HelenKay Dimon

Today is the day IT’S HOTTER IN HAWAII officially hits the shelves. Get thee to a bookstore.

And for those who have blogs/websites and are willing to post a little something about the book, including the cover, email me at hkdimon AT gmail .com (all one word, using usual email address set-up).

Go forth and purchase.

It used to be that authors wanted Oprah to feature their books. I’m thinking now we should all want Stephanie Meyer - author of Twilight, in case you’ve been living in a hole - to blog about our books. According to USA Today:

Meyer has so much clout that when she wrote on her website in January that The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester is “the oddest/sweetest mix of Little House on the Prairie and X-Men,” booksellers couldn’t keep up with demand. The initial 10,000-copy first printing shot up to 40,000. Books with a nod from Meyer are flaunting it on the jacket or author’s website. Meyer on City of Glass by Cassandra Clare — “a story world I love to live in”; and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins — “I’ve been recommending it to total strangers.”

I bought The Hunger Games. Haven’t checked out the others…but I will. And I wasn’t even all that fond of Twilight. Wait, can I say that without being stoned by fangirls? We’ll see.

The reviews for It’s Hotter in Hawaii are starting to roll in. Laurie at Laurie’s Laudanum says:

HelenKay Dimon is consistently creative and always entertains readers with quick-witted characters, settings that come to life in readers’ minds, and vivid sensuality.
…
I give IT’S HOTTER IN HAWAII the highest recommendation to all romance readers.

Lynn at Romance Junkies says:

IT’S HOTTER IN HAWAII is a sizzling, fast-paced suspense story with a lot of humor. Cassie is a stubborn, feisty heroine who can take care of herself.
…
The tropical setting of IT’S HOTTER IN HAWAII adds heat to this already spicy romance. A perfect beach read. And if it’s still too cold for the beach where you live – well, this book will be the perfect escape for you!

Yay!!!

We’ve been working and fiddling - and by “we” I mean my fabulous web designer Mica at DreamForge Media - and we’re done!! The website has a new look, some new features and what I think is a much cooler Bookshelf page. Honestly, I love it. Huge thanks to Mica and to everyone who pitched in to help to get this done. Also thanks to those who provided input on design ideas - Wendy, Kassia and LA. I appreciate all the help.

So…what do you think?

And now for my end-of-the-year single title…HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO (Oct. ‘09). This is Josh’s story. I love Josh. Love this story. Here’s the cover and copy:

Deana Armstrong needs a hero—not for herself, but for the nephew all her money and time can’t seem to get out of jail. Unfortunately, the best hero in all the Hawaiian Islands is set on turning in his badge and getting his excellent butt into another line of work. If that wasn’t enough, Josh Windsor also has a big-time grudge against Deana herself. But if there’s anything being rich, smart, and stubborn has taught Deana, it’s never to settle for second best…

Josh has had it with saving people. He’s had it with getting hauled into court. And boy, has he ever had it with Deana. Or well, he hasn’t had it. Yet. But the more she pops up sounding infuriating and looking good enough to eat, the more her hot bod and her cold case wriggle into his mind. And there’s only so much even a hero can resist…

So excited!!

Fabulous fellow author Jaci Burton is offering a copy of IT’S HOTTER IN HAWAII as a prize on her blog. Go check it out for a chance to win.

While you’re there take a look at Jaci’s books. You don’t want to miss them.

I know it seems a bit early to be thinking about Christmas anthologies, but it’s not. No, really, Trust me on this. To get you excited, I give you the cover for KISSING SANTA CLAUS (Oct. ‘09):

Here’s the copy from my novella:

It’s Hotter at Christmas

Hawaii’s no paradise for Marissa, who, thanks to a series of unfortunate events, can’t seem to get away from the sand to enjoy her Christmas East Coast style—with plenty of snow and slush. But tall, dark, and serious police officer Ted’s about to give this bad Santa in heels a Mele Kalikimaka she’ll never forget…

For those who are wondering, Ted is Ted Greene from YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY and IT’S HOTTER IN HAWAII. He’s a secondary character in those two books. He gets to be the hero in this one. Go Ted!

I am off to attend the PASIC conference. My preference at all times is to hang around my house, but NYC is a pretty cool place to visit if one must leave the house for a writing conference.

Thought this might be a good time to share some covers. First we have the mass market version of TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT (Oct. ‘09). The new one is on the right. The original trade is on the left.

Which do you like better?

I was reading this article in USA Today online about Twilight and the YA vampire craze. The operative quote is this:

Teen paranormal fiction is “one of our strongest and growing categories,” says Sandee Roston of HarperCollins Children’s Books. She says the publisher is seeing more and more manuscripts in the genre. “And it’s not just vampires,” says Roston. Werewolves, zombies and other creatures are also taking center stage.

So, if you’re writing this type of book get it to the publishers now before the genre completely floods.

The article also got me thinking about reading choices. Are teens who read these books likely to grow up to read paranormal romance? I never read romance as a kid. I loved mysteries and read a lot of literary stuff and historical literature. If this generation gets hooked on these books will they look for something similar as adults? Do reading choices - in terms of genres versus actual books - change as we age? I wonder.

I read Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons when I was in college. That was years ago, by the way. It’s one of those gut-wrenching tales, part autobiographical, about an abused and abandoned young girl.

Seems the author continues to battle demons. Her personal story is very sad and all too familiar:

Kaye Gibbons posed as a Florida doctor so she could fill prescriptions for painkillers, which she said took the edge off as she finished a novel, a prosecutor said at the best-selling author’s sentencing Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Gibbons pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor counts of obtaining property by fraud.

Hate hearing stuff like this.