Gemma Halliday New York Times Bestselling Author
Signing books in the Kmart Sizzling Summer Reads tour
Eden Bradley, Gemma & Jax Cassidy at the RWA national conference
Eileen Rendahl, Margo Candela, Gemma & Kate Perry signing books in San Francisco
Gemma, Christie Craig, Leslie Langtry, & editor Leah Hultenschmidt at the Dorchester author dinner
About Gemma
Gemma had a hard time figuring out what she wanted to be when she grew up. She worked as a film and television actress, a teddy bear importer, a department store administrator, a preschool teacher, a temporary tattoo artist, and a 900 number psychic, before finally selling her first book, Spying in High Heels, in 2005 and deciding to be a writer.
Since then, Gemma has written several mystery novels and been the recipient of numerous awards, including a National Reader's Choice award and three RITA nominations. Her books have hit both the USA Today and the New York Times Bestseller lists.
Gemma now makes her home in the San Francisco Bay area where she is hard at work on her next book.
FAQS
How did you start writing?
One day, out of reading material, I picked up a romance novel that had come free with some promotion. Sadly, the quality of this book was not indicative of the romance genre as a whole. It stank. Really badly. It was the worst thing I had ever read. So, after chucking it across the room during one particularly laughable chapter, I said to myself, "Well, even I can do better than that." So I did. Okay, well, first I wrote a couple of awful manuscripts - it was a lot harder than I thought to write a terrible book let alone a good one! - but, then I wrote a couple that weren't so bad, then even a couple pretty good ones. Eventually I hit on one good enough that an editor bought it.
How many manuscript did you write before selling one?
Six. It was lucky number seven that was finally published.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Everywhere. I know, cop-out answer, but it's so true. Any little bit of dialogue I hear at Starbucks, song I hear on the radio, or guy in line at the grocery store can inspire a new idea. The only thing I can say for certain is that I steal from the people I know a lot. Thankfully my family and friends get a kick out of seeing me exaggerate their finer traits on paper, but there are a few ex-boyfriends that probably shouldn't read my books. I do write about murders after all.
Which books are in your High Heels series? What order should I read them in?
There are six books and two short stories currently in this series. I would read them in this order:
Spying in High Heels
Killer in High Heels
Undercover in High Heels
Christmas in High Heels - short story
Alibi in High Heels
Mayhem in High Heels
Sweetheart in High Heels - short story
Fearless in High Heels
Each book in the series follows the same character, shoe designer turned crime fighter, Maddie Springer, as she unravels a murder mystery while trying to sort out her own screwed up love life as well. The series follows her on-again-off-again relationship with homicide detective Jack Ramirez, but each book stands alone as its own story, and I try to catch readers starting in the middle of the series up to where the characters are now. So, you certainly don't have to read them in order.
What are the books in your Hollywood Headlines series?
Hollywood Scandals
Hollywood Secrets
Hollywood Confessions
This is a spin-off series of the High Heels Mysteries and centers around the L.A. Informer, Los Angeles's premier tabloid magazine, reporting on all the latest celebrity gossip, scandals and dirt. They're not above a little sensational exaggeration and have even been known, on occasion, to bend the law in pursuit of a hot story. Their ace reporter, Felix Dunn (who also played a role in the High Heels series), has just been promoted to managing editor. Now, he's got his work cut out for him keeping the magazine running smoothly while keeping his staff in line, because each book in the series follows a different one of the Informer's reporters as she investigates a story, unravels a mystery, and falls for her own fabulous hero.