Interview with romance writer Dixie Lee Brown

Author Dixie Lee Brown is with me today and we’re chatting about her new romantic suspense, Heart of a SEAL.

During her virtual book tour, Dixie will be awarding a $30 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card (winner’s choice) to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, please use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too.

Bio:
Dixie Lee Brown lives and writes in Central Oregon, inspired by gorgeous scenery and at least three hundred sunny days a year. Having moved from South Dakota as a child to Washington, Montana and then to Oregon, she feels at home in the west. She resides with two dogs and a cat, who are currently all the responsibility she can handle. Dixie works fulltime as a bookkeeper. When she's not writing or working, she loves to read, enjoys movies, and if it were possible, she’d spend all of her time at the beach. She is also the author of the Trust No One romantic suspense series, published by Avon Impulse.

Please share a little bit about your current release.

Heart of a SEAL is the first book in my new Hearts of Valor series. It’s the story of Navy SEAL Luke Harding, who survives six months of captivity in an Iraqi terrorist stronghold. He’s rescued but devastating wounds cause him to turn his back on Sally, the sexy brunette whose memory is the only thing that kept him sane during his ordeal.

Sally has been hiding from her past for half of her life. When Luke refuses to see her in the hospital after his rescue, it breaks her heart and that of her 9-year-old daughter, Jen. When he shows up at their doorstep to apologize a year and a half later, Sally wants nothing more to do with him, but Jen welcomes him with the forgiving heart of a child.

In the dead of night, Sally’s house is blown up, and someone tries to run them off a mountain road. Sally’s past has caught up with her, and Luke is the only one she can trust to keep her and Jen safe. The secrets she must confess spark a mad dash to safety in remote Northern Idaho.

Even as the romance between Luke and Sally rekindles, and Luke meets up with old friends, former Navy SEALs who would die for him, their list of suspects gets shorter and shorter as they check off each name until there’s no one left.

But the danger still stalks them.


What inspired you to write this book?
I have such respect for the veterans and military personnel of America, and my writing in this series is my way of honoring them. Considering the incredible amount and type of training Navy SEALs receive and the brotherhood they share, it’s fairly easy to get them in and out of perilous situations, which makes it fun to write. Throw in some romance and a sexy, determined woman and, hopefully, end up with a book that’s equally fun to read.

Excerpt from Heart of a SEAL:

This excerpt highlights the bond between Luke and his fellow SEALs.

The last thing Sally wanted was to be the cause of an argument between Luke and the men he called friends. She forced a smile and stepped forward, grateful for the arm Luke slipped around her shoulders.

“Are you going to introduce me to your friends?”

Luke studied her with a cute little smirk on his face, then leaned toward her. “Only if you promise not to hurt them.”

She raised an eyebrow. “We’ll see.”

Luke coughed, successfully covering his amusement as he faced his friends again. “This is Sally Duncan. Sally, these are friends of mine—at least for now.”

The guys laughed uncertainly, as though they weren’t sure he was joking.

“The blond on your left is James Cooper. Coop is an explosives expert. He saved our butts more than once.”

“Nice to meet you, Coop.” Sally extended her hand, and the muscles in his forearm flexed as he gripped it firmly.

“The loud mouth there is Travis Monroe, aka the Shadow. He earned his nickname by getting in and out of places no one else could, quick and silent, like a friggin’ ghost.”

Travis doffed his ball cap as he shook her hand. “Just one of my many talents.” A suggestive smile played around his mouth, giving her an idea what he counted as a talent.

Luke groaned. “As you can tell, he’s modest too.”

Everyone chuckled, including Travis.

“The big guy is Matt Iverson.” Luke turned to the last man.

Matt appeared only slightly larger than Luke or the other men. His dark brown hair was cropped close in a buzz cut. Her quick perusal brought a slight flush to his neck and face, yet he nodded politely, and his warm handshake restored some of her quickly diminishing confidence.

A natural smile fell into place as she swept her gaze across the line of curious faces. “Luke’s told me a little—”

“It’s her. The lady in the picture. Right?” Matt’s gaze darted to Luke’s. “She’s the woman in that picture—the one you showed us—the one you had with you in that shithole.” He focused on her again. “You’re his angel. Aren’t you?”

Luke’s arm tightened around her, and one look revealed the intense emotions and memories he was dealing with. Sally pressed closer as he reached in his pocket and drew out the folded, faded picture of her and Jen. He handed it to Matt, who studied it and handed it off to Travis, then dragged her from the safety of Luke’s side and gave her a bear hug.

“Thank you,” he whispered in her ear before he released her and stepped aside. The scene was repeated twice more, with Travis giving her a peck on the cheek and Coop squeezing her shoulders in a sideways hug while handing the picture back to Luke.

All of them wore their affection for their friend as a badge of honor, and because of their loyalty to him, she’d been accepted and apparently thrust into the role of angel—one who’d helped to bring their wounded brother home.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I’m putting the finishing touches on the third book in the Hearts of Valor series. Then I’m on to a new project that’s still in the planning stages but will center around a former law enforcement officer. He’s been wounded on the job and is no longer able to perform his duties. Approached by two friends from Academy days, he’s invited to join a select and secret group, one that’s not claimed or acknowledged by any government … on paper, anyway. His first undercover assignment brings him face-to-face with an old girlfriend who isn’t even remotely the woman he thought he knew.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

It had to be the day I held my first published book in paperback version. I love my Kindle, but the books it contains are intangible at best. It took running my hands across the shiny cover and smelling the pages before I accepted the reality of being a writer.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
It’s my dream to write full-time, but for now I work forty hours a week as a bookkeeper for a real estate development company. Finding time to write is not always easy and often that time must be carved out of the hours I would otherwise be sleeping. Many times I finally sit down at the computer by 8 pm. Writing a thousand words before midnight is like pulling teeth some nights, but that’s my goal. It probably sounds crazy to lose sleep and push myself to produce words on a page every night, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I have many quirks (Lol), but it’s probably more than quirky to write sitting in a recliner with my laptop balanced in some precarious position because my little dog insists she should get to sleep on my lap as long as I’m just sitting there doing nothing! Strangely enough, it works for me.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
This is a bit embarrassing, but I wanted to learn to play guitar and sing in a rock and roll girl band! Lol! Thankfully, that dream didn’t come to fruition!

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I’d like to thank the readers for their willingness to discover new authors and new books to enjoy. Being a writer would be pointless without them.

Links:

Website | Facebook | Street Team | Twitter

Buy links:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Google Play | Kobo

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

It’s been my pleasure. Thanks so much for having me.

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