MENTOR:
Christine Cowan (she/her) &
Noreen Mughees (she/her)
CATEGORY:
New Adult, Adult
SUB GENRES:
Contemporary Romance, Rom Com, Paranormal, Fiction with strong romantic elements, Fantasy romance only
BIO:
Noreen: Noreen loves hugging trees, people and cute kittens when she's not daydreaming about HEA's for brown people like her. A desi food addict, she loves cooking and having a mug of garam chai (hot tea) next to her. When not writing she can be found traveling to places real and imaginary.
Her debut was featured as best book of the year by New York Public Libraries, and also on PIX 11's website as best romance of the year.
Christine: When it comes to love—not just any love, Christine loves those heartwarming romantic stories that make you sigh and say, aww. Christine has a soft spot for writing love stories about Nigerian girls who are as fearless as they are and lovable, be it contemporary or fantasy (yay, witches!). They’re not waiting around to be rescued; they’re busy changing the game and rewriting the rules of their own happily-ever-afters.
If she's not busy creating magical stories, you can find her spending time watching Bluey with the kids or having a fun day with the family. That’s if she's not engrossed in a book she's writing. She's currently working on revisions with her agent on getting ready to sub Love, Witches and Wahala.
Noreen and Christine are champions for BIPOC romance and ready to go through subs to find the one that makes them blush.
MSWL:
We are super excited to start this mentoring journey with you and can’t wait to dive into your magical worlds. Here’s what makes our hearts flutter and our pens scribble with joy. We hope our wish list inspires you.
1. Fantasy Set in the Modern-Day World: Cozy and Light
We love stories where magic mixes with everyday life. Think enchanted coffee shops or quirky magical roommates. Blend fantasy’s wonder with the charm of daily life, giving readers a cozy escape that feels like a warm hug.
2. Romance is a Must
Love should be the heart of your story. Whether it’s a slow burn, love at first sight, or rekindling old flames, the romance should be magical and captivating.
3. Tropey Books with a Twist
We adore classic romance tropes but love them even more with a fun twist. Here are some favorites:
Enemies to Lovers: Rival witches forced to share a potion shop.
Lovers to Enemies to Lovers: Ex-lovers now rival magical detectives.
Friends Without Benefits to Lovers: Best friends running a magical pet rescue.
Rivals to Friends to Lovers: Competing spell-crafters teaming up to save their magical community.
Marriage of Inconvenience: Two characters are bound by a magical contract to marry.
Ghostly Love: One character is a ghost stuck in the modern world, and their love story unfolds with the only person who can see them.
Retellings
We have a soft spot for retellings that give old stories a fresh twist. Think modern versions of folklore, mythology, or classic literature with diverse voices and settings.
4. Focus on POC Stories
We love stories featuring characters of color. Show us love stories that reflect a wide range of cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. We’d be happy if there's also LGBTQIA+ rep.
5. Contemporary Romance
We also love contemporary romance. Stories set in today’s world that show the complexities of modern relationships really capture our hearts. We want heartfelt, engaging tales rooted in today’s reality:
Second Chance Romance: High school sweethearts reunite at their reunion, realizing that their old flame still burns brightly.
Opposites Attract: A tech startup founder falls for a free-spirited artist, and they must find common ground in their contrasting lifestyles.
Fake Relationship: Two coworkers pretend to date to appease their nosy families during the holidays, only to find real feelings growing between them.
Forced Proximity: Neighbors stuck in their apartment building during a city lockdown, gradually uncovering each other’s secrets and falling in love.
Workplace Romance: A rising corporate star falls for the charming new hire, leading to complications and sparks flying in the office.
Not a Good Fit for:
While we appreciate historical romances, we’re focused on modern-day settings. If there’s on-page cheating, rape, sexual assault, or domestic abuse. Child endangerment of any type is a no. Please include trigger warnings if not.
We can’t wait to read your submissions and fall in love with your characters and worlds. Happy writing!
MENTORING STYLE
For our mentoring style, we're focusing on things like:
- Developmental Edit
- Part of our mentee's support system
- Brainstorming on different parts of the manuscript to figure out what makes it shine.
- We'd mostly use discord as a form of communication (Video & Chats)
APPLICATIONS FROM CONNECTIONS
Please do not apply to me if we've ever beta read for each other or have had extensive conversations online. If we're in the same discord(s) or mutuals on social media but haven't talked more than a comment on a post here or there, feel free to apply!
MORE MENTORS
Christine Cowan & Noreen Mughees (NA, A)
Liana De la Rosa (NA, A)
Faye Delacour (A)
Grace Demyan (A)
Noelle Douglas (A)
Amaka Egbe (YA, NA)
Christina Elle (YA, NA, A)
Isabelle Engel (NA, A)
K. M. Enright (NA, A)
Shaylin Gandhi (A)
Daniel James (YA, NA)
Anahita Karthik (YA, NA, A)
Rufaro Faith Mazarura (NA, A)
Pyae Moe Thet War (A)
Taylor Moore (YA, NA, A)
Noreen Nanja (A)
Katie Naymon (NA, A)
Melissa O’Connor (NA, A)
Megan Oliver & Ava Watson (A)
Kalie Reid (NA, A)
Audrey Ruoff (A)
Annika Sharma (NA, A)
Mia Sosa (NA, A)
Celia St Gelais (A)
Ravynn Stringfield (YA, NA)
Neely Tubati Alexander (NA, A)
Alexandra Vasti (A)
Sujin Witherspoon (YA, NA)
Lenora Woods (NA, A)