Meet GCP
Ben Sevier
President and Publisher
I’m Ben Sevier, the President and Publisher of Grand Central Publishing. I am responsible for all aspects of publishing activities for our imprints Grand Central, Balance, Forever, Hachette Books (comprised of Hachette Books and Hachette Go!), Hachette Nashville (comprised of Center Street, FaithWords, Worthy Books, and WorthyKids), Legacy Lit, and Twelve. In my twenty-five years in publishing, I have been an editorial assistant, an editor, an editor-in-chief, and a publisher, working closely at each level with creative art directors and designers, tireless publicists, innovative marketers, and brilliant editorial colleagues. The holistic view of the publishing process that I have been privileged to develop over the course of my years in the book business informs the Grand Central publishing process every day, and the excitement and enthusiasm that I witness over and over again within our group is the secret to Grand Central’s many successes. Prior to Grand Central, I was the Vice President and Publisher at Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Random House, which followed editorial roles at Simon & Schuster, St. Martin’s Press, and HarperCollins Children’s Books. I have worked with the New York Times-bestselling novelists David Baldacci, Sandra Brown, Harlan Coben, Lisa Gardner, Thomas Harris, Colleen Hoover, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Nicholas Sparks, Jonathan Tropper, and Scott Turow, and directed the acquisition and publication of bestsellers by Sally Field, Nick Offerman, Drew Barrymore, Brooke Shields, Dr. William Li, Admiral William McRaven, neuroscientist Daniel Levitin, and theoretical physicist Sean Carroll. I grew up in California, and I now live in Manhattan with my wife and our children.
Beth de Guzman
Senior VP, Deputy Publisher
Let me come clean: I am a cliché. I’ve always been a bookworm. My favorites when I was growing up were The Arabian Nights and The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, and later Agatha Christie’s mysteries, P.G. Wodehouse’s hilarious novels, and E.B. White’s essay collections. In college, I dreamed of landing a job that would pay me to read. Lucky for me, that dream job has been mine for decades. Finding great voices and great stories is as thrilling today as it was back when I was an Editorial Assistant, and how exciting that in my role as Deputy Publisher I work hand in glove with Editorial, Publicity, Marketing, Advertising, Art, and Sales to whip up enthusiasm for our books. Like I said, a dream job.
Colin Dickerman
Senior VP and Editor in Chief
I have, much to my astonishment, been working in publishing for over thirty years. I started as the receptionist at Alfred A. Knopf (where I actually had to use a Dictaphone) and moved on to Grove Atlantic. I’ve held senior editorial and management positions at Bloomsbury, Penguin Press, and Flatiron Books, where I helped launch the imprint as Editorial Director, and most recently at Farrar, Straus and Giroux. I have acquired and edited many bestselling and award-winning books and authors, including in recent years Promise Me, Dad by President Joe Biden, How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger, Boys in the Trees and Touched by the Sun by Carly Simon, The Deviant’s War by Eric Cervini, How Not to Be Wrong by Jordan Ellenberg, and The Fact of a Body by Alex Marzano-Lesnevich. At Bloomsbury I acquired and edited the multi-million copy bestsellers Schott’s Original Miscellany by Ben Schott and My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler, and I’ve had the great pleasure of editing the novelist Paul Beatty across multiple publishers, including Beatty’s Man Booker and National Book Critics Circle award-winning novel The Sellout for FSG. I’m currently acquiring across a wide range of categories, including pop culture, memoir, narrative history, and pop science. I grew up in Vermont and earned a B.A. in English from Amherst College.
Leah Hultenschmidt
VP and Publisher, Forever
My career in publishing started at the local library as a four-year-old. But my first real job in the industry came two weeks after I graduated college and moved to New York to work at a small, independent publisher. After 10 years there, I moved to Sourcebooks, where I acquired the #1 New York Times bestseller If He Had Been with Me and My Life with the Walter Boys, now a hit Netflix series. I joined the Forever team at Grand Central in 2013 as editorial director and became publisher of the imprint in 2023. I’m currently acquiring commercial women’s fiction and romance. In 2024, I’d particularly love to see steamy fantasy romance, any fairy-tale or mythological romance based in a different culture, a twisty-turny sexy modern gothic thriller, or a fabulous big summer contemporary by an author with a strong platform. Some of my current bestselling authors include Abby Jimenez, Kennedy Ryan, Natasha Lester, and Farrah Rochon. When not reading, I’m happiest travel planning, cardmaking, tending my terrace garden, or cheering on the Red Sox.
Krishan Trotman
VP and Publisher, Legacy Lit
Krishan Trotman is the Vice-President, Publisher of Legacy Lit. She joined Hachette Books in 2016. In 2020 she launched Legacy Lit, an imprint dedicated to books that give voice to issues, authors, and communities that have been marginalized, underserved, and overlooked. This includes BIPOC authors, all women, and any group that they believe deserves a spotlight. The imprint is committed to promoting equality, equity, and inclusion for all people. The books are bold, mission-driven commercial works. Social justice and empowerment are Trotman’s passion. She likes to work with authors who are candid, bold, and, in their own unique way, not afraid to shake things up.
Her authors have included a range of award-winning and New York Times bestsellers, including: congressman John Lewis’ Across That Bridge; journalist Stephanie Land’s Maid; MSNBC political analyst Malcolm Nance’s The Plot to Destroy Democracy; New York Times columnist Lindy West’s The Witches Are Coming and Shit Actually; UFC’s Mixed Martial Artist Paige VanZant’s Rise; Olympic medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad’s Proud; radio and TV host Zerlina Maxwell’s The End of White Politics; TV personality Ed Gordon’s Conversations in Black; journalist Talia Lavin’s Culture Warlords; Vanity Fair writer Nancy Jo Sales’ forthcoming memoir Nothing Personal; BRAVO’s Million Dollar Listing star Ryan Serhant’s Sell It Like Serhant and Big Money Energy; Morning Joe’s cohost Mika Brzezinski’s Earn It! and Comeback Careers; The Today Show’s cohost Al Roker’s You Look So Much Better in Person; and empowerment coach Gina DeVee’s The Audacity to Be Queen, to name a few.
Krishan has been featured in the New York Times, Essence Magazine, New York Magazine, Publisher’s Weekly, Salon, Shondaland, Cheddar TV, MSN, CSPAN, and more. She is the self-described Beyoncé of Books, and mom to her son Bleu.
Nana Twumasi
VP and Publisher, Balance
My career in publishing grew from a genuine love of reading and acquiring knowledge—whether for enjoyment, or for learning, getting into a good book is a thoroughly gratifying experience. My 20-year (and counting) path through the industry has taken me from an independent children’s book publisher in Minnesota, to John Wiley & Sons, and on to Callisto Media, where I built a self-help and trade-psychology publishing program from the ground up, developing such titles as Retrain Your Brain, The Complex PTSD Workbook, and The Complete Ketogenic Diet for Beginners. My focus is on health and wellness inside and out, for all the spaces life occupies, in all the forms and shapes it takes. As Publisher, I keep market analysis and consumers’ needs at the forefront of Balance’s publishing program. As an editor, I seek out a diverse range of authors whose work is steeped in research, education, and innovation — and who are dedicated to helping people be the best version of themselves.
Karen Kosztolnyik
VP, Executive Editorial Director, Fiction
I began my career in book publishing after graduating from college and moving to New York. I worked at several houses, including John Wiley and Harlequin, before landing at Grand Central Publishing’s editorial team where I worked for ten years, before leaving for a stint at Gallery Books/Scout Press, a division of Simon and Schuster, where I acquired and published Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg, longlisted for the National Book Award and Booker Prize. I have since returned to GCP as VP, Editorial Director where I oversee the Fiction program and manage a team of talented editors who primarily acquire fiction for the imprint. I also acquire a list of my own, and I am lucky to work with and publish a number of tremendous authors such as Colleen Hoover (Verity), Patricia Cornwell (Unnatural Death), Sandra Brown (Out of Nowhere), Tia Williams (A Love Song for Ricki Wilde), Kira Jane Buxton (Hollow Kingdom, Thurber Prize Finalist), Lily Brooks-Dalton (The Light Pirate, Dayton Literary Peace Prize Runner-Up), Robyn Harding (The Drowning Woman), Kirthana Ramisetti (Dava Shastri’s Last Day). What excites me most about being in this business is discovering storytellers whose voices can entertain, educate, and enlighten me as a reader. I’m a native Texan who now lives in Manhattan with my husband and son.
Lyssa Keusch
VP, Executive Editor
Having come from a family of doctors and science-oriented professionals, I was very proud to forge my own way as an English major in college. I began my editorial path at Avon Books then shifted over to William Morrow where I continued to work for more than three decades. While there I had the pleasure of launching the careers of #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn, whose beloved Bridgerton novels are the inspiration for the recent Shondaland/Netflix series, and #1 New York Times bestselling thriller author James Rollins (Kingdom of Bones). As my list developed, I published a range of other thriller writers, among them New York Times bestselling authors J.A. Jance (Nothing to Lose) and Gillian McAllister (Wrong Place Wrong Time); and multi-award-winning authors Alison Gaylin (The Collective), Sheena Kamal (The Lost Ones), Glen Erik Hamilton (Past Crimes), and highly acclaimed science-based thriller writer Alice Henderson (A Solitude of Wolverines). In 2023, I took the opportunity to join Grand Central and work with some of the house’s premier authors, among them Harlan Coben, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, and Steve Berry. In addition, I’m excited to continue developing new voices in popular fiction. I was born in Bangkok, Thailand but have spent the majority of my life in New York City, where I live with my husband and children, and still hope to find a perfect pad thai.
Suzanne O’Neill
VP, Executive Editor
I joined Grand Central in 2016. In more than two decades in publishing I have held editorial roles at Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster. I specialize in Nonfiction, including Memoir, Biography, Humor, Women’s Issues, Pop History, Current Events, and Pop Culture (celebrity, music, film, television). Some of my critically acclaimed and bestselling books are Acid for the Children by Flea; I Might Regret This by Abbi Jacobson; Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me and Why Not Me by Mindy Kaling, Dad Is Fat and Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan, Sisters First by Barbara and Jenna Bush; Rod by Rod Stewart; and Me & Patsy Kickin’ Up Dust by Loretta Lynn. Upcoming books include titles by Rachel Bloom, Jamie Foxx, Andrew McCarthy and Sutton Foster; a biography of the fascinating and tumultuous relationship between Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh by Stephen Galloway; Stolen, a riveting memoir by Elizabeth Gilpin about herharrowing experience of psychological manipulation and abuse at a “therapeutic” boarding school for “troubled” teens; Rafa the Great, the story of how as a teenager, screenwriter Rafael Agustin accidentally discovered his family was undocumented and how he and his parents navigated their shared secret life; and Five Floors Up, a history of the NYC fire department through the eyes of a four-generation firefighting family by journalist Brian McDonald.
Brant Rumble
Editorial Director
I love working with a variety of narrative nonfiction, ranging from memoir to biography to history to humor to cultural criticism, and more. I appreciate a strong, distinct voice—with purpose—that I can relate to while also learning anew. My early editorial discoveries included Chuck Klosterman’s generational classics, Fargo Rock City and Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs. I have since been fortunate to publish numerous New York Times bestsellers, most recently including former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn’s Standing My Ground, Rainn Wilson’s Soul Boom, Bill Janovitz’s Leon Russell, Nikki Sixx’s The First 21, Cassandra Peterson’s Yours Cruelly, Elvira, and Marin Fader’s Giannis. I have also worked with acclaimed authors such as Barry Sonnenfeld, Kristian Nairn, Luis Miranda, Andy McCullough, John Bruning, Jack McCallum, Brad Balukjian, John Feinstein, Tom Breihan, Jason Gay, Rob Halford, Joe Trohman, Rick Reilly, Kenny Loggins, George F. Will, Peter Frampton, Julie Andrews, Mike Love, Elvis Costello, Patton Oswalt, Peter Criss, Ken Jennings, Megan Amram, Bill James, Amanda Petrusich, Jonathan Ames, John L. Parker, Gustavo Arellano, and Rob Neyer. I joined the Hachette Book Group in 2018. I was previously at Blue Rider Press for several years, and at Scribner for a number of years before that. I live in Brooklyn with my wife and two children.
Renée Sedliar
Editorial Director
I was that kid who spent a lot of time rewriting endings to books or plotting sequels (#alwaysaneditor); I’ve been at my one true love for nearly thirty years, with pitstops at HarperSanFrancisco (now HarperOne), Marlowe & Co., Da Capo Lifelong, Seal Press, and Hachette Books/Go. I gravitate toward practical, prescriptive nonfiction that helps readers identify a core issue/need/concern in their own life, and then bravely and concretely meets it head on. And that’s everything from trauma, grief, health and wellness (broadly construed!), self-help (also broadly construed!) to healthy food and cooking. Some of the books I’ve worked on over the years include Carleigh Bodrug’s #1 New York Timesbestselling PlantYou: Scrappy Cooking; Schuyler Bailar’s award-winning He/She/They: How We Talk about Gender and Why It Matters; Heather Corinna’s What Fresh Hell Is This: Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities, and You; Mia Birdsong’s How We Show Up, Phoebe Lapine’s SIBO Made Simple; Stephanie Sarkis, PhD’s Gaslighting; and Annie Sklaver Orenstein’s Always A Sibling: The Forgotten Mourner’s Guide to Grief. When I’m not nose down in a manuscript, you’ll find me in the air at San Francisco’s Circus Center or just strolling the glorious 7×7.
Amar Deol
Executive Editor
Amar Deol joined Grand Central in January 2024. He acquires across many categories of nonfiction, including current affairs, sports, politics, history, and memoir, among many others. Amar’s published seven New York Times bestsellers, with his titles having received citations from the Whiting Foundation & J. Anthony Lukas Prize Committee, selected for inclusion on Barack Obama’s Summer 2022 Reading List, and longlisted for the 2024 Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction.
Alex Logan
Executive Editor
My favorite night at home—and we’ve certainly had plenty of those—involves cracking open a new thriller and reading until the crack of dawn. However, I’m always on the lookout for intriguing fiction of any kind. I acquire primarily women’s fiction, historical fiction, thrillers/psychological suspense, and romance/rom com. For nonfiction, I’d love to be able to incorporate my own personal interests by adding heartwarming pet books and art history about well-known artists. Right now, it’s an honor to be the editor of mother-and-son New York Times bestselling authors Iris and Roy Johansen, and I’m so pleased that Nina Laurin’s Girl Last Seen has gone back to press fifteen times. In the near future, I’m looking forward to the publication of WWII women’s fiction from Kelly Bowen and Jaclyn Goldis and upcoming thrillers from New York Times bestselling author Nancy Allen and USA Today bestselling author Cate Holahan as well as Angela Marsons, who has sold over four million copies of her Detective Kim Stone series. And I’d like to give a special shout-out to my hardworking romance authors, including USA Today bestsellers Debbie Mason, Hope Ramsay, Annie Rains, and Melinda Curtis. It’s a thrill to discover new authors and help them find success, and I have always loved sharing my favorite books. After earning a journalism degree from Northwestern, I worked as a bookseller at Borders (remember them?) on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue. I did not yet have the dream to come to New York City but I’m so glad that I did.
Karyn Marcus
Executive Editor
With a degree in philosophy, it made sense to work as a bartender then enter publishing. My path took me from a literary agency, to Doubleday, Macmillan, and finally ten years at Simon & Schuster. Over the years, I acquired and edited both bestselling and award-winning books, including Anna by Amy Odell, The Right Call by Sally Jenkins, The Way I Heard Itby Mike Rowe, Keep It Moving by Twyla Tharp, What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About by Michele Filgate, Whip Smart by Melissa Febos, The Lion in the Living Room by Abby Tucker, On Trails by Rob Moor, Sounds Like Me by Sara Bareilles, The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley, and Seinfeldia by Jennifer Armstrong. At Grand Central, I acquire across a wide range of nonfiction including arts and culture, narrative nonfiction, upmarket self-help, biography, business, psychology, and memoir. I currently live in Brooklyn with my family and a dog named Bear.
Ben Schafer
Executive Editor
I specialize in acquiring and editing books about music, popular culture, biography, memoir, and popular science, and I have an overarching affinity for American counterculture. I’ve published several New York Times bestsellers, including Scattershot by Gershwin Award-winning lyricist Bernie Taupin, Unrequited Infatuations by musician and actor Stevie Van Zandt, and Trouble Boys by Bob Mehr (the acclaimed, definitive biography of The Replacements). I also published the national bestseller two-volume history of L.A. punk Under the Big Black Sun and More Fun in the New World by John Doe (of X) and music publishing veteran Tom DeSavia, Do What You Want, the official biography of Bad Religion co-authored by Jim Ruland, the international bestseller Sing Backwards and Weep by Mark Lanegan, and many biographies by veteran rock journalist David Browne, including his latest opus, Talkin’ Greenwich Village. I’ve been lucky to have memorable experiences working on books with the likes of Christopher Hitchens, Lou Reed, Buddy Guy, Dave Van Ronk, Brian Wilson, The Lunachicks, and the physicist Brian Cox. I am based in Southern California where I divide my time between Los Angeles and the deep Mojave Desert in Wonder Valley. Prior to Grand Central Publishing, I held editorial positions at Hanuman Books, William Morrow, and Da Capo Press, where I acquired for the music list for 17 years. When the deal goes down, I hope to leave behind a bookshelf that tells the larger story of how performing arts and several varieties of bohemia across many decades intersected with and influenced culture all over the world in the 20th and into the 21stcentury.
Maddie Caldwell
Senior Editor
I am a senior editor at Grand Central Publishing, where I acquire primarily narrative nonfiction as well as the occasional novel. The best way to describe me is to say that I’m an escapist at heart. I grew up in a house in the woods on the side of a mountain in Wyoming, and reading was the first way she saw the world. Now that I have left the Rockies behind, I am drawn to strong voices that have feminism, identity, and diversity at the forefront and offer unique takes on recent history and our contemporary life, especially cultural criticism, true crime, science, history, investigative journalism, memoir, and personal essays. My list includes bestsellers The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe by Dr. Steven Novella and Save Yourself by Cameron Esposito, The Heir Affair by bestselling authors Jessica Morgan and Heather Cocks, Out East by John Glynn, Too Much by Rachel Vorona Cote and the forthcoming We Keep the Dead Close by Becky Cooper. Prior to joining Grand Central, I made stops at Weed Literary and Alfred A. Knopf.
Madeleine Colavita
Senior Editor, Forever
When it comes to romance, I’m a bit of a late-bloomer, having not discovered the genre until I was a publishing intern. But I’ve been making up for lost time, consuming every happily-ever-after I can get my hands on. Since joining the Forever team in 2013, I’ve had the pleasure of working with many bestselling and critically acclaimed writers including A.J. Pine, Tessa Bailey, Paula Quinn, Lauren Smith, Piper J. Drake, April Hunt, Cecilia Tan, and Carly Bloom, among others. As an Editor, I’m looking for fun, fresh, diverse voices across all subgenres of romance—especially historical, cowboy, small-town contemporary, and romantic suspense—as well as in romantic comedies and women’s fiction. I want to be surrounded by characters who mostly make me laugh, only occasionally make me cry, and always make me believe in true love. When not helping my authors craft HEAs, I enjoy baking, watching old movies, and needlepointing Christmas ornaments.
Junessa Viloria
Senior Editor, Forever
I’ve loved romance since probably before I should have, and I enjoy all forms of HEAs. I joined the Forever team in 2019, after spending eleven years at Penguin Random House, and I acquire all subgenres of romance and commercial women’s fiction. I love when stories make me feel things, whether they make me laugh out loud or sob uncontrollably, and stories that highlight women’s relationships and experiences, both modern and historical. I am particularly drawn to #ownvoices, fun romcoms with unique hooks, and emotional dramas about family, sisterhood, and friendships. Throughout my career, I have worked with many New York Times, and USA Today bestselling authors and I’ve been lucky enough to work with authors such as Mariah Stewart, K.A. Linde, Monica McCarty, Emily March, Christy Craig, Jenny Holiday, R.C. Ryan, among many others. When not immersed in romance, I love hanging out with my kids, watching football, and discovering new restaurants.
Kirsiah Depp
Editor
I’ve been with Grand Central Publishing since 2017, but my love of books goes all the way back to first grade when I used to sneak Harry Potter books into my room to keep reading them because my mom just couldn’t keep reading out loud anymore. And since then, I’ve cultivated a love of commercial fiction that whisks me away on an amazing adventure in a face-paced read that I can’t put down. Which of course means I acquire and have on my list speculative fiction, historical and contemporary women’s fiction, retellings (mythic and fairy tale), and more! I am also proudly a part of David Baldacci’s editorial team which has been such an honor. Other authors I’ve had the immense pleasure of working with include Freida McFadden, Emily Hourican, Phong Nguyen, Adam Plantinga, Nicole Trope, and many more. What they have in common is that they make me feel ALL the feels, and between you and me, if there’s that spark of magic in the story, all the better. Before joining GCP, I worked at HarperCollins and Penguin Random House, both in children’s and adult publishing, and I have a Master’s in Publishing from NYU and a Bachelor’s in Literary Studies from Bard College.
Sam Brody
Associate Editor, Forever
I’m a hopeless romantic, so it’s no surprise I love bringing happily-ever-afters to life. But like any good story, it’s the journey that’s important, and my publishing path has been anything but linear: I spent over five years at literary agencies and in sales before joining Team Forever in 2019. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working with New York Times bestselling and acclaimed authors such as Mia Sheridan, Manda Collins, Amalie Howard, Rachel Van Dyken, and Alexis Hall. My own list includes bestselling and award-winning authors such as Helena Greer, Felicia Grossman, and Adib Khorram as well as exciting debut authors like Ana Holguin and Jessica Lepe. I’m now on the lookout for works specifically from queer and BIPOC voices and from people of underrepresented genders and faiths. I’m drawn to the paranormal and fantastic as well as the untold eras of history, and I have a soft spot for retellings, high-concept rom-coms, and unexpected genre mash-ups. In truth, the best way to sweep me off my feet is with an exciting hook, heartwrenching and emotional romance, fantastic friendships, or found family. And when not reading or editing, I can usually be found singing (and pretending) my life is a musical or practicing for my future win on The Great British Bake Off.
Sabrina Flemming
Associate Editor, Forever
My love of romance novels began when I started sneaking them out of my mom’s room as a teen. Eventually, I was caught by a librarian who scolded me about reading books with bare-chested men on the covers. I’ve since been obsessed with books that push the boundaries, bring readers pleasure, and create safe spaces for the imagination. So after graduating from GSU’s creative writing program, I joined Grand Central Publishing’s Forever imprint in 2019. I revel in acquiring steamy love stories, angsty new adult, and dark romance. My current authors include Morgan Bridges, Carian Cole, and Lucy Eden. When not searching Goodreads for romances with warning labels, I succeed at killing vegetable gardens and enjoy having one-sided conversations with my dog, Loki.
Amina Iro
Associate Editor, Legacy Lit
Amina Iro is an Assistant Editor at Legacy Lit. She started her publishing career as an Editorial Assistant at Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, where she worked on titles by esteemed authors such as Cicely Tyson and Zora Neale Hurston. A writer and performance poet originally from Prince George’s County, MD, Amina was a 2020 Fellow for the Watering Hole Winter Writer’s Retreat. She has performed at venues in the US, England, Nigeria, and South Africa. Amina is a graduate of the First Wave program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she studied Neurobiology and English Creative Writing. She is interested in books with brave motifs that invite readers to the juncture of identity and social change. She is particularly passionate about books that illuminate the vastness of Black and queer life.
Nicole Luongo
Associate Editor
If you asked six-year-old me and present-day-me what a “perfect day” looked like, our answers would be identical: hot cocoa, a loaded bookstore gift card—with unlimited browsing time—mint chocolate chip ice cream, and an evening of uninterrupted reading. (I’m nothing if not consistent.) After working my dream high school summer job as a bookseller, I earned a joint B.A. in English and International Development from McGill University, then landed an editorial assistant role at Mango Publishing. From there, I moved to Park Row Books (HarperCollins), where I helped edit New York Times bestselling authors Mary Kubica, Heather Gudenkauf, and Pam Jenoff, among others, before building my own list. Some of my past acquisitions include Mansi Shah’s A Good Indian Girl (2024), Saumya Dave’s The Guilt Pill (Apr 2025), and Emily Buchanan’s Send Flowers (Jul 2025).
I joined the GCP team in 2024 and am looking for a wide range of edgy, voice-driven, commercial book club fiction, with an emphasis on amplifying marginalized voices. My editorial interests include anything upmarket speculative (magical realism, horror, sci-fi, dystopian, cozy fantasy—you name it—especially if there’s a feminist bend!); genre-subverting psychological thrillers (cunning female perpetrators, unreliable female narrators, etc.); select coming-of-age stories; and feminist satire/dark comedy (I’m a sucker for biting, whip-smart humor). While I primarily acquire fiction, I also consider select narrative nonfiction/memoir, with specific interests in mental health, feminism, pop culture, psychology, social justice, and environmental activism.
Carrie Napolitano
Associate Editor
I’m dedicated to publishing books that challenge, entertain, and inspire. Primarily, I’m focused on acquiring bold narrative nonfiction, including memoir, history, true crime, music history/biography, and humor, with extra points to anything progressive, cheeky, macabre, or straight-up weird, and I’m particularly drawn to authors with a dark sense of humor and a keen eye for detail, as well as authors who are quirky, opinionated, and/or not afraid to push the envelope. I’ve acquired and published numerous New York Times bestsellers, including Andrea Lankford’s Trail of the Lost (also CrimeCon’s “Book of the Year” for 2023), Serj Tankian’s Down with the System, and Joanna “JoJo” Levesque’s Over the Influence, as well as award-winning and critically acclaimed books such as criminal profiling pioneer and forensic nurse Dr. Ann Burgess and Steven Constantine’s A Killer By Design (the inspiration behind the Hulu documentary, Mastermind), historian Jennifer Wright’s Madame Restell, BDSM educator and podcaster Tina Horn’s Why Are People Into That?, Criminalia podcast hosts Holly Frey and Maria Trimarchi’s Killer Cocktails, Billboard executive director of music Jason Lipshutz’s It Starts With One, The Fall Line podcast host Laurah Norton’s Lay Them To Rest, journalist Susan Hendricks’ Down the Hill, and Tudor historian Estelle Paranque’s Blood, Fire & Gold, among many others. Prior to joining GCP, I worked at Hachette Books, Basic Books, and Oxford University Press, and before that, I graduated with honors from Brown University with a double concentration in Comparative Literature and Italian Studies. When I’m not editing (is there such a time?!) or scouring over proposals, you can catch me leading historical (spooky!) walking tours through lower Manhattan, checking out music venues across the boroughs, or watching true crime docs with my cat, Mona Lisa.
Jacqueline Young
Associate Editor
I joined GCP in 2019 after working at Palgrave Macmillan, having previously interned at HSG Literary and Frances Goldin Literary Agency. Having majored in English and Economics in college, I decided to pursue the former and promptly forgot everything I learned regarding the latter. Over the last few years, I assisted on a number of critically acclaimed and bestselling titles, from Andrew McCarthy’s Brat to Seeing Ghosts by Kat Chow, before beginning to build my own list with the acquisitions of Colton Gentry’s Third Act (4/24) and Make It Count (6/24).
I’m particularly drawn to narrative nonfiction and memoir that explores pressing social and cultural concerns through a deeply personal, unique, or compassionate lens. I’m also passionate about pop culture analysis and criticism. On the fiction side, I tend to gravitate towards big-hearted commercial and upmarket projects that explore universal themes including friendship, familial bonds, and identity with an elevated hook or unexpected angle. Across the board, I appreciate a sense of humor and offbeat sensibility.
Natalie Bautista
Assistant Editor, Balance
Working with books has always been a dream of mine! After graduating college with a B.A.in Creative Writing, and taking a detour through a few other professional industries, I found myself coming back to what I’ve always been passionate about: amplifying the voices and stories of others. I managed to make an industry switch, and after interning with Folio Literary Management and Catapult, I eagerly accepted an Editorial & Marketing Assistant position with GCP Balance. I am passionate about perspectives that reflect the nuanced, in-between spaces that many of us occupy, and believe we can only be the best versions of ourselves (physically, emotionally, spiritually) when we honor and nurture these diverse facets of who we are.
Niyati Patel
Assistant Editor
My path to books has been winding—I always feel like I have one leg in and out of this world. After years working in psychiatric clinical research, I pivoted to earn an MFA in fiction at Sarah Lawrence College, then passed through the Columbia Publishing Course and an internship at Norton before joining Hachette Books in 2022. At GCP, my interests continue to revolve around books about the brain and the world the brain lives in—which is to say, I’m a generalist that values intention. Practical or narrative nonfiction, if the book has a strong message or a purpose for humans and humankind, and it keeps readers both relevant and entertained, I’d love to hear from you. Think: social justice, history, and geopolitics; science, psychology, and philosophy; biography & memoir, business, and so on, written for—or editable for—the masses. As a poet, I value brevity and clarity; as a novelist, I value story and stakes; and as a trained scientist, I value truth and scope. I bring these skills to shepherding books and hope that, together, we can make something great.
Ian Dorset
Editorial Assistant
My road into publishing was long and roundabout. After a stint trying (and failing) to make it in the punk music scene, my passion for books took me first into education, where I worked for several years as a high school English teacher for the NYCDOE. From there, it took me to the iconic Barnes and Noble at Union Square, where I worked launch events for writers ranging from Elizabeth Strout to Tom Segura. Finally, I finally made the leap into publishing, and I’m excited to now be part of the Grand Central team. I work in non-fiction, supporting Colin Dickerman and Karyn Marcus.
Grace Fischetti
Editorial Assistant
My love of reading began when my favorite local librarian, Stephanie, nurtured my passion for books. Since then, I have known I wanted to be part of the process that brings great stories to readers. After graduating from Boston University, I joined HBG as a publicity intern. My genre of choice has always been romance, so I am excited to now be a Forever team member, especially on the editorial side of things. Although I favor rom coms, I enjoy exploring women’s fiction, historical fiction, and narrative nonfiction titles. When I’m not reading romance, I’m probably watching a romantic movie or creating videos for BookTok about the genre. I assist Alex Logan and Madeleine Colavita.
Mahito Indi Henderson
Editorial Assistant, Legacy Lit
After randomly selecting David Sedaris’ Me Talk Pretty One Day for a high school summer reading assignment, I knew that I was destined for a literary career. I studied creative writing, film, and art theory and practice at Northwestern University before moving to Ireland, where I received my MA in creative writing from University College Cork. I then moved to Dublin, where I worked as an editorial assistant and program coordinator for Skein Press, an independent publishing house that supports marginalized communities across Ireland. I am passionate about books that sit at the intersection of race, culture, and humor, and I’m delighted to be working for Legacy Lit, reporting to Krishan Trotman, where I can help promote and champion diversity and inclusion in all aspects of the publishing industry.
Jordyn Penner
Editorial Assistant, Forever
Since I could pick up a book, I have loved reading and storytelling. After receiving my bachelor’s degree in creative writing, I became the assistant manager of a woman-owned independent bookstore in Minnesota. Going into publishing was the natural next step in my career. I moved to New York to get my master’s degree in publishing and began interning at HBG. I am so excited to be a part of the Forever team since I love all things romance! I’m also an avid horror and fantasy reader. When I’m not reading, I love trying the local coffee shops and exploring my New York City neighborhood. I assist Leah Hultenschmidt and Junessa Viloria.
Morgan Spehar
Editorial Assistant
My path into publishing began as a kid who, every week, wanted to check out so many books from the library that I couldn’t lift the extra-sturdy tote bag my mom brought with us. After studying journalism and environmental studies at Ohio University, I spent a year and a half at Princeton University Press as a fellow and, later, an assistant on the history and economics lists. I still love to read anything I can get my hands on! I’m incredibly excited to be working on compelling nonfiction at Grand Central, where I am supporting Suzanne O’Neill and Maddie Caldwell.
Nzinga Temu
Editorial Assistant, Balance
As many childhood book lovers turned English majors before me, I was hurtling toward publishing sometime shortly after my first school library visit. After earning my bachelor’s degree from Howard University, and completing an internship at Electric Literature, I hopped straight into working at Hachette Go and Hachette Books. I am so pleased to now be working at Balance where I support Renee Sedliar and Diana Ventimiglia on all kinds of riveting nonfiction and beautiful cookbooks.
Danielle Thomas
Editorial Assistant
My love for books stems from my passion for all things storytelling, no matter the medium. Words have a way of eliciting powerful emotions when strung together the right way, and after consistently reading the acknowledgments of books I loved, I realized that I wanted to be one of the people that gets to contribute to the stories that are published for all to experience. After a brief detour where I earned my bachelor’s degree in mathematics, I worked as an author’s assistant to S. A. Cosby and a publicity intern for Little, Brown Spark and Voracious while I earned my masters in publishing from NYU. I’m so grateful to have gotten my start in editorial at GCP, where I assist Karen Kosztolnyik and Lyssa Keusch.