Carey Blankenship-Kramer is a literary agent with Belcastro Agency.

After growing up surrounded by books and people who loved to read them, Carey dreamed of bringing more books to the hands of avid readers like herself. She graduated from Berry College with a dual degree in English and Creative Writing. She later received her master’s in Writing and Digital Communications from Agnes Scott College. She has experience working with both publishing houses and literary agencies and loves her role as Junior Agent at Belcastro Agency. As an editorial agent, she loves working closely with her authors to ensure their stories come to life on the page.

While her sweet spot is horror and middle grade, Carey’s tastes are wide and varied. From mystery to fantasy to science fiction, she loves anything that can draw her in and have her rooting for the main characters.

Specifics Across All Genres and Age Groups:

• If you have a strong platform and love what you do, feel free to pitch me a concept.
• Diverse stories from Ownvoices.
• HORROR. Horror, horror, horror! If you have something remotely spooky, Carey wants to see it.
• Neurodiversity rep. As someone with ADHD, anxiety, and depression, neurodiversity is extremely important to Carey.
• Queer stories, especially those with happy endings.
• Quiet, coming of age stories for MG audiences, especially if the word count is on the smaller side with a twinge of magic.
• Stories with animal sidekicks / main characters / or just fluffy pals. Especially horses.
• Dragons! Or anything with mythological creatures.
• Tennis centered books.
• Stories set in the South.

Middle Grade specifics:

• Adventure
• Contemporary
• Fantasy
• Historical
• Horror
• Mystery
• Paranormal
• Science Fiction
• Literally everything. Carey LOVES Middle Grade.

Young Adult specifics:

• Adventure
• Contemporary
• Fantasy
• Graphic Novel
• Horror
• Mystery
• Paranormal
• Science Fiction

New Adult/Adult specifics:

• Contemporary
• Fantasy
• Horror
• Mystery
• Romance
• Science Fiction

Carey is NOT accepting

• Nonfiction
• Stories where the animals die. I’m so sorry, I am weak and cannot handle it.

Some of her most recent favorites include Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega, The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune, Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren, The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill, How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu, When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb, The Broken Girls by Simone St. James, and Just South of Home by Karen Strong.

Outside of work and writing, you can usually find Carey spending time with her small zoo and husband, getting way too competitive on the tennis court, gardening, playing video games, or eating candy.

Laurie Dennison is a literary agent with Creative Media Agency.

After earning her master’s degree from the University of Florida, Laurie Dennison began her career as an English teacher. She then spent over ten years working as a freelance writer and editor in desktop publishing, including serving as a Pitch Wars mentor for five years. In 2022 she attended the Denver Publishing Institute, leading to an internship at Creative Media Agency, Inc. before stepping into her role as an associate agent and internship coordinator at CMA.

In adult books, Laurie seeks:

• Romance
• Contemporary
• Light fantasy/paranormal grounded in the real world
• Book Club Fiction
• Women’s Fiction
• Domestic Suspense
• Commercial Mystery/Thriller
• Nonfiction
• Memoir
• Narrative
• Women’s Issues
• young adult/children’s

In Young Adult books, she seeks:

• Contemporary
• Suspense/Thriller/Mystery
• Light Fantasy/Paranormal
• Light Science Fiction
• Nonfiction

I especially love upmarket writing, complex characters, and immersive settings. I enjoy upbeat, positive stories but don’t shy away from darker themes. Complicated relationships and family dynamics are a particular interest of mine, and I appreciate character development that is directly and organically integrated with the plot. In nonfiction, I’m interested in authors who are specialists in their fields, have strong platforms, and can help me see the world in a new light.

We live in a diverse world, and I want to see diversity of all types authentically represented in all genres; I’d love to champion minority voices as I build my list.

I’m not looking for picture books, middle grade, military or political thrillers, adult high fantasy or science fiction, horror, dystopian, or business books.

I love books that keep me engaged and turning pages late into the night. I want stories and characters that make me feel something, with concepts that are familiar enough to be relatable but unique enough to offer a fresh perspective. In nonfiction I’m inspired by timely work that helps me see the world in a new way.

I always knew my dream job would involve reading, and now I get to do it every day! I love the moment when a story completely captures my attention and I lose track of time. I am so grateful for the opportunity to partner with authors, help them realize their vision for a project, and place their work to reach readers, all while working collaboratively in a community that loves books as much as I do.