Melissa

Romantasy is a bit of a new space, but I want stories that are steeped in folklore and mythology.
I’d like to see magical academies (Think THE MAGICIANS or FOURTH WING), pirates, intense and lush world building, and romance with high stakes.

For speculative fiction and magical realism, I love stories that deal with time in interesting ways (OONA OUT OF ORDER) but I also love Isabel Allende’s stories.
I’ve been saying I would love to see an adult version of Encanto.

For bookclub, I would love to see a novel about generational trauma through the eyes of an eldest or only daughter, who is now trying to overcome the issues her parents or grandparents placed upon her. Especially as we’re looking at matriarchal lineage.

For romcoms, give me a cozy town (think Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls), witty banter, and some chemistry, and I’m all over it. I’m fond of enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers, and grumpy/sunshine.

For cozy mysteries, I’m usually looking for a bookstore or tea shop setting, or other general cozy feels here. I like to see a well rounded community that feels every bit a part of the story as the protagonist.

For horror, I want to be scared. I gravitate towards social and psychological horror (think WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING or MEXICAN GOTHIC)
I also love folklore and mythology. I grew up around forests and mountain ranges, so something like THIS WRETCHED VALLEY is always on my radar.

For thrillers, I love complicated family dynamics, twisted female friendships, and tense mother daughter relationships.
I like dual POV or time periods- think THE SUNDOWN MOTEL. Big fan of Lucy Foley and Wendy Walker. Would love to see more locked room thrillers as well.

I should say I’m open to the Regency era as well!

For historicals, whether it’s a mystery or historical fiction, I want a feminist female protagonist. I usually gravitate towards Edwardian and Victorian eras. But I’m open to the 1920s-1950s.
I’d love to see body snatching or spiritualism like in SPITTING GOLD.

I acquire a few genres between our two imprints, but to break it down:

Crooked Lane:
thrillers, historical mysteries, cozy mysteries, and horror.

Alcove Press:
historical fiction, magical realism, speculative fiction, romcoms, bookclub fiction, and romantasy.

A 🧵 on my #mswl and what I’m hoping to see in the new year (or in the next two weeks since my inbox is still open 😂)

Normally I am not a sports romcom type of person, but as someone who used to fence, I would love to see a romcom centered around fencing #mswl 🤺

Would love a pirate romantasy or a historical with pirates involved. Bonus points if the pirate is a female protagonist #mswl

#mswl would love to see a historical fiction or historical mystery during the 1880s-1930s. I’ve been watching a lot of Belgravia and The Gilded Age

#mswl Gilmore Girls town vibes with protagonists that are witches.
Think cozy setting, loving families, definitely a comfort read.

And witchy romcoms! Think THE EX HEX or PAYBACK’s A WITCH.

To go off of this, I’m always looking for horror.
Give me your mushroom/spore horror (lovingly calling it sporror), your dark entities in the night, your “could be a ghost but could be a human haunting me.”, anything with a folkloric bent or set in the mountains #mswl

#MSWL an adult psychological horror novel that features dark academia or a secret society at a college