Monday, June 22, 2020

Garden Interview with Amber Daulton

Hello Amber

tell us about you and your books.


Have you ever cried while writing a book?


I cry with every book I write, usually when the hero and heroine are finally admitting to each other or to themselves that they are falling in love. I also tear-up when writing heartbreaking back-stories. I love putting my characters through the wringer, but sometimes it’s a bit much even for me.

Do you have trouble saying goodbye to characters?

Definitely. That’s why Lyrical Embrace now has a sequel, Harmony’s Embrace. Also, Arresting Mason has spawned into a multi-book series, but I had originally written it for an anthology call. I just can’t let my heroes and heroines go when there are always more stories to tell and characters to introduce.

What tips would you give a new writer?

Don’t waste your time submitting to one of the top traditional publishers. It’s not impossible, but it’s very difficult to get noticed and chosen by the top dogs. It’s best to start with small presses and work your way up the ladder. After you get a few stories published and have firmly planted your feet in the publishing pool, then submit to bigger publishers, if you still want to.
FYI, writing for small and indie presses allows you more freedom to write the stories you want to write. The guidelines aren’t as strict, and these presses accept a boarder range of stories, tropes, and writing styles than traditional publishing houses do. I definitely recommend go the small-pubbed route.


When you wrote Lyrical Embrace, did you have an idea of how it would end at the beginning?

When I first started plotting, I knew I wanted the bad guy to find the heroine, Erica Timberly, and try to kidnap her. How I was going to do that, I wasn’t sure. Luckily, I’m a detailed plotter, so everything came into place nicely by the time I was finally plotting the climax. Once I got to work on writing the story, I knew everything that was about to happen. Granted, a few things surprised me along the way, but I kept to the plot for the most part.

What are your current projects?

Harmony’s Embrace is the follow-up novella to Lyrical Embrace, and it tells the story of how Birley Haynes reunites with his high school sweetheart, Harmony Holdich. I love holiday-themed books, so this MS takes place at Christmastime. Hopefully, it will be published this winter season, but I’m not sure. It’s currently on submission with my editor.
Arresting Jeremiah, the second installment in the Arresting Onyx series, picks up where Arresting Mason ends and should be out in late 2020 or early 2021. The story follows hardnosed parole officer Jim Borden and his obsession Calista Barlow as they stick their noses where they don’t belong and fall deep into the trouble with the criminal organization known as Onyx. This sexy, dirty-talking romantic suspense series spans five full-length novels and two novellas (I’m currently writing the novellas) with a standalone HEA for each rough-and-tumble hero and their spunky heroines.


and for a little fun...

Has the dog ever eaten your manuscript?


No, but my cats have.
Darby, my eight-year-old tabby, likes to lick ink from paper, so much so that I can’t see what I just wrote after he’s done with it. (There are also claw marks.) Black ink is his favorite, blue is second, and he’s not crazy about red. Go figure!
I’ve looked online and spoke with a vet about this, and it’s apparently a completely normal but kooky thing for a cat to do. (And cats are all about being kooky!) It’s a learned behavior that stemmed from some kind of trauma he experienced as a kitten. I’m not sure what that was. I’ve had him since he was about 6 weeks old.

Do you ever go around in a corset, high heels, and a whip to get you in the mood to write something naughty?

Well, now that you mention it, I do have a penchant for latex… :) No, wait. I’m kidding! I swear. Cross my heart.
I do sometimes grab my husband, Greg, and position him in a certain stance for educational purposes. You see, at times I find it difficult to visualize how my hero and heroine will hold each other while kissing, so I have no choice but to practice the scene with my hubby. Whether that leads to more in-depth research is a private matter… *wink wink*

Do you laugh at your own jokes?

Yes, I do. I’m that lame.

If you came with a warning label, what would it say?

“Do Not Disturb” is in big print, and “While At Computer” is in little print beneath it. My poor hubby and cats just can’t seem to get the message, though.

Who's more fun, bad boys or perfect gentlemen? Or Bad Girl or a lady?

Bad boys, of course! That’s why I write about them.
I prefer down-on-their-luck heroes or even criminals trying to turn over a new leaf compared to squeaky clean guys or heroes who are so bland they’re worse than vanilla.
The same goes for the ladies, but I can handle good girls better than I can good boys.

Where can we find you online?



Download Lyrical Embrace on Amazon and other online retailers.









7 comments:

Karen Michelle Nutt said...

Amber,
I enjoyed your interview and getting to know you. That was interesting about your cats. It would be nice if they could tell us what they were thinking. lol

Good luck with your books.

Amber Daulton said...

Thank you so much, Karen, for stopping by and your kind words.
Yeah, those kitties are crazy. ;) Love 'em to death.

Amber Daulton said...

Thank you for hosting me, TWRP!

D. V. STONE said...

Love the interview. I've enjoyed your books.🦉

Barbara Bettis said...

Enjoyed your interview, Amber. And you're so right..."researching" is so important :) All the best

Charlotteoshayauthor.com said...

Yep, bad boys can be fun.

CB Clark said...

Great Post, Amber! Love your stories. Thanks for sharing.