Guest Post with Author Dixie Lee Brown and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome to RFTC author, Dixie Lee Brown. Dixie is celebrating the release of her book All or Nothing and has stopped by to chat. Please give Dixie a warm welcome.

Dixie has been writing stories for years, filing away ideas and first drafts of manuscripts in every spare closet and drawer. Then she decided she wanted to write more than anything in the world, pulled out one of those story ideas and got serious!

Her romantic suspense novels are great for curling up in the evening and losing yourself in the story. Dixie’s recently completed novel, All or Nothing, placed 3rd in the romantic suspense category of the 2011 TARA (Tampa Area Romance Authors) Contest. Currently, she is working on a new novel - If I Were You.

Dixie moved from Montana to a small town in Central Oregon in 1972, married and raised two daughters. Today her three small dogs spend time laying at her feet as she works on another novel.

Places to find Dixie:

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My Day…

I saw a book review recently that said, “I read this book in one sitting.”

Wow! What a compliment! The point being, of course, that the reviewer enjoyed the book so much he or she couldn't put it down. I'm sure you've read books like that. I know I have. I wish I could say I read them in one sitting. The reason I can't has nothing to do with how well-crafted the stories or how strong the characters. It doesn't relate to how suspenseful, humorous, romantic, or how many emotional scenes made me cry.

My day starts at 5:30 am when the alarm goes off and a rough `n rowdy country song comes on the radio. I crawl out, dress for work, feed my two white, hypoallergenic dogs and let the cat out. I'm ready to hit the road by 7:15 am. I commute twenty miles to work. It's mostly rural driving, but it takes a good thirty minutes. Enough time for me to prepare myself mentally for work. By 8:00 am, I'm sitting in front of my computer at the office of a real estate developer where I've worked in the accounting department for almost twenty-three years. I could do my tasks in my sleep…and sometimes I think I do!

Lunch hour rolls around, and barring any errands that need to be run, I usually eat at my desk while checking my Facebook and Twitter accounts, answering e-mail, and grasping greedily for a few minutes of creative writing time. An hour, as it turns out, is quite short.

Five o'clock comes none-too-soon and I do my thirty minute drive home, feed the dogs again, and let the cat in. I allow myself fifteen minutes of television while I eat my dinner. It's usually a mindless sitcom—something I won't get interested in and not be able to leave. I'm not quite through working yet because I run a bookkeeping service in my home for a dozen clients. There's usually always a payroll to be done, or a bank reconciliation, or a financial statement. After another hour or so in front of the computer, I'm finally ready to do what I've wanted to do all day—write!

There's something rejuvenating about that blank screen, that story idea, the witty comeback from a character. It doesn't matter how tired I am. I can get lost in my musings until I glance at the clock and see it's midnight or 1:00 am, and the only thing that gets me to stop is knowing how tired I'll be in the morning.

Still one last thing to do. Before I go to sleep, I spend a few minutes reading. I love to read. I loved books before I ever started writing them. I'm sure that's true of most authors. Fifteen minutes is about all I get before my eyes cross and the e-reader falls on my face.

For now, the one-sitting book review will have to be done by someone else. It'll take me a month to read that book!

Somebody wants Cara Sinclair dead. Joe Reynolds is determined to keep her alive, but that's not all he wants.

Divorcing one of the west coast's most notorious crime bosses is probably not the best idea Cara ever had. If not for her half brother, Brian, convincing her abusive ex-husband to leave her alone, she'd have been dead six months ago.

Now Joe, a man she meets right before two gunmen try to kill them both, tells her it's not her ex-husband who's out to get her. Joe just saved her life and she wants to trust him, but who else could possibly want her dead? And why does she get the feeling Joe didn't appear in her life just by chance?

Joe's undercover investigation into Cara's family business reveals Sinclair Arms Distributing is selling illegal automatic weapons. The investigation goes bad and one of Joe's operatives dies, but not before telling Joe that Cara's life is in danger.

Joe promises to keep her safe, but he also intends to use her to find the evidence he needs against her brother. All he has to do is convince her to trust him.

Falling in love with her isn't part of the plan.

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He held on to her hand firmly, but gently. “Hear me out. We're both from out of town. Right?” He didn't wait for her to agree. “There's something between us. I know you feel it too.” He held up his hand to stop her when she would have protested. “Let's both take a chance and see what happens. Have dinner with me…someplace away from all this.” He jerked his head toward the games and the animated patrons feeding money into them. “Then we'll go for a walk, or whatever you'd like to do. It's just dinner. That's all. Unless you care to share something else.” The eyes that met hers were speculative. “Naturally, I won't turn down a good-night kiss, or your phone number.” A crooked grin settled on his face. “We might find out we're crazy about each other. If you don't give me a chance, we'll never know. Aren't you just a little curious?”

She was all curiosity at this point, about this guy and why he thought she'd leave the relative safety of the casino and go anywhere with him. Yet his offer intrigued her, and she was drawn to this man she'd never laid eyes on before…and that both terrified and excited her. Was it foolish to agree? If she didn't, would she always wonder?

His teasing grin challenged her, and she'd always been a sucker for a dare. It wasn't just his rough-hewn features, or his subtle scent of spice and leather, that attracted her. He exuded an intensity that spoke of intelligence, passion, and power. Someone who knew what he wanted and obviously excelled at convincing those around him to comply. All qualities that should send her running in the opposite direction, especially in light of the past three years.

Was it anticipation or uneasiness that made the shiver run up her back? Good Lord! She actually wanted to accept his invitation. Was she crazy? A man could easily hide his ugly, violent side. She learned that lesson the hard way. It was completely mad to leave here with him.

His shrewd smile told her he was sure he'd convinced her. Maybe he was a little smoother than she'd thought. There was a fine line between a confident man and an arrogant jerk, and the scales just tipped the wrong way.

“Nice try, but no thanks.” She tugged her hand from beneath his.

“Why not?” He grew serious again as his gaze swept her face.

“So many reasons. Let's start with…I don't know you.”

“Get to know me…over dinner.”

“I keep wondering what possible reason you could have for trying to pick me up, here of all places. Are you attracted to women with gambling problems and nicotine addictions?”

He chuckled and looked a little embarrassed. “Did you ever stop to think I might not make a habit of picking up women? Maybe I'm attracted to you because you have a drop-dead gorgeous smile, which you don't use often enough, by the way, and mesmerizing blue eyes that haunt me even when I look away. Or just because you're nice.”

“We only met ten minutes ago. You don't know anything about me.”

“We could fix that…over dinner.” He leaned casually back, stretching his long legs under the table. The little-boy-last-to-get-picked-for-the-team look he shot her was almost enough to make her reconsider. Man, this guy didn't give up. She dragged her eyes away from his.

“I should get back.” She threw some money on the table and scooted from the booth.

He stood too. “Wait. I don't even know your name.”

“I think it's better that way. Don't you?”

“Come on…let me have something to remember you by. Please don't make me beg.” He smiled beguilingly as he matched her stride.

“Cara…my name is Cara.” She sighed, annoyed.

“I'm Joe.”

He kept pace, despite her shorter stride, walking close beside her, continually, almost apprehensively, glancing around him. Cigarette smoke wafted across the large room to meet them as they neared the casino floor. There was no way she was ready to go back in there, under the shroud of secondhand smoke that hung over rows and rows of discordant machines. Besides, she needed to put some space between this…Joe and her, so they didn't end up sitting side by side again. Impulsively, she veered toward the front door, hoping he'd take the hint and go back where he came from.

“I need some fresh air. It's been…interesting, Joe.”

“Fresh air sounds good.” He caught up with her as she reached the door.

Angry now, and frightened, she turned in front of him and stopped, hands on her hips.

His lips curved in an impish grin when he nearly ran into her.

“You should go now, before I call security.” She glanced around nervously. What if he became angry and wouldn't leave? How long would it take to get help?

Joe raised his hands and took a half step back. A flash of something, maybe anger, darkened his eyes for a second, but before he could say anything, two men dressed in suits appeared on either side of him. The one closest to Cara opened his jacket far enough to show a partially concealed handgun.

Check out what's up for grabs.

Up For Grabs: 

• 1 lucky winner will win an eBook copy of All or Nothing

To Enter:

• Please answer the question: Have you ever read a book in one sitting? If so, what book was it?
• Please fill out the Rafflecopter form

Good Luck =)

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