Hartford native Juliet Grames has had a successful literary career as an editor, associate publisher and curator for New York City's elite Soho Crime imprint.

She can write, as well.

Grames' debut novel, "The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna," out last month from Ecco/Harper Collins, has been getting excellent reviews. A sprawling, imaginative story set in Calabria and Connecticut about the intricacies and secrets of sisterhood, immigration and the quest for the the American dream, the narrative nuances such issues as loyalty and betrayal and the heroine's committed battle against her own destiny.

On Wednesday, as part of their Summer Author Series, the Ocean House in Watch Hill hosts Grames as she discusses and signs copies. 

Juliet Grames, Summer Author Series, Ocean House Seaside Ballroom, the Ocean House, 1 Bluff Ave., Watch Hill; free, reservations recommended; oceanhouseevents.com.