To Catch A Thief: Nan Dixon

Please welcome Nan Dixon author of To Catch A Thief

Nan Dixon will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

To Catch A Thief

by Nan Dixon

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GENRE: Contemporary

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INTERVIEW

2. How did you come up with ideas for your books?

I have three sisters and for almost thirty years we have taken a long weekend together. (Our mother used to go with us.) The task of planning rotates and the location is secret. One year I was the Social Director and I planned a trip to Savannah. We stayed in the gorgeous historic district, had a blast on a ghost pub crawl, and shivered over the ghost stories in our Inn. And I fell in love. And thought—what if four sisters (see the connection?) owned a crumbling mansion in the historic district. And they are turning it into a B&B? The six book series sprung from that trip. (I did cut the ghost I’d originally had in the book!)

3. What expertise did you bring to your writing?

I may not like reading craft books, but I will do it. But my work ethic is what I think has made me a successful writer. I am willing to put the hours, and hours, and hours in to draft and revise. And I am willing to take editorial comments and fix the problems in my books. It’s a lot of work to have a key turning point not work for an editor and need I needed to rewrite the last 25% of THE OTHER TWIN. But that change made the book stronger. I also did a lot of performing in my life; acting, singing and dancing. I think it helps me visualize the scenes and I write more dialogue. Dialogue makes for faster reading.

5. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

Right now I am working on a romantic suspense series. This idea started when I was listening to the BBC after dropping my daughter off at college. The report was on genetic modification. I plotted a series in the fifteen hour drive home.

The concept is embryos, clones with modifications, were implanted in three different women. Thirty years later, two of the men meet each other. They need to discover why their DNA matches. But the group that funded the research doesn’t want to be exposed. Why? Because they have been creating modified people to eventually control the government and all major businesses.

6. If you could be one of the characters from any of your books, who would it be and why?

In To Catch a Thief, my heroine is a singer. I do sing, having trained all the way through college. It was fun to bring Carolina to life through her music

8. Do you belong to a critique group? If so how does this help or hinder your writing?

I do belong to a critique group. And they are the reason I learned how to write. They were all members of my RWA Chapter and I was invited to join them. Wow—was I lucky! They taught me more about writing than any craft book could. And to really have the showing/telling sections pointed out is so, so helpful. (I get bored reading craft books!)

9. When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?

One of my writing friends who later invited me into the critique group suggested I enter the Golden Heart contest. (I was pretty clueless. I didn’t know there were writing contests.) I entered but didn’t final, but started submitting to RWA chapter contests. And did final, which gets more eyes on manuscripts. The second year I submitted to the Golden Heart, I was a finalist. Having the Finalist designation really helps when submitting queries to agents.

10. Do you outline your books or just start writing?

I used to have a long commute and would plot books during the drive, but it wasn’t an outline. Now that I have deadlines, I have a process where I start with my characters’ archetypes, create their Goal, Motivation and Conflicts. (GMC) Then I outline using the SAVE THE CAT beats. And of course, since I was a financial executive—everything is documented in a spreadsheet!

16. Can you tell us a little about the black moment in your book?

Carolina’s mother breast cancer has metastasized as brain tumors. The tumors are affecting her actions and filters. The mother is fixated on Carolina finding and stealing a globe from the Fitzgerald family. One that has been in Carolina’s family for generations. Stress sets off seizures. Carolina finds the globe and takes it to her mother to stop the seizures. When the hero, a FBI agent, realizes Carolina stole the globe, he doesn’t think she is honorable. And honor is everything to the Sage.

17. What is your favorite reality show?

Top Chef! Or Property Brothers. Although right now I am going through Olympic withdrawal.

18. Can you tell us a little bit about what it was like to write a series.

I love writing series. Because I get to stay in the world I created. And I get to build more family. And family, food and love are what my books are about. (And prosecco. There’s always prosecco in my books! Cheers!

BLURB:

What would you do for your family?

When Carolina Castillo’s once vivacious mother becomes ill, she gives up her singing dreams and comes home to Savannah. She’d do anything for her Mamá, even work at Fitzgerald House for the family she should have been part of. She’d even steal.

Carolina’s decisions make perfect sense until she comes up against the immovable rock that is gorgeous FBI agent Sage Cornell. The honorable cop sees the world in black-and-white. He would never understand the difficult choices she’s had to make, the secrets she’s been forced to keep close. And he could never love a woman like her. Or could he?

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EXCERPT:

A woman with gorgeous black hair had her head down on her arms. Beyond her was a small bench. Sage passed behind her, not wanting to disturb her nap.

Shoving her chair back, she slammed it into him. He went down like a roped calf.

“Oh, my God!” the woman cried.

His head rang. Pain stabbed behind his eyes.

“Are you okay?” She snatched his hand, trying to pull him to his feet.

“Wait.” He would fall over or faint if he moved too soon. “Wait.”

She crouched next to him. “I didn’t mean to knock you down.”

“S’okay.” He took deep breaths. “I just need…”

“What? How can I help?”

He tried to get his feet under him but stumbled.

“Let me.” She supported his elbow.

He clawed his way to his feet and finally looked at the woman who’d knocked him down like he was a bowling pin.

She was beautiful. Her dark blue eyes looked almost black and her skin was a luscious golden-olive color. And her hair? Black, curly and long enough to play peekaboo with her breasts. He swiped at his chin to make sure he wasn’t drooling.

“I’m so sorry.” She led him to the chair she’d abandoned. “I wasn’t paying any attention.”

“I thought you were sleeping.” A shard of pain slammed into him. He grasped his head and couldn’t contain the groan.

“You hurt your head.” Her fingers explored his skull.

The bump she was going to find was old, but her touch was cool and soothing.

“Is this the spot?” she asked.

“Yeah, but you didn’t cause it.” He swallowed back the nausea that always accompanied his headaches. “I was hurt a—” he couldn’t remember how long ago he’d been hurt “—while ago. I get headaches.”

“So does my mother.” She kneaded his shoulders, working her fingers up the tendons of his neck. “Does this help?”

“Yes.” He groaned. “That’s…good.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Award winning author Nan Dixon spent her formative years as an actress, singer, dancer and competitive golfer. But the need to eat had her studying accounting in college. Unfortunately, being a successful financial executive didn’t feed her passion to perform. When the pharmaceutical company she worked for was purchased, Nan got the chance of a lifetime—the opportunity to pursue a writing career. She’s a five-time Golden Heart® finalist, lives in the Midwest and is active in her local RWA chapter and on the board of a dance company. She has five children, three sons-in-law, two granddaughters, one grandson and one neurotic cat.

www.NanDixon.com

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Buy Links – http://www.nandixon.com/category/books/

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Nan Dixon will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f2603