About Haley
Haley Hix is a historical fiction writer based in New York City.
Originally from Tennessee, she holds a Bachelor of Science in biology and a Master of Arts. She has worked in the field of arboriculture for over a decade, and the resiliency of trees has been an endless source of inspiration for her writing.
Her writing reflects her passion for the natural world, weaving themes of history, environment, and the profound connections between people and place. When she’s not writing, you can find her practicing medieval calligraphy or watercolor, or exploring NYC’s beautiful green spaces—especially her favorite, The MET Cloisters.
Haley is represented by Mark Gottlieb at Trident Media Group.
My writing is inspired by…
Overlooked & forgotten histories
myths, legends, and oral traditionsTHE ENDURING LEGACY OF LIBRARIES & ARCHIVES
NATURE AND HEALING
Current Projects
Lost Book of the Star-Crossed, 2025
When Winifred is offered a four-month position at Biblioteca Capitolare in Verona, the world’s oldest library, she jumps at the chance. Not only will she recover priceless manuscripts hidden throughout Italy during WWII, but she can finally pursue her own burning research question: Who wrote the original tale of Romeo and Juliet?
Upon her arrival, Winifred’s personal research is shoved to the back burner when she’s sent out to retrieve lost manuscripts with Silvano, the gruff gardener-turned-chauffeur. Worse, the library’s overburdened director insists she focus on projects that will bring in funding to save the financially-strapped library.
But when Winifred stumbles upon a letter written by the Veronese poet Catullus to his lover Clodia that hints at an untold tale of murder and passion in ancient Rome, she must make a choice: follow the trail of Catullus’s scandalous love letters, hoping they’ll generate interest and new funding for the library, or keep chasing her scholarly dream. She has four months to save the library, publish her research, and prove she’s worthy of a permanent position—and she’s not sure she can have all three.
As Winifred grows closer to Silvano, she realizes their partnership is the key to both unlocking Verona’s past and healing her own childhood wounds. Together, they journey to Lake Garda to unearth archaeological evidence that proves the fates of Romeo and Juliet and Catullus and Clodia are forever intertwined.
The Wonders, 2024
Cassia, a humble cataloger at the Great Library of Alexandria, is set on fulfilling her uncle’s dying wish: lead a disparate band of scholars to the Great Wonders of the world and create a travel guide for the library's records.
Haunted by the recent loss of her uncle and the lingering questions surrounding her parents’ mysterious deaths years before, Cassia embarks on her mission. As she traverses the ancient Pyramids of Giza, the Pharos Lighthouse, and a clandestine alchemy lab in Rhodes, she discovers the true purpose of her quest: to reawaken her dormant powers and find a coveted artifact hidden within the Wonders.
Years have passed since Cassia last embraced her powers, but her fingers remember that familiar spark: with the touch of a scroll, she can transcend time and space to see the world through the author’s eyes—a power that allows her to revive lost knowledge.
But why should Cassia trust in her ability, especially when she fears it may have played a role in her family’s tragedies? And as she learns of the artifact’s potential as a nefarious weapon, her reluctance deepens. Julius Caesar, ruthless and power-hungry, tails her expedition in hopes that he can seize the revolutionary weapon. Thrown into a race against time, Cassia must outwit Caesar’s troops to deliver the artifact to the only ally she can trust—Cleopatra.
Past Projects
Shakespeare & Botany, 2022
William Shakespeare leaves the small town of Stratford-upon-Avon for London to pursue his dream of being a writer. But when he arrives, he encounters a vicious plague outbreak that lands him in quarantine on an earl’s remote estate.
In the earl's library, he happens upon a 300-year-old legend about an ancient medicinal garden beneath the streets of London that may hold a cure for the plague. When he returns to London, his writing career is almost derailed by his search for the long-lost garden, and he must decide how much he’s willing to sacrifice—his career and his family—to find it.