Jen DeLuca was born and raised near Richmond, Virginia, but now lives in Central Florida with her husband and a houseful of rescue pets. She loves latte-flavored lattes, Hokies football, and the Oxford comma. Well Met is her first novel, inspired by her time volunteering as a pub wench with her local Renaissance Faire.
PUBLISHING BACKGROUND
I’ve been writing as long as I can remember, but only started taking it seriously around 2011. I started querying in 2014 with the second novel I ever finished, and after many R&Rs, rewrites, and being a Pitch Wars mentee, I signed with my agent in 2016. While that book didn’t sell (after a few months on submission), the next one I wrote did.
EXPERIENCE
I was a Pitch Wars mentee under Brighton Walsh, and was a co-mentee with Helen Hoang. While I’ve never mentored in an official capacity, I’ve helped several people with queries and pages, and actively work with a handful of critique partners and mutual beta readers.
I had so many people help me along the way that I want to return the favor! I love talking about stories and brainstorming solutions.
I love contemporary romance and romantic comedies! I love to laugh and I love to fall in love. I like humor with depth: don’t give me slapstick or cringey humor.
- Romance
Favorite romance tropes: enemies to lovers, second chance romance, cinnamon roll heroes, or bad boys with a cinnamon roll heart.
- Edit Letter (Big Picture developmental feedback)
- Line edit (dropping notes into a Word Document)
- Freestyle in chat
WORKING STYLE
I’ll read through your MS and give you in-line comments, as well as an edit letter with big-picture thoughts. I’ll be there to answer any questions, brainstorm new ideas, and vigorously shake pompoms in your direction as you revise. I’ll be your coach, your cheerleader, and your friend. Once we have the MS in good shape, we’ll attack the query and synopsis, so you’ll be ready to query!
Someone who is ready to work. I’m going to tell you to kill some darlings, and you have to be open to understanding why. I’ll definitely tell you what I love about your work, but I’ll also be honest at what’s not working. I’m not the best at sugarcoating, I’ll be honest here! But if I’m telling you what’s not working, it’s because I believe in the story and want to help you tell it the best way possible.
SEND ME:
I’d love a romcom, or contemporary romance. No closed-door, but all other heat levels are fine. I’m also open to a good women’s fiction story. Historical: again with AT LEAST a romance subplot, and I’d love to see some time periods or locations that aren’t the standard.
DO NOT SEND ME:
I’m not a heavy sci-fi or PNR girl. Also not a fan of love triangles, cheating, or babies as plot device/epilogues. No billionaires or alphaholes.
FAVES
Books: The Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Raybourn, Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie, The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren, Xeni by Rebekah Weatherspoon, The Night Circus and The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern.
TV: Firefly, Parks & Rec, The Good Place, Burn Notice, The Witcher, The Mandalorian.
Movies: The Man from UNCLE, The Mummy/The Mummy Returns, A Knight’s Tale, Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
I am a fan of dogsledding and Blair Braverman’s Twitter feed (#uglydogs!). Big fan of rescue animals.
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