Lauren Humphries-Brooks
Literary Fiction, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Romance LGBTQ+, Crime, Detective, Academic Nonfiction, Film Scripts, Media Books
LAUREN HUMPHRIES-BROOKS has copy edited hundreds of novels, short stories, and nonfiction titles, including books by bestselling authors Jane Yolen, May McGoldrick, Paul Cornell, and Alyssa Palombo. She regularly works with large and small publishers, including St. Martin’s Press, Tor/Forge, Prometheus Books, Bella Books, Entangled Publishing, and Cobblestone Press.
She loves working with both first-time authors and established writers, from people looking for that final check to those who want involved editing and collaboration. She’s a writer herself, with a Master’s in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh, where she learned the art of constructive criticism, pacing, plot structure, and dialogue.
Books Edited
• The Borgia Confessions, Alyssa Palombo, St. Martin’s Griffin, St. Martin’s Press. February 2020. Historical fiction/romance. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250191205
• The Lights Go Out in Lychford, Paul Cornell, Tor.com, Tor/Forge. November 2019. Fantasy. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250249470
• Seven Letters, J.P. Monninger, St. Martin’s Griffin, St. Martin’s Press. October 2019. Romance. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250187697
• Pitchfork Populism, Bradford R. Kane, Prometheus Books, Penguin Random House. August 2019. Political Science. https://www.edelweiss.plus/#keywordSearch&q=pitchfork+populism&page=1
• Nottingham, Nathan Makaryk, Forge Books, Tor/Forge. August 2019. Historical fiction. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250195609.
• Hateland: A Long, Hard Look at America’s Extremist Heart, Daryl Johnson, Prometheus Books, Penguin Random House. June 2019. Political Science. https://www.edelweiss.plus/#keywordSearch&q=hateland+&page=1
• In Plain Sight, Linda Castillo, Minotaur Books, St. Martin’s Press. May 2019. Crime/Detective Fiction. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250246417
• Dark Site, Patrick Lee, Minotaur Books, St. Martin’s Press. May 2019. Thriller/Fantasy. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250030818
• Surviving Global Warming, Roger A. Sedjo, Prometheus Books, Penguin Random House. March 2019. Science – Climate Change. https://www.edelweiss.plus/#sku=1633884503&page=1
• Miss Violet and the Great War, Tor Books, Tor/Forge. February 2019. Fantasy. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780765377463
• The Deceivers. Kristen Simmons, Tor Teen, Tor/Forge. Teen Paranormal. February 2019. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250175816.
• Sam Goudsmit and the Hunt for Hitler’s Atomic Bomb, Martijn van Calmthout, Michiel Horn (trans.), Prometheus Books, Penguin Random House. November 2018. History – Science. https://www.edelweiss.plus/#keywordSearch&q=sam+goudsmit&page=1.
• Static Ruin, Corey J. White, Tor.com, Tor/Forge. November 2018. Sci-fi. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250195548
• Rogue Protocol, Martha Wells, Tor.com, Tor/Forge. August 2018. Sci-fi. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250191786
• In Dark Company, Linda Castillo, Minotaur Books, St. Martin’s Press. May 2018. Crime/Detective fiction. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250314161
• Song of Blood and Stone. L. Penelope, St. Martin’s Press. May 2018. Sci-fi/fantasy. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250148070
• Amid the Winter’s Snow, Tasha Alexander, St. Martin’s Press. October 2018. Historical fiction/mystery. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250213006
• The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel, Alyssa Palombo, St. Martin’s Griffin, St. Martin’s Press. Historical fiction/paranormal romance. October 2018. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250127617.
• Finding Baba Yaga. Jane Yolen, Tor.com, Tor/Forge. October 2018. Novel-in-verse. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250163875. Heavy copyediting.
• War Cry. Brian McClellan, Tor.com, Tor/Forge. August 2018. Sci-fi/fantasy. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250170163. Light copyediting.
• Like a Book. Bette Hawkins, Bella Books. August 2018. Romance, LGBTQ. https://www.bellabooks.com/product/9781594936036e/
• The Expert System’s Brother, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Tor.com, Tor/Forge. July 2018. Sci-fi/fantasy. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250197566. Light copyediting/proofreading.
• Halcyon. Rio Youers, St. Martin’s Press. July 2018. Sci-fi/fantasy. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250072412 Medium copyediting.
• Rabid, Paul Doiron, St. Martin’s Press. June 2018. Crime/Detective fiction. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250206510
• By Fire Above, Robyn Bennis, Tor/Forge. May 2018. Fantasy. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780765388803.
• Unsafe Haven, Bella Jewel, Swerve, St. Martin’s Press. April 2018. Romance. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250183033
• A Midsummer Wedding, May McGoldrick, Swerve, St. Martin’s Press. April 2018. Historical romance. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250166890
• Void Black Shadow. Corey J. White, Tor.com, Tor/Forge. March 2018. Sci-fi/fantasy. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780765396938.
• Poison Kisses (Parts 1–3), Lisa Renee Jones, St. Martin’s Griffin, St. Martin’s Press. February 2018. Thriller/Romance. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250083906
• Cracking Love. Emily King, Bella Books. February 2018. Romance, LGBTQ. https://www.bellabooks.com/product/9781594935732/
• Beautiful Killer. Sherilee Gray, Swerve, St. Martin’s Press. January 2018. Romance. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250155689.
• My Forever Hero. Karen Legasy, Bella Books. November 2017. Romance, LGBTQ. https://www.bellabooks.com/product/9781594935794/
• Broken Rebel, Sherilee Gray, Swerve, St. Martin’s Press. October 2017. Romance. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250155672
• A Long Day in Lychford, Paul Cornell, Tor.com, Tor/Forge. October 2017. Fantasy. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780765393180
• In Danger’s Bed. Michelle Wilson, Cobblestone Press. October 2017. Romance/Erotica. http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/indangersbed.htm
• Acadie, Dave Hutchinson, Tor.com, Tor/Forge. September 2017. Sci-fi. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780765398260
• A Time to Speak. Riley Scott, Bella Books. September 2017. Romance, LGBTQ. https://www.bellabooks.com/product/9781594935565e/
• No More Pretending. Bette Hawkins, Bella Books. July 2017. Romance, LGBTQ. https://www.bellabooks.com/product/9781594935442/
• Shattered King, Sherilee Gray, Swerve, St. Martin’s Press. June 2017. Romance. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250155665
• Outlaw: Part 3. Katana Collins, Swerve, St. Martin’s Press. March 2017. Romance. http://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250128669
• Hot Licks (Off Beat: Volume 3). A.M. Arthur, Swerve, St. Martin’s Press,. February 2017. Romance, LGBTQ. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250105875
• Madeline Thrives (Madeline Spruce: Book 6). Max Raven, Cobblestone Press. January 2017. Erotica. http://cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/madelinethrives.htm
• Tempest in the Highlands (The Scottish Relic Trilogy: Volume 3). May McGoldrick, St. Martin’s Press, Swerve. December 2016. Historical Romance. http://us.macmillan.com/tempestinthehighlands/maymcgoldrick/9781250106582/
• Theirs To Take. Holly Dodd, Cobblestone Press. November 2016. Romance/Erotica. http://cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/theirstotake.htm
• Christmas Angels. Viola Shipman, St. Martin’s Press, Thomas Dunne Books. October 2016. Romance. http://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250128560
• Out of Kilter. NJ van Vugt, Cobblestone Press. September 2016. Romance/Erotica.
http://cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/outofkilter.htm
• Mercenary, Michele Mannon, St. Martin’s Press, Swerve. September 2016. Romance. http://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250110442
• Taming the Highlander (The Scottish Relic Trilogy: Volume 2). May McGoldrick, St. Martin’s Press, Swerve. September 2016. Historical romance. http://us.macmillan.com/tamingthehighlander/maymcgoldrick
• Lose Control. Anna Leigh Keaton, Cobblestone Press. August 2016. Erotica.
http://cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/losecontrol.htm
• Madeline on Top (Madeline Spruce: Book 5). Max Raven, Cobblestone Press July 2016. Erotica.
http://cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/madelineontop.htm
• Spotlight Shimmy. Regina Wright, Cobblestone Press. June 2016. Erotica. http://cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/spotlightshimmy.htm
• Hotter than the Moon. NJ van Vugt, Cobblestone Press. April 2016. Paranormal Romance/Erotica. http://cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/hotterthemoon.htm
• Madeline Again (Madeline Spruce: Book 4). Max Raven, Cobblestone Press. Erotica. March 2016. http://cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/madelineagain.htm
• Madeline in Action (Madeline Spruce: Book 3). Max Raven, Cobblestone Press. Erotica. February 2016. http://cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/madelineinaction.htm
• Finding Home. Kate Austin, Cobblestone Press. December 2015. Romance/Erotica. http://cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/findinghome.htm
• Colton. Anna Leigh Keaton, Cobblestone Press. November 2015. Romance/Erotica. http://cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/colton.htm.
Testimonials
“In over twenty-five years of writing, we have been fortunate to have more than forty works of fiction and nonfiction published by nearly every major publisher in America, and we can say with all assurance that Lauren is one of the best editors we have worked with.”
—May McGoldrick
“Lauren has a real knack for attending to other points of view and allowing other views to shape her own—without ever giving way on her core beliefs.”
—Dr. Allyson Stack
“Lauren is a talented and creative writer and editor who has taken a concept, a hypothesis, and transported it from the mundane into the extraordinary. She has challenged me to imagine, to contemplate, to explore our thesis in innovative and original ways.”
—Charlene Jaffie, EdD
“Lauren is patient, compassionate and extremely competent. She encourages students to explore and compare the elements of style in published writing to their own writing before they discern the productive relationship between style and revision.”
—Barbara Britt-Hysell
“My first novel was a contender for the Pulitzer in Literature and one of only six finalists for the National Best Book Award. In that project I had a great editor. However, Lauren Brenzy is better. In 2020 I will release the title she made sparkle and shine, not just through editing prose, but through an acute ability to coach story-telling in a concise way that made me eager to fix and rewrite.”
—William C. Pack
