Bio
Hi SmoochPit, my name is Celia! I write Contemporary Romance with a hint of magic and have been agented with Kevan Lyon at the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency since 2021. When I'm not writing, I double as a corporate gal and hold a CPA. When I'm not doing either of those, you can find me watching TLC (I'm a sucker for the odd reality show), reading (romance, duh), cuddling my rescue Golden Retriever, Buddy (he's practically the real life Air Bud), cuddling my handsome husband (not a rescue), cozy gaming, and enjoying the Colorado mountains/outdoors!
Manuscript
Wishlist
(MSWL)
My sweet-spot genres are Adult Contemporary/Rom Com and any form of Speculative Romance. If your book falls into either of those categories, chances are I want to see it! Below are some specifics that I'm a sucker for (not an exhaustive list!):
YES, GIVE IT TO ME
• Enemies to lovers
• Brooding hero/heroine
• VOICE, VOICE, VOICE
• Independent main characters with agency
• Unique take on a familiar trope
• Unexpected settings
• Magical element that helps drive the plot
• Time manipulation (i.e. time slips, time loops, time travel, etc.)
• Fun genre crossovers that combine a speculative element into our modern world (think demon working in corporate America, witches with inconvenient powers, magical bakery, etc.)
• Why Choose, Omegaverse
• Cute pets! (especially if the grump is a sucker for it)
• ONE BED/caught in storm/forced proximity
• Habanero/ghost pepper levels of spice on the open door Scoville scale
Not the best fit
• Secret/surprise pregnancy trope (just not for me – nothing wrong with it!)
• Any form of abuse or non-consent
• Power imbalances (i.e. major age gaps or situations like professor and student)
• On page animal deaths
Mentoring Style
Even though this is set up as a mentor/mentee program, I don't see it as something that is 'teacher and student,' rather something that sits more in collaboration. Ultimately, all I want, is to help make your beautiful book shine in all the ways that it can. I believe that includes pointing out areas that could be tweaked, and just as importantly, the things that are working! I am a big believer in feedback that is constructive and provides direction/suggestions instead of leaving the author feeling unnecessarily critiqued and discouraged. I am a hands on mentor and like to provide detailed inline notes (I have no self-control with comments all in caps begging you to LET THEM KISS NOW) as well as general high level feedback on plot, structure, characters, etc. I would love to set up a Discord channel for just us to talk about any questions/brainstorming on the book itself, but also general publishing woes and wins. I'm really just a girl, standing in front of SmoochPit, asking it to send me a new friend whose book I can help champion (bonus points if you get this terribly done knockoff reference)!
Applications
from Connections
Please do not apply to me if we've had extensive conversations online (I don't think there are many of you out there lol). But if we're in the same discord(s) or mutuals on social media and haven't talked more than a comment here or there, please feel free to send me your beauties!!