HelenKay Dimon's Blog, page 33

Snippet Saturday

Today I'm at Passion & Prose. I'm doing one of my favorite things – hanging out with readers and other authors. I'll check back tomorrow with an update on the event. Until then, today is an "author's choice" day in snippet land. I thought it might be fun to post the first few paragraphs of each of my 2012 Intrigues. Here you go…

WHEN SHE WASN'T LOOKING(May 2012)

Jonas Porter yawned as he marched up the front porch steps to the craftsman-style bungalow in the middle of nowhere. At ten in the morning he'd been on shift for more than sixteen straight hours thanks to the Webber kid taking his neighbor's car for a joyride that ended with a big splash into the Siuslaw River.

When he took the law enforcement position, Jonas had been promised relative peace and quiet by the county sheriff and Jonas' long-time mentor, Walt Roberts. Since Jonas needed a break and crime didn't run rampant in Aberdeen, the small Oregon town where the river dumped into the Pacific Ocean, the job looked like the perfect solution. If a drunk pre-teen with a lack of common sense turned out to be the biggest problem, Jonas could live with that.



Agreeing to handle one small task on his way back to his place to pass out was probably not his brightest move. He needed sleep, but this should easy. In and out and then he could slip into bed for a few hours.

He knocked on the dark red door. The rock beat thumping inside and shaking the walls cut off. He double-checked the house number to make sure he was at the right place. He expected an older lady, a grandmother type. He guessed this one liked her music loud, which blew his older-woman stereotype apart.

In the resulting silence he waited for someone to open up. When no one did, he raised his hand to try again and nearly punched the woman who threw the door open.

COPY THAT (August 2012)

Meredith Samms heard the front door slam. Not hers. This one belonged to the bottom floor apartment.

She rented the small one-bedroom tucked into the eves of the blue craftsman-styled house. Her place stretched all of five hundred-fifty square feet from one end to the other. Still, she paid more per month for the tiny space than her parents paid in mortgage for a two-story colonial on an acre in upstate New York. That's what happened when you wanted a piece of what many considered paradise – a home three blocks from the ocean on Coronado, the peninsula of prime real estate across the harbor from downtown San Diego.

Garrett Hill lived in the more spacious apartment downstairs. Not that he stayed there often enough to enjoy it. He traveled most days of the month and had been out of town for three solid weeks. Half the time she only knew he was home when she heard his heavy footsteps echo through the paper-thin walls.

This trip struck her as odd. The usual blanket of secrecy lifted. A man she'd never seen before had come to the door two days ago looking for Garrett. A courier had left a package for him, saying Garrett gave her name as someone who could sign for it.

Looked like he'd broken the whole lone-wolf thing he had going on and she had no idea why. But she could ask even though the chance of getting an answer was slim. Heck, he'd never even told her what he did for a living, and she'd sure poked around on that topic several times. Good thing she believed in a healthy dose of persistence.

Slipping off the window seat, she grabbed her key and stuffed it in the back pocket of her cut-off denim shorts. The window air conditioner had lost the race against the unusual scorching July afternoon heat. Thinking maybe heading downstairs for a visit would keep her t-shirt from sticking to her back, she jogged down the steps, letting her feet fall heavy in her running shoes to warn of her impending visit.

She knocked twice. On the second rap, the door slipped open as if the wind had pushed it. Since the air stood deadly still today and Garrett was a bit of a security freak, a ball of anxiety started spinning in her chest. With her past, she didn't scare easily but this scene had Bad Horror Film written all over it.

CHRISTMAS PARTY SWITCH (December 2012)

Aaron McBain stood in the only doorway without mistletoe taped to the beam and checked his watch for the tenth time. The schedule ticked along with precision. No surprises. No problems.

He knew that was a bad sign.

No holiday party ever ran on time or as planned. Actually, no party, meeting or anything sponsored by Craft Industries sailed along without an issue. But a half hour before the official kick-off, a steady line of sullen office workers dressed in gray suits had started filing in and now hovered in groups around tables and near the Christmas tree set-up on the small stage at the far end of the room.

Absent was the usual happy holiday chatter found at similar events for other companies, likely because Craft's owner declared attendance mandatory for this after-hours, nowhere-near-the-office party. Amazing how requiring that people have fun guaranteed they didn't.

Aaron wasn't exactly on fire for the party either, and the drive was only one frustration. He'd been working undercover on the Craft security team for three months and handled everything from drunken rages in the office hallways by dismissed employees to threats against the company's president, Lowell Craft. And since Lowell spouted some controversial business theories, including one about how companies treated employees like children instead of workers when what would motivate staff was a series of unexpected office firings on Fridays, it was amazing the guy wasn't knocked over by an attacker in the parking lot every afternoon.

But there was a viable threat today, had been for months since Lowell got the first note promising a painful death if he didn't step down as head of the company by Christmas. Which was why Aaron stood three feet away from where Lowell inspected the buffet table with his usual frown. He apparently didn't approve of the festive atmosphere the center had provided. Not a surprise to Aaron since Lowell didn't like anything.

____________

Remember to check out the other authors' snippets:

Eliza Gayle

Rhian Cahill

Anne Rainey

Jody Wallace

Lissa Matthews

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Taige Crenshaw

Alison Kent

Delilah Devlin

Shiloh Walker

TJ Michaels

Shelli Stevens

Zoë Archer

Leah Braemel

Still Blogging

I've been a very bad blogger lately. I promise to be better. Until then, I am doing my usual Thursday blogging at Genreality today. Stop by and say hello.

Saturday Snippet

Today's theme is romance. I happen to have plenty of scenes that fit this topic. Even though it's fairly warm and sunny where I live, I decided to go with a snippet from my Christmas novella, IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOU (which is also in the HOLIDAY KISSES anthology). I will be writing a few more stories in this world. This book kicks off the series.

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She smiled as she poked him in the side. "Austin."

He came awake in a rush. He jackknifed into a sitting position and held his hands up as if ready to fight off whomever was about to launch an attack. "What is it?"

"I want you to come to a party."

The tension didn't ease across his shoulders. He didn't lower his hands either. "Is that code for something?"

She slipped her arms around his stomach and placed a kiss on his impressive shoulder. By the second kiss, his firm stance melted and his body fell against hers.

"Sorry I scared you," she said.

"More like put me on my guard, but you can wake me up in bed anytime."

She pressed him back on the bed. Not a surprise he didn't put up a fight. The man enjoyed being naked.

But she wanted his attention. Was suddenly desperate for him to understand and agree. "There's a party at my museum at the beginning of the week. A fancy holiday party."

"Okay." He made the word into about eleven syllables.

"I want you to be my date." She tucked her hair behind her ear. "A real date. Not a Shawn date."

"At the museum." Austin said the words nice and slow as if he needed to taste them before committing.

"Yes."

The hand that had been brushing up and down her arm fell to the bed. "Is this a test of some kind?"

She wanted to say no but she had to admit in a way it sort of was. An unfair one, maybe, but a chance for her to show him something that meant so much to her.

"You don't have to look at the paintings. You just have to be there with me."

A huge smile slashed across his face. "Well, why didn't you say so?"

She bit her bottom lip. "Remember this is a big party."

"You might want to stop trying to sell it since you're going the other way now."

"Is that a yes?"

He turned until he lay facing her. "Baby, I can't think of a place you could go where I wouldn't follow."

"You need to wear a tux or at least a fancy suit."

He stopped in the middle of rolling her to her back. "Probably a good thing you waited to tell me that until after I said yes."

"I'm not stupid."

"But you are sexy." Her back hit the mattress and he loomed over her. "And awake. I'm pretty happy about that last part."

That familiar revving started deep in her stomach. The thought he might touch her again so soon was enough to kick her breathing into high gear. "Noticed that, did you?"

"I say we put this thing where we're both awake to good use."

Then he lowered his head and she forgot about anything but him.

____________

Remember to check out the other authors' snippets:

Eliza Gayle

Rhian Cahill

Anne Rainey

Jody Wallace

Lissa Matthews

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Taige Crenshaw

Alison Kent

Delilah Devlin

Shiloh Walker

Zoë Archer

Lacey Savage

Leah Braemel

Away From Home

Over at Genreality today talking about the tv show The Killing and putting emotion on the page. Come say hi!

Sunday Stuff

Just realized I forgot to pick the January contest winner. Sorry! The winner is…Mia Loveless from the January 14th blog. Congratulations! Email me and I'll get the prize to you.

While I'm writing, writing, writing, I thought I'd share this photo with you from pinterest (I have a page in case you want to check it out: here). I would like this and need to find it:

New Book!

For those who liked my Christmas novella, IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOU (and I'm hoping that's most of you), I will be writing another book based on one of the secondary characters – wahoo!!! This one will be longer. It's tentatively titled LEAN ON ME (and that will likely change) and will come out in October from Carina Press. This book stars Mitch (the brother of the INCWY heroine) and Cassidy, a woman with whom he had a near-miss way back in high school. The book takes place in the fictional town of Holloway, West Virginia. The tagline I used in the proposal was:

Cassidy Clarke needs a little luck. What she gets is a six-foot handsome hottie with a naughty proposal about moving in with him. Lucky girl.

Very excited to write it!

Various

First, thougt I'd mention WHEN SHE WASN'T LOOKING is up for pre-order at Amazon and B&N.

Second, I'm blogging at Genreality today about the "are ebooks really books" question.

Finally, for those who enjoyed IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOU, I have some great news. Will announce it as soon as I get the okay.

Justified

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.

So when Dickie and Coover Crowe, dope-dealing brothers known for sampling their own supply, decide to branch out into the body business, it's up to U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens to stop them. But Raylan isn't your average marshal; he's the laconic, Stetson-wearing, fast-drawing lawman who juggles dozens of cases at a time and always shoots to kill. But by the time Raylan finds out who's making the cuts, he's lying naked in a bathtub, with Layla, the cool transplant nurse, about to go for his kidneys.

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!

Saturday Snippet

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.



His gaze traveled around the enclosed space just in case the owners of the voices he heard on the street decided to step inside. "You need to pick up your feet. The goal is quiet."

"Sorry." Pink raced up her neck and stained her cheeks.

When she started rubbing her hands together, her fingers brushed against his stomach and both of them froze. This close, he could see the green flecks in her eyes and the round angel face with full lips that begged for him to run a finger across them. She was a beautiful woman, curvy behind her conservative black suit and tall enough for her mouth to reach his chin.

The lacy white shirt under her blazer hinted at her feminine side.

And her ability to stay calm and on her feet while the world crumbled around her…well, that was sexier than any of her other obvious female attributes.

He put his hand over hers and held them against his stomach. Something sparked in her eyes and her body went still. He sensed the second she remembered where they were.

"You are safe with me." He waited until she nodded to go on. "Hold my pants or my shirt. Do not let go."

"Got it."

"Also might be a good idea for you not to yank the pants up so high."

He gaze shifted to his lower half and her mouth dropped open. "I didn't-"

"Any higher and my belt will be at my neck. I can fight through most things, but having my pants at my ears will down my running speed."

She let out a half-laugh that sounded more like a squeak then put her hand over her mouth. "I'm so sorry."

"I've got swim trunks on, so we're fine." When her shoulders stopped shaking, he skipped to the tougher stuff. "The sun is at full power. You need to lose the jacket."

At this time of year, the temperature bounced from cool fifties at night to boiling high-nineties with no wind in the afternoon. A dark blazer might hide her identity but heat stroke could kill her. Wearing nothing but a blinding white shirt would put a target on her back.

She slipped the blazer off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. He tried not to notice her bare shoulders or the way the shirt stretched across her breasts. The slight definition of muscles down her tanned arms suggested she worked out. His brain processed the fact and stored it for later use in their escape. The not-so-smart part of him wanted to reach out and test her skin to see if it was as smooth as it looked.

She rubbed her hands over her exposed arms. "Better?"

"Yeah." He untucked his shirt and slipped it over his head, leaving the top of his wet suit on. "Slip this over your shirt. It will give you a bit of camouflage"

When she just stood there staring at him, he tried again. "Megan?"

She visibly snapped back to attention. "Right."

The shirt fell to her upper thighs. The baggy clothes took her from business and in charge to vulnerable. The bunny slippers probably had something to do with the change.

"We're going to get to the edge of this neighborhood then wait for the signal. Once we're clear, we'll get to the water and get you out."

She swallowed hard enough to make her throat move. "You do mean by boat and not by swimming."

"Are you afraid of the water?" He could knock her out if he had to, but he sure as hell hoped it didn't come to that.

"Terrified of sharks."

A phobia he could handle. "Won't let them near you. Promise."

She pushed away from the wall and put a hand on the back of his shirt. "Ready."

"I like your style, Megan White."

____________

Remember to check out the other authors' snippets:

Eliza Gayle

Rhian Cahill

Anne Rainey

Jody Wallace

Lissa Matthews

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Taige Crenshaw

Alison Kent

Delilah Devlin

Shiloh Walker

TJ Michaels

Shelli Stevens

Zoë Archer

Leah Braemel

And We Have A Cover

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.