Bookshelf
Upcoming
Blog
About HelenKay
Bonus Features
Events
Contact
Home

Archive for April, 2010



Friday, April 30th, 2010
Cover Stories

An author friend sent me a lovely email. It went like this: “What the hell is up with your May Samhain release?” I believe that is an inquiry concerning the whereabouts of the cover. Yeah, about that. See, we’ve tried. Really. Here’s the scoop:

I got a beautiful cover on the first try. It was perfect. It also happened to be a version of Julie James’ SOMETHING ABOUT YOU cover, so that didn’t work. Then I got a cover where I loved the dude but all you saw of the woman was her legs and her panties coming off. My editor and I thought it might be a bit too much. Then there were a series of potential covers that my editor said no to before I even saw them.

Are you picking up on a trend here? This poor coverless book.

Last week my editor sent four options. We both liked one and now marketing has it for final approval. I’m waiting for word. Once I find out I promise to shout it from the rooftops. I love covers, so you all know this wait is killing me.

Poor coverless book.

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
Today

Woke up feeling positively awful. I have a book due, so I can’t really afford to be sick. Unfortunately, my sore troat, headache, stuffy nose and watery eyes don’t seem to care about my schedule. Ack!

Some good news…RT Book Reviews (aka Romantic Times) gave a lovely review to NIGHT MOVES, my June release from Harlequin Intrigue:

Liam Anderson is stunned when he learns his best friend’s little sister died in an office explosion. He’s even more stunned when she shows up on his back deck, exhausted and battered, begging for help. Scientist Maura Lindsey knows falsified research when she sees it, and since she’s being set up to take the fall, both for the results and her missing boss, she needs Liam’s help to clear her name. Liam rejected her years before, but now he wants to make up for the past and give Maura her chance at a future. A creative plot, stand-up characters and witty dialogue keep the pace moving.

Wahoo!

Monday, April 26th, 2010
50th Book

Patricia Rosemoor is celebrating an impressive milestone. Her 50th book from Harlequin Intrigue is out this month. Isn’t that awesome? The book is called SAVING GRACE and I’m thinking we should all go buy it. Take a look:

Grace Broussard never thought she’d trust a man again… until she met the right McKenna. Declan was a P.I. and he made New Orleans a safer place, but Grace’s case was almost too hot to handle. He knew she needed protection from more than simple blackmail.

Every touch they shared knocked something loose, and the passion it ignited was too powerful to deny. But every touch also brought the curse of the McKennas closer to fulfillment—and certain death. Now, only Declan could save the life of the future Mrs. McKenna.

Friday, April 23rd, 2010
New Cover!

I just got the cover for my November release, IMPULSIVE:

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
Award Time

This has already been all over twitter and everywhere else, but I wanted to officially announce that I’ve been chosen as the RWA 2010 PRO Mentor of the Year. This is a huge honor and I’m am thrilled to receive it.

The announcement included some comments from the nomination letters. I’m truly humbled by the lovely things people said. I’m also grateful to the fabulous members of my local RWA Chapter, RWA-SD, for welcoming me when I moved to San Diego, for supporting my writing career, and for being instrumental in making this award happen. I often say that I get far more out of RWA than I could ever contribute. That’s the truth. Thank you.

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
Guest Blogging

I’m at Access Romance today talking about Danielle Steel getting scammed by her former assistant. Just shows money doesn’t make everything better. Wow.

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010
Haymore Winners

Thank you all for stopping by and saying such nice things about Jennifer Haymore and cheering her on in her fight against breast cancer. Please keep her in your thoughts over the next few months.

The winners of copies of A TOUCH OF SCANDAL are:

- JK Coi (comment #3)
- Joder (comment $14)
- Moran (comment #24)

Please email me with your address and I’ll get those books out to you via an online bookstore.

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010
Impulsive!

I have back cover copy for my November release, IMPULSIVE. This is one of my Hawaii-based romances and features Eric Kimura from HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO.

From the back cover:

Katie Long was supposed to be undercover. She was just supposed to watch Deputy Prosecutor Eric Kimura at his ex’s wedding and gather intel on his campaign for prosecutor. But he’s a lot hotter in person, and the kind of intel they accidentally shared in the hotel bathroom might lose both of them their jobs. Especially since it seems to be a recurring incident. Is it possible for a one-night stand to last ten days?

Kimura isn’t usually the impulsive type. He’s driven, he’s ambitious, and he knows what he wants—a respectable future in Hawaii politics. Which means wild half-public sex with a beautiful stranger in a short little caterer’s skirt is just tabloid fodder waiting to happen. Conveniently, just as his campaign is coming under attack. Sabotage, media gossip, and an insatiable desire for a woman he just met? If he’s not careful, Counselor Kimura might lose all control…

Yay!

Sunday, April 18th, 2010
Jennifer Haymore

Earlier this week I was finishing up Jennifer Haymore’s newest, A TOUCH OF SCANDAL, when I saw the news. Jennifer announced on her blog that she’s fighting breast cancer. I don’t know Jennifer but reading her post made me a little weepy. I was saddened by the battle she has ahead of her but inspired by her spirit and determination. I also felt lucky to have my health and wanted to do…something.

It seems to me the Smart Bitches have the right idea. The best way to cheer Jennifer on – in addtion to sending good thoughts her way – is to buy her books. So, I am going to do just that. I’ll send her book to three people who comment to this post. You comment and you’re entered to win. I’ll post the winners by the end of Tuesday.

And please remember to do whatever it is you do – pray, meditate or whatever – for Jennifer.

UPDATED: Mad over at Novel Thoughts is doing a giveaway of Jennifer’s books, too. Check it out.

Friday, April 16th, 2010
Night Moves

I know I said I’d post this yesterday. Very sorry but I Lost all track of time. Can you tell I have a deadline two weeks from now? Why, yes. Yes, I do.

There an explosion, a missing scientist and stolen top-secret data…and that’s just the first chapter of NIGHT MOVES (Intrigue, June ‘10).

Dr. Maura Lindsey is smart, dependable and in deep trouble. She’s one of these folks who graduated from college at the age when the rest of us were figuring out our junior high schedule. Now she works at a government lab. Or she did until it went up in flames. Just when Liam Anderson started mourning Maura, his best friend’s baby sister, she shows up very much alive and in need of help.

A short excerpt:

Liam stood in a dark alley with his back pressed against a wall and a supposed dead woman at his side. It was a lot to take in at one in the morning. If he weren’t so confused, he’d mind the crisp air. Good thing he had his frustration to keep him warm.

That would teach him to let Maura set the evening agenda. He suggested she stay at the house while he made a run for whatever she needed. She could hide and he would take the risk. Since no one was looking for him, the chance of trouble was minimal. A quick and efficient strategy.

She had overruled him. Carried on about it being her life and then started talking in half sentences again. He gave in to gain a second of quiet. Now he was stuck in the middle of some sort of covert raid. The whole thing struck him as overly dramatic and unnecessary.

He followed her gaze to the third floor. “Tell me again why we’re here.”

“I need some of my things.”

“From in there.” He pointed up at the corner window to make sure he was looking at the right place.

She nodded, her gaze never leaving her target. “It’s my condo.”

No lights. No movement. Ten more minutes of staring at nothing and his mind would go numb. “I think it’s safe.”

“The police could be in there.”

“You do know I’m former police, right?”

She actually crouched down as if that would better hide her form the imaginary officers she thought were hiding in the bushes. “So?”

Liam took in her stiff shoulders and flat mouth. Determination. He couldn’t argue common sense against that. “Never mind.”

“I have to get my computer.”

“I can buy you another one.”

She glanced up at him. “This isn’t about money.”

“Care to clue me in on what it is about, because I still don’t know.”

“My hard drive. My papers.” She cupped his elbow and started dragging him out into the open. “Let’s go.”

He had no idea what had changed and made it safe in her mind, but he wasn’t about to argue. If she was ready to move, he’d lead the way.