HelenKay Dimon's Blog, page 29

Snippet Saturday

Today’s topic is shame, shame, shame. This seemed like a good time to introduce you to the heroine in my October release. It’s tentatively titled LEAN ON ME and is related to my novella, IT’S NOT CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOU. The book is a contemporary without suspense and here’s an early (unedited) peek:

The steady buzz of conversation and bustle of people walking up and down the wide aisles of Thomas Nurseries ceased when Cassidy Clarke walked through the door.

She stopped after a few steps, waiting for her hair to frizz to ten times its normal size thanks to the shift from the dry, cool October air outside to the humid air inside the greenhouse. To keep from running her hands through it a thousand or so times, she slipped in front of the display of heirloom roses and pretended she couldn’t feel the strands swelling to fill a helmet.

She also did the I-can’t-see-you-or-hear-you thing she’d perfected over the last year. She assumed that’s what the folks from her hometown wanted since half of the customers spoke in pseudo-whispers that sounded more like yelling as they talked about her. The other half openly stared. She’d heard people mumble her name and The Fall about ten times. She could only guess that referred to the end of her career…though it also applied to the complete implosion of her self-esteem.

Ah, it was good to be back.

She didn’t really blame them. It was her fault. Well, partly the reporter’s fault, but mostly hers. It had been almost three years since the stupid article came out, since she offended every single one of the 941 residents of Holloway, West Virginia. After all this time she still got scolding emails from people who knew her when she was a “nice girl” which she’d been informed, sometimes in colorful language, she no longer was.



She drummed her fingers against the wooden table and wondered for the hundredth time why she thought returning home was such a great idea. She didn’t have a place to stay or money or a climbing career anymore. If she gave herself a second, she could probably work up a pretty good pity party, maybe even crawl under the table and hide. That would give the residents the kind of show they craved.

“Cassidy?”

She turned, ready to bat away any flying tomatoes that might come her way, and stared into a dark gray t-shirt straining against a firm, broad chest. Her gaze wandered up and over an open plaid shirt and a set of impressive shoulders underneath. Then she got to the face and the smile with the sexy dimple in the guy’s cheek.

Sweet lord.

This guy could throw anything at her and she’d be fine so long as she got to stare at him for a few more seconds. Maybe run her fingers over the dark stubble over his chin and cheeks. He had a five-o’clock shadow at two in the afternoon, and boy wasn’t that the sexiest thing ever.

Nice to know her girl parts still worked fine even on an unwanted limited calorie diet. “Yes, may I help you with something?”

“When did you get back into town?”

Figured he’d have one of those deep, husky voices that vibrated right down to her…yeah, she wasn’t letting her mind wander there. “Yesterday.”

He put his hands on his lean hips. “Are you staying at the house?”

“I’m sorry.” Boy was she sorry. “But do we know each other?”

“We dated in high school.”

Her brain clicked off for a second. When it flickered back to life an error message flashed. “What are you talking about?”

“Well, we would have if you had shown up as promised.”

She could see every person in the room lean in closer. Even the soft music pumping through the speakers faded into the background. “Uh…”

His smile grew wider. “You don’t remember?”

Because it never happened. “No.”

“I’m heartbroken.”

“But, I…wait. When…?” She closed her mouth to stop the strings of silliness.

His eyebrow lifted as he put a finger behind his ear. “I didn’t catch all of that.”

No way would she have left this guy stranded at a movie or anywhere else. Brown hair, sky blue eyes and a flirty charm that started her knees shaking. Yeah, he fell into the unforgettable category. Even a woman facing the wrong side of luck could see that.

____________

Remember to check out the other authors’ snippets:

Megan Hart:Read in bed!

Rhian Cahill

Eliza Gayle

Jody Wallace

Mandy M Roth

Lissa Matthews

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

Delilah Devlin

Shiloh Walker>

TJ Michaels

Lauren Dane

Contest Winner

We have a winner of the April Blog contest. It’s Robin (comment #2 on the April 6th blog). Congrats!!! Email me so I can get your gift certificate to you.

Guest blogging

I’ve been guest blogging for the last few days and will continue to do so throughout the month. A calendar is here. Today I’m at the awesome Lauren Dane’s blog talking about characters who are survivors. Stop by and say hello and you could win a book.

Snippet Saturday

Today’s topic is “it’s raining men” – hunky heroes and secondary characters. This seemed like a good time to highlight the hero from my new release, WHEN SHE WASN’T LOOKING, and his best friend.

Richmond Tobin, Jonas’ first friend in Aberdeen and a fellow police officer, walked in. He stood six-feet and wrestled in college. Six years out he looked like he could battle a train and come out ahead.

“You’re supposed to be lying down. You know, resting,” he said.

“Tell me about it.” Jonas rolled his shoulders and had to fight back the wave of nausea that hit him right behind the pain.

“Brought a change of clothes and your cell, just as you requested.” Rich dumped a gym bag next to Jonas’ thigh and held up a gun. “Also managed to liberate your weapon.”

Jonas took it, ran his finger across the side before checking it and slipping it and his holster on his belt. “Bet the nurses loved that.”

“I flashed my badge and reminded them you were in charge since the police chief retired, so it was all your responsibility.”

Jonas saw mounds of paperwork and a meeting with the town council in his future. “Thanks for that.”



“While you’re at it, care to tell me how you got stuck in the middle of the forest with dead body next to you.” Rich fell into the seat across from Jonas. “Someone I have to identify, I might add.”

“Long story.”

“Then there’s the woman who isn’t elderly or in need of a wellness check.”

“Yeah, Courtney.”

Rich’s eyes widened. “You’re on a first-name basis?”

“Almost getting killed will do that to a relationship. Speeds things up.” For some messed up reason, she was now Courtney in his head. Jonas knew the informal reference bordered on inappropriate but he’d worry about that later when he sorted out everything else that had happened that day.

“Uh-huh. And how did all of this happen again?”

Jonas tried to rub the crick out his neck. “You asked about fifty questions in the last two minutes.”

“Okay, how about this one?” Rich leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and smiled at his boss. “How did a hundred pound woman get the drop on you?”

“You’re light on the weight, and I threatened him with my gun,” Courtney shouted from behind the curtain and over the protests of the nurse who was taking her vital signs.

Rich whistled. “Interesting.”

Jonas bit back a groan. He’d hear about this for months. Cops loved this crap. Being the new officer on the squad and the one with the highest rank, the target on his back grew bigger each day. His four months of a perfect record blown with one comment from Courtney.

“The dead guy tried to kill her,” he said.

Rich pulled his chair closer to the exam table as he lowered his voice. “Any chance we know who or why?”

“Not yet.” But Jonas was about to get some of those answers. He hated when people lied to him. Not having all the facts didn’t sit any better.

____________

Remember to check out the other authors’ snippets:

Megan Hart:Read in bed!

Rhian Cahill

Eliza Gayle

Jody Wallace

Mandy M Roth

Lissa Matthews

Leah Braemel

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

Delilah Devlin

Shiloh Walker

Shelli Stevens

Zoë Archer

TJ Michaels

Lauren Dane

Some Contests

If you want to learn a little more about WHEN SHE WASN’T LOOKING and maybe win a free copy, check these out:

Books-n-Kisses – I’m talking about why this book is special to me.

Romance Novel News – I’m talking about the inspiration for this book.

Release Day!

It’s that time again…release day!!! WHEN SHE WASN’T LOOKING is available at B&N, Books-A-Million, Amazon, Harlequin.com and about a billion other places. Feel free to buy 100 or so copies for all your friends.

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.

And for those of you who can’t get enough of book and author talk, I’ll be blogging at the following places about my new release, writing, reading and other miscellaneous goodness on this schedule:

May 1st — Romance Novel News

May 2nd — Books-n-Kisses

May 4th — RR@H Novel Thoughts

May 7th — Delighted Reader

May 8th — Lauren Dane’s blog

May 9th — Book Binge

May 15th — Book Reading Gals

May 17th — RRT Blog

May 22nd — The Good, The Bad & The Unread

May 28th — Writerspace

Cover Reveal

It’s never too early to show a cover, right? Here are the cover and blurb for my August release, COPY THAT, which also happens to be available for pre-order (just saying…):

HE GAVE NEW MEANING TO THE TERM DOUBLE AGENT

Returning from his latest Border Patrol assignment, Jeremy Hill seeks sanctuary in his twin brother’s home. The last thing he expects to find is an armed man already inside, or Meredith Samms, a gorgeous tenant caught in the cross fire. Then he discovers that the gunman’s attack is meant for his twin brother, who is nowhere to be found, and Jeremy must take matters into his own hands. Searching for his brother while protecting this girl next door, Jeremy finds himself caught up in the danger he’d become all too familiar with. In his world, everyone’s a target and anyone can be a suspect, so Jeremy has no room for emotions. But what Meredith stirs within him may complicate this unexpected mission to the point of no return…

RIP

We got married in December and adopted her in February. We picked her from OBG Cocker Spaniel Rescue and knew she was the one when she raced down the porch steps at the foster’s house and nearly knocked the hubby over. Part retriever, part cocker, and all adorable. She got stuck with sore hips, Cushings Disease and, at the end, kidney failure. But she was the sweetest dog ever and I already miss her like crazy.

Rest in peace, sweet girl.

A Book In Photos

A reader asked for the visual version of WHEN SHE WASN’T LOOKING like the one I did for my upcoming (October) untitled contemporary romance from Carina Press here. Here we go:

Courtney is a tough woman with a rough past.

She moved to Oregon to start over…and hide from a killer determined to finish what he started with her family.

Lawman Jonas Porter gets a call to check on Courtney.

He goes to her house but quickly figures out someone is using him to get to her.

She takes off running through the woods but Jonas quickly finds her. So does one of the bad guys.

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After being chased and shot at they figure out nothing is what it’s seems and everyone has a hidden agenda.

Even as they fight Courtney’s past and the betrayal circling around them, they still find time to fall for each other.

Which One Is The Hero

I was putting together a short visual version of WHEN SHE WASN’T LOOKING like I did for my October release (tentatively titles LEAN ON ME) here and came across something that made me chuckle. When you publish with Harlequin you fill out information for the cover. It’s called the Art Fact Sheet (AFS) and it’s actually many sheets. One of the things Harlequin asks for is links to photos for what we think the main characters look like, if you can find them.

So, this is the photo I used for Jonas, my hero:

Here is Harlequin’s version:

I like them both.