Today I am so pleased to welcome HelenKay Dimon to Joyfully Jay. HelenKay has come to talk to us about her latest release, Stranded. She has also brought along a great tourwide giveaway. Please join me in giving HelenKay a big welcome!
The After…
I am a huge romantic suspense and action movie fan. If things explode or anyone works undercover, I’m in. But that leads to a question: after these folks save the world how do they go back to real life? The answer probably is their “real world” is very different from the world the rest of us live in, but still.
Think about someone like movie action hero Jason Bourne. As the movies play out, his life has been ripped apart, the woman who was closest to him is dead, he doesn’t remember much of his life and he’s a killing machine. It’s hard to imagine that guy sitting down on the couch, picking between takeout pizza and Chinese delivery for dinner. Though, I admit, the image of that makes me smile.
Jack Bauer of 24 watching sitcoms. Bourne eating takeout. The Avengers playing beer pong…actually, that last one I could see happening.
When thinking about writing STRANDED the idea of “what happens after” went through my head. Not the takeout choice question, specifically, but the idea of an undercover operative trying to return to some version of “normal” after having his life has been ripped apart. In the case of STRANDED I had two lethal alpha males who also happen to be assassins. They worked together, they began a relationship, they started living together, and then one tried to kill the other. Not the usual romance backstory, I know.
The book opens months after the chaos. One thinks the other is dead. They’re both in hiding. They are no longer being tracked and in non-stop danger, but they must deal with each other. Put their lives back together and see if there is anything left of “them” or if it’s time to move on. It’s the post-Bourne story, and I hope you’ll check it out.
Blurb
Cabe got out of the gun-for-hire business the hard way—by nearly dying. Except then his former boss calls in one last favor for one final job. The mission should be simple: get a message to a retired operative in Alaska. But it puts Cabe face-to-face with the one man he doesn’t want to see and can never forget. Not after all the secrets and lies. Not after Brax almost killed him.
Brax Hughes lived hard and retired young to a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Well, that was the plan, but before he can hang up his sniper rifle, he has one last mission: win back Kyle Cabe. Brax wants another chance, wants to come clean, but after months of lying to Cabe, he knows he could face a bullet—or worse—when they meet again. And they will meet. Brax made sure of that.
With a storm moving in and someone lurking outside the cabin, time is running out. Brax needs to talk fast and keep his weapons ready. And his best weapon is the truth.
Stranded is one of Riptide’s 2015 charity titles.
Twenty percent of the proceeds from this title will be donated to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) National Help Center.
Founded in 1996, the GLBT National Help Center is a non-profit organization that provides vital peer-support, community connections and resource information to people with questions regarding sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Utilizing a diverse group of GLBT volunteers, they operate two national hotlines, the GLBT National Hotline and the GLBT National Youth Talkline, as well as private, volunteer one-to-one online chat, that help both youth and adults with coming-out issues, safer-sex information, school bullying, family concerns, relationship problems and a lot more.
To learn more about this charity or to donate directly, please visit their website: http://www.glbthotline.org/
Bio
HelenKay Dimon is a former divorce attorney turned full-time romance author. She has sold over thirty novels and novellas to numerous publishers, including HarperCollins, Kensington, Harlequin, Penguin, Carina Press and Riptide Publishing. Her nationally bestselling and award-winning books have been showcased in numerous venues and her books have twice been named “Red-Hot Reads” and excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine.
Website: www.helenkaydimon.com
Giveaway
To celebrate the release of Stranded, HelenKay is giving away a $25 Amazon or B&N gift certificate (winners choice)! Your first comment at each stop on this tour enters you in the drawing. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on November 28, 2015. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. Entries. Follow the tour for more opportunities to enter the giveaway! Don’t forget to leave your email or method of contact so Riptide can reach you if you win!
- By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
- Winners will be selected by random number. No purchase necessary to win. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
- If you win, you must respond to my email within 48 hours or another winner may be chosen. Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from Joyfully Jay.
- Winners may be announced on the blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner by Joyfully Jay.
- Prizes will be distributed following the giveaway either by Joyfully Jay or the person/organization donating the prize.
- All book prizes are in electronic format unless otherwise specified.
- By entering you are agreeing to hold Joyfully Jay harmless if the prize or giveaway in some way negatively impacts the winner.
- Readers may only enter once for each contest. Duplicate entries for the same giveaway will be ignored. In the event of technical problems with the blog during the contest, every effort will be made to extend the contest deadline to allow for additional entries.
- Void where prohibited by law.
Great post! I have always wandered about the after-story as well. How do people go on after such action, excitement, trauma etc…
jen(dot)f(at)mac(dot)com
I did always wonder what action heroes do in their off hours!
vitajex(at)aol(dot)com
I really love the sound of this book. Can’t wait to read it. And I love that it’s a win win, both for me and the charity.
goaliemom0049(at)gmail(dot)com
Congrats on the new release! Looking forward to reading it.
natalija(dot)shkomare(at)gmail(dot)com
I love the concept. It sounds like an emotional story for the two.
debby236 at hotmail dot com
interesting topic
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
Seems like people addicted to action might have trouble settling down. I’d love to find out. 🙂
aelnova@aol.com
Sounds like a great book, I’ve added it to my wishlist. legacylandlisa(at)gmail(dot)com
Great post! I’ve often wondered the same thing. violet817(at)aol(dot)com
Sounds like a great story!
annmarief115 at gmail dot com
I love watching action films. I’ll be a liar if I didn’t say I was curious about what happened after the film ends.
forgot my email: humhumbum AT yahoo DOT com I hate it when I get so post happy, lol.
Yes, what happens afterwards is always my question. After saving the world, or after saying I do, how do you cope with reality? Is it as good as it was supposed to be? That’s why I enjoy codas so much. Having a sneak peek of what’s going on afterwards is always enjoyable
susanaperez7140(at)gmail(dot)com
Thank you for the wonderful post and giveaway! I can’t wait to begin reading this book!
I just keep forgetting this! ree.dee.2014 (at) gmail (dot) com
I just watched the last Bourne movie last weekend! You’re right, that “after” is so tempting and intriguing to think about. I love the premise of this book.
ashley.vanburen[at]gmail[dot]com
Congratulations HelenKay on the new release
. sschairer(at)yahoo(dot)ca
Congratulations on the new release.
@HojuRose
Love a good suspense in books and movies!
oceanakers @ aol.com