HelenKay Dimon – Guest Blog and Giveaway

HE GAVE NEW MEANING TO THE TERM DOUBLE AGENT

Returning from his latest Border Patrol assignment, Jeremy Hill seeks sanctuary in his twin brother’s home. The last thing he expects to find is an armed man already inside, or Meredith Samms, a gorgeous tenant caught in the cross fire. Then he discovers that the gunman’s attack is meant for his twin brother, who is nowhere in sight, and Jeremy must take matter into his own hands. Searching for his brother while trying to protect this girl next door, Jeremy finds himself caught up in the danger he’d become all too familiar with. in his world, everyone’s a target and anyone can be a suspect, so Jeremy has no room for emotions. But what Meredith stirs within him may complicate this unexpected mission to the point of no return…

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Thank you for inviting me here today to talk about my newest release, COPY THAT, from Harlequin Intrigue.

People ask authors all the time where book ideas come from.  Honestly, coming up with the idea is the easy part.  Putting my butt in the chair and writing is the tough part. With this book I didn’t even need to come up with the idea.  My Intrigue editor, Denise Zaza, kind of did that for me in my newest release, COPY THAT.  This is how it came about…

About a year ago we were emailing back and forth about ideas for books for a new Intrigue contract. She said she’d love to see a new take on a mistaken identity story. I loved the idea and started thinking about a potential plot.  The next day I was just about to send her the idea when she called. She said she’d been thinking about the mistaken identity issue and would love it if I’d write a suspense centered on a hero who is a twin.  She even had a cover in her mind that would show the hero and his twin. The how, why, plot and characters were up to me.  All she asked was that the twins each get a romance in some way, even if I wanted to write two novellas and connected them in one book.

The idea of two romances, two suspense threads, two heroes and two heroines, all in 55,000 words, scared me a bit.  But it was a good challenge.  And, really, do you know how many ideas go through a writer’s head when the charge is – write twin heroes in a mistaken identity situation? Lots.  Really, lots.  The range of possibilities had me thinking and the idea of writing the book struck me as so much fun. Lucky for me, the writing did turn out to be fun.

Jeremy and Garrett Hill are protectors by nature.  They fall in love with women who don’t have gun-toting jobs – one is a kindergarten teacher and the other is a salesperson at a wedding dress store.  But the best part?  Figuring out when to have the main hero, Jeremy, use the line: “I’m not Garrett.” Once Jeremy utters the line the fun really starts.  I hope you think so, too.

And as for that other mistake identity idea, the one I was thinking about when my editor called?  It’s the plot for my November Intrigue, SWITCHED. 🙂

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To learn more about HelenKay and her backlist, visit www.helenkaydimon.com. And for a chance to win COPY THAT (digital or print) just leave a comment below. Good luck! 😀