Leah Hultenschmidt has been with Dorchester Publishing for eight years.  After several years in Public Relations and Promotions, she’s now back to doing what she loves most—editing books.  She works on mystery romances, historicals, paranormals, futuristics, time-travels, and romantic suspense. Some of her most recent projects include the USA Today best-selling Immortals series and Angie Fox’s The Accidental Demon Slayer, a debut that hit the New York Times list in August. Leah has been named among the Who’s Who of Professional Management, and in 2006 was a finalist for PASIC’s Editor of the Year Award.  She currently posts industry news, upcoming titles and a daily blog at www.romanticreads.net. 
Brynn; As an editor, what types of stories are you looking for at this time?

 Leah: I’m a sucker for a fast-paced or really atmospheric opening that gets me hooked into the story right away.  I love having that immediate sense of “Ooh, I haven’t seen this before.”

Brynn: What have you seen too much of lately, if anything?

Leah: For a while it was demons.  But I think that may have just been a timing issue.  Right now, our list is really full on romantic suspense and mystery romances.

Brynn: What is your favorite part of being an editor? Least favorite?

 Leah: My favorite part is discovering new voices, being able to share an amazing story with thousands of other readers. But I also really love celebrating with my authors their successes.  My least favorite part is tracking down payments and writing rejection letters.

Brynn: Describe your dream author? And of course....the author from Dantes Inferno?

Leah; My dream author turns in her books on time (or gives me as much notice as possible if it won’t be making deadline), is communicative, and has some fun ideas for promotion.  I really don’t ask for a lot.  ;-)  I have yet to work with a truly horrible author, but I will say that an author who’s pleasant to work with and appreciative of extra efforts usually gets just as much if not more in the way of attention and promotion than the author who starts making demands.  Not that authors should be afraid to ask for things, but it’s all in the phrasing--that whole “catching flies with honey” deal.

Brynn: What do you read for pleasure? Name three of your all time favorite books or authors.

Leah; I jump around a lot in my pleasure reading—romance (Laura Kinsale, J.R. Ward, Suzanne Brockmann), historical fiction (Philippa Gregory, Sharon Kay Penman, Robert Harris), fantasy (Jacqueline Carey, Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs), thrillers (Michael Connelly, Lee Child).  Usually I’m up for just about anything.

Brynn ; Tell us about a few titles you have coming out you are excited about.

 Leah: The new wave of Immortals books are hitting shelves now. In THE REDEEMING by Jennifer Ashley, we finally get Tain’s story.  After 700 years of torture and an aborted attempt to take over the world, he definitely needs a woman.  Then comes Joy Nash’s THE CROSSING and Robin Popp’s THE HAUNTING, both of which are more stand-alone books from the series.  Readers should feel free to dive in.

Kathryne Kennedy’s DOUBLE ENCHANTMENT is another new-to-the shelves novel that readers will want to check out.  Eloisa James has raved about Kathryne’s magical blend of Victorian London and high fantasy. 

 Leslie Langtry adds another “Greatest Hit” to her Bombay-family-of-assassins collection with STAND BY YOUR HITMAN.  If you like your humor dark and wild, this is for you.

Gerri Russell’s Scottish historical WARRIOR’S LADY is full of action.  Gerri always has a great twist on a true legend, which part of what I think makes her stories so fun.

And Alissa Johnson makes her debut this month with AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, a Regency featuring a host of unforgettable characters.  If you like Julia Quinn or Stephanie Laurens, you’ll definitely want to check this out.  In fact, I’m so behind this series, that we’re scheduling Alissa’s releases four months apart so readers don’t have to wait so long between books.
 

Brynn: How does one submit to you and do you accept equeries? Do you accept unagented? (for newbies obviously!!)

Leah: At this time, I do not accept electronic submissions unless I’ve made a specific request for it.  However, I gladly accept unagented work.  In fact, I’ve recently made offers for at least three authors who weren’t agented at the time.

Brynn: And our new question section- an absolute take off of inside the actors studio-adapted for books (how's that for a switch)

INSIDE THE EDITORS STUDIO

Tell us your favorite movie

THE PRINCESS BRIDE

Tell us your favorite protagonist-hero or heroine, your choice.

Jamie Fraser (Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series)

What is your favorite word or phrase?

seventeen – for some reason it’s the number I always turn to in hyperbole

least favorite word or phrase?

No

If you werent an editor, you would be an __________.

international spa-tester

Thanks Leah, for visting us!!