The Jump Off

In Doug Dixon's hip, sexy novel, a dedicated player is about to discover that the free and easy lifestyle can wind up being anything but.

Charming, successful engineer Troy Sanders likes his relationships short, hot, and hassle-free. Until one day at the beach, looking for his next no-strings fling, he meets Jennifer Stevens-a beautiful, career-driven attorney who's got zero time for Troy's games. What she does have is Troy's number, before he can even give it to her.

Finally, Troy's ready to do the unthinkable and make a real commitment, even if it means dating long-distance when Jennifer gets a job offer from a big-shot Atlanta law firm. But no sooner has Troy said a temporary goodbye to Jennifer than he's saying hello to jealousy, insecurity...and a very seductive co-worker, Dana Suarez. And now, to untangle himself from a twisted mess of lies and deceit, Troy will need more than his usual smooth lines and fast talk. He'll need to get real, get honest, and get ready to lay everything on the line, maybe for the first time in his life...

Publishers Weekly

Romance sours when distance separates two lovers in Dixon's competent but clunky debut novel. Mobile, Ala., software engineer Troy Sanders dreams of building a home for his fianc e, Jennifer Stevens, an ambitious, gorgeous criminal lawyer, but trouble looms when Jennifer leaves Troy in Mobile for a lucrative law gig in Atlanta. Regular visits and phone calls keep things together until Troy makes a trip to Atlanta and catches Jennifer with another man. He eventually lands in the arms of Dana Suarez, a sexy Latina co-worker, who shares his bed while Jennifer tries to reconcile. Things are hot for a while, but Dana's Fatal Attraction-esque dark side surfaces when Troy considers getting back together with Jennifer. Dixon has a solid grasp on the mechanics of storytelling, but the romance material proves predictable and clich d, while the violent resolution to the romantic triangle is especially ludicrous. Dixon's debut does have its entertaining moments despite the first-novel warts. (Aug.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Doug Dixon was born in Mobile, Alabama. Upon high school graduation, he joined the Naval Reserves and studied Electrical Engineering from South East College before attending Auburn University at Montgomery to study computer science. After earning a degree in the IT field, he lived in New Orleans before moving to Atlanta in hopes of climbing the corporate ladder and having a family. He found refuge from many failed relationships and a stressful work environment through reading books. Discussions with women in several different book clubs and throughout his travels revealed that many felt relationships portrayed in novels were sugar-coated, expressing popcorn love rather than ordinary couples' reality. Each comment, along with his own life experiences, created images in Dixon's mind that he later put on paper for his first novel. Since completing Twisted, his desire to "keep it real" has inspired Dixon to start writing several other novels about struggled relationships. When Doug Dixon isn't writing, you can find him in Atlanta's inner city recreation centers coaching baseball and basketball or attending spoken word events. His works have caught the attention of bestselling author and friend Camika Spencer and renowned editor Chandra Sparks Taylor who, with their continued support and inspiration, have made Dixon's hard work and determination worthwhile.