Dark romance and horror elements with strong female leads, Indigenous characters, historical settings, moral gray male love interests, and genre mashups. Also interested in non-fiction projects that are timely and narrative-driven.
Cathie began her publishing journey in 2014 as a novelist, publishing two works before joining a literary agency where she spent eight years learning the industry. She is now part of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency team and is a member of the Association of American Literary Agents (AALA). She is an avid reader across many genres and looks for manuscripts that evoke strong emotional responses in the opening pages.
ALL QUERIES SHOULD BE SENT TO QUERYMANAGER.COM/QUERYCATHIE PLEASE DO NOT SEND QUERIES TO ME BY EMAIL OR THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA All queries sent to my email are immediately deleted without reading and without a reply to the sender. MY RESPONSE TIME: - Queries: 30 days - First 5 Chapters: 90 days from date received - Full Manuscript: 90 days from date received TIPS FOR YOUR QUERY: All good queries should include the Title, Genre, Word Count and a 2-4 paragraph BRIEF Synopsis of your manuscript. Think of it like the back cover of your book. It should include the following 5 elements: - Who is your main character? - What does your main character want? - What or who is standing in your main character's way of getting what they want? - What must your main character overcome to get what they want? - What are the consequences of reaching for that goal? What might they gain or lose. (This is called the stakes of your story. Without the stakes, your query is incomplete) WHAT MAKES ME PASS ON A QUERY OR OPENING PAGES: - An incomplete query. I must know what the story is about or I have no incentive to read. (See the 5 elements above) - A query that drones on and on for multiple paragraphs and doesn't get to the point. Your brief synopsis should be roughly 250 words and hit the 5 elements listed above. - A manuscript that is far too long or far too short for the genre. - Bad or "loose" writing. I'm looking for a manuscript that needs minimal editorial help. Before submitting, make sure you've edited, edited, and edited again. Get a couple of good critique partners who aren't afraid to give you honest feedback.
Last verified: March 28, 2026