MENTOR:
Mallory Marlowe (she/her)
CATEGORY:
Adult
SUB GENRES:
Contemporary, Rom Com, Paranormal
BIO:
I’m Mallory Marlowe and I write romances, often with an oddball or speculative twist! My debut LOVE AND OTHER CONSPIRACIES comes out Summer 2024 from Berkley Romance, pitched as THE EX TALK meets BUZZFEED UNSOLVED, in which a skeptical video producer teams up with a handsome paranormal conspiracy theorist to make a web series, but in their quest to find Bigfoot, aliens, and the truth, they find love instead.
I was a mentee in the 2022 Kiss Pitch mentorship program where I was mentored by Kat Turner and we worked together to make LOVE AND OTHER CONSPIRACIES query ready. I am represented by Jill Marr at Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency.
I have been writing since I was a teenager and have a degree in Screenwriting from Emerson College. I currently live in Los Angeles and work full-time as a writer in the video games industry.
MSWL:
I am looking for out of the box rom-coms that push the genre boundaries – everything from unique workplace romances, speculative twists, and high-concept hooks. I love contemporary romances that have paranormal elements and are a little bit out there. I would also love to see some adventure romances.
Since my background is in the entertainment industry, I would love to see entertainment/Hollywood-centric books as well.
I’m a huge fan of quippy banter, messy MCs, and millennial humor. Some of my favorite tropes include: hurt/comfort, fake dating, enemies to lovers, only one bed, mutual pining, and grumpy/sunshine. I’m weak for a good beta-hero who simps hard for the heroine. Characters with strong communication and respect for one another are my favorite.
I would love to work with fellow neurodivergent authors and see romances with great mental health representation (I find men who go to therapy incredibly sexy). I’m a firm believer that every kind of brain deserves a HEA. I would also love to see more romances with asexual spectrum representation.
Some other assorted hobbies/likes I have that get me excited: Taylor Swift, ghost-hunting shows/cryptid-hunting, aliens (I am an Aquarius if that was not already so obvious), video games (Mass Effect & Uncharted are my faves – if you have a treasure hunting romance, *eyes emoji*!), hot and nerdy love interests.
NOT INTERESTED IN:
I am not particularly into alpha heroes and don’t gravitate to them in my writing or reading. I am not a great fit for historical romance. While I enjoy it, I don’t feel I would have the keenest and most helpful eye for those stories. I don’t love accidental pregnancy or the secret baby trope and I don’t feel I have the right expertise or knowledge to be the most effective mentor for those stories.
Absolutely no Nazis, racist, misogynistic or homophobic/transphobic love interests (Even if they change/grow. I’m just not a fit for that). Nothing with any kind of oppressed/oppressor dynamic, either. I am also not looking for characters or stories that revolve around law enforcement or the military.
MENTORING STYLE
I am a big fan of the compliment sandwich and I believe the best feedback is supportive and constructive. I like to ask questions to dig deeper into characters or plot, that’ll make the writer think hard about why or how something is happening on the page. Sometimes revising a book requires breaking things down and killing darlings, but any feedback I give will be delivered gently and with care.
I love talking through ideas and finding solutions together. I work remotely so my schedule can be flexible for emails, Zoom meetings, or other means to help keep you on track throughout the program (and beyond!). I hope to be a helpful resource and sounding board for my mentee.