Cecilia Lyra

I am passionate about representing under or misrepresented voices and stories that contribute to a larger cultural conversation whether explicitly (e.g., a nonfiction title on social justice) or subtly (a comedy of manners about a mixed-raced Latinx family)…

I can’t get enough of: family sagas, female friendships, edgy psychological suspense, closed-setting novels, anti-heroines, smart romances, comedy of manners, found family, genre-blend romcoms, and change-one-thing-in-our-world speculative fiction.

For romcoms, my taste veers towards genre-blends, i.e., a romcom that’s also a family saga or a romcom com that’s also a thriller. DIAL A FOR AUNTIES by Jesse Q. Sutanto is a great example and my all-time favorite romcom.

Family stories are like catnip to me, whether family of origin, family of partnership, or found family. I adored L.A. WEATHER by María Amparo Escandón and THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD by Claire Lombardo.

DIAL A FOR AUNTIES @thewritinghippo is my latest #MSWL obsession! It's the romcom I'd like to rep: dark AND funny; accessible AND intelligent. I also 💜 how it's the story of a dysfunctional family & a trad b-meets-g love story. Please query me if your work is a comp!

I don't know what this says about me, but it's true! Gimme dark, gimme twisty! 🙋🏽‍♀️ #WritingCommunity #MSWL

In terms of FICTION: I am a sucker for novels about dysfunctional families. Extra bonus points if they’re wealthy (think HBO’s Succession) because, let’s face it, reading about rich people in trouble is fun. Super extra bonus points if there’s an immigrant angle in there.