I’ve been  sneezed on by an elephant, held at gunpoint, and survived a killer California earthquake, which may explain why I write cliffhangers.

After a brief Hollywood career, I was happy to move behind the camera as the Assistant to the Director of Production at The American Film Institute. I loved bringing new films to life at AFI, until a higher-paying opportunity came my way, and my professional writing career began.

How it happened:

I’ve been a writer all my life (beginning with poems as a toddler, according to my mother), but I never pursued it professionally. After a friend recommended me to fill in for an ailing reporter at Tennis Illustrated Magazine (a national monthly, now sadly defunct), a writing career seemed possible. Following that first assignment, I was hired to be their full time managing editor.

A couple of years later, D Magazine lured me away from L.A. to Dallas. I earned a national journalism award for my work there.

I was the contributing writer/editor for the international thriller Five Minutes to Midnight (Delacorte Press) which earned a New York Times “New & Notable” review. The success of that book inspired me to write my own.

To date, the Samantha Newman Mystery Series includes The Body Business, The Body Next Door, and The Body in the News.

I love connecting with readers, book clubs and community groups. Let me hear from you!

Contact Gay here.