HelenKay Dimon

Gloria Vanderbilt, otherwise known as uber-cool Anderson Cooper’s mom, has written a book. It’s supposed to be a sexy story….I think. It’s called OBSESSION: AN EROTIC TALE. You’re saying to yourself, “but isn’t she 85?”" Why, yes she is. Just goes to show that the sexy mojo doesn’t have to fade with age.

For those who are interested:

Talbot Bingham is a renowned architectural genius who, with his formidable wife, Priscilla, creates an architectural community. When he dies unexpectedly in the middle of their tenth wedding anniversary celebration, the devastated Priscilla is left keeper of the flame of Talbot’s genius. Going through her husband’s archives, she comes unexpectedly upon a pile of neatly tied letters, and the shocking secret of her husband’s intimate life—a discovery that shatters the foundation of her soul and spirit.

Obsession explores the mysteries of the human heart and the nature of sexuality and obsession, provoking questions about whom we choose to love, and why. The reader is left to decide if the other woman represents another facet of Priscilla, or if Priscilla her-self has invented the other woman who completed the world her husband so recently inhabited?

Just saw the French cover of WHEN GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO BAD BOYS and thought I’d share. It comes out August ‘09, but you can see it here now:

And in case you want to buy it in French, here’s the link.

I was reading through Romantic Times over the weekend, looking at the pretty ads and seeing what’s coming out next. This is one of those things I love to do, but a few review comments did hit me funny this month.

This one for Lilith Saintcrow’s REDEMPTION ALLEY:

While Saintcrow can sometimes be a workmanlike writer, she never fails to deliver excitement.

Workmanlike? I have no idea what that means in the context of this quote.

Then there was this for Barbara Bretton’s LACED WITH MAGIC:

The unfortunate drive to have absolutely everyone write paranormals has led Bretton to turn in something less than her normally excellent work.

Now, I don’t know why Bretton decided to try a paranormal. But, and here’s my point, the reviewer doesn’t either. I kind of – as in totally – hate it when reviewers presume to know why an author writes one book versus another. Authors change subgenres all the time. Believe it or not, the reason is not always just to chase a trend. Pet peeve? Why, yes it is.

My hubby took a few days off this week. He surprised me with a latte from Coffee Bean one morning, decided we should spend a day together at Disney, did the laundry last night without me asking or even hinting, and stopped and bought flowers for the front yard, which he planted. All this while training for a 10K run. Honestly, the man has never been sexier. He had me at laundry.

Have a great holiday weekend!

Is anyone watching the show Castle? Someone besides me must be since it got renewed. For those who don’t, Richard Castle is a bestselling mystery writer who tags along with the police – a sexy female homicide detective, to be exact – on whom he is basing his next series. I admit I was skeptical at first, but Nathan Fillion won me over. He’s charming and the relationship with his daughter is one of those “awwww” things.

Now comes word of an interesting Castle tie-in novel. The fictional Castle’s book will be posted in weekly chapters on ABC.com starting in August. The full book will hit the shelves in September. Sounds like a good marketing idea to me.

Yesterday afternoon I sat in my house playing on the internet writing. The doorbell rings. Come to find out my neighbor’s really big tree pushed over the brick retaining wall between our front yards (my wall). Half of the tree then broke off and crashed into my driveway. These things happen. Of course, since it’s my life the problem was not easily fixed. My neighbor has some health issues so complaining about his tree meant going through a nurse, a fiduciary (lawyer in charge of his interests), a management company, a tree company…you get the idea. The good news is that my car was parked way over on the other side of the three car-wide driveway. The bad news is that the big tree is still there. CORRECTION: The wood chipper is at work right now.

Life is never dull.