Belle Hamlin – Character Interview

Today, the heroine from Amber Daulton’s new romantic suspense novel, Arresting Benjamin, is stopping by for a chat. For the record, who are you? Meaning, what’s your name and where are you from?

Hi, Eileen. I’m happy to be here. I’m Belle Hamlin. I was born and raised in southern Colorado, but I moved to Denver for college. Though I’ve long since graduated, I stayed in town because I love the area and all my friends are here. And the music scene rocks!

Music seems to be important to you. What do you do for a living?

I work in the complaint department for Tintz House and Auto Insurance. It’s a tedious, thankless job, and it’s slowly eating away at my soul. I’m also a singer/songwriter, and I play a mean guitar. My inspiration comes from legends like Bruce Springsteen and Melissa Etheridge. I wish I could focus solely on my music, but I need the dreaded day job to pay my bills.

That stinks, but so many of us have the DDJ—dreaded day job. What do you look like?

I usually let my friend Chanel—she’s a beautician—trim my dark-brown hair into a bob, but I’ve let it grow out over the past several months. Now, it’s a little past my shoulders. I have dark eyes and freckles around my nose and on my cheeks. I top out at about five-feet-six, and I’m curvier in the hips than I like, especially now that I’m pregnant. My boobs are bigger, too, but at least that’s a plus. I’m up from a B-cup to a C. As you can probably tell, I’m mouthy and pretty blunt. Do I have a filter? Not really unless I’m at work and my paycheck is on the line. I just don’t get embarrassed easily, so I say what’s on my mind more often than not.

I like blunt. I can respect that. What challenges do you face?

Yeesh. Where to start?

I have a stalker who won’t drop off the face of the earth. I mean, how hard is it to leave me the heck alone? Really? He’s leaving me threatening notes and photos, keying my poor little car, and even showing up at my apartment in the middle of the night. I’m rattled, but I won’t let this prick control me or stop me from living my life.

Then there’s Meghan, Benji’s estranged sister. She hates my guts. She’s determined to wrap Benji around her little finger and make him do whatever she wants, but he’s on to her game. My man is smart like that. I wish she and my stalker would take a trip to Antarctica together—hopefully they’ll fall overboard!—but no such luck yet. A girl can hope, right?

Yes! I’ll keep my fingers crossed that everything works out. Who is your love interest?

Benji Starwell. He’s a mechanic and knows how to use his hands in more ways that one. The way he touches me, dayum. *Belle shivers* I need a cold shower just thinking about it.

I might need one, too, if you keep on. I probably shouldn’t ask this, but what did you think the first time you saw him?

That he was super hot, and that he knew it. Sexy men with access to a mirror are grade-A trouble, and Benji must own a ton of mirrors.

We had a one-night stand, and I thought I’d seen the last of him when he skipped out on me the morning after. Little did I know then about the bun he left in my oven. Condoms aren’t always foolproof.

That’s true. Do you get by, live comfortably, live extravagantly?

I get by. My job pays well enough to live on, but it doesn’t make me happy. The money I make from my music gigs pays peanuts, but at least I feel alive when onstage.

It must be a thrill to perform in front of people, and nerve-wracking too. Speaking of nerves, what is your biggest fear?

Losing Benji. I trust him, but Trista, my arch rival in the music scene, gets a kick out of stealing my boyfriends. She’s a tall, leggy blonde with a huge rack, and guys always seem to drool when she’s around. I can’t compete. History has a way of repeating itself, and though Benji has refused her advances, sometimes I worry he won’t say no to her forever. I guess that’s poor self-esteem talking. I know Benji. I know he loves me and our unborn child. He won’t do anything to risk us not being in his life. The fact of the matter is, I need to put aside my fears and worries. They’re unfounded because he loves me. It’s just hard, you know?

I can imagine. You better send her packing to Antarctica too.

Definitely. I should go out and buy three one-way tickets.

If you could go back in time, what one thing would you change in your life?

Nothing. Even though I’m a little angsty and crass, the woman I am now is who I am. I like me.

Good for you. Why do you think your author chose to write about you and Benji?

We have a good story to tell. Our author, Amber, likes happy endings, but she loves to put her characters through the wringer first. She did that and more before Benji and I could finally find our happily ever after.

All authors do that—torturing their characters for the sake of growth and development. What other character from your book do you think Amber should write a book about? Care to tell us why?

You’ll meet three characters in my book that will have a story of their own.

My friends, Shea and Trevor, will have a second chance romance in Trevor’s Redemption, which is coming soon in the multi-author Dangerous Entanglements box set in December 2022. It’ll be re-released as a solo book in the fall of next year.

Arresting Alan will hopefully be released sometime in late 2023 as well. I’m relieved Alan, Benji’s best friend, has moved on from his disastrous relationship with Meghan, Benji’s sister. He deserves to be happy, but I know for a fact that my infuriating author is going to make him work for it.

Ha ha. Dang, those authors. Well, I’ve had a blast talking with you, Belle. Thanks for coming!

Arresting Benjamin

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.

https://books2read.com/arrestingbenjamin/

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.

Social Media Link

Universal link – https://linktr.ee/AmberDaulton