HelenKay Dimon

I am now able to stay online for more than three seconds at a time – wahoo!!

While at the RWA Conference, I picked up several books. In fact, I have a few to giveaway here, but I need to finish up some immediate writing needs before I can get a list together. Stay tuned for the book giveaway. Anway…one of the books I grabbed (after waiting my turn in line) was LAST NIGHT AT THE HALFMOON by Kate Austin. It’s from the Harlequin Next imprint. What jumped out at me was the cover. It was kind of different. Totally jumped off the page for me. Here it is:

While looking through Austin’s book last night, I saw the page for the upcoming Next books (the June offerings). I read through the paragraph for one, then re-read, then went hunting on the internet for more info. The book is MADAM OF THE HOUSE by Donna Birdsell. Read the copy, keeping in mind this is a Harlequin Next book, and I think you’ll see why I did the doubletake:

It was a great idea—why not bring lonely hearts together and make money? Real estate agent Cecilia Katz’s brilliant brainstorm gave a whole new meaning to an open house. Especially with her hunky new assistant hiring the hot young studs to mingle with bored housewives. Who dreamed a game of Truth or Dare would lead to a flourishing business for the nearly broke single mother?

Until a stash of drugs is found and the cops start nosing around. Add in a lethally gorgeous real estate rival, and a risky business just got a whole lot riskier. But Cecilia’s up for the challenge. And with the help of Jake the babe-magnet, watch her transform a life that’s boring and sexless to one that’s hot and reckless!

I’m thinking the copy sounds a bit more provocative than the actual book is, but maybe not. Anyone read MADAM OF THE HOUSE? I am oddly intrigued.

I would also add that without the giveaway of free books, I probably would not have known about the books by Kate Austin and Donna Birdsell. Now I do. I’m checking them out. I’ve been to their websites. I’ve looked at their backlists. Seems to me it’s worth it to the publishers and authors to offer some books for free if it means readers will get hooked on authors or an imprint.

Each week I read through the check-in/page reports for the Seventy Days of Sweat Challenge at Alison’s blog. This week I’ve seen a bit of panic. Heck, being about six weeks from a book deadline I feel panic. In fact, I’m fully into “what was I thinking” mode. But, you know what? We’re all going to be okay. For a few seconds, hold off on the panic. It’s time for a reality check. Here it is…ready? The Challenge is not meant to drive you nutty. Really. It may feel that way, but the purpose is to inspire and motivate.

When Alison first approached me with the Seventy Days of Sweat idea, I liked it. The idea of pushing each other and fighting full-scale procrastination as a group is a fabulous one. Later, I had a moment or two of…well, let’s call it concern. Having a weekly word count scared the beejesus out of me. See, the idea of setting up a system where people committed to writing XXX number of pages per day worried me because I feared folks might get obssessed with the number versus staying focused on the writing – a very bad thing in my view. Frustration and guilt over not writing an arbitrary number of pages on a certain day seemed like the perfect way to stifle creativity and promote neurosis. But it doesn’t have to be. Rather than wallow in angst I say we overcome it.

What I’m suggesting you do is think about the page count for about two seconds when you first sit down, then push that part of the Challenge into the back corner of your memory and write. Don’t worry about the page count again until the end of the day when you’re done writing. Do not think about page numbers while writing. Think about writing while writing. Plot, characters, motivations, conflict are all “okay” thought topics while writing. Number counting is not.

Think of this project like losing weight. Most of us at one time or another have needed to lose five, ten, twenty, fifty or more pounds [i.e., write a short story, novella book or whatever]. We fight it at first, insisting that we accidentally shrunk our clothes or somehow broke the scale [i.e., refuse to sit the butt in the chair to actually write]. Then the real world smacks us and we have to get serious [i.e., meet a contract deadline or need to submit with query or need to revise at editor's request looms]. Having faced reality, we hit the gym or hire the trainer or start walking or whatever [i.e., we format the pages, pick a working title and start typing]. Some days we stay away from potato chips and remember to stop at the gym on the way home from work [i.e., get a chapter or scene done]. Other days we cave in and eat that candy bar or skip the gym [i.e., play on the internet but never open the computer's word processing program]. After watching our diets and attending a few classes, we step on the scale and have lost…all of about lost six ounces [i.e., the chapter is not done or not perfect]. This is the point where we can give up and not reach the goal by dwelling on the “all that work and very little return” theory. Or, we can figure out that losing the ten pounds gained on a brownie binge will not go away just by virtue of not eating brownies for a week [i.e., the book isn't going to write itself and certainly isn't going to get written by whining] and push forward. In doing so, we realize the immediate numbers on the scale [i.e., page] are not the whole story. From there we learn what foods do and don’t work [i.e., figure out the intricacies of your plot], change our diet [revise], get into the habit of exercising [i.e., write every single day] and keep the focus on the overall goal of being healthy and not just losing XXX number of pounds in XXX amount of time [i.e., understand that some days you will write more than others]. That greater understanding, taking a long-range view, gets the job done [i.e., the book written].

In other words, worry less about the number and focus more on the overall goal. You will be more productive on some days than on others. That is just a fact. Sometimes the words won’t come. Other days the words will be crap. That’s all okay. Write and revise. Make writing a priority. There’s no secret decoder ring just as there’s no magic weight loss pill (despite what some commericals might tell you). This is hard, steady, tiring, but very rewarding, work. You know what needs to be done – you need to make a commitment and stick with it. Do it.

And don’t say you don’t have time. You have time. You may not think you have time, but you do. There are writers out there who get the job done despite illness, debilitating pain, runaway children, emotional difficulties, floods, stress, high-powered jobs, children, divorce, money woes, death and every other issue you can imagine. They make the time. You need to make the time, even if it’s only a little time. It’s your dream. No one can do it for you and, honestly, no one can destroy the dream faster than you can by not working at it.

Now, continue to hold off the panic and get back to writing. But first, go check in at Alison’s blog. You check in and you’ll be entered to win this weeks’s prize. Free books, a writing journal and some other goodies can be yours!

Get back to work.

The internet/posting troubles continue…

Grumble, grumble, grumble.

I’ve tried to post a blog on the Brava Author Blog this morning. We’ll see if it shows up. The topic relates to YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY being excerpted in Cosmo. In a global sense (ie, a less-about-me- sense), it’s about whether or not you pick up books after seeing them highlighted in magazines.

The internet/posting issues continue. So, I give you this:

The paranormal version for Kerrelyn Sparks’ VAMPS IN THE CITY:

An erotic romance version for Thea Devine’s BAD AS SHE WANTS TO BE:

Different but close.

I’m having some trouble with the internet and posting. Lucky for me, Sue A. stepped in and saved the day!

A few months ago I offered some books for review. Sue volunteered to read Shiloh Walker’s HUNTERS: HEART AND SOUL and provide a review. Here’s the book information:

In the shades of night, when the evil are free to seduce the weak and indulge their desires, there are still those who will fight to the death for the innocent. They are called the Hunters.
They are at the heart of a sensuous and strange new world…

But in this strange enclave of midnight retribution and swift justice, some will come to discover a hunger they’d never imagined, a love that crosses unnatural boundaries, and a blood reckoning with a damnable past that could save the Hunters or destroy them.

Here’s the review:

Shiloh Walker has previously written about the Hunters in a series of e-books from Ellora’s Cave. HUNTERS: Heart and Soul is however the second book from a “new series” about the Hunters from Berkley Publishing. The first book was Hunting the Hunter and the third installment is Hunter’s Salvation which was just released. The author’s website states that it isn’t necessary to read Ellora’s Cave series of Hunters books before reading these from Berkley, she does however point out that there are recurring characters in the new series that originated in the first series.

I was hesitant to read the book because I generally don’t like to jump into the middle of a series, much like I don’t like to jump into the middle of a pool. I much prefer to start at the water’s edge and wade my way in, but as a result of HelenKay’s generosity I found myself doing just that.

The book is comprised of two inter lined stories, “Soul of a Hunter” and “Heart of a Hunter.”

“Soul of a Hunter” tells the story of Leandra, who was born a witch. After being attacked by a feeding vampire and being left near death she is feed by an ancient vampire, Malachi a Hunter, who becomes her trainer. While Malachi is able to mentor her to control her new powers he cannot help her exercise her demons. Before joining the Hunters, for many years from childhood Leandra had served the Scythe and believed the Hunters to be evil. As a result of that belief she was lead into committing many wrongs some of which resulted in blood being shed and even a death of a Hunter. When the blinders come off and Leandra is brought to the realization that she has been lied to by the Scythe and that there is no way to undo all the wrongs she committed. As a result she is eaten up by her guilt and remorse. Five years later Malachi brings her back into the fold of the same Hunters she harmed. Unable to forgive herself she keeps herself apart from the Hunters. But the presence of one shape-shifter Hunter, Mike won’t allow Leandra to forget her past sins, as he’s the one she shot that fateful day and it was his friend that she killed. There’s a strong attraction between Leandra and Mike which is more than either of them can resist or fight. A relationship quickly develops. But Leandra must survive the threat to her mind and body brought about by an amoral child witch, before she can truly be free of her past and accept her future and her place with the Hunters. And it takes the help of one special Hunter to save her.

“Heart of a Hunter” continues on with Kelsey, who appears as a minor character in the first story, and with Malachi. Kelsey is asked by the Council of which she is a member to find and bring back Malachi. The Council having lost a member is in sore need of its eldest Council member, Malachi. But Malachi has purposely isolated himself, where only a dream lover he’s had for hundreds of years keeps him company. When Kelsey finds Malachi, she finds him deep in his grief for his friend and fellow council member. They find comfort in each other in the most basic of acts, but inexplicably Malachi abandons Kelsey afterwards leaving her hurt and bewildered. Kelsey is required to escort the Select in their duty of collecting the amoral child witch who is to be brought before the Council. Leandra warns Kelsey about the mistake she about to make and tells her to talk to the child witch. Upon talking to the child witch Kelsey makes a unbelievable discovery. It’s so unbelievable that she has very few people to turn to. Kelsey steels herself to approaching Malachi once again only to have him fail her once more. She turns elsewhere for help and finds herself needing to reach deep into herself as well to survive. Malachi has second thoughts and must act before it is too late and lives are lost.

I was dropped into the middle of this series but I found myself quickly finding my footing in terms of my understanding of the Hunters’ world and its inhabitants. The characters are well drawn and their emotions are palpable. I also appreciated the strength and prominence of the female leads in the stories. This in no way took anything away from the appeal of the male leads. The sex is explicit and plentiful, but expressed with tender emotions. I did have some problems following the story when told as a dream sequence, but that could just be me as I’ve always had problems understanding dreams. There were some good plot turns to keep the story interesting and moving along. And the two stories are weaved together well, with each story getting a satisfying ending. There is also a number of supporting characters that I expect to see getting their own stories told.

Check out an excerpt and buy the book here or here.

Super job, Sue – thanks!

I ventured into bookstores again this weekend. Yes, the point was to stare at…I mean, sign stock of YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY. But, I managed to check out other books while there. One book caught my eye – WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITCHES by Lee Nichols. I’d never heard of it. Thought it sounded cute. Bought it. Here’s the cover and copy:

On the outs with her live-in boyfriend, Eve Crenshaw flees Manhattan for a different kind of island life off the coast of Maine. With the help of her college roommate, Natasha, and her friend Kim, she rents a seaside cottage and waits for her boyfriend to beg her to return.

Only, as life gets better and better for the Wednesday Night Witches, everything else on the island starts going to hell.…

Anyone else think this sounds interesting?

It’s check-in day for the Seventy Days of Sweat Challenge. Go on over to Alison’s blog and put down your number. Also check out Larissa’s post on rejection.

Like Larissa, I had manuscripts rejected before I sold. At the time I wrote those manuscripts I thought they were good enough. That they deserved to be published. Looking back on them now I can see they weren’t good enough. I also learned that being published is not a birthright so that using words like deserve grew out of the wrong mindset. Only time and practice helped me to see what was wrong with those first pages. That same time taught me to be a better writer, which is another piece of wisdom I have now that I did not have then.

Rejection happens to most of us who are trying to sell books. If you don’t believe me, google the following search string: “romance author and rejection” and page through some of the 840,000 hits. Make the search less specific with “author and rejection” and you get 2,080,000 hits.

Still think it’s just you?

Understand going in that you’ll probably get rejection letters in your quest for publication. Be willing to take that and criticism. And, most importantly, keep writing. Reject. Move on. Get back to writing. Submit something new. I don’t know everything, but I know this part is true.

Who is the her, you ask? The “her” is Meljean Brook. And, “know” in this context means via online chatter and not in the “we vacation together” sense, but that’s not the point. Here’s the point: the new issue of Entertainment Weekly includes a section of romance novel reviews, which is fabulous on its own. Even better is the fact that one of those books reviewed is Meljean’s DEMON MOON. Wahoo for Meljean!!!!

The review breakdown goes like this:

DEVIL WHO TAMED HER by Johanna Lindsey – The grade for this one is very good, a B+, but the review talks about the heroine being “egotistical” and the hero being “self-righteous” so I don’t know exactly what was B+ worthy. I’m guessing the story rose above characters that the reviewer found unlikeable.

WHAT MATTERS MOST by Luanne Rice – Gets a B- from the reviewer who did not like what was termed “the downright unhappy ending” of the book. I asked Sybil. She told me the end. And, yeah, that’s not a happy ending.

DEVIL MAY CRY by Sherrilyn Kenyon – This got a B but the reviewer says, in a decidedly un B-like manner, “Slogging your way through the intersecting alliances and occasional movie-banter dialogue slows down an otherwise engaging read.” Usually “slogging” through anything is not good, but the grade here is.

DEMON MOON by Meljean Brook (who, by the way, got the highest review grade with an A-) – The reviewer says: “The fourth book in the Guardian series turns up the heat without losing any of the danger or biblically tinged lore.” Yay for Meljean!

Maybe romance will get more coverage at EW in these special review sections. Let’s hope.

Too cool.

Anyone who knows me knows the title of this post is laughable. Despite my somewhat limited expertise in this area, I have ventured out into some non-print venues when promoting my newest release. Some happened without my help. For example, YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY is now available as an ebook through Fictionwise. But there are others…

I’m talking about this subject over at the Access Romance Blog today. Thought I’d highlight some of my technology adventures here as well just in case you missed them. For those who want to hear my voice (though why this would be the case, I do not know), I have a podcast up at Access Romance.

For those who love book trailers and even those who don’t, check out mine!! I love it. The tone is perfect…well, don’t take my word for it. Go here and click on the arrow twice. You’ll hear the cool music and see the great photos. Yeah, definitely check it out.

Yesterday I blogged about some random thoughts from the recent RWA Conference. One of those points related to expanding the RITA award categories to include a category for erotic romance. Since some folks were making really good points and driving home the fact that this is a difficult subject, I thought I’d move the conversation to the forefront. Go read the comments, but to sum up (using my words, not theirs – so, again, check out their original comments in yesterday’s post):

**Jordan brings up the fact inspirational romance has it’s own category.
**Alison points out that inspirational romance is different in that there is a “spiritual conflict” requirement. She goes on to say: “Sex or eroticism can’t be judged because it’s subjective and based on personal taste.” I took this to mean she did not find a new category to be necessary.
**Pat L. says that erotic or not, you need a good story.
**Nora goes back and forth on this but is leaning toward no category for erotic romance.
**Larissa is conflicted as well but points out that erotic romance does have a requirement – sex/the explicit nature – and that many of the RITA voters (fellow authors) aren’t comfortable with that aspect and, therefore, don’t give erotic romance a fair chance in the RITAs.
**Angie T.wonders what the parameters would be for this category.
**Jo feels conflicted but comes down on the side of no new category. She also wonders about the longevity of erotic romance that is only erotic and nothing more.
**Laurie L. thinks erotic romance needs its own category because the books do have a specific requirement (like romantic suspense and the other categories do).
**Patty L. agrees with Jo’s concerns and is concerned with the idea of sex for the sake of having sex in books.
**Susan is torn (and I don’t blame her…)
**Diana is against a new category and believes erotic romance should compete in the categories available now. She also advocated trimming the existing categories down to a more sensible number.

All good points. It’s easy to see why people waffle on this subject. My general view is that we do not need a new category for erotic romance. Here’s why:

1. I don’t know what erotic romance even is at this point. This goes to Angie’s point. Are we talking about romantica, erotic romance, erotica, steamy romance…what gets included here? It seems to me that publishers and authors are having trouble defining this subgenre. So, how do we set up a new RITA category for writing that could conceivably go from Harlequin Blaze and Kensington Brava where romance is a necessity to some of the other lines that include menage and other sexual situations considered a bit out of the norm (whatever “the norm” is). And, raise you hand if you want to help write the category description and figure out the number of sex scenes and stuff like that you need to be in this category. Yeah, now there’s a thankless job.

2. I understand Laurie’s point about erotic romance (or whatever we call it) having a specific component. I would argue, however, that it is not a unique component like with other categories. Romantic suspense requires a suspense/mystery. Inspirational romance requires that spiritual conflict Alison referenced. Erotic romance would then require…what, sex? See, that just strikes me wrong. That takes the romance and makes it be all about sex. Isn’t that an antiquated theory we romance authors fight against all the time? Why would we design a category and say that what sets it apart is the sex level and what is important is the focus on sex? This goes back to one of the problems I have with erotic romance (or whatever the “in” phrase is at the moment). To me, the subgenre should not be about how much sex we can all shove in 300 pages of manuscript. It should be about the story, the character growth, etc., in a background where the sexual heat is turned up. Using that idea, who would you give this subgenre its own RITA category?

3. Hotter romances may have had a tougher time historically getting leverage in the RITAs, but that has not been the case the last few years, has it? I believe a Red Sage novella was up for a RITA in 2006. Hotter romances where up for RITAs this year. That says to me that in judging, the story is central (as it should be). These romances rose on the strength of writing. They competed on the same field with everyone else. To me, that is a bigger achievement. Again, it’s a matter of being, for example, the best historical versus being the best erotic historical. Why do we want to limit our books to a specialized subset and compete only among other similiar books? Doing that belittles them.

4. There is no constitutitonal right to win, or be nominated for, a RITA. That sounds snotty, I know and I apologize for that. In a way, I’m talking about what Diana is talking about. What is with all these categories? Is the idea that we have to make it possible for every person to, at some point, be nominated? If so, why? RWA is a group. Some members of the group don’t read inspirational romance. Other members don’t read hotter romances. Still others hate paranormals, historicals or whatever. That’s how the group dynamic works. Moving the RITA cateogires around to please everyone amounts to, in my mind, an educational system where you get a gold star for shoping up. Doesn’t make sense to me. RITAs should be hard to get, right? They should be special, shouldn’t they? They should require our peers to vote for them…isn’t that the point? Whether or not you get nominated for a RITA is not related to your publishing success, your ability to sell books or the likelihood of you getting new publishing contracts. I think we sometimes forget the difference between being successful and winning an award from our peers.

But that’s me…