Our Team
Harpeth Road is a collective of creatives with top industry experience. This is a snapshot of the team of people making all the romantic magic happen.
FOUNDER, MARKETING & PR DIRECTOR, HEAD OF CREATIVE
Jenny Hale
Jenny Hale is a USA Today, Amazon, and international bestselling author with over one million books sold. Her books have been published worldwide, have been translated into multiple languages, and adapted for television, appearing on The Hallmark Channel as part of their famous Christmas lineup. She’s been included in Oprah Magazine’s “19 Dreamy Summer Romances to Whisk You Away” and in Southern Living’s list of “30 Christmas Novels to Start Reading Now.” With a Master’s Degree in Education and 18 years experience as an educator, one of her top priorities for HR is author coaching on best practices. She is also both Program, Marketing, and PR Director of Harpeth Road Press.
VISION
Ami McConnell
Publishing dynamo Ami McConnell, former Editor-in-Chief and Vice President of Howard Books/Simon & Schuster consulted on initial vision. For over a decade she acquired fiction for HarperCollins and helped launch a fiction imprint there. Her editing credits include many New York Times bestsellers as well as numerous award winners such as Denise Hunter, Max Lucado, and Wm. Paul Young. A prolific ghostwriter, McConnell co-authored the USA Today Bestseller Kind Is the New Classy by Candace Cameron Bure. She also worked with the late Loretta Lynn on Me & Patsy Kickin’ Up Dust: My Friendship with Patsy Cline. HR was delighted to have her lend her expertise to the imprint in our early days.
COVER DESIGN
Kristen Ingebretson
With cover design a top priority for Harpeth Road, Kristen Ingebretson is in charge of cover art direction. Kristen’s cover portfolio includes The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines with Mark Dagostino, Jesus by Max Lucado, both Falling Like Snowflakes and Sweetbriar Cottage by Denise Hunter, and Lauren Denton’s The Hideaway.
FOREIGN RIGHTS
Marleen Seegers & 2 Seas Agency
Marleen holds a degree in Liberal Arts from Utrecht University in the Netherlands, studied a semester at Hull University in the North of England and took part in a research project on Welsh literature in English translation at Swansea University in Wales, before obtaining a post-graduate diploma in Comparative Literature from the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris, France. She worked for almost a decade in the French publishing industry including at France's oldest publishing house Editions Stock, part of Hachette Livre, before she relocated to Ojai, California. In 2011, she founded 2 Seas Agency with her partner Derek Dodds. With offices on both sides of the Atlantic, 2 Seas Agency represents publishers, literary agents and a select number of authors from around the world, and has sold foreign rights for authors Kelly Rimmer, Angela Marsons, Renita D’Silva, and Louise Jensen to name a few. HR is delighted to have her overseeing our foreign rights.
WEBSITE MANAGEMENT, SEO
Risha Chesterfield
After beginning her career in Nashville’s music industry, working with artists to connect with their audiences through branding and marketing, Risha began Sow Good Creative, which, for nearly a decade, has strived to assist entrepreneurs in growing online brands, creating brand strategy, and building marketing campaigns. An expert in Squarespace, she is Harpeth Road’s number one pick for website management and SEO.
Acquisitions
Charlotte Fry
Charlotte has extensive publishing experience and has worked for both small and large publishers, firstly in Rights and then as an editor. She worked in-house at Quercus from 2005 until 2022 and is now enjoying the variety and freedom of being a freelancer. She has worked on projects for Quercus, Headline, Hodder, Profile Books, Penguin Random House, and Storm and is excited to be joining the freelance team at HR. Between work projects, Charlotte can be found lying on the sofa with her nose in a book, on a yoga mat attempting to force her aged and inflexible frame into impossible positions or on the tube to north London to help with her two newly acquired and adorable grandsons.
DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING
Abigail Fenton
For over a decade, Abigail has worked in-house at Big Five publishers, editing and publishing bestselling novels from authors including no.1 Kindle bestseller Faith Martin, Bookseller Heatseeker Rebecca Raisin, and USA Today bestseller Jennifer Chase. She specializes in commercial fiction, and has experience across a broad range of genres, from romantic comedy to psychological thriller, historical to police procedural. She now works as a freelance editor from her home in Shropshire, England, and her clients range from major publishers to as-yet-unpublished authors, just beginning their writing careers.
DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING, COPY EDITING & PROOFREADING
Charlotte Hayes-Clemens
Charlotte Hayes-Clemens is a freelance book and recipe editor with over eight years' experience in publishing. She began her publishing career on the HarperCollins Fiction team, working with the digital first romance list, HarperImpulse (now One More Chapter) and on titles by authors such as Philippa Ashley, Zara Stoneley and Debbie Johnson. As a freelancer, she provides a range of editing services and author coaching for publishers including Avon and Head of Zeus, and indie and debut authors. Originally from the UK, she's lived in Canada for the last five years and currently edits from the gorgeous, cultural hub of Montreal (which she also happens to think does the best bagels in the world!)
DEVELOPMENTAL, LINE, & COPY EDITING
Donna Hillyer
Donna Hillyer has nearly twenty years' experience in book publishing. Originally from Ireland, she grew up in a culture rich with folklore, storytelling and imagination. After being lured away by the bright lights of London, she rose from editorial assistant at Virgin Books to editorial director/board member at Harlequin UK in 8 years, with 6 years at Little, Brown UK in between (where she commissioned on the Piatkus imprint). She went freelance in 2015, and loves the variety of clients and projects this involves. Publisher clients include: Bookouture; Elliott & Thompson; Hachette Ireland; HarperCollins; Little, Brown; Orion; Pan Macmillan; Penguin Random House, Transworld; and Whitefox. These days she's swapped the London dazzle for the countryside, where she lives with her family and two cats.
DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING
Elizabeth Mazer
Elizabeth Mazer joins the HR team as a developmental and line editor, and she is our guru for story development. Her ten years with Harlequin gave her the opportunity to work with a wide range of authors on a slew of fantastic romances, including editing USA Today bestselling books by Victoria Pade and Yvonne Lindsay. She continues to edit for various publishers in a freelance capacity.
DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING
Megan McKeever
Megan McKeever is a developmental editor for Harpeth Road Press. Megan spent nearly a decade at Simon & Schuster, editing in the Pocket Books and Gallery Books imprints, and was fortunate to have acquired and edited New York Times and USA Today bestsellers, as well as RITA winners. She began freelance editing in 2011 and has helped numerous authors craft proposals and transform drafts into finished books they can be proud of. Megan is thrilled to work with HR in a freelance capacity and we are delighted to have her on the HR team.
DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING
Becky Philpott
Becky Philpott has been involved in the publishing industry for nearly twenty years. She got her start as a line editor at HarperCollins Christian Publishing, working on both fiction and nonfiction, then moved to acquisitions for the fiction team. She’s worked with authors Denise Hunter, Shelley Shepard Gray, Karen Kingsbury, Amy Clipston, and Beth Wiseman. Now she enjoys freelancing for traditional publishers as well as indie authors. She loves getting into the details of every project and believes in the importance of showcasing each author's voice in an authentic way. Becky lives in Michigan with her husband, two daughters, and two cats. She enjoys taking her girls on adventures, running, figure skating, and being by Lake Michigan.
LINE EDITING
Jodi Hughes
Jodi Hughes is an introvert, dog mom, and seasoned editor. She began working for Thomas Nelson Publishers (and later HarperCollins Christian Publishing and HarperCollins Focus) shortly after college and held various roles during her nearly fourteen years with the company, primarily with the fiction team. She has enjoyed working with bestselling and award-winning authors, such as Terri Blackstock, Kristy Cambron, J’nell Ciesielski, Joy Callaway, Charles Martin, and Sean Dietrich, to name a few. In 2023, Jodi left the corporate publishing industry and transitioned to freelance work to pursue her passion for line editing. Jodi lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her black-and-white rescue dogs. She graduated cum laude from Samford University with a BA in Classics.
LINE EDITING
Rachel Howe
Rachel Howe is a word-lover, bibliophile, and proud cat mom. She began her editing career at Portland State University, where she pursued her master’s degree in book publishing. While there, she interned at Ooligan Press, first as a student staff member and then as the Copy Chief and Managing Editor for the Library Writer’s Project manuscript. Rachel has completed editorial internships at Level 4 Press and Pomegranateand worked on books by Kristin Burchell, John Perona, and Jason Tanamor. She’s transitioning to freelance editing to pursue her passion for editing books. Rachel is a member of the EFA (Editorial Freelance Association) and lives in Henderson, Nevada, with her family and three cats: Staci, Finn, and Pip.
LINE EDITING, COPY EDITING, & PROOFREADING
Lara Simpson
Lara Simpson is a member of the EFA (Editorial Freelancers Association) and an experienced editor and proofreader specializing in refining and elevating fictional novels and short stories. She has eight years' experience working in the industry, freelancing for various authors and publishers.
COPYEDITING & PROOFREADING
Bethany Dancel
Bethany Dancel is the owner of Dancel Editorial LLC. Bethany is a former educator, a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association, and has been copyediting and proofreading for four years. She lives in North Carolina but was born and raised in Michigan. Bethany is a mother of two and enjoys spending time with her family in the mountains and at the beach.
DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING, COPY EDITING, PROOFREADING
Lauren Finger
Lauren Finger will be lending her eagle eyes to Harpeth Road Press, editing in various capacities. Lauren is the former managing editor of both Bookouture and Atlantic Books, and before that was a senior editor at Allen & Unwin. These days she runs her freelance editorial business, where she focuses on commercial fiction. She has worked in trade publishing for nearly 20 years in Australia and the UK.
DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING, COPY EDITING, PROOFREADING
Mira Park
Mira Park, a proud Korean-American, began her literary experience in the English Literature Ph.D. program at City University of New York with a concentration in Asian and Pacific Islander Literature. Mira has worked extensively in the romance genre, first at Dorchester/Leisure Books and then for five years as an editor at Avalon Books. Now, she does everything from proofreading for Penguin/Random House to line editing for HarperCollins (Harlequin), and copy editing for Korean webnovels and episodic fiction to developmental editing for many indie authors. Her love of championing Women’s Fiction, Historical Romance, and Contemporary Romance makes her a natural fit for Harpeth Road. We are delighted to have her in a freelance capacity.
COPY EDITING
Claire Gatzen
Claire Gatzen will be copyediting for HR. Claire has copyedited Hale’s previous books The House on Firefly Beach, Christmas at Silver Falls, The Summer Hideaway, and We’ll Always Have Christmas among others. Claire began her editorial career at Penguin Random House, Hachette, and Pan Macmillan in London. Now based in Sydney, she copyedits bestselling and debut authors alike for a wide range of publishers, across an eclectic mix of genres and time zones.
COPY EDITING AND PROOFREADING
Liz Hurst
Liz Hurst will be copyediting and proofreading for Harpeth Road in a freelance capacity. Liz is the owner of EMH Editorial, specializing in developmental editing, copyediting, and proofreading for fiction authors across a wide variety of genres. She is also an Intermediate Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing & Proofreading. Her corporate clients include Canelo Digital Publishing and Bookouture, as well as numerous indie authors around the globe. In 2019, she left the UK for the sunny south of France, where she writes timeslip romance and historical fiction in her free time.
COPY EDITING AND PROOFREADING
Becca Allen
Becca Allen is a freelance copyeditor and proofreader with over a decade’s experience in publishing. She is a Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing & Proofreading, and works across adult and children’s fiction for various publishers and indie authors. She lives in the UK and loves reading even more books in her spare time.
PROOFREADING
Kendra Olson
Kendra Olson is a professionally trained developmental editor, book coach, and proofreader with over seven years of experience in publishing. She is an Intermediate Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing & Proofreading and a member of Club Ed. Kendra grew up in California but moved to London, England in 2004, where she now lives with her husband and two cats. She will be proofreading and providing story development for Harpeth Road in a freelance capacity.
ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR
Emma Sherk
Formerly Harpeth Road’s Editorial Assistant, Emma Sherk moved into the role of Assistant Managing Editor. Emma will oversee all editing and production schedules and lend her expertise to the packaging process, bringing more fabulous books to readers. She has several years of publishing experience with Harpeth Road Press, Dexterity, and Publisher Spotlight. She also currently does editorial work for Ballast Books and Dexterity. Emma graduated from Belmont University in 2023 with a degree in publishing and French. She is from Mount Juliet, Tennessee, where she can be found enjoying romance novels and cuddling with her cat.
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Randi Smith
Randi Smith steps out of her intern role and into her new Harpeth Road position as editorial assistant. Randi will handle new author onboarding, correspondence related to authors, and she will be involved in final stages of production. A recent graduate from Belmont University, Randi majored in Publishing and also studied Creative Writing. She’s had internship experiences with Abingdon Press and Writeway Co., and she completed a semester on the editorial staff of the Belmont Story Review, a student-run literary magazine. Randi can be found in her hometown of Owensboro, Kentucky, where she enjoys slowly working through the many books on her bookshelves while entertaining her cats.
EDITORIAL INTERN
Sierra Allred
Sierra Allred joins Harpeth Road as an editing intern with a focus on developmental editing and copy editing. Sierra graduated from Liberty University with Bachelors of Science in English: Creative Writing and History. While at Liberty, she presented research at the Network for Undergraduate Research in Virginia conference about the value of fiction in teaching problem-solving skills. After graduation, she worked with the Warrior Writers Coaching program to edit first time writers’ work. She has been working as a freelance editor ever since. When she’s not editing, Sierra loves to devour fiction and iced coffee surrounded by her dogs.
MARKETING INTERN - CREATIVE INSIGHTS
Emma Horton
Emma Horton returns as our creative insights intern. She’ll focus on market research to identify emerging trends, analyze the competitive landscape, and provide opportunities for growth through market analysis and consumer insights. Emma graduated from the University of Leeds with a Masters of Arts in Advertising & Design. Before that, she studied advertising at the University of Florida. She has experience working as a marketing intern for a sustainable startup in London, England. Now, Emma lives in Jupiter, Florida where she can be found reading romance and doing the daily New York Times puzzles.
MARKETING INTERN
Hagin McWhorter
Hagin McWhorter joins our team as marketing intern for Harpeth Road. Hagin graduated from the University of North Georgia with a Bachelors in Digital Marketing. She has experience working as a marketing communications intern and in marketing management in multiple industries. Her focus at Harpeth Road will be social media growth and outreach development. Now, Hagin lives in Jefferson, Georgia where she can be found reading and planning her next travel adventure.
OFFICE DOG: MOTIVATOR
Kaia Hale
Kaia Hale can be found loafing around the office, under the feet of Founder and Director Jenny Hale. She has been underfoot for countless USA Today bestsellers, contracts, and film and TV deals. She has tail-wagged alongside Jenny through all Jenny’s appearances in Southern Living, Oprah, and many others. She can be found most days whining at the door, playing with her ball, or lying on her bed.
