Meet Jessica Alvarez

Jessica Alvarez

Literary Agent, BookEnds

Tagline:  Whipping novels into submission.*

*Special thanks to Peter Senftleben for coming up with the tag line

If your dream submission were to arrive in your inbox today what would it be? I have to admit, my tastes are fickle. Today’s dream submission could be different than tomorrow’s.  I have an eclectic list, and that variety is really what makes me love my job so much.  Right this very second, I’d love to find some sexy, funny contemporary romances with great hooks and great writing.  It should be so funny that it would be dangerous for me to drink and read at the same time.  

Book Concepts you never really want to see in your inbox: I’m typically turned off by sports-themed books, books with protagonists in the performing arts (musicians, actors, ballerinas), and those with chefs.  But I should never say never.  I’ve sold books I love that contain all of those.  Andrea Laurence’s FACING THE MUSIC has a rock star heroine.  Melissa Cutler got me twice with a chef heroine in THE TROUBLE WITH COWBOYS and a trio of hockey playing heroes in her Bomb Squad series. 

What was the last book you read and what did you think of it?  ONE KICK by Chelsea Cain.  I really enjoyed it. I’m a fan of tough, kick-ass heroines who are complicated and damaged, and Chelsea delivered that for me.  The heroine has a slightly shady romantic interest, and I’m also attracted to books that have morally ambiguous characters.  Minerva Koenig’s NINE DAYS is a perfect example from my list of a book that has all those elements.

If you're going all out, calories don't count, what's your Starbucks treat of choice?  Oooh, a toffee nut latte with a drizzle of caramel and sea salt. And whipped cream.  Just writing those words is making me want one...

If you could move your office anywhere in the world where would you like to work from?  It’s a tie between a villa in Tuscany with a view of an olive grove out my office window, or the beach.  I’m lucky that I get to work on books that could be beach reads all year round, so why not have my environment match the work?