Harley Jane Kozak

Fast Facts:

• Harley was born in Wilkes-Barr, Pennsylvania, but moved to North Dakota at an early age after the death of her father. The Kozak family eventually settled in Lincoln, Nebraska, where her mother taught music at the University.
  
  
• Harley is the youngest of eight children --- she has three sisters and four brothers.
  
  
• Harley began her career as an actress, performing in local theater productions, operas and television shows. She appeared in 30 plays by the age of 19.
  
  
• Harley graduated from the New York University School of the Arts (now the Tisch School of the Arts) professional acting training program.
  
  
• Harley starred in the films Parenthood, The Favor, Sideout, The Taking of Beverly Hills, Arachnophobia, Necessary Roughness, All I Want for Christmas, Magic in the Water, and Dark Planet. Her stage appearances include A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, Marigolds, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, A Streetcar Named Desire, Lost in Yonkers, and Born Yesterday.
  
  
• Harley spent two years in the cast of the soap opera Santa Barbara. Her character on the show, Mary Duvall, met her end by being crushed to death by a giant neon letter "C."
  
  
• Harley currently lives in California with her husband, three children, two dogs and a cat.
  
  
• Harley's first novel, DATING DEAD MEN, has garnered several awards, including the Agatha Award, an Anthony Award and a Macavity Award (all for best first novel); The Romantic Times Award for Best Humorous Mystery and the Nebraska Award for Best Fiction.
  
  
• Harley spent ten years writing DATING DEAD MEN. Knowing that she didn't have nearly enough time to complete its follow-up, DATING IS MURDER, she drew inspiration from her domestic life --- her three young children and their German au pair.
  
  
• Mazie, a character in DATING IS MURDER, is based on a parody of Martha Stewart.