Michelle Vega, Executive Editor

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Fall reads from Berkley

Overview

An industry leader in commercial and genre fiction and the home to celebrated authors such as Emily Henry, Carley Fortune, Ali Hazelwood, Jasmine Guillory, Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Grady Hendrix, and Ashley Poston, Berkley has a rich tradition of discovering new talent, defining emerging trends, and building authors and series into global franchises. With Berkley’s dedicated focus and guidance, many bestselling authors have grown into popular brand names, including Christine Feehan, William Gibson, Frank Herbert, Laurell K. Hamilton, Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs, Mark Greaney, and Jayne Ann Krentz. We’re proud to publish Jesse Q. Sutanto, Simone St. James, Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, Samantha Downing, Isabel Cañas, Rachel Lynn Solomon, Stephanie Dray, Susan Meissner, Chanel Cleeton, and Ashley Herring Blake among others.

Our expertise in women’s fiction, romance, science fiction/fantasy, and mystery/suspense makes us uniquely suited to introduce a new generation of popular novelists and to reinvigorate the publishing programs for established bestselling authors. Known for being at the forefront of trends, Berkley continues to develop authors and acquire books on the cutting edge of genre fiction. Berkley’s history of publishing in all formats and commitment to actively promoting the backlist means we remain focused on a book throughout its life. . . and on our author for an entire career.

Meet the Team

Ivan Held, President

Ivan Held is President of Putnam, Dutton, and Berkley and currently oversees business and publishing strategies for the imprints.

Ivan started his career as a bookseller in Washington, DC, before moving to the publicity department at Random House, where he worked with authors ranging from Norman Mailer to General Colin Powell. In the late 1990s he was named VP/Associate Publisher and Marketing Director for the Viking imprint of Penguin. Before returning to Penguin in 2005, he founded the Random House Trade Paperbacks imprint at Random House.

Christine Ball, Executive Vice President, Publisher

Christine Ball is Executive Vice President, Publisher of Berkley, overseeing editorial, publicity, and marketing for the imprint. She joined Berkley in 2016 as VP, Deputy Publisher of Putnam, Dutton and Berkley.

She began her career at Viking Penguin and held many roles in publicity, marketing and corporate communications at several houses before rejoining Penguin in 2008. In 2019 she was named an “Agent of Change” by Girls Write Now. In 2020, she founded the Tiny Reparations Books imprint with Phoebe Robinson at Dutton/Plume.

Benjamin Lee, Senior Vice President, Associate Publisher, Paperbacks & Backlist

Ben Lee joined Dutton, Putnam, and Berkley as Vice President, Associate Publisher of paperbacks in March 2015.  He oversees the paperback conversion program for all of Dutton and Putnam’s books. Prior to joining Dutton, Putnam, and Berkley, Ben was most recently VP, Associate Publisher of Atria Books at Simon & Schuster, overseeing campaigns for many New York Times bestselling authors including Brad Thor, Jennifer Weiner, Vince Flynn, Theresa Caputo, Rachael Ray and Buddy Valastro.

Prior to that at Simon, he sold the warehouse clubs and later handled Target, Readerlink, B&T, Ingram and the CBA. He started his publishing career at Random House, where he worked in sales with the warehouse clubs as well as in marketing with the Information Group.

Jeanne-Marie Hudson, Vice President, Deputy Publisher

Jeanne-Marie Hudson is the Vice President, Deputy Publisher of Berkley.  Prior to joining Berkley, she was Senior Director of Marketing Communications & Audience Development at St. Martin’s Press, where she worked with bestselling authors Kristin Hannah, Emily Giffin, Louise Penny, Lisa Scottoline, Mary Kay Andrews, Janet Evanovich, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Augusten Burroughs, among others. 

After beginning her career as a bookseller in Atlanta, she went on to publishing positions in sales and marketing in both print and audiobooks at major houses and was privileged to work with authors like James Patterson, David Baldacci, Danielle Steel, Michael Connelly, Maeve Binchy, and many more.

Craig Burke, Vice President, Associate Publisher

Craig Burke is the Vice President, Associate Publisher of Berkley.  He oversees publicity campaigns for the entire Berkley list and has worked with many bestselling authors, including Nora Roberts, J.R. Ward, Charlaine Harris, Laurell K. Hamilton, Jen Lancaster, A. Scott Berg, and Karen White, among others.  He oversaw the publicity campaigns for a number of high-profile, bestselling books, including Ricky Martin’s Me, Joan Rivers’s I Hate Everyone…Starting with Me, and True Love by Jennifer Lopez. 

After beginning his career at Alfred A. Knopf, he joined Berkley Books in 1995 and has been the lead publicist on books published by Berkley, NAL, Perigee, and Riverhead Trade Paperbacks, including the international bestsellers The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, and The Color of Water by James McBride.

Claire Zion, Senior Vice President, Editor in Chief

Claire Zion (she/her) became Senior Vice President, Editor in Chief at Berkley in June 2024. In this role, she oversees the Berkley, Berkley Romance, Ace and Prime Crime list and the full editorial team. 

She joined Penguin in 2002 as the Editorial Director of New American Library and was appointed Vice President in 2009. Prior to joining NAL, she worked at Hachette and Simon and Schuster. 

Tom Colgan, Vice President, Editorial Director

Tom Colgan is the Vice President, Editorial Director at Berkley. He started his career at Berkley in 1985. In those days he worked on everything from the novelization of the movie ET: The Extraterrestrial to westerns. He then spent six years at Avon/Morrow and returned to Berkley as an Executive Editor in 1996. He has worked with such bestselling authors as Mark Greaney, Janet Evanovich, Lee Child, and Tom Clancy. Among the New York Times bestselling titles Tom has edited are One Minute Out, Hardcore Twenty-Four, and Tom Clancy Target Acquired.

Cindy Hwang, Vice President, Editorial Director

Cindy Hwang is Vice President, Editorial Director at Berkley. She joined Berkley in 1994 and has acquired and worked with a roster of bestselling authors including Jayne Ann Krentz, Amanda Quick, Laurell K. Hamilton, Sylvia Day, Christine Feehan, Maya Banks, Nalini Singh, Karen White and Jasmine Guillory. 

Cindy was heavily involved in growing Sensation into a leading romance imprint, and in the development of the digital imprint InterMix.

Amanda Bergeron, Vice President, Editorial Director

Amanda Bergeron (she/her) is Vice President, Editorial Director at Berkley, where she acquires a broad range of contemporary and historical book club fiction. She loves a smart page turner that delivers on big emotions, has a soft spot for transporting historical novels and family stories with a narrative hook, and is particularly excited about books that blend and play with genre. She works with acclaimed and New York Times bestselling authors such as Emily Henry, Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Carley Fortune, Stephanie Dray, Ashley Poston, Anissa Gray and many more. She joined Berkley in 2016, coming from William Morrow/Avon where she began her career.

Tracy Bernstein, Executive Editor

Tracy Bernstein (she/her) has worked at publishers large and small including Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Henry Holt, Pocket Books and Kensington. She joined NAL/Berkley in 2002 with a focus on nonfiction and memoir but now concentrates on fiction, primarily mysteries and suspense of many varieties.  In addition, she edits the Signet Classics line and oversees the extensive Berkley backlist. Her New York Times-bestselling authors include Jen Lancaster, Fiona Barton, Montel Williams, and Scott Hamilton.

Kerry Donovan, Executive Editor

Kerry Donovan (she/her) is an Executive Editor at Berkley and began her career with Penguin Random House in 2004. She acquires book club fiction, romance, and mystery and she works with bestselling authors including Colleen Oakley, Elyssa Friedland, Allison Winn Scotch, Sherry Thomas, and Penelope Douglas.

Kate Seaver, Executive Editor

Executive Editor Kate Seaver (she/her) started her career at a small independent publishing company before joining Berkley in 2005. She acquires contemporary and historical book club fiction, romance, and mystery. She loves high-concept novels with a big beating heart, innovative historical fiction, and is particularly drawn to books with a love story, humor, and an uplifting ending. One of her favorite parts of being an editor is discovering distinctive new voices. She works with many bestselling and acclaimed authors including Marie Benedict, Chanel Cleeton, Sara Donati, Kerri Maher, Jenn McKinlay, Victoria Christopher Murray, Eleanor Shearer, and Abbi Waxman.

Esi Sogah headshot

Esi Sogah, Executive Editor

Esi Sogah (she/her) joined Berkley as an executive editor in 2022, acquiring women’s fiction, historical fiction, and romance. Her lifelong love of romance novels led to career that began at William Morrow and Avon Books before she moved to Kensington Publishing, where she worked on a variety of fiction and nonfiction.

Anne Sowards, Executive Editor

Anne Sowards is Executive Editor at Berkley. She joined Berkley in 1996 and primarily acquires and edits fantasy, science fiction, and romance. She has acquired and worked with many bestselling and award-winning authors, including Ilona Andrews, Anne Bishop, Patricia Briggs, Jim Butcher, Rachel Caine, Jack Campbell, Zen Cho, Grace Draven, Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, and Laura Sebastian.

Michelle Vega, Executive Editor

Michelle Vega is an Executive Editor at Berkley. She started her publishing career as an intern for Viking and then worked as editorial coordinator for Alpha Books. She began her career with Berkley in 2005. She acquires mysteries, thrillers, suspense, and horror and works with bestselling authors like Simone St. James, Deanna Raybourn, and Rhys Bowen.

Jessica Wade, Executive Editor

Jessica Wade (she/her) joined Berkley in 2004. She is an Executive Editor acquiring all types of speculative fiction (including science fiction, fantasy, and crossover fiction) as well as horror and mystery. She has worked with a list of bestselling and award-winning authors which includes Grady Hendrix, William Gibson, Genevieve Gornichec, Sangu Mandanna, Alexis Henderson, Rachel Harrison, Peter Beagle, and Guy Gavriel Kay.

Kristine Swartz, Executive Editor

Kristine Swartz (she/her) is an Executive Editor at Berkley and a graduate of New York University. She acquires propulsive romance, women’s fiction, fantasy, and mystery novels, and works with bestselling authors such as Lyssa Kay Adams, Rosie Danan, Rachel Lynn Solomon, and India Holton. When not reading, she’s baking overly elaborate desserts in her tiny NYC apartment. 

Jen Monroe, Executive Editor

Jen Monroe (she/her) joined Berkley in November 2016. She acquires conversation-starting fiction—including book club women’s fiction, psychological suspense/thrillers, speculative fiction, and select narrative nonfiction. Previously, Jen spent two years at HarperAudio where she spearheaded original programming and produced the in-house podcast HarperAudio Presents. Originally from San Francisco, she has an English & Creative Writing degree from Sarah Lawrence College.

Sarah Blumenstock, Senior Editor

Sarah Blumenstock started her career selling foreign and domestic rights for Penguin Young Readers before joining Berkley in 2016. She acquires bold, immersive romance and women’s fiction novels, and works with bestselling authors such as Ali Hazelwood, Evie Dunmore, Lori Nelson Spielman, and Karina Halle.

Angela Kim, Editor

Angela Kim (she/her) is an Editor at Berkley. She acquires contemporary romance, thriller, suspense, book club fiction, and mystery. She is particularly interested in collaborating with authors from underrepresented communities and seeing sharp stories for the millennial and gen-z audience. She works with award-winning and bestselling authors such as Ashley Herring Blake, Mia P. Manansala, and Lynn Painter.

Lisa Bonvissuto, Editor

Lisa Bonvissuto (she/her) joined Berkley as an Editor in January 2024. She acquires fun and fresh-feeling mysteries, thrillers, and suspense, particularly mash-ups with genres like rom-com and book club fiction. She is also interested in witty, high-concept romance/women’s fiction. In all categories, she loves a great sense of humor. Lisa started her career at St. Martin’s Publishing Group, where she worked on fiction with authors such as Andie Burke, Alexandra Vasti, Pyae Moe Thet War, and Jenny Elder Moke.

Sareer Khader, Editor

Sareer Khader (she/her) is an Editor at Berkley, which she joined in 2019 after graduating from the Columbia Publishing Course. She is particularly keen to acquire more immersive romantasy with stunning worlds and swoony relationships, cozy fantasy with warmth and heart (particularly with themes of found family), diverse horror and thrillers, elevated contemporary romance and romcoms, and genre blending book club fiction. Her authors include USA Today bestselling author Sarah Adler, Nick Medina, Jade Beer, and Aurora Palit. Some of her forthcoming projects are Kate Posey’s Serial Killer Games, The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang, Wedding Dashers by Heather McBreen, and Maggie Rapier’s Soulgazer. Sareer was raised on Disney and Bollywood, and her cat is basically the feline version of Toothless.

Liz Sellers, Associate Editor

Liz Sellers (she/her) is an Associate Editor at Berkley and a graduate of New York University and Florida State University. She is acquiring contemporary and historical romances and romcoms, ranging from light and sweet to dark and spicy. Liz is particularly keen on seeing genre-bending new adult fiction that blends an immersive love story with elements of simple fantasy/magic or suspense. Her upcoming projects include new adult debut romances such as For One Night Only by Jessica James and Strike and Burn by Taylor Hutton. When she’s not being an editor, Liz is a Broadway musical aficionado, US Soccer Outlaw, indoor gardener, and cat mom.

Mary Baker, Assistant Editor

Mary Baker (she/her) is originally from St. Louis and is a graduate of Emerson College. She joined the editorial team in 2021 after starting her career in Penguin’s subsidiary rights contracts department. Mary acquires swoony contemporary romance and romantic comedies, feel-good mysteries, fantasy of both the heart-poundingly romantic and heartwarmingly cozy varieties, and fresh book club fiction. She works with authors such as Simone Soltani, Mallory Marlowe, Amanda Elliot, Auralee Wallace, Sylvia Mercedes, and Ellen O’Clover. Mary is a lifelong Blues hockey fan, a grumpy/sunshine devotee, and has a lot of opinions about the best pizza in New York.

Candice Coote, Assistant Editor

Candice Coote (she/her) is an Assistant Editor who joined the Berkley team in 2021 and acquires genre-blending thriller/suspense, horror, sci-fi, and fantasy. She gravitates to stories ranging on a spectrum from dark and propulsive to sweet and healing and is always seeking works by authors from underrepresented communities with an eye on issues or interests that speak to a millennial audience. Her upcoming projects include Daphne Fama’s gothic horror House of Monstrous Women and Mark Waddell’s queer, contemporary fantasy Dark Enterprises. When not working, she loves to enjoy stories in other forms and is always up to talk about what she’s watching.

Annie Odders, Editorial Assistant

Annie Odders (she/her) has been an Editorial Assistant at Berkley since 2022; she is also a graduate of Tulane University. In past lives, she has been a Wisconsinite, New Orleanian, and Hollywood assistant. Annie acquires in the mystery and fantasy spaces, and in either genre, she enjoys feel-good stories with a strong romantic element, witty sense of humor, or historical setting. On the darker side, she dabbles in horror. Her upcoming projects include Holly Stars’ debut mystery, Murder in the Dressing Room and A. Rushby’s gothic historical horror novel, Slashed Beauties.

Amanda Maurer, Editorial Assistant

Amanda Maurer (she/her) joined Berkley as an Editorial Assistant in 2022, after graduating from Loyola University Chicago. She acquires smart and fresh romance, feel-good mysteries, and charming fantasy with crossover appeal. Her upcoming projects include a new paranormal romance series from Olivia Dade and Alys Murray’s steamy rom-com, A Little Buzzed. Amanda is also a die-hard sports fan, but as she’s originally from Cleveland, that often ends in heartbreak.

Gabrielle Pachon, Editorial Assistant

Gabbie Pachon (she/her) joined Berkley as an Editorial Assistant in August of 2022 after realizing that reading fiction was far more fun than reading legal briefs. She is looking to acquire fantasy, romance (especially contemporary and paranormal) and science-fiction with crossover appeal and is drawn to fun, distinct voices, propulsive pacing, and unique and vibrant settings. She loves when tropes get turned on their heads, when her heart strings are tugged, and when a story feels like a warm hug. She is always looking to amplify perspectives from underrepresented communities. When not reading, she’s adding places to her ever-growing food map of NYC. 

Carly James, Editorial Assistant

Carly James (she/her) is an Editorial Assistant who joined the Berkley team in 2022. She’s acquiring horror, thrillers, and suspense, and she’s particularly keen on stories with a dash of romance, supernatural elements, genre-blending, and Gen Z appeal. Carly is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied jazz vocals and urban planning before abandoning both her degrees to make books.