@TastyBookTours Interview: Tempt the Night by Dixie Lee Brown

Tempt the Night

Trust No One, #5
Dixie Lee Brown


Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Date of Publication: February 24th, 2015
Number of pages: 384

Available at the following retailers:
Amazon     BN     Kobo     ARe

Dixie Lee Brown concludes her thrilling Trust No One series with the fast-paced tale of a damaged hero and the sexy fugitive he can't help falling for.

Samantha "Mac" McCallister barely believes her own tale of dirty cops and murder that landed her in the hands of the sexy Jim Brady. One minute she was enjoying a ride-along in her best friend's cruiser, the next he's dead and she's wanted for his murder. Mac never expected to be hiding out from the law, but with Jim by her side, maybe she can survive long enough to clear her name. The question is, can she survive the way Jim makes her feel?

Former Navy Seal Jim Brady works best under pressure. At least he used to. Now, fighting flashbacks from his time in Iraq, he has given up everything he knows in order to protect the innocent … from himself. So working with a woman on the run from the law? Not in his plans for this lifetime. Still, something about the blue-eyed beauty tells him she's not the source of the danger—she's running from it. Deep down he knows he'll protect her no matter what. But his heart? That's another story.

Excerpt: 

Seconds after their car laid rubber and took off, the three men who’d walked in with rifles in their arms reappeared with them slung over their backs. They peered around carefully. Mac ducked as they looked her way, even though it would have been a physical impossibility to see her in the dark so far away. It still unnerved her. She breathed a sigh of relief when they got into a vehicle a few doors down, started it, and drove away.

Thank God. It’s over. Her gaze never left the alley as she waited for Paddy to come back.

But he didn’t. Five minutes…ten minutes…fifteen minutes. Mac was kidding herself. Something was terribly wrong and, in spite of Paddy’s orders, she couldn’t sit there any longer. She should have gone to find him as soon as those men left. Truth was, she’d been too scared to move.

Now the only thing on her mind was getting in that building to look for Paddy. He could give her hell for leaving the car later. She opened the passenger door and slid out, then reached back inside to grab the flashlight off the dash and shine it beneath the seat until she located her phone. Pocketing it, she glanced around carefully, noticing how deathly quiet the street was. It was nearly three o’clock in the morning. Even the drunks would be sleeping it off by now.

Mac took a deep breath, hoping to bolster her confidence, and crossed the parking lot, keeping a sharp eye out for any sign of life before stepping into the street. She ended up in front of the entrance to the building way before she was ready to go inside.

The only thing that got her to move was the growing knowledge that Paddy had to be in trouble. Just inside, she flipped on the flashlight and shone it into the darkness. The long room before her smelled slightly of fish and was filled with stainless steel tables, conveyor belts, machinery, and huge vats. On the far side was a set of wooden stairs leading to Cecil Wagner’s windowed office that overlooked the plant floor. It was stone quiet, to the point where she could hear herself breathing.

“Paddy?” Her whisper was shockingly loud in the silent room, but she’d have to call louder if she expected him to hear her. “Paddy, where are you?”

Thump.

Mac’s gaze darted to the room at the top of the stairs. Had she really heard something? Or was it only her heart pounding in her ears?

Thump.

That was definitely something, although, if it was Paddy, why didn’t he simply show himself? She hurried across to the stairs, took them at a jog, and stopped outside the small office with her hand resting on the door knob. More afraid than she’d ever been in her life, she pushed it open.

Immediately, she heard a raspy, wheezing, gurgling sound that chilled her to the bone. She shone her light across the floor and almost dropped it when the spotlight landed on Paddy, lying on his back. One fisted hand raised and dropped, again making the noise she’d heard from downstairs. So much blood…everywhere.

Mac choked back a sob and rushed to him, the knees of her jeans soaking up his blood as she knelt beside him. An ambulance. Desperately, she fumbled for her phone.

Paddy was badly hurt. Two bullet wounds in his chest and one in his throat. There may have been more, but that was all she could see. The one in his throat was keeping him from talking, although it didn’t stop him from trying. His eyes were open and locked on hers, desperation written there.

Mac had to hold it together. She was all he had right now, and she wasn’t doing him any good being on the verge of a crying jag.

Without taking her eyes off Paddy’s, she dialed Lucas’s number again. “Paddy’s hurt. We need an ambulance.”

Interview: 

Today, we welcome Dixie Lee Brown to Musings and Ramblings. Let's all give a big Geeky welcome!

Hello everyone! I’m so excited to be here. This looks like my kind of place, so a big Geeky welcome is right up my alley!

Let's start with some writer specific questions before moving into the fun stuff. That way everyone can really get to know the person behind the writer. We will finish things off with a round of Think Fast. Ready for the interrogation to begin?

Bring it on!

Writing Specific

Is your writing style more plotter or pantser?
Oh my gosh! I’m a complete pantser! I don’t know from one day to the next where my story is going. That, of course, makes it very difficult to write a synopsis, brief or otherwise, for proposing follow-up books in a series to an editor. So I decided, in all my wisdom, to plot one of the books in the Trust No One series. It was the worst experience of my writing career, the worst manuscript, but the best lesson I could have learned. I am a pantser—don’t fix it if it ain’t broke! A lesson for all aspects of life!

How involved are you with Social Media and self-promotion?
Ugh! Some days it seems like that’s all I do, even though there are many social media sites I’ve never visited. Between my webpage, twitter, Facebook page, Facebook street team, and Tsu, not to mention visiting other blog sites to promote a new book, it keeps me hopping! It does seem like there are more and more out there all the time.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I love to read, and it seems like I never have enough time anymore. My best weekend would be to load my Kindle full of books and go somewhere quiet. Somewhere like this comes to mind! That does look very nearly perfect.

Is there any particular author or book that has influenced you or your writing?
The author whose work has influenced me the most is Lisa Gardner. For those who aren’t familiar, Lisa Gardner writes crime drama that will keep you up nights turning pages and trying to figure out who done it! She has the smoothest voice of any writer I’ve ever read, and knows how to build suspense. Also, Ms. Gardner began her career as a romance writer using a pen name, so you could say she’s influenced me in two genres! Oh! A reading recommendation, nice! Here is Lisa Gardner's goodreads link.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
The toughest criticism I remember getting was from a reviewer who said the heroine in my very first novel was “tsl”. I didn’t learn until later that she meant “too stupid to live”. That one hurt. The best compliment? It’s always great to get an awesome review on work that you’ve spent so much time on, but with so many books out there to read, the best compliment I could receive would be for someone to pick mine. That is the best way to compliment an author - Read and Recommend!

Fun Stuff

What was the last movie/concert/show that you saw?
I saw The American Sniper and was totally blown away. Bradley Cooper’s portrayal of Chris Kyle was outstanding. I'm not much for going to the movies, but this is on my list for the Redbox as soon as it comes out on dvd.

What was the name of the last book you read?
The last book I read was THE FURIOUS MUSE, the first book of AJ Nuest’s Golden Key Legacy. There are four books in this series, and I can’t wait to find the time to finish them all! Fantasy Romance with Time-Travel? Sounds intriguing.

What is your biggest pet peeve?
Lol! Sad to say I have so many pet peeves! Let’s see. Which one will I admit to today? I know—those people at the grocery store who leave their carts in front of and between other cars rather than walk the twenty extra steps to return it to where it belongs. Am I alone? Or worse, in the middle of a parking spot. Yep. Right there with ya!

You are going to be stranded on a deserted island and bring 3 luxury items. What would they be?
A self-inflating air mattress because I’m a wimp when it comes to lying on hard ground; a toothbrush/toothpaste because that’s really one thing, right? And a king-size bag of books because I would finally have that time I’ve been hoping for to read! I swear I think that is the only way I will get caught up on my TBR pile!

What would we find in your refrigerator right now?
My refrigerator is pathetic! I’ve got milk, orange juice, dog treats, string cheese, yogurt, three cans of diet soda, and some lettuce that’s probably quite moldy by now. Oh…and a half a bottle of Bailey’s Irish Cream which is probably the only thing worth saving! Dog treats? In the frig? Interesting.

Think Fast

Elvis or Sinatra? Elvis
Mountains or Sea? Sea—I’m a beach addict!
Summer or Winter? Summer—are you kidding?

Cake or Pie? Cake
Dead Tree or Electronic? Electronic

Thanks for coming by and spending some time with us. Any final words of wisdom to pass along?

Thanks so much for having me. This was fun! I hope TEMPT THE NIGHT intrigues you a little bit! Here are my words of wisdom for what they’re worth: Go, do, see, experience life. Our dreams won’t come looking for us. We have to search them out and latch onto them.

Giveaway: 
Ten eBook copies of TEMPT THE NIGHT

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio:

DIXIE LEE BROWN lives and writes in Central Oregon, inspired by what she believes is the most gorgeous scenery anywhere. She resides with two dogs and a cat, who make sure she never takes herself too seriously. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, movies, and trips to the beach.

To connect with the author online:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads