Featured Author: Amber Daulton

Writing is the fruit to happiness. Amber Daulton lives her life by that one belief even though she normally isn't so Zen.  Author of four novellas—Forever Winter, A Hero's HeartLightning over Bennett Ranch and Mistletoe in the City—she published her first book in 2012 and hopes to publish countless more in the future. 


Amber lives in the beautiful foothills of North Carolina with her punk-rocker husband and their five crazy kitties. Her mind is a wonderland of romance and adventure, laughter and awesome ways of kicking a guy when he's down. She probably wouldn't be too sane without her computer and notebooks. After all, what's a girl to do when there are people jabbering away in her head and it's hard to shut them up? Write! Nothing else works for Amber. I had the opportunity to chat with her and this is what she had to say. Enjoy! 

Why do you write?
I write because I must. I have so many ideas and characters inside my head that I just need to get it out. My imagination is pretty vivid so I need an outlet. Writing provides that.

Which writers inspire you?
Maggie Shayne is awesome! I admire her because she’s down-to-earth, open about her beliefs and she’s an excellent author. I think she’s an inspiration to anyone to just be true to yourself and things will work out.

What is your favorite book and why?
I don’t have a favorite book but I do have a favorite series. Well, three actually. It’s a tie between Maggie Shayne’s Twilight, Christine Feehan’s Carpathians and Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunters.

What do you think is the easiest thing about writing? What is the most difficult?
Easiest -- What I love most is creating a new world or researching a real town and then twisting it enough to fictionalize it. Research, in my opinion, is more fun than writing at times. I love to learn about new places, cultures and people.  Although I’d rather travel to do hands-on research, in-depth reading is second best.

Hardest -- Deciding on character names is my least favorite part of starting a new novel. The name has to fit with the character I see in my mind perfectly or I can’t use it. I’m very picky (especially with the heroine and hero) and I sometimes spend hours, if not days, just scouring through baby name books and websites for the best names.

How do you market your books? 
Social media, blogging, interviews (like this one!), magazine ads, contests/giveaways and swag are great marketing tools. For small-press authors, marketing is left mainly to the author due to the publisher’s budget restraints. It gets expensive but it’s necessary to reach potential readers.

Any new release? If yes, what is it about?
Yes! Books to Go Now released Mistletoe in the City last November. It’s a spicy New Adult romantic novella sure to heat you up!



Book blurb
Krista Hartley never expected the unrequited love of her life, the irresistible Derek Weston, to work as the groundskeeper at the apartment building she just moved into. They barely spoke in high school but now, three years after graduation, they tore at each other’s clothes and jumped into bed together at every opportunity. After all, how could a hot-blooded woman say no to a sexy man with an eyebrow ring, a dragon tattoo and a deadly swagger?

A Christmas miracle drew Krista back into Derek’s life. He kissed her for the first time under mistletoe, pampered her with romantic candlelight dinners and memorized every inch of her delectable body with his tongue. He refused to let his dream girl slip through his fingers again but then another woman threatened their whirlwind romance. Hurt once before, Krista broke off their relationship and then Derek made a drunken mistake that could destroy their love forever. With just days to Christmas, he vowed to win back her heart and trust, and prove his innocence once and for all.

Book excerpt  

She scooted closer to him and rubbed her hand down his tense back. “Now I understand why you act so cocky. You’re afraid you’ll mess up and embarrass yourself.” Krista tugged on his shoulder until he lifted his head to look at her. Derek’s face flushed and she wanted to kiss away his shame. “Don’t hide behind this confident guard. I like you for you. You’re a sweet person, clumsy or not, and you have nothing to be ashamed of.” She stroked her hand through his tousled hair. “I want a simple, sexy, understanding man who cooks delicious, romantic meals and who goes out of his way to help me move. Is that too much to ask for?”
Derek kissed her and her heart skipped a beat. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he held her close to his side. Need throbbed in her loins and she wanted him inside her again. He pulled back first and she dragged a mouthful of air deep into her lungs to replace what he’d stolen with that delirious kiss.
He moistened his lips with his tongue. “It’s not too much, Krista.” Derek cupped her cheek in his palm. “Not at all.” And then he kissed her again.

For more information about Amber or if you want to connect with her please visit: 

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/14JoZff 
Book Links: Amazonhttp://amzn.to/1pC6Tb9

Comments

  1. Lovely interview... I agree with our marketing struggles! Amber which magazines do you advertise in (genre etc)? I'm really struggling in the UK trying to reach a US market and looking for a decent PR/publicist that isn't going to charge an absolute fortune but still take the time to help you all the way. I know you have to spend to eventually get it all back, but right now times are hard.. do you have a publicist?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Margarita, They only magazine I've advertised with so far is The Romance Reviews. They have quarterly ezines that go out to 10,000+ (I think) subscribers and they also offer monthly book ads on the sides of their page. I believe they host authors who are outside the US. Their website is... http://www.theromancereviews.com/
      I can't afford a publicist right now, so the marketing is left to me and it really cuts into writing time.
      But you gotta do what you do. :)

      Delete
  2. Nice Amber! I absolutely agree with you about name choice. The names must fit the characters in our head and play hard throughout our story to keep the names chosen. Good Luck with your new release and may you have many more :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. HI Amber,
    Nice interview. I find choosing the names is fun most of the time. I agree with the uphill battle with marketing. It never stops.
    Chris Karlsen

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great interview Amber. I really don't think it matters who you publish with, you still have to market yourself.

    ReplyDelete

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