Virginia is for Mysteries II: Reunion in Shockoe Slip

Nancy is a bestselling author. Roger is an expert on Internet security and digital photography. Back in their Tinseltown (aka Hollywood) days they were lovers—but, alas, they weren’t destined to remain a couple and wound up going their separate ways.

Thirty years later they reunite in Shockoe Slip, a historic section of Richmond, Virginia. Roger walks into the Fountain Bookstore where Nancy is signing copies of her latest travel mystery. Nancy is, understandably, stunned when this man she’d left behind years ago and miles away presents his book for her flourish.

So what happens? Is this story inspired by As Time Goes By, that BBC hit comedy starring Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer, whose characters meet by chance after thirty eight years with no contact? Or do Nancy and Roger meet for coffee and compete about whose grandchild is the cutest, the most precocious, etc.? Maybe they moan and groan about their arthritis.

If they re-ignite their passion, what do they do about Nancy’s husband? And Roger’s battling a ferocious ex-wife about child custody. No question about it, their relationship will be fraught with complications that didn’t exist when they were single and carefree.

So many choices.

And so starts the story of Nancy and Roger that I just submitted it to the Virginia is for Mysteries II anthology. Virginia is for Mysteries was quite successful and many of its contributing authors are returning for volume two, which we expect to release by year’s end. And then you’ll find out what happens with those reunited lovers, Nancy and Roger.

For the first volume, I penned “A Not So Genteel Murder,” set in the Kent-Valentine House in downtown Richmond. Nancy and Roger’s story (untitled for now) is quite different, but still has a twist that has brought my beta readers up short.

If you haven’t read Virginia is for Mysteries, you can purchase it at your favorite brick-and-mortar store, such as the Fountain Bookstore http://www.fountainbookstore.com. It makes a great gift!