Stressing the Hero,  Suspense

Stressing Jeremiah Borden from Arresting Jeremiah by Amber Daulton @amberdaulton1 #RLFblog #RomanticSuspense

Introducing Calista Barlow from Arresting Jeremiah, by Amber Daulton @amberdaulton1 #RLFblog #RomanticSuspenseLove and danger come from all sides, in Arresting Jeremiah, a new novel by Amber Daulton. Calista Barlow falls in love with a man who isn’t as squeaky-clean as he appears. Let’s meet Calista. Welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about the story your author wrote.

Arresting Jeremiah by Amber Daulton

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R

Injured Parole Officer Jeremiah “Jim” Borden never expected Calista Barlow, the sassy blonde waitress he’s craved for months, to ring his doorbell. She slips into his heart—and his bed—but he’s obsessed with a gangland investigation that threatens his career and maybe even his life.

Calista doesn’t trust easily, not with a daughter to protect and the stalker who keeps calling her. After her violent ex-boyfriend returns, she finds solace in Jim’s arms.

Jim may have to forego his need for answers to protect the ready-made family he adores, but how will he and Calista escape an unseen enemy that is always one step ahead of them?

Stressing Jeremiah “Jim” Borden

Every hero has a story. He has a background, a history, and a past. This interview allows us to meet a hero and get to know him better, by focusing on how he handles being relaxed, as well as how he handles stress.

Please tell me about your hero.

Age: 30

Gender: Male

Birthplace: Denver, Colorado

Profession: Parole Officer

Ethnicity: White

What does your hero look like?

Jim has short dark-blond hair, a body to die for, and he tops out at 6 feet, 3 inches tall. Yum!

Who is the significant other in his life?

Calista Barlow. He’s been lusting after her for nearly a year but never made a move. How could he? His job and all the crap he has to deal takes up every aspect of his life. It shapes his choices and actions. He wants to keep Calista and her daughter safe, so he keeps a respectful distance from them. But then Cali purses him, and all bets are off.

The Hero’s Relaxed Side

This hero is at a party. Considering his story, describe the party.

Jim doesn’t do big parties, but if it’s only a small group of people, he’s okay with it.

How does the hero feel about being at this particular party, and what body language is he displaying that gives it away?

He’ll hang out with his buddies and make small talk with everyone else, but he’ll want to leave as soon as possible. Once he can finally get away for a breather, he’ll lean against the wall with his arms crossed and watch everyone around him. He’ll analyze and make mental notes about the people he sees and what they’re doing.

If he drinks, what is his drink of choice at this party?

Whiskey or vodka, but he won’t drink much. He likes to keep his wits about him.

The hero figures out where the hiding places are and then goes there. Is it to hide, to avoid someone, or to go drag a friend back to the party?

To hide, definitely, and he’ll bring Calista into the hiding place as well. He’s not above making out with her in a public place. In fact, the possibility of getting caught turns them both on.

Is he likely to latch onto a friend and stay with him/her and ignore others, or is he the friend that others latch onto?

He’s the guy others latch on to, even if he doesn’t want to be “that guy.” He exudes an air of confidence that puts some people at ease and others on edge.

If someone picked a fight at this party, how is the hero going to handle it?

Jim will be the first one to jump in and tear the guys apart. He’ll even punch one or both of them to get their attention, if need be. If it’s women fighting, he’ll still break up the fight, but he won’t lay an ill hand on either of them. Hurting women is a big no-no to him, and any man who does it needs to take a long stay in a body bag. Jim’s words, not mine.

Is the hero the one most likely to get tossed out of the party, or the one who does the tossing?

Oh, he’ll be doing the tossing. Jim is too clean-cut to start a fight, but he damn well knows how to finish them.

The Hero’s Stressed Out Side

How does the hero handle it if the cops or some other authority figure pulls him aside when he was blameless in a situation?

Since Jim is an authority figure himself, he’ll remain calm and explain the situation. If he’s accused of something or if the cop is overly confrontational, he’ll probably lose his temper and get into trouble.

How does the hero react to hearing a scream?

He’ll race right into possible danger to find out what’s going on. His first instinct is to help.

If he sees someone being assaulted, what is the FIRST thing that crosses his mind?

To help that person. This actually happens in the course of his book, Arresting Jeremiah. After Jim witnesses a group of gangbangers assaulting a homeless man, he tells Calista to call the police, then he goes right up to the attackers and calls them out. That takes balls, let me tell you.

This hero attempts to rescue someone and realizes that he is in over his head. The odds are against him and there is no way out. He is going to get his butt handed to him. What does he do?

When he goes up against Calista’s ex, Byron, Jim knows he can’t win, not with his broken arm in a cast. He still tackles the prick and fights tooth and nail to protect her. He takes every punch and kick as stoically as possible. Then Calista comes to his rescue. Thank goodness for her trusty wooden bat.

The hero runs into the one person from his past he wanted to avoid. He can’t get out of the situation and must interact in some way. What does he do?

The cool, calm facade he presents to the world shoots right up like a brick wall. He forces a polite smile, takes any insults in stride, but he’ll snap if pushed too far.

Someone younger than the hero is in charge of the situation, and they are handling it badly, perhaps bungling things. How does the hero deal with it?

He’ll offer advice, but he won’t butt in. He knows what it’s like to be humiliated by someone older or more important, so he’ll let the rookie learn from his own mistakes.

The hero is in physical pain but must bear up under it and keep going. What does he tell himself in order to get through the situation?

Jim has a broken arm throughout the majority of his story, but that doesn’t stop him from getting into fights. He’s often covered in bruises, but he grits his teeth and struggles through it. He thinks of Calista, her daughter Lacey, and his sister Mia—the people he loves and wants to protect—and he’s capable of anything. He’ll bear any pain if it means protecting his family.

Where to buy Arresting Jeremiah

Amazon https://amzn.to/32vAlqu
Barnes and Noble https://bit.ly/2E4eJYO
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/arresting-jeremiah
Google Play https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=XwMBEAAAQBAJ
iBooks https://apple.co/35BOuo1
Universal link https://books2read.com/u/mVKvMP

Amber Daulton’s Social Media

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.
She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats.
Website https://amberdaulton.wordpress.com/
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Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Amber-Daulton/e/B00ALQITWY
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