HelenKay Dimon

I am supposed to be Pennsylvania visiting my parents and family starting today… I’m still in San Diego. For those who follow along here, you know I had planned to go to Pennsylvania at the beginning of June for my niece Jen’s graduation and a family visit. Instead, I got sick. Like, couldn’t lift my head off the pillow and still have the cough sick. Having recovered, I thought it was safe to head off on my rescheduled trip. American Airlines had different ideas. Thanks to a canceled flight, I now leave tonight. Uh-huh. We’ll see.

To celebrate my dislike of the airline industry I am going to do a little giveaway for YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY. And I am not the only one. Alison Kent is giving away copies of my book, so head over there and check out how her giveaway works. I’m giving away a box of Hawaii goodies. A few people have won this already through my monthly contest and elsewhere. They can tell you it’s pretty cool – coffee, tea, mug, notepads, lotions, pens, etc.

All you have to do to win the Hawaii goodies is leave a comment here either today (Friday) or tomorrow (Saturday) letting me know what your planned “beach reads” are this year. I’ll pick two people at random to win the goodies.

Good luck and don’t forget to check out Alison’s site!

I read books other than romance. That’s probably not a shocking announcement, but I figured you all needed a break from my YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY promotion train. [Notice how I managed to mention the title and post the link one more time?] About every fourth book is something different. Many times it’s a mystery or thriller. Sometimes it’s a book that’s considered more literary or that I see in a review or ad somewhere. Other times it’s nonfiction, true crime or a book on a subject matter I’m wondering about for a book or otherwise.

This time around my reading falls into the last category. It’s Till Death Do Us Part: Love, Marriage And The Mind Of The Killer Spouse by Dr. Robi Ludwig and Matt Birkbeck. A truly fascinating read. The book breaks down ten killer types, talks about the psychology of each in terms that are easy to relate to and compelling, and gives examples of each.

The book looks at the baggage we carry into marriage and the factors that might make one person crack and kill while another one does not. The overriding theory is that there are always warning signs. That this really isn’t a matter of someone just snapping. The basis is there somewhere in a person. Unfortunately, there are times when we can’t put the information all together until it’s too late.

One of the scariest things to me is that the killing of a wife happens often enough to have its own word – uxoricide. Not that this is a surprise either. If you watch the news, the show 48 Hours Mystery, with its almost weekly handling of spousal murder cases, or read People with its stories nearly every week about a missing or dead wife, you know spousal murder happens all too frequently. Still, seeing the cases broken down with real-life references, personal backgrounds and clear explanations drives the point home.

So, even though the subject matter is difficult and unpleasant, think about buying this book. It’s worth a read if you’re trying to understand human relationships and personality types for backgrounds in books or if you’re just trying to understand someone you know. Check it out.

Okay, yeah, B&N online has been shipping YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY for two weeks now. So what? Today is the official Release Day. A day which, as you can see, requires capitalization. Yay!

Since it is Release Day, I’ve decided to be everywhere at once talking about the book. Annoying, I know but I’m doing it anyway. My evil plan is to inundate you with photos of my book cover until you are filled with such guilt (or frustration) that you give in and order the book.

But you don’t have to fall into my trap. Listen to someone smarter instead. Go over to Dear Author. The Ja(y)nes named YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY as one of their July book picks. Isn’t that cool?

If you want to cash in on some potential prizes, ask me some questions about the book or read whatever new babbling thing I have to say about it, check out Sybil’s blog, the Access Romance blog and the Brava Authors blog. Also, I have a Q&A over at Marta Acosta’s blog and a new giveaway going on there. See, I told you I was everywhere today.

And…stay tuned. I’ll be giving away a box of Hawaii goodies this week to someone (at random) who comments either here or at one of the blogs I just mentioned. It’s a cool prize. Trust me. Watch for the announcement.

Tomorrow is the official big day – the release of YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY. Notice how I said official. Many folks have spotted the book on the shelves at bookstores and B&N online has been shipping it for about two weeks now. I tried to track it down in San Diego over the weekend but no luck. Despite all that, tomorrow is the day. Thanks to all who bought it already and to those who have said they plan to purchase it this week.

I also want to thank two very lovely ladies who ask me to stop by their blogs today and chat a bit. If you’re looking for me today, check out Sybil’s blog The Good, The Bad And The Unread and Marta Acosta’s blog for more information about the book, me and anything else I could think to say.

About a year ago I reviewed Happy Hour At Casa Dracula by Marta Acosta for PBR. It was smart, unique, well written and utterly engaging. It had an eye-catching cover and a snappy title. At a time when I had read my fill of sassy paranormal tales, this managed to entertain me and break through my “not another paranormal” dread. So, when Acosta’s second title, Midnight Brunch, came out I jumped at the chance to read it. And was not disappointed…

Midnight Brunch picks up where Happy Hour At Casa Dracula left off. Aspiring writer Milagro De Los Santos is recuperating at boyfriend Dr. Oswald Grant’s estate. Recuperating from what? Well, a vampirism infection, of course. Not that Milagro is allowed to think about vampires. No, Oswald and his family insist that they have a rare condition. A “genetic autosomal recessive disorder.” Not vampirism. Uh-huh.

Oswald’s family is royalty of sorts. Milagro is the outsider. That becomes even more apparent when she isn’t invited to a midnight naming ceremony for Oswald’s baby niece. Milagro being Milagro, she does not accept that answer. She goes snooping and gets herself into trouble. And more trouble. And more trouble. She wrangles with Oswald, Oswald’s chilly parents, romantic pursuer Ian, a family elder who puts the “ick” in icky and his sidekick Silas who have a special little project. One that requires a sacrifice by Milagro. A big sacrifice.

I enjoyed Happy Hour at Casa Dracula. Frankly, Midnight Brunch is even better. Acosta’s second title does not have the clever title and sexy cover like the first one, but the writing here is even better. It’s witty and sophisticated. Acosta’s voice is so engaging and her heroine so utterly real, that the book is hard to put down. Like the first in this series, Midnight Brunch is unique in that it does not plow the same vampire novel ground you’ve read over and over during the last few years. This is not a dark and dreary, loads-of-sex vampire tale, but it does tackle interesting social questions without spoon-feeding them. The book contains a romance, comedy, mystery and action. In other words, a little something for everyone.

But you don’t have to take my word for it.

***GIVEAWAY***GIVEAWAY***GIVEAWAY***
I have two extra copies of this book. I am going to give them away. The rules are the same as they were for the last giveaway. You leave a comment here saying why you want to read the book. On Monday, I’ll choose two folks at random to win the book. As the winner you get a free book, with the shipping paid for you, and all you have to do is agree to post a commentary/your thoughts/a review of the book. See how easy that is?

To entice you further, you can visit Marta Acosta here. She has a very insightful blog. In fact, she asked me to come on to her blog on Monday for a Q&A. And, before you start thinking it, there’s no quid pro quo there. The “buy this book” spot from me here is unrelated to the Q&A except that when I told Marta I was going to post a review, she asked if I wanted to do a Q&A on her blog. She did so without knowing my thoughts on her book…trusting woman that she is.

Regardless of the giveaway, you should pick up these books. You can buy Happy Hour At Casa Dracula here and Midnight Brunch here.

[Please excuse the annoying blast of self-promotion included in this post. It just seems appropriate since, you know, my book is coming out and it's my first single title and this is my blog and...well, you get the idea.]

The official release date for YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY is June 26th. That would be next Tuesday. But, I’m starting to hear rumblings about the book showing up at Borders (thanks for buying it Stacy) and it’s shipping from B&N online. So…buy it!!

I already posted my 4 Star review from Romantic Times and will refrain from boring you by posting it a second time. But, here are some other reviews to entice you to buy the book in bulk quantities – yes, I have no shame:

Gwen at The Good, The Bad, The Unread gave it an A – wahoo! Here’s an excerpt:

This book was a breath of very fun, fresh air. It’s been a while since I read a romance that didn’t seem to be trying too hard to be funny or clever. This was just a very fun, clever story with a couple of twists, some suspense, a couple of good villains, and enough sexual chemistry and steam to keep the pages flipping. What was different, though, was the characters don’t immediately get into each other’s pants – well, not that way, at least. Their passion is given time to build and you want it as much they do by the time they satisfy it.

Some lovely words from Talia at Joyfully Reviewed:

HelenKay Dimon is a genius. Witty repertoire, stunningly sensual overtures and just plain good writing, she captured my attention from the first page of Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy until the last page was read. Annie and Kane’s banter back and forth made me laugh out loud more often than not and their love for each other, once they finally admitted it, was just the perfect ingredient needed to make this book a truly enjoyable read.

Jennifer saying wonderful things at CK2S Kwips and Kritiques:

HelenKay Dimon’s romance novel Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy was a wonderful introduction for this reviewer to Ms. Dimon’s work! Not having read this author previously, I was not sure what to expect, but found myself intrigued by the synopsis of this story. Upon reading an advance copy of this book, I found I was far from disappointed!

Dimon weaves an intricate suspense plot with the romance, providing plenty of surprises near the end complete with some tension filled action scenes. Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy is a fun romantic romp that will have you laughing, biting your nails, and leave you ultimately satisfied with a neat little happy ever after!

Jean at Readertoreader.com says nice things, including:

Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy is perfectly titled. The repartee between Annie and Kane is the soul of the book, and a delight it is. The relationships between Kane and the other men in the book are also well drawn. If you like feisty heroines with attitude, this is the book you can’t pass up! HelenKay Dimon has a bright future!

Some positive comments from Paula at Fresh Fiction:

YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY by HelenKay Dimon is an entertaining read. Annie and Kane are combustible together, unwillingly attracted to one another and battling the ghosts from their pasts that may very well prevent a future together. Their verbal sparring is witty. The author’s love of the Hawaiian Islands is apparent throughout.

Angel at Romance Junkies being very kind and saying this:

YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY borders on funny at times and will certainly keep you entertained. Annie is spunky and totally belligerent when it comes to Kane. She comes up with answers to appease his questions while at the same time telling absolutely nothing about herself. Kane is cunning and tries to figure out just what Annie is up to, but she confounds him on every hand. Add to this the bad guys who tried to kill Annie and who are still out there and you get an enigma that you won’t stop reading until the last page. The desire between Annie and Kane has it’s own presence and makes the tension that much thicker. HelenKay Dimon has done an awesome job bringing this atypical couple together.

The charming Maura at Coffee Time Romance adds:

The plot is full of mystery and suspense and some very hot love scenes, making this story one I will definitely read again.

And, from review queen Harriet Klausner:

Readers will appreciate this well written heated romantic suspense with numerous twists, red herrings, kisses and a shocker of a finish. The story line is driven by Kane and Annie supported by beastly chickens, as he tries to get her to confess why she came to Hawaii and how his lips seduce her. Readers will appreciate this deep thriller as the lead pair turns the tropics even hotter one clue at a time.

I’m sorry if I missed anyone (and for my failure to track down a few links). And huge thanks to all who read YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY, reviewed it and purchased it. I truly appreciate the support.

UPDATE: I missed two. Big thanks to bloggers Tara (Romance Reading Mom) and Alyssa (By The Book) for their fabulous reviews.

From Tara:

HelenKay’s Viva Las Bad Boys convinced me that not only could she write, but she writes fantastic dialogue. Knowing this I had high expectations for YMDMC. And then I saw “Amnesia” in the blurb and went “Oh! No!” anyone that knows my reading habits knows how much I hate amnesia story lines. But it’s evident Kane doesn’t buy Annie’s story and the fun begins. The attraction and tension between them immediate.

Annie’s on a mission–revenge. And she’s not talking. Well, that’s not really true, she’s running her amazingly clever smart mouth, but not explaining how she ended up naked on his beach. But Kane’s right there with her with a come back for every one of her smart mouth comments. It’s a perfect balance of dialogue–clever, sarcastic with lots of sexual innuendos.

From Alyssa:

Is it just me, or does it seem like there are fewer contemporary romances out there these days? In any case, this perception–real or not–makes me really appreciate good contemporary writers when I find them. Dimon is one of them.

The ending was just fantastic, and I’m excited to read Dimon’s upcoming books. She’s a great new voice in contemporary romance.

I always find it interesting when authors change names either to write in a different genre or for whatever other reason. When I saw a new book by Elizabeth Guest I had a “I’ve never heard of her before” reaction. But, I had. Elizabeth Guest is Suzanne Simmons…and vice versa. So, when I offered a few extra ARCs to people if they agreed to read and comment on them, I was very happy when Kim asked for this one – thanks Kim!

The publisher describes it like this:

Ancient Egypt takes a bite out of modern-day Las Vegas.

Once a pharaoh, Adrian King has awakened thousands of years later-as a vampire. Now the owner of the Royal Palace in Vegas, he is falling for Egyptologist Christine Day. But others have awakened who will not rest until Adrian is destroyed again, even if it means taking the only true love he’s ever known.

And here’s Kim’s review:

This was a good story,very past paced and I could follow the story. The hero was a king in another life but after a ritual he was turned into a vampire who owns a casino in Las Vegas. Vegas is a great setting, I love Vegas. His love interest in the book studies his kind and is the woman he has secrets dreams about and might be the love of his life. He must keep his secret life a secret or he might be destroyed. Their encounters and how he must keep his secrets from her, kept me interested in the book. I would recommend this book and for those who have never been interested in a paranormal book. The cover is hot with a good looking Vampire and Elizabeth Guest also writes contemporary romance under the name Suzanne Simmons.

You can visit Elizabeth Guest here or Suzanne Simmons here, and buy this book here or at any bookstore.

Thanks Kim!

One of the first category romance authors I ever read was Cait London. I got free copies of books from London, Eileen Wilks and Susan Mallery. I liked all three, ended up buying their books as they came out and then followed them out of category and into non-category single titles.

Wilks’ covers have taken a distinct turn as she moved out of category:

But, when I saw London’s newest in the store the other day, I really got a shock. Her newest is a big change from the old style covers:

For those who are wondering, London’s newest At The Edge looks interesting. Here’s the blurb:

Claire, Tempest, and Leona: triplets blessed—or cursed—each with a special extra sense that they would deny, given the chance . . .

Claire, the youngest, finds solitude and escape in rural Montana. The descendant of an ancient Celtic seer, she struggles to conceal her unsettling power to sense what others feel—the good and the evil, the pain and the joy.

When her peace is shattered by her new neighbor, Neil Olafson, Claire’s shielded emotions start simmering. He’s the opposite of everything she’s ever wanted, a man who ignites her latent sensuality. And while her eerie powers have frightened others away, Neil isn’t running. And when Claire comes face-to-face with danger, he becomes her protector—as well as her lover.

Now, Claire and Neil must confront the past and save the life of a young innocent. But there is a killer lurking in the background who wants them both dead before they can unravel his dirty secrets. And he’s been very busy . . .

I’m back home. Had a lovely time in Las Vegas. This time the lights and electricity stayed on at Bellagio.*** I do have a few thoughts to offer:

-Dry or wet, 109 degrees is freaking hot. Like, cook a steak on your back hot. You folks who live in the desert need to tell me how you do it.

-I see newspaper/magazine articles all the time about how no one is reading anymore. Clearly the authors of these articles have never been to the pools at Bellagio. Everyone seemed to have a book. Except for one guy (not the guy I’m married to, but another one) who was reading Tuesdays With Morrie, most folks had mysteries, chick lit and romantic suspense. Saw two people holding Catherine Coulter hardcovers. Not an easy feat while balancing a drink and slathering on suntan lotion. Bottom line: I don’t buy the premise that people aren’t reading. I also don’t know why this guy at the pool still had not finished Tuesdays With Morrie after four days of reading. It’s not exactly a thick and complex read.

-The double whammy of men with super hairy backs (as in shirt-like fur) and speedos is enough to blind a person.

-When I decided to take a short break from email correspondence, every person in the world needed to track me down. My editor, my agent, a few friends, some internet buddies who are expecting email responses – everyone. Only two folks said “where the hell are you” – though a few others had the right to ask (Marta and Stephanie being just two patient souls waiting for me send a simple email – sorry guys). I’m back and promise to get caught up on everything by Monday.

-Sometimes stepping away from the internet means you miss huge blow-ups such as this and this. That is a good thing. See, I likely would have stumbled across these, stepped up and called into question some of the inaccuracies about the justice system. Would have had to point out the difference between being a prison reform activist and being a person who tries to justify a murder and the early release of a murderer from jail when no one contests the basis of what appears to be a legitimate prison sentence. I probably would have said something a touch heated and offended someone (or several someones) out there. So, yeah, it’s a good thing I wasn’t here to weigh in on that fight.

But now I’m back…

***If you don’t know what that means, go buy and read Viva Las Bad Boys.

One of the joys of vacationing is the opportunity to look through magazines like US Weekly. Notice how I said “look” and not read. Basically, I page through, stare at the pretty photos and read the captions. This time I also read a few things, like the explanation of different types of Bad Boys. Since romance writing likes to focus on Bad Boys, I thought this might be helpful. Here are the categories:

*Bad Boys Posing As Good Boy - “He doesn’t kiss and tell, but he’s probably dating 100 girls.” Justin Timberlake and Tom Brady are the examples. To me, Timberlake is not a Bad Boy. He’s icky. I just don’t see the appeal. However, I do get Brady. I also like this category.

*Sensitive Bad Boy - “These guys understand how women think; they know how to get into your head.” Ignoring for a second the idea that there are men out there who understand women, I have to say I rarely think of sensitive and Bad Boy in the same sentence. John Mayer is the example here. Don’t get the appeal of him either.

*Class Clown Bad Boy - “Someone to play in the sandbox with. With him, naughtiness means being goofy.” Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn are the examples. I like both of them. Don’t consider either of them Bad Boys in the traditional sense. That’s probably because I think of Bad Boys as alpha and don’t really see either of these guys as alpha.

*Lifelong Bad Boy - “He’s still got that smoldering thing. He didn’t care about the loss of hair or the aging.” I like the idea of a lifelong Bad Boy. But, since Jack Nicholson is the example, I tend to think of this as the dirty old man category.

So, where’s the regular ‘ole Bad Boy? You know, the alpha guy who likes to be naughty, might have a bit of a past, but is smart enough to know a good woman when he sees one. Maybe that’s a mix of all of these. Or, maybe that only happens in romance novels…