HelenKay Dimon's Blog, page 32

Snippet Saturday

Today's topic is character sass. I'm not 100% sure I know what that means, but I'll give it a shot. Since it's winter-ish in some parts of the country, I'm going with my holiday novella, IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOU. Yes, I know it's a holiday story, but I think it fits the topic here. I also need to re-read it since I'm writing Mitch's story next. He's the brother of the heroine in IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOU. Mitch's story will be out in October. Until then, here's a peek at some of the other folks from Holloway, West Virginia. In this scene, the hero is crashing a dinner the heroine is on with someone else.

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They made it to the end of the salad course before Austin wandered in. He walked over, waved off most of the wait staff and did not stop until he hit the side of their table.

Austin shot Shawn one of those hard-to-read smiles that could go either way—furious or happy. "Did we change the time and no one told me?"

To his credit, Shawn shrugged off a threat, implied or otherwise. "Carrie and I decided to start without you."

"Fair enough." Austin's shoulders visibly relaxed. "How are we doing?"

Since this likely meant the end of the rational part of the evening, Carrie dragged the napkin off her lap and folded it on the edge of the table. "Before or after this minute?"

"Funny."



"Shouldn't you be working?"

"Spence can handle it, and I promised I'd join you, so here I am." Austin turned around and in five seconds sweet-talked the table next to them out of their extra chair. Dumping it in the small space next to her, he sat down and scanned the table. "What is everyone eating?"

"I ordered the halibut," Shawn said, sounding calm despite the arrival of Hurricane Austin.

Shawn's acting skills impressed Carrie. Austin had been there only for a few minutes and she had to fight off the urge to roll her eyes about a hundred times already. She had no idea how far Austin intended to go with this, but she knew she'd only be able to take so much.

"Fish?" Austin made a face. "I don't have to look at the menu and can tell you Carrie ordered something with four legs."

Not that her meat-and-potato ways were a big secret. "Yes, but I'm hoping they remove those before they put the meat on the plate and serve dinner."

"You don't like fish? I would have thought you were a fisherman." Shawn leaned back in his chair, clearly enjoying the byplay.

"Why?" Austin asked.

"Because you're from West Virginia. I assumed you fish and hunt." Shawn's gaze went to her. "Is that offensive?"

Austin took a sip of her water before waving the waiter over. "Being from West Virginia?"

"My comment placing you as an outdoors type."

"Outdoors type?" Austin let out with a hmpf. "Been called a lot of things before but never that."

"Austin likes to pretend he's a country hick, but he's actually smart." She looked him up and down and frowned as she did, just to let him know her patience with his acting was waning. "Well, usually. And a college graduate with a whole bunch of certifications for his work."

Austin nodded. "Took the refrigerator off the porch long ago."

"Not married to your sister?" Shawn's burst of laughter died out when no one joined him.

"Oh no, Shawn. I can make fun of West Virginia." Austin used her water glass to point but his voice stayed light. "You have to be from there to get away with the hick jokes."

Shawn cleared his throat. "Right. Sorry."

The waiter appeared at the table with another place setting. "Are you joining the table, sir?"

"Actually, there were supposed to be three chairs from the start," Austin said.

"My mistake," Carrie mumbled so only he could hear.

"Well played." He winked at her before turning back to the waiter. "Yes. I'd like my own water and whatever she's having."

The waiter's fake smile fumbled. "Your meal may take a bit longer than theirs."

"That's okay. I don't plan on eating it anyway."

The waiter's eyes narrowed. "Sir?"

"It's fine." Carrie let the poor man go before Austin drove him over the edge then she turned to the cause of most of the evening's difficulties. "I'd remind you this is a date."

Austin reached into the bread basket and rummaged around, ignoring the bran roll and heading right for the white-flour option. "I know. I set you two crazy kids up. With a third, of course."

"Dates usually mean two people," she said, not caring at all about the date. Austin might have a point to make, but so did she.

"Not in West Virginia," Austin said.

Shawn just looked confused. Had the whole eyebrows-pulled-together thing going on. "Pardon?"

This time she did roll her eyes. "The stereotypes about our home state are bad enough without you adding to them."

"Like the whole people living on farms and men swinging from trees?" Austin slathered butter on his roll and popped a strip into his mouth.

She wondered what else to try since eye rolling clearly wasn't working. "Are you done?"

"Do you climb, Austin?" Shawn asked.

"Climb what?"

Shawn's face went blank. "I don't—"

Just when she thought the evening couldn't get stranger. "I think Shawn means hike."

"Ah. I thought you meant trees." After spreading most of the remaining butter on his last piece of roll, Austin put it on the small plate in front of him.

____________

Remember to check out the other authors' snippets:

Megan Hart:Read in bed!

Rhian Cahill

Jody Wallace

Eliza Gayle

Lissa Matthews

Mandy M Roth

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

Delilah Devlin

Lauren Dane

Leah Braemel

Shiloh Walker

TJ Michaels

Zoë Archer

In 2012

Some folks have asked about my release schedule for 2012. There is a tentative one in the sidebar on the Bookshelf and Upcoming pages, but it's changed since the website was last updated, so I thought I'd put the newly revised but still tentative one here pending the next website update:

May: WHEN SHE WASN'T LOOKING (Harlequin Intrigue)

June: DOWN TO BUSINESS (Digital short, Coleman Engineering Book #2)

August: COPY THAT (Harlequin Intrigue)

October: LEAN ON ME (working title, Carina Press – Holloway Book #2)

November: CHRISTMAS PARTY SWITCH (working title and I will be stunned if it doesn't change, Harlequin Intrigue)

December: A still secret Christmas story - will announce as soon as I can

At Genreality

I'm blogging at Genreality today. Stop by and say hello.

Contest Winner

I was a very bad blogger in February but you guys still commented – thank you! That means we have a February Contest winner. It's…kimh, comment #2 on the February 12th blog post. Congrats! Email me so I can get the gift certificate to you.

If You're In Tucson

Just a reminder that I will be at the Tucson Festival of Books this weekend. It's my first time at this event and I'm pretty excited. I'm doing a workshop and on a panel. Here is the information for those:

You Talkin' to Me? Writing the Guts of Great Dialogue

Romance Workshop

Workshop / Sun 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Integrated Learning Center – Room 137

The Different Flavors of Romance

Panel / Sat 2:30 PM – 03:30 PM

Koffler – Room 216

This is a huge event, covering many genres. Check out that link above! There's something for everyone, so if you're in the area, please stop by and say hello.

Sophie Katz!

Do you guys know who Kyra Davis is? She writes the Sophie Katz Mystery series. I LOVE (note the capitalitzation) this series. It's smart and fun and has a touch of romance. I went a-hunting for Davis' website the other day and realized there's a new Sophie Katz book. This one is self-published. Don't care about that at all. Davis is a great writer and I will take a book from her however I can get it.

Here's the very beginning of VANITY, VENGEANCE & A WEEKEND IN VEGAS (taken from the website):

My anger was blurring my vision. I could feel its vibrating pulse as it filled me up and then oozed out, consuming the room. I know my boyfriend, Anatoly, felt it too. Or perhaps I should say my soon to be ex-boyfriend. It was all a bit surreal. This was me, Sophie Katz, breaking up with the man who I had whispered words of love to only hours ago. Well at least I planned to break up with him. There was a small chance that I might actually kill him before I got around to making the break-up official.

I love Anatoly and am hoping Sophie forgives him.

Snippet Saturday

Today's topic is the big moment, that first look between the hero and heroine. I love a surprise "meet-up" and have one in my story, Finding Home, in the SEAL of My Dreams anthology. The heroine, Megan, is a Foreign Service officer on the team setting up a new embassy. When the country explodes, Hal, the hero, comes to the rescue. Here is their first meeting:

Megan slipped her shoulder out of her hiding place and peered around the desk. The door to the office remained close but the shouting had stopped. She couldn't even hear a low rumble of voices, which touched off a free-fall in her stomach.

She cleared the throat, trying to fight off the cough tickling her. Smoke choked the room now. A steady stream of gray haze moved through the one-story building. That meant there was an open window somewhere and either a huge lapse in protocol or a situation too horrible to contemplate.

She shifted to her knees, ignoring the hard shaking that moved her body from side to side. She'd keep low, crawl then run. She repeated the plan until it was the only thought running through her mind.

"Don't stop." She mouthed the words, surprised when they escaped her lips as a soft groan.

She tried to get a foot under her when something moved in front of her. A face peeked around the doorway connecting the area to the hallway running to the back door and kitchen. A scream raced up her throat but she stopped it in time when the figure put a finger to his lips. Black pants, black long-sleeved tee, black hair. The man almost blended into the dark wall, which she guessed was the point.



Even from across the room, a good fifteen feet away, she could make out his shocking blue eyes. The black watch and razor short haircut shouted military but she'd met every Marine protecting the Ambassador on this mission and he wasn't one of them. She'd remember that face, lean with a strong chin and a serious frown that comforted rather than scared her.

Ducking low, he ran in a line straight for her. Crouched and soundless. Focused and determined. He reached her before she could lift her hands to fend him off.

Then he balanced in front of her, right at the small opening under the desk. "Lieutenant Commander Hal Robertson, U.S. Navy."

Relief raced through her, zapping every ounce of strength as it went. "You're a SEAL."

It wasn't a question because she knew. The steely determination, the absolute lack of fear. He walked into a disaster, his gaze constantly surveying as if he were analyzing and dissecting every move and every exit.

"Yes, ma'am." He lowered his weapon as he stared straight into her eyes. "You are?"

"Megan White." She held out her hand.

He folded her cold fingers in his palms, heating them with a gentle rub. "Are you hurt, Megan White?"

"Scared witless."

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Understood."

Right behind the relief came a rush of guilt. She'd hid under a desk while her boss fought off who knew how many men. "The Ambassador?"

"Wait here." Hal stood up and stalked, not stopping or landing even one loud footstep, on his way to the office door.

She guessed then he'd had the building under surveillance. He knew where to look and the layout of the building, which she hoped meant there were others out there ready to move in for a rescue. Scrambling out of the tiny hole and using the desk as a shield, she watched him. Long and lean, he moved with the grace of a jungle cat with the air crackling around him. His body in perfect control. His mind centered on the door.

____________

Remember to check out the other authors' snippets:

Megan Hart:Read in bed!

Rhian Cahill

Jody Wallace

Eliza Gayle

Lissa Matthews

Mandy M Roth

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

Delilah Devlin

Lauren Dane

Leah Braemel

Shelli Stevens

Shiloh Walker

TJ Michaels

Zoë Archer

Cover Question

Jayne Ann Krentz was one of the first romance authors I ever read. I got hooked on the genre, so I am very loyal to those authors I picked up first. That means I buy all of JAK's books, regardless of which name she writes under. Her current series about the Arcane Society is not my favorite, yet still I buy.

I have noticed changes to her covers lately. Her contemporaries under the JAK name seem to be getting sexier. Her last futuristic cover…well, I hated it. I just saw her upcoming historical romance under the Amanda Quick name. It's different from her previous. I can't figure out if I like it, but it sure did catch my attention.

The upcoming historical (click on it to see it bigger):

In case you're interested, the futuristic cover I didn't like:

Genreality

I'm blogging at Genreality today about the fun part of writing. Stop by and say hello.

Conference Follow-Up

I attended a new event over the weekend – Passion & Prose. The target of this event is readers, which is the absolute best idea. There were opportunities for readers to chat with authors and get books signed, all in an informal atmosphere. I had a really good time and saw some online blogger friends and authors I only get to see in person a few times per year.

The speakers really added to the event. There was a YA author panel. The authors were at the end of a multi-city publicity tour. You could tell they were comfortable with each other and they did a great job selling their books by just being themselves. For me the highlight was Beth Revis. She wrote ACROSS THE UNIVERSE which I read months ago and thought was really good. It's one of those plots where I heard it and thought, "well, why didn't I think of that?" And when she said she writes scifi because she likes to blow things up, my heart melted. Loved that answer.

I'm not a big steampunk reader. I love the creativity of it, the covers and the look of the lifestyle. It's just one of those genres I never think to pick up unless someone makes a recommendation.

Despite all that, Gail Carriger is an author name I hear all the time. Having heard her speak, I can see why. She has the look and her background as an archeologist and academic makes her even more interesting to listen to. I bought the first in her series, SOULLESS because she was so entertaining. She also shares my great love for tea.

Meg Cabot was the afternoon speaker. I've heard her talk before and she is always a joy. She's funny and charming, much like her books.

My favorite series by her is the Heather Wells Mystery series (it's an adult chick lit style mystery with a bit of romance). These books are on my keeper shelf. so imagine my joy when she said a new book is coming out this year. It's called SIZE 12 AND READY TO ROCK. I am so excited for the July release.

Bottom line: well-run conference day, terrific speakers and a lot of fun. I really hope Mysterious Galaxy puts it on again next year.