Jim Gallagher, an illustrations graduate of the School of Visual Arts NYC, has captured many iconic images throughout lifetime. Two are “Here’s Johnny” and “His Honor” Mayor Koch, NY Society of Illustrators. A few his commissioned pieces are Hard Rock Café Worldwide R&R Portraits, Bell Labs Nobel Prize Winner Portraits of Penzias and Wilson, Bellcore Labs Portrait of Alexander Graham Bell, Buzz Aldrin B&W Portrait, and Pan Am Museum, Garden City, NY. To view these and more of Jim’s illustrations visit his Instagram accounts Jim_Gallagher_artwork and gofigurejim.

Joe Smalley’s short story “The Axe Man” will be published online under his pen name Rusty Arbo. It is a suburban comedy about repeating intergenerational violence, but also, crucially, about breaking free from it. Featuring a man with an axe and “6/7”, this is an unhinged story with heart. On August 6, it will be available to read at TrashLight Press, https://trashlightpress.com/category/fiction/.

Rusty Arbo lives in Middlesex County, where he works in IT. His writing often blends intimate emotional perspectives with speculative or near-future elements. He spends his free time with his family and observing animals’ facial expressions, wondering what they might be thinking. His Instagram is @rustyarboauthor.

Yvonne Ventresca is excited to speak on three panels at Killer Nashville: What They’re Hiding, Choosing a Point of View, and Building the Past that Drives the Present. To learn more about Yvonne and her books visit: https://yvonneventresca.com/index.html.

Mary Kennedy introduces authors to readers through her Fresh Fiction mystery column. Her most recent blog features Marilyn Levinson. Visit https://blog.freshfiction.com/marykennedy-chatting-about-ghosts-andcozies-with-marilyn-levinson/ to learn more about this former Spanish teacher, who writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and novels for kids. As Allison Brook, Marilyn writes the popular Haunted Library series.

To learn more about Mary Kennedy and her books, visit https://www.marykennedy.net/.

To learn more about Marilyn Levinson/Allison Brook, visit https://www.marilynlevinson.com/.

Lois Winston is happy to announce that Seams Like the Perfect Crime, the 14th book in her Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, is a finalist for the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award for Best Comedy and the Readers Choice Award. Check out the full list of finalists here: https://www. killernashville.com/2026silver-falchion-award-fi nalists and congrats to all the other finalists!

In addition, Lois will be presenting a workshop on “Goal, Motivation & Conflict: The Three Building Blocks of Every Novel, Synopsis, Pitch, and Back Cover Copy,” as well as, appearing on several panels at the Killer Nashville Writers Conference, August 20-23, 2026.

To learn more about Lois and her books, visit: https://www.loiswinston.com/.

LSF Writers Member Marilyn Petrokubi’s short essay “Art Therapy” was chosen to be featured by LIT Magazine and was published March 20, 2026. It’s a very personal story about Marilyn and her mother, Mary Petrokubi, the artist.

LIT Magazine is a triannual literary journal published by The New School’s Creative Writing MFA program, focusing on publishing innovative poetry, fiction, nonfiction, translation, and art that highlights diverse voices and cultural critique, serving as a platform for emerging and established writers.

If you are interested in reading her short story, and seeing a little video, here’s a link to Marilyn’s Substack: https://marilynpetrokubi.substack.com. While you are there check out some of her other musings!

LSF Writers Member Mary Kennedy introduces authors to readers through her Fresh Fiction mystery column. Years ago, she featured Caridad Piñeiro in a piece Mary wrote and recorded for NPR on books set in South Beach. She is so happy to be interviewing Caridad again for Fresh Fiction. Visit https://blog.freshfiction.com/mary-kennedy-chatting-about-cold-cases-and-suspense-with-caridad-pineiro/ and learn why Caridad has returned to setting her mysteries in South Florida!

To learn more about Mary Kennedy and her books, visit https://www.marykennedy.net/.

To learn more about Caridad Piñeiro and her books, visit https://www.caridad.com/.

Mickey Flagg is thrilled to share she has signed a contract with Stardust Romance, a subsidiary of Hydra Publications, for a low-heat contemporary romance entitled MATTERS OF THE HEART. It should be a 2027 release.

And her novel, COME THE BLOOD MOON NIGHT, has won the Penmasters Global Award for Literary Excellence in the category of Magical Realism.

To learn more about Mickey and her books visit: https://mflaggauthor.com/.

Congratulations to LSF Writers Member Maria K. Alexander on the release of CATCH ME WHEN I FALL, Book 3, in the Pelican Bay series. Here’s a little teaser for it!

Natalie O’Connell has a plan: launch the soap shop business with her sister, keep her fourteen-year-old son out of trouble, and avoid anything that feels like forever. It’s a solid plan — until her son gets busted for vandalism and the arresting officer turns out to be the man she’s been sleeping with.

Officer Ethan Hunter knows something about second chances, having left his former recklessness behind for a badge and a commitment to serving Pelican Bay. Letting Liam O’Connell off after several warnings is no longer an option. Walking away from Natalie isn’t either.

Now Ethan’s caught between reaching a boy who reminds him of himself, and convincing a commitment-phobic woman that what started as casual has become anything but. And Natalie must decide whether risking her heart is worth losing the first man who’s ever made her want to try.

Bio: Maria K. Alexander is an award-winning contemporary romance author of the Tangled Hearts and Pelican Bay series. She writes about smart, sassy women and the tortured, sexy men who aren’t afraid to go head-to-head with them. Together, they’ll overcome tragedy and fears on their journey to falling in love. Her heartfelt stories have strong connections with family and friends, and often involve tantalizing foods and laugh-out-loud moments. When not writing, she reads, bakes, plays pickleball, bikes, visits the beach, and watches romantic comedies. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and juggles a full-time job.

You can keep in touch with Maria at http://mariakalexander.com. While you are there, check out her backlist, along with pre-ordering
CATCH ME WHEN I FALL.

Congratulations to LSF Writers Member L.R. Weltmann on their new release! Here is a blurb for THE QUEST FOR THE REAPER’S LYRE!
𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞.
𝐀 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭.
𝐀 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭.
Vivi’s world shatters when the portals plaguing the kingdoms of Isyend kidnap her pseudobrother. In the midst of her grief, an opportunity emerges she can’t pass up: an offer to join the secret team of princesses investigating the portals. Vivi jumps headfirst into the search, only to be met with suspicion as soon as she walks in the door. The five princesses might be the most dysfunctional team Vivi has ever met, but they’re still her best bet to find the Reaper’s Lyre, an almighty magical artifact that vanished a thousand years ago. It’s the only thing powerful enough to stop the mastermind behind the devastating portals, if the princesses can find it.
Vivi fights to prove herself to this stubborn team while uncovering secret after secret. Betrayal lurks around every corner and loyalties are tested, but nothing will stop Vivi from rescuing her brother. Even if she has to go against the princesses to do it.
Bio: L. R. Weltmann is a young adult fantasy writer specializing in found family and epic adventures. She’s the author of the Epoch of Dragons series, The Wingomia Guide series, and THE QUEST FOR THE REAPER’S LYRE. Some of her biggest inspirations include Eragon, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Percy Jackson. She worked as a Barnes and Noble bookseller for a few years and currently works as an admin assistant for her local library. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found playing with a dog somewhere.
Order:
Barnes and Noble: https://www.
http://barnesandnoble.com/…/the-quest-for…/1150271643… an=9781962607063
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/QuestReapers-Lyre…/dp/1962607062…
To learn more about L. R. Weltmann and her books, visit: https://www.lrweltmann.com/.
Follow L. R. Weltmann on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Threads: @bylrweltmann.