Gemma Halliday is a
very successful author and has taken time to answer some of my questions. Gemma
is the bestselling author of the High Heels Mysteries and Hollywood Headlines
and many more.
How do you strike the
balance between writing something you want to write and writing something that
people want to read, in terms of the compromises you make, if any?
This is an awesome
question. When I first started writing, I wrote the type of book that I thought
would sell well. Of course I had fun with it and added my personal voice to the
genre, but I was ultimately writing a genre I didn't necessarily read but that
I thought was the "right" one. I wrote four books like that before I
got tired of the endless "close but not quiet there" rejection
letters. Finally I decided to just write a book for fun, something that I felt
strongly about, that I thought would be fun to read. That's the book that ended
up winning awards, earning me recognition in the publishing communities and,
ultimately, caught the attention of an editor who published my first book. So I
think writing what you love is a really big part of being successful.
What excites,
attracts or appeals to you about the genre(s) you write in.
I love a puzzle, so mysteries are what tickles my fancy.
How much of you is in your characters? Which of your characters is the
you that you’d most like to be? Or be with ?
My main character in my High Heels series is pretty much just like me. I
didn't plan her that way, but I think in order to be authentic in your writing,
you have to draw on what you know.
What type of book do
you like reading? Is it the same genre as you write?
Actually, I really do love reading the same sort of mysteries that I
write - fun, light on the violence, heavy on the humour. I also love
historicals, but I would never attempt to write one. I'd be way to afraid of
getting the facts wrong.
How do you feel when
a reader points out the spelling mistake(s) you have made?
I appreciate it! I have several editors and proofreaders that go over my
work before I publish it, but, let's face it, they are human. I've had books go
through several rounds of edits with traditional publishing houses and come out
with errors in them, too. It happens. The nice thing about indie publishing is
that I can fix errors even after the book has been published. So I do
appreciate people letting me know if they find one.
What is on your near
horizon?
I have several projects slated for this year, including another instalment
of my High Heels series, plus a couple of new series in the works with
co-authors, which I'm really looking forward to.
Where can we find you
for more information?
Readers can find me online at: www.gemmahalliday.com
They can sign up for my newsletter to get coupons, freebies, and info on
my latest releases at: http://www.gemmahalliday.com/contact.html
And they can follow me on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/gemmahallidayauthor
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