Marla Daniels
Marla Daniels is a former editor at Simon & Schuster of both fiction and non-fiction, and fancies herself a huge college basketball fan with a baking problem. When she's not making homemade chocolate chip cookies or cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks through March Madness, Marla looks for character-driven and voice-driven women's fiction, romance, commercial fiction, and psychological thrillers. In her many years at S&S, the former editor acquired and edited numerous critically-acclaimed, national, and international bestsellers such as Heidi Perks' psychological thriller, Her One Mistake, Julia Kelly's historical fiction The Light Over London, and New York Times bestselling author Lauren Layne's The Central Park Pact series.
Marla loves line-editing to make a novel the best it can be, and she's never missed a deadline. Across genres, she favors reading fast-paced fiction that is packed full of family ties that tug on the heartstrings, thrillers that keep the reader guessing until the very last page, and sizzling romances between sassy heroines and strong-yet-lovable heroes. With New York Book Editors, Marla is excited to turn her sole editorial focus to working with authors to make every character and storyline jump off the page.
Most recently, she’s edited the USA Today bestselling title Roman Crazy, written by New York Times bestselling author Alice Clayton and debut author Nina Bocci, as well as New York Times bestselling author Melody Anne’s most recent installments in the popular Unexpected Heroes series. She's also worked with several critically acclaimed debut authors. Publishers Weekly called Rachel Goodman’s debut novel, From Scratch “smart, sexy, and funny” and Library Journal said she “enter[ed] the world of foodie fiction with a “bam” that would make Emeril proud.” In regards to historical romance author Julia Kelly’s Governess series, Library Journal said she “deftly balances the wistful dreams of her protagonists with humor and competence.”
Marla's select booklist can be found below.
Avery Bardot steps off the plane in Rome, looking for a fresh start. She’s left behind a soon-to-be ex-husband in Boston and plans to spend the summer with her best friend Daisy, licking her wounds - and perhaps a gelato or two. But when her American-expat friend throws her a welcome party on her first night, Avery’s thrown for a loop when she sees a man she never thought she’d see again: Italian architect Marcello Bianchi.
Marcello was the man - the one who got away. And now her past is colliding with her present, a present where she should be mourning the loss of her marriage and - hey, that fettuccine is delicious! And so is Marcello…
Cuddle up and fall in love with this collection of five wonderful romances. Whether you’re in the mood for saucy or sweet, small town or big fame, sports or cooking, this anthology has it all, featuring a novella from New York Times bestselling author Melody Anne (Once Taken) and your new favorite debut authors: Sara Rider (For the Win), Samantha Joyce (Flirting with Fame), L. E. Bross (Right Where You Are), and Rachel Goodman (From Scratch).
"Debut author Goodman enters the world of foodie fiction with a “bam” that would make Emeril proud." - Library Journal
"Goodman's debut Southern contemporary is smart, sexy, and funny. [She] piles on the Southern charm to make this story a winner." - Publishers Weekly
Thirty-year-old Lillie Turner grew up with maple syrup stuck to her skin and bacon grease splattered on her clothes, courtesy of working in the family diner. Thank goodness she escaped all that when she moved to Chicago five years ago. Now a successful strategy consultant and newly engaged to a man who complements her like biscuits and gravy, she has everything she wants.
When an urgent phone call about her father’s health pulls Lillie back to Dallas, she soon learns it was a ruse to bring her home so she can run the diner she’d rather avoid and compete in the Upper Crust, an annual baking competition, with no option to withdraw. Lillie is furious and ready to run back to Chicago, but her father’s haggard appearance makes her wonder if he’s hiding something. Things go from bad to worse when Nick, her handsome ex and the only man she ever truly loved, reappears, looking as scrumptious as ever.
"The chemistry between Ryan and Margaret is genuine, and the quaint vineyard backdrop and small-town atmosphere Goodman creates will enchant readers." - Library Journal
Margaret Stokes is bitter. And not in the robust fine wine or tangy dark chocolate kind of way. She just got dumped, is fed up with her job as a glorified party-planner for the rich, and can’t possibly listen to one more veiled insult from her impossible-to-please mother. So she retreats to the comfort of her grandmother’s ramshackle bed and breakfast, where the wide open vineyards are filled with surprises, from the shockingly delicious wine to the aggravating yet oh-so-tempting man who makes it.
Ryan Camden’s easy approach to life encourages Margaret to loosen up and have a little fun, despite her better judgment. She resists the urge to micromanage every detail, embracing the welcome distractions of her surroundings and letting their relationship unfold at a natural rhythm.
"A fast, smart and sexy read." - The Reading Cafe
Lainey Lukas has sacrificed everything - sleep, family, carbs, a life - to earn her spot as the top player and captain of the Seattle Falcons women’s soccer team. She’s determined to lead her team to a national championship and finally earn the sport the respect it deserves - and nothing will throw her off her game. When Lainey’s hero Gabe Havelak, star of the Seattle Surge, crashes her team’s first press conference - making the
Falcons look like a joke to the local media and humiliating Lainey in the process - she’s hell-bent on revenge.
Charming, confident Gabe is practically a god to Seattle soccer fans, but he doesn’t mind a little friendly competition from tough-as-nails Lainey. But when he learns the Falcons are booting the Surge from their coveted practice space to the notoriously cursed Cricket Field, those warm feelings give way to crippling superstition. With his contract up for renewal and his thirty-fourth birthday just weeks away, Gabe will risk anything to protect his position with the Surge.
The rivals agree to settle their differences in a Battle of the Sexes competition - a test of skills, fitness, and willpower. At first the situation seems win-win but as the friction between them becomes hot enough to spark and smolder, Lainey and Gabe are entering new territory.
Living in the small town of Rosewood, Alabama, hairdresser Pepper Anthony has one rule - never date a Chamberlain. She’s
always said, “the only thing worse than being ignored by a Chamberlain is being dumped by one.” But Grant Chamberlain, town fireman, isn’t used to rejection, and Pepper has consistently turned him down since high school. She isn’t intimidated by his family; she’s one of the few who refuses to take their crap.
When Grant volunteers at the charity bachelor auction, to his surprise, Pepper buys him. She hadn’t meant to, but Adelia Chamberlain dropped a cold drink in her lap, sending her
leaping into the air at precisely the wrong moment. Suddenly she had a massive bill to the town and Grant at her disposal. Since the money has to come from her “restore the house” fund, she decides to use Grant for manual labor instead of romantic dinners. Grant is happy to help, sweaty and shirtless, because one way or another, he’s going to get Pepper to admit she’s attracted to him.
Follow three best friends who navigate love and independence as governesses in Regency England in this delightfully charming installment in The Governesses series.
Mary Woodward, a young veteran governess, has one job: guiding a young debutante through her first season in high society. And up until now, keeping her focus and avoiding temptation has been easy. But never before has the father of her young charge been as devilishly handsome as the single, wealthy Earl of Asten... Convinced to risk it all, Mary lets herself enjoy one night of magic at a masked ball in Asten's arms, but will they both regret everything when the Earl learns her true identity?
Travel through the English countryside in this third delightful
historical Regency romance in The Governesses series by award-winning author Julia Kelly!
When Lady Margaret Rawson is caught trying to elope with the thoroughly unsuitable James Lawrence, Lord and Lady Rawson decide it's time to send their daughter away from the temptations of London. The job of delivering the headstrong girl to the family’s isolated Yorkshire estate naturally falls to her governess, Jane Ephram.
It should be an easy task, but with the wild Lady Margaret, nothing ever goes according to plan. To make matters worse, Lord Rawson has made it clear that if anything happens to his daughter along the way, Jane will be dismissed without a letter of reference. When Jane finds Lady Margaret’s inn room empty and the charming Lord Nicholas Hollings’s horse missing one morning, she must embark on an adventure of her own with the devilishly handsome baron. Will Jane and Nicholas find Lady Margaret, the scheming Mr. Lawrence, and the missing horse, or will they discover something else entirely?
“Sara Luck is an author to watch. Her well-developed characters, accurate historical settings, and hot naked men will have readers turning pages.” - RT Book Reviews
The toast of New York’s theater world, Sabrina Chadwick dazzled with her raven-haired beauty and brilliant performances. But her rising star came crashing down after a disastrous night of scandal and betrayal that left the young actress with nothing but a broken heart. Now the preacher’s daughter who found glittering success on the stage must begin a new life somewhere she can escape her shattered past as Sabrina Chadwick.
Lincoln Buchannan had no idea that the lovely lady new to Colorado Springs had been a star back East. The wealthy mine owner only knew that Victoria Drumm was stranded without accommodations in a city bustling with gold rush fever! Link offers Tori shelter in his sprawling home and agrees to help track down her brother, a fervent union organizer in nearby
Cripple Creek. As desire flares between Tori and her rugged rescuer, so do the demands of striking miners in a violent and historic protest fueled by passionate convictions on both sides.
"Luck’s books are always rich in historical details and engaging characters." - RT Book Reviews
After Case Williams is left at the altar - as it turns out, his bride-to-be was in love with his best friend - he decides to move to Montana and set his mind on work. There he meets Roy Pemberton, an agent sent to keep the peace between Native Americans and settlers, and the two start working together to build a wagon freight company. After a while, Roy invites Case home to meet his wife and two single daughters.
Roy knows what kind of man Case is, so he pushes his eldest, Diana, into a courtship with him. But things don’t go quite so smoothly. As Case realizes his lack of romantic feelings for one daughter, he finds he is attracted to the other, Diana’s younger sister, Maddie - who harbors her own passion for the handsome stranger. Will they give in to their forbidden love or be forced to keep their feelings secret?
"[I]t is great for a vacation read, a plane or road trip, or when you want something with a great balance of light, humor, sexy and action." - Fangs, Wands & Fairy Dust
Lindsey Hughes loves antiques and couldn’t be happier to make a living in the estate sale business. But when her assistant accidentally buys an entire estate without her approval, Lindsey is forced to clean up the mess herself.
Lindsey travels to the newly purchased, age-old house in Venice, Italy, and soon discovers more than she (never) bargained for. While digging through the hoarder’s trove that fills every floor, she finds a secret staircase behind a wall that leads to a strange coffin…with an even stranger inhabitant.
Vampire Rand FitzWulf has been in his coffin for 600 years. But now that he’s awake, he’s ravenous, and there’s a delicious-smelling woman with a rare blood type in his basement. Luckily, Lindsey has more to offer than blood: she agrees to travel throughout Europe with Rand to help him get revenge on the one who turned him. But as the unlikely pair grows closer, will the billionaire vampire be overtaken by his thirst for blood - or his thirst for love?
"Brynn Bonner ingeniously tosses in clues to keep guesses coming. Picture them dead is grippingly mysterious." - Single Titles on Picture Them Dead
"This one is a whole lot of fun from start to finish." - Suspense Magazine on Picture Them Dead
When genealogists Sophreena McClure and Esme Sabatier are called on by Detective Jenny Jeffers to help figure out who the corpse in the backyard of her father’s house is, they reluctantly agree. Known for figuring out the unusual, Sophreena and Esme do their best to uncover the mystery behind the corpse, and the glass coffin he’s buried in. Word soon spreads about the bizarre burial site, leading the people of Morningside to “adopt” the corpse and begin leaving mementos in memoriam for him. But when the body of a young woman is found near the memorial, the duo has another task on their hands: to dig into the past of the house’s previous owners. Could the clues to a recent murder finally help this soul rest in peace?
"Brynn Bonner cleverly interweaves looking into past lives with current events, and the result is an enthralling story packed with unknowns." - AlwaysReviewing.com
It’s not just politics as usual when genealogists Sophreena McClure and Esme Sabatier are hired to create scrapbook tributes for a former North Carolina senator’s intricate family heritage and illustrious career. Sifting through the ashes of his past, they discover his baby brother perished in a suspicious fire that burned down his childhood home. Still saddened by his late parents’ steadfast conviction - against all evidence to the contrary - that the fire was cover for a kidnapping, the senator wants this rumor put to rest once and for all. So with only snapshots of the evidence, Soph and Esme are determined to smother all speculation about the decades-old tragedy. The party lines are drawn when a shocking present-day murder turns up new candidates for the crime - including some suspects from the senator’s inner circle. Are the sleuthing scrapbookers trying to pin down a killer as adept at making laws as breaking them?