July 2017 Wish List

The editors at Entangled Publishing are always 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/

July 2017 wish list

Alycia Tornetta, Editorial Director of Bliss

Bliss:

• Heartwarming, trope-driven romance. The kind that makes you cry, laugh, and swoon.
• Men in uniform/veteran heroes. e.g. military, police, search and rescue, etc.
• Marriage of convenience.
• Blue collar heroes. e.g. mechanic, woodworker, logger, etc.
• Bad boy heroes.
• Forced proximity. Bonus points if they’re also enemies. e.g. stuck on a flight together, staying at the same place for the summer, etc.
• Series set around brothers.
• Small-town Texas setting.
• Tortured heroes. e.g. angry at the world guys who are bit gruff and reluctantly fall for the girl who just won’t let them be).
• Every-day heroines. e.g. Librarians, school teachers, waitresses, assistants, florists, etc.

For YA:

• High-concept contemporary that has a romantic plot. Think Kasie West, Nicola Yoon, Sandhya Menon, Jennifer Echols.
• Epic fantasy that has a strong, slow-burn romance.
• Bad boy heroes.
• Contemporary-based sci-fi. Think Orphan Black.
• Diverse/Own Voices.
• Historical romance with a fantasy angle.

Other:

• NA romance set at work/or with a work angle and strong female friendships. Think Younger or The Bold Type.
• Regency/Victorian historical romance with strong tropes. Love rakes/alpha-type heroes.
• Highlanders!
• Sexy adult contemporary with a strong hook. Looking for alpha heroes. Bonus points if it’s romantic comedy.

Brenda Chin, Editorial Director of Brazen

I’d love to see:

1)      New adult books written in first person, present tense

2)      HOCKEY PLAYERS!!!

3)      Cowboys

4)      Girl next door heroines.

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 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.

Heather Howland, Editorial Director of Lovestruck

Lovestruck: We’re looking for fun, high-concept stories in which unexpected meet-cutes lead to steamy, lighthearted romance. Leave the slapstick humor at home—we’re in love with fun banter, unexpected (but not over the top) situations that force the characters together, and clever twists on tropes we all know and love. The humor will flow naturally from there! I’d like to see series set in big cities (the east coast is great, but I’d particularly love to see some west coast stories), a series set solidly in the Midwest, and a story set in a quaint coastal town. We have a lot of small town series, so you’ll stand out if you set your book somewhere exciting. I’d love more strangers to lovers stories! As always, we like our heroes to be swoonworthy, and to have his life together…minus his need to find the one (whether he realizes he needs her or not). Heroines should be likeable and relatable to the average reader.

Tropes/storylines we’re not interested in at the moment: reunited lovers, revenge, weddings, politicians, heroes that need makeovers or to be otherwise “fixed” by the heroine, PR firms who repair reputations, and bakeries/restaurants/food-related professions.

All other imprints:

• Do you write ménage? I want an erotic romance for our Scorched imprint that features multiple men/one woman ménage, the more alpha the men, the better. I’m a fan of Lora Leigh and Maya Banks’ ménage series, so I’d love something hot like those. Relatable heroine and a HEA is a must!
• I have a spot open on my NA list, and I want to fill it with something super Send me your new-to-college/transfer student (18-20 yo) heroines falling into bed with an upperclassman with a bad reputation…or go a little more taboo and give her a hot night with an uber sexy guy who winds up being her TA. I’d also be down with a relatable coed tackling her internship and getting tangled up with her gorgeous new boss. The more emotionally invested I am, the better.
• My Teen list is nearly full, but I could be open to the right project. If you have something super high concept, either in the speculative or contemporary romance genres, I’ll take a look. My favorite speculative books feature storylines so close to possible, it’s scary. Contemporary has to have a mega hook. I’d love a book about a heroine studying abroad in Europe. And I’m still interested in a story featuring a group of teens (friends or not) who get mixed up in a dangerous situation when one of them is found murdered. Did I mention I like darker books?
• On the flip side, I’m obsessed with swoony YA category romance for our Crush Most of my authors write good guys, so I want a bad boy. Knock him on his ass with a good girl heroine who doesn’t take his crap, and I’ll be eating out of your hand. Kissing is required. Beyond that is welcome when handled delicately.

Heidi Shoham, Editorial Director of Indulgence and August

I’m specifically looking to grow the Indulgence imprint!

I want rich, alpha Indulgence heroes, multi-layered billionaires intent on sweeping the likable heroines of their feet. I’d love to see more international heroes and exotic settings. I want to fly to a private Greek island, a villa in sunny Spain or Italy, an extravagant ski resort in France or Switzerland. The heroines must be likable and relatable, they’re the everyday woman (think about the women in your own circle of friends) who get swept away by alpha heroes who can make all their dreams come true (even if they’re going to drive the women a little crazy first.) Indulgence heroes can be grumpy and tough on the outside, as long as we also get to see that heart of gold they’re hiding. Conflict is super important! We need internal and external conflicts that are strong enough to carry the book all the way through! I’m looking for fresh ideas and voices, twists and unique tellings of those favorite tropes. Secret baby/accidental pregnancy can be so good when done right! Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, ugly duckling, mistaken identity, forced proximity, all good. Hollywood and celebrities are a little tougher to sell.

Have you heard about AUGUST, the new imprint we’re launching?

August is our new category romance line with characters aged 35 to 45, people with a little bit more life experience under their belt. I want layered, emotional stories, likable and relatable heroines, hot heroes, authentic dialogue, and strong and believable conflicts that knock me off my feet and carry the book from beginning to end! I really want to see single dads doing their best, characters looking at that next stage of their life as their high school kids need them a little less, people starting over and/or maybe on their second time around. I need strong conflict here, more than just an ex who burned them and gave them trust issues. I’m talking engaging meet-cutes, intense conflicts, and interesting characters who are relatable and layered.

Imprint wide, I’m always looking for:

• High concept plots that grab me in one sentence.
• Send me your hottest, most erotic romance that’ll make me blush!
• Cowboys, cowboys, cowboys
• Men in uniform/veterans/first responder
• Shifters – especially wolves and bears, with that strong family/pack element to it
• Angsty heroes with a snarky sense of humor (a la Dean Winchester).

If you have something on my wish list, I want to see your submission! Submit to my attention via Submittable. Come on, make all my wishes come true!

Kate Brauning, Senior Editor

• Really swoony YA romance with a deep and compelling unrequited or impossible love story in any genre. Something that gets into our bones and makes us ache for the impossible romance. Make me think of Anna and St. Clair, or Starbuck and Apollo, or the early seasons of Elena and Damon, or what Rory and Jess should have been!
• YA sci-fi set on Earth in modern-day with a strong romance. Something with a Leftoversor Stranger Things
• Sweet to spicy adult romance that revolves around clever and surprising meet-cutes, especially with strong setting and a strong community feel.
• Adult romantic suspense, especially featuring hackers.
• NA romance with a unique twist we haven’t seen before. Emergency response personnel? Yes please! Swift water rescue, aviation medicine, anything beyond firefighters and paramedics, though those are great, too. I’d love to see this in adult as well.
• Sports-centric YA romance. I’m still looking for my YA Friday Night Lights!

Karen Grove, Senior Editor

• A fun, flirty opposites-attract or fish-out-of-water romcom. Sweet and sexy.
• Academies—military, coast guard, police, fire, swift-water rescue, search & rescue, etc.—they’re all ripe for strong, hot heroes willing to serve and the close-knit friendships and forced proximity that creates an instant sense of family/loyalty. I’d particularly love a romance set at West Point. (Embrace). And sexy EMTs, swift-water rescue, coast guard, or firemen (for any line).
• Romantic suspense—law enforcement, terrorism, biological agents. Make my heart race to stop a major catastrophe.
• Forced proximity—a hero and heroine stuck somewhere together. Bonus points if they start out as enemies.

Lydia Sharp, Editor

• Contemporary romance (either category or single-title length) with characters who work in some field of the animal industry—veterinarians, pet sitters, humane society, etc. Any heat level from sweet to spicy.
• A new twist on dragon shifters in YA contemporary fantasy.
• YA contemporary romance with a light fantasy or sci-fi element for our Crave imprint.

Stacy Abrams, Editorial Director of Entangled Teen

• I’d love to find a few great reads for our Bliss imprint. Heroes who love and/or work with animals, everyday heroes, humor, wide casts of characters. Could even change it up by setting stories in slightly larger small towns like burbs of larger cities for a fresh perspective. Need to be clean language and no open-door sex. But lots and lots of sexual tension is awesome.
• For teen, anything high concept that I haven’t seen before. Generally speaking, I gravitate toward the contemporary, mystery, or futuristic genres. My list is pretty full of fantasy, sci-fi, and historical, though I’d take on a paranormal if it was something super unique. Not looking for vampires or werewolves or mermaids.
• I’m always eager to sign up more books for our Crush line. In particular, I’ve been dying for a fresh older brother’s best friend trope. That seems a perfect fit for Crush but we haven’t had many on the list. I’d also love to find a multi-book series that takes place during a study abroad program—fresh settings, culture shock, swoony romances with natural conflict when one character has to return home.

Tera Cuskaden, Editorial Director of Scorched

For Scorched

• High concept plots I can sell in one sentence.
• 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, relatable heroines, alpha men, LGBTQ, diversity, royalty, and taboos. I want super-hot stories that while at an erotic heat level, 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, and Alexa Riley.
• Menage paranormal and sci-fi romance. Think fated mates and/or a woman bonded to two 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.

Wendy Chen, Editor

Wendy Chen would love a small-town romance told with a fresh, modern voice for the Bliss imprint. Send me your unique storytelling of a favorite classic trope: relationship of convenience, baby on the doorstep, older brother’s best friend.  A heroine with a love for animals would be a great bonus!

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