uncle’s murder.

I started my publishing career at Macmillan in 2007 working on math and chemistry textbooks. Since then, I have held roles in sales and marketing with the ultimate goal of finding an audience for fantastic and unique voices. I fell in love with the excitement of reading a special new voice for the first time and have found my true passion in editorial. As an Executive Editor I use the skills learned in my various roles to help create lasting careers.

On the fiction side I gravitate toward commercial stories with a fabulous hook and a captivating voice. I am always on the lookout for the type of read that stays with you long after you finish the last page. The one that makes you fall in love, cry and jump for joy. Maybe even all at once! In the categories of adult, new adult and young adult. My fiction list includes Reese Witherspoon pick and New York Times bestseller Fable by Adrienne Young, swoony and sexy romances from bestselling authors Elle Kennedy and Mazey Eddings and TikTok sensations Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross, Where The Library Hides by Isabel Ibanez and You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao.

On the non-fiction side I love sharp voices and compelling narratives. My non-fiction list includes New York Times bestsellers, Here & Hereafter by Tyler Henry, A Well-Trained Wife by Tia Levings, and Momma Cusses by Gwenna Laithland. I want to be moved, to learn something, to feel something, to be so excited I want to shout to everyone that will listen…and I am waiting for the next book to do that.

I started at St. Martin’s Press in 2007 as an Editorial Assistant and am now the founder, VP and Editorial Director of Wednesday Books, our crossover young adult imprint, and co-founder, VP and Editorial Director of Saturday Books, our New Adult imprint. On both imprints, we publish bold, diverse, commercial voices, offering a boutique publishing experience within the powerhouse that is the St. Martin’s Publishing Group. We are innovators in our field with a dedicated team of book lovers and book advocates working on every title.

In the course of my career here I’ve worked with bestselling authors Rainbow Rowell, Hayley Kiyoko, Kim Liggett, Dana Schwartz, Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee, Stephanie Perkins, Kasie West, Courtney Summers, and more. I love coming-of-age stories of any kind and stories with a strong, emotional storyline at their core, be it a romance or a friendship or the bond between human and animal. I’m looking for contemporary realistic stories, grounded speculative stories, grounded contemporary fantasy, and anything with a perfect blend of heart and humor, big themes that make you think, and big emotions that make you feel. I love stories that are published for young adults but could be read by adults, and stories for “new adults”, or readers in those precious early years of adulthood when everything is scary and new.

Welcome to St. Martin’s Essentials, our lifestyle imprint dedicated to books that make lives—and the world—a better place. Since our first book was published in January 2019, St. Martin’s Essentials has hit the ground running. With over 150 books published and in the pipeline, we’ve grown quickly, thoughtfully, and successfully.

And we keep growing.

I’ve been in the book business for many years, and I can’t think of a time I’ve been more excited about upcoming titles. From motivation, soft business, inspiration, wellness, creativity, psychology, and body/mind/spirit, the books of St. Martin’s Essentials are all aimed at bringing the most potent, positive, and practical books, from the best and freshest voices in these genres, to readers both here and around the world.

I’m looking for books that inspire, educate, and motivate. I’m looking for authors who I can work with to bring their genius to the page, so we can reach as many people as possible. The categories I tend to acquire in include high-concept self-help, creativity, soft-business, and spirituality. Recent and upcoming books include The Daily Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron; Surrounded by Idiots: Revised & Expanded by Thomas Erikson; The Heart Code by Bradley Nelson; Encounters by D. W. Pasulka; Chasing Evil by John Edward and Robert Hilland, Forgiveness by Michelle Wadleigh, Queer and Christian by Brandan Robertson, Lovable by Amber Rae, and The Fifth Season by Mark Nepo. As you can see, I love publishing transformative books by authors who have something important to say, and who are inspiring many with their passion and their brilliance.

Our goal for St. Martin’s Essentials? To become the best lifestyle publisher in the world! A lofty goal? Of course! But why would we strive for anything less?

I joined St. Martin’s Publishing Group in 2018, after a decade at Atria Books/Simon & Schuster. During my tenure at Atria, I edited a range of bestselling and critically acclaimed writers including Taylor Jenkins Reid, Lisa Jewell, Jennifer Weiner, Lucinda Riley, Carola Lovering, Karin Tanabe, and Sarah Pekkanen. My list at SMPG includes some of those writers, and new ones, like New York Times bestselling authors Rachel Hawkins, Jessica George, and Emilia Hart, as well as critically acclaimed debut novelists Laurie Albanese, Mikki Brammer, and Katie Bishop.

At St. Martin’s, I am acquiring big upmarket commercial fiction: book club fiction, domestic drama, historical fiction, psychological suspense, literary thrillers, and romantic comedy with a smart, high-concept hook. I am also interested in select narrative nonfiction that illuminates women’s issues and women’s stories, and accessible poetry that readers can turn to as a form of self-care.

I spent the formative years of my childhood with my head buried in a book––and the stories I fell in deepest love with as a girl still influence my reading taste today. I love narratives that center on buried secrets that are finding the light, old houses with memories embedded in their walls, and scrappy, dazzling, complex female voices. I adore books set in the kinds of cloistered settings (boarding schools, ships, small towns) that are powder kegs waiting to explode. As a former ballerina and current marathoner, I am fascinated by stories that explore the singular focus and ferocity of dedicated artists and athletes, and grant us access to their interior lives. I’m forever drawn to novels where the reading experience is fundamentally altered by the narrative structure––it feels more important and relevant than ever to have fiction underscore for readers that a story is wholly defined by who tells it, and when, and how. I edit from a place of character motivation, so I am always looking for richly developed protagonists who take the reader by the hand and urge them to come along for the ride. 

Above all else, I want narratives that are full of heart—its whims, its discontents, its dark and messy corners, and its remarkable, redemptive possibilities.

I have been working at St. Martin’s Press since 1996. My nonfiction list consists of history, military narratives, sports, and outdoor adventure titles as well as pop culture, music books, and memoirs.

In my career at SMP I have published over 40 New York Times bestsellers and 50 national bestsellers. My military list includes the New York Times bestsellers Kill Bin Laden, Seal Team Six, The Red Circle, Trident K9 Warriors, Black Ops, The Reaper, No Ordinary Dog and Three Wise Men. I also published the 5 million-copy- selling leadership book Extreme Ownership as well as the bestseller, The Dichotomy of Leadership by Leif Babin and Jocko Willink. I’ve also published Jocko’s bestselling solo projects, Discipline Equals Freedom and Leadership Strategy and Tactics along with the Jocko Press line of books. A motivational book I published by Cameron Hanes, Endure, has sold a million copies and his forthcoming book, Undeniable, is poised to be another hit.

Also on my eclectic nonfiction list are sports books by everyone from Big Papi to Arnold Palmer; and music books by and about members of the Grateful Dead; Nothin’ But a Good Time about ’80’s hair metal and the bestselling biography of Stevie Ray Vaughn, Texas Flood. I published the bestselling narrative histories Dodge City and Tombstone by Tom Clavin and Blood and Treasure and The Last Hill by Clavin and Bob Drury. My bestselling pop culture books include an oral history of Grey’s Anatomy, How to Save a Life, and Surely You Can’t Be Serious by the creators of Airplane!

When people ask me what I love about my job, my response is always the same: the variety of books and authors on my list makes every day a fascinating challenge. My list encompasses bestselling commercial fiction, like New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict’s The Queens of Crime, in which a fictional Dorothy Sayers teams up with Agatha Christie and three other legends of the Golden Age of British Crime to solve the real-life murder of a young nurse. Crime fiction—mystery and suspense—is a big area for me, and my Minotaur titles include two-time Edgar Award Winner Linda Castillo’s New York Times bestselling Amish series (Rage) and Tasha Alexander’s New York Times bestselling historical crime series (A Cold Highland Wind), as well as Edgar Award Finalist Paul Doiron’s brilliant mysteries set in Maine (Skin and Bones), and Charles Finch’s critically acclaimed Victorian mysteries (The Hidden City).

I enjoy celebrity biographies, like New York Times bestselling author Randy Taraborrelli’s JFK: Public, Private, Secret; or Her Lotus Year: China, the Roaring Twenties and the Making of Wallis Simpson by Paul French; or Runaway Train: Or, the Story of My Life So Far by Eric Roberts, the actor brother of Julia Roberts, with Sam Kashner.

Narrative nonfiction is a favorite of mine, among them underwater archeologist David Gibbins’ A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks; or A Promise Delivered: Ten American Heroes and the Battle to Rename our Nation’s Military Bases by Ty Seidule and Connor Williams; or Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon, the Untold Story by Jeffrey Kluger.

Works of history and biography I’ve published include Natalie Livingstone’s The Women of Rothschild; or Anne Sebba’s upcoming The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz: A Story of Survival; or Azadeh Maoveni’s The East Wing about the complex relationship between American First Ladies and their social secretaries and the role of women in the White House; or Helen Rappaport’s The Rebel Romanov: Julie of Saxe-Coburg, the Empress Russia Never Had about a woman who gave up the possibility of a throne to live life on her own terms.

Over the last 30 years, I’ve held many roles—from Associate Publisher to Editorial Director—and I have always enjoyed working closely with authors to create the best possible book. My passion, though, is in the challenge of building established authors and launching the careers of new ones.

My fiction list is broad. I’ve published in almost every genre, but invariably find myself drawn to commercial fiction such as literary thrillers like the bestselling novels by John Hart; speculative fiction in the vein of Jason Pargin; historical novels with a twist akin to the wonderful witchy works of Paula Brackston; groundbreaking epic fantasy with New York Times bestselling Jay Kristoff (over 850,000 copies sold); powerful science fiction with Lindsay Ellis; and quality mysteries from Minotaur authors such as Donna Andrews, Julia Spencer-Fleming, and Arnaldur Indridason.

I cast a wide net for my nonfiction list and look for sports, memoir, history and science. In recent years I’ve had great success with The Immortality Key (over 300k copies sold), the pre-history works of Graham Hancock (500k sold), a look at the creation of AI in Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race That Will Change the World (Winner of the Financial Times Book of the Year Award), and engaging sports books.

Upcoming titles include two nature/weather related memoirs in A Billion Butterflies and The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue; Death by Astonishment: The History and Science of the World’s Strangest Drug by Andrew R. Gallimore, PhD: a hilarious look at Formula 1 Racing, an exploration of Lionel Messi; and a chilling horror novel in The Atlas of Unknowable Things.

I acquire primarily in the areas of narrative nonfiction, business, sports, and politics. My recent books include Rob Copeland’s New York Times bestseller The Fund, József Debreczeni’s Cold Crematorium, one of the New York Times ten best books for 2024, Lee Yaron’s National Jewish Book Award winner, 10/7, Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao’s The Friction Project, and Ali Velshi’s Small Acts of Courage. Other projects include Kim Scott’s landmark bestsellers Radical Respect and Radical Candor; Working Backwards by Colin Bryar and Bill Carr; Safi Bahcall’s national bestseller Loonshots; #1 New York Times bestseller On the House by John Boehner; Preventable by Andy Slavitt; and the New York Times bestseller One Nation After Trump by E.J. Dionne, Thomas Mann, and Norman Ornstein.

Regardless of category, I’m looking for some combination of three elements: strong, provocative argumentation; important subject; and compelling narrative. I particularly enjoy the challenge of conceiving the idea for a book and finding the right author for it.

I love the kinds of books I acquire and edit for us at St. Martin’s!

Ranging from wonderfully written fiction, to food and health books with a practical aspect to big personality-based nonfiction, those books are easy to cheer for. And cheering, both in-house and out, is part of an editor’s job.

But so, of course, is editing. And there’s nothing I love more than taking an author—often a first-timer—and helping them develop that seed of “I think I have something people will want to read about” into strong-selling and well- reviewed final form.

In health and wellness, Brennan Spiegel, M.D.’s Pull is an eye-opener: you can’t escape how gravity shapes your body, but understanding how to relate to it can steady the mind and guide your choices in food, exercise, sleep and treatments. And Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas’ debut novel, Climbing in Heels, is exactly the kind of fiction I look for: a great story (in this case, informed by Goldsmith-Thomas’ days as one of the first female super-agents in Hollywood) that’s packed with surprises and delights.

When it comes to books by personalities, Blondie co-founder Chris Stein’s Under a Rock and Erika Ayers Badan’s Nobody Cares About Your Career are just the kind of meaty and effervescent books I love to help shape and bring to market: ones from talented voices in other worlds who can get what they’ve lived through, and what they know, between covers for the rest of us!

After decades in publishing, I still get a thrill from new submissions. And I love working closely with writers to make their books great and then watching how those books transform readers’ and writers’ lives–not to mention the world!

Some recent publication include: Ukrainian poet Victoria Amelina’s Looking at Women Looking at War (a USA Today bestseller); Tore Olsson’s Red Dead’s History, presenting US history through the lens of a popular video game; Gretchen Sisson’s Relinquished, a finalist for the 2024 National Book Critics Circle Award; and astronomer Lisa Kaltenegger’s Alien Earths. Upcoming publications include MacArthur Genius Award winner Cristina Jimenez’s Dreaming of Home: How We Turn Fear into Pride, Power, and Real Change; Dr. Joan Williams’s Outclassed: Healing the Problem of the Left that Fuels the Far Right; Pulitzer Prize winner Trymaine Lee’s A Thousand Ways to Die: The True Cost of Black Life in America; Helen Veit’s Picky: How American Children Became the Fussiest Easters in History; and Lisa Levy’s Funeral in My Brain: A Biography of Migraine.

For Essentials I am building a list of faith leaders responding to challenges both within organized religion and in the world, including: Jim Wallis’s New York Times bestseller False White Gospel, Diana Butler Bass’s A Beautiful Year, Brad Onishi’s American Caesar, TikTok’er Dan McClellan’s The Bible Says So; and Brian McLaren’s Faith After Doubt.

I love fiction that startles you with a new way of looking at the world, beautiful writing but also page-turning storytelling. Whiting Award winner Eiren Caffall’s first novel All the Water in the World was a Barnes & Noble Discover Pick, an Indie Pick, and an Amazon Editor’s Pick. Set in a future NYC of storms and flooding, it follows a family living on the roof of the Museum of Natural History—a cross between Station Eleven and From the Mixed-Up of Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Eleven Percent, the first novel to appear in English by celebrated Danish author Maren Uthaug, is a provocative inverse Handmaid’s Tale.

I am looking for narrative nonfiction that gives contemporary issues a human face, history with a fresh angle (US and WWII), stories that have not been told before especially those of women and people of color, books about therapy, new perspectives on faith (for Essentials), food writing, natural history, memoir, and literary fiction.

I love non-fiction that makes me think, but I also like to be entertained when I read. Given that, the areas I gravitate to are history, politics, biography, memoir and performing arts. My list includes the #1 New York Times bestseller Humans by Brandon Stanton as well as two other New York Times bestsellers Kushner, Inc. by Vicky Ward and Playing With Myself by internet sensation Randy Rainbow. Upcoming on my list are Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench, Randy Rainbow’s next book – Low-Hanging Fruit, Miss May Does Not Exist – a biography of Elaine May – by Carrie Courogen, Cloistered: My Years as a Nun by Catherine Coldstream, Mortal Secrets: Freud, Vienna and the Birth of the Modern Mind by Frank Tallis and The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon: The Life and Times of Washington’s Most Private First Lady by Heath Hardage Lee. Other published titles from my list include Into Siberia by Gregory Wallance, Brandon Stanton’s #1 New York Times bestseller Humans of New York: Stories; Jane Austen at Home and Queen Victoria , both by Lucy Worsley; And Furthermore by Judi Dench (New York Times bestseller); Mississippi Sissy by Kevin Sessums (New York Times bestseller and winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Memoir) and For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics, by Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry, and Minyon Moore (winner of the NAACP Image Award for Non- fiction).

After a long career in publishing as President & Publisher of the Berkley Publishing Group (an imprint of Penguin Random House), I am thrilled to be at St. Martin’s Press. Some of the authors I have personally edited include #1 New York Times bestselling Nora Roberts, Ken Follett, and Patricia Cornwell.

My passion for reading, discovering new voices, and expanding the readership for established writers is what I love most about being an editor. At SMP, I continue to edit bestselling author Nora Roberts (aka J. D. Robb), while acquiring an eclectic list of extraordinary fiction. Some recent titles include: No Two Persons by New York Times bestselling author Erica Bauermeister, an unforgettable literary novel about the power of books and how they can affect us in the most beautiful and unexpected ways; The Trail of Lost Hearts by New York Times bestselling author Tracey Garvis Graves, a captivating story of second chances; Hotel Laguna by Nicola Harrison, a wonderful historical of love and intrigue; the stunning new crime thriller, The Unlucky Ones by Hannah Morrissey; and A Blood Red Morning by acclaimed mystery writer Mark Pryor set in Paris during WWII.

Entertain and emotionally engage me with a textured, compelling commercial or literary page-turner. It’s always all about the story.

As a long time editor at St. Martin’s Press, over the years, I’ve worked on a broad range of books with a diverse group of authors. Currently, my focus is predominantly on commercial fiction, including a number of award-winning and New York Times bestselling authors. The mix of fiction includes commercial fiction (Natalie Jenner, A. D. Bell); thrillers (Gregg Hurwitz, James Byrne, Jennifer Hillier); and mysteries (Sara Paretsky, Phillip Margolin, P. J. Nelson).

Favorite recent books include both debut authors (Booked for Murder by P. J. Nelson and the forthcoming The Survivor by Andrew Reid) and established writers (new books and series coming from Sara Paretsky and Susan Elia MacNeal). Recent bestsellers include Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz and Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier.

I work with writers at all stages of their careers—established writers, writers who are branching out into new areas, and beginning novelists. I’m particularly interested in working with writers with an eye to developing a career over the long term. (Some of my authors I’ve published for over two decades.) In my mind, what links the books on my list are the quality of writing, a distinct, compelling authorial voice, and a strong narrative. As an editor, I’ve found it isn’t the topic, story, or “hook” that is the determining factor for interesting, enriching, and successful books—it’s the quality of execution by a uniquely talented author.

There’s a quote I keep close at all times: “Your story was beautiful—it made my heart beat.” And this is exactly what I want from a great book. I want that book of yours with a wildly beating heart at its center, one that makes my heart beat wildly, too.

I acquire fiction across imprints for St. Martin’s Publishing Group, including Wednesday and Saturday, and certain things I’ve found to be true no matter what. For both adult and young adult fiction, I want dynamic, propulsive reads across genres that immediately capture the imagination. Diverse voices for diverse readers are a must. And I love to be surprised.

During my career, I have been lucky to edit books that make readers ready to rush into battle to save a kingdom, have them begging for tissues, whisk them away to another time and place, and even leave them breathless, without words, and ready to fall in love.

Current and upcoming titles include: a gritty Beauty and the Beast inspired adult romantasy in which a cursed hero must form a soul bond with his enemy’s exiled daughter or lose himself to the monster within (The Last Thorn by Talia Hibbert); a magnetic YA Southern Gothic inspired by Appalachian folklore (Wake the Bones by Elizabeth Kilcoyne); a big-hearted adult rom com where an up-and-coming event planner tries to fake date his way to success… with his ex-boyfriend (I Think They Love You by Julian Winters); a sparkling YA contemporary romance where love, family, and food collide (Hangry Hearts by Jennifer Chen); and a thrilling YA contemporary fantasy set in a world of magic, gods, and monsters inspired by Norse mythology (Soul of Shadow by Emma Noyes).

What’s the next book that will make my heart beat? Let’s find out together.

There is truly nothing I love more than sitting down with a book that roots me to the floor, compels me to read straight through, and gives me a unique emotional experience.

I specialize in commercial fiction, and look for that “can’t-put-it-down” kind of read in romance, book club, suspense, thriller, mystery, speculative, and horror. Over the years, it has been my utmost privilege to work with many bestselling and critically-acclaimed authors, including Emma Lord, Tarah DeWitt, Pamela Kelley, Darynda Jones, Camilla Sten, Neena Viel, and Julie Soto, among others.

I am most attracted to books and authors that have a clear, definitive voice and style that brims with intensity and emotion. Across all my areas of interest I look for a high-concept hook, immersive storytelling, and a strong sense of narrative drive. Whether it’s a thrilling and riveting suspense novel that keeps you guessing till the end, a hopeful or heartbreaking love story, or a fresh and inventive horror novel, the connecting theme across my list is storytelling that pulls you right in, coupled with a strong emotional heartbeat. It is my passion to work closely with authors editorially and strategically throughout the publishing process, and I am always on the lookout for that next special book!

I’ve worked in publishing for over twenty years, including long stints at Scribner and Picador, where I published authors such as Katha Pollitt, Jeff Chang, and Damon Tweedy. At St. Martin’s I’ve been happy to continue to publish works of literary fiction and narrative non-fiction. Some of the notable books I’ve published at St. Martin’s include Mill Town by Kerri Arsenault, shortlisted for the 2020 National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize; The Inevitable by Katie Engelhart, who was the recipient of a 2021 George Polk Award; and The Address Book by Deidre Mask, shortlisted for the 2020 Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction, and most recently Scaachi Koul’s Sucker Punch.

I’m interested in voice-driven narratives, particularly novels and non- fiction by writers of color, LGBTQ+ writers and those outside the dominant narrative. Along those lines, I appreciate projects that can express a wonder and appreciation about the human experience while also addressing harder truths and outrage over injustice. I’m drawn to journalistic accounts of culture, history, science and psychology, and projects that are centered on a more formal topic through personal experience. I’d love to acquire more books by female scientists and scientists of color, and as a native New Yorker, I’m always searching for novels and non-fiction set in and around the city.

In the past few years I have published a number of amazing books. I am proud of all of them, and really thrilled for each and every author that I work with.

Most recently, there’s Mark Divine’s terrific Staring Down the Wolf, a Navy Seal Leadership book; Ron Darling’s New York Times bestselling 108 Stitches; and Katrin Davidsdottir’s beloved CrossFit memoir Dottir. Some other notable books (two of my favorites) I’ve published over the years are Clive Barker’s decades-in-the-making The Scarlet Gospels, also a New York Times bestseller, and the very end of Pinhead; and the legendary wrestler Daniel Bryan’s New York Times bestselling Yes (based on his “Yes” chant). I’ve always had a love for horror and thrillers and that is featured best in New York Times bestseller Jonathan Maberry’s Joe Ledger series. One of my all-time favorite novels that we published recently is Crossings by Alex Landragin, a historical cross-genre novel that can be read in two different directions, which was an Indie Next Pick, a Jenny Lawson Book Club pick, and B&N Book Club pick. As well as Christopher Golden’s Road of Bones which was a B&N Book club pick as well. Not to be forgotten is also my love of literary figures, the latest of which was Joan Didion, profiled in the biography The Last Song, a New York Times bestseller by Tracy Daugherty, and whose new book Larry McMurtry is sure to make a splash. Forthcoming, I am very excited about Ed Ashton’s Mal Goes to War, a stunning speculative take on AI by the author of Mickey 7, which is soon to be a major motion picture (Mickey17) from Oscar winner Bong Joon Ho, starring Robert Pattinson.My books have won or been finalists for the NBCC Awards, Edgar Award, Stoker New Yorker Notable, and the New York Times Book Review Notable. I’ve had over two dozen national bestsellers and nine New York Times bestsellers.

I am seeking a broad range of quality nonfiction in biography, sports memoir, fitness, commercial tie-ins, celebrity memoir, and smart pop culture; and in fiction I am looking for science-fiction, cross-genre, horror, and thrillers.

Growing up, I sometimes got in trouble for reading too much at the dinner table. To this day, nothing makes me happier than reading a book that transports me to another world, with characters that stick with me long after the last sentence. I began working at SMP in 2015 as a Publisher’s Assistant at Minotaur Books—a dream job for a book lover! Today, I have a robust list of both fiction and nonfiction, geared toward (but not limited to) millennial female readers with their finger on the cultural pulse, featuring strong voices and plenty of heart.

For fiction, send me any novel that explores complex themes wrapped in a commercial package, and anything that you would have on your vacation TBR. I’m looking for thrillers, book club fiction, rom-coms, historical fiction, and more. My taste ranges from upmarket commercial fiction to the more literary side, focusing on voice, plot, and character-driven stories—like Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler. I love stories about second chances, women who are rebels or passionate about their careers, complex friendships, families with secrets, and explorations of all forms of relationships. And I will never get enough of psychological suspense with a dark edge, like Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead by Jenny Hollander. I speak French and lived in Paris for a time, so I’m also drawn to novels set in France (or nonfiction about French culture!), and am always on the lookout for French novels in translation with crossover appeal for an English-speaking audience.

On the nonfiction side, my list feels like an extension of the fiction I work on—memoirs, essay collections, and platform-driven narrative nonfiction with feminist and/or humorous elements. Books like the New York Times bestseller One in a Millennial by Kate Kennedy, which explores the female millennial zeitgeist, and Drinking Games by Sarah Levy, a sobriety memoir and social critique of today’s drinking culture, are examples of accessible narratives that resonate with readers of commercial fiction. I also acquire for our Essentials imprint, with a focus on lifestyle and relationship books, like Ask a Matchmaker, by renowned matchmaker Maria Avgitidis. In a previous life, I was a classically-trained ballerina, and I paint as a hobby, so I’d love to see projects focused on creativity and art.

No matter what, I’m searching for books with strong characters and meaningful stories, whether in fiction or nonfiction, that offer depth, cultural relevance, authenticity, and a fresh perspective—stories that aim to make readers’ lives better.

Since joining St. Martin’s Press in 2016, I’ve had the pleasure of working on virtually every genre we publish, from memoir to thriller to political nonfiction. I’m eager to continue building a list of fiction and nonfiction titles that tell absorbing stories, introduce new ideas, and highlight unique perspectives.

On the fiction side, much of my list falls within the mystery space—from cozy to noir—and centers unique, emotionally complex protagonists. I am especially drawn toward mysteries and thrillers that turn a critical eye to the criminal system and feature characters from underrepresented groups. Please send me your queer mysteries! Recent titles include The Lost House by Melissa Larsen, an atmospheric, multigenerational thriller set in rural Iceland; Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku, featuring the quick-witted owner of a soul food café on the south side of Chicago; and cozy series by authors including M. C. Beaton, Ellie Alexander, and Mindy Quigley. Beyond the mystery space, I’ve also published select, plot-driven, upmarket fiction, including Gabrielle Korn’s queer speculative novels Yours for the Taking and The Shutouts.

On the nonfiction side, I am looking for voice-driven narratives including untold stories from history, cultural criticism, memoir, and investigative journalism, particularly projects with a social justice angle. Some of my nonfiction titles include American Kleptocracy and Foreign Agents by Casey Michel, gripping investigations into illicit U.S. foreign lobbying and offshore financial industries; The Black Agenda, a groundbreaking essay collection compiled by economics researcher Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, featuring writing by Black scholars and experts across economics, policy, sociology, and medicine on ideas for big societal change; So Gay for You, a memoir of friendship and found family by Kate Moennig and Leisha Hailey, stars of the pioneering show The L Word; and Whack Job by Rachel McCarthy James, a brilliant cultural history tracing the role of the axe—and yes, axe murder—throughout human existence. Across all genres, I am always on the lookout for bold, concept-driven, socially conscious writing that illuminates, argues for a more equitable world, and keeps readers turning the pages.

I began my publishing career in 2018 at Minotaur Books, the crime fiction imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group. As I’ve continued to grow my list, I’ve never left. I decided to acquire crime fiction because I love the range of genres within the genre. On my list it’s all there: from traditional, gothic, historical, to the lighter/cozy. And I’m always on the hunt for more. I’m looking to acquire crime fiction where the crime drives the book, yes, but the reader connects with the characters or setting in a deep way. I like to think of it as “crime plus.” Perhaps it’s voice-driven, or the setting is a deeply layered character. I’m also interested in novels that are more character studies. For example, if the crime is the pebble dropped in the water, and the book is the ripple effect. For me it doesn’t matter if a submission is heart-pounding or slow-burn, debut or established author, series or standalone. I want to connect to the world the author creates.

I began my publishing career in 2017 as part of the All Points Books team, and have worked on a wide range of nonfiction titles and some fiction. I’m excited to continue expanding my list of books in current affairs, politics, and popular history and philosophy, and I’m also on the hunt for commercial fiction with political or environmental themes.

Some of my notable titles include Divided We Fall by David French, Break ‘Em Up by Zephyr Teachout, Why You Should Be A Socialist by Nathan J. Robinson; and the upcoming Dirtbag by Amber A’Lee Frost, How Are You Going to Pay for That? by Ryan Cooper, and His Greatest Speeches by Diana Schaub.

Above all, I love books that make a strong argument and contribute to the national discourse. I’m on the lookout for quality investigative journalism and polemics on environmentalism and sociology, and I’m especially interested in finding emerging voices and ideas on the political left.