Felice is looking for:

For fiction, Felice focuses on contemporary literary, upmarket, commercial fiction and select fantasy novels. Fiction that explores the subtleties and complexities of language, while still being firmly rooted in modern or futuristic living - whether character or plot-driven. She is looking for select non-fiction with a unique viewpoint by authors with a well-developed media platform, particularly in the areas of foodie culture/cookbooks, incisive commentary on marginalized cultures and pop culture essay collections. Bottom line: Felice is looking for art on a page and fresh perspectives, writing that says “NO!” to clichés and formulaic tropes, and you can wow her with writing that offers an energetic voice and a deep sense of place.

wish list:

Felice has a soft spot for brainy novels set on college campuses à la The Secret History by Donna Tartt, The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker and Loner by Teddy Wayne; clever ‘whodunits’ set on estates like The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton and the 2019 film Knives Out; highbrow fiction written around characters of color such as The Emperor of Ocean Park by Stephen L. Carter and A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara; contemporary Southern Gothic fiction such as Catherine Lacey’s Pew; novels featuring multicultural Millennials in high-powered workplace situations; and witty and satirical upmarket women’s fiction that reveals a nasty side to a major industry (i.e. fashion, film, etc.) as in The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger. 

She is intrigued by novels that can introduce readers to a new world, make us think differently about one we already know, or tap into the cultural climate. Felice is interested in finding and uplifting writers from marginalized communities - particularly writers of color. A book that offers sharp social commentary interwoven brilliantly throughout the narrative will keep her up all night reading.

what she doesn’t want:

Romance, historical of any kind, erotica, YA unless it’s YA fantasy, middle grade, children’s books, science fiction, memoirs, screenplays, poetry collections.

what shauna is looking for:

Shauna loves the world-building of a fantasy novel (particularly YA) with an epic romance interspersed such as A Court of Thorn and Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas. She’s also fascinated with the horror and thriller genre and of course, and have a soft spot for Stephen King (specifically The Shining). 

Wish List:

Shauna is extremely interested in books that delve into complicated relationships and don’t necessarily have a pretty bowtie type of ending such as Stolen by Lucy Christopher and Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Shauna has a background in the music business and loves stories centered around bands writing music, again Daisy Jones and The Six is a huge favorite of hers! 

Shauna is intrigued by historical fiction, preferably centered around the Holocaust and the French Revolution. Books she’s loved within these genres are The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morrison and Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly.

Of course, if any manuscript that is submitted to Shauna that includes a well-rounded, diverse set of characters that make me see the world through a new perspective (i.e. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi) then this is an extra plus plus!

What Danielle is looking for:

Danielle is fascinated by science fiction/fantasy that breaks the mold and pushes the speculative genre past what is to what could be, à la Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth and This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. She is looking for dark thrillers, brainy mysteries, and select literary/upmarket fiction. She’s interested in both genre and highbrow fiction that can provide complex, fully realized characters and an addictive narrative, especially ones with leads from underrepresented communities. Sapphic or otherwise LGBTQIA+ characters will always turn her head, but any story with compelling conflict and a distinctive central voice is welcome. 

Wish List:

Danielle can easily get lost in historical fiction that questions dominant historical narratives while focusing on marginalized perspectives, such as Sarah Waters’ Fingersmith (and its film counterpart, The Handmaiden). Women-centric stories of any kind —especially well-researched feminist or queer retellings, like Madeline Miller’s Circe and Song of Achilles — are after her own heart. She gravitates towards speculative fiction that draws inspiration from fresh sources, particularly non-medieval or non-European history, such as R. F. Kuang’s The Poppy War. Layered world building that focuses on postcolonial tensions or the impact of empire, with a keen understanding of structural oppression in our own world, is also a huge plus for Danielle. She’s a fan of cross-over/hybrid books as well, seeking manuscripts that can skillfully combine genres in new and fascinating ways to strengthen the story.