Alex Sheridan: Consumate CIA operative...Son of a diplomat, Ivy League educated...single...no personal commitments...begins a dangerous new assignment in Colombia harboring a very private secret.
Spence Craven Jr.: Lifelong friend of Alex...Now CEO of the Colombian branch of the family export business that comes under CIA scrutiny...in love with Angelina Cardoza...oblivious to a family secret that will threaten his very existence.
Angelina Cardoza: Colombian beauty...daughter of a wealthy Colombian business magnate...Carrying a secret love for an "older man," the son of an American diplomat whom she met as a teenager.
Teresa Cardoza: Wife, mother...with a twenty-two-year-old secret that, if exposed, could tear her family apart. Will she lose her life trying to keep it from coming to light?
Philippe Cardoza: Self-made, powerful tycoon...hiding dark secrets from his past that now gravely endanger those he loves most.
Alfonz Guarino: Merciless drug kingpin...master of a secret narcotics underworld...will stop at nothing to maintain control of, and expand, his territory.
Roberto Mendez (Santera): Driven by his own secret reasons to stop Guarino.
As their lives converge, they discover they are linked not only by circumstance but by the secrets each keep, as well.
In this departure from her usual romantic suspense, Dixie Land takes readers on an action packed journey from ornate embassies and opulent homes of the fabulously wealthy in the Colombian business and political world, to the remote jungle hideaway of a treacherous drug lord.
CRITICAL PRAISE FOR EXIT WOUNDS
"Readers won't be disappointed. This is one story that will stay with you long after you close the book!"
David L. Shaffer, PAID IN FULL Alabaster Books
"Dixie Land's powerful novel, CIRCLE OF SECRETS, takes us straight into today's headlines about the agony of that country; Colombia. Her tightly woven plot lifts a dark curtain and allows us to see in to lives changed forever by the drug trade--introducing us to the forceful and evil people who control it; the men and women who suffer under their heel; and those who go beyond mere courage to fight against it. I can never forget the people who have been bound together by the CIRCLE OF SECRETS, nor do I want to. Headlines about Colombia will always remind me of Land's unforgettable story and, once again, I will be there. She has opened the curtain!"
Radine Trees Nehring, author of the SOMETHING TO DIED FOR mystery series. St. Kitts Press
"Land's latest novel is a high-intensity thriller from page-one, and the excitement never wanes. The intriguing plot pits drug lords and crime bosses against the CIA's finest. Her characters embody the best and the worst of human nature. CIRCLE OF SECRETS is an impelling story told by a master writer!"
Helen Goodman, MURDER IN EDEN & JESS
"Dixie Land's novels are fast-paced and her plots are filled with twists and turns. Her characters are always captivating. A Dixie Land read is always a satisfying journey!"
Ellen Elizabeth Hunter, author of the MURDER IN WILMINGTON series. Magnolia Publishing
"CIRCLE OF SECRETS" is a departure from Romance Writer, Dixie Land's usual genre. In this riveting espionage tale, she takes you into the minds of Washington's top secret service agents, Colombia, South America's elite families and eventually into the mind of the evil Colombian drug lord who wants to retain his grip on his country's economy. From the moment the burned note is found on the hearth to the final scene, this multi-talented writer will keep readers on the edge of their seats. You should probably begin reading this book in the morning or you may find yourself staying up all night to see what happens. Don't be surprised if you see CIRCLE OF SECRETS pop up on the Best Seller list soon!
Lynette Hall Hampton, JILTED BY DEATH, Silver Dagger WRITER TO WRITER (The Writing Book I wish I'd had Twenty Years Ago) Alabaster Books
"Dixie Land's books are wonderful! Each new release is better than the last. Dixie has fine tuned her writing to perfection."
Kathryn M. Fisher, UP A TREE WITH TATIE WEE Alliance Publishing
Reader Reaction
11/15/04 Dixie, I've just finished reading Circle of Secrets, and was mesmerized from start to finish. It certainly held my attention as all your books do. It combines romance, mystery, intrigue, suspense, danger, education, etc., all in one. What a powerful novel! I look forward with great anticipation to your next book. I feel that they should make a movie out of this last one!!! PS (an afterthought) Could the surprise ending of Circle of Secrets be setting the stage for
a future novel? SO good!
J.L.P. Wisconsin
11/7/04 Dixie-- I'm up to chapter 23 of CIRCLE and am about to take back my comment about liking your romances better. You really swung into it with wonderful description and great suspense. And, of course, you've introduced and have started to develop a fascinating romance! Dorothy P. O'Neil; DOUBLE DECEPTION, CHANGE OF HEART, HEART'S CHOICE, BEYOND ENDEARMENT & "L" IS FOR LOVE. Avalon Books
11/9/04 Hi Dixie, I've finished CIRCLE. Great job. I can't believe you didn't live in Bogota or at least visit there frequently. You're as good at suspense as you are at romance. In CIRCLE, you combined the two very skillfully. I hope you're working on another combo like this one. Dorothy P. O'Neil
"I've finished reading CIRCLE OF SECRETS, and I enjoyed it a lot! I was particularly impressed with your "take-down" scene of the drug lord's camp. You write a good fight scene! And here I thought you'd lead a sheltered life...! Of course, the romance was handled well. The sex was very tastefully and skillfully done, too. Another good one, Dixie! Now I've gotta ask. With that ending, am I right in thinking there's going to be a sequel??
Elizabeth H. NC librarian
Dixie; WOW! What a ride I just took over the last couple days! I loved your book! You are right when you say an audience wants to be pulled into the next chapter. It certainly pulled me! The plot twists lead the reader through a maze of possibilities then surprise revelations. I loved reading it!
Michele Scott, newspaper reviewer, Iowa
"CIRCLE OF SECRETS was so exciting that I finished it in two days! I'm ready for the sequel! Please tell me there is one.
Margaret F. NC
"I loved your book! How did you ever dream up that plot??? I couldn't put it down. And, the research you must have done. Wow!
Mable F. NC
"Dixie, I'm upset with you. I started reading your book and couldn't lay it down. I understand there will be a sequel. WRITE FAST!"
Dot L. NC
"MAGNIFICO!! I came home from lunch and spent the rest of the day finishing your book. It is absolutely terrific! I was glued to the last few chapters. I think you should enter it in the Writers' Digest contest for the best self-published book."
Helen G. NC
"Dixie, I finished your book and it was no surprise that I enjoyed it--I like your style of writing. This was a departure from your previous books, but it kept me on the edge of my seat trying to guess the outcome. Fortunately, I am not one of those who read the last page first, so I was surprised at many of the twists and turns. You have done it again! I have already passed my copy on to a friend to read."
Barbara W. Va. (That's a no, no Barbara, encourage them to buy a signed copy)
Dixie, I completed Circle of Secrets and it was excellent! It's your best book yet. Write about 3 more and you've got yourself a series to equal or surpass James Bond!
William, Georgia ( Thanks, William. I'm working on the sequel, Promises to Keep!)
Yes! I did enjoy it! I was very surprised at the ending but deep down had some thoughts in the back of my mind that Guarino would escape somehow. Whenever I read a book I always cast the different characters with Hollywood actors who I think fit the descriptions of the characters in the book. I did this with yours too, and if you like, I'll tell you who I think fit the part. ( I would like, and I got them, Thanks, Bud!...George Clooney is Alex) One more thing, I was overwhelmed at how good a writer you are, and I will go back to the Country Book Store and get your book EXIT WOUNDS. I should have picked it up when I got your first one. I read 16 chapters on Tuesday night, and I finished it last night.
Bud K. Southern Pines, NC
