So Long Summer — And Exciting Short Story News!

Posted on by - Story Collections

Is today really the first day of autumn?

I’m already missing summer and the many beautiful days I enjoyed by the ocean, Jones Beach NY and Point Pleasant NJ. Sun, water, and sand!

Bye-bye seagulls!

My summer wasn’t all play. Plenty happening with my writing, and I’ve got some great short story news to share.

Cover reveal! Isn’t this a beautiful cover?

Coming November 23! Your Pick, a collection of reader favorites, carefully selected from my four previous collections. For readers who are new to my short stories, this is the place to start. The greatest hits, if you will. I’ve assembled a dozen of my best stories based on the comments I’ve received from readers over the years. Your Pick includes stories at the emotional heart of my work, those that readers have mentioned, time and again, as their favorites. Your Pick is now available for preorder in e-book, and will also be available in paperback on publication date.

More short story news: I’ve sold another story to Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine! “Dzintra’s Tale” is a murder mystery incorporating historical fact about the mass emigration of Latvians escaping the Soviet invasion during World War II. As you may know, much of my knowledge about Latvia comes from my late father and aunt, who were displaced persons after the war. Publication date for “Dzintra’s Tale” is yet to be determined, so stay tuned. Another new story of mine has been accepted for inclusion in an anthology with other fantastic mystery and crime writers—more news on that to come as well!

For the short story writers and novelists reading this, you might be interested in a series of three articles I wrote this summer, with tips on “Adding Criminal Law and Procedure to Your Fiction.” The series was posted in August on the blog for the Mystery Writers of America, New York chapter: Part I, “Search and Seizure”; Part II, “Stop & Frisk, Arrest, Identification Procedures, Indictment,” and Part III, “The Courtroom—Guilty Plea and Trial.”

That’s all the news fit to print for now. Wishing you a lovely, crisp, productive autumn!

Farewell 2017! A page from my personal journal

Posted on by - 2017

Farewell 2017! From the personal journal, it’s a fond farewell. On December 30, 2017, my beloved husband Kevin and I celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary. This year has been as rich and loving as always, and I’m thankful for the many warm and wonderful times together and with our daughters, other family members, and close friends.

In my legal mystery novels, protagonist Dana Hargrove juggles the demands of a high-powered professional career with her personal and family life. She has a loving husband, Evan, to support her. Evan and Dana are nothing like Kevin and I except for one thing: We are a team, giving each other space to pursue our personal interests. For this I am very grateful. I would not be able to accomplish my artistic goals without Kevin.

These are my professional and artistic highlights for 2017:

Publishing my fourth story collection, Love and Crime: Stories, to starred reviews by Foreword  and BlueInk.

 

Interviews with exceptional authors Eowyn Ivey  and William Burton McCormick on VBlog.

 

Getting on stage again after a break of many years, performing the stellar choreography of Katiti King and making many new dance friends along the way.

 

Many hours of joyful dance with my favorite teachers at Gibney Dance and Steps NYC, including Diane McCarthy, Laurie DeVito, Katiti King, Max Stone, Teresa Perez Ceccon, and Bethany Perry.

 

 

An amazing master class with Lynn Simonson, the creator of the Simonson Technique.

 

A wonderful sendoff by my coworkers and friends at the Appellate Division upon my retirement from my fulltime legal career.

 

Thank you to editor Janet Hutchings of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine for posting my humorous account of my (now former!) commuter life, Rock ‘n Rail, on Something Is Going to Happen.

 

 

A lot of fun working on a video of my work with talented filmmaker Blake Horn. Stay tuned! The video will be posted soon to Amazon and Goodreads.

Putting the finishing touches on my fourth Dana Hargrove novel, Deep Zero, to be released on January 25, 2018!

 

I wish you a happy, healthy, artistic 2018!

Love from V.