V.S. Kemanis is a lawyer with decades of experience in criminal justice on both sides of the aisle in New York trial and appellate courts. Like her protagonist Dana Hargrove, Kemanis has juggled the demands of family life with a high-powered professional career in criminal law.

Short fiction by Ms. Kemanis has appeared in magazines and anthologies including Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, The Crooked Road Volume 3, Me Too Short Stories, and The Best Laid Plans, among others. Her award-winning and nominated collections include Your Pick: Selected Stories, which received the 2019 Eric Hoffer Award for best story collection. Ms. Kemanis is a member of the New York chapter of Mystery Writers of America and served on its board from 2018 through 2021.