Just under a year ago, a dream came true for one of our team members.  Juliana Gribbins, V.F. McNeil’s Executive Assistant and Bookkeeper,had her first book published and made available for sale on shelves in local book stores and online through her publisher’s website.  You may recall our Employee Spotlight proudly boasting Juliana’s admirable achievement.

What has Juliana been up to since that momentous accomplishment?

Well, we can say that she hasn’t let any grass grow under her feet.  Since the publication of her first book, Date Expectations: A Humorous Look at Dating, the Second Time Around, Juliana not only continues to hold down the fort at V.F. McNeil, but she also continues to write her ever popular column for the Shore Publishingnewspapers, titled Shoreline Living, as she continues to work toward the goal of book number two.

She also won a silver medal in the 20th “IPPY” Awards (Independent Publisher Book Awards) for Category #60, Humor.  “Someone other than my mom actually thinks it’s funny,” joked Juliana when she learned of the award.  She is just as modest as she is funny.  Should we tell her?  Everyone thinks her book is funny.  It’s a lighthearted, entertaining take on dating that everyone can relate to in some way and it’s gaining in popularity.

Earlier this spring Amazon agreed to stock her book and has already placed a re-order!  Her book reviews attest to the fact that Juliana’s collection of real-life dating storiesjog at least one dating memory in everyone’s mind.  It’s a must buy!

She also recently learned that the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists selected her as a winner of the 2015 Excellence in Journalism Contest.  She took first place for Hyperlocal Paper, Humorous Column:Shoreline Living“Digging Out the Ornaments.”