Fearless Friday Character Story by Amber Daulton

FEARLESS FRIDAY

Okay, Readers, this is one fun Fearless Friday guest post. Welcome Amber Daulton to Discover... She's brought the heroine of her new book with her. How exciting to hear a tale directly from the character's mouth. So in addition to Amber, let's welcome Carmen Lozano. 

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 theleader of a powerful cartel and had scores of brutal enforcers at hisfingertips to do his bidding. His lavish lifestyle provided everything mysiblings and I could want—exotic pets, expensive clothes, wild vacations, andall the top gadgets. We had it all—except for our parents’ love. The price ofall 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 awhiny little rich girl.

Let’s move forward to when myfather sold me into marriage to one of his capos. For five long years, I turneda 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 managedto escape and took refuge with an anti-cartel resistance group. There, I foundfreedom, my passion, a chance to do something good with my life. I learned fromthe nurses and medics that volunteered at the rebel base, and after a while, Iwas the go-to person called upon to extract bullets, sew up wounds, administerlife-saving injections, and things like that. Far too often, rebel soldierswould be injured while fighting with the cartel in our backyard, so medics werea godsend. For the first time in my life, I felt like a decent person inhelping others. I found real friends, a family of sorts. Then my past caught upwith me.

I never thought I would see BristolRieger again. Back when I was a child, he was an up-and-coming enforcer in myfather’s inner circle. I had a crush on him, but since he was seven years olderthan me, nothing ever happened between us. Now, I’m all grown up. Whencircumstances thrust us together, we have to go on the run to survive. My lifeas a healer was over, or so I thought, but I crave redemption as much as I dolove and peace. After all the horrible things I’ve seen and brushed aside outof 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 willno longer stand aside while an innocent person is in danger. My soul cannottake anymore needless death.

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

So that’s my story. It’s notpretty, but it’s real. Thankfully, it has a happy ending. Bristol and I arecrazy, madly in love. While I’m still working as a medic, he’s seeking his ownredemption 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 HeartsAflame. You won’t be disappointed.

*****

Adrug lord on the run. A cartel princess in hiding. All it takes is a spark toset their world ablaze.

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

Carmenescaped the chains of her tiara and her abusive marriage to join a group ofresistance fighters. The last thing she expected was the now-retired caposetting out to seduce her with his wicked touch. Embracing the blood on hishands is easy, but his secrets wear on her patience.

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

Excerpt: 

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

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

The resignation inher eyes scorched him.

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

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

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

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

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

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211106548-dark-hearts-aflame-lozano-cartel-book-1

Check it out on BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/dark-hearts-aflame-lozano-cartel-book-1-an-on-the-run-dark-cartel-romantic-suspense-by-amber-daulton 

Download Direct fromAuthor (Receive a $2 Discount): https://books.amberdaulton.com/darkheartsaflamedirect

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

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

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

– Scenes featuringtorture/violence, kidnapping, attempted assault, infertility issues, childabuse (discussed), and suicide (discussed) may be uncomfortable for somereaders.

– No cheating and HEAguaranteed!

– Written in 3rdPOV.

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

She lives inNorth Carolina with her husband and demanding cats. 

Social Media Links

 

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