How many of you have taken the leap and made a career change? It seems that
fewer and fewer people these days stay in the same job. Perhaps it has
something to do with the world in which we live. Everyone is always on the
move. For a mother, I think a new career is especially hard because everything
we do has an immediate impact on the family. Speaking from my own experience,
I never thought I would be a writer, but honestly my job suits the lifestyle of
my family perfectly. It's a win-win situation for us which makes it all
worthwhile.
I first met Gemma
Halliday back in July at the annual Romance Writers of
America conference in Dallas. I had heard the buzz about her awesome mystery
series as well as her vivacious personality and I knew that she was someone I
just had to interview. Meeting her in person exceeded my expectations and what
follows is the conversation that we had concerning her exciting career. Like
many of us, she has made a career change (or two!) and luckily for her readers,
it was one of the best decisions she ever made. What an awesome writer (as
well as a genuine person)!
As part of this interview, Gemma has
graciously donated five copies of her latest release, UNDERCOVER IN HIGH
HEELS. So don't forget to check for the trivia question at the end of
the column.
Go grab a Starbucks latte and get to know my friend, Gemma Halliday!
Jen: To say that you have had a myriad of professions in your short
lifetime would be an understatement! I was amazed at your interesting line of
credentials. So that my readers can get a better understanding of you as a
person, please tell us a little bit about your educational and professional
background.
Gemma: Yes, as my bio says, I've done just about everything. I have a
very short attention span, especially when it comes to jobs, so I tended to
move around. I've worked as a 900 number psychic, a temporary tattoo painter,
a teddy bear importer, and a department store administrator, as well as doing
background and feature acting in films and TV. And I'm sure there are a few
I've forgotten and left out.
As far as education, I did take tons of creative writing classes in college,
and I'd have to say that's where I really became interested in writing as more
than a hobby.
Jen: At what juncture in your life did you decide to take a stab at
writing and become an author? Had it always been a lifelong dream of yours?
What gave you that extra push to just do it?
Gemma: I've always loved to write, but what really made me hone in on
it as a career was a book that I read one day while home alone and bored out of
my mind. It was a romance book that had been sitting untouched on my bookshelf
for ages. I started reading it and, I'm sorry to say, it was so very not
indicative of the genre as a whole. It was awful. Terrible. One of the worst
books I've ever read. I thought, well, even I can do better than this. So, I
tried my hand at writing and quickly found out it was a lot harder than I
thought to write a terrible book, let alone a good one.
Jen: UNDERCOVER
IN HIGH HEELS is the third book in your contemporary hip-chick, if you
will, series. How did you arrive at the premise for these delightful murder
mysteries?
Gemma: Hip-chick -- I love that! Well, I've always loved reading
mysteries, but had never tried writing one. Then I saw that the Get Your
Stiletto in the Door contest had a "Chick Thrill' category, described as sort
of a Bridget Jones meets Murder She Wrote. It sounded like a lot of fun, so I
tried my hand at combining the romances that I'd been writing with the
mysteries that I'd always loved to read.
Jen: Honestly, I was so taken in with your lead character, Maddie
Springer, who is a ball of energy with such a story to tell. How did you come
up with her? Is she you?
Gemma: Well... yes. :) Actually, there's a lot of me in her. Whenever
I'm stuck as to what should happen next, I always think, "Well, what would I
do?" and that's what
Maddie does. Thankfully, I don't eat quite as terribly as she does and I like
to think I'm not quite as accident prone. But I do thoroughly covet her shoe
collection.
Jen: I have to say that Felix was my favorite character in this book.
His lines are hysterical and his scenes with Maddie are priceless. What do you
like best about him as a secondary character? Will we see him again in your
next book (if you have one in the works!)?
Gemma: I'm so glad! I'm half in love with Felix myself. He's been a
very fun character to write. I love his dry, British take on life. I really
wanted to add a new man in
Maddie's life that was the polar opposite if the tough, rugged Detective
Ramirez, but also appealing in his own way.
And, yes, we will be seeing much more of him in the future.
Jen: What is your favorite part or scene of UNDERCOVER IN HIGH
HEELS? Which part was the most challenging to write and why?
Gemma: My favorite part about writing this book was going back to my own
days working in the film industry and reliving some of those funnier moments
through Maddie and Dana. A lot of the settings and some of the situations and
characters in this book are based on things that actually happened to me while
working in Hollywood. (Though, no, I never stumbled on any dead bodies.)
The most challenging thing for me with this series is always keeping the
romance fresh. I think that's always hard to do when you're writing about the
same hero and heroine, creating new conflict for them and making sure the
romantic situations don't seem stale.
Jen: Your writing career thus far is quite impressive with a plethora
of awards and nods under your belt. As a writer, how has your craft developed
and matured in the sense that do you now feel more confident in your writing
ability than you did when you first started your career? What area of your
writing has shown the most improvement and how so?
Gemma: Thank you. Though, I honestly, I don't feel all that much more
confident now than when I started writing. :) I think with each new project
there's always the fear that this is the one where all my creative juices have
dried up and I won't be able to think of a single interesting thing to say.
But, I think just writing every day helps. The more you do anything, the more
comfortable you are doing it and, hopefully, the better at it you become.
Jen: I have read that you are in negotiations with a major network to
perhaps bring Maddie Springer to the small screen. How exciting! Any news or
updates that you can share with us? (We promise not to tell anyone!!)
Gemma: Yes, I'm thrilled about this! My first book, SPYING IN HIGH HEELS,
was optioned for a TV series back in December and since then the USA
Network has been interested in adding it to their 2007/2008 lineup of TV
shows. At the moment, we're awaiting network approval on the pilot script.
I'm just dying to see how Maddie and Ramirez translate to the small screen.
I'll definitely keep you posted as things progress!
Jen: I see that you have started a blog and the premise is really cool!
Would you mind telling us a little bit about it?
Gemma: Yes, I've banded together with five other romantic mystery
authors -- Jana
DeLeon, Christie Craig, Kathleen
Bacus, Bethany
True, and Leslie Langtry - to
create the Killer Fiction website and blog. We're having so much fun. I tell
you, these woman are a riot! We try
to post something new every day and have fun contests going on almost all the
time. You can come visit us at www.killerfiction.net
Jen: Do you have a website? Mailing list? E-mail notification of
upcoming releases and appearances? Do you participate in author phone chats?
Gemma: You can visit my website here: www.gemmahalliday.com
and I have
links to my blog, myspace, crimespace, and all those other fun networking sites
that I participate in. I do also have a newsletter that I send out
periodically that you can sign up for on my website.
I don't have a ton of appearances scheduled for this year, but what I do have
is also posted on the website as well, so feel free to check them out and
hopefully I'll see you in person soon!
Jen: What are you working on now?
Gemma: I just finished up the fourth Heels book, ALIBI IN HIGH
HEELS,
due out in March of next year, where Maddie and the gang investigate murder in
Paris, France. I'm also just finishing up a novella called "So I dated an Axe
Murderer" that will be in the THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR STRUTTING anthology
out with Dorchester in the Spring. This one has a bit of a paranormal slant to
it that I haven't yet done and, I admit, it was really neat to try something
new like this! And then next I'm diving right in to the fifth Heels book.
Jen: Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to
chat with my readers. It was such a pleasure meeting you in Dallas and I look
forward to seeing you next summer in San Francisco. Best of luck with all of
your exciting projects!!
Gemma: Thank you so much for having me, Jen! San Francisco can't come
quickly enough for me.
I hope you have enjoyed my interview with Gemma. Five readers
to answer with the correct answer to the following trivia question
will win a copy of her latest release, UNDERCOVER IN HIGH HEELS. Good
luck!
What is the name of the first book in Gemma's
contemporary mystery series?
In two weeks, I will be bringing to you my interview with Kimberly Raye, author
of YOUR COFFIN OR MINE?
just in time for Halloween! You won't want to miss it!
Until next month...Jen
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