VICTORIA PIONTEK, LIterary Associate
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Victoria Piontek is a Literary Associate for Executive Agent Laura Rennert. She adores children's literature no matter the category or genre, but is especially drawn to charming picture books and middle grade stories that both pull at the heartstrings and tickle the funny bone. Victoria likes to get lost in richly imagined worlds she's never seen before and is drawn to complex, diverse characters who experience and learn universal truths in a meaningful, life-changing way. While she enjoys all genres, fantasy is her first love. She also likes friendship stories, horse stories, Arthurian retellings, and science fiction that read like fantasy. She is passionate about picture books, both fiction and nonfiction, that express a complex idea in a simple way.
Prior to joining ABLA, Victoria taught English to middle school students in New York City and Education Methods to teachers at Pace University. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hollins University, an MST in Education from Pace University, and a BA in Journalism from the University of North Florida. If she's not reading, you can find her hiking in Marin County, where she lives with her husband, three children, and gigantic dog. |
Hannah Streetman, Editorial Associate
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Hannah Streetman is an Editorial Associate who works closely with Executive Agent Laura Rennert, primarily on adult and young adult manuscripts. She seeks out books with fresh concepts but stays for the vivid characters.
A voracious audiobook listener, Hannah likes any story with a compelling narrative voice and crackling dialogue. She loves books that surprise—whether through twisty suspense, an unreliable narrator, or a calculated subversion of genre expectations—and books that transport to a richly imagined setting. She’s a sucker for idiosyncratic humor, spicy romance, haunted houses, creative use of form, and lush, lyrical prose. Prior to joining ABLA, Hannah worked as a freelance developmental editor, web editor for a trivia site, intern at Sasquatch Books, and editorial apprentice at Andrea Hurst & Associates. She earned an editing certificate and a BA in creative writing from Western Washington University, then ventured to New York City to attend the Columbia Publishing Course. When she’s not editing, she plans conferences and events for libraries and library-related organizations, including the Association for Rural & Small Libraries. She lives in Seattle with her three-legged cat and her library card. |
LAURA SCHOEFfEL, EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE
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Laura Schoeffel is an Editorial Associate working closely with Executive Agent Laura Rennert, focusing mainly on adult and young adult fiction. She is drawn to works with an original or unconventional narrative voice, with a particular interest in international voices.
You can hook Laura with any good story well-told, especially when the writing sparkles on the page and is infused with clever humor. She gravitates to historical fiction and alternative histories that offer fresh perspectives, and loves stories that reimagine the classics. She looks for suspenseful literary fiction, mysteries and thrillers--and enjoys being caught off-guard by an unreliable narrator. Laura is also keen to find refreshing takes on the coming-of-age story, and has a special fondness for open-hearted, character-driven middle grade novels. A native Canadian and a graduate of McGill University in Montreal, Laura began her publishing career at HarperCollins Canada, where she was the Associate Editor, working in all genres. After moving to the United States, Laura pursued post-graduate studies in ancient Greek and Romantic literature before heading back into publishing. Prior to joining ABLA, she worked on various sides of the business in New York City: with the literary agent Janis Donnaud & Associates, in book packaging, as an editor, writer and researcher for a New York Times food columnist, and as a freelance editor of both fiction and non-fiction. Laura has lived on both coasts of the U.S. and Canada, in numerous states and provinces, and presently lives in the New York City area with her family. |
EBONI HARRIS, Reader
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Eboni A. Harris is a Reader for Executive Agent Laura Rennert. She is obsessed with fiction that falls under the looming umbrellas of sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, or just plain weird. If she can nerd out about it, and buy a T-shirt or three, she will. Find her at science fiction and fantasy conventions, in costume, waiting in line to meet her favorite authors and the actor who played the “cute guy” in that new space travel movie with the robots.
Narratives that hit Eboni’s sci-fi/fantasy sweet spots typically feature young adult/new adult characters in modern/or semi-futuristic settings who deal with issues that parallel normal human experiences. She prefers unique storylines with diverse casts and good doses of quirky humor, action, deep character development, awesome powers, and heart. Young adult and new adult fiction hold special places in Eboni’s heart, but she also appreciates a good adult science fiction space opera, because she was raised on Star Trek the Next Generation. Prior to joining the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Eboni was a teen services librarian at Monterey Public Library and voluntarily entered rooms full of hungry hordes of teenagers to run afterschool and summer programs for them. She holds an MLS from Texas Woman’s University and an MFA in Creative Writing with a specialty in Popular Fiction from the University of Southern Maine. When she’s not working, she’s reading, writing, running writers critique groups, trying to keep up with a vlog, and scavenging the web for pieces of her next cosplay costume. |
Rebecca Matte, ASSISTANT
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Rebecca Matte is an Assistant for Executive Agent Laura Rennert. For her, reading is as natural as breathing, and so she is always on the lookout for the next book that will keep her up all night. She reads widely across adult and young adult fiction, but she is particularly drawn to grounded stories set in fantastical settings.
No matter the setting—be it a far off kingdom beset by magic or around the corner in Brooklyn—Rebecca loves to find books that feature diverse, complex characters in deeply rooted relationships, platonic and romantic. A well-crafted romance will make her heart sing, while a beautifully detailed friendship will elevate any book to an instant favorite. She also gravitates towards stories of self-discovery and reinvention at all ages, particularly those that center questions of gender and sexuality. She tries to bring magic to every moment of life, and loves books that do the same. Prior to joining ABLA, Rebecca worked as an IP and contracts lawyer for several prominent firms in New York City. She holds a JD from Harvard Law School and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania in English, Psychology and Classical Studies. Her favorite place to read or write is in her tiny Brooklyn backyard, underneath the trees, with her sassy nine-year-old Yorkie mix. |
Alison Nolan, Royalty Review Expert & Agency Administrator
Alison has been with the Andrea Brown Literary Agency since 2013. In her current role as Agency Administrator, Alison is in charge of the Agency database and payment systems. She supports all the agents with various agency-wide projects while also working as a royalty review expert for Laura Rennert. She came to the agency after enjoying six years as a children's bookseller and events manager. Prior to her career in publishing, she lived in Japan teaching English (and reading books!) to young children.
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