ALT Publishers Marketplace Deal Report LOVE BETWEEN THE LECTURES by Christie Curry Imprint: Alcove Press Fiction: Debut August 27, 2025 Christie Curry's LOVE BETWEEN THE LECTURES, a romcom in which a human sexuality professor is paired up with her former childhood crush, now a hotshot PhD candidate, to organize a sexual health event on campus—only to face fierce opposition from the surrounding community, including her conservative parents, who have no idea what she really does for work, to Jess Verdi at Alcove Press, for publication in fall 2026, by Morgan Hughes at FinePrint Literary Management (world). Rights: stephanie.manova@crookedlanebooks.com

ALT A vividly yellow swath of acrylic paint against a black background with half of a golden picture frame at the bottom. White text in the foreground says: "An introduction to Portrait of Two Women, Danish-set coastal gothic horror."

ALT A spray of granular beige sand in the top-left corner against a black background with half of a golden picture frame at the bottom. White text in the foreground says: " Time-slip family mystery. Painter and Conservator, 1899 & 1999. Coastal gothic horror set in sandy dunes. Tragedy inspired by The Fall of the House of Usher.”

ALT A full golden picture frame against a black background with cracked eggshells in the corner. White text is written inside the picture frame with the pitch: “In the winter of 1899, an artist colony rents a manor along the brutal coastline of northern Denmark. Twenty-year-old Anneliese, grieving the death of her mother for which she blames herself, is ordered by her doctor to join them for a change in scenery. 100 years later, in 1999, a conservator hired by the national museum arrives to restore the paintings from the old colony. Working in tandem, one century apart, Idah restores the paintings that Anneliese creates. When both women start hallucinating the other, they discover that a generational curse ties them to the manor across space and time. As the turn of the year approaches in both centuries, Idah's buried guilt over her younger sister's untimely death drives her to try to save Anneliese, whose grip on sanity is slipping away as surely as the manor is slipping into the dunes.”

ALT A red swath of acrylic paint against a black background with half of a golden picture frame at the bottom. The covers of four books (comps) sit in the foreground: The Needfire (MK Hardy), The Artist of Blackberry Grange (Kennedy), The Night Guest (Knútsdóttir), and The Fall of the House of Usher.

ALT ARIANNA SIDDIQUI IS AN ASSOCIATE AGENT AT FINEPRINT LIT and is open to queries

ALT Arianna Siddiqui earned dual degrees in political science and economics from Trinity University and completed the Columbia Publishing Course at the University of Oxford. She also started her professional career selling used Mercedes before transitioning into a career in publishing. With experience as an assistant at Lucinda Literary and William Morris Endeavor, and as a mentee with the Writers House Mentor Initiative, she has a strong eye for engaging stories and market trends. Arianna is currently pursuing a part-time master’s in creative writing at the University of Cambridge. In her free time, Arianna writes speculative romance and fosters litters of kittens.

ALT At this time, Arianna is particularly drawn to mysteries, romance, and speculative fiction across young adult and adult audiences. She’s also open to adult nonfiction that explores unique narratives or perspectives. In mysteries, Arianna is captivated by stories that subvert traditional tropes and bring fresh perspectives to the genre, especially those told by voices that have historically been underrepresented. She’s particularly intrigued by locked-room mysteries, non-linear narratives, and stories infused with a ticking clock or ever-present sense of urgency. What excites her most are unconventional sleuths—amateurs or experts in adjacent fields such as historians, librarians, art restorers, or forensic accountants—rather than traditional law enforcement or military protagonists. In romance, Arianna LOVES stories that blur genre lines and deliver the unexpected. She loves narratives that combine romance with horror, paranormal elements, or a mystery. Romantic comedies with sharp

ALT Arianna’s tastes in speculative fiction lean toward grounded and intimate storytelling. She has a particular fondness for low fantasy and magical realism, especially narratives inspired by non-Western cultures, mythologies, and traditions. Speculative fiction that focuses on relationships, identity, and emotional journeys resonates strongly with her. She’s not currently interested in science fiction. Though more selective about nonfiction, Arianna seeks projects with strong, distinctive voices that offer new insights or perspectives. She’s particularly drawn to narrative-driven works that blend memoir, cultural commentary, or history in compelling and original ways. ​ Arianna, above all, seeks to champion historically marginalized voices, including disabled, BIPOC, and queer writers.