Interview & Spotlight: HelenKay Dimon (Her Other Secret)

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Hello and Welcome!

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing HelenKay Dimon author of Her Other Secret.

Hi HelenKay, thank you for agreeing to this interview.

Tell us a bit about yourself? Thank you for inviting me. I’m thrilled to be here.  About me…well, I’m a divorce lawyer-turned-romance author. I write contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Write and love to read both. Give me bold characters, some sexy and smart banter, and a bit of suspense and I’m a very happy reader.

How do you relax? This is a skill I need to work on. Sometimes I go for a walk with a friend. Other times (way more often) I marathon a British crime show on Acorn or Netlfix. The combination of that accent and dead bodies soothes me. Weird, I know. I can’t explain it. For almost a year I couldn’t write unless the movie, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor, Spy played in the background.

What is your favorite vacation destination? It’s a tie between London and Hawaii. They aren’t near each other or anything alike, but I love both. My husband is from Oahu, so we go there often for family visits, and I relax the second I step off the plane. London has the opposite effect on me. I get off the plane and want to race around, doing all of my favorite things.

Pic. from Wikipedia

Pic. from Wikipedia

What are some books you have enjoyed recently? My recent romance reads were pretty great. The Key To Happily Ever After by Tif Marcelo. I don’t have sisters but this charming romantic comedy made me want one. I love anything by Annabeth Albert and her Frozen Hearts series is keeping that streak alive. Emotional with an Alaskan setting. That’s always a yes for me.

For your writing where do you get your ideas? Everywhere. Literally. From headlines. From a paragraph in a nonfiction book. From a random thing I hear someone say. I’ve always found the ideas to be easy. It’s the writing that’s hard.

Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult? Many, but I’ll point out the three that changed my life forever – The Bride by Julie Garwood, Daniel’s Bride by Linda Lael Miller, and Perfect Partners by Jayne Ann Krentz. They were the first romances I ever read. Reading them changed the trajectory of my life. I never thought of writing  before I read those books. It all started with those. So, thank you to all three amazing authors.

Her Other Secret…..

Please share a few Fun Facts about this book: I created an island. The book is set on a small island in the Pacific Northwest. To get the flavor and look, I studied all of these islands around and near Seattle and looked at so many gorgeous photos. But none of the real islands were quite right, so I made one up – from the harbor to downtown to the forest area. Island building is my new favorite thing.

Naming characters is so important. I have to love the names and they have to fit because I’m “stuck” with them for almost 400 pages and months of writing. The hero’s name, Hansen Rye, came to me immediately. It’s such a hero name. I tried several heroine names and none felt right…until I was chatting with author Tessa Dare on Twitter and it hit me – Tessa is the perfect heroine name!  So, thank you to Tessa Dare for the name inspiration.

Please share the opening lines of this book:
The opening paragraph goes like this:

People didn’t wash up on Whitaker Island’s pebbled shores by accident. No one just stumbled around and found the small strip of land tucked into the northwest corner of Washington state. It was a destination. A person had to want to land there. By ferry or private plane, it took effort.

Give us some insight into Tessa Jenkins & Hansen Rye? What do they do? Who are they? What makes them special? The interesting thing about my made-up island, Whitaker Island, is that it’s a place people go bury their secrets and start over. Hansen and Tessa both land there because they need a break. Tessa is sort-of in hiding from her past. Hansen is trying to overcome something terrible that happened to his family. So, they both have rough backgrounds. Despite that Tessa is hopeful and warm. Hansen is grumpy and not interested in helping anyone. Playing these two off each other was great fun.

Without revealing too much, what is your favorite scene in the book and why? Hansen is not great with people right now and early in the book says things he shouldn’t say. Unfortunately for him, Tessa might be a happy person but she is not the type to just ignore his nonsense. She makes it clear he needs to get his act together and apologize, and when he does it makes me smile.

Thank you!!

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.

 

HelenKay Dimon is a divorce lawyer turned full-time author of over forty romance novels and novellas. Her award-winning books have been showcased in numerous venues, including the Washington Post, and her books have twice been named “Red-Hot Reads” in Cosmopolitan magazine. She is an RT Reviewer’s Choice Award winner and RITA® Award winner in romantic suspense. You can learn more at her website: www.helenkaydimon.com.

 

HER OTHER SECRET
Publisher: Avon Books
On Sale: 6/25/19
Mass Market | ISBN:  9780062892782 |$7.99
Also available in E-Book | E-Book ISBN:  9780062892768

Book Description:

Is it the perfect escape?

 Whitaker Island is more than a getaway. For Tessa Jenkins, the remote strip of land in Washington state is a sanctuary. Fleeing from a shattering scandal, she has a new name, a chance at a new beginning, and a breathtaking new view: Hansen Rye. It’s hard not to crush on Whitaker’s hottest handyman. At six-foot-three and all kinds of fine, he’s also intensely private—and the attraction between them soon simmers dangerously out of control.

…or a private trap for two lovers?

After a devastating family tragedy, Hansen finds the pebbled shores of the faraway island to be an ideal refuge. Letting down his guard for the sexy, impulsive Tessa is an unexpected pleasure. But there’s another newcomer to Whitaker. He’s no stranger to Hansen. And when he’s murdered, the crime casts a threatening shadow. As suspicion falls on Hansen, all his secrets are about to collide with Tessa’s. Now the pasts they were determined to outrun are catching up to them. So is a killer who’s putting their love—and their lives—on the line.

Buy links: HarperCollins Website – Amazon

 

 

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I'm an outdoor sun loving reader living near San Fransisco. I’m a mother, wife, animal & book lover. I'm the owner, reviewer & mind behind Angel’s Guilty Pleasures. My favorite animals are horses & dogs. As for reading I love all things paranormal & urban fantasy & my favorite shifters are dragons.

3 comments on “Interview & Spotlight: HelenKay Dimon (Her Other Secret)

  1. HelenKay is a new-to-me author. I enjoyed the interview and look forward to checking out her books.

  2. Great interview, thanks for sharing!

    • Thank’s for visiting!