Libby Fischer Hellmann

Libby Fischer Hellmann

About

Crime fiction author LibbyFischer Hellmann claims she’s “writing her way around the genre.” With ninenovels and twenty short stories published, she has written thrillers, suspensemysteries, historicals, PI novels, amateur sleuth, police procedurals, and evena cozy. At the core of all her stories, however, is a crime or the possibilityof one -- the more political, the better.

She is a transplant fromWashington, D.C., where, she says, “When you’re sitting around the dinner tablegossiping about the neighbors, you’re talking politics.” Armed with a MastersDegree in Film Production from New York University, and a BA in history fromthe University of Pennsylvania, she started her career in broadcast news. She began as an assistant film editor at NBC Newsin New York, but moved back to DC where she worked with Robin McNeil and JimLehrer at N-PACT, the public affairs production arm of PBS. When Watergatebroke, she was re-trained as an assistant director and helped produce PBS’snight-time broadcasts of the hearings.  

In 1978, Hellmann moved toChicago to work at Burson-Marsteller, the large public relations firm, stayinguntil 1985 when she founded Fischer Hellmann Communications. Currently, when not writing, she conducts speaker trainingprograms in platform speaking, presentation skills, media training, and crisiscommunications. Additionally, Libby also writes and produces videos.

Her first novel, AN EYE FOR MURDER, whichfeatures Ellie Foreman, a video producer and single mother, was released in2002. Publishers Weekly called ita “masterful blend of politics, history, and suspense,” and it was nominatedfor several awards. That was followed by three more entries in the EllieForeman series, which Libby describes as a cross between “Desperate Housewives”and “24.”

 

A few years later, Libby introduced her secondseries featuring hard-boiled Chicago PI Georgia Davis, which Chicago Tribune describes as, “a new no-nonsensedetective …. tough and smart enough to give even the legendary V.I. Warshawskia run for her money.”  There arethree books in that series so far: EASY INNOCENCE (2008) and  DOUBLEBACK (2009), which wasselected as a Great Lakes Booksellers’ Association “2009 Great Read,” and TOXICITY(2011), a police procedural ebook thriller that became the prequel tothe Georgia Davis series.  

Her 7th novel, SETTHE NIGHT ON FIRE, (December, 2010) was a standalone thriller that goesback, in part, to the late Sixties in Chicago. Publishers Weeklydescribes it as “top-rate” and says, “Ajazzy fusion of past and present, Hellman's insightful, politically chargedwhodunit explores a fascinating period in American history.” It wasshort-listed for ForeWord Magazine’s Book of 2010 in the suspense/thrillercategory.

 

Her most recent novel, ABITTER VEIL, xxx

Libby has also edited a highlyacclaimed crime fiction anthology, CHICAGO BLUES (October, 2007). InMay, 2010, she published  a collectionof her own short stories called NICE GIRL DOES NOIR. In 2005-2006she was the National President of Sisters in Crime, a 3,400 plus memberorganization committed to strengthening the voice of female mystery writers.

Libby blogs at “SAY THE WORDAnd You’ll Be Free,” http://libbyhellmann.com/wp, and also at  “The Outfit Collective” at www.theoutfitcollective.com.

Santa's Birthday Gift

Santa's Birthday Gift

0.0
0 ratings

Description

<p><span style="color:#000000;line-height:115%;font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';font-size:10pt;">Santa’s Birthday Gift was written in response to a grandchild’s question, after reading the story of the Nativity.<span>  </span>She asked, “But where’s Santa?”<span>  </span>This story tells the story of the Nativity and then goes on to tell the story about how when Jesus is born, Santa sees the star at the North Pole and travels to see the baby.  Since he is a toymaker, he brings his bag of toys - and offers them to the Christ Child, and then to all the people of the town.  His birthday gift to Jesus is a promise to bring gifts to all good boys and girls each year on the Christ Child's birthday</span></p>

Story Behind The Book

Reviews