Last winter at a party, I saw a good friend whom I hadn’t seen in ages. It was just after the launch of Murder New York Style: Fresh Slices, which she had bought and read. She introduced me to friends in a book group, who suggested they make the anthology their April book of the month if I’d come and answer author-type questions.

In response, I offered a panel: three from Warwick with stories in the book. I wasn’t sure Anita Page and Fran Cox would want to make the long drive with me to the Poconos in PA, but the lovely book group folks were enthusiastic. What’s more, they decided to combine two local groups, and to do a potluck dinner for which we needn’t contribute a dish! (It’s as if they had prior knowledge of my culinary skills . . .) So on the day of the scheduled event, the three of us trundled off shouting, “Road trip!”

It was a super evening, not least – in my case – because I’d barely taken my seat with fork in hand when one of them exclaimed, “To think I’m eating dinner with the author of The Understudy!” And yeah, I did need to confirm she was – mostly – serious.

We settled down in the living room, twenty strong. They’d bought and read Fresh Slices and clearly enjoyed it. They asked everything: from how we came to write the stories, what inspired our characters, and did they feel alive as we wrote? They wanted to know what our connections were to the New York neighborhoods we wrote about, then moved on to the composition of short stories, the publishing experience, and why we wrote such dark stuff. Was there violence in our pasts? (Not the first time we’d been asked that question!) Who were the New York Sisters in Crime? How was writing short fiction different from writing a novel?

The experience was so much better than peddling the work. They’d not only read the book, but were eager to meet some of the authors. Some of them were writers themselves, and all were fun and smart and genuine.

I’m sure any day (ahem) this kind of thing will no longer be a novelty. Until then, the three of us count ourselves lucky to have had the chance to talk about our stories face to face with readers, and to realize the reception they’ve had beyond friends and family.