Maia Toll

HelenKay Dimon is an American author known for her contemporary romance novels, with a focus on romantic suspense. Born in 1967, she was raised in Pennsylvania where reading was encouraged. After studying journalism and political science at Syracuse University, she pursued a law degree at Wake Forest University, graduating in 1995. She then practiced family law, specializing in divorce and custody cases, work that she found emotionally taxing.

Her introduction to writing romance began when a colleague suggested she read the genre for its happy endings. This inspired Dimon to start writing her own stories in 2001, blending her interest in mysteries with her professional experiences involving law enforcement agents. Despite a demanding legal career, she continued writing, eventually securing publishing contracts. She retired from law in 2007 to focus on writing full-time, and has since published over 30 novels and novellas. Her work has appeared in Cosmopolitan, and one of her novels received a RITA Award nomination.

HelenKay Dimon was born in 1967 and grew up in New Holland, Pennsylvania. She was named for her grandmothers and was the only girl in her generation. Her household fostered a love of reading, and she developed a particular fondness for suspense and mystery genres. She attended Syracuse University, where she earned degrees in journalism and political science. Following her undergraduate studies, she enrolled in Wake Forest University School of Law, graduating in 1995.

After law school, Dimon began her legal career in Rockville, Maryland, at a firm specializing in family law, focusing on divorce and custody matters. The emotional toll of this work, characterized by her observation that "everybody loses" in such cases, led her to seek an alternative. A colleague's recommendation to read romance novels for their positive resolutions sparked her interest in the genre. Inspired by this, Dimon began writing her own romance stories in 2001, drawing inspiration from her background in mysteries and her experiences working with figures from the Secret Service, CIA, and FBI during her prior work as a legislative correspondent in Washington D.C. This led her to craft romantic suspense novels.

Dimon's path to publication involved submitting her work to contests, including one run by author Lori Foster, which led to her manuscript being seen by an editor at Kensington Books. Although initially rejected, the editor encouraged her to continue writing. She balanced her demanding legal practice with her writing pursuits in the evenings. In May 2005, she secured her first publishing contract for a novella, followed by a two-book deal. Her debut novel, "Hard Hats and Silk Stockings," incorporated elements from her earlier submission. In 2007, Dimon made the decision to leave her legal career and become a full-time author.

Since becoming a full-time author, Dimon has published over 30 novels and novellas with traditional publishers. Her work has garnered attention, with excerpts appearing in Cosmopolitan. In 2016, her novel "Facing Fire" was nominated for a RITA Award. Her books are primarily categorized as romantic suspense, often featuring heterosexual couples, though she has also explored writing with gay pairings. Dimon also served as President of the Romance Writers of America from 2018 to 2019, during which time the organization focused on enhancing diversity and inclusion.

“I'm not sure what a win is in a divorce custody case because everybody loses.”