HelenKay Dimon

I went to see the Sex And The City movie with a friend last night. Yeah, I know. Little late to that party. I actually held off because, well, the show’s finale summed up their lives so well for me that I didn’t see what a movie could add. But I have a weak spot for Mr. Big, so I went.

It’s good I did since the movie totally worked for me. The women, the clothes, the accessories, the storylines – all good. I can’t really explain why Mr. Big and Steve can do such crappy things to the women in their lives (Carrie and Miranda) and still I love them, but I do. I’m not one to gasp during movies, but I did it here. My one question was with Carrie’s movie ending. It had me wondering if it was the right one but, again, it worked.

I also enjoyed the scenes where Carrie, an author, moves her book around in a bookstore. Made me chuckle not because I would do that but because she’s so nonchalant about it. And was that an Adriana Trigiani book she moves? Not sure. Also a favorite was the use of a book that doesn’t actually exist. Yeah, that book Love Letters Of Great Men that plays such a big part in the Carrie/Mr. Big plot isn’t real. Apparently bookstores are getting requests for it. Kind of makes me wonder if a publisher is out there is rushing to get one on the shelves.

The good people at the Today Show have a poll posted. This one is in conjunction with a story about Danielle Steel. The poll asks if you read romance. Specifically, the affirmative response goes like this: “Yes, yes, yes! Bodice-rippers are my ultimate escape.” Yeah, it was written by a moron.

{{Sigh}}

Ignore the description of Steel as a romance novelist and the insulting way the poll is phrased, and go ahead and vote…or not. See, my general view is that people do not have to justify what they read, explain it or feel bad about it. And since romance novels sell like mad, I’m thinking someone is reading it. To everyone who doesn’t read romance but feels the need to mouth off about it – shut up.

Because a fellow romance author needs a little help…

Dear Friends,

One of our own, author Jo Leigh (aka Jolie Kramer) lost her husband on June 13 after he courageously battled cancer. If you don’t know their story, which is the stuff romance novels are made of, you can read it here and see their wedding picture here.

In addition to being a fabulous friend to so many and a multi-RITA nominated author who has written for Harlequin Blaze, Temptation, Intrigue, Special Projects, Silhouette Intimate Moments and Meteor Kismet, Jo is known across the country for the amazing writing classes she teaches, including one on plotting that is incomparable. She has been incredibly generous to so many in sharing her knowledge and expertise.

Unfortunately, Jo has been left with a lot of medical expenses she will be struggling to cover as they had no health insurance, and we would like to help her out by holding several fundraising auctions. If you have items to donate – books or book baskets/collections, critiques, ARCs of upcoming releases, mentoring opportunities, web or promotional material design work etc., please email the item description to the following email address: forjoleigh AT gmail.com This is the address we’re using to organize the items.

Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Alison Kent, HelenKay Dimon, Larissa Ione, Stephanie Tyler

Soon after I moved to San Diego, I joined my local RWA chapter. One of the first people I met was Jill Sorenson. She’s a sweetheart. And, she’s super talented. Oh, don’t take my word for it. Ask the editors at Silhouette and Bantam Dell who recently snapped up her books.

Jill’s first debut is out this month. It’s called DANGEROUS TO TOUCH. The back cover copy goes like this:

All her life Sidney Morrow had tried to repress her disturbing psychic visions. Until a vision of murder shattered her fragile serenity. She had to go to the authorities—make them listen. But Lt. Marc Cruz didn’t trust her one bit. In fact, the sensual homicide cop treated her like a suspect. And sent her senses haywire.…

The dark-haired beauty knew something about the serial killer Marc was after. But he was certain “visions” had nothing to do with it. Determined to be her constant shadow, Marc wasn’t prepared when desire blindsided him—and put them both in the path of a relentless killer.

Yeah, baby. How cool does that sound?

Jill agreed to stop by today and chat about a subject to which we can all relate – being the new kid. There’s even a nice surprise at the end, so keep reading…
______________________________

New Kid on the Block

When I was twelve, my family moved from a small town in Kansas to Oceanside, California. My childhood had been idyllic, if uneventful, up to that point, and I was excited about the move. It was my first grand adventure.

My mother had grown up on a nearby farm and was reluctant to leave the only life she’d ever known. My father’s feelings were the opposite. Winters in Kansas are as cold as meat lockers and he’d worked in the cattle yards at a company called Iowa Beef for more than twenty years. He couldn’t wait to get out of the state, and the industry.

I chose our new home in California on a whim. Dad handed me a map and said, “Pick somewhere between San Diego and Los Angeles.” My finger landed on Oceanside, and that was it. This part of the story seems so odd in retelling, because my parents were rarely impulsive.

The move was their one reckless act.

As it turned out, Oceanside wasn’t all palm trees and sandy beaches. We rented a place in a dubious neighborhood about ten miles inland, in a concrete jungle of tract housing known as Guajome Homes. It wasn’t South Central LA, but it wasn’t rural Kansas, either. It was 1989, at the height of the Gang Wars.

For the first time in my short, sheltered life, I encountered rough characters and dangerous situations. I also suddenly knew what it felt like to be a member of an ethnic minority. There was little or no white privilege at Lincoln Jr. High. I learned to keep my head down and my mouth shut, two things that don’t come naturally to me.

Despite being intimidated by my surroundings, I made friends easily that year and excelled in my classes. No one tried to beat me up. The only trouble I remember having was with a boy who got too fresh at the bus stop.

“Pantsing” was popular at the time, a stealthy attack in which the perpetrator runs by and pulls down his friend’s pants to embarrass him. Today this would be called sexual harassment. Back then, it was supposedly good clean fun.

Well, I was wearing a skirt, not pants, so the garment was yanked up rather than down. No one laughed, least of all me, but no one objected on my behalf, either. Shaken, I pulled my skirt back into place and said nothing. The incident didn’t gain me any sympathy from the other girls in my neighborhood, one of whom commented that I got what I deserved for wearing a short skirt.

At twelve, I had almost no concept of sexuality, and although I understood the power of boobs (I didn’t have any), it hadn’t occurred to me that the length of my skirt could be considered provocative. I was impossibly naïve, but this was the late 80s. Debbie Gibson was no Britney Spears.

The boy had no right to put his hands on me, regardless of my attire, but I never complained about the drive-by skirting to anyone. I’m neither proud nor ashamed of that fact; I only share this anecdote because it illustrates my vulnerability as a new kid in a scary place. It’s difficult to navigate unfamiliar territory as a confident adult, let alone an uncertain adolescent. At the time, I was just beginning to develop into the person I would someday become. Keeping my head down and my mouth shut are no longer a part of my repertoire, I’m happy to say, and any man who touches me inappropriately will be in danger of drawing back a stump.

My memories of Oceanside aren’t all positive, but the experience was. I think everyone should know how if feels to be an outsider at least once in their life. Without new challenges, we become stagnant. And there is beauty in diversity.

Do you have a similar experience growing up? Did your family move often or not at all? Were you ever a stranger in a strange land? Leave a comment here and you’ll be entered to win a copy of DANGEROUS TO TOUCH. Good luck!!

My dad is alive and well and living with my mom in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. To this day I can’t watch the movie Commando – a movie I saw with him once on a lazy Sunday afternoon – without hearing his voice in my head say, “this is the damn dumbest thing.” It’s likely I’ll someday have that reaction to the movie Transformers because he made similar comments when we watched it recently at my house. I can’t think about the movie Independence Day without remembering his argument about it being completely unrealistic, not because it was about aliens obliterating the Earth but because he thought the Vivica Fox character would never have been able to find her boyfriend (Will Smith) during the intergalactic apocalypse.

He is the guy who came to every one of my events while I was growing up – and that means music concerts and plays, bless him. He is the one who went into work late every Friday morning when I was a teenager so that he could take me to breakfast and spend some time with me during an age when, honestly, I was not that fun to be around. He is the reason I love politics and college sports. He is the one who instilled in me the importance of voting and civic duty without ever saying a word about either. He is the one who taught me about having a work ethic simply by doing his job. He is the one who stayed calm when, at age thirteen, I told him I wanted to go to London with (limited) non-parental supervision. Years later, he is the one who called me when I was studying in London during college and said in a loving voice, “let’s lay off the American Express card, okay?” instead of yelling. He is the guy who once told me that it was okay to fail and that, in fact, it was good for me.

He is the one who beamed with pride when I got my first job out of college working on Capitol Hill and a decade later when I made partner in my law firm. And now that my life has taken another turn, he is the first one to call when he sees one of my books on a bookstore shelf or reads a review in Romantic Times - yeah, he reads Romantic Times so that he can read about me.

I love you, dad. Happy Father’s Day!

According to the fine people at Barnes & Noble (online), HARD AS NAILS is available now! Some lovely readers have written to say they got a confirmation email from B&N saying the book was on the way. So…. the wait for these three awesome heroes is over. Go order.

Go…

I blogged about urban fantasy covers yesterday. Both Meljean and Kerry commented on one of my favorite new urban fantasy covers. It’s for Red by Jordan Summers. This cover is amazing. Something about the way the red pops and the woman stands out…well, don’t take my word for it. Here it is:

War is brewing in a near-future world where murder is all but unheard of and the existence of creatures known as the Others has yet to be proven. In the end, one woman will face her fears to stand and fight.

The closer Gina comes to finding out the secret of this sleepy little town and its big, bad sheriff, the more scared she gets—because she’s beginning to realize that she has a secret, too. A secret that will change her life…and make her the killer’s next prey.

Yeah, baby.

Great cover. Great author. Dedicated blogger and one of the most eloquent on the issues facing authors. Go pre-order the book.

I think a lot of the urban fantasy covers have the same look – a sexy, butt-kicking chick in front of an apocalyptic background. I keep waiting to get sick of these covers. It hasn’t happened yet. I still like them. Some better than others, of course.

As an example, the covers for Chris Marie Green’s (AKA Crystal Green) Vampire Babylon series really work for me. I think it has something to do with the colors and the fact the chick looks approachable, tough but not scary. Here they are:

Like them?

Proving that chick lit is not dead after all, USA Today posted an article called, Book Roundup: Chick Lit. This just shows that there are people out there brave enough to use the term “chick lit” rather than resort to the odd descriptions we use now, like sassy women’s fiction…or whatever strange thing we’re calling the subgenre these days.

The folks at USA Today focused on four books. They are:

A Hollywood Ending by Robyn Sisman – An actress goes to London and meets a stuffy British dude. Works for me. The reviewer says, “Author Robyn Sisman traipses down the well-worn path of “opposites attract,” but her likable characters and humorous send-ups of the celebrity world make this a worthwhile read.”

Fear And Yoga in New Jersey by Debra Galant – A young teacher, an unemployed hubby and a bar mitzvah. That might not get me to read it. The review will. Here’s my favorite part: “Galant casts a hilarious eye on middle-aged New Agers as they pilot their Priuses in search of enlightenment.”

Mrs. Perfect by Jane Porter – A woman who is perfect on the outside is an absolute mess on the inside. The reviewer says, “Porter’s authentic character studies and meditations on what really matters make Mrs. Perfect a perfect summer novel.”

A Bad Bride’s Tale by Polly Williams – Brit chicks find love. The reviewer describes it this way: “… large cast of characters, whose stories crisscross, to weave a vivid tale of second chances and finding true love.” This one is in hardcover. For that reason, I’m probably waiting for now.

Both MaryJanice Davidson and Christina Dodd have given me cover quotes – Thank you!! I am so grateful to both of these amazing authors. Now, the consumer side of me and the author side of me view this differently. As an author, I love it. But the book buyer in me generally is not swayed by cover quotes. Having said that, let me tell you about the three instances lately where quotes did pique my interest and made me look at the book more closely.

The first was The Brass Bed by Jennifer Stevenson. The cover quote is from Vicki Lewis Thompson and goes like this: “More fun than pillow fighting naked.” I think it caught my attention because it’s funny. I did two workshops/booksignings with Vicki last year. She’s funny. Her writing is funny. So, seeing her say that something someone else wrote is funny resonated with me.

The second was The Harrowing by Alexanrda Sokoloff. I saw a quote by Ira Levin (author of Rosemary’s Baby and Stepford Wives) on Sokoloff’s promo material at RT. I thought the Levin quote was a cover quote. Having bought the book, it actually has a quote by author Michael Palmer, which is also impressive. The Levin quote is on Sokoloff’s website. It goes like this, “The Harrowing is a real page-turner. Alexandra Sokoloff raises a fine crop of goosebumps and shivers. A first novel of unusual promise.” That quote caught my eye. I saw Ira Levin’s name and wanted to know more. Note: Alexandra stopped by and filled us in on how she got the Ira Levin quote. Check out the comments – it’s a cool story.

The third was in an ad in the July edition of Romantic Times. Let me preface this by saying I am not a big historical romance reader. I have read Lisa Kleypas. When I saw a quote by her for an author, I took notice. The quote – not a cover quote, but an ad quote – was for Michelle Marcos’ Gentlemen Behaving Badly. The Kleypas quote goes like this, “When I want a great historical romance, I’ll reach for anything by Michelle Marcos.” No offense to Marcos, but I had never heard of her. Thanks to the Kleypas quote, I’ve checked out Marcos online and looked up the book on Amazon.

The bottom line for me is that, depending on who gives the quote and the impact that person has on me, the quote might entice me to go check out the book. It’s not a ringing endorsement, but I now see that quotes can mean something to me as a buyer.