Hayley writes from the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Australia, usually with a cat perched on her keyboard. She has a background in archaeology and science and has published books in sci-fi and gaming before turning her hand at crime to win The Kindle Book Review Reader’s Choice Award in and the Scarlet Stiletto’s HQ Fiction ‘Best Thriller’ category.
The ‘Lady Vigilante’ Crime Series is Hayley's latest work – a fast-paced crime story that juxtaposes the quintessential ‘Avon Lady’ against the chauvinistic underbelly of 1940’s New York. This series has been selected as a finalist in numerous international novel and screenplay awards, and ‘The Lady Vigilante Radio Show’ podcast of the series is currently in production (available on Spotify, iTunes, GooglePlay).
The inspiration for Lady Vigilante came to Hayley when she was offered the opportunity to be part of the Neo-Pulp Anthology “This Mutant Life” by editor Ben Langdon, back in 2012. After the official publication of the anthology in 2013, the original short story (which comprises what is now Episodes 1 & 2 of the ongoing series) was received with rave reviews by readers internationally, as a stand-out inclusion in the book. Closer to home, the story was nominated for an Aurealis Award, Australia’s premier speculative fiction awards in 2013.
Hayley launched into an expansion of the series, to include her pre-conceived backstory, world-building and ongoing adventures in Betty’s crime-fighting against the backdrop of New York during WW2. Each ongoing Season is a set of ten individual episodes (novella length), which are combined to create a larger-than-life novel, spanning approximately one year in the life of the characters and story.
The character of Betty Jones from Lady Vigilante remains the original, gender-stereotype smashing, vigilante killer-housewife that continues to set the page ablaze, and her stories are far from over. Continuing episodes in the series are available on Amazon, via eBook and PaperBack, merchandise is available in the online Amazon store “Betty’s Closet” and a radio show podcast is currently in production.
Hayley loves to chat with readers, so please feel free to contact her.
Writing can be so easy and so hard - even within the same hour of a day. Often I see a scene as a movie playing out in my head and simply have to record the words as I hear them spoken between characters - like a voyeur on someone else's life. Sometimes, I have to struggle, sweat and carve out every word as if I'm searching for a diamond under miles of rock. It can be frustrating and difficult, but always elating when you find those perfect words, exactly as you need them to be. However the words arrive, I feel the pull to write these characters in my bones, and cannot stop myself from doing it.
June 2022
August 2022
June 2023
November 2023