Arresting Jeremiah by Amber Daulton

 When threats escalate, will Jim and Calista succumb, or fight for a love they can’t deny?

        When love and duty clash, his every action might be his last. 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?

 Wild Women Authors feature Amber Daulton and Arresting Jeremiah, Book 2 in the Arresting Onyx series. Up first is parole officer Jim Borden.

Good morning, Jim—or Jeremiah as Calista calls you—thanks for speaking with us.

Let’s begin with where you are from. Denver, Colorado. I live in the suburbs, but I commute all across the tri-county for work. My job as a parole officer is time-consuming, stressful, and sometimes dangerous, but I’m dedicated to it.

Tell us a bit about Arresting Jeremiah. Jeremiah is my given name, but everyone calls me Jim. My book is one crazy adventure that I never intended to go on, but I’m sure glad I did. Even though my investigation into a drug lord landed me in hot water, I didn’t give up. I couldn’t. I needed answers to the questions that kept me awake at night, screw the consequences. Then everything went into the crapper when my girlfriend, Calista, got mixed up in the investigation.

What did you think the first time you saw Calista? I’ve known Calista for about a year before our story begins. I was meeting one of my paroles at the greasy diner where she worked, which I hadn’t been to in years. I was struck dumb the first time I saw her. She was hustling about, taking orders and grinning at customers. Her blonde hair was up in a ponytail, and her mile-long legs were drawing my undivided attention. Then she came to my table and did the usual waitress bit—a greeting, introduction, offer of drinks. I barely heard her. I kept saying “Wow.” over and over again in my head like a broken record.

What was your second thought?  Even though I liked her, I knew nothing could come from it. My life and job were too crazy, and I didn’t want to put her in possible danger. Despite that, I couldn’t keep away from her, and we developed a friendship that eventually became more.

Do you feel it was love at first sight? Oh, yeah! Wedding bells chimed in my head, but I made sure to lock those stupid bells in a soundproof box for the longest time.

What do you like most about her? Her inner strength and determination to do right by her daughter. You see, Calista is a packaged deal. Her daughter, Lacey, is a sweet kid and comes first to her.

How would you describe her? Blonde, beautiful, tall, and curvy. I think she’s the hottest woman I’ve even seen, but Cali would disagree. She thinks she’s too tall and that her breasts are too big. That’s ridiculous. She’s like a blonde version of Wonder Woman, a goddess, and I wouldn’t change a thing about her.

How would she describe you? Can I skip this question? No? Well, all right then. I’m taller than my goddess by two inches, so Calista and I stand at eye-level when she wears heels. My sandy-brown hair is cut short, but it’s long enough for Cali to grip when we’re—um—wrestling. Anyway, I always wear blazers, which she calls my signature look. Calista thinks I’m pig-headed and arrogant—it’s true, I’ll admit that—but she sees past my tough-guy facade for the real man beneath.

What made you choose to become a parole officer?  I’ve always looked up to my dad. He was a police sergeant and wanted me to follow in his footsteps. I wanted to make him proud, so I became a parole officer with plans to later join the Denver PD. Things didn’t go as planned, however, and I’m fine with that.

What is your biggest fear? Losing Cali and Lacey, especially if it’s from something I did or could’ve prevented. They’re my ready-made family. I’d do anything for them.

How do you relax? Relax? What’s that? Ha-ha. Really, I don’t relax often. I’m always on the go, but when I find the time, I like to read suspense and thriller books.

Who is your favorite fictional character? Don’t have one. I don’t read or watch enough TV to admire someone like that.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? A few weeks ago, my sister Mia told me get my head out of my ass and be happy. I was hesitant to let Calista fully into my life, but Mia knocked some sense into me.

We thank you, Jim. Now we’d like to chat with Amber.

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? I’m not sure. Even though I do find inspiration from books and movies, I mostly come up with plot ideas on my own, often through my dreams.

Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? I’ve heard a lot of good things about The Wild Rose Press, so I was thrilled when they contracted Arresting Mason, the first book in my Arresting Onyx series, in 2018. Since I was happy with the end results, I wanted to send them more manuscripts. After a long editing process, Arresting Jeremiah, book 2, came out in October 2020.

What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? There are too many to count. Currently, I really want to finish Bliss Devlin’s paranormal romance series, The Children of Lilith.

Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? Last year, I published Ryan’s Temptation (book 2.5) and Arresting Benjamin (book 3) in the Arresting Onyx series. Up next is another novella, Trevor’s Redemption (book 3.5), and will be released this summer.

        These books can be read as standalones, but of course, you’ll dive deeper into my fictional world by reading and hopefully enjoying all of the Arresting Onyx books.

A Bit More About Our Feature 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, Books to Go Now, and Daulton Publishing, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats.

She can be found at:

https://linktr.ee/AmberDaulton

Exclusive Newsletter (free ebook to new subscribers): https://amberdaulton.com/newsletter-signup/

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To Purchase Arresting Jeremiah, go to:

https://books/amberdaulton.com/arrestingjeremiah