HelenKay Dimon

TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT is now officially out. And it’s my birthday so you should feel obligated to buy it and to pre-order HOT AS HELL. Seems like a good present to me.

Got this in the mail:

It’s like a textbook for the Brotherhood series. Not sure where to start reading it. Do I skip to the never-before-seen short story? Look up things I want to know? Not sure.

I read reference books but rarely read writing “how to” books. The this is how you must write stuff paralyzes me. The reference books I read deal more with specific subject matters. For example, if I were writing about a trainwreck I’d read a true account of a trainwreck and books about people who worked on trains. That sort of thing. And I read stuff about crime and psychology all the time.

My latest read was the Crime Classification Manual: A Standard System for Investigating and Classifying Violent Crimes. Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? Believe it or not, it was interesting. I feared it would be dry, but no. However, some parts did scare the crap out of me. It’s a weird world out there.

For the twittering among you…

I’ve been playing around on Twitter. Still don’t quite know what it is, but it gives me a chance to throw out random thoughts about things I wouldn’t talk about here. Basically, I’m more snide and talk (twitter) about whatever is in my head, which right now is often politics. I know this is a touchy subject. That’s why I keep those thoughts to chats with the hubby, twittering and frantic emailing to close friends.

Just wanted to give a warning in case there are people following me there who are offended by the political talk. If you are then stick to the blog – at least until November 5th. I won’t play partisan politics here. Otherwise, if it pops into my head and the twitter screen is open, I’m probably going to put it out there on twitter. No offense meant to anyone…except the person I am making fun of at that moment.

Just got the very good news that TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT is going back for a second printing…and it hasn’t even officially released yet! Wahoo!!

What does this mean for you? Well, see, this can only be interpreted to mean the anthology is awesome, selling like mad and that you should go get your copy before the stores run out. No, really. I think that’s what this means.

Go forth and purchase.

I’ve never had back-to-back releases before. It’s a little strange in that I’m never quite sure which one I should be talking about (ie, begging you all to buy). So, rather than pick, I’ve decided to take the day and inundate you with information about both.

Laurie did a fabulous review of TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT, the Christmas anthology I’m in with wildly talented authors Donna Kauffman and Jill Shalvis. Laurie loves all three stories – thank you! – and says this about mine:

HelenKay Dimon has written Natalie with vulnerabilities that are shared by so many women. Spencer sees these vulnerabilities immediately and rather than act on them for his own benefit, he’s determined to make Natalie see how very beautiful and special she is. Talk about dreamy! It was a pleasure to see these two gradually move from verbal sparring to passionate whispering!

Laurie is also holding a contest to win a copy of TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT. Go visit and enter.

HOT AS HELL comes out in November but it’s been reviewed in PW (“…definitely rates as hot”) and will be in the newest Romantic Times. The reviewer there says:

Lexy and Noah heat up the pages of this race-to-the-truth mystery of murder and corporate espionage. But what keeps the story fresh is the unusual setting — a health spa in Utah — and Dimon’s deft characterizations. Her characters not only have layers, they also exhibit complex feelings through subtle signals.

So, go order both. There, I found a solution – beg you to buy both!!

This is the cover for Jayne Ann Krentz’s upcoming book, RUNNING HOT:

Maybe it’s the guy. Dunno. But for some reason this strikes me as a very different kind of Krentz cover.

Sasha mentioned re-reading Karen Robards’ ONE SUMMER. This is one of my all-time favorite romances. Hero Johnny Harris is a felon out on parole and, well, let’s just say this book totally worked for me. Thought I’d go ahead and highlight it here in case anyone missed it.

He was pure, unadulterated trouble. Johnny Harris is home again, his too-tight jeans and damn-your-eyes belligerence honed to perfection by a ten-year stretch in federal prison for murder. Now he’s out on parole and ready for the job Rachel Grant has promised to help him begin a new life. Unlike the rest of the town, Rachel has always believed in her former student’s innocence. But one thing has changed…

The sullenly handsome boy she remembers is still sullen, still handsome…but no longer a boy. And now the small Kentucky town is alive with gossip and whispers of a scandal, as friendship turns to passion and Rachel abandons a lifetime of propriety in the ex-con’s arms. Then the killer strikes again. All evidence points to Johnny Harris, but Rachel knows he is innocent. And she knows she is next…as a shattering truth is uncovered and dark passions explode in the relentless summer heat.

Yeah, baby.

The book JOY OF SEX is being rewritten. I’m guessing this means sex has changed since the 70s…? Kind of seems like a strange idea, but okay.

There’s an article in the Sydney Morning Herald about this. Here’s my favorite line from the interview:

Quilliam noted that some tips from the original had to be removed, because they were illegal.

Uh…

Well, anyway, look for the new and improved (and totally legal) version in bookstores soon.

The September 19th issue of Entertainment Weekly (Hugh Laurie on the cover) introduced an interesting new and (I think) semi-regular recommendation section by Karen Valby within book review section. Sees she’s going to talk about “froth” novels. She describes it this way:

This goes out to all the ladies out there who are sick of feeling guilty about reading for…pleasure. I keep some froth on my bookshelves, wedged between my Joan Didions and Philips Roths. Every reader should. When I say froth, you know what I mean: glittery novels dressed up in slick covers, the literary equivalent of tiny dogs in sequined sweaters.

Ignoring the talk of sequined dogs, references to froth, a later reference to trash [sigh] and the apologetic tone, kudos to EW for coming to the realization that readers like variety. Most people read across genres even though some like to pretend they don’t. Which brings me to this: I never feel guilty about what I read. Not sure why I’m supposed to either.

My only thought about this deals with the book recommended by Valby – One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell. Haven’t read the book. I’m sure it’s brilliant and all, but how about taking a look at something that’s not at the top of the NYT. Take a risk and try a “froth” author other than the “froth” author everyone already talks about. Just saying…