Tag Archives: second chance

April 15, 2025 · 10:45 am

Hobby, Career, Passion with Author Amber Daulton – The Trials of Redemption & New Release: Dark Hearts Aflame #DarkRomance #Blog

Please help me welcome today’s guests, Amber Daulton and Carmen Lozano…

The Trials of Redemption  

Hello, everyone. I’m Carmen Lozano, the heroine from Amber Daulton’s dark romance novel, Dark Hearts Aflame. Today, I’m going to talk about redemption.

My story starts before I was born, when my criminal father married my ambitious beauty queen mother. He was the leader of a powerful cartel and had scores of brutal enforcers at his fingertips to do his bidding. His lavish lifestyle provided everything my siblings and I could want—exotic pets, expensive clothes, wild vacations, and all the top gadgets. We had it all—except for our parents’ love. The price of all that useless material stuff was blood. Death. Destruction. Humiliation. Fear. Misery. I could go on and on, but I don’t want this post to be about a whiny little rich girl.

Let’s move forward to when my father sold me into marriage to one of his capos. For five long years, I turned a blind eye to my husband’s activities, which ranged from drug running, rape, and murder. Then I snapped. I couldn’t take it anymore. Miraculously, I managed to escape and took refuge with an anti-cartel resistance group. There, I found freedom, my passion, a chance to do something good with my life. I learned from the nurses and medics that volunteered at the rebel base, and after a while, I was the go-to person called upon to extract bullets, sew up wounds, administer life-saving injections, and things like that. Far too often, rebel soldiers would be injured while fighting with the cartel in our backyard, so medics were a godsend. For the first time in my life, I felt like a decent person in helping others. I found real friends, a family of sorts. Then my past caught up with me.

I never thought I would see Bristol Rieger again. Back when I was a child, he was an up-and-coming enforcer in my father’s inner circle. I had a crush on him, but since he was seven years older than me, nothing ever happened between us. Now, I’m all grown up. When circumstances thrust us together, we have to go on the run to survive. My life as a healer was over, or so I thought, but I crave redemption as much as I do love and peace. After all the horrible things I’ve seen and brushed aside out of fear for my own safety, I’m done hiding in the shadows. I’m a strong, fearless woman. Whether I use my words, my fists, or my ability to heal, I will no longer stand aside while an innocent person is in danger. My soul cannot take anymore needless death.

Bristol says I have nothing to seek redemption for, that I was a victim trapped in a horrible situation. Maybe he’s right. Maybe not. I need to atone for the sins of my family, and the only way I’ve found to do that is to help the kind of people my family seeks to destroy—the innocents, the weak, the downtrodden.

So that’s my story. It’s not pretty, but it’s real. Thankfully, it has a happy ending. Bristol and I are crazy, madly in love. While I’m still working as a medic, he’s seeking his own redemption to try to wash the blood from his hands. We have a long way to go, but we’re in it for long haul.

Want to know more? Read Dark Hearts Aflame. You won’t be disappointed.

He gets more than he bargained for with his runaway cartel princess.

Blurb

A drug lord on the run. A cartel princess in hiding. All it takes is a spark to set their world ablaze.

Bristol Rieger left his criminal life behind for a fresh start in Mexico. Flying under the radar of the government and the cartels alike, his best-laid plans go awry when a woman from his narco days discovers his whereabouts. Carmen Lozano, however, is no longer the innocent girl he remembers.

Carmen escaped the chains of her tiara and her abusive marriage to join a group of resistance fighters. The last thing she expected was the now-retired capo setting out to seduce her with his wicked touch. Embracing the blood on his hands is easy, but his secrets wear on her patience.

When their enemies close in, Bristol will have to summon his inner monster to protect her. But can that monster be tamed again?

– Book one is an Interracial (Hispanic woman/white man) dark romance novel in the Lozano Cartel series. All the books can be read as a standalone, but are part of an interconnected series.

Excerpt:

Bristol sighed, more angry with himself than with her. “Believe me when I say I wish we could have more. Just trust me and know we can’t. It’s for your safety.”

Carmen slowed to a stop and trailed her index finger over the line of his jaw.

The resignation in her eyes scorched him.

“Your mind is like stone. If you never tell me your secrets, the truth you think I will not understand or accept, then it’s your loss. Not mine.” She notched her chin. “I know my worth, Bristol. Maybe I can do better than you. Maybe not, but at least I’m happy with you, and that’s all I ever wanted. So fine, keep your secrets. Someday, if I’m safe enough, I will find a man who can trust me implicitly and love me without reservation. When that happens, I hope your secrets will keep you warm at night because I’ll be gone.”

Though he intended to let her go, the idea of losing her almost cracked his knees on the floor. He had to protect her, but what about her heart? And his? He couldn’t push her into the arms of another man. He wanted—needed—her for himself. Bristol pulled her close and kissed her, desperate to feel her soft lips with his firmer ones and her tight body in his arms.

She opened her mouth, inviting his plunder. Her scent invaded his nostrils. Her sweet, delectable taste rolled through him, seeking to claim him.

After three days of starvation, he needed more. How could he survive three years? Thirty years? He couldn’t do this anymore, couldn’t keep quiet. He wanted her to be happy, yet the idea of some other man giving her everything she deserved sickened him to his core.

“Let’s go, Carmen. I have something to tell you.”

Buy link(s):

Daulton Publishing (discount available) – https://books.amberdaulton.com/darkheartsaflamedirect

B2R Universal – https://books2read.com/darkheartsaflame

Amazon – https://amzn.to/4hGWOog

Barnes & Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-hearts-aflame-amber-daulton/1144724204

Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dark-hearts-aflame

Apple/iBooks – https://books.apple.com/us/book/dark-hearts-aflame/id6544805264

Google Play – https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=vtfwEAAAQBAJ

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1509101

About the Author:

Amber Daulton is the author of the Lozano Cartel, the Arresting Onyx, and the Ramseys in Time series, as well as several standalone novellas. Her books are published through Daulton Publishing, The Wild Rose Press, and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.

She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats.

Find Me here: https://linktr.ee/AmberDaulton

Join my Exclusive Newsletter (free ebook to new subscribers): https://amberdaulton.com/newsletter-signup/

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March 26, 2021 · 11:20 am

The Cowboy’s Embrace – Kara O’Neal

#AHAgrp  –  #Blog

Please help me welcome author Kara O’Neal and her new release, The Cowboy’s Embrace…

The Cowboy’s Embrace came about because, when I introduced Deacon in book three of the series, I fell in love with him. He was strong, steady and smart. Really smart. Because he was the only one in book three who knew that trickery was afoot!

I had to give him a book. He deserved a true love. But what would his story be?

I have to say I took some time developing his match. She had to be someone righteous, honest and unafraid. She had to be able to stand next to Deacon and be her own person. Enter Lily Spero…the girl he abandoned in a park in Houston.

Now, before you get confused, he had his reasons for leaving her. So don’t hate him. Read his story and learn how these two triumph over a great evil. If you read it, know that my favorite part is how Lily steals the walking cane from the villain on the white horse and what happens after it.

About The Cowboy’s Embrace…
Fate brings his greatest regret back into his life…

Lily Spero is searching for her stolen heritage, for a place in the world that is all her own. Sixteen years ago, she lost her parents and siblings to a villain on a white horse. Since, she’s hungered for family, for that love she’d once known. When she visits the Swinging A Ranch, her past collides with her present, opening wounds long buried and shockingly creating hope where none had been before.

Deacon Tolbert is the foreman and a contributing partner to the Swinging A Ranch. He’s carved a niche in the world all his own, finally feeling worthy of the goodness he’s found for himself. But when Lily Spero arrives, the girl he abandoned years ago, he’s forced to face the most gut-wrenching moment of his life.

Despite the pain, love surprises them and blossoms, bringing hope for the future. But the villain from the past comes to haunt them, to steal what they’re trying to build. Deacon and Lily must brave vile evil in order to stay together, and fight with all they have to keep the promises they made to each other.

Excerpt:
He would come back soon. He would. He wouldn’t leave her here.
Lily assessed the park with its strong oaks and maples and winding packed dirt paths. She bit her lip and worked hard not to cry. She was a big girl. She was eleven, and he’d asked her to be brave while he was gone.
As she hid in the shade, she sank down to the grass, huddled against a trunk and hoped no one noticed a frightened, stranded, black girl. Where was he? What was taking so long? He only went to find food for them.
Morning turned into noon. People came. Some to eat their lunches on blankets they spread on the ground. Others to walk the picturesque paths. She pulled her knees into her chest and buried her nose in her dirt-caked pinafore. It had been yellow once. A pretty color as bright as the sun.
As she rocked back and forth, she prayed. She repeated over and over the words her mother had taught her. With her eyes clamped shut and her lips moving without ceasing, she implored to Heaven for Deacon to return.
But hours passed. Faces swam before her, asking her questions, giving her food. She couldn’t answer the nice strangers. Just gazed down the path, hoping, waiting, her heart dying.
Where are you? Please come. Please come back.
She silently begged to see his familiar form, dressed in overalls and a threadbare work shirt, coming around the bend to carry her away. But he didn’t come. And the kind people didn’t leave. They took her home with them, and Lily didn’t argue, even though their pale skin struck uncertainty in her heart. She couldn’t think. Deacon, she grieved.
And his name was the pained whisper on her lips every night, the perpetual cold ache in her heart…that could never be filled.

Buy Links: https://books2read.com/u/38RBRd

About Kara:

Born and raised in Texas, I had to make the state the setting for my first series. From the food to the fun, like floating the rivers, it is the fire in my blood that inspires me. My family and friends take center stage in my books. My sisters and best friends are my heroines, and my husband created my favorite hero. Love and family are the point of my stories, and I seek to entertain, relieve stress, and inspire people. Books can take one on a journey that one can relive over and over. I am extremely grateful to those authors who did that very thing for me. I learned and I fell in love with their words and characters. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Website – http://www.karaoneal.com
Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kara-o-neal
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Kara-ONeal/e/B00FL19TH8/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1465007993&sr=8-1
Barnes and Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/kara+o’neal?_requestid=845025
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/KaraONeal84/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/KaraONealAuthor
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/karaoneal7/
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7278350.Kara_O_Neal
Blog — http://www.karaoneal.com/blog
Blog – The Story Continues — http://www.karaoneal.com/the-story-continues

 

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February 17, 2021 · 8:25 am

Author Interview with Terry Korth Fischer & New Release: Gone Astray – GIVEAWAY!!

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Terry Korth Fischer…

Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets? 

I have lived in Texas most of my adult life, although I was born in South Dakota. When I was a child, our family moved often, but we always spent summers visiting our grandparents in Nebraska. I have wonderful memories of those times. To this day, Eastern Nebraska holds a special place in my heart and is the setting for much of my writing.

Where did you get the idea for Gone Astray?

A dozen years ago, I wrote a short story a month to share it with my sister, mother, and a few cousins. They did the same. Some of us were writers; the others were good sports. As you can imagine, over time, one by one, they dropped out. My challenge was to continue to write without the family commitment. Writing a novel was the answer. I read a lot of mysteries—traditional, cozy, and thrillers. I thought, why not? I can do that. Right around the same time, a friend’s mother disappeared. One morning she was fine, and the next, she was gone without a trace. A missing woman is not the main story in Gone Astray, but it was the spark that started the whole creative process.

Are there any tricks, habits or superstitions you have when creating a story?

If I have to admit to anything, it would be to over-organizing. I like an outline before I begin and then write toward an ending. The novel’s shape flexes as the story grows and matures, and I’ve been known to toss the plan aside. I don’t think I could get started without one.

What actors would you like in the main roles if your book were made into a movie?

I don’t think I could cast the actors—especially Rory Naysmith, my protagonist. I hope I’ve written the characters so that readers see them in their mind’s eye, and they can select the perfect flesh-and-blood actor for each role. Of course, I picture each character before I write. The internet is full of movie and TV celebrity images. I cold-heartedly steal their pictures and post them in my scrivener software to stay inspired. 

What genre have you never written that you’d like to write?

My husband devours westerns. I would love to surprise him by writing one. Maybe, someday.

What is your favorite quote?

Years ago, I received a humorous greeting card. On the front, a cartoon hippo dressed in a tutu stood at the top of a platform, preparing to dive. Fifty feet below sat a half-filled paper cup. The caption read, “Nothing is obvious to the uninformed.” I love that. When you can’t imagine failure, how hard can any task be?

Are your characters based on real people, or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

All my characters have pieces I’ve taken from real people, not replicas as much as bits of attitude and personalities borrowed. The trick is to blend the traits into the fictional characters, so the models don’t recognize themselves.  

What do your friends and family think of your writing?

My whole family is supportive. It would be wonderful if they were readers, as well.

What character in your book are you least likely to get along with?

That’s easy. Marilyn Beauregard is a seventyish busy-body widow. With a flashy wardrobe, nosy tendencies, and nerves of steel—she’s been there; done that. Marilyn’s a gal that gets in your way for your own good—precisely the kind of person I would cross the street to avoid.

 

I want to thank you for having me here today.

My pleasure, Terry…thank you for being my guest!

#Giveaway!!

Terry is giving away a $15 Amazon Gift card to one lucky commenter!!

Blurb*

A heart attack sends detective Rory Naysmith reeling. Too young to retire, he accepts a position in small-town Winterset, Nebraska. Handed an unsolved truck hijacking case, and the assistance of a rookie, Rory sets out to prove he is still able to go toe-to toe with men half his age. When the body of a Vietnam veteran turns up, he dons his fedora and spit-shines his shoes. But before he can solve the murder, an older woman disappears, followed closely by a second hijacking. He doggedly works the cases, following a thread that ties the crimes together.  But can Rory find the mental and physical strength to up his game and bring the criminals to justice before disaster strikes?

Excerpt*

“Powell’s back,” he said to Esther.

She pushed off from the wall. “Thank you.” They stood toe to toe, Esther’s chin level with his eyes. “I think Sunny wants you.”

Rory looked in the dispatcher’s direction, his gaze passing over the security monitors on the way. On the center screen, Chief Mansfield’s face stretched from edge to edge. Clutching the phone to his ear with a beefy hand, he glared into the camera.

The chief wanted him. Rory’s mouth went dry. He swallowed hard as the first hit of adrenaline kicked in. Hot damn—it was about time!

Buy link(s) Gone Astray amazon https://amzn.to/2LHnlYI

Buy link Gone Astray Barnes & Noble https://bit.ly/3q5h4Wh

Bio*

Terry Korth Fischer writes short stories, mystery, and memoir. Her memoir, Omaha to Ogallala, released in 2019, S&H Publishing, Inc. and Gone Astray, her debut mystery, The Wild Rose Press, in 2021. Her short stories have appeared in numerous print anthologies and online magazines. Terry is a member of SinC, Pennwriters, Inc. and Clear Lake Area Writers. Transplanted from the Midwest, Terry lives in Houston with her husband and their two guard cats.

Contact links

Website: https://terrykorthfischer.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/terryiswriting

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerryIsWriting

Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/terrykorthfischer

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14349440.Terry_Korth_Fischer

Book  Gem Author Page: https://www.bookgems.com/profile/tkfischer/

BLOG Website: https://www.terryiswriting.com

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