I’m happy to welcome multi-published author Amber Daulton. Today, Amber shares the ten best moments of her protagonist, Benji Starwell, and her new release, Arresting Benjamin.
I’m Benji Starwell, the hero from Amber Daulton’s latest romantic suspense novel, Arresting Benjamin. When Amber first told me she’d scheduled me to appear on yet another romance blog, I rolled my eyes. I mean, c’mon, she knows I’m busy at the garage. The engines aren’t going to fix themselves. But after she told me about all the guest topic options, I relented and dropped the wrench (I was in the middle of a client’s tune-up and not threatening her—I promise!).
Anyway, I’m excited to be featured here today on Joanne Guidoccio’s blog. It didn’t take me long to come up with my 10 Best Moments post, so what life memories made the cut? Read on…
1. The first time I met Belle Hamlin. I saw her at a restaurant with some of her girlfriends, and though I’m not shy and more than capable of approaching a sexy woman, I knew one of her friends. By using Mia as my in, I got to know Belle pretty well that night. Too bad I acted like an idiot the following morning and fled her bed.
2. Learning Belle was pregnant. At first, I was shocked our one-night stand had resulted in a baby. I even contemplated that she was trying to pass off some other man’s baby on me. I know, that line of thinking isn’t flattering on my part, but I’m nothing if not honest. Belle’s a good person, so I quickly trashed that idea. Getting her pregnant, though it was an accident, was the best thing I’ve ever done.
3. Getting hit with flowers. Belle was a hormonal mess during her first trimester, so when I gave her a bouquet of roses to apologize for skipping out on her months earlier, she took the flowers and whacked me over the head with them. Maybe I shouldn’t have added that to this post. It’s not one of my shining moments, but in hindsight, it’s hilarious.
4. When Belle popped the question. I’d asked her to marry so many times I lost count, so when she asked me to marry her, how could I refuse?
5. Lindy’s birth. My nerves were through the roof when Belle went into labor. I was with her every step of the way, and after all the screaming and her cursing me to the moon, our daughter was finally born.
6. The first time my sister, Meghan, brought her future husband home to meet the family. She’d always dated losers when she was a teenager and young adult, so I expected more of the same. Her new guy, Alan Harding, proved me wrong. He was kind, respectful, and a decent person. We quickly became good friends. Heck, he’s my best friend, the brother I never had.
7. Loving my nephew, Danny. Alan and Meghan’s brief marriage ended after their son’s birth, so I stepped in and helped Alan raise the baby. I don’t have a particular best moment when it comes to Danny—every moment I spend with him is special—but if I really had to choose, I’d say it was the first time he crawled into my lap and fell asleep. I’d always wondered if I’d make a good father, and Danny’s love and trust proved that I could.
8. Working with my father at the garage when I was a teen. At age sixteen, I replaced a distributor cap and a couple of sensors by myself. Dad was overseeing, but he didn’t tell me what to do. I did everything right on my own and even handled the business transaction with the customer. The pride in Dad’s eyes meant everything to me.
9. Taking over the garage when Dad went into semi-retirement. I learned everything I know about fixing vehicles and running a business from my dad. Instead of watching cartoons after school as a kid, I was running errands for the guys in his shop. So when Dad was ready to retire, I was prepped to take over. My first day as boss was both thrilling and nerve-wracking, but I loved it.
10. Having the chance to tell my story. Belle and I have had our ups and downs, but we made it through each obstacle and came out stronger for it. Against the odds, we survived. We’re happy and in love. I have no complaints.
Blurb
A one-night stand, a surprise baby, and a mysterious stalker.
Mechanic Benjamin Starwell can’t stop thinking about Belle Hamlin, the ballsy musician he slept with and skipped out on months earlier. He never meant to get her pregnant, but he’ll do whatever it takes to win back her trust and be a part of his child’s life. His desire for Belle drives him to be a better man, but he’s worn thin with a garage to run and his estranged sister dumping her troubles on him.
Belle’s juggling impending motherhood, her indie rock career, and a stalker who’s determined to see her fail. Even though she’s desperate to get her priorities straight, she pushes aside her past hurt and welcomes Benji back into her bed. She never expects him to slip into her heart.
When the danger escalates, they face the greatest challenge of all—protecting their unborn child.
Tagline – With enemies at every turn, how will they survive with their lives and love intact?
Excerpt
An eerie chill crept down her spine as he pulled into the parking lot. Her heart slammed. “What the hell? Benji, stop the truck.”
He parked in a vacant spot near her little green bug. “What is it?”
“My car. Someone trashed my damn car.” She jumped from the cab and hurried across the shadowy lot. Air puffed white from her mouth as she heaved.
A streetlight cast a dim glow across the shattered back windshield, four slashed tires, and broken taillight casings of her car. Someone had even keyed the doors.
Benji grabbed her arm. “Careful.”
Fear clutched her in a stranglehold. “The guy who left the photos did this. I’m sure of it.” She walked from one side of the vehicle to the other, stepping over glass and plastic shards. Nausea swam in her stomach. “What does he want?”
“That’s pretty obvious.” He nodded toward the driver’s side front and rear doors. “He wants you to stop singing, or so he scrawled here.”
Belle snatched her cell from her purse, smashed a button on the screen, and lifted the glowing phone to the passenger side doors. As the light lit up the keyed letters, she shuddered. “The word bitch is on this side. I can’t believe this is happening.”
He stomped around the car and scowled at the nasty word.
She gazed around the lot. No one was there from what she could see, but were they really alone? Was someone lurking behind a vehicle? Perhaps watching them from a window or rooftop with a high-powered assault rifle?
Don’t panic. The cold breeze raked her skin as she dialed for help.
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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.
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I used to work with young offenders. We’d worry about their ‘risk-taking’ behaviours—drinking, using drugs, unsafe sex, and so on. We wanted those youth to take fewer risks so that we could keep them safe. On the other hand, we often see overprotective parents remove all risk from their children’s lives. The result is children who have very little understanding of adversity or the skills to overcome it. 
