Wish List for April 2018

You know what they say, April showers bring May flowers, unless you live in Southern CA where it’s sun, sun, sun, or back east where it was still snowing a few days ago.  We’re hoping the weather straightens itself out soon, but in the meantime, make sure to take a look at our latest wish list as the editors at Entangled Publishing are looking for the next breakout hit. Could that be your book? Make sure to read until the end as we have some special calls as well. Each month, we have a new wish list from our editors. Watch for them as they’ll change monthly. Let’s discover each other today!

All submissions can be sent through our Submittable system. The link can be found here: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/submission-information/

April 2018 wish list

Heather Howland, Creative Director of Teen and Senior Editor

• I’m looking for erotic romance authors to participate in a special project. Send me links to your published erotic romances, a sample of the hottest sex scene you’ve written, and a list of kinks you like/don’t like to write. You can reach me at heather (at) entangledpublishing (dot) com. Must be willing to write diverse groups of characters!
• I’m on the hunt for a high-concept bad boy YA romance for Crush and/or Teen Print. I’d love an across-the-tracks romance with a lot of heart and high swoon factor.
• I want to acquire a super steamy single-title contemporary series featuring a diverse cast of unapologetic asshole heroes whose attitudes are a smokescreen for the kind of redeemable heart only the heroine can draw out of him. I want the heroines in this series to be relatable, everyday girls who have a mind of their own and a mindset that they can make the world a better place, no matter how small their contribution. Depending on the characters’ ages, this could go Amara (adult) or Embrace (new adult).
• I’d love a swoony YA where an American heroine is a foreign exchange student abroad or moves abroad with her family and falls for a local. Maybe even the son of her exchange or host family. Give me somewhere interesting—Europe is overdone. I’m craving a little heat and, again, a bit of a bad boy. Bring the international flavor and romantic complications!
• Send me your M/F/M or M/M/F ménage for our Scorched imprint. The books must have a HEA and a satisfying romance. I’m open to contemporary or paranormal, and would love to see stories featuring characters from all backgrounds.
• PLEASE NOTE: At this time, I’m not interested in celebrities, politicians, chefs/caterers/bakers/foodies, makeover books, second-chance romance, reliving the same day(s), time travel, aliens, fire fighters, or dragon shifters.
• Send your submissions to my attention via https://entangledpublishing.submittable.com/submit/. Looking forward to the reads!

Alycia Tornetta, Editorial Director

Contemporary romance:

• Romantic comedies (category length) with fun, memorable meet-cutes and a great hook.
• Rich heroes who have hearts and fall for women who challenge them.
• small-town romance feat. sheriff/cop hero
• a series strongly feat. dogs (i.e. K-9 unit/ search and rescue teams/ etc)
• strong small-town setting, trope-driven romance (think RaeAnne Thayne/ Susan Mallery)
• enemies to lovers romantic comedy with a high-concept premise
• Small town romance that has heart. Every day heroes and heroines, quirky townsfolk, and strong conflict is a must. I’d love it if the premise or story involved something quintessentially small town like a cook-off, harvest festival, or Founder’s Day event. (Hart of Dixie and Gilmore Girls have lots of examples for inspiration.)
• Foreign heroes. British, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian, etc.

For historical:

• Victorian, regency, and highlanders!
• I love scandals, quirky wallflower heroines, and fresh takes on classic tropes. Enemies to lovers, accidentally compromised, wager, rake, etc.
• Looking for great voices and compelling stories.

YA:

• Something involving a beauty pageant or that world.
• Swoony, super romantic contemporary YA. Should be trope-driven. I.e. Friends to lovers, boy next door, enemies, etc. I’m looking for strong conflict, lots of romantic tension, and a slow burn. No insta-love. If it’s LGBT, the conflict shouldn’t be about coming out.
• Magical fantasy or historical with magical/fantasy elements. Should have a romantic plot.
• High-concept contemporary that has a romantic plot. Think Kasie West, Nicola Yoon, Sandhya Menon.
• I’d love something John Hughes-ish. Teen angst, fun plot, characters from different cliques coming together.
• Guilty pleasure, high drama read. Something that deals with the super rich or powerful.

Candace Havens, Editorial Director of Embrace and Amara

• Embrace: We’re looking for high-concept stories that feature a great romance with college or just out of college heroes and heroines. We love heroes with accents, preferably, British, Irish or Scottish, and we like them Alpha. American heroes are great, just so you know. But no whiny heroes. Study abroad stories, intern first job stories, it’s actually wide open to those first experiences of adulthood. We need contemporary and paranormal stories that have a great twist and are relatable.
• Amara: We’re looking for unforgettable romances with big, high-concept, compelling stories, with strong heroes and heroines who can go toe-to-toe with them. Contemporary: Office romance, military romance, small town with a twist, big city “Friends” kind of stories. Think Jill Shalvis, Kristin Higgins and Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Paranormal: Vamps, werewolves, cyborgs (with mostly human parts), lots of great world building with a strong romantic arc. If you’re a budding Gena Showalter or Kresley Cole, we should chat. Historical: We want these historicals to read like contemporary romances with a great pace, snappy dialogue and characters we’ll never forget. Lorraine Heath is a good example of that kind of writing. We’re looking for Scottish Highlanders, Regency, Victorian and Vikings. Suspense: Bring us your thrillers with a strong romantic arc.

Tera Cuskaden, Editorial Director for Scorched

Scorched

• High concept plots I can sell in one sentence.
• Think stepdads, preachers, step-siblings, a parent’s best friend, an old teacher from high school (though the younger character cannot still be in high school), etc. Use your imagination!
• I’m looking for romance with great romantic tension between alpha males and strong, relatable heroines. I’d also love to see alpha subs!
• I’m particularly interested in menage/multiples, relatable heroines, alpha men, LGBTQ, diversity, and royalty. I want super hot stories that while at an erotic heat level with the sexual interaction occurring within the first chapter or two also heavily focus on the romance. All stories must contain an HEA or HFN. I’m open to 1st and 3rd person, and I prefer dual POVs, though I’m not closed to single POVs. I’m also looking at all subgenres for Scorched, not just contemporary romance, though I love contemporary! I’m a fan of Megan Hart, Maya Banks, Lorelei James, Tiffany Reisz, Sylvia Day, Madison Faye, Jenika Snow, Penny Wylder, and Alexa Riley.
• Menage paranormal and sci-fi romance. Think breeders, fated mates and/or a woman bonded to multiple men.
• Tropes I love: Best friend’s sibling, class warfare, enemies to lovers, fake engagement/relationship, fish out of water, fling, forbidden love, friends to lovers, opposites attract, redemption, protector, return to hometown, revenge, sibling’s ex-spouse, stranded, royalty.

For All Other Entangled Imprints

• High concept plots that will sell in one sentence.
• I’d love to see romances with single dads.
• Romantic suspense/thrillers. I’d love to see stories with a more psychological basis.
• Sexy contemporaries featuring everyday, relatable heroines (think teacher, nurse, veterinarian, etc.), and above-average heroes (though they don’t have to be billionaires, unless you’re targeting Indulgence).
• Manuscripts targeted toward the Indulgence imprint (Here’s where those billionaires come into play!)
• Men in uniform or veterans.
• Sports stories.
• Women on vacation and/or stories taking place in exotic locales.
• I’m looking for paranormal romance with great romantic tension between alpha males and strong, relatable heroines. I’m open to all genres and themes, though I am specifically looking for shifters (big cats and bears in particular), vampires, and science fiction/fantasy with crossover elements, such as shifters and/or vampires.
• Contemporary-based sci-fi. Think DNA-enhanced soldiers, super soldiers, medical issues, military, artificial intelligence, hackers and international espionage, and Outbreak.
• I would love to see sci-fi stories in the style of 12 Monkeys, Firefly, and Star Wars.
• Tropes I love: Best friend’s sibling, class warfare, enemies to lovers, fake engagement/relationship, fish out of water, fling, forbidden love, friends to lovers, military, opposites attract, redemption, protector, return to hometown, revenge, sibling’s ex-spouse, stranded, royalty.

Alethea Spiridon, Senior Editor

• I’d like a road-trip romance for any line.

Heidi Shoham, Senior Editor

I’m looking for:

• Category romances with characters aged 35 to 45. These need to be layered, emotional stories with likable and relatable heroines, hot heroes, authentic dialogue, and strong and believable conflict.
• Wealthy, alpha Indulgence heroes intent on sweeping likable heroines of their feet.
• Cute small-town romances with a rich Hallmark’esque quality.
• Sassy and sexy romances that’ll make me laugh out loud and swoon all at once.
• Hot, erotic romances that push the boundaries and make me blush (it’ll take a lot ;) ).
• Cowboys, cowboys, cowboys.
• Men in uniform/veterans/first responders.
• Angsty heroes with a snarky sense of humor (a la Dean Winchester).
• High concept plots that can sell a story in one sentence!

If you have anything that hits these marks, submit your manuscript via Submittable to my attention. Anyone with questions can email me at heidishoham (at) entangledpublishing (dot) com or find me on social media.

Kate Brauning, Senior Editor

• Women’s fiction with a strong love story as the spine/plot, especially if there’s a domestic suspense angle. Sibling dynamics, family businesses, unusual expertise, and themes of identity, belonging, and ambition are especially fascinating to me.
• Contemporary adult romance featuring firefighters, search and rescue teams, swift water rescue, paramedics, and other emergency rescue teams. Bonus points for rivalries and team competitions!
• Historical romance set in areas beyond England or the U.S., especially featuring women who have trades/careers
  Workplace investigation/fraud/hacking adult romance! Especially from an author who’s been there. I love insider detail and everyday heroes/heroines in unusual, high-stakes circumstances.
• YA that gets out of the school and into work settings–internships, emergency responder training, summers working dangerous jobs.
• F/F YA contemporary with a deep, high-tension romance and physical stakes. Give me a book girlfriend. #ownvoices M/M in a similar vein– I want something deep and heartfelt and urgent, like Ian & Mickey from Shameless.
• And finally, I always want big stories about fascinating people, emotional depth with a lot of human insight, and vibrant, personality-filled voice that shows a mind at work.

Tracy Montoya, Senior Editor

• I’m always a sucker for enemies-to-lovers stories.
• For sci-fi (or vampire) romance, make sure the romance is at the center of the story.
• I prefer romance in the city or exotic locales rather than small-town romance—unless it’s a fish-out-of-water story where the city girl or boy comes home to a small town after escaping it!
• Actually, I just love fish-out-of-water stories, period.
• Would love a story of any kind set in Ireland or France. (yes, even a small town!)
• For historicals, I prefer Regency, Victorian, and Highlander romance. I’m a big Jane Austen fan, so I really love Regency. If yours has a touch of suspense or magical realism, even better!
• I’m also looking for a hero in some sort of “rescue” field, i.e. search and rescue, EMT, etc. FBI agents and the like are great, too. If you have insider knowledge, let me know—that’s always a plus!
• If you include any characters of color or LGBTQ characters, please make sure they’re not stereotypes. Latino drug lord = auto-reject.
• As always, I welcome authors of color.

Wendy Chen, Editor

Wendy Chen would love to find a fresh new Bliss or Indulgence voice, with a pet-loving heroine and/or non-American hero, and high emotional tension and conflict. My favorite tropes include secret baby, revenge, enemies to lovers, older brother’s best friend. Combine your unique spin with a truly contemporary voice, and you will have me hooked!

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Heather Riccio

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