Arresting Mason is a redemption story about a flawed man struggling to right his wrongs and finding love in the most unexpected of ways. I think the character of Mason Harding appeals to readers because mistakes are a fact of life. No one is perfect, and it shows true strength when a person overcomes the adversity and strives for a better tomorrow.

I came up with the main plot—a feisty divorcée starting a HAWT relationship with a tattooed ex-con—in a little place called dreamland. I’m always the leading lady in my dreams, and I fell head-over-heels in love with a mysterious former gang member. After I awoke from that seriously mouthwatering dream, I couldn’t stop thinking about Mason, his past, and his current problems. His seductive voice kept whispering to me, urging me to write about him, so I wrote out a rough plotline and quickly finished the manuscript I was already working on. I’ve changed quite a bit in the story from what happened in the dream, but the main premise has remained the same.

I originally wrote this book for a bad boy anthology call, but I had exceeded the maximum word count and still wanted to add more scenes by the time I finished the first draft. So I forgot all about the submission call and kept revising this story until I was finally happy with it. At long last, the manuscript clocked in at eighty thousand words and sparked ideas for more books. It’s now book one in the Arresting Onyx series, a five-book series about five sexy men—brothers in blood and in life—and the stubborn women they can’t live without.

Arresting Mason

Once you’re in a prison gang, you’re in it for life. That’s what Mason Harding thought until the boss accepted his resignation. After the State releases him on parole, a sexy divorcée behind the wheel of a car almost ends his life quicker than a shank. His chance encounter with Mia Eddison results in a night of passion, but her brother—his parole officer—catches them together and doesn’t approve.

Mia falls hard for the cocky ex-con, but not because of his chiseled body. She vows to break through his walls and discover his secrets, but never expects those secrets to threaten her life.

When members of an organized crime ring kidnap Mia to force Mason’s return to the gang, he goes up against an old friend to save the woman he loves. Will his sacrifice be enough or will everything fall apart in a blaze of gunfire?

Excerpt

They reached her store and he stared at her car parked by the curb. “Harper doesn’t know where you live or anything about you. That means you’re safe for now, but he’ll probably search this area to find us. Stay cautious, okay? Drive your car from now on. Don’t walk anywhere.”

“Why are you avoiding my questions? You can tell me anything.”

“Not this. If you trust me, don’t ask those kinds of questions.” He tightened his fingers around her forearm as she tried to jerk free from his grip. “Listen to me, damn it. You mean a lot to me, but I can’t tell you this. At least not right now. That’s nothing against you. It’s all on me. I just need time to take care of this problem. Okay? I’m fucking stressed, in a shitload of pain, and I don’t need you to hound my ass.” He dropped his hand from her arm and scowled as though he just noticed the dirt and blood on his knuckles. “I’d like to go upstairs to clean up before you take me home. I don’t want Alan to know what happened.”

Mia dug through her purse with shaky hands, so angry she didn’t trust herself to speak.

He took the keys from her before the little pieces of metal slipped between her fingers, and he hugged her despite the grime on his skin and clothes.

Tears clogged her throat. Her mind screamed at her to push away from him, but the strength in his arms enveloped her and stole her will. His heartbeat soothed hers, and she no longer cared about his lies or if filth caked him.

At least not at the moment.

“I never meant for this to happen, Mia. I will fix this.”

“I know, but at what cost?” She pried her face from his chest to stare up at him. “You’re nothing if not determined, but I’m scared and confused. You have answers to my questions, but I won’t hound you for them as you so eloquently stated. I just thought we got past this. I thought you knew I would never insult or condemn you for whatever it is you did.”

“And I thought you knew not to push me too fucking hard.” His deep voice sent shivers of unease down her spine. “I have to keep certain parts of my past to myself.”

“Whatever.” Mia finally pushed against his chest for freedom and stomped to the stairwell door.

*~*~*

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39005064-arresting-mason

Buy Links:
Amazon – https://amzn.to/2ppcmEJ
Barnes and Noble – https://bit.ly/2uOj90J
iTunes – https://apple.co/2FVAQMP
Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/arresting-mason
Google Play – https://bit.ly/2Izu3cZ
The Wild Rose Press store – https://bit.ly/2FSVvBa
Books2Read – https://books2read.com/u/m2vvY7

Buy Links for Audio:
Amazon – https://amzn.to/2Nbwr03
Audible – https://adbl.co/2CV6oVU
iTunes – https://apple.co/2NHwMqA

Official Book Trailer:

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc0q0dLLFPM

Rafflecopter Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Link – https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0a0982c525/?

About the Author

Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through The Wild Rose Press and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.

Amber lives in North Carolina with her husband and four demanding cats. Feel free to visit her at https://www.amberdaultonauthor.blogspot.com.

Social Media Links: 
Facebook Author Page – www.facebook.com/amber.daulton.author
Twitter – https://twitter.com/AmberDaulton1
Pinterest – https://pinterest.com/amberdaulton5/
Goodreads – www.goodreads.com/author/show/6624921.Amber_Daulton
Amazon Author Page – https://amzn.to/14JoZff
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/amberdaultonauthor/
Book Bub – https://www.bookbub.com/profile/amber-daulton
Book Gorilla – https://www.bookgorilla.com/author/B00ALQITWY/amber-daulton/kcc
Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/amberdaulton
LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/pub/amber-daulton/87/538/368
Google Plus – https://plus.google.com/u/0/+AmberDaulton
The Wild Rose Press – https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/2362_amber-daulton

Rose’s Online Plotting Bootcamp

Permission granted to forward

This message is for any authors or aspiring authors who might be interested in some intensive help developing their next stories.

Don’t let that word “intensive” scare you away; I’ve led newbies, as well as multi-published authors, through our plotting process numerous times. Everyone comes away with new knowledge and insight, or at the very least, some terrific brainstorming support!

While lessons and exercises will be posted throughout the month of January, this is truly a self-paced class. We all have busy lives, and the workshop is designed to accommodate any schedule. Enjoy the pitch below!

ROSE’S ONLINE PLOTTING BOOTCAMP

Dates: January 14 – February 9, 2019
Last date to register: January 14, 2019
Cost: $50.00—cheap, considering everything you get!
Your DI (Drill Instructor): Delilah Devlin
Offered through: www.rosescoloredglasses.com

What you can expect:
LOGLINE (Lunges)
PREMISE (Pushups)
CHARACTER (Strengthening exercises)
CONFLICT! CONFLICT! CONFLICT!
Breaking through the STORY STRUCTURE stronghold
Battling the PLOT LINES

We do more in one month than some people do all year! Get tough! Get motivated! Get plotting!

Join your Drill Instructor, Delilah Devlin, to learn a methodical approach to harness your creativity in order to produce an in-depth plot for your next novel.

Sound scary? It is!!!! Especially when you’re staring at an empty page without a compass and a map to guide you through the novelistic jungle. Your DI will lead you through four weeks of tactics, exercises, and training that will help strengthen your abilities. Delilah will accomplish this with weekly lessons, bi-weekly chats, and daily online communication. Join her for bivouac in January!

Join this elite force now!

For those who don’t know, my sister and I co-founded the website for writers called Rose’s Colored Glasses in 2004. From that site, we run a critique group and provide workshops—some free and some for pay. In January, I will be leading a month-long plotting bootcamp. It’s a great time to join—something you can do for yourself to kick off the New Year with a bang! Join me if you can! ~DD

How’s our workshop different from every other one out there? I’ll provide feedback and brainstorming every step of the way!

Interested? Follow this link to sign up:
https://www.rosescoloredglasses.com/Online%20plotting%20boot%20camp.htm

And feel free to pass this along to anyone else you think might be interested with my thanks!

Delilah Devlin
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author & Freelance Editor
Get in bed with Delilah. Everyone else has!

This is my 14th Stepbrothers Stepping Out story! All of them are short stories. They’re all decadently delicious! Hope you love the latest entry. Here’s what it’s all about:

A woman tempts a Russian strongman to save her stepbrother’s company…

It’s only $0.99 and it’s FREE to Kindle Unlimited subscribers! It’s an erotic romance, so you know a lot of naughtiness ensues… Get your copy here!

“My family is my life, and everything else comes second as far as what’s important to me.”
~ Michael Imperioli

You remember Michael Imperioli from The Sopranos, right? I love this quote because it’s true for me, as well. And here’s another…

“You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.” 
~Desmond Tutu

He’s a South African cleric, if you didn’t know. And this one’s also true for me. I live in what could be a very divided house—Democrat and Republican. The past couple of years have been contentious, at times, during dinner time, but we love each other even if we sometimes don’t understand each other. I think this quote hits me because of that contention. If everything was always roses, we’d never have to learn the beauty of acceptance.

Here’s one from me, because as I approach this holiday season, I miss my grandma who passed this last February. She’s not here with us, but I thank the Powers every day that I was part of her “care team” there at the end. She knew she was loved. We knew we were loved…

“Hug ’em and tell them you love them. Every single day.
Make that what they remember most about you…”

I love my naughty stepbrothers! And I think I could keep writing them forever. For me, they’re all different. This one was especially fun to write. A woman who works for her stepbrother has to help him flip a client and convince this other man to invest in their family company. This Russian’s background is a bit sketchy. He’s scary big, speaks in a heavy accent, and doesn’t suffer fools easily. My heroine, Lila, gets trapped, by the Russian and her brother, into accompanying Fedor on a trip. Now, she’s completely at his mercy… Hope you enjoy the excerpt. She’s no shrinking violet, and he has limits to his patience… With His Client releases on Tuesday! So you don’t have long to wait to read the rest of it! And as always, if you love this story and want more of my couple, you have to tell me so! I can be convinced…

A woman tempts a Russian strongman to save her stepbrother’s company…

Pre-order you copy here!

An excerpt…

The bedroom where he left me to change was gorgeous. The rug was an antique Persian, the colors softened with age. Blue, green, and gold medallions against a deep brown. The bed was covered in a rich brown brocade comforter and looked sumptuous, but I tried not to look there. It was large enough to accommodate his body with tall posts on each corner. All seating in the room was upholstered in a dark, buttery-soft leather. The bathroom was enormous with a walk-in shower with many heads and tiled in natural stone. The bathtub was copper on the outside and coated with an ivory enamel on the inside. I’d need to use the steps beside it because the sides were so deep.

I heard rustling in the bedroom and hurried back into the room to find a servant, dressed casually in a cotton skirt and tank, emptying my suitcases. She was pretty and young, and her smile flashed white against her dark skin. “I’ll only be a minute, miss.”

I cleared my throat. “Fedor…Mr. Medved…?”

“He’s waiting for you in the living room. Dinner is being prepared. He thought you might like a drink before eating. He wants you to wear this,” she said, sliding open a closet door and pulling out a dress that was more like a filmy caftan.

The material was so thin, I knew my shape would be revealed. Underwear would look ridiculous beneath it. The dark filigree pattern against a blush background would play peekaboo with my nipples and the dark hair cloaking my crotch. “I don’t suppose he included a slip…?”

She giggled, and her smile stretched wider. “He included sandals.”

“Of course,” I said, my mouth going dry.

When she left, I didn’t let myself think about what I should do—which was select one of the outfits Brian had packed. They were short but covered me. Instead, I stripped and pulled the caftan over my head. I spent a few minutes repairing my makeup, brushed my hair, then slipped on the dark sandals. As I walked from the bedroom, the thin silk fluttered against my hot skin, gliding against my nipples, between my legs. The caftan was as much of a tease for me as it would be for him.

By the time I found him, I was already aroused, and there was no use pulling at the fabric that caressed my tight nipples to try to hide that fact.

He faced a wall of windows overlooking a long strip of pristine beach. He’d removed his jacket, and I noted that his white dress shirt was perfectly tailored, forming to his broad shoulders, lean back and waist. His slacks hugged his rounded buttocks.

He had to know I was there; the soft leather soles of my sandals slapped on the tiled floor. I came up beside him and looked out at the view. From the corner of my eye, I watched as he glanced sideways, his gaze raking over my body. I couldn’t help drawing a deeper breath that lifted my chest—and my tight nipples.

“Why didn’t you just ask me to come naked to you?” I said, glancing his way.

He turned his body then lifted a hand to finger the silk at my waist. “Do you like how it feels?”

His voice was different. Deeper, smokier. My breasts quivered as I drew a shuddering breath. “Yes,” I whispered.

He gave a nod. “Your pleasure is important to me.”

I pressed my thighs together in an attempt to stopper the moisture wetting my sex. “Why should my pleasure matter?” I asked, lifting my chin.

His mouth quirked, and I stared at that small smile. “I am not an ogre, Lila.”

“You forced me here.”

He canted his head. “Did I?”

“You knew I couldn’t refuse.”

“You mean, your brother wouldn’t let you refuse. You could have said no…or simply left my limo waiting at the curb. But here you are—wearing my gown.”
I dropped any pretense of pride along with my chin and gazed down at our shoes—his polished loafers, my scanty sandals. Drawing in a breath for courage, I said, “You’re right. I wanted to come. I guess…I was…curious…”

Fedor’s hands reached out, palms up, and moved slowly toward me.

I could have stepped back, but instead, allowed him to cup my chin. He raised my face. “Before we met, I knew who you were. I have…friends…inside your company, who told me of your frustration with your brother. That you warned him long ago of where his excesses would lead him.” His dark eyes narrowed as he stared down at me. “You are lovers.”

“We…are.” But looking at him, I knew that was no longer true. “Were,” I whispered.

He gave a crisp nod. “I don’t share, Lila.”

“This is… I’m not…” I shook my head at my dithering. “I still don’t understand why I’m here. Is it to punish my brother—or play some game?”

“I saw you before…at a gathering at your country club.”

I shook my head. “That’s not possible.”

One eyebrow arched.

“I would have remembered,” I said, lowering both of mine. And it was the truth. The first time I’d looked at him through the screen in the restaurant, he’d taken away my breath. He was too large, too commanding to miss.

“I watched from a distance while you walked with your brother. His hand against the small of your back. I knew then that the rumors of your affair were true. But you were as much mother as lover, trying to steer him toward the people he should speak with, your eyes narrowing when he drank too much. I thought your…attentions…were wasted on one so unworthy.”

“Brian isn’t unworthy,” I said, frowning.

“He’s a child.”

I drew another deep breath, ready to argue, but he was right. Brian was spoiled. Unprepared for his role as CEO. His father had thought he’d have time to groom him.

“I remember thinking how remarkable it was that you were the same age. Both lovely to look at, but he’s empty and immature. While you are…too good for him.”

I shook my head. “I’m not. My mother married into wealth, but I—”

“Had the same opportunities, to a point. I understand. His set is privileged, with advantages they never earned. I could care less about their privilege.”

I sighed. “I don’t get it. You sneer at him. You refused his request. You don’t care to partner with him, I get it. So, why am I here?’

“It’s simple. I want you.” He pursed his mouth and tilted his head in a sideways nod. “And I want your shares. I will not invest my money with a fool. He cannot retain control.”

Disappointment chilled me. “Your shares, alone, wouldn’t give you control, and he wouldn’t give you controlling shares.”

“I will work with you. You are sensible. Smart. You wouldn’t balk at instituting a program of austerity to rebuild your company. You will tell him that I will accept thirty-three if you are given thirty-four.”

“Why would he give up control?”

“Because he has no choice—and he believes you will give it back to him.”

“And I would.”

Again, Fedor raised one wicked brow. “Would you, even if you thought it wasn’t in his best interests?”

I paused, unsure now. “You want a partnership, and you think that I’ll go along with you when it comes to voting. Is that why we’re here? Are you trying to seduce me into giving you control over my shares?”

“I wanted a chance to talk to you. To go over some ideas I have for saving your company and for moving forward. But I could have accomplished that over a private business meeting. No, I told you already. I want you.”

I barely stopped myself from stomping my foot. He was infuriating. “You said you want me, and you want my shares.”

He grunted. “Perhaps I didn’t say that right. I want you. With me.”

I widened my eyes to glare at him. How many ways could he tell me he wanted my damn shares? “You want me—with you—so you’ll have power over my brother.”

He gave me a darkly fierce frown. “I don’t want power over yourr brother. Just leverrage.”

Suddenly, I wanted to laugh. His frustration was making his accent thicker, his Rs sounding like growls. His anger spiked my own. And again, that quickly, I was aroused. I tossed back my hair and gave him a harder glare. “You want to seduce me to gain leverage over my brother.”

“I would seduce you anyway.” His jaws ground together. “I do not want to fuck yourr brother. I want to fuck you.”

My mouth twitched, and I fought not to grin. Pushing him had been fun. Which probably wasn’t very smart. The man had earned a rep for his fists. I guessed it was time to give him a break. I cleared my throat and nodded. “Just so we’re straight. I don’t like being played.”

A tic pulsed beside his eye. “I am not playing you. I am being straightforward. You arre not.”

I lifted my brows.

“You are wearring my gown.” His hands clenched at his sides. Then he stepped closer, towering over me. “You wanted me to see you.”

Well, yeah. But I didn’t like that he read me so easily. “I wore what you provided because I thought it was part of the deal.”

One dark brow rose. “You would sell yourrself to me?”

“I was ready to do whatever was needed to save Brian’s company. We’re family.” I tilted my chin.

He gave a sharp shake of his head. “Not blood.”

I felt my bottom lip push forward. “He’s the only family I have.”

“And he was only too happy to give you to me,” he said, lowering his face toward mine.

I swallowed. “Only because he knew…”

“You arre trrying my patience,” he whispered. “What did he know?”

God, my nipples hurt they were so tight. “That I want you.”

His hands shot up and gripped my hips. His face lowered. The moment our mouths touched, it was as though a match scratched. We ignited.

If you follow me on social media, you’d know superheroes are my thing. My first superhero crush was Spider-man at age four. In my pre-teens Superman melted my heart, then Gambit stormed into my world during my teenage years. Hello, chère indeed! When the Civil War books came out in the 90’s Captain America became my latest love, even with his tragic ending.

It was Cap’s end and Peter Parker’s sad love life that inspired me to write superhero romance novels. After all, it’s not easy for a caped crusader to balance their everyday life with their superhero alter ego. Throw in a love interest and the potential for conflict is astronomical. Does the hero leave the relationship to keep their loved one safe? Does the loved one take on a hero identity of their own? So many complications to explore. It’s glorious!

In my latest release, Instinct, I was able to put in all my favorite elements of paranormal romance into a superhero story. I had a shape-shifting super, daring rescues, steamy sex scenes, and I was able to change up the narrative a little by having it be my non-super heroine as the one who had really been the one living with a secret identity. Now the reason for her alter ego had everything to do with self-preservation and less about saving the world, but she does do everything in her power to protect the hero from the sins of her past. Making this alpha hero not know whether he’s coming or going with this strong heroine was a delight to write.

Whether they were born with powers or inherited them, all superheroes must make the same decisions Do they allow others into their inner circle? How do they allow themselves to be vulnerable and trust others with their secrets? Those are the stories that I love, and I can’t wait to share more of them with you.

Instinct

Ripley Jorgensen had believed the biggest shock in his life was developing shape-shifting powers, but that was nothing compared to learning that one of his teammates, the woman he loved, was a complete fraud. Not only did she steal someone’s identity, she may have committed murder.

Alisia had figured there was no better place to hide out than in a hidden mountain fortress surrounded by superheroes. Surely no one from her past would think to look for her there—that is, until her murderous father hired the Evolutioneers to find his missing daughter and blew her cover. Now she’s on the run with not only her former friends right on her tail, but also the man who has her scent embedded in his soul.

Ripley doesn’t just want answers. The beast within has determined that Alisia is its mate. Until he claims her as his own, the fight between man and animal grows stronger every day. And if she should refuse him? The man would be lost to the beast. Forever.

Buy Links:
Amazon https://amzn.to/2LAYalo
Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/instinct-anna-alexander/1127910598
iBooks https://apple.co/2uEzAJA
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/instinct-48
Universal https://www.books2read.com/Instinct

About the Author

Award winning author Anna Alexander is the author of the Heroes of Saturn and the Sprawling A Ranch series. With Hugh Jackman’s abs and Christopher Reeve’s blue eyes as inspiration, she loves spinning tales of superheroes finding love. Anna also loves to give back and has served on the board for the Greater Seattle Romance Writers of America as chapter president, and is the co-founder of the Seattle UnCon and Passport to Romance Readers Event.

Sign up to receive news about Anna’s latest releases at https://eepurl.com/Q0tsz.

Social Media Links:
Website – https://www.annaalexander.net/
Blog – The Decadent Divas – https://www.thedecadentdivas.blogspot.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/anna.alexander.94
Facebook Author Page – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Anna-Alexander/282170065189471?ref=hl
Twitter – https://twitter.com/AnnaWriter
Amazon Page – https://www.amazon.com/Anna-Alexander/e/B008IAKLOO/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1418701356&sr=8-1
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1335912.Anna_Alexander
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/AnnaAlexanderAuthor
Instagram – annam.alexander

Well, I wrote the last word on this project yesterday. Overnight, two lovely beta readers helped me find my ugly typos, so I revised the story today. Then I formatted it and uploaded it to Amazon—whew! Just in time. It releases next Tuesday. I’ll share an excerpt tomorrow. It’s a very sexy shorty! Pre-order here!