Sunday, May 10, 2015

New Release: Northern Heat by Helene Young

I am very excited to welcome Helene to my blog today. She's the first Australian author to feature on my blog and I'm super excited about it. I hope that there will be many others who will join the blog over time. I met Helene at the Australian Romance Readers Convention  in 2011 and caught up with her again at the 2015 convention. She's just as gracious and lovely as I remembered her to be. Thank you for joining me here, Helene.

Don't forget to read right to the end for the giveaway that Helene is hosting!

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Northern Heat
By: Helene Young
Releasing May 27th, 2015
Penguin

Buy Links:  Amazon US | Amazon Australia | Booktopia


Synopsis


In steamy northern Queensland, Conor is rebuilding his shattered life. Working at Cooktown's youth centre has given him the chance to make a difference again, and the opportunity to flirt with Dr Kristy Dark. The local GP is hiding her own secrets and struggling to raise her feisty teenage daughter alone.

When a severe cyclone menaces the coast, threatening to destroy everything in its path, tensions come to a head – and the weather is not the only danger. Cut off from the world and with her life on the line, Kristy will have to summon her courage and place her trust in Conor, or they'll both lose someone they love.

cooktown
Cooktown, Endeavour River, where Northern Heat is set.



Author Interview with Helene

About the author:

I grew up in a family who prized story-telling. Dad was a marine engineer who worked away from home for long stretches. He used to type out stories on his old typewriter and post them home from all around the world for Mum to read to my brother and sister and me. It was only when I started school that I discovered this was unusual… I wasn’t a particular diligent student at school and preferred having my head in a good book than studying physics. Consequently it took me a little longer to work out what I wanted to do. I don’t regret becoming a pilot in my mid-twenties as I think all the experiences I had a long the way taught me a great deal about myself and made me a better Captain – and I did have fun 

What is your favourite positive saying?

Rules are for fools and the guidance of wise men. Be wise, be guided.

About the books:
So, what have you written.

I’ve written 6 Romantic Suspense novels - it’s a genre I’ve always loved to read. I was a devotee of crime, suspense and romance from the moment I read a Trixie Belden story.

Three of my novels are set in the world of Customs and Coastwatch in the north of Australia. There’s plenty of flying action because my day job has me flying in the same area and in a very similar aircraft.

The other three stories are set in rural and regional Australia and include many of the issues that I’ve encountered living in North Queensland.

What is your most recent book about?

My latest book, Northern Heat, is set in remote Cooktown and is a redemption story. Conor Woods has made a mistake and paid a terrible price. He doesn’t think he deserves to find love again. As a cyclone menaces Cooktown he realizes danger has found him again. Can he save Dr Kristy Dark and her teenage daughter, Abby? And if he does save them can he then really walk away from them?

The theme of domestic violence was harrowing to research, but also in some ways uplifting as so many of the women I spoke to have managed to rebuild their lives.

About the writing:
How much research do you do?

I’m a bit of a research junkie I love finding out new information and I always try to write stories that are plausible. I suspect I may also use research to procrastinate a little…

Do you write full-time or part-time?

As I still have a full-time day job as the Regional Flying Manager for Qantaslink as well as a Check and Training Captain my writing habit is squeezed in wherever I can manage it. I think having a changing roster every month and time spent away from home in hotel rooms means I can’t be precious about where I write. Give me a quiet half hour and I can get some work done.

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

I’m very much an organic writer who sits down with a character, a setting, a theme and usually an idea for an opening scene or perhaps a black moment. Once I’ve written that first draft then I go back and plot it out so I can check time lines etc.

About reading:
For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?

Since we live aboard a catamaran called Roobinesque I’ve had to change to ebooks. I still love the smell and feel of a real book but there’s simply nowhere to store books on a boat… And the upside is shopping for e-books is sooo easy!

About publishing:
How are you publishing this book and why?

I’m traditionally published by Penguin Australia. For me the advantages are that they look after the printing and distribution of the books. They also come up with the covers – and I love the cover for Northern Heat  - assist with the editing and provide marketing and publicity support.

I may look at indie-publishing later, especially if I write in another genre, but I appreciate the support my publisher’s given me through the last four books and hope to collaborate on many more with them!


Watch the video for the book trailer




Author Info


jsWhen Helene’s not writing novels she enjoys a busy career as the Queensland Regional Flying Manager with Australia’s largest regional airline. She’s worked in aviation for over 25 years and has 260 pilots reporting into her. She recently appeared in ‘Judith Lucy is All Woman’ in an episode showcasing women in aviation.  

She has twice won the highly coveted RWA’s Romantic Book of the Year in 2011 and 2012 and was shortlisted for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Mainstream Crime and Suspense. She has also been nominated in the Ned Kelly and Sisters in Crime Awards. Helene’s last novel, Safe Harbour, was voted Australia’s 2014 Favourite Romantic Suspense Novel. This is the fourth time Helene’s stories have won the award.

A motivational speaker and writing mentor, Helene lives aboard a catamaran on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef and she plans one day to sail around the world in it.

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | TwitterInstagram


Giveaway

To celebrate the release of my sixth book I have six prize packs to give away. Four of them are duos of SAFE HARBOUR and NORTHERN HEAT and one major prize is a complete set of my six books. For international readers there is a duo of e-books to be won.

To enter the giveaway leave a comment here or share the post and/or the trailer on social media site and I’ll double your chances! If you’re entering from overseas please mention that in your comment so I can enter you in the e-book draw.
Hope to see you through May at the following blogs.

5th May: http://bookdout.wordpress.com
7th May: http://auslit.net
10th May: http://deannasworld1.blogspot.com.au
12th  May: http://www.jennjmcleod.com
14th May: http://ausromtoday.com
17th May: https://1girl2manybooks.wordpress.com
19th May: http://writenotereviews.com
21st May: https://australianbookshelf.wordpress.com
24th May: https://nevendbookshelf.wordpress.com/category/reviews/
26th May: http://teddyree-theeclecticreader.blogspot.com.au
28th May: http://australianruralromance.com
31st May: http://talkingbooksblog.net
2nd June: Wrap up and announce the winner on my blog - http://www.heleneyoung.com



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3 comments:

  1. I have enjoyed all of Helene's books & looking forward to picking up a copy of Northern Heat that's on order - nothing better than knowing there is another of your favourite author's books to be read!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Barbara! Hope your enjoy Conor's story and thanks for dropping by today.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks to Deanna for hosting the NORTHERN HEAT Blog Tour and to everyone who shared the posts and participated. The winners have been drawn and details are up on my blog at :

    http://www.heleneyoung.com/2015/06/and-the-winners-are-2/

    ReplyDelete