I really need to post more about my vacation – we had a terrific time in the Adirondack mountains of New York, and in sunny Santa Cruz, California. We lived a long time in Santa Cruz, and it really is the home of my heart. My kids were small and we had so much fun on the beaches, in the redwoods and in town. I’ve visited several times since I moved to Canada, but my husband and kids hadn’t been back in 9 years. Along with looking up all the houses we lived in while we were there, and going to the beach multiple times, I had a chance to catch up with one of my biggest inspirations as an author – Gemma Halliday.

I know Gemma through a writer’s blog, and I’ve always appreciated how much information she, as an established writer, is willing to share with new and aspiring authors. Always gracious and friendly, her media-savvy and marketing skills also inspire me. As an introvert (and a sometimes grumpy one at that), she’s taught me that it never hurts to smile and take the time to answer a question.

Gemma’s a busy lady, so I hesitated to ask her if she’d like to meet in person when I visited California, but she agreed readily and we ended up getting our whole families together to hike the Henry Cowell Redwood Trail in Felton. One of my favorite, favorite places in the world, it was great to have a passel of kids along to walk the trail – both young and old – and to experience the enormous redwoods again through their eyes. Gemma’s husband and mine hit it off right away (phew!), so we got to chat and hang with the kids and chat some more as we walked the mile loop. Add in a picnic lunch and a visit to the museum and gift shop and everyone was happy. Nothing like getting book marketing tips from a successful author while walking past 2000-year-old trees!

If you haven’t read Gemma’s books, check out her High Heels mysteries, her Hollywood Headlines series, and more!