Saturday, May 2, 2020

ANGELA ZEMAN: R.I.P.

Such sad news. Angela Zeman: R.I.P, succumbed to COVID-19. Angela wrote an author essay with her husband Barry T. Zeman for the Mystery Readers Journal: Partners in Crime II (17:3, 2001), as well as many short stories and two novels. My sympathy goes out to her husband Barry T. Zeman, her family, and friends. Such a sad time.

From Angela's website:

"Angela Zeman writes fiction spanning from cozy to noir, and frankly, anything else that attracts her interest. Gary Provost, her late mentor, was forced to explain to Angela that a desire to write ‘everything’ (a drive he shared) was the reason she never settled into a “normal” (read ‘lucrative’) career like most writers who stick with one character or one subject. Angela decided she didn’t care. 

Lately she’s become attracted to horror. Maybe a bit of sci-fi.
The late Cathleen Jordan, Editor-in-Chief of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, purchased her first story (featuring Mrs. Risk) via phone call. A moment Angela will never forget. After publishing a handful of stories about that same character (plus ensemble—her favorite style), her agent informed her it was time to write a Mrs. Risk novel. So she wrote THE WITCH AND THE BORSCHT PEARL, published by Pendulum Press in trade paperback. Unusually for a paperback, trade or otherwise, that original book is now a collector’s item. Otto Penzler has recently issued a second edition of that book, available in every ebook format at Mysterious Press and Amazon. Otto also collected the Mrs. Risk short stories in a new collection, as a companion book (also available from Mysterious Press). Angela continually publishes short stories, and is currently at work on a suspense novel.

Visit Mystery Writers to learn about Angela Zeman’s achievements in the mystery field. Amazon also maintains her author page listing various short story series and where they can be found.
Angela worked at many occupations in her life…gemologist, Padi Divemastor, advertising, martial artist, grandmother…but as any writer will tell you…a writer is above all a writer. It is what it is. Can’t do a thing about it."

1 comment:

G. Miki Hayden said...

The thing anyone can learn from reading her stories is that Angie was a talented writer, and like any proper mystery author, had a love of the underbelly of life and the eventual outcome of true justice. Angie cared about people--all people; she cared about her family, and she cared about her friends. She will be missed.