Ryan’s Temptation
Series: Arresting Onyx (book 2.5)
Publisher: Daulton Publishing
Release Date: August 9, 2022
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: 45k
Heat Rating: 4 Flames
Tagline – After Chanel witnesses a murder, she and her sexy neighbor flee the city with the killer in hot pursuit.
Blurb
Wrong place, wrong time. Now she’s running for her life.
Beautician Chanel Leroc can wield a pair of scissors like nobody’s business. After she witnesses a murder and lands on a serial killer’s hit list, she has to figure out how to protect herself—and fast. The killer tracks her down, but her sexy new neighbor, Dr. Ryan Naylor, drives the brute off.
The police dump the pair in a witness protection program, which doesn’t last long. Either the killer has a connection to the police, or he’s far more intelligent than they realize. All Chanel wants to do is get back to her safe life and get to know her neighbor better. Instead, she and Ryan hit the road and try to survive on their own.
How will they stay alive and keep their blooming romance intact with the killer hot on their trail?
Excerpt:
He deepened the kiss and danced the tango with her tongue. Her sweet cherry taste rocketed through him. Yes! Delicious. Her breathy gasp filled his lungs as he trailed his hands to the hot skin poking out between the hem of her top and her waistband.
Chanel clutched him close and feathered kisses across his jawline. “More. Touch me.”
Fucking hell. He backed her against the stove and claimed her mouth again. She pressed her soft breasts to his chest and tugged on his hair. The burning in his scalp thickened his cock. The inferno racing through him blazed hotter as he squeezed her supple ass.
She gasped and ripped her mouth from his.
He fisted her long, silky hair. The shudder rolling through him stopped his heart, then jump-started the organ. He unbuttoned her pants and stroked the hem of her cotton panties.
“Ryan.” She gyrated against him, breathing hard. “We shouldn’t.”
“You don’t have a boyfriend, do you?”
“Of course not. I wouldn’t be here with you if I did.”
He suckled the smooth skin of her neck. “I’ve wanted you since I saw you lugging boxes to your apartment.”
She gripped his back. “Why didn’t you say something?”
He thrust his erection over her belly. “I thought you might’ve been dating one of the men helping you.” Though he hadn’t seen either of those men in the building since Chanel moved in. One of them reminded him of someone, as though they’d met before, but he couldn’t place him.
“Mason and Jim are both engaged to their better halves. You had nothing to worry about.” She tilted her head back as he licked the line of her throat. “We need a—”
“I won’t hurt you.” He clasped her flushed cheek and treasured her kiss-swollen lips.
“Ooh, I know, but…” She shifted out of his hold.
He groaned. No! Why? He gulped and lifted his hand to calm her. “Chanel, I like you a lot. I didn’t mean to insult you about being a beautician, I swear. You must like me, too, or you wouldn’t have kissed me back.” Please, God. He needed release. This sexy woman had twisted him into a pretzel.
“Do you have a condom?”
About the Author:
Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and 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. Universal Link | Exclusive Newsletter - (free ebook to new subscribers)
Q&A with Amber:
1. What was your inspiration for writing RYAN'S TEMPTATION?
I never intended to write this book, but two secondary characters from the previous books in the series kept pestering me, demanding I give them a story of their own. They harassed me for months, so when I finally succumbed and sit down to hash out some ideas, the plot flowed right out of me. I wrote scene by scene, chapter by chapter, until I wrapped everything up in the epilogue. Then I finally got to writing the story, and I had so much fun. Serves me right for denying what my characters wanted. I should’ve just listened to them in the first place.
2. Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Both. If my muse is flowing, I feel energized, and an elephant stampede couldn’t tear me away from my computer.
Other times, trying to force out a complete, cohesive sentence is like pulling teeth. When I have writer’s block, it’s like there’s a huge weight on my shoulders, and the only thing I can do is step away from the manuscript for a few weeks. I usually have to play Super Mario Bros on my SNES emulator or Resident Evil 4 on the Game Cube, read from my length TBR pile, or dig in the garden to get my creative juices flowing again.
3. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Do research into grammar and writing style, and not to read so many romance books written in the 1990s and earlier. The writing and publishing guidelines have changed over the years, and what was accepted then is no longer accepted now, at least for new writers.
I had modeled my style after what I was reading, only to learn with my first publisher that passive voice and head hopping was now frowned upon. When I think back on those drafts, I shudder, but writing is a learning experience. I’m grateful that the publisher saw the merit in my writing and set me straight from then on.
4. How do you select the names of your characters?
The hardest thing for me is deciding on character names. Now, that might not sound like a big deal, but the names have to fit with the characters I see in my mind perfectly. I feel stumped and lose my creativity if I assign a name to someone that just doesn’t feel right. I usually choose the names based on their personality, physical characteristics, family dynamics/heritage, the time period of the novel, or just what I find sexy! I sometimes spend hours, if not days, scouring through baby name books and websites for the perfect name and spelling.
5. Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad ones?
I do read them, and sometimes I wish I didn’t. In this business, it’s easy for an author to lose confidence. Everyone has different styles and opinions, which is fine and how things should be. I don’t mind criticism, but it should be nicely done. In fact, I prefer a 3 or 4 star review that details what the reader did and did not like to a brief 5 star that says wonderful, vague things that could fit any number of books. When I get a negative review, I try to take any constructive criticism that might be there and move on.
6. What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
Editing. It has the power to improve and destroy a manuscript. Twisting and changing your story to fit the current trend or writing style can be exhausting, both mentally and physically, but often it results in a wonderfully written book that you’re proud to share. Sometimes, though, the book will no longer feel right but may be “correct” according to industry standards. Finding a middle ground on how much to edit is reason enough to give me headaches.
7. How long on average does it take you to write a book?
I write every day from 7-ish in the morning to about 3 pm with little breaks in between. Depending on the research I need to do and the amount of edits each book will need, on average, I finish a novella (say 15 to 35k WC) in about two months. For a full-length novel (80k plus), I usually take three or four months to finish it.
I don’t set a word count quota for myself, but I do set personal deadlines in which I try to have chapters done by a certain date, so I can have the entire story completed by another date. Sometimes I make it; sometimes I don’t.
8. What is your writing Kryptonite?
Distractions. When I’m writing and in the zone, it drives me crazy when people try to talk to me or my cats start to misbehave, wanting attention.
9. Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I try to do both. I write what’s fun and feels natural to me, but I also try to follow the trends to better connect with readers. Luckily, I already write in two of the most popular romance genres (contemporary and romantic suspense), but I think I give my books enough of a twist to help them stand out.
10. What works best for you: Typewriters, fountain pen, dictate, computer or longhand?
When I’m plotting, I like pen and paper the best. Each book has its own folder that’s stuffed with index cards, Post-It notes, and loose sheets of paper. I plot on the computer when I don’t have any paper around but I usually transfer those notes to paper later on. When it’s time to write, I always use my laptop.
Giveaway!
To celebrate the release of Ryan’s Temptation, I’m giving away two prizes.
First place prize: $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card
Second place prize: $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card
Contest runs from July 15 to August 16.
Thank you for the wonderful feature and interview!
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