HelenKay Dimon

If I haven’t made it clear yet, I love the television show Justified. The fact I adore Timothy Olyphant is part of that, but not all. The show is well written, the relationship between Raylan and Boyd is one of the best on tv, and the willingness to engage in gun battle in every episode speaks to my bloodthirsty side. I actually preferred season one but that’s because the least interesting character on the show – that would be Winona – had too big of a role in season two. It’s also because the season two villain was uneven for me. Despite all that, I think it’s one of the best shows on.

I also like that the show grew out of a short story by Elmore Leonard. I recently read an interview (which I can’t find or I’d link to it) that talked about how the series borrowed from the short and now Leonard borrows from the show, which is why I got all tingly when I saw this new book release:

With the closing of the Harlan County, Kentucky, coal mines, marijuana has become the biggest cash crop in the state. A hundred pounds of it can gross $300,000, but that’s chump change compared to the quarter million a human body can get you—especially when it’s sold off piece by piece.

The bad guys are mostly gals this time around: Layla, the nurse who collects kidneys and sells them for ten grand a piece; Carol Conlan, a hard-charging coal-mine executive not above ordering a cohort to shoot point-blank a man who’s standing in her way; and Jackie Nevada, a beautiful sometime college student who can outplay anyone at the poker table and who suddenly finds herself being tracked by a handsome U.S. marshal.

Sold!

Today is an author’s choice day. I’m thinking it’s a good time to talk about some Navy SEALs. By now you know I wrote a short story for the charity anthology SEAL OF MY DREAMS. I love this book. I love that the authors and everyone at the publisher dedicated their time. I love that we raised (and continue to raise) money for veterans. And I love this hero…

Hal guided her through the room to the far hallway. Gun up and ready to pounce, he planned to get them out through the kitchen and through a planned zigzag of small homes and dirt alleys. He had to take care of a few problems first.

He stopped. Since Megan had a death drip on his pants and her body plastered against his back, the move slammed her into him. “Megan?”

“Yes?” Her whisper blew across the back of his neck, causing a blip in his concentration. But the real problem was the way she tugged on his pants. She’d hiked them into danger territory.

He propped his shoulder against the wall and tucked her in behind him. “Few things. First, you’re shuffling.”

“What does that mean?”

He slid her flat against the wall and shifted until he loomed over her. The only thing holding their bodies apart was her hands, which she had balanced between them.
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I just got a slick cover and some cool cover copy for my May Intrigue – yay!:

SHE WANTED TO TRUST HIM WITH HER SAFETY—BUT NOT WITH HER HEART…

No woman could deny the appeal of the sexy deputy sheriff Jonas Porter. But to Courtney Allen, Jonas has one major flaw— his badge. Years ago, Courtney’s father was wrongfully convicted of a crime and she vowed to never trust a cop again. But when Jonas becomes the only man to believe in her father’s innocence, Courtney begins seeing the brooding lawman in a whole new way.

Jonas knows in his gut that the real killer is still out there and determined to finish what he started long ago. To protect Courtney and bring the criminal to justice will require all the skills he can muster. And that means focusing on the job. Not the woman who makes him forget his troublesome past and arouses in him a passion that is anything but professional.

Blogging at Genreality today. Come over and say hello.

And, for the record, I’ll be blogging at Genreality on Thursdays from now on.

The theme today is friends. This is a component in every book I write. I love creating these relationships and dealing with the connections we make as we go through life. The book that popped into my head when I saw this week’s topic was IMPULSIVE. This is one of my Hawaii-based romances. The cover should give you a little warmth inspiration during the cold winter months. Check it out…

“You look like shit.” Seth Freeman delivered his assessment with a huge smile as he plopped in the small black chair across from Eric. The same seat designed more to keep visitors off guard and squirming than comfortable.

The hard wood didn’t bother Seth. His relaxed, never-ruffled style allowed him to be at ease in any situation. Thanks to years of friendship, Seth was not one to give into Eric’s intimidation, which was exactly why Eric pushed to have Seth named as Chief of the Career Criminal Division the year before. Their styles complemented each other, and the guy was a damn fine lawyer.

But right now, Eric seriously thought about having Seth arrested. No idea what the charge would be, but he’d think of something. Anything to stop the conversation Eric guessed was coming.
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I’m blogging at Genreality today about having some career and writing perspective in 2012. Come say hello.

The theme today deals with using setting as a character. When done well, this is so powerful. It’s one of those writerly things I constantly work on because it doesn’t come naturally to me at all. Really…not at all.

The scene I picked it from one my favorite books, HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO. The setting is Hawaii. The heroine is rich and has to learn money can’t buy everything. The hero is rough around the edges.

Deana touched her fingertips against the blurry tile wall then pushed off into her final turn. A bluesy tune rang out of the built-in deck speakers as her body sliced through the cool water on the return lap to the other end of the pool.

She closed her eyes and fell into a rhythm. Tried to block out the melody and focus, instead, on keeping her stroke in time with the beat. She needed a mind wiped clear of any thoughts or memories. One where the sound of Ryan’s agitated voice from the other end of the phone didn’t still ring in her ears.
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I thought January would be a good time to talk about what I read and really liked in 2011. To be honest, last year was an odd reading year. Odd in that I didn’t LOVE – like, get totally lost and couldn’t stop reading love – that many books. Much of the stuff I read was outside of romance. I went on this mystery/suspense kick and read many books by female authors, all revolving around the theme of murder/kidnapping. The authors were folks like Chevy Stevens, Myla Goldberg, Gillian Flynn, Rosamund Lupton, Cara Hoffman, Megan Abbott, Heather Gudenkauf and a whole bunch more. And, again, not romances.

My favorite non-romance of the year was SISTER by Rosamund Lupton. I liked it so much that I ordered Lupton’s second book directly from her U.K. publisher rather than wait for it to come out in the U.S. The book looks like this:

When her mom calls to tell her that Tess, her younger sister, is missing, Bee returns home to London on the first flight. She expects to find Tess and give her the usual lecture, the bossy big sister scolding her flighty baby sister for taking off without letting anyone know her plans. Tess has always been a free spirit, an artist who takes risks, while conservative Bee couldn’t be more different. Bee is used to watching out for her wayward sibling and is fiercely protective of Tess (and has always been a little stern about her antics). But then Tess is found dead, apparently by her own hand.

Bee is certain that Tess didn’t commit suicide. Their family and the police accept the sad reality, but Bee feels sure that Tess has been murdered. Single-minded in her search for a killer, Bee moves into Tess’s apartment and throws herself headlong into her sister’s life–and all its secrets.

Though her family and the police see a grieving sister in denial, unwilling to accept the facts, Bee uncovers the affair Tess was having with a married man and the pregnancy that resulted, and her difficultly with a stalker who may have crossed the line when Tess refused his advances. Tess was also participating in an experimental medical trial that might have gone very wrong. As a determined Bee gives her statement to the lead investigator, her story reveals a predator who got away with murder–and an obsession that may cost Bee her own life.

My favorite romance of the year was LOOSE ENDS by Tara Janzen…but not for the usual reason. This was book #11 in a series. I hadn’t read the books that came before, which would usually keep me from trying one of the later ones. But good friend and reading buddy Jill Shalvis talked me into it. We read this together (as in we read it at the same time and talked about it via email) and the whole time Jill told me I had to go back and read the beginning of the series. Thanks to this book and Jill’s recommendation, I picked up the beginning of the series. Man, is there anything better than discovering a great series? I’m still confused how I missed this series to begin with since it hits all my reader buttons.

Six years ago, the Special Defense Force mourned the loss of J. T. Chronopolous. Now the striking soldier is back with scant memory, a new name—Conroy Farrel—and one single mission: to bring down SDF. But SDF has its own plan: get him back at any cost. And so they’ve set a trap for Con, a trap that Jane Linden accidentally steps into. With darkness falling and the night heating up, Con finds himself on the run in an oddly familiar 1967 Pontiac GTO with a drop-dead-gorgeous brunette named Jane by his side. Who she is he doesn’t know. Or does he? Jane certainly hasn’t forgotten him. When she was a teenager, he caught her picking his pocket. Now the former street thief is all grown up and gone legit—and the effect she has on Con is all too clear: pure, sweet longing. Con’s not sure if Jane is there to save him or to take him down. But one thing’s certain: With desire leading the way, all bets are off.

Not sure what type of books will grab my attention in 2012. I’m thinking about going on a YA binge. I find so many of the covers amazing. I mean, look at these:

I’ve heard so much about Amanda Hocking and her self-publishing success, but it’s the covers that make me want to read.

I’ve been invited to blog at Genreality on Thursdays and was thrilled to say yes. Today is my first blog and the topic is goals for 2012. I’ll be back here tomorrow with some wrap-up thoughts for 2011, but until then…check this out.

It’s a new year and time for new snippets. Today’s theme is fear. I thought this would be a good time to give you a sneak peek of my next Intrigue, WHEN SHE WASN’T LOOKING (May 2012). Jonas is a police officer. Courtney is a lady with big secrets. Soon after meeting, she runs. They end up in a car with her in charge and Jonas taking orders (how that happens is a different scene) and here’s what happens next:

She cleared her throat, trying to wipe out the crushing pain that always poured through her when she thought about her family. “You’re going to go over this hill then cut to the left. And I mean fast. If you hesitate, we’ll hit a tree.”

“Good to know.” He hit the gas and the car chugged along the rough road. “Wait, what is that?”

She turned to see what had him swearing. “I don’t see-”

“Where did he come from?” Jonas’ hands tightened on the wheel. As he started shouting, his knuckles turned white.

She watched in horror as a truck with a huge front grill barreled right at them on her side of the car. It appeared out of nowhere, gobbling up branches and dragging them under its tires. She sat down hard in the seat facing forward and dropped the gun to the floor. With her arms locked, she balanced her palms against the dashboard. “Move!”
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