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Welcome to our New Faces column, where we are pleased to introduce debut romance authors. This time we're visiting with HelenKay Dimon, whose first book is When Good Things Happen to Bad Boys, a Kensington Brava anthology release. Let's meet her. HelenKay, welcome to TRR! Tell us about yourself. I'm a small-town girl, originally from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. For those who saw the movie Witness all those years ago, you get the picture. College in Syracuse New York, led to a job on Capitol Hill, which led to law school in North Carolina. After all that moving around, I married a wonderful man I met in college, James. We live in the D.C. Metropolitan area (that basically means Maryland). We share our home with two cats and a dog. Despite the fact James and I are both lawyers and like to control everything, we never win a single argument or negotiation with the animals. They run to place. We're simply there to feed them and pay the mortgage. Are you coming to romance writing from another job? This is one of those strange bedfellows' stories. I'm a divorce lawyer in my non-writing life. Not the normal jump-off point for a romance writer, I know. I've always been an avid reader but, must admit, I didn't start reading romance until about 1997. In the middle of a series of very rough custody cases, a co-worker told me I needed a guaranteed happy ending and handed me three romance novels. I've been hooked ever since. I continue to practice law and write whenever I can. What led you to write romance? Once I found romance novels, I read them with abandon. After a year or two, I wondered if I could write one. I always enjoyed writing and had an active imagination, so I decided to give it a try. This turned out to be one of those easier-to-say-than-do things. Writing is hard work. Selling is even harder. Tell us about your road to publication. I entered a few contests, but the two big "breaks" I had came from Lori Foster and the Maryland Romance Writers. Lori ran a Brava Novella Contest. Entrants wrote 3 pages and Lori (later Lori and a group of fellow Brava authors) reviewed the entries, picked the top 20, and those were delivered to Kensington Brava editor Kate Duffy. I missed the first contest deadline but finaled in the next two. That exposure put my work on Kate's desk. We talked several times. She encouraged. I kept writing. At one point, she had two requested manuscripts of mine on her desk. While I waited for her feedback on those manuscripts, I figured out she was coming to the area to speak at a query workshop held by the Maryland Romance Writers. This was one of those great sessions where you submit a draft query, Kate reads it for the room and comments on it. Well, she read mine and told me to send the entire novella to her. That was September 2004. In May 2005, I got the call. Kate bought the novella, which is included in the April 2006 release, When Good Things Happen To Bad Boys with Lori foster and Erin McCarthy. Many people start out with critique partners. I actually found a wonderful writing buddy, Wendy Duren, after I had submitted the novella, but before it actually sold. She didn't review and help with my initial sale, but she's read everything since. For me, the relationship works very well. She sees things I don't, makes me think about my writing in new ways and pushes me to be better and better. She may not have been there at the very beginning, but I'm hoping she's with me from here on. What kind of research was involved for your first book? I have to admit - none. Well, none in the sense that it is a contemporary novella about a contractor (the heroine) and an architect (the hero). I checked out the National Trust For Historic Preservation because the book revolves around a rehab project on a historically protected house. But, really, the research I did had more to do with reading almost every Brava published by Kensington, learning the imprint, getting to know the editor - the kind of things I needed to do to make sure I was submitting my work to the appropriate place. Tell us about your debut novella. In "Hardhats and Silk Stockings", Hannah Bridges is a blue-collar girl trying to prove herself in the male-dominated world of construction. She's been plowed under by deadlines and spends most days focusing on work instead of play. Whit Thomas is the architect assigned to oversee the construction project. He also happens to own the home Hannah is working on. Whit is an Ivy League blueblood, and he is very attracted to Hannah. When he can't convince her to put down the clipboard and give him a chance, he stages a little "accident" to lock her in a secret room in the house's basement with him. The novella is a sexy and light opposites-attract story. I'm hoping everyone will enjoy it. Who are your influences as a writer? There are so many. I always thank the three romance authors I read initially. These talented ladies opened up a whole new world for me - Linda Lael Miller, Jayne Ann Krentz and Julie Garwood. I also love Linda Howard, Alison Kent, Jennifer Crusie, Kyra Davis, Amy Fetzer, and a host of others. This year I focused on reading many new and new-to-me authors and found some great writers, such as Julie Kenner, Gena Showalter, Carrie Vaughn, Carla Cassidy, Sylvia Day, Genita Low and Kerrelyn Sparks. Again, the list goes on and on, but that gives you an idea. I also read widely outside of romance. I love mystery and suspense. For solid writing on the near-genius level, I always turn to Kazuo Ishiguro. His talent leaves me somewhat breathless. What does your family think of having a published romance author in their midst? Everyone from my husband, to my parents, to my brothers, to extended family, to friends and co-workers is, and has been, extremely supportive. If people are being condescending or negative, I haven't seen or heard it - which is a good thing... Tell us about plans for future books. My next release is the single author Brava anthology, Viva Las Bad Boys! It will hit the shelves in August 2006. The novellas are loosely connected and center on what's happening behind-the-scenes at a Las Vegas casino. I also have a single title Brava coming out in 2007. No set date or title on that one yet. It's about the police chief of Kauai and the abrupt end to his vacation when a naked woman claiming to have amnesia washes up on the beach outside his home. This one has a touch of mystery in addition to some steamy scenes and lighter moments. Right now I am working on my next Brava. It's a single author anthology based on two secondary characters from "Hardhats and Silk Stockings" and the women who drive them crazy. How can readers get in touch with you? Finding me should be pretty easy. I have a website - www.helenkaydimon.com. I blog (almost) every day and love when people drop by and comment. Readers can also reach me via email at helenkay@helenkaydimon.com. Thank you so much for asking me to stop by with you!
HelenKay, thank you for joining us, and best of luck with your future releases!
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