Where are you from?
I was born in Aspen, Colorado, though I spent much of my adult life a few hours away in Denver, where I worked. I also spent some time in Mexico as a teenager.
What is your job?
That’s a tricky question. I’m technically retired, but keeping Carmen safe and myself out of trouble is a full-time job. I used to work for Onyx—one of the largest underground crime organizations in the American Southwest—but after the feds brought Onyx down, I’m hiding out in Mexico. It’s proving harder than I anticipated to stay off the radar.
Are you a people person or a lone wolf?
A lone wolf. I don’t have friends; I have associates and employees. Well, there is one friend, Alan, but I’ll probably never see him again. He’s back in the States and finally free from the danger I inadvertently put him in. (His story is Arresting Alan, the final book in Amber Daulton’s Arresting Onyx series.)
Do you have any special powers or skills?
Is the ability to keep secrets a skill? I like to think so. If I don’t keep a lid on my past actions and what I plan to do in the future, I could see the inside of a black body bag sooner rather than later. My life hinges on how well I keep my secrets.
What is your main goal in life?
It used to be staying alive and off the radar from the government and my former crime bosses alike, but now, I’m determined to see Carmen happy and settled with whatever she needs. I knew her back when I was a teenager living in Mexico with her cartel family, but I never expected to see her again when I returned a few months ago.
Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
I have several tattoos.
Swirls of dark ink encircle the purple and blue flowers and the flock of birds on my left arm, and a small bluish-green snake slithers around the blooms. Vines of blood-red roses twist from my right biceps to my wrist. In between my shoulder blades, there are two crisscrossing black snakes inside a black woven circle, which is the symbol of my loyalty to the Onyx gang. Below that is a spider web with the Lozano Cartel name in the webbing, signifying my loyalty to them back when I was much younger. Black bands crisscross my upper back and shoulders to connect all the tattoos while also camouflaging the gang signs and a few scars.
As you can tell, I’ve lived quite a hectic life.
Who is your greatest enemy and why?
I have lots of enemies, especially if my secrets get out. Currently, I’m dealing with Carmen’s enemies—namely, her estranged husband and her abusive father.
What is Carmen’s father’s greatest strength?
Ovidio Lozano is more depraved than my own father, and believe me, that man was no picnic. Ovidio’s greatest strength would have to be his role as jefe in the Lozano Cartel. He’s the leader—the top dog, as they say—and has scores of mindless sycophants at his disposal. I don’t know how I’m going to stop him from finding Carmen. Ovidio and Jorge, Carmen’s soon-to-be ex, are hunting her down like an animal.
What is their greatest weakness?
Arrogance. They don’t know I’m helping her, and they have zero respect for Carmen as a woman or as a warrior in her own right. They think she’s weak, and that will be their downfall.
Who is your love interest?
Carmen Lozano is the one woman I know I shouldn’t touch. She’s a cartel princess who’s joined a resistance group to beat back the cartels. Crazy, right? She’s been living with them for seven years before our paths crossed. The last time I saw her, she was thirteen years old, and I was twenty. Now, we’re both adults and ready for something more than the awkward friendship we shared as kids.
What is your favorite thing about Carmen?
Her strength. She doesn’t take anyone’s bull and says what she thinks. She’s the strongest woman I know.
What is the most annoying thing about Carmen?
Her persistence in learning my secrets. The woman can nag with the best of them, but her determination is also one of the things I love most about her.
Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
Dark Hearts Aflame is the first book in the Lozano Cartel series, which is a spin-off from the Arresting Onyx series. All these books can be read as a standalone, so don’t worry if you haven’t checked out Arresting Onyx (though I do recommend it because they’re freaking awesome, and I play a minor role in each of those books, which makes them even better). Following my book is Lost in His Spiderwebs, a dark captivity romance that features Carmen’s brother, Rubén, and a secondary character from my own book. No spoilers here. You’ll be surprised by the stubborn woman who brings Rubén to his knees.
Thank you for stopping by!
Dark Hearts Aflame
Author: Amber Daulton
Genre: Dark Romance
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?
Excerpt:
“You should go.” Carmen switched back to English and rubbed her temples.
“Yeah, I’m not welcome here and all.” Bristol grasped her close, right where Rodolfo did. Her breathy sigh fanned his face, snapping the last thread reining in his desire. He kissed her. Hard. Damn it to hell. Her soft lips yielded to his firmer ones as he plundered her mouth, the stinging cut on his busted lip barely fazing him. Her essence of woman and spice tingled his tongue, driving his need. She grasped his shirt with hungry hands, burrowing against him as though she were trying to climb inside him. Fuck. He’d give anything to let her. Her sexy little moans traveled down his throat and pulsated right through his thickening cock, as decadent as if she fisted him.
Carmen flattened her hands to his chest and pushed.
He released her and dragged in a steadying breath. His chest shuddered beneath her palms. The thin scab over his split lip broke away, and he licked up a drop of blood. Wanton heat flared in her dreamy, half-lidded eyes as though she wanted to lick it for him.
“You really should go, Bristol.” The words left her mouth with a breathy sigh.
“I know.” He’d better leave before he committed himself to the resistance just to see the inside of her bedroom. He kissed her forehead and headed down the steps while pulling his keys from his pocket. Once he cranked the engine, the bike rumbled to life between his legs. His dick lurched, needing relief. How he would make it down the mountain in one piece with a fucking hard-on was anyone’s guess. He cast his gaze back at Carmen.
What a goddess. Strength coursed through her and blazed in her dark eyes. She stood with her arm angled all sassy-like on her tilted hip. The proud jut of her chin fascinated him. She waved goodbye, but they both damn well knew this wasn’t over. They’d kiss again. And do a lot more than that.
He wouldn’t leave Savillaruz until he tasted every inch of her and silenced every threat to her life. After years of darkness, he finally had the chance to do something right. He wouldn’t let her face the dangers alone, not when he could help. She was his redemption. Once he hit the road, she would be safe.
Purchase Links:
Universal – https://books2read.com/darkheartsaflame
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3WMhySS
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
Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1509101
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211106548-dark-hearts-aflame-lozano-cartel-book-1
About Amber
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.
Author Links:
Universal link – https://linktr.ee/AmberDaulton
Exclusive Newsletter (free ebook to new subscribers) – https://amberdaulton.com/newsletter-signup/
