Interview with MC Halliday

Tell us a little about yourself

Well, other than my complete devotion to reading and writing, I love animals and have always had pets to keep me company. My dogs are such good boys and lay at my feet as I type away, not asking for much until I leave my desk! I’m lucky to live in a place where I can keep the doors open all day long most of the year, and they wander in and out. Cats, I adore them too! I’ve always had a Siamese but since my last adorable girl passed, I haven’t been able to look at another sweet, back masked kitten without feeling sad. I find the many bird songs around my home most entrancing, differing from early morning to late night. One year, I was lucky enough to make an acquaintance with a lonely woodpecker who lost his mate. His forlorn song was like an teddy I had long ago, if you tipped him upside down he would twitter with a groan. Oh, and I love the sound of croaking frogs...I have many frog friends about my place and they allow me to stroke them as I come across their hiding places during my gardening rounds.



What do you write?

Tales of women’s lives are super interesting, don’t you think? The settings range in time from medieval to Victorian and on to contemporary. Some are single title romance or trilogy HEA and last but not least, a noir mystery series with romantic elements.

I especially like vivid characters and get to know them really well before beginning an outline…if I know them, the reader will feel the same way. Aren’t we all looking for connection? And surprising revelations for the reader and unexpected plot twists are favourites, too.

In my mystery series, I seek to keep the reader in suspense with a knife sharp shocking who-dun-it tale while delving into the hidden side of the heroine, revealing her deepest thoughts. I think a dark mystery with a flawed heroine is delicious!



Why do you write?

Truth, I came to place in my life where it was write or die. Literally. I had always wanted to write and had done a great deal of it when I was younger, but denied my authentic self as I listened to well meaning family members tell me I could not make money doing it. I came to realise it doesn’t matter if I am a pauper, what does matter is that I am fulfilled, passionate and living my dream.



What are you writing now?

At present, I have two (2) 80 to 90K works in progress:



A MAIDEN BETWIXT THE DEAD

Detective Inspector Octavia Cambridge Mystery, Book III



I CAME ACROSS THE SEA

A Victorian Courtesan’s Memoirs, Book II





What kind of clothes do you like to wear?

I’d love to say I wear designer togs but the truth is, I’m a jeans and T-top kinda gal. I live on the outskirts of a village tucked in the mountains and it’s not the sort of place one strolls about in a skirt and heels. Mind you, it is a little corner of heaven where everyone is kind and friendly, ready to share a laugh and enjoy a chat.



Are you in love? Have you ever been?

Recently, I happened to be chatting with my best friend about this! I have been enamoured with a fellow since I was eleven years old but we went our separate ways in the world. Perhaps that’s why I so readily envision the challenges of finding and keeping love. It is a most precious gift to be loved but perhaps, more so to be compatible or complementary in a relationship.



What kind of comfort food do you like best?

Chocolate, milk or white with nuts or truffle centres! But I like just about every food there is, particularly spaghetti bolognese; potatoes in any way, shape or form; donuts; cheese on anything! I adore Indian and Greek cuisine.



What makes you laugh? Cry?

Dry humour is the best but the absurd and the ridiculous are terrifically enjoyable, if done well. I can cry at almost anything touching, sad or hurtful.



What do you do to amuse yourself when not working?

I am an avid gardener and adore my mix of cultivated gardens with areas of old growth trees and wild flowers. I am also a painter and enjoy working with plaster so I have created my own style of 3D art rendered on walls or wooden boards (canvas doesn’t support the plaster.) For my property, I design and build almost anything outdoors: fences, pergolas and the like.



What is it in a man or woman that turns you on?

My dream man is intelligent and if he’s somewhat nerdy, wears specs and has unkempt hair, I swoon. To me, here is something very sexy about the quiet, beta fellow and I see much truth in the adage, “Still waters run deep.” Although, I’ll admit to more than my share of exciting alphas but in the end, there is usually too much drama for my liking.



What do you hope to achieve in life and when will you know that you have been a success?

Success to me is living authentically, not denying my passions. I have been blessed to be able to embrace my dreams, spend years finding my author voice and accepting the plan of the universe or supreme being, if you will.



What are you going to write next?

My notebook of ideas grows by the day. Some of them turn into outlines and I know I shall write them as I already see the heroine very clearly. Here are projects I have planned for next year!



Definitely, another Detective Inspector Octavia Cambridge Mystery. I would like to title it, A HOLIDAY FOR THE BUSMAN. (For those of you not British, a ‘busman’s holiday’ is taking a vacation but ending up doing what you do for work…hence, DI Octavia Cambridge will have a murder to solve while on holiday.)



And I have the outline completed for the last book in the Victorian Courtesan’s Memoirs trilogy, I CAME TO RECKONING. Mae ties up the loose ends from her past and finds love.



Other ideas I have been planning are further tales of women in history, for example the Roman Empire and also a sci-fi romance.



My website with book list, first chapter excerpts and upcoming novels can be found at: http://members.shaw.ca/mchalliday