Guest Post & Giveaway: Tempt The Night by Dixie Lee Brown

Tempt the Night Trust No One # 5
By: Dixie Lee Brown
Releasing February 24th, 2015
Avon Impulse

Blurb
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.


Buy Links
Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo



Romancing the Readers would like to thank Dixie Lee Brown for stopping by and visiting with us today! Please make her feel welcomed! 

I’m thrilled to be here today to share the release of TEMPT THE NIGHT, the final installment of the Trust No One series. I think you’ll enjoy this story, even if you read it as a stand-alone.

In celebration of this release, I’d like to bring you my version of “Tempting the Readers”—the top five “Must Haves” in a romance novel to keep readers hooked.

Readers must love the hero— Deep down where it counts, the bad boy romance hero has to be a good guy. Likewise, the nerdy character that wants to win the girl will slip right through the readers’ fingers if he doesn’t have enough redeeming qualities to charm them. This isn’t about looks. This is about strong character. It’s about saying the right thing and following through.

In TEMPT THE NIGHT, Jim Brady is a former Navy SEAL who has come home damaged and convinced he’s a danger to the people he loves the most. So he makes the very difficult decision to never go home. Yet, when he runs into the heroine and realizes how much trouble she’s in, it’s natural for him to protect her.

Readers must respect the heroine— She must be strong, yet soft. Able to take care of herself, yet in some situations, be willing to give over control to the hero. Much like all women, the heroine must stand up for herself and protect everyone she loves. Sound like an impossible task? 

Samantha “Mac” McCallister, my heroine from TEMPT THE NIGHT, has been a police dispatcher for several years, but one night the ugliness she’s heard on the other end of the phone comes calling for her. Before the night is over, her life is changed forever. But now she’s angry, and she wants justice. 

Readers must see a believable conflict that sustains the suspense— This can be one conflict or a series of conflicts as long as it keeps the reader turning those pages to the end. There must be something BIG at risk. What’s going to happen if the H/h don’t resolve this conflict? The reader won’t care about the story if the consequences seem small and insignificant. In contemporary romance, the conflict must come from a deeply emotional source. It’s somewhat easier with romantic suspense. In TEMPT THE NIGHT, the conflict puts people’s lives in danger. 

Readers want sexual tension— Whether the author closes the bedroom door or throws that baby open, sexual tension is a must. Not to be confused with sex—sex without sexual tension is just going through the motions. Dialogue, a spicy conversation, a steamy glance, a knowing smile, even a wink are some of the ways to create sexual tension before the H/h even touch. 

Readers needs a realistic resolution to conflict and relationship— There’s nothing worse than a poor ending to a book or movie. Those endings where you have to fill in the blanks. Not fair! So the resolution calls for the tying up of all loose ends, or at least explaining why they’re left untied. It must be believable and not “the easy way out.” If an entire squadron of Marines drop in to end the conflict, there better be a good explanation for their sudden appearance. Otherwise the reader will feel cheated. 

The romantic conflict must be resolved as well. Have the differences that were keeping H/h apart earlier in the book been resolved? This requires more than a simple change of mind. The reader needs a realistic resolution if they’re going to buy the happily-ever-after. The characters need to grow emotionally, realize the error of their ways, or at least figure out a good compromise. If readers aren’t satisfied with the resolution, they likely won’t be satisfied with the book either. As writers, we put so much effort into a catchy opening line to draw readers into the story, but the ending stays with readers much longer than the beginning and determines whether they’ll pick up the next book in the series or not. 

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you’ll think of TEMPT THE NIGHT the next time you’re deciding what to read!




Author Info


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.


Author Links
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads





Comments

  1. Thank you so much for letting me drop by and visit today, and for featuring TEMPT THE NIGHT and the giveaway on your blog. :)

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  2. I'm reading this book right now, hating for the series to come to an end. I've loved them all.

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    Replies
    1. I always hate when a series ends. It's like losing a friend.

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  3. Thank you, Vonnie. You're a dear to say that!

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  4. Thank you for hosting Dixie and TEMPT!

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