For the past few weeks, I’ve been immersed in writing A Vengeful Death. It’s fueled an extremely delicious historical research binge, and I’ve been learning lots more (no matter how much you know, there’s always more to learn) about the world of medieval Russia and its neighbors–the Golden Horde, Ilkhanate Persia, Mamluk Egypt.

I’ve also been exploring Pinterest which was unexpectedly addicting. I’ve created a board for my Russian medieval mystery novel, A Disobedient Death,  and I’ll be adding to it.

In the course of my search for images, I came across this short documentary “Moscow Clad in Snow” by Alexander Borodin which I adore and wanted to share. Although it’s pre-revolutionary Moscow, filmed in 1908, and not medieval Moscow, it has a similar mood and tone to the setting of A Disobedient Death: .

Enjoy!

My historical mystery short story “Forgotten Man” is finally available in the April 2011 issue of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine currently (January 30, 2011 9:08am) on the shelves in bookstores and newsstands, and online either in print or ebook through The Mystery Place.

You can read an excerpt and view the wonderful illustration by the talented Edward Kinsella III of one of my favorite and most dramatic scenes in the story here.

The story’s set in NYC’s Bowery during the Great Depression. The research was a nice change of pace from the Middle Ages. Read about it here.

Hope you enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoyed researching and writing it!

Photo @Sunday Kaminksi.  All rights reserved.

I love writing short short stories, otherwise known as flash fiction, the shorter the better (though I’ve never been able to manage a six worder). The word limit encourages risk-taking and experimentation with style, form, character, and plot. I especially love writing flash that accompanies photos.

Below is a flash I wrote inspired by Sunday Kaminski’s fantastically intriguing photo (above) for #fridayflash, flash fiction by writers on twitter compiled every Friday by J.M. Strother.

The Getaway

The heist: their first, a country bank.
The robbers: a young couple, Carla giving Danny the silent treatment.
Their plan: quit the city, get back to nature.
The getaway: their unreliable Bronco, white.
The pursuit: highway slicing farmland, sirens, a determined deputy smarter than he looks.
Then the overheated Bronco dies.
“Out!” Carla screams, silent no longer.
The patrol car rear ends them.
They run. Fields. Stalks like whips. Sun like fire.
A farmhouse: cute, tidy, daisies.
Dogs! Two Rottweilers attack.
Carla and Dan bolt and scramble over a fence, barbed wire tearing jeans.
Ha, dogs can’t climb.
More fields. Gunfire booms. Dirt explodes at their feet.
On the hill, a hunter, reloading his shot gun.
Do they look like deer?
A shout: “No trespassing.”
Woods. Branches thwack. Lungs burn. Lost.
Another road. Thumbs out.
The lift: a pick-up, rusted.
The driver: toothless, wall-eyed, scary, name of Bob.
The cab: tight for three.
Bob leers at Carla and flashes a blade.
This is country life?
Danny punches Bob.
The crash: a swerve, a tree.
The patrol car again, battered, smoking, wheezing.
Carla and Danny crawl out, hands raised, defeated.
The deputy: “Y’all from the city?”

“The Getaway” © Gigi Vernon
All rights reserved. May not be used elsewhere in whole or part without the express written permission of the author.

Just heard from Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. My story  “Forgotten Man” will appear in the April 2011 issue. Always a thrill and a chill to see my work in print!

The story is set in New York City during the Great Depression of 1929. The research was fascinating.  More…

Old Forge Hardware, NY
Saturday, August 28, 2010

Mark your calendar!

My fellow anthologists and I will be signing Adirondack Mysteries: And Other Mountain Tales at Old Forge Hardware, Saturday, August 28, 2-4pm. If you’re in the area, stop by.  I’d love to meet you, and the Old Forge Hardware is a very cool place.  If you’ve never visited it, I can guarantee it won’t disappoint. I mean have you ever been to a hardware store that has a really good bookstore in it?

July 29, 2010

I’m absolutely thrilled to report Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine accepted another of my historical mystery short stories. This one’s titled  “Forgotten Man” and it’s set in New York City’s Bowery during the early months of the Great Depression.  The publication date hasn’t yet been set. Stay tuned for more details.

The term “forgotten man” was used frequently during this period to describe the homeless and unemployed standing in breadlines.  I used all kinds of historical sources for the story, including the amazing NYPL’s Digital Gallery for photos of the Bowery during the Depression and even some footage:

July 13, 2010
Old Forge Public Library, New York

My first ever reading! Although I’m used to public speaking, I actually even like public speaking, a reading is an entirely different beast. I was terrified. Let me say that again TERRIFIED!

No need to fear!

First of all the Old Forge Public Library–best ever! The director is amazing. Not only does she run a tight, well run, popular library with free wifi, she also promotes all kinds of literary events and groups, such as a Tuesday evening author reading series, partly funded by a small grant from the New York Council of the Arts.

Second, I’ve said it before, I’m saying it again. I love my fellow anthologists. They made the evening so great. And my gosh they’re talented writers, all of them. I’m honored to be in such company, and I genuinely enjoy their company. Unfortunately, Cheryl Ann Costa wasn’t able to make it, but I met John H. Briant, an honest to goodness local Adirondacks celebrity, for the first time.  It was Paul Nandzik, W.K. Pomeroy, and Dennis Webster, editor as well as contributor.

We read for five minutes each, and it was a great mix of comedy, suspense, and drama. Then we took questions. Did I mention the room was packed?

Third, the audience.  Wow! There was standing room only. All ages, including two boys in the front row. Afterwards, great questions, knowledgeable questions about the craft of writing. Luved it.

Then were as a book signing! Yay! And lastly we signed the library’s copy of Adirondack Mysteries: And Other Mountain Tales.  Yay!

June 10, 2010

Dennis Webster, editor and fellow writer, is working his magic again.  He’s in the process of putting together a sequel volume to Adirondack Mysteries: And Other Mountain Tales.

My short story for the sequel is called “Wampum” and it literally is the sequel to my previous short story “Warpath” in the previous volume.  It takes place during the early winter. Not all the characters returned because some of them–the villains–are dead, but Stonespeaker is back and in big trouble again.

November 9, 2009

Nice article in a local paper on the release of the Adirondack Mysteries: And Other Mountain Tales: Ten Writers Offer up ‘Adirondack Mysteries’.

October 31, 2009
Barnes & Noble, New Hartford, NY

My first ever book signing. Or should I say short story signing? Whatever.  I can’t tell you how apprehensive I was. But my fellow anthologists of Adirondack Mysteries: And Other Mountain Tales made it gobs of fun.  (Seriously, I’m not just being polite. Although this was the first time I’d met any of them in person, they are great. Luv those guys and gals!)

Posters in the store directed customers to the signing table and loudspeaker announcements were made at intervals! And it worked. Tons of friends, family, and casual browsers stopping by our table made it a wildly successful day.

Because it was Halloween we were in costume.  Kind of.  Well, I am. Everyone else–Dennis Webster, who’s the editor as well as a contributor, Paul Nandzik, Cheryl Ann Costa, and W.K. Pomeroy– is wearing a hat as a costume. Since my short story “Warpath” took place roughly during the time period of the Pilgrims, I’m dressed as one, although there are no Pilgrims or even any white people for that matter in my story.   I would have preferred to be dressed as a Mohawk brave, or which there are many in my story, but it just wasn’t meant to be.

Left to right: me, W.K. Pomeroy, Paul Nandzik, Dennis Webster, Cheryl Ann Costa

I'm not reading the bible; I'm twittering on my iTouch.

]]> http://www.gigivernon.com/2009/10/31/my-first-book-signing/feed/ 0