Spring 2024 I’m looking for fiction that wholly transports me- be it to another place, another decade, or to another life. I have an equal love for both the type of upmarket fiction that book clubs love discussing, and alternatively, the purely escapist commercial narratives that make a great beach read. I gravitate towards strong female voices, sweeping love stories, historical fiction, new adult stories (with big unique plots), romantic comedies (with a voice that is truly funny), quirky mysteries, family dramadies (who doesn’t love a last will and testament gone wrong) and high concept psychological thrillers. I have a soft spot for books with a southern flair and a desire for bringing previously underrepresented narratives to market. I always want stories that make me feel all the things: joy, anger, hope, frustration, shock, laughter, desperation, and longing. I believe a strong and memorable voice will almost always trump everything else. In Nonfiction I’m interested in narrative, prescriptive and gift nonfiction in a vast arena spanning from true-crime (especially as it relates to its lasting impact on history, a place or a group of people such as Missoula by Jon Krakauer or Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann), pop-culture, motivational/self-help, how-to guides, female empowerment, humor, business, finance, wellness, spiritual, diet, platform-driven social media brands, modern parenting, and lifestyle. Elements, Tropes and things that will always make me take notice in a pitch: Heist, Grifter, Spy, Con stories like First Lie Wins, The Social Climber, Counterfeit, Stone Cold Fox, Listen for the Lie Strong Male voices like Steven Rowley, Matthew Norman, Will Leitch, Tom Perotta, Peter Heller Family-focused narratives such as The Sweeney Sisters, Last Summer at the Golden Hotel, All Adults Here, The Unsinkable Greta James, Laurie Frankel. Twentieth Century Historical Fiction focused on places, people, or story-angles that we haven’t heard of but that feel familiar some great examples I love Fiona Davis, Beatriz Williams, Susan Meissner, Marie Benedict Women vs The World such as Women Are The Fiercest Creatures, The Wife App, Smile and Look Pretty Romance for the modern reader, give me all the Emily Henry, Meet Me At the Lake, Thank You For Listening, Romantic Comedy, Funny You Should Ask, Nora Goes Off Script Stories with unforgettable animals like Lily and the Octopus, Remarkably Bright Creatures, West With Giraffes Art-centered plots (contemp or historical)- I devoured Woman On Fire, Fake, The Art Forger, The Night Portrait Cozy Crime / Mystery The Maid, Thursday Murder Club, Finlay Donovan is Killing it, Everyone In My Family has Killed Someone, Dial A for Aunties Books with Speculative Elements such as The Lost Apothecary, The Keeper of Lost Things or any magical realism Stories with a strong setting great examples are Elin Hildebrandt, Karen White, or Where the Crawdads Sing Isolated Locations ie boarding school, deserted island, airplanes, remote cabin Characters Behaving Badly which crosses close to the con/grifter/heist bullet but not quite- The Club, A Novel Obsession, Books about Books, The Midnight Library and The Reading List are opposites on this spectrum. The Wishing Game was pure magic.
Fun facts about me
Original mid-westerner from Ohio, but now consider myself a true southerner after twenty+ years and mastering the fine art of preparing both collards and grits. Never met a dog I didnt want to pet Avid college football fan Love cooking, recipe collecting, and all things epicurean Fitness enthusiast Pride myself on being an excellent gift-giver Huge audio book listener Love gardening, both for food and flowers Submissions should be emailed to Vital Info @@elainespencer Website Agent
Fiction
Action/Adventure, BIPOC Literature, Bookclub, Commercial, Contemporary, Crime, Domestic Thriller, Erotica, Fantasy, Folklore, General, Histo