Welcome to the 11th Annual
Love is Murder Agents
February 6-8, 2009 | Westin Chicago North Shore, Chicago, Illinois

Robert Brown
www.wylie-merrick.com
Robert Brown represents young adult, breakout mainstream, highly commercial women's fiction, horror, suspense/thrillers and selected commercial nonfiction projects. He has taught workshops and consulted on manuscripts at conferences throughout North America and is an AAR member. His current client list includes Heather Sharfeddin (Blackbelly, Mineral Spirits and Windless Summer, Bantam Dell), YA fantasy novelist Tim Carter (Epoch and Right Hand of Evil, Flux) and mystery novelists T. Dawn Richard (Death For Dessert and Digging Up Otis, Harlequin Worldwide Mystery) and Nina Wright (Whiskey on the Rocks, Whiskey Straight Up, and Whiskey and Tonic, Midnight Ink). He maintains an updated listing of current needs on the company’s Web site at www.wylie-merrick.com and a running commentary about publishing on the agency’s blog at www.wyliemerrick.blogspot.com.

Sharene Martin-Brown
www.wylie-merrick.com
Sharene Martin-Brown represents romance, erotica, women’s fiction, selected GLBT projects, selected highly commercial narrative nonfiction, and specialty projects. She is a multi-published author and freelance writer who has taught high school and college writing and literature. She has taught workshops and consulted on manuscripts at conferences throughout North America and is a member of the Romance Writers of America. Her client list includes Lydia Parks (Addicted and Animal Instinct, Kensington), Lambda-finalist MJ Pearson, (Helpless, The Price of Temptation, and Discreet Young Gentleman, Seventh Window), Lisa Cooke (Texas Hold Him, Leisure Books) and YA mystery novelist Jon Ripslinger (Derailed and Last Kiss, Flux). She maintains an updated listing of current needs on the company’s Web site at www.wylie-merrick.com and occasionally contributes to the agency’s blog at www.wyliemerrick.blogspot.com.

The Ahearn Agency
Pamela G. Ahearn
Literary Agent
www.ahearnagency.com
Pahearn@aol.com
The Ahearn Agency was founded in 1992 and currently represents over twenty-five authors. Agency clients are several New York Times, USA Today and Walden's Bestselling authors as well as RITA, Anthony and Agatha Award winners / nominees, including Steve Berry, S.W. Hubbard, Wendy Lindstrom, Sabrina Jeffries, Meagan McKinney, Laura Joh Rowland, and Carlene Thompson. Our agency handles general adult fiction, specializing in women's fiction and suspense.

Dystel & Goderich
Lauren E. Abramo
www.dystel.com
labramo@dystel.com
Dystel & Goderich Literary Management was founded in 1994 by Jane Dystel, who has been a respected figure in publishing for over 30 years — first as an editor, then as a publisher, and finally as a savvy and successful agent. The agency is the product of her innovative vision of author representation as a full-service enterprise.

Lauren E. Abramo joined DGLM after earning an M.A. in Irish Studies at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Prior to attending NUIG, she completed a B.A. in English at New York University.With two particularly impractical degrees under her belt, Lauren sought work in publishing, and DGLM has turned out to be a great fit. She is always on the lookout for literary fiction with a focus on character and voice, as well as commercial fiction, especially women’s fiction and paranormal. She’s also interested in a wide variety of nonfiction including pop culture, pop reference, politics, current affairs, cultural studies, science, media, history, and irreverent practical nonfiction.

Joanne Brownstein
Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc.
Phone (212) 840-5760

Joanne Brownstein, after graduating from The University of Michigan in May 2001, went to work for Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc. as the assistant to Gail Hochman. She is the agent for the books SMART GIRLS LIKE ME by Diane Vadino, the forthcoming THE SCORE, THE ORCHESTRA, AND THE CONDUCTOR by Gustav Meier, THE SUMMER OF NAKED SWIM PARTIES by Jessica Anya Blau, THE MODERN JEWISH MOM’S GUIDE TO SHABBAT and the forthcoming DEAR YOU, LOVE ME: A MOTHER DAUGHTER JOURNAL by MEREDITH JACOBS, and the forthcoming YOUR MILLION DOLLAR IDEA by Sandy Abrams. She is the agent at B&H responsible for all author magazine, journal and first serial deals. Over the past four years she has had the opportunity to work with such authors as Michael Cunningham, Scott Turow, Scott Smith, Julie Glass, Ursula Hegi, Beverly Donofrio and Bob Shacochis among many others. Joanne has sold fiction, non-fiction and excerpts to The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times Magazine, Glimmer Train, Good Housekeeping, MORE Magazine, Ladies Home Journal, Ms. Magazine, Real Simple, Gourmet amongst others and numerous quarterlies and journals. When asked for more speciofics about what she is looking for, Joanne replied, I think Kafka said it best: “I believe that as a rule one should only read those books that sting and prick the conscience. If the book we are reading doesn’t wake us with a punch in the head, then why read it?”

Donna Bagdasarian
Maria Carvainis Agency
212-245-6365

Donna Bagdasarian is a native New Englander who grew up in the suburbs of Boston. After graduating cum laude from Boston University she pursued her Master’s degree in Literature and Philosophy, while editing the prestigious philological journal, Arion. Tired of the Ivory Tower, she left academia to join Addison Wesley Longman as a mathematics textbook acquisitions editor.

Wanting to get back to working with books that she was passionate about, Donna moved to New York City in 1998 and joined the legendary William Morris Mailroom as an Agent Trainee. Quickly climbing out of the mailroom, she worked as the assistant to the notable literary agent Mel Berger for two years before she herself was promoted, all in record time.

Experienced selling high-profile fiction and nonfiction as an agent, Donna joined Vigliano Associates in 2002, bringing her academic, editing and agenting skills together with her passion to represent and sell incredible authors and books.

After selling many notable and bestselling books while at Vigliano Associates, Donna decided it was time to strike out on her own, forming DMB Literary in 2003, where she represents well-known and published authors, ranging from literary fiction to political nonfiction.

Having joined Maria Carvainis Agency in the fall of 2004, Donna brings not just her client list but her experience in managing a boutique agency to compliment the agency’s notable stable of best-selling authors. Donna is particularly interested in almost all fiction: literary, women’s, historical, mainstream, ethnic, with the exceptions of sci-fi and fantasty. Her interests in non-fiction range from pop-culture to sociological, scientific, political and memoir.

Barbara Poelle

The Irene Goodman Agency hasbeen in business for 30 years, and represent the best in commercial fiction and non-fiction. Over 110 appearances on the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly,
Walden, and Bookscan bestseller lists.

Originally from the west coast, Barbara Poelle worked for a Bay Area Publisher before accepting the offer to join Irene’s team. A voracious reader and award winning debater, Barbara is not only able to devour manuscripts, but fight for them as well... and her very brief stint as a stand-up comic comes in handy for those particularly raucous debates --both in the office and at home. With her strong background in editing and copywriting, Barbara has no qualms about helping writers turn a “maybe” into a “yes”, and values client communication above all else. Barbara is passionate about mysteries, memoirs, non-fiction relating to social issues and family relationships, and romances, but will be a proud promoter of any writer with a strong, unique voice.

Erin C. Niumata
erin@foliolit.com

Erin C. Niumata has been in publishing for over seventeen years. She started as an editorial assistant at Simon and Schuster in the Touchstone/Fireside paperback division for several years; then moved over to Harper Collins as an editor, and then she went to Avalon Books as the Editorial Director, working on Romance, Mysteries and Westerns. Erin has edited many authors including Leon Uris, Stuart Woods, Phyllis Richman, Senator Fred Harris, Michael Lee West, Debbie Fields, Erica Jong, Brenda Maddox, Lawrence Otis Graham, and Joan Rivers.

What I'm looking for: Fiction: commercial women's fiction, historical fiction, cozy mysteries, psychological thrillers, suspense, humor. I love sassy Southern and/or British heroines.

Nonfiction: parenting, self help, women's issues, fashion, pop culture and humor, pet care/pets, memoirs, history

What I'm not looking for: Absolutely no romance, westerns, poetry, short story collections, business, travel memoirs, YA, or picture books.

About Folio: Folio Literary Management, LLC, is a full-service literary management company with offices in New York City and Washington, DC. We represent debut authors as well as established authors, and we sell book rights in the U.S. and around world.

At Folio, we believe in a very hands-on approach, working closely with our authors to develop their ideas into the most marketable books possible. What's more, we are the only literary agency in the U.S. that supports our authors well beyond negotiating contracts and selling rights – by providing marketing and speaking opportunities, as well as close ties to licensing agents.