2024 Appointment Options
Agents:
From the moment Michelle Grajkowski first opened the doors to the 3 Seas Literary Agency in August of 2000, she has been living her dream. (What could be better than surrounding yourself with amazing authors and their exciting and imaginative books?) Since then, her agency has sold almost 700 books to all the major publishing houses, and has grown from one agent to three! Michelle’s client list includes New York Times Bestselling Authors Kerrelyn Sparks, Katie MacAlister, C.L. Wilson and Cathy McDavid. She primarily represents romance, women’s fiction, young adult and middle grade fiction along with select non-fiction projects with a terrific message. She is currently looking for fantastic writers with a voice of their own. When not curled up with a great manuscript, Michelle loves to spend time with her husband, children and her two silly puppies, Libby and Gizmo.
Cynthia Ruchti is a senior agent with Books & Such Literary Management. She’s also the author of more than 43 published books and the Professional Relations Liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers. Her tagline is: I can’t unravel. I’m hemmed in hope. She and her grade school sweetheart husband live in the heart of Wisconsin. Connect with her at cynthiaruchti.com or hemmedinhope.com
Looking for: thought-provoking romantic comedy (meaning fun but with a compelling takeaway), suspense, psychological suspense, romantic suspense, well-told stories from writers who have done their homework to understand their category and the industry expectations
NOT looking for: speculative, no-man’s-land stories caught between historical and contemporary (like the 80s or early 2000s), fantasy, YA, paranormal
Editors:
Jane Haertel is Senior Managing Editor for fiction at Guideposts. She is also the author of eight cozy mysteries published under several pen names. Jane lives in Connecticut with her family and two cats, a tuxie and a tortie, who secretly run the household.
Guideposts is on the lookout for new authors to add to their direct-to-consumer continuity series. We typically work through agents and request “audition” materials, which we review to select a team of eight to ten authors for each series. Guideposts publishes up to three series consecutively that average twenty-four books in a series. Each author contributes two or three books per series. We prefer to work through agents to establish our series’ authors, but we will possibly consider unagented authors. Preference to authors who have written complete manuscripts in either the cozy mystery or biblical fiction genres. For examples of Guideposts’ adult-fiction series, go to: http://www.shopguideposts.org//adult-fiction.html
Becky Monds is the associate publisher for the fiction division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing and has eighteen years of experience in the publishing industry. Starting as a bookseller and events coordinator at an independent bookstore in Nashville, TN, she moved to the publishing side of the industry in 2007. She has edited New York Times bestselling authors and many award-winning novels. What she loves most about her job is helping authors make their stories shine as brightly as possible. She is a Nashville native and still lives there with her husband and three young children.
She is currently looking to acquire passionate storytellers writing in these genres for the adult market: light-hearted women’s fiction, 20th-Century historical, upmarket mystery, and anything that will make her laugh (in the best way).
Marisa Deshaies Stokley is an editor of Christian historical and contemporary fiction and nonfiction as well as general market fiction at White Fire Publishing Group. A lover of all-things bookish and publishing, she revels in the literary musings of authors who write of the past and present through faith-driven stories. She holds a B.A. in English (concentration in professional writing), an M.A. in professional writing, and is certified in editing through the Christian PEN. Novels she’s edited have been nominated for the Selah, INSPY, and Cascade Awards. Marisa has worked at all levels of editing—from managing editor of a contemporary romance imprint, to developmental editor, to line and copy editor. She has coached new and experienced authors to craft their writing to deliver memorable characters, deeply moving stories, thought-provoking themes, and beautiful words. She believes in a firm, gentle, and encouraging approach to the editor-author relationship and enjoys forming those relationships with whom she works. When she’s not editing, Marisa can be found among the numerous piles of books crowding her apartment. She and her husband and daughter live in northern Virginia and are active parishioners at their Catholic church.
Caroline Timmings is an Assistant Editor for Love Inspired and Love Inspired Suspense. She has a B.A. in English Literature, Creative Writing, and Philosophy, a M.A. in Philosophy, and a Publishing Certificate from NYU. Caroline has been a romance fanatic since she was in middle school and curiously picked up a Scottish Highlander romance. The rest is history! Caroline is looking to add to the Love Inspired and Love Inspired Suspense lines and loves alpha males, confident heroines, and escaping into exciting new worlds every day. When she’s not reading, Caroline can be found hiking, horseback riding, knitting, and taking pictures.
Specialty Appointments:
