Halliday, Gemma

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Halliday, Gemma

ADDRESSES:

Home—Los Gatos, CA. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer and novelist. Worked variously as a film and television actor, department store administrator, preschool teacher, English tutor, teddy bear importer, and telephone psychic.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Golden Heart Award, Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements Manuscript, Romance Writers of America, 2005; National Readers Choice Award, Best Mainstream Novel, 2006, for Spying in High Heels; Cameo Award, Best Contemporary Book Trailer, 2007; Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense finalist, RITA Award finalist, Best Mainstream Novel with Strong Romantic Elements and Best First Book, all 2007, all for Spying in High Heels.

WRITINGS:

"HIGH HEELS’ MYSTERY SERIES

Spying in High Heels, Making It/Dorchester (New York, NY), 2006.

Killer in High Heels, Making It/Dorchester (New York, NY), 2007.

Undercover in High Heels, Making It/Dorchester (New York, NY), 2007.

Alibi in High Heels, Making It/Dorchester (New York, NY), 2008.

Contributor to anthologies, including Dreams & Desires.

ADAPTATIONS:

Spying in High Heels is in development as a television series on the USA Network.

SIDELIGHTS:

Before embarking on her career as a mystery novelist, Gemma Halliday supported herself with a diverse assortment of jobs, including film and television actor, importer of teddy bears, and a psychic for a 900-number telephone hotline. These experiences ‘have given her excellent fodder for the characters that tend to pop into her head in the middle of the night,’ commented a biographer on the author's home page.

Halliday began writing fiction in 2002, and while she remained unpublished for several years, her manuscripts garnered several awards, including the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Award in 2005. A month later, she was offered her first book contract, ‘saving her from adding another dead-end to her eclectic employment history,’ remarked a biographer on the High Heels Mysteries MySpace Page.

Spying in High Heels, the first of the ‘High Heels’ mystery series, introduces protagonist Maddie Springer, a shoe designer with a highly developed sense of fashion. When her boyfriend Richard disappears, along with twenty million dollars from his company, Maddie becomes embroiled in a search for her missing beau and the mountain of cash. Not only does she believe Richard is innocent of any wrongdoing, she is also intent on finding him because it appears she may be pregnant, with Richard the potential father. When Richard's boss is found shot to death, the suspect list grows rapidly. As the case unfolds, she encounters Los Angeles police detective Jack Ramirez, whose physical charms are sullied only by his impatience with what he sees as Maddie's interference. Aided by her mother, who has also had bad luck with men, an overweight psychic, and a best friend with an overcharged libido, Maddie plunges onward, despite the danger. The book's action and plot twists ‘are guaranteed to keep chick lit and mystery fans happy,’ commented a Publishers Weekly reviewer.

A disgruntled Maddie muses over her troubles with men, particularly her disastrous romance with Jack Ramirez, in Killer in High Heels. Her problems have made her more sympathetic to her mother, whose husband (and Maddie's father) Larry ran off with Lola, a Las Vegas showgirl, when Maddie was three. When she receives a mysterious message from her long-estranged father, she is intrigued enough to travel to Las Vegas to see why he called, and why the message on her answering machine ended with a gunshot. Accompanied by friends Diana and Marco, Maddie tracks down her father and uncovers a shocking connection between Larry and Lola. Along the way, she uncovers a counterfeit designer shoe ring and the handiwork of a vicious murderer. ‘Maddie's winning return … will elicit cheers from fans of the growing chick mystery field,’ remarked another Publishers Weekly contributor.

When asked what the life of an author is like, Halliday told CA: ‘Fun. And full of deadlines. The upside is I get to set my own hours; the downside is an afternoon trip to the mall is that much more tempting without a boss hovering over my shoulder. I have to budget my time, but since I honestly just love writing, it's not too hard. Oh! And the best part? It's really cool now to be able to answer ‘yes’ when I get those snide cocktail party comments about starving writers and the inevitable ‘have you actually published anything?’ questions.

"I get my inspiration from my friends and family, stealing all the best parts of their lives. Lots of my characters are based in whole or in part on people I actually know. And almost all the settings in my books are places I've actually been to. Granted, no one I know has actually stumbled upon dead bodies (yet), but a lot of the other stuff is completely stolen. One of my favorite T-shirts says, ‘Beware: you may end up in my next book.’

"My books are escapism. They're fun, intended as a good laugh when life gets tough, or a great vacation read. I just hope people enjoy the story and feel they've been adequately entertained when they reach the end. And of course, go buy my next one."