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2024 Rising Star Final Round Judges

  Shannon Hassan is an agent at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency with over a decade of experience representing authors of upmarket fiction. Recent releases on her list include USA TODAY bestseller UNSINKABLE by Jenni L. Walsh (Harper Muse), THE LUNAR HOUSEWIFE by Caroline Woods (Doubleday), and HORSES OF FIRE by A.D. Rhine (Dutton). She looks for contemporary and historical stories with a fresh perspective and big hook.
  Cecilia “CeCe” Lyra is a literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency representing adult fiction and nonfiction. A longterm strategic thinker, CeCe prioritizes the creative reach and sustainable longevity of her authors’ careers, and she is especially looking for clients with whom she can build fruitful, lasting relationships. CeCe believes that stories are empathy generating machines capable of healing, connecting, and enacting true change. As a mixed race Latinx immigrant, CeCe understands the power of seeing oneself reflected in books, hence her passion for championing under or misrepresented voices and narratives. She is also the co-host of the popular podcast, The Shit No One Tells you About Writing, which has over three million downloads. 
Erin Niumata has been in publishing for several decades. She has been a Senior Vice President at Folio Literary Management since 2006. She also worked in the editorial departments of Simon and Schuster, HarperCollins and was editorial director of Avalon Books. She has edited many authors including Leon Uris, Stuart Woods, Erica Jong, Joan Rivers, and more. She has represented NY Times bestselling women’s fiction author Carolyn Brown; Discovery Channel’s Fast N Loud, North America, and Cash Cab; TLC’s The Cake Boss, Diesel Brothers, and Extreme Couponing; Animal Planet’s Finding Big Foot, River Monsters and Puppy Bowl; NASA’s Above and Beyond; inspirational speaker Josh Shipp; graffiti artist/speed painter/inspiration speaker Erik Walh; skin care expert and co-founder of SoKo Glam, Charlotte Cho; Hello Fears internet sensation Michelle Poler; Forever Twenty Something founder Sam Matt; humorist and NY Times bestseller Jen Lancaster; humorist and NY Times bestselling author Jen Mann; activist Tyler Merritt of The Tyler Merritt Project; mom/blogger/humorist Anna Lind Thomas; influencer and humorist Anna Lind Thomas, The Smithsonian Institute; Women’s Fiction author Lex Erath; and many more.
 

Rebecca Strauss is an agent at DeFiore and Co. and focuses on literary and commercial fiction, women's fiction, fantasy, science fiction, romance, mystery, YA, pop culture and select non-fiction. In all genres, she's looking for a compelling story, clear concept, fresh voice and emotional heart—a work that grabs you from the first page. She's especially interested in emerging writers and underrepresented voices; and, she's looking to develop long term relationships.

Before joining DeFiore and Co., Rebecca was at McIntosh and Otis for seven years where she was an agent and Director of Subsidiary Rights.  Prior to M&O, she was a foreign rights associate at Trident Media Group, and a book scout and development assistant at Sony Pictures. She's originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and earned her degree in English Literature from Duke University.
Amy Tannenbaum is a passionate author advocate with over 20 years of book industry experience. Amy represents clients who write across a variety of genres including women’s fiction, contemporary romance, thriller and psychological suspense. She is particularly interested in those categories, as well as fiction that falls into the sweet spot between literary and commercial and works by marginalized voices. After graduating from Wesleyan University, Amy worked at Harlequin then Simon & Schuster where she edited a diverse list of bestselling fiction and nonfiction projects. Given Amy’s background, she is able to provide valuable insight into both sides of the business, as well as editorial support to her clients. While Amy represents many bestselling and prolific authors, she prides herself on her ability to find talented debut authors and help them launch successful careers.
Ann Leslie Tuttle joined DG&B in 2017 after working for 20 years at Harlequin Books where she most recently was a Senior Editor. At Harlequin, she was fortunate to work on an extensive and varied list of bestselling and award-winning titles in romance and women’s fiction. She is actively acquiring women’s fiction, especially beach reads and historical fiction; contemporary romance, rom coms, historical romance, Southern Gothics, thrillers, mysteries, narrative nonfiction and Middle Grade. She received her B.A. degree from the College of William and Mary and an M.A. from the University of Virginia. Finding and nurturing talented new and established writers has always been Ann Leslie’s passion.