HelenKay Dimon's Blog, page 50

Snippet Saturday

Today's snippet is on the topic of romance. Since that's what I write it was a little tough to pick just one book to highlight. I decided to go with my Samhain ebook release, A PROPER SEDUCTION, since the book isn't a traditional romance with a happily ever after. I hope the ending is satisfying, but there's no wedding scene here. This novella is more in the erotic romance vein than my other books. There's a wounded heroine, a flawed hero and a rough past that pushes these two apart. Their time together is supposed to be just phyisical, about sex and nothing more, but things don't go according to Lauren's plan. The excerpt picks up on the second night Lauren and Justin are together at a hotel…

The door to the room opened, interrupting her internal debate.

Justin filled the entrance. Not business Justin who worked long hours and wore a conservative suit with an expertise that suggested he should model them. Nope. This was sexy bedroom Justin. Barefoot, boxer briefs, wearing an open robe that revealed a bare, broad chest. Everything about him gave off an air of relaxation, from the drink in one hand to the way he munched on a pretzel. Only he could make this look seem so hot.

He took forever to chew and then finally swallowed. "Are you coming inside the room or do you want to have sex in the hallway?"

She did a quick glance around her to make sure no one had heard his comment. "You're early."

"I was hungry."

"You sound like a kid."

"Not the first time I've heard that from a woman." He dropped his hand from the door and walked back into the room. Kept right on going until he sprawled out on the bed with his back balanced against the headboard.

Lauren followed him inside and refrained from slamming the door behind her. It was either move or stand there like an idiot, and she had done the immobile thing for five minutes already. But it took her less time than that to see the silver-covered dishes sitting on a rolling cart with a pure white tablecloth underneath. There was no mistaking what was under there. Food.

"You ordered room service?" she asked.

"Is that a problem?" Ice cubes clanked in his empty glass as he set it down on the nightstand next to him.

It was a disaster. Food delivery smacked of a date. He knew that. But this was a challenge of some sort. He was trying to get a reaction out of her.

She decided not to give him the satisfaction. "No."

She reached for the tie on the side of her wrap dress. Since she did not have a scrap of underwear on under it, she doubted they'd be talking about dinner much longer.

But he stopped her. "You want to get right to it again, huh?"

"Is that a problem?" she asked, repeating his words back to him.

"Do you hear me complaining?"

No, but he wasn't exactly rushing to get her naked either. "You're already undressed."

"Mostly, that's true."

"Only makes sense for me to join you." She made a show of glancing around the food tray. "Unless you're more interested in eating."

"That's for after."

"After?"

"If last night was any indication, I'm going to need re-fueling before I can drive home." He shrugged. "Getting into an accident sort of kills off my relaxed, post-sex mood, if you know what I mean."

"You could have stayed here."

"Not without you."

The husky words spiraled right through her. Made her stomach go a little gooey for a second.

"You're flirting," she said, part of her hoping that was true.

"Is that a violation of some rule?"

"No."

"Good." He slid off the bed and came to stand in front of her. Fingers brushed against her hips as his gaze dipped to the valley between her breasts. "So, tell me what you want me to do tonight."

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Don't forget to check out the other Snippet blogs:

Lauren Dane

Leah Braemel

Mari Carr

Delilah Devlin

Eliza Gayle

McKenna Jeffries

Taige Crenshaw

Lissa Matthews

Too Cute

Saw this photo on Gawker and just had to take a break from writing, eating Christmas cookies and otherwise wasting time to post it:

Yes, that's a dog.

Happy Anniversary!

Today is my 12th wedding anniversary.

You are the perfect guy for me. Love you, babe.

Foreign Cover Fun

I previously showed off my Dutch cover for YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY. The title there is ALOHA! and it's so pretty that we should look at it again:

I just found another Dutch cover. This one is called EXPLOSIEF! Here it is:

Know what it is?

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Yep, it's IT'S HOTTER IN HAWAII.

Love both covers.

Romance Ebooks

My hubby passed along an article he saw in the New York Times about romance ebooks. It's called, Lusty Tales and Hot Sales: Romance Ebooks Thrive. Many familiar names are quoted here – Sarah Wendell of Smart Bitches, Jane at Dear Author, Harlequin's Carina Press…and the list goes on. That's probably why the article comes off as respectful to the romance genre. The writer talked to people in the know and didn't rely on the usual romance novel stereotype silliness. Thank you for that, Julie Bosman.

And, not a surprise, the article talks about the huge ebook sales numbers. Here's an interesting tidbit:

Barnes & Noble, the nation's largest bookstore chain, is courting romance readers more aggressively than ever. William Lynch, the chief executive, said in an interview that until recently Barnes & Noble was a nonplayer in the huge romance category, but that it now has captured more than 25 percent of the market in romance e-books. Sometime next year, he said, he expects the company's e-book sales in romance to surpass its print sales.

And RWA got it's info/statistics in there. Go RWA!!

Romance is a natural leader here. The genre took off in the 1980s, when it expanded from the typical dreamy or bodice-ripping historical novels to include contemporary, plot-driven stories with characters drawn from real life. (Happy endings, though, are still required.) In 2009, when more than 9,000 titles were published, romance fiction generated $1.36 billion in sales, giving it the largest share of the overall trade-book market, according to the Romance Writers of America, which compiles statistics on romance books.

Holiday blogging

I'm talking about holiday travel memories and posting some photos over at the Access Romance Blog. Stop by and say hello!

Revealed!

Now that the information is out there I can go ahead and announce….I sold a super sexy short story. Yay! The tentative title is Just Say Yes and it will appear in the Agony/Ecstasy anthology put together by Jane at Dear Author. The book comes out from Berkley Heat in November 2011.

My story is a boss/assistant story with a twist. The boss is the heroine and the hero is just plain yummy. I am super excited about the story and absolutely thrilled to be included in an anthology with authors I love, like Anne Calhoun, Meljean Brook and Bettie Sharp. Some of the authors in the antho are new-to-me, but I look forward to reading their work.

Contest Winner

The November monthly contest winner is: Carol Bowen (comment #7) from the "B.J. Daniels" blog on November 19th. Congratulations!! Email me and I'll get that gift certificate out to you.

Snippet Saturday

Today's snippet is from my upcoming release, GUNS AND THE GIRL NEXT DOOR (Harlequin Intrigue, Jan. 2011). This book is related to UNDER THE GUN and kicks off a four-book miniseries called Mystery Men. The hero and heroine don't know each other…until she drives her car through his front door. Check it out:

Holden Price leaned his head back against his couch and threw a baseball in the air for what felt like the hundredth time. Much more of this and his catching hand would go numb.

Being on paid leave was not his idea of a good time. More like torture.

Up until two months ago he'd worked undercover with the Recovery Project, an off-the-books government agency fronting as an antique salvage operation. He found missing people for a living, those on the run who didn't want to be found and those who were desperate for rescue.

One case gone wrong and pencil-pushing higher-ups disbanded the Project and subpoenaed his boss, Rod Lehman, to Capitol Hill for top secret congressional subcommittee hearings. It all sounded like a load of bureaucratic crap to Holden.

He spent his twenties in the Army and the first four years of his thirties at the Project. Without the routine of work the last few weeks dragged. He couldn't remember ever being this bored.

The ball thumped against his palm before he whipped it into the air again. The seam turned end over end as it traveled halfway to his family room ceiling. It ran out of ompf and began falling back down just as the lights on his outside alarm system flickered to life on the panel next to the door.

Shrill beeps filled the room and kept right on cycling. When tires squealed outside the large double window across from him, Holden lifted his head. Saw the blinding headlights weaving and shifting straight up his lawn.

The sights and sounds refused to register in his brain. By design, his cabin sat in the middle of nowhere. He dealt with dangerous people and life threatening situations. The unsettling mix had convinced him long ago to set up a sanctuary, a place of peace known only to a few friends who also happened to be gun-carrying colleagues.

And now someone was violating the safety zone he created, using more than three thousand pounds of automobile as a weapon to do it.

He scrambled off the cushion and grabbed for the gun in his side table. He hit the floor on his right shoulder just as the sedan smacked into and through his front door. The crashing boom rattled the cabin's foundation.

The wood creaked and splintered. Studs crumbled. The lights dimmed as the exposed wires fell from the smashed ceiling panels and pushed the electricity to the breaking point.

With dust flying and pieces of furniture scattered everywhere, Holden sat still, his back to what was left of the couch and his gun aimed at the bowed head in the front seat of the car. Long blond hair mixed with the broken windshield glass even as the white knuckle grip continued its hold on steering wheel.

His attacker was a she.

And possibly dead.

She also didn't have an air bag, which he found odd. Not that any part of the last two minutes had been normal.

Slow and as quiet as a man of his size could manage, he jumped to his feet. The muzzle didn't waver. Neither did his stare. If she moved, he'd be ready to shoot.

Glass crunched under his feet as he approached the front of the car. The house alarm blared, but Holden tuned it out. His focus centered on her. Whoever "her" was.

"Lift your head." He issued the order in his best you're a dead woman tone.

Nothing.

To keep from going deaf, he headed for the alarm. Shifting around the side of the car and keeping his body square with the mystery driver, he reached out to disarm the thing. Just lifted his hand and felt nothing but the cool March night air.

Snow hadn't fallen in Northern Virginia this week but the crisp smell signaled what could be a final winter blast. Since he now lacked a front wall that was going to be a problem.

Glancing down, he traced his foot through the debris littering what was once a shiny hardwood floor. No sign of the panel, but he did spy his keys. As he leaned down to grab the chain, the driver's head popped up.

She screamed loud enough to make his ears shrivel.

The shriek echoed inside his brain, drowning out the annoying sound of the alarm. In two seconds, he hit the code on his key chain to stop the electronic screeching. At the same time, he leveled the gun at the woman's forehead in an attempt to quiet her down.

"Stop."

"Wh-what…?"

"Do not move." When she tried to open her door, he lifted his foot and kicked it shut on her again.

"Hey!"

"You're not listening. Stay right there."

Her hand shook as she pressed it to her forehead. "What are you doing?"

"Setting the ground rules."

The skin at corners of her eyes wrinkled. "What?"

"This is my house."

She shook her head and then grabbed it. "I don't understand," she said in a voice rough with what sounded like pain.

He didn't know what to believe. Hard to trust a woman who used his family room as a parking lot.

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Don't forget to check out the other Snippet blogs:

Lauren Dane

Leah Braemel

Mari Carr

Jody Wallace

Delilah Devlin

Eliza Gayle

Sasha White

McKenna Jeffries

TJ Michaels

Taige Crenshaw

Lissa Matthews

Spotlight: Jo Goodman

I used to spotlight authors and books I wanted to read. Somewhere along the line I stopped doing it. Well, it's back!! There are a few books coming out over the next few months that I've been eyeing up. Figured if I was waiting on the books the least I could so was tell you about them…and make you want them too.

First up… MARRY ME by Jo Goodman.

Her Heart Was Locked Away

Rhyne Abbot is fierce, brave, and used to a life of isolation on her father's spread on the outskirts of Reidsville, Colorado. But when, overcome with sickness, she collapses, she knows she must return to town if she is to have any hope of recovery. Only there is no place for her but the new doctor's home, and he wants more than just to heal Rhyne. He wants her hand in marriage.

Until One Man Found The Key

Doctor Cole Monroe's hands are already more than full with his orphaned little sister to look after, and yet somehow he can't resist the magnetic pull of Rhyne's bewitching eyes—or her tempting kiss. But convincing her to trust him won't be easy. For Rhyne's heart needs as much tender care as her ailing body. And the only cure is the thing she most fears: to let herself fall in love…

I've been counting down the days to this one. It's not my usual got-to romance reading. I tend to stick to contemporaries and romantic suspense, and read historicals only sparingly. But I read her last one, NEVER LOVE A LAWMAN, and loved it. Really loved it. Thought the heroine/hero banter was great, adored the hero and totally got sucked into the world Goodman created. This book is set in the same world.

For those who have read this far: I'm a big believer in spreading the reading love around, so I'm giving a copy away. If you're interested in getting a copy of this book leave a comment here about Jo Goodman, her books, historical romance or anything related and I'll pick someone to win a copy. Check back on Monday for the winner.