HelenKay Dimon: Write what you know… sorta :grin:

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT…
Deana Armstrong needs a hero—not for herself, but for the nephew all her money and time can’t seem to get out of jail. Unfortunately, the best hero in all the Hawaiian Islands is set on turning in his badge and getting his excellent butt into another line of work. If that wasn’t enough, Josh Windsor also has a big-time grudge against Deana herself. But if there’s anything being rich, smart, and stubborn has taught Deana, it’s never to settle for second best…
Josh has had it with saving people. He’s had it with getting hauled into court. And boy, has he ever had it with Deana. Or well, he hasn’t had it. Yet. But the more she pops up sounding infuriating and looking good enough to eat, the more her hot bod and her cold case wriggle into his mind. And there’s only so much even a hero can resist…

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Authors talk about writing what they know.  In Holding Out For a Hero I did that… sort of.  I wrote about Hawaii.  Now there’s a place I could talk about forever.  I’ve never lived there, but my husband grew up in Hawaii and my in-laws live there.  That makes research pretty easy.  Go for a family visit, drive around, take in the stunning scenery and be aware of everything.  Not exactly a tough assignment.

Holding Out For a Hero touches on one of my other areas of interest–true crime.   Doesn’t sound so romantic, does it?  It’s not. My interest really is in human nature–the what and why people do the things they do and how they act with each other. For me, true crime is the ultimate look at human interaction. I watch 48 Hours, Dateline and all similar shows that investigate and analyze cases.  I also read widely about true crimes and human behavior.  If this scares the beejesus out of my hubby, he’s not talking.  But, really, you should see my bookshelves.   Looking at the spines and titles, I often wonder what the police would say if they ever came to my house.  Let’s hope that never happens.

So, what does true crime have to do with Holding Out For a Hero?  A little bit, actually.  In the book, the heroine’s nephew is a big trouble.  Like, the Erik and Lyle Menendez kind of trouble.  The kid is in prison for killing his parents.  Deana refuses to believe the nephew she nurtured and loves could have turned into a killing monster.  She needs a hero to help her prove her nephew’s innocence.

Enter Josh.  Josh is a DEA agent on the verge of being terminated thanks to his last assignment. He’s getting stuck with the blame for the bad decisions of his boss.  Josh is not happy about the situation.  As a result, he’s done with the rescuing business.  And he’s not a big fan of Deana.  But he’s a hero, and what do heroes do?  They step in when everyone else turns away.

I hope you’ll give Holding Out For a Hero a try.  You can read an excerpt at my website at http://www.helenkaydimon.com/holdingout.php. And while you’re at it, you can check out all of my Hawaii-set romances, including my novella in the anthology Kissing Santa Claus, at my website at http://www.helenkaydimon.com/bookshelf.php. The books are loosely connected in that they share some of the same characters, but each book stands alone.

Big thanks to Mad/Fatin for letting me stop by today!

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Thank you, Ms Dimon!

Leave a comment to enter the drawing–two lucky readers will received signed copies of the mass market edition of Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy, Ms Dimon’s first Hawaiian set novel and the one where Josh is introduced. Good luck!