Victoria was one of the most creative people I’ve ever had the honor to work with. She started her career with book trailers® in 2003 with Dead on the Dance Floor, a video for bestselling author Heather Graham.
I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of one the sweetest souls and most talented women to grace this world and touch my life, Victoria Arias Fraasa. Brilliant, funny, giving, and kind, Victoria directed and filmed the teaser for Dead on the Dance Floor, and with Sheila Clover English, created Zombies Tonight, and worked on so many other projects, from music videos to movies, shows, and book promo. Her every move, including dealing with the cancer that claimed her, was courageous, filled with integrity, and care for her fellow man. She was loved and admired by everyone she touched in life and is deeply mourned.- Heather Graham
It was the beginning of a journey with the publishing industry through book video Circle of Seven Productions (COS Productions). I made the trip to Florida to meet with Victoria and watch her work. She was organized, creative and amazing. I had directed two book videos by that time and I remember thinking, “I want to be like this woman!” Everyone, cast and crew, hung on her every word, every direction. She got them to love the hard work they were doing. She had a way of making people proud of themselves. It was that final piece that moved me to ask her to work for us again.
We stayed in touch and a few months later she called me to tell me she had been diagnosed with cancer. She was concerned that she’d not find work once the word got out. We talked at length about how she planned to fight it. She was doing a lot with her nutrition. She was determined to beat it. I told her I was happy to send her some smaller projects that she could do from home. She began creating book teasers and our friendship bloomed.
By 2005 Victoria worked a great deal as an editor and producer. I had moved from California to Kentucky when I got married and she had moved from Florida to California. She was in remission and started working on live productions again in 2007. She did a beautiful video that became my favorite historical romance book video called Lessons of Desire. It was lovely.
Victoria loved reading. She was in a book club that met once a month and enjoyed it greatly. She worked on numerous other videos, both live action and teasers. Though I don’t know the exact count I’m certain she created over 100 videos for us over the years.
In 2008 Victoria started working as Head of Production, which is a management job. She attended several conventions including BEA, RT and many smaller venues. She also came with me to New York to speak to publishers and other industry leaders.
She enjoyed the RT Booklovers Convention a great deal. She loved the costumes and merriment. She loved being able to meet one-on-one with authors. She conducted several author interviews for Reader’s Entertainment, an online magazine owned by Circle of Seven.
She was charming and classy and had a wonderful sense of humor. She brought out the best in everyone she came into contact with.
OMG I am truly saddened she was a beautiful person she did the video for Dreams of a Raven Moon and was my karaoke partner in New Orleans- Veronica Towers
Victoria and I had a long talk in 2009 about changing the direction of COS Productions. We felt that our path, the path for the company, was meant to be more family oriented, so we started working with Christian publishers and taking on children, young adult and family oriented projects. In 2010 we worked hard to bring in the thriller genre and more women’s interest. Two of my favorite projects that Victoria did in the thriller genre were Lisa Jackson’s Chosen To Die and Karen Rose’s No One Left To Tell.
Victoria also worked on a piece she was particularly proud of called Crazy Love that went on to be used in the news media.
In 2010 she won an award for a comedy webisode series we worked on together in 2009 called The Zombie Today Show sponsored by Heather Graham. The show won film festival awards and an industry award.
It was a great experience. It was all shot in her home, her husband Steve was the director of photography and Victoria and I took turns directing. We shot 12 episodes in three days. It was crazy and we loved it!
She would go on to be the editor of another webisodic series for NY Times bestselling author James Rollins called Know It Now that she was very proud of as well.
Victoria worked hard to build the business and brought in clients such as Egmont Publishing, National Geographic and children’s publisher Capstone Publishing. She also worked on projects from Simon & Schuster, Kensington, Random House, Zondervan and Harper Collins. Her work appeared on television, in movie theaters and played on Transit TV, which placed videos on tv screens in buses in major cities across the United States.
She became ill again in 2011, but still made it to the RT Convention where she enjoyed herself immensely. It would be her final RT. She was too ill to attend in 2012. By July on 2012 Victoria was no longer able to work, but she stayed in touch. I was able to go out and see her while I was at RWA in California. We spend two lovely days together and talked about all we had accomplished.
One of her last acts as VP of COS Productions was to encourage the opening of a London office. The office opens November 1st, 2012, only a couple of weeks after her death.
She was proud of the work she’d done. She loved the people she’d met with along the way. One of the final phone calls I received she asked about clients Christine Feehan, Heather Graham, Karen Rose and Melissa Marr, all of whom she was very fond. She cared deeply for the people met along the way. Her projects mattered to her. Clients matter to her. She loved people. And they loved her.
Victoria always knew the great places to go in New York. She always knew great people and I met some wonderful and interesting people through her. She enriched my life and I am forever changed because I knew her.
Rest in Peace Victoria. You will be missed.
My dear friend Victoria‘s spirit became one with the universe today after living with cancer for many years. Victoria was truly a one-of-a-kind lady; she was smart, sassy, stylish, devout and humble. Time spent with Victoria always broadened my world view and helped me to become a more evolved person. I will miss her affection, positive perspective, keen insights and inner-strength. My heartfelt condolences are extended to her husband Steven, her family, friends and her dogs—all of whom she treasured deeply. – Robert Mazze
Editorial by Sheila Clover English, CEO
Circle of Seven Productions
