Our Editorial Team

Elizabeth Agyemang is an editor for 47North, where she acquires science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction. She looks for works with commercial, crossover appeal—from sharp and adventurous sci-fi explorations of technology and the future, to sweeping fantasies tinged with romance, and propulsive horror. Before joining Amazon Publishing, Elizabeth was at HarperCollins Publishers where she edited, acquired, and managed books from New York Times bestselling authors, award winners, and debuts including Julie Kagawa, Sunya Mara, Sarah Raughley, Erica Buddington, MzVee, and Joanna Cacao. Prior to that, she was at Clarion Books where she worked with Caldecott and Newbery winners and New York Times bestselling authors including Melissa Sweet, Joyce Sidman, Kwame Alexander, Kass Morgan, and Danielle Paige.

Elizabeth is the author and illustrator of graphic novels and prose fiction. Her debut graphic novel Fibbed was a Parents.com Best Children’s Book of 2022 selection and a Chicago Public Library Best Fiction for Kids 2022 pick, and Heart-shaped Lies is her debut young adult novel. When she isn’t gushing over books, Elizabeth spends her free time dissecting classic movies and TV shows.

Marilyn Brigham has been with Amazon Publishing since 2012. She currently acquires across a few genres. She acquires picture books and middle grade titles for Two Lions and Amazon Crossing Kids. Her recent kids’ titles include The Night Raven, by Johan Rundberg, translated by A. A. Prime, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year, and The Light Within You, by Namita Moolani Mehra, illustrated by Kamala Nair, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. Marilyn also acquires select women’s fiction for our global imprint Amazon Crossing, including her recent book, The Oyster Diver’s Secret, by Caroline Säfstrand, translated by A. A. Prime. In addition, Marilyn acquires select fantasy titles for 47North. Recently, Marilyn also began to acquire audio rights to young adult and middle grade titles for Brilliance Publishing.

Prior to joining Amazon Publishing, Marilyn was at Marshall Cavendish, where she began as an intern and worked her way up to editor. There she edited books for kids of all ages, including the Amazon bestseller Goodnight, Little Monster by Helen Ketteman, illustrated by Bonnie Leick. Marilyn is the author of the board book Swim!, illustrated by Eric Velasquez, and the educational title Dik-Dik (Even Weirder and Cuter Series). When not editing or writing, Marilyn can be found at the beach.

Jenny Brodski joined Amazon Publishing Germany in 2016. She especially likes discovering unique and emotional stories in the genres of women’s fiction, romance, drama, and fantasy. Even after years in publishing she still can’t believe she’s been able to turn her passion for reading into a profession.

Grace Doyle oversees commercial fiction imprints including Thomas & Mercer, 47North, Amazon Original Stories, and Amazon Crossing. She has edited acclaimed and bestselling titles from authors including Robert Dugoni, Tess Gerritsen, Patricia Cornwell, Dean Koontz, Barry Eisler, Lee Goldberg, Alma Katsu, Ivy Pochoda, Ace Atkins, and Christa Carmen. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, she began her publishing career as a publicist at Houghton Mifflin. Prior to joining Amazon Publishing, Grace spent several years in the wine industry. When she’s not reading, she enjoys traveling in search of the perfect meal.

Franz Edlmayr manages Amazon Publishing’s German editorial team. He works with authors like Alexander Hartung, Ellin Carsta, and Hendrik Falkenberg.

Prior to joining Amazon Publishing in 2013, Franz was part of the Kindle team, working with publishers to make their books available on that platform. He has also worked for another publisher on its sales team.

Franz is a dedicated year-round cyclist. He grows his own vegetables in an urban garden and enjoys all kinds of outdoor sports.

As the editorial director of Amazon Original Stories, Kjersti Egerdahl (she/her) publishes new short fiction and nonfiction by some of today’s most beloved authors and creators, including Margaret Atwood, Andy Weir, N. K. Jemisin, Alice Hoffman, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Jennifer Weiner, Dean Koontz, and Academy Award–winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. Books and short stories she has acquired and edited have hit #1 on the Wall Street Journal, Audible, and Amazon Charts bestseller lists; have won awards including the O. Henry, Hugo, Audie, Edgar, Shirley Jackson, ITW Thriller Award, and FutureBook Book of the Year; and are currently in development for film and television.

Before joining Amazon in 2014, Kjersti developed licensed fiction and nonfiction with partners including Star Wars, Star Trek, Transformers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Grateful Dead Productions, and the estate of Jimi Hendrix. A seventh-generation Seattleite, she enjoys watching her husband play guitar in dive bars and chasing her two small sons all over the great outdoors.

Maria Gomez is the editorial director for Montlake. She works with many bestselling authors including Catherine Bybee, Devney Perry, Susan Stoker, Christina Lauren, and Abby Jimenez.

Maria was a Borders bookseller for more than five years before starting her publishing career in 2005 as an editor at HarperCollins. During her time at Harper, Maria worked with several award-winning and bestselling authors, including Beverly Cleary and Kelley Armstrong, and acquired a list of up-and-coming debut authors. She has worked on a wide variety of genres in children’s books, YA, and adult fiction, in both original and translated forms.

Maria joined Amazon Publishing in 2011 and, aside from working on romance novels, enjoys dancing, trying new foods, and spending time with her son.

Sammia Hamer oversees commercial fiction imprints including Thomas & Mercer, Lake Union Publishing, Montlake, and Little A in the UK. She has edited bestselling titles from authors including Fiona Valpy, Claire McGowan, T L Swan, Amanda Prowse, Mark Edwards, Damien Boyd and others. Sammia started her publishing career with a scholarship sponsored by the Arts Council England that led to her MA in publishing and roles at a number of different publishing houses. Prior to joining Amazon Publishing in 2015, Sammia worked at HarperCollins imprints Harper Fiction, Avon, and Mira where she worked with authors including Mary Kubica, Fiona Gibson, Miranda Dickinson, and Pam Jenoff. Sammia loves travel, live theater, and spending time with her family.

Editor Daniel Harmon acquires fiction and nonfiction for Brilliance Publishing. Since joining Brilliance, Daniel has obtained audio rights for memoirs from Lucille Ball and Geraldo Rivera, groundbreaking disaster novels from George R. Stewart, and additional titles from such luminaries as W. G. Sebald, Maggie Stiefvater, Jeff VanderMeer, Daniel Mallory Ortberg, and Daisy Johnson (whose debut novel, Everything Under, was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize).

Prior to joining Brilliance, Daniel served as the editorial director at Zest Books/Pulp, a nonfiction YA publishing house based in San Francisco, and contributed film and literary criticism to FLOOD Magazine, Brooklyn Magazine, and Slate. Daniel grew up in San Francisco, and although he failed to appreciate the fog at the time, he now pays his daily penance under the relentless Los Angeles sun.

Victoria Haslam is senior editor for the Amazon Original Stories, Thomas & Mercer, and Lake Union Publishing imprints in the UK. She works with bestselling authors John Marrs, Claire McGowan, and Emylia Hall, among others, and her recent publications include short stories from global bestselling authors, such as “The Rise” by Ian Rankin and “The Christmas Book Hunt” by Jenny Colgan.

Before joining Amazon Publishing in 2020, Victoria was commissioning editor at Audible UK where she acquired titles for the company’s first list of original audiobooks across all genres and worked on creating transformational audio content. Prior to that, Victoria worked with a few independent trade and B2B publishers in a variety of roles. Outside the office, Victoria loves aerial arts, horror films, and traveling as much as possible.

Nancy Holmes currently works as a senior acquiring editor at Amazon Publishing, where she acquires commercial women’s and book club fiction for the Lake Union imprint. Prior to Amazon, Nancy spent several years at HarperCollins, where she served as the director of media development. At Harper, she solicited and negotiated media rights deals on behalf of HarperCollins authors and estates across children’s and adult in the US, UK, and other offices globally. She also worked collaboratively with editors to develop book properties with an eye towards film/tv adaptation. Previously, she also worked in show development and production at HBO, and she started her career in Media Rights at United Talent Agency. When she’s not reading for her extremely active and competitive family book club, Nancy enjoys playing the guitar, needlepointing, and film photography.

Selena James is a senior editor for Little A, Lake Union, and Amazon Original Stories. She acquires a wide range of fiction, and is drawn to stories with a dash of romance, suspense, or magical realism. She has edited short stories by New York Times bestselling authors Fredrik Backman, Zakiya Dalila Harris, Elin Hilderbrand, Christina Baker Kline, Keke Palmer writing with Jasmine Guillory, Rebecca Serle, and Charmaine Wilkerson. With Little A, she’s published memoirs A Place for Us by Brandon J. Wolf, The Second Shot by Gene Yu, and No One Crosses the Wolf by Lisa Nikolidakis. Her bestselling and award-winning titles include Natural Selection by Elin Hilderbrand, Uncharted Waters by Sally Hepworth, Penelope in Retrograde by Brooke Abrams, The Pram by Joe Hill, It Will All Work Out by Kevin Hart, and Stockholm by Catherine Steadman.

Selena began her editorial career at Simon & Schuster, working on romance, cozy mysteries, and horror. Most recently, she directed the editorial program for Kensington’s multicultural imprint, editing New York Times bestselling author Mary Monroe, NAACP Image Award–winning author ReShonda Tate Billingsley, and many more.

Carmen Johnson oversees Little A, Lake Union, and Mindy’s Book Studio. Carmen has edited bestselling titles including Open House by Katie Sise, Blank by Zibby Owens, We’re All Damaged by Matthew Norman, and Woke Up Like This by Amy Lea. Carmen began her publishing career at Knopf, where she worked on titles by Lorrie Moore and Anne Rice.

Fabian Knecht is senior editor for Amazon Publishing Germany where he works with a broad range of local and international authors of various genres. Fabian has a long history in the media business as editor and editor in chief for well-known lifestyle magazines. Prior to Amazon Publishing, he worked in marketing for Amazon Prime and Amazon Movies.

Matthias Kuehr joined Amazon Publishing in Germany as an editor in 2015. He focuses on both local and translated fiction, in particular crime and thriller.

Maisie Lawrence (they/them) is an editor for Thomas & Mercer and Lake Union Publishing in the UK where they are proud to work with authors including D. S. Butler, J. B. Turner, J. R. Ellis, Teresa Driscoll and Caroline Mitchell. Before joining Amazon Publishing, they worked for Simon & Schuster, Canelo, Little, Brown and Bookouture, and they combine the very best of traditional and digital publishing. A Bookseller Rising Star in 2022, Maisie has published over twenty UK and US Kindle bestsellers and loves helping authors to develop their careers and audiences. Particularly focussed on publishing and amplifying diverse voices, Maisie is a co-founder of Pride in Publishing, a network for LGBTQ+ people who work with books. When not helping their authors to plot the next runaway bestseller, Maisie is a poet and co-edited the anthology Too Young, Too Loud, Too Different (Corsair, 2021).

A 2021 Publishers Weekly Star Watch honoree, Editorial Director Megha Parekh loves twisty, fast-paced novels that are broadly appealing and genre-blending. She enjoys unique and fresh reads with a strong cinematic hook written from diverse perspectives, and unputdownable stories full of secrets and complex plotting. She’s immediately drawn to voice-driven content with intricate characters that jump off the pages. She’s looking for commercial and upmarket mystery, thriller, suspense, psychological, family drama, light speculative, and multiple timelines, as well as witty and charming romantic fiction, coming-of-age stories with adult crossover, women’s fiction, and book club fiction.

Prior to joining Amazon Publishing in 2017, Megha was an editor at Grand Central Publishing. Megha’s list includes New York Times bestselling authors Jeffery Deaver, Wendy Corsi Staub, A. R. Torre, and Lee Goldberg; USA Today bestselling authors Jesse Q. Sutanto, Lucinda Berry, Brianna Labuskes, Debra Webb, Kaira Rouda, Samantha M. Bailey, and Steven Konkoly; Wall Street Journal bestselling authors Isabella Maldonado, Robert Bailey, and Matthew Fitzsimmons; Harper Lee Prize award winner and Edgar Award–nominated author Victor Methos; critically acclaimed authors Amina Akhtar, Yasmin Angoe, Amelia Diane Coombs, Elle Marr, Namrata Patel, Kara Thomas, Lauren Thoman, and up-and-coming debut author and screenwriter Elizabeth Rose Quinn.

When she’s not helping her authors plot their latest exploits, she loves to gaze adoringly at Mount Rainier, clean out a farmers market, travel with her paddleboard, and read for pleasure. A few books she loves are The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, You by Caroline Kepnes, When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, In Five Years by Rebecca Serle, and The Husbands by Holly Gramazio.

A fan of unreliable narrators, domestic suspense, and true crime, Senior Editor Liz Pearsons works with New York Times bestselling authors Gregg Olsen, Luanne Rice, Christopher Reich, and J.T. Ellison. Her award-nominated authors include Lisa Scottoline, Tracy Clark, Andrew Mayne, and Joe Hart—whose novel Or Else won the 2022 Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original. When she isn’t reading, Liz can be found on her yellow beach cruiser, boating on Lake Michigan, or cheering on her beloved Green Bay Packers. After six years in Seattle, she is now based in Michigan.

Victoria Pepe is an editor across the Lake Union, Thomas & Mercer, Montlake, and Amazon Original Stories imprints in the UK, where she looks after authors such Amanda Prowse, Imogen Clark, Dani Atkins, and Soraya M. Lane. Victoria started her publishing career as an editor at Little, Brown Book Group in the UK, where she worked with prize-winning and bestselling authors. Previously she worked as a literary scout for fiction and nonfiction, as well as an editorial consultant.

Lauren Plude is a Senior Editor for Montlake. She has had the privilege of working with bestselling authors Rebecca Yarros, Tessa Bailey, H.D. Carlton, Alexis Hall, Charlie N. Holmberg, Olivia Dade, and Laura Pavlov. Lauren has been falling for happily ever afters for well over a decade. Prior to joining Montlake, she was an editor for Grand Central Publishing/Forever Romance and a developmental editor for Carina Press. She likes her romance like she likes her coffee: decadent and with a kick. When she isn’t lost in a book, she’s busy spoiling her rescue dog, Sophia.

Megan Sakoi is an editor for Montlake. Thanks to her aunt, a bestselling romance author, she found her heart captivated by love stories at an age far younger than her mother would have preferred. Her resulting passion for books and her dedication to empowering authors has translated into a winding career through the publishing industry, including roles as a freelance book editor, an author experience manager for Kindle Direct Publishing, and the founder of a boutique literary company specializing in indie author services. When she's not tackling the precariously tall to-be-read pile on her nightstand, Megan can be found indulging in her other great loves, such as baking decadent desserts, adventuring across the globe with her husband, and snuggling their adorable goldendoodles, Kona and Nala.

Anh Schluep oversees Montlake and Skyscape. She has decades of book business experience, starting at her local Waldenbooks in the suburbs of Seattle. She went on to hold a wide variety of roles in publishing, including sales, marketing, and account management positions at Penguin Group and Random House before joining Amazon Publishing in 2011.

Kelsey Skea is the editorial director of Two Lions and Amazon Crossing Kids, where she has published Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winners Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant; Caldecott Honor artists Christopher Denise and Lauren Castillo; New York Times bestselling authors Amy Hest, Ame Dyckman, and Jim Benton; and Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley. She was previously an executive editor at Disney Press/Disney Hyperion, where she worked with award-winning authors Jon Scieszka, Cynthia Rylant, Amy Krouse Rosenthal, and Gail Carson Levine; she began her career at HarperCollins Children’s Books. Titles she’s published have received numerous accolades including the Geisel Award and three Christopher Awards and have landed on Amazon, USA Today, and other bestseller lists. Kelsey’s love of children’s books started with such classics as Bread and Jam for Frances, Make Way for Ducklings, and Corduroy.

Alexandra Torrealba is an editor at Amazon Crossing, where she acquires international literature to be translated into English and made available to readers across the world. She also acquires across Amazon Publishing’s imprints and in a variety of genres. Some of the authors currently on her list include Isabel Allende, Viveca Sten, John Ajvide Lindqvist, Marc Levy, Jeff Wheeler, J.M. Lee, Diego Boneta, Jennifer Moorhead, Chelsea Ichaso, Galina Vromen, Sarah Echavarre, and Sofia Robleda. Prior to joining Amazon Publishing in 2022, Alexandra was the editor at Vintage Español (Penguin Random House), where she acquired Spanish-language rights to works originally published in English, among them Javier Zamora’s widely acclaimed memoir Solito and National Book Award finalist The Man Who Could Move Clouds by Ingrid Rojas Contreras. She also worked on the Spanish translations of fiction phenomena Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins, as well as works by beloved authors Julia Alvarez and Sandra Cisneros.

Jessica Tribble Wells has worked on many bestsellers including The Taken Ones by Jess Lourey (2024 Edgar Nominee), Unmissing by Minka Kent (2023 Thriller Award Nominee), and The House at the End of the World by Dean Koontz. Before joining Amazon Publishing in 2015, Jessica worked at Poisoned Pen Press in Scottsdale, Arizona, a leading independent publisher of mystery and thriller fiction. Over ten years she held nearly every job, including publisher, and worked on titles such as James Sallis’s Drive (adapted for film starring Ryan Gosling in 2011) and the Phryne Fisher Mysteries by Kerry Greenwood (adapted for series in 2012). In 2013 she joined Brilliance Publishing as their managing editor, overseeing the publication of thousands of titles. Jessica is passionate about all forms of storytelling, and if she isn’t reading is usually watching a movie or another new television show.

Nicole Tschierschke is a senior editor at Amazon Publishing in Germany with a focus on local and translated women’s fiction and romance novels. She works with many authors including Marie Force and Catherine Ryan Hyde. Nicole is passionate about reading foreign literature and traveling.

Laura Van der Veer is an editor for Little A, Lake Union, Amazon Original Stories, and Mindy’s Book Studio, focusing on upmarket fiction and narrative nonfiction. She loves stories with a clever voice that also manage to show vulnerability and connect to readers in surprising ways. She has published books by bestselling authors like Laurie Notaro, Jen Lancaster, Guy Lawson, and Uzma Jalaluddin. Her titles include The Waltham Murders by Susan Zalkind, Sorry for the Inconvenience by Farah Naz Rishi, In Our Likeness by Bryan Van Dyke, and Pink Whales by Sara Shukla. She’s published short content by Cheryl Strayed, Katherine Ryan, Sadeqa Johnson, and Josh Malerman. Before Little A, she worked for Spiegel & Grau, where she edited Norm Macdonald’s New York Times bestseller Based on a True Story, and Rob Delaney’s Rob Delaney: Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage.

Chris Werner oversees fiction and nonfiction audio acquisitions for Brilliance Publishing. His list has included a wide range of bestselling authors including Jennifer Armentrout, Robert Kiyosaki, Tami Hoag, Jonathan Alter, and Elle Macpherson. Before joining Brilliance, Chris was in various editorial roles with Amazon Publishing, most recently Executive Editor, and worked on the Kindle Books team. He has also served as a senior editor at SagaCity Media, where he led online editorial, in addition to writing and editing lifestyle and arts features. When he’s not buried in a book, Chris can be found enjoying the outdoors with his family or indulging his love of travel.

Lena Woitkowiak has been a senior editor at Amazon Publishing in Germany for over ten years. She focuses on local and translated historical fiction, women’s fiction, and contemporary novels. She is extremely proud when she discovers new author voices and helps them find a big readership. She holds a master’s degree in literary studies and has prior worked in marketing positions but her big passion remain stories in all facets.