Guest HelenKay Dimon and Holiday Kisses

Hee. That amused me. 😉 Today as you see we have HelenKay Dimon here talking about her novella coming out soon. (She was supposed to talk about the Navy SEALS charity anthology last time, but life got in the way. Mean life!) Anyway, I’m really excited about the contemporary romance themed Carina Anthology – I read last years’ and really enjoyed it. So I have high hopes for this year too!

Thanks for having me here today and letting me talk a little about my new Christmas novella, It’s Not Christmas Without You  in the Holiday Kisses anthology from Carina Press.

When I was asked to contribute to this anthology, I knew exactly what the plot of the book would be. I’d long had this idea about a dating-since-high-school couple who find each other, lose each other and then find each other again. I didn’t want the story to be a guessing game about whether or not they fall in love. This is about people figuring out how to work through tough issues like living in different states and wanting different things from life. The concepts felt very real and contemporary to me.

Really, much of this book is made up of pieces that were familiar to me.

1. The main setting for the book is Washington, D.C. and I lived there for seventeen years (with a three year break in North Carolina for law school). I love the city and wanted to capture a piece of it in the book.

2. The location of Carrie’s (the heroine) apartment is in a building where a friend once lived, right on the edge of Georgetown. I remember the building, the road, the grassy area in front of the apartment. And there used to be a Christmas tree lot on the corner in front of the building every year. Since my hero, Austin, runs a tree lot, this location was perfect.

3. Carrie works at the National Museum Of Women In The Arts. I remember touring the building and being stunned by how pretty it was inside. In fact when it came time to pick a location for my wedding years ago, I looked into holding it at the museum…then I heard the cost and decided no.

4. A dear friend from high school now works for the National Forrest Service and lives in West  Virginia. When creating Austin and his family I thought about this friend and her love of the land and tried to bring those feelings to life in Austin. Also, Carrie and Austin come from a town much like where my friend lives now.

I’ve always thought romance novels are, at their heart, about hope. If that’s true, holiday romance novels are the ultimate in hope. The holidays usher in the New Year and deal with renewal and gratefulness. Writing IT’S NOT CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOU gave me a chance to explore all those feelings and issues with a couple who clearly love each other but need to learn to get out of their own way and find a future together.

Happy Holidays!

HelenKay is going to give away two kindle copies (obviously to two different people) of her novella. Note – Carina Press books are only available digitally. So what do you think about Holiday Themed Romances? Or DC? Or when you read about books centered around “what you know”?

0 thoughts on “Guest HelenKay Dimon and Holiday Kisses

  1. myrandaroyann

    I really enjoy Holiday themed romances…that is, if they’re well-written and not tacked on to sell copies. And it sounds like Ms. HelenKay wrote a great story! I really love how this story sounds so realistic.

    Reply
  2. JoAnne

    I’ve always enjoyed holiday themed books – especially Christmas anthologies so i can read several of my favorite authors together. I like when the stories are new – not recycled because then I feel cheated.
    It’s always easier to get a picture in my mind or feel myself there if stories are set in venues I know – places I’ve lived, visited, vacationed at, or have read about.
    I’ve been to DC several times and while it’s really a walking city or a place to take public transportation I feel myself transported there when I read a book set there.
    Thanks for running the contest. Would love to be a winner!

    Reply
  3. Lynnette

    I love Christmas romance stories. I read as many as I can to help give me that warm fuzzy feeling I associate with the holidays. It’s great when new books come out – and I agree with JoAnne, they shouldn’t be recycled stories repackaged for new sales. I love re-reading old stories as long as I haven’t accidentally purchased a repackaged book I already have! This new anthology sounds good – I’ll definitely look into it.

    Reply
    1. JoAnne

      Lynnette – that’s the absolute worst. Think you’re buying a new book because of a new title and cover only to find out one or more stories are “reissues”. That’s fine as long as customers are advised of that fact.

      Reply
  4. Cathy P

    I really enjoy Christmas themed romances that I can identify with. I have never been to Washington DC or West Virginia, but enjoy reading romances no matter where they are set. I can often put myself in the heroine’s place when reading.

    Reply
  5. Kim in Hawaii

    Aloha, HelenKay!

    I enjoy holiday themed books; I miss DC; and I appreciate the personal touches to your books.

    Of course it’s not Christmas without you in Hawaii – hope you enjoy the holidays whereever you are!

    E aloha kekahi i kekahi.

    Reply
  6. ClaudiaGC

    I love reading Holiday themed romances (are there Easter themed ones?)! They always get me in the right mood and I think there is mostly something peaceful about these stories. They tend to be quiet harmonious and more on the quiet side and I really like that.

    Reply
  7. Angie M

    I love holiday themed romances! I have a holiday category on my Kindle where I keep them all! Reading them every year is a joy.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    Reply
    1. JoAnne

      Good idea Angie. I set up “shelves” on my Nook for romance, mystery, short stories, etc but didn’t think to have a holiday one. I’ll be sure to add that shelf shortly.

      Reply
  8. HelenKay Dimon

    HI everyone! Thanks for stopping by and thanks to limecello for hosting me. I was supposed to blog about the SEAL charity book a few weeks ago…and then life imploded a bit. But all is better now. Maybe I can convince limecello to let me do a SEAL book giveaway soon… 🙂

    kim – It’s chilly here right now, so I would LOVE to be in Hawaii!

    I hope you all enjoy the novella. It’s sold by itself and as part of an anthology called HOLIDAY KISSES with Shannon Stacey, Alison Kent and Jaci Burton. I’m so excited.

    Reply
  9. Jen B.

    I am putting together a list of holiday themed stories to read this year. I really don’t have many holiday themed novels and I haven’t read any yet so I don’t have an opinion.
    jepebATverizonDOTnet

    Reply
  10. Karen C

    I do enjoy holiday themed stories. I don’t read a lot of them, usually because I can’t afford them on top of everything else. Maybe I can change that this year.
    kacbooks(at)hotmail(dot)com

    Reply
  11. Cheryl S.

    I’ve been reading holiday-themed stories for the past couple of weeks. I especially enjoy anthologies because then I get a variety of stories by favorite authors that I can read fairly quickly so as to maximize my holiday reading.

    Reply
  12. Erin K.

    I love reading Christmas themed books to get me in the holiday spirit. There is just something about the season that brings out the sap in me and I love it! Bring on the Christmas romances.

    Reply
  13. Laurie G

    Love, Love, Love holiday romances. For my family, it’s the only time of the year that the whole family really tries to get together. I have only happy memories of Christmas past. So Holiday books set me in a very nostalgic and happy frame of mind.

    DC Only visited once on a HS trip . We didn’t have enough time to see everything. I loved the cherry blossoms and all of the historic buildings. Traffic was horrendous. I’d love to revisit this neat area.

    Happy Holidays!

    Reply
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