Where were you born? Where do you live?
I live in western North Carolina, USA, and it’s so beautiful here. A five-hour drive east takes me to the beach, but an hour drive west takes me up the Great Smoky Mountains where I enjoy hikes, picnicking at a waterfall, and visiting historical sites. I love waking up in the morning and the fog is so thick I can barely see ten feet in front of me. At night, the stars are so crisp and clear like a twinkling blanket over the earth.
Do you have any fun or outrageous talent?
I love creating digital graphics like book teasers and book covers for myself and clients. I opened the doors to my new design company, Satin Rose Designs, in early 2022, and I have several premade ebook romance book covers available for sale. Paperback and audiobook covers can also be ordered.
You can learn more here: https://satinrosedesigns.amberdaulton.com.
I also like scrapbooking and making jewelry, in particularly beaded bracelets and earrings. I would love to learn how to make candles and soap, but I haven’t tried yet.
Who is your favorite character from fiction (not including your own)?
Must I choose? There are so many good ones out there.
Lately, I’ve been re-watching the 1980s TV version of Sherlock Holmes, starring Jeremy Brett. Not only is Holmes a great literary and cultural figure, I think Brett was the perfect casting choice to play Holmes. He brings such life, pizzazz, and intelligence to the character beyond the already established literary base.
What kind of research did you do for Lost in His Spiderwebs? Did you travel, use the Internet, speak with experts on a topic, etc?
Ah, travel… If only I had the means to do so for first-hand research. The people who can afford that are lucky indeed. No, I’m like most people and used the Internet for all my research needs. From Mexican culture, cuisine, clothing, geography, flora and fauna, real-life locations my characters visited, crime activity, and so much more, I found everything I needed in travel blogs, articles, Wiki, and even government crime reports. There are also lots of walk-about videos on YouTube where travelers walk around a city, showing you the sights and explaining the cultural significance. That was very educational and an eye-opener to what the cities/locations really look like today.
Do any of your characters take over and write the book themselves sometimes? Who?
That’s been the case for several books, but not so much this time around. I plotted everything out, scene by scene, chapter by chapter, and the characters stayed within those parameters most of the time. I actually had to cut quite a few scenes because my expected word count was off-the-charts crazy, so the last thing I needed was for Drina or Rubén to decide they were taking the story in a new direction.
What’s your favorite romance trope?
I don’t really have one, but I do seem to write a lot about second chances. You know the drill: the H/h fell in love years ago, broke up due to a misunderstanding or their own foolishness, and reunite as mature adults who are finally strong enough to chase after what they want. And that’s exactly what happens with Rubén and Drina. I love happy endings, but I gotta put my characters through the wringer first!
How do you determine the “heat level” of your stories?
It all deals with language. If I use euphemisms for body parts and keep the characters’ bedroom actions short, then the heat rating is 3 flames. For 4 flames, I use more descriptive language and give more detail to lengthen the scenes. 5 flames takes that even further with scorching love scenes that leave nothing to the imagination. Erotic romance features explicit language and a high number of sexual scenes, as well as toys, anal play, BDSM, multiple couplings, etc.
My books typically range between 4 and 5 flames, but Lost in His Spiderwebs (and the Lozano Cartel series) is fully in the erotic subgenre. There’s sex toy play, fully realized graphic scenes, and language so dirty you’ll blush. But the book itself is a heartfelt romance with complex, damaged characters that defies logic and societal expectations.
What do you prefer: ebook or print? Why?
Drina, the heroine from Lost in His Spiderwebs, is an editor for a publishing company. She LOVES books, especially spicy romance, as she tells Rubén one evening while in bed. I’m sure she would agree with me that as long as a reader is reading and enjoying the book, then it doesn’t matter the format. Just read, people!
What’s your writing/publishing history?
My latest release, Lost in His Spiderwebs, is book 2 in the Lozano Cartel series and my 20th published work to date. That’s right! I’ve finally hit the big 2-0.
I’ve been writing since I was twelve with a dream to become published. At that time, small presses and “going indie” wasn’t a thing. Either you signed with a major house or never got published—period. Then everything changed in the mid-2000s (or thereabouts). Small presses were popping up, and with the invention of the Internet and online marketplaces, the publishing world branched out into previously unheard of avenues. I signed with my first small press when I was 26 and signed with a couple more a few years later. I’ve now pushed into the indie market, and the freedom that comes with managing my titles is a godsend. Though it’s A LOT more work, I have more control and can better adapt to reader preferences and feedback.
All I care about is crafting a great story and getting it in your hands.
Will you tell us a bit about the Lozano Cartel series?
Sure. I’d be glad to.
The truth is, I never intended to write it. The Lozano Cartel is a standalone dark romance spin-off from the romantic suspense series, Arresting Onyx. The first cartel book, Dark Hearts Aflame, was supposed to be the final Onyx book, but it just didn’t fit. The story took place in a different country, the characters were darker and more troubled, and the overall flow didn’t match reader expectations for romantic suspense. I realized I needed to create a spin-off, or trash Dark Hearts Aflame. Let me tell ya, I was never gonna trash that book. Of everything I’ve ever written, it’s my FAVORITE. So the Lozano crime family was born. There are three siblings, a cousin, an uncle, and some wonderful friends who are now in need of an erotically charged happily ever after.
Dark Hearts Aflame follows runaway cartel princess, Carmen Lozano, and her man, American fugitive and former drug lord, Bristol Rieger.
Lost in His Spiderwebs tells the story of the newly minted cartel kingpin, Rubén Lozano, and the woman he rescues (ahem—buys) from a rival cartel, his ex-lover, Drina Cabrera.
So that’s two siblings down. What’s next, you might ask?
Corrupting His Wife has broken the pattern. No Lozano sibling finds love in this book. It focuses on Rubén’s best friend, Enrique, who rescues (ahem—kidnaps) a bride before her wedding to a ruthless capo. Yeah, I’m having to clear my throat a lot with this answer. As I said before, the Lozano Cartel books are dark romance, which means the heroes are anti-heroes who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty.
More stories are to come. I can’t wait until I’m ready to share them with you!
Lost in His Spiderwebs will be live on October 14, 2025. Please subscribe to my newsletter or follow my social media to keep tabs on all the upcoming release dates. Until then, add Lost in His Spiderwebs to your reading list. You won’t be disappointed.