"This first book in Halliday's new Hollywood Headlines series is a fun story with intriguing characters and a good mystery. The action is fast paced, the hero is delightful and the heroine is spunky and independent but smart enough to know when she needs help. 4 stars!"

- Romantic Times

"Gemma Halliday's witty, entertaining writing style shines through in her new book! I look forward to seeing lots more of Tina as this series continues. A fun read!"

- Fresh Fiction

Scandal Sheet

Hollywood Headlines book #1

ISBN 0505528053

Tina Bender is the gossip columnist at the infamous L.A. Informer tabloid. She knows everything about everyone who's anyone. And she's not afraid to print it. That is, until she receives a threatening note, promising, "If you don't stop writing about me, you're dead." Teaming with a built bodyguard, a bubbly blonde, and an alcoholic obituary writer, Tina sets out to uncover just which juicy piece of Hollywood gossip is worth killing over.

                     

Scandal Sheet Video Book Trailer

Excerpt

Chapter One

TEEN SENSATION ON MORAL VACATION

LAST NIGHT THE INFORMER CAUGHT EVERYONE’S FAVORITE TEEN ACTRESS, JENNIFER WOOD, AT THE HOLLYWOOD MARTINI ROOM WITH A MEMBER OF A BOY BAND IN ONE HAND AND MARY JANE IN THE OTHER -

"Sh*t!"

"Tina!"

I swiveled in my chair to face my boss, Felix Dunn, standing in the doorway to his office, hands on hips.

"What?"

"Swear Pig."

I pursed my lips. "That doesn't count."

"I just heard you say 'sh*t.'"

"It was computer related. Everyone knows computer-related swearing doesn't count."

He narrowed his eyes. Clearly my argument wasn't cutting it.

"It's your own fault, you know," I protested, changing tactics. I'd been typing up a juicy tidbit about the It teen actress, who'd been caught with a joint in her hand at last night's after-party, when my backspace button stuck, taking out one very cleverly worded line, even if I did say so myself. "I mean, how many centuries old are these things anyway?" I went on. "Would it kill you to buy some new hardware once in a awhile?"

He shook his head. "Swear Pig, Bender," he repeated, then disappeared back into his office.

"Sh*t."

"I heard that!"

I stuck my tongue out at his door and dropped two quarters into the purple piggy bank on my desk. Somehow our newly appointed editor in chief was under the impression that yours truly swore too much. I have no f***ing idea where he got that impression. But he'd set up the Swear Pig as a way to break my bad habit. Personally, I was fine with my bad habit. It's not like I was shooting heroin or anything.

Which brought me back to my story.

I swiveled around, pushing my glasses back up onto my nose and put my fingers to keyboard, recreating my perfect line.

IT MAY BE ONE JOINT TODAY FOR OUR FAVORITE FAIR-HAIRED TEENY-BOPPER, BUT WITH THE WAY HER LIFE IS SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL, CAN COCAINE, METH, OR EVEN HEROIN BE FAR BEHIND? HOW MANY BLONDES DOES IT TAKE TO SPELL "REHAB?"

I sat back in my chair, surveying my work. Okay, so it was a little mean. And the truth was Wood claimed someone had thrust the "stinky cigarette" into her hand just before the paparazzi flashbulbs went off, after which she'd promptly threw it out. But, seriously, she played the perky "Pippi Mississippi" in a tween cable show. This was tabloid gold.

I hit "send" letting my daily gossip column zip through the L.A. Infomer's network to Felix's inbox, then gave my knuckles a satisfying crack.

I glanced at the clock. Quitting time. And somewhere there was a big beefy burrito dinner with my name on it. I grabbed my Strawberry Shortcake lunchbox that doubled as my purse and made for the exit.

Unfortunately, not before Eagle Eyes Dunn could catch me.

"Bender?"

I thought a dirty word and turned around to find him leaning against his office doorframe. "Did you want something, chief?"

"You finish up that Wood piece yet?" he asked.

"Just emailed it to you." I loved it when I was one step ahead of the boss.

"What about Pines?"

"Pines?"

Edward Pines was the director who'd recently been arrested when police found a stack of pornography under the seat of his car during a routine traffic stop. Not that naked bodies were a novelty in Hollywood, but these particular magazines had included photos of thirteen-year-old boys in the buff. I don't care how much his last action pic grossed, that guy was total Hollywood roadkill now.

"What about him?" I asked.

"Being arraigned today. It's your story, right?"

Damned straight. My headline the morning after Pine’s arrest had read: PINES PINES AFTER PINT-SIZED PRE-TEENS. What can I say? I have a thing for alliteration.

But as much as I was relishing the story, I wasn't thrilled with the timing.

"He's being arraigned now?" My stomach growled. "It's dinner time."

"The news waits for no one, love. Cam's meeting you at the courthouse," he said, ducking back into his office.

So much for my burrito. "Sh*t."

"Bender..."

"I know, I know." I reached into Strawberry Shortcake, pulled out another quarter, and dropped it into the ceramic pig on my way out.

At this rate, I'd be broke by Christmas.