Wow, historical romance Forever Amore is on sale for Kindle readers! Purchase it today for just $2.99 on Amazon....
Historical Romance
Was their love destined to last forever … Engaged in a brutal dogfight, dashing American Lieutenant Charles Tyler crashes
his broken plane into the Italian countryside. He prays for divine
intervention—and is certain he’s found an angel from the very moment he looks up
at Lucille Renaldi’s lovely face. Yet how can he be with her when his sense of
duty tells him to stay away?
… or become another casualty of
war?
Lucille’s attraction to the American is forbidden, her obligation to
her family’s safety overwhelming. At great peril the Renaldis carry Charles from
the crash site and disguise him as just another worker in their vineyard. Hidden
there inside the ugliness of World War II is the beauty of a growing love, and a
danger that could end their lives any day—when all they want is … forever. Here's what people are saying about Forever Amore....
Long & Short Reviews: "Features everything from dogfights to intimacy, love to desperation.
Williams has a particularly poetic turn of phrase and has brought the romantic
back to romance."
The Baker City Herald: "A beautiful love story
woven with suspense to make you race through the page!"
Coffee Time Romance: "The setting of Italy during World War II is an exciting one...
The author has brought the era to life and filled it with some memorable
characters...from the first page to the last one."
Forever Amore was voted "Best Book of the Year" by the readers at Long & Short Reviews. It is also available in trade paperback edition. Find out more on the BOOKS page of my website and Black Lyon Publishing....
Hi Cozies! Today I'm guesting at Lilly Gayle's beautiful blog! I brought an excerpt from Forever Amore along with some boys in uniform and things I learned writing historical romance. Join me here...
Today I continue my Read an Ebook Week special with a feature on my second publisher, Black Lyon Publishing. My experience thus far with BLP has been much like that at The Wild Rose Press: very positive! At the moment, I have one title available from BLP and that's my historical romance, Forever Amore! It is published in both trade paperback and ebook. Black Lyon Publishing is an independent publisher based in Oregon and recognized by Romance Writers of America. BLP's operations include authors, photographers, illustrators, cover models, and contract editing/proofreading staff. It releases 1-2 titles a month and now publishes novellas as well as full-length novels.
BLP publishes a range of genres - from women's fiction to romance to literary love stories (think Nicholas Sparks). The most notable sub-genres in their catalog are contemporary romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance. Readers also always know what heat level they're buying with sweet, language, and mature labels. Both paperbacks and ebooks can be ordered from the BLP site or found at online booksellers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Forever Amore's ebook edition is available for Kindle, Kobo, and Nook users! Ebooks can be found, too, at Target.com. Some BLP titles, like Meander Scar by Lisa J. Lickel, Gallimore by Michelle Griep, and Lily in Bloom by Margaret P. Cunningham are even available in large print from Thorndike Press.
One of my favorite aspects of BLP is its blog, The Order of the Lyoness where authors and publisher insiders share book-related news and topics with readers. Owner, Kerry A. Jones, also recently won an Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2008. The Baker City Herald provided Forever Amore with my first cover quote: "A beautiful love story to make you race through the pages!" Another great thing about BLP? They provide their authors with professional book trailers available for view on the BLP website.
We're getting to the end of the year. Only a couple of weeks until 2011. It's natural for us all to consider our yearly achievements as December comes to a close. Since I did something similar last year, here's a list of the exciting things that happened in my writing life and here on The Cozy Page:
January's Cowboy Lovin' - This time last year I was brainstorming how to get all my favorite western romance writers together in one place to have the ultimate western romance extravaganza! Friends and readers came to The Cozy Page in numbers to participate in cowboy-themed giveaways, see their favorite western guest authors, and join in the cowboy round robin. It started 2010 with a bang here at the ol' blog and I loved seeing all the western romance supporters coming together to celebrate the sub-genre. In fact, I'm thinking about doing something similar in Spring 2011. Stay tuned ;)
Back-to-Back Releases and Goodbye to the Ridges - In early January while we were throwing down with Cowboy Lovin', I marked the launch of the second book in my Wayback Ridge trilogy, Bluest Heart, which to date is the bestselling book in the trilogy. Two months later, in March, I had a parting of the ways with all those entertaining Ridge family characters when the final book in the trilogy, Bet It On My Heart, was published by The Wild Rose Press. That same week, it was voted Book of the Week by readers at Long & Short Reviews. This release was the most bittersweet I've experienced. I worked on the three Wayback Ridge novellas for nearly two years and didn't want to say goodbye. The occassion, however, was an especially sweet one not just because Blackest Heart, Bluest Heart, and Bet It On My Heart are my most successful titles to date or because Bet It On My Heart was one of the last titles published under TWRP's much-loved Wayback, TX series. I became the only author with three books in the multi-authored series, and I'm still thrilled that the editors at TWRP thought these works worthy of such an honor.
Best Book of 2009 Nomination - In February, I learned that my historical romance, Forever Amore, was nominated for Best Book of 2009 by the reviewers of Long & Short Reviews. I do believe the hero and heroine, Charles and Lucille, are still beaming with pride - as, of course, am I!
3rd Paranormal Romance Completion - March and April weren't easy months. Among other things, my beloved laptop, Keats, died in an electrical surge and I was without a computer for several weeks. For a writer, there is nothing worse than not having the proper technological channel for creative venting. As it happened, I was in the midst of my third paranormal romance - all of which I thought had been fried on the hard drive with other works in progress. I was devastated until a saintly computer specialist (who shall be receiving a Christmas card this year from these grateful peeps) recovered the files. Meanwhile, my parents gave me a desktop that had belonged to my sister on which I completed the third paranormal. It came out to be a whopping 107,000 words - my longest manuscript since completing Forever Amore's first draft in December 2004, which came in at 140,000 (later revised and published at 75,000). This also marked the mid-way point for a five-part series I officially began work on in November 2008.
Literary Representation - In early May, six years of searching for an agent as passionate about my work as I am came to a close. Many thanks and heartfelt wishes go out to Joyce Holland and the D4EO Literary Agency!
The Ridges Go Audio - When I learned that TWRP would be selecting several titles to be published in audio book format, I had no idea that the Wayback Ridge trilogy would be among them. In July, I received the news that the Ridges were going to be strutting their stuff in the audio-verse! It was such a pleasure to work with AudioLark and the Ridges again. The audio book collection launched in September, becoming my first foray into audible and capping off my first publication triad - paperback, ebook, and audio!
Sweethearts of the West - In October, I was invited to become a part of a new western romance grog called Sweethearts of the West along with several authors from The Wild Rose Press and Harlequin/Silhouette. I blog with the Sweethearts once a month, usually around the 3rd, and I'm having a lot of fun discussing my favorite subject - cowboys and western romance - in more detail.
Social Networking Surprises - My author profile on Facebook reached 500 friends this winter! Similarly, I also reached 300 Twitter followers and may even reach 400 before the New Year. Thank you to those who have connected with me via social networking. I promise to be just as, if not more so, interesting in the new year ;)
As for non-writing related notables, I watched oil wash onshore at my local beaches in May and my favorite college football team is going to a national championship for the first time in 50+ years. On a more private note, I experienced a lot of things I never thought I would have to go through and learned quite a bit about myself and others along the way. It's been a turbulent and remarkable year in equal measure and I'm looking to the new year with much anticipation!
As many of you have already guessed, I am a participating author in the Wild Roses Blog Tour! To kick it off last Wednesday, I stopped by Maya Blake's to chat about the paranormal. This Monday I interviewed Sandra Sookoo here at The Cozy Page and tomorrow Catherine Bybee will be here to answer more of my strangely relevant questions about her latest historical romance. Tomorrow I will be at my second stop on the blog tour at Christine DePetrillo's site digging deeper into my latest western romance, Bet It On My Heart, and love scenes. I'm sharing all this because at the end of August when the tour comes to a close, one commenter of the Wild Roses Blog Tour will win a basket of goodies from participating authors, including a digital edition of Bet It On My Heart! The more you comment, the more chances you have to win so here's the complete list of authors on the Wild Roses Blog Tour....
And don't forget there's even more goodies to be won at Long & Short Reviews this month - one of three Nooks, in fact. Click on the Nook graphic at right for more info on the LASR 3rd Anniversary Party scavenger hunt. Nooks include a $50 gift certificate to BarnesandNoble.com and a great list of pre-loaded ebooks, including LASR Best Book of 2009 NomineeForever Amore!
Neither is an extravaganza to be missed, and with all this free stuff flying around, August is a great month for readers! And don't forget this Friday, the 13th, I'll be joining the 1st Anniversary party of the Southern Sizzlers. See you there!
Hi Cozies! Just wanted to let everyone know where to find me over the next few weeks.
First off, August marks Long & Short Reviews 3rd Anniversary Party! Beginning August 2, by entering the LASR scavenger hunt before August 29, you can win one of three Nook eBook Readers that each include a $50 B&N.com gift certificate AND dozens of pre-loaded romance and YA ebooks from participating authors - including moi! I've donated a digital editon of my historical romance, Forever Amore, since it was nominated by LASR for Best Book of 2009! Don't miss this opportunity to win tons of awesome goodies and have a whole lot of fun doing it!
This Saturday, July 31st I'll be an honorary chick at Prairie Chicks Write Romance talking writing axioms that work. August 1st, I have the pleasure of guesting at Kelly L. Stone's new website celebrating the launch of her latest book on writing, Living Write. Next Saturday, August 7th, I'll be chatting with Sassy Britt over at Alternative Read and giving away a trade paperback editon of The Way Back Homewestern romance anthology, which includes the 1st Place More Than Magic Novella Blackest Heart. On Friday the 13th, I'll be partying with the Southern Sizzlers for their one-year blog anniversary! On August 17, look for me at Nana Malone's blog where I'll be guesting.
So that's my rundown for the next few weeks! If you're an author and you'd like to guest here at The Cozy Page, email me at amber@amberleighwilliams.com. And readers, don't forget that this is the last week The Way Back Homeanthology in trade paperback is on sale at The Wild Rose Press for 40% off!
Why it took me eight years and six drafts to complete my historical romance, Forever Amore: read all the details today and tomorrow an exclusive excerpt from Forever Amoreat Rae Summers's blog!
Good news in my inbox this morning - my historical romance Forever Amoreis now available at All Romance eBooks! Click here to purchase it from my favorite ebook store! Forever Amore was nominated for Best Book of 2009 by Long & Short Reviews and is available in paperback from Black Lyon Publishing!
Reviews for Forever Amore...
"A beautiful love story woven with suspense to make you race through the pages!" Lisa Britton Jacoby, The Baker City Herald
"This is a wonderfully written story of a forbidden love during wartime. The two main characters are extremely well developed and sympathetic and I felt so much sympathy for their plight. The setting of Italy during World War II is an exciting one filled with political intrigue and danger from all sides. The author has brought the era to life and filled it with some memorable characters. The villain DeMarco in particular jumps off the page. The descriptions of the Renaldi’s lives during wartime are quite detailed, from their personal lives to their social the first page to the last one." Coffee Time Romance
"Amber Leigh Williams’ Forever Amore is a dynamic war-time romance novel. The love of the two main characters, Lieutenant Charles Tyler and Lucille Renaldi is wonderful, frank, and exciting. Almost from the start, we get to know them as real, believable people with many concerns and responsibilities, but we see that potential there. When it seems possible, we are then all too aware of the difficulties, too. Making him especially human is the Lieutenant’s camaraderie with his buddies in the early pages, and the natural dialogue. Meeting Lucille has an enormous impact on him. And then, of course, it is the age-old story of forbidden love, with the ensuing heartbreak, self-doubt or blame, and the struggle to make with their own perceptions. One of the nicest things about this is, in this case, it is the main characters’ own sense of duty, or propriety that provides the chief barrier. They are both extremely likable and engage reader sympathies at once. Perhaps, most touching is the efforts of everyday people – and the risks they take – to protect someone who is not even their own. There is both desperation, and determination. We feel very clearly the terror of invasion, the potential loss of family or home. The events here make the people who lived and struggled in World War II seem a finer sort than ordinary humanity. Through all this fear they still reached out to help someone else. We do know such tales have a basis in fact. This makes this story, this lovely romance, all the more moving. The two main characters dominate the narrative, but secondary characters are well-presented although in some cases stereotypical. There is also a most unexpected villain (as if a war wasn’t enough to deal with!) However, this interaction makes the story all the less predictable. There are so many scenes worth noting, that I fear this would become novel in its discussion. Suffice to say this features everything From dogfights to intimacy, love to desperation. “Mountains rear toward the heavens…” Williams has a particularly poetic turn of phrase and has brought the romantic back to romance. The wonderful visuals her words create and pace of the story give this an overall aura that is heartwarming. Our sympathies are engaged at once, and if feels as if we have stepped back in time and see these events first hand. I must give this a best book, as the rating sheet goes no higher. Mark this a must-read." Long & Short Reviews
Here's more of your exclusive dive into historical romance Forever Amore. Black Lyon Publishing made this book video to celebrate Charles and Lucille's story...
When I decided to write a book based in World War II Italy, I was shocked by how little information there was on the mid-1940's in the Verona area of Veneto. WWII was the first highly-photographed, recorded, and documented war. But other than the Hallmark movie, In Love and War, there was very little to work with in photos, reels, battle sequences, and regional details from '40's era Italy.
But that was 2002. Between then and my final revision on Forever Amore in 2009, detailed books on the subject were published. I was shocked when I began working at the bookstore and perused the WWII section of the Military genre. On my sixth and final revision of the novel, I used some of the information in these books to add scenes that involved Lucille, the heroine, trying to find Charles, the hero working as a spy, in Nazi-occupied Milan. The new elements not only adrenalized the formerly-lagging middle: it gave the story a whole new layer of suspense. By reading the books on WWII in Italy, I also found out that women who flirted with or married Allied soldiers were humiliated in front of their townsfolk. Black Shirt soldiers in particular liked to cut off their hair and "delouse" them with white power. My tag line for Forever Amore reads, "How far would you go for love?" From the beginning, that was what this book was all about.
Fashion was also an important issue to contend with, as it should be in any historical romance. Lucille comes from a wealthy, almost aristocratic, wine-making family and Italy is one of the most fashionable countries in the world so when it came to dressing her, her sisters, and the other members of her family, they had to have the most luxurious in period fashion. The problem, however, lay in the fact that the story begins in March of 1944 and rationing was in full effect - not just in the matter of food but in select materials. And, yep, silk was one of them. In one of my favorite scenes in the book, Lucille's rake of an uncle is taking her out to an opera to get her mind off her missing lieutenant. He gives her a silk gown he had smuggled into the country to cheer her up. The dress - a white one *wink* - plays a very significant role of its own. Lucky for me, conservative fashion came back with a vengeance after the promiscuous '20's and slinky wear of the '30's. This made it easy to add a collar or high neck to all of Lucille's blouses and dresses to hide Charles's dog-tags underneath.
Another important research aspect of Forever Amore was the vineyard sequences. In the original draft, Lucille is giving Charles a tour of the Villa Renaldi, her family's expansive estate. I eventually cut the twenty-five pages of detailing how grapes are grown and harvested and how winery machinery works (the technology used in '40's-era Italy, that is). Though this information was not neccessary for the overall story, it was definitely good to know to fall back on for reference during seasonal transitions. When spring rolls into summer, the vines are growing taller, easily cloaking Lucille and Charles who sneak off into the twilight labyrinth for a moonlit walk. Before I began Forever Amore, I knew nothing about wine. Over the course of the first draft, I not only learned that. I also beagn drinking it. A tour of a Tuscan vineyard will definitely be a must on my first trip to Italy.
One of the final areas I had to cover for this book was the military aspect. Like wine, before Forever Amore, I knew nothing about flying or fighter pilots. Movies came in handy here. I spent hours watching movies that featured dogfights just so I could learn fighter-pilot-speak. When I was happy with the terminology, I went looking for Charles's plane. Thanks to the movie Pearl Harbor, I knew what a B-17 looked like and its purpose. It took a bit more digging to put him in the right fighter plane. The Military Channel solved all my problems by featuring the WWII-era P-38. I needed a plane with two engines. I couldn't use the B-17 due to its weight and the fact that it didn't have the speed needed to out-fly Luftwaft resistance that results in Charles crashing onto Villa Renaldi. The P-38 was perfect with two engines built for fighting. Thanks to The Military Channel, I also learned that P-38s were some of the first planes to be steered by yokes, a term I never would've known or used otherwise.
When Forever Amore received a publishing contract, I not only jumped for joy for days - I began to readdress the sequel, loosely titled "Love on the Piazza" I had written a few months after completing the first draft of Forever Amore. As is, the manuscript is pretty weak. But I brainstormed a few story boosters that would revitalize a story that is still close to my heart. "Love on the Piazza" does not take place in the 1940's like its prequel. Instead, it is a contemporary romance and most characters from Forever Amore are long gone. You've probably heard me talk about the family vineyard, Villa Renaldi, from Forever Amore. During the writing (and re-writing) of the story, Villa Renaldi became a colorful character all itself. I might've been able to let the characters live their own lives after completion, but the vineyard was a different story. An incomplete one, as it were.
So I wrote "Love on the Piazza." The family business has been abandoned as their passion for wine-making dwindled through the generations. It has fallen to Lucille and Charles's granddaughter who is in desperate need of a new beginning. When she arrives in Italy, she is dismayed to find Villa Renaldi in a state of near-ruin. She commissions the reluctant help of a family friend to oversee the running of the vineyard business while reinstating the estate houses as a 5-star hotel and spa. Together they bring Villa Renaldi back to life...and rejuvenate their own lives (and hearts!) along the way.
I hope to begin work on "Love on the Piazza" in the next year. Until then, get to know Villa Renaldi and the passionate people who keep it alive in Forever Amore - available now in ebook and paperback from Black Lyon Publishing! This is the first fateful meeting Charles and Lucille . Charles has just crashed his fighter plane into the Renaldi vineyard in northern Italy. Though Charles finds himself in a dire situation behind enemy lines, his first exchange with Lucille is one of my favorites...
****
Covered in damp earth, panting hard, he leaned back against the plane. He hissed as a sharp twinge sliced up his spine. Blood seeped into his eyes again. Raising his uninjured hand, he wiped it away only to cover his face in dirt.
His shoulder was agony. He tried rolling it but stopped when the pain escalated. Cursing, he unzipped his uniform jacket and tried to pull it away from the wound.
Over the crackle of flames, he heard an engine approaching. Looking up, he went alert and reached for the gun at his belt when he saw the green pickup. He took a deep breath before rallying enough energy to stagger to his feet.
Charles took a step forward and blinked to clear his vision as the truck skidded to a halt and the driver and passenger doors opened.
Two figures swam through the smoky haze and Charles had to squint to make them out. One long, rangy man with a mop of black hair growing into his fierce eyes and … an angel. His heart thudded. I’m dead. He could find no other explanation for the vision that drifted hesitantly toward him in a long, creamcolored gown and hair the color of angel wings falling in gilded glory down her shoulders.
She made a move toward him, but the man barked at her to halt, catching her by the arm. Pointing at Charles, he gave a short, terse order he couldn’t make out.
Oh, hell. Italian. Charles had less than a rudimentary inkling of the language. The man who looked no more than twenty barked again. Charles saw him point toward his gun. With a frown, he lifted a hand to it.
The woman gasped and the man stepped in front of her as if to shield her. Carefully, Charles unclipped the pistol and threw it at the man’s feet.
Movements slow, the local bent and picked it up, pointing the shaking barrel at Charles’s chest while scanning him closely. “Americano?” he asked.
Now that he could understand. “Si, si. Americano.” He thought he saw relief pass over their faces before his vision dimmed. He swayed on the spot.
As he went to his knees, the woman rushed forward, snatching out of her companion’s grasp to catch Charles before he could hit the dirt again.
She looked even better up close. A pixie’s face more than an angel’s, her big green eyes yawned in concern in front of his. “You are wounded?” she asked in English thick with regional inflection but not at all broken.
Huh. Angels speak English. Thank God.
“Shock,” he replied, having seen the weak effects of it before. At the moment, he was a case study.
“But you’re bleeding,” she said, her fingers brushing whisper light over his bloody brow.
He sucked in a breath at her sweet touch. “Answer me this, baby.” Her brow creased as if in confusion. Despite that, he asked, “Is this heaven?”
“No,” she replied as the corners of her lips bowed into a wide grin and a small laugh billowed out of her. “This is Veneto.”
“Oh, dear God.” He gave in to the black pinpricks stabbing into his vision and lowered his head into her lap.
FOREVER AMORE (c) Amber Leigh Williams
Learn more about Forever Amore from yesterday post below. And tune in tomorrow for the countdown to Bet It On My Heart's release with a dive into its first prequel, 1st Place More Than Magic Novella Blackest Heart!
Inspiration: I've always had an interest in World War II and wanted to set a story there, but it wasn't until the early 2000's that my focus shifted in Italy's direction. It was while watching another Italy-set, WWII love story entitled In Love and War on the Hallmark channel (based on the true story of the Newbys and the book Love and War in the Apennines) that the story of American fighter pilot Charles Tyler and sheltered, Italian heroine Lucille Renaldi began to form.
Manuscript Details: FA was my first completed romance manuscript. The original draft rounded out to 140,000 words. After six revisions over a five year period, I managed to wheedle it down to 75,000.
Why "Forever Amore"? The original title of this story, "Love Among the Ruins", is derived from a painting of the same name by artist Edward Burne-Jones. When I first began blogging, I used the painting as a heading here at The Cozy Page. I first discovered the painting in my a literature textbook. I was first struck by the likeness of my characters and their predicament. The name "Love Among the Ruins" helped weave a deeper theme throughout the text. From the story's completion in 2004 to the time it was contracted with Black Lyon Publishing, "Love Among the Ruins" remained the working title of Lucille and Charles' story. Because of similar names of other published novels, the title was changed to "Forever Amore." Amore (an Italian endearment meaning "love") is used throughout the story by both Lucille and Charles.
Cover Facts: Since Black Lyon Publishing, based in Oregon, likes to use local photography instead of stock photos on its covers, the model on the cover of Forever Amore is an Oregon-based woman named Mihaela Panciuc. The back cover of FA also featured my first cover quote from Lisa Britton Jacoby of The Baker City Herald: "A beautiful love story woven with suspense to make you race through the pages!" (Thank you to BLP, Mihaela, and Lisa!)
Awards: FA received a rare "Best Book" review from Long & Short Reviews. In a LASR poll, readers and peers voted FA "Best Book of the Week." In January 2010, LASR also nominated FA for "Best Book of 2009."
_____________________________
Hero Name: Charles Tyler
Hero Occupation: United States Air Force Lieutenant (In the beginning of the story, he pilots a P-38 fighter. He also briefly flies a B-17 bomber later in the story.)
Hero Description:
Lucille carefully cleaned the soldier’s features with a damp rag, swiping blood and grime from his skin as meticulously as a scientist sweeping dust from bone. What she revealed with each pass of the rag made her heart drum all the harder—the face of a man who rivaled David, strongboned and strong-willed. He moaned a bit, head tilting away from the cool touch of the rag. “Sh,” she soothed, leaning close so the others couldn’t see as she wiped the thick chords of his neck and unbuttoned the top of his jacket and shirt to clean the skin at the hollow of his throat. His jacket was torn, but she saw the patch on the arm. The sight of the American flag brought her instant calm. His shoulders were broader than Debray’s, but he looked fit under the USAF uniform with a body built for fighting. The kind of body one could push to the limit.
Hero's Stunt Double: SinceFA took half a decade to revise and sell, my inspiration for Charles shifted quite a bit from Hayden Christensen to Shawn Ashmore to James Franco and even Chad Michael Murray. But in my final two revisions, I realized that I had to take Charles's character a step further. The actor with the physicality and overall charisma of the Charles that readers know today is funny-man/bad boy Bradley Cooper.
Hero's Greatest Strength: His code of honor
Hero's Greatest Weakness: Not at all afraid to risk his own life, even under the most dangerous circumstances.
Hero's Astrological Sign: Scorpio (This sign is: The most profound and outwardly impressive sign of the zodiac... Truly magnetic, yet they can be aggressive and unpredictable, like a volcano... Scorpios have the power to cause a lot of harm, most of all to themselves.... Their passion is overwhelming. Scorpio is known for having a very strong imagination and keen intuition, but this is a very jealous sign as well, and sometimes cannot forget or forgive...)
________________________
Heroine Name: Lucille Renaldi
Heroine Occupation: Aristocratic daughter of a renowned winemaking family. Her duty (according to her family and society) is to find a suitable husband, which is made difficult by wartime tension. Even as late as the 1940's, arranged marriages weren't uncommon in Italy.
Heroine Description:
Two figures swam through the smoky haze and Charles had to squint to make them out. One long, rangy man with a mop of black hair growing into his fierce eyes and … an angel. His heart thudded. I’m dead. He could find no other explanation for the vision that drifted hesitantly toward him in a long, cream-colored gown and hair the color of angel wings falling in gilded glory down her shoulders.
As he went to his knees, the woman rushed forward, snatching out of her companion’s grasp to catch Charles before he could hit the dirt again. She looked even better up close. A pixie’s face more than an angel’s, her big green eyes yawned in concern in front of his. “You are wounded?” she asked in English thick with regional inflection but not at all broken.
Heroine's Stunt Double: This one is hard, too, but I remember seeing a magazine article on Sienna Miller in Instyle. One photo featured her in a blue gown with long, cascading curls and I automatically thought "Lucille!"
Heroine's Greatest Strength: Her loyalty and tendency to weigh the consequences of her actions on those she loves.
Heroine's Greatest Weakness: Too often sets her own needs aside for duty to her family.
Heroine's Astrological Sign: Virgo (This sign is: The only zodiac sign represented by a female.... Delicate and sensitive, yet, at the same time, they can be very critical.... The Virgin may appear cold as there is a tendency to hide emotions.... Reliable and very helpful, which this makes sign an excellent friend and mate.)
________________________
What Sets This Book Apart: It has everything - primarily the central love story as well as action, danger, high stakes, sex, politcal intrigue, espionage, culture, and history!
Favorite Scene: First love scene - a forbidden rendezvous in a forgotten, underground cellar with a party going on in the courtyard above. Through all the revisions, this scene stayed. I couldn't cut it.
Blurb:
Was their love destined to last forever …Engaged in a brutal dogfight, dashing American Lieutenant Charles Tyler crashes his broken plane into the Italian countryside. He prays for divine intervention—and is certain he’s found an angel from the very moment he looks up at Lucille Renaldi’s lovely face. Yet how can he be with her when his sense of duty tells him to stay away? … or become another casualty of war? Lucille’s attraction to the American is forbidden, her obligation to her family’s safety overwhelming. At great peril the Renaldis carry Charles from the crash site and disguise him as just another worker in their vineyard. Hidden there inside the ugliness of World War II is the beauty of a growing love, and a danger that could end their lives any day—when all they want is … forever.
What People Are Saying:
"This is a wonderfully written story of a forbidden love during wartime... The setting of Italy during World War II is an exciting one filled with political intrigue and danger from all sides. The author has brought the era to life and filled it with some memorable characters...The descriptions of the Renaldi’s lives during wartime are quite detailed, from their personal lives to their social lives... Lucille’s trials and tribulations and her love for Charles will keep the reader riveted from the first page to the last one."
- Coffee Time Romance
"Amber Leigh Williams’ FOREVER AMORE is a dynamic war-time romance novel. The love of the two main characters, Lieutenant Charles Tyler and Lucille Renaldi is wonderful, frank, and exciting. Perhaps, most touching is the efforts of everyday people – and the risks they take – to protect someone who is not even their own. There is both desperation, and determination. We feel very clearly the terror of invasion, the potential loss of family or home. The events here make the people who lived and struggled in World War II seem a finer sort than ordinary humanity. This makes this story, this lovely romance, all the more moving. There are so many scenes worth noting, that I fear this would become novel in its discussion. Suffice to say this features everything From dogfights to intimacy, love to desperation. Williams has a particularly poetic turn of phrase and has brought the romantic back to romance. The wonderful visuals her words create and pace of the story give this an overall aura that is heartwarming. Our sympathies are engaged at once, and if feels as if we have stepped back in time and see these events first hand. I must give this a best book, as the rating sheet goes no higher. Mark this a must-read."
- Long & Short Reviews
Tune in tomorrow for more never-before-seen info and excerpts from Forever Amore. And don't forget that FA is now available in Kindle!
Welcome to Day 2 of Denied Origin's book dive! Location was so important to the crafting of this story. To help dive further into DO, here's the book trailer and an exlusive excerpt!
Denied Origin takes the characters across the globe in a matter of days, starting in Brazil then fleeing to the coast of Greece. From there, they go to Rome, Egypt and more! Mark and Valentina are shuffled from location to location. Why not include really exciting places like Copacabana Beach, Vatican City, and the Taj Mahal? The research was fascinating!
One of my goals was to add a tidbit of trivia about every location embedded in the text. This way, I hope readers learn more about each location, too. Also each locale had a mood of its own that added a flavor to the story. Meshed together, all the different cultures made DO a story not quite like any other. The only location that doesn't acutally exist is the final destination, which is one of the story's secrets. Not even the characters know until the last minute where or what it is. They learn as the reader does.
This was the one book that I did fly by the seat of my pants while plotting. All I knew was each location and the characters. And I didn't do research ahead of time. As the characters traveled, so did I through my research to make the travelling all that more realistic: As the train pulled into the station, Valentina stirred. It was midmorning and the sun was out, bright and full. She squinted out the window at Agra. “Are we getting off?” Mark nodded distractedly as he rose to get their luggage. He threw the duffel over his shoulder before helping her to her feet. He tucked an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t leave my side,” he whispered as they wandered into the station. He kept his eyes sharp. A sniper could be perched just out of view, a knife could be held just out of sight, a suicide bomber could be waiting to jump forth. His eyes passed over every face, studied them, judged them. He checked over his shoulder many times to make sure no one was following them. “We’ll go straight there.” “Good,” she muttered. He knew she was also watching the crowd nervously. “The sooner we leave this place the better.” He didn’t relax, but slowly began to take in the sights as they walked quickly through the city streets. They walked through a large bazaar where the smell of spices was so strong he could almost feel them filtering through his lungs as he breathed deep to admit them. There weren’t many cars. There was the occasional elephant, more than a few horse-drawn carts, and various bicyclists.
All the people were tan with exotic eyes and peasant dress though they had a carefree air, a sense of peace and gratification. They’d been walking for some time when they came to a crowded iron bridge.
“Are we close?” She pressed close to Mark’s side as they squeezed into the traffic on the bridge.
He nodded, his eyes darting every which way, searching for the glare of a weapon. “This is the Yamuna River. The Taj is just across the bridge.” After wriggling their way through the suffocating crowd, they broke out into the sunlight again. As soon as she saw the monument in the distance, she let out a surprised gasp. “Oh, Mark…”
He couldn’t help but grin at her surprise. “It’s even better up close and personal, huh?” Her gasp melded fluidly into an awestruck sigh. “Oh, it’s gorgeous—more than I imagined.”
“We have to go through the south entrance,” Mark advised, guiding her onward. “Not much further.” They passed through a red sandstone gate into the spacious gardens. Facing south at the northern tip of the gardens in the very center stood the magnificent temple. Its white marble structure was situated perfectly on a red sandstone platform. In the morning light, the monument was as white and elegant as a bride. Though light fog had descended into the lower parts of the garden, the Taj speared through it, boasting its feminine majesty to the world.
Scroll down and find out more about Mark and Valentina. Denied Origin is on sale now from The Wild Rose Press in ebook and paperback!
Tomorrow we're diving into historical romance Forever Amore! Don't miss out!
Last week, Long & Short Reviews informed me that my historical romance, Forever Amore, is nominated for Best Book of 2009! Wow , what an honor! Thank you again to LASR. Voting begins today and will run through Valentine's Day. Readers, head on over and vote Forever Amore LASR's Best Book of 2009!
FOREVER AMORE
Was their love destined to last forever …
Engaged in a brutal dogfight, dashing American Lieutenant Charles Tyler crashes his broken plane into the Italian countryside. He prays for divine intervention—and is certain he’s found an angel from the very moment he looks up at Lucille Renaldi’s lovely face. Yet how can he be with her when his sense of duty tells him to stay away?
… or become another casualty of war?
Lucille’s attraction to the American is forbidden, her obligation to her family’s safety overwhelming. At great peril the Renaldis carry Charles from the crash site and disguise him as just another worker in their vineyard. Hidden there inside the ugliness of World War II is the beauty of a growing love, and a danger that could end their lives any day—when all they want is … forever.
Praise
LASR Best Book
A dynamic war-time romance novel…. We feel very clearly the terror of invasion, the potential loss of family or home. The events here make the people who lived and struggled in World War II seem a finer sort than ordinary humanity… This makes this story, this lovely romance, all the more moving…. There are so many scenes worth noting, that I fear this would become novel in its discussion. Suffice to say this features everything from dogfights to intimacy, love to desperation…. I must give this a best book, as the rating sheet goes no higher. Mark this a must-read.
A beautiful love story woven with suspense to make you race through the pages! ~ Lisa Britton Jacoby, The Baker City Herald
This is a wonderfully written story of a forbidden love during wartime. The two main characters are extremely well developed and sympathetic… The setting of Italy during World War II is an exciting one filled with political intrigue and danger from all sides. The author has brought the era to life and filled it with some memorable characters. Lucille’s trials and tribulations and her love for Charles will keep the reader riveted from the first page to the last one.
His lips brushed her cheek, tender. “Listen.” His voice carried a sensual, guttural rust that caused a stir within despite herself. “I want to help. If this is what it takes …”
As he trailed off, her lips parted as she finished his thought. “You would do that?”
“If it was what you really wanted,” he assured her. “If it was what you needed to take your mind off whatever it is that’s driven you to tears. As I said, I can’t stand to see you in pain.”
She shook her head. “I can’t use you. I won’t.”
“I’m not anywhere near the man you deserve, but if it’s me you trust, you have me. All you have to do is say so. I’d save you any day, and not just because you saved me.”
The right answer hovered on her tongue—refusal. But something forestalled it. She shouldn’t consider. She shouldn’t want—not this way.
But what other way was there? Especially now that her time was running out and the cage door was so quickly closing on her?
She wanted Charles Tyler. This might be her only chance to experience a woman’s true pleasure. A man’s true loving.
“Dio,” she breathed, unable to meet his gaze. She glanced around the cemetery once, afraid of the ghosts listening on the edges.
Okay - so we've talked quite a bit this month about why cowboy heroes are so great. There's a few things I'd like to say before the party ends tomorrow. First of all, thank you to all the Cowboy Lovin' guest authors who have brought their love of western romance and cowboy heroes here to The Cozy Page. And I think I can speak for every single one of you and every other western romance author out there, thank you to the readers. If it weren't for your continued love and revival of the genre, we'd be lost. It's an honor to share our stories with all of you. Finally, a personal thank you to all the readers who participated in my first major blog event. You made every moment special - even those of you who just lurked. (Yes, I know you're there ;) You've made the start to the new year truly amazing!
While parading around the web in my cowgirl boots and my western frame of mind, a few interesting articles caught my eye. One especially on target was New York Times bestselling historical romance author Eloisa James's eloquent blog piece "Way, Way Out West" on Barnes & Noble's Reading Romance. She not only recommends great "cowboy" titles, she pinpoints that X-factor of a true cowboy hero - the one that keeps us readers coming back for more. A must-read....
While trying to make an early dent in my 2010 reading list, I came across my copy of Jillian Hart's Homespun Bride- an inspirational western romance. It isn't often that I read inspirational romance. However, I couldn't resist the western aspect of this one - or, of course, the cowboy hero. It's been a WHILE since a story has brought me to tears and left me as satisfied. I loved it so much, I plan on reading the first book in the series His Hometown Girl, as well as the close tie-in to Homespun - High Country Bride. Another recommended read...
And I can't recommend the Wayback, TX series enough - not just because I am a part of it. While researching the town of Wayback for Blackest Heart, I was incredibly intimidated by the first stories in the line-up: Rita Thedford's Hot Night in the Blue Bug Saloon and Judith Rochelle's Shadow of the Hawk. Thank you to all the Wayback authors who joined the fun here at Cozy. You are all amazing champions of the genre and an inspiration to me and so many other newbies :) Readers who would like to read the series in its entirety, refer to editor Spencer Glenn's January 11th post....
If you're still hungry for eye candy, Smart Bitches Trashy Books recently featured a Harlequin cover shoot documentary that features...you guessed it: cowboys! The videos are so worth the procrastination time, LOL
This month several of Cozy's guest authors talked about that iconic cowboy hero. Bonanza came up in many Cowboy Lovin' posts. On January 25th, star of Bonanza Pernell Roberts passed away. I think it's only right to take a moment here at Cozy to acknowledge this rugged cowboy's passing.
Since this month was such a blast, I'm planning another party soon here at Cozy. Probably late spring or over the summer. I've mentioned before that 2009 rejuvenated my love of historical romance and it also marked the publication of my first historical - Forever Amore. Any of you readers up for a little Historical Lovin'? Stay tuned for news on that and the launch of Bet It On My Heart in March....
There's still time to enter Christine Columbus's giveaway for a free paperback western romance. And tomorrow is the last day of Cowboy Lovin' and we're going out with a real treat: our last surprise guest author! See ya on the flipside!
Huge thank you to Black Lyon Publishing for this beautiful book trailer! Enjoy! (*For full screen view, click on vid title and watch on YouTube*)
Let me know what you think! Forever Amore is available now at Black Lyon Publishing in paperback and ebook. You can also purchase the Kindle at Amazon.com!
Thanks to those who voted Forever Amore "Best Book of the Week" at LASR! I'm grateful to everyone who took the time to visit the review site and participate in the weekly poll. You've made my week!
*For a limited time only, Forever Amore is also up for Best Book of the week. Vote now at LASR; polls close soon!
Wow, amazing news arrived in my inbox yesterday in the form of Long & Short Reviews' take on historical romance Forever Amore: it's a LASR Best Book! According to site rating specifications, here's the Best Book breakdown:
For a book or story that is truly exceptional. You think about it when you're not reading it. You wonder what happens to the characters when you finish. You would absolutely buy everything else this author had to offer. The highest praise - and reserved for only a few. - Long & Short Reviews
A huge thanks to the reviewer, Snapdragon, who praised Forever Amore so vividly! Here's a few clips from her review (with the bits I found most touching highlighted):
Amber Leigh Williams’Forever Amoreis a dynamic war-time romance novel.... the age-old story of forbidden love.... One of the nicest things about this is, in this case, it is the main characters’ own sense of duty, or propriety that provides the chief barrier. They are both extremely likable and engage reader sympathies at once. Perhaps, most touching is the efforts of everyday people – and the risks they take – to protect someone who is not even their own.... We feel very clearly the terror of invasion, the potential loss of family or home. The events here make the people who lived and struggled in World War II seem a finer sort than ordinary humanity. Through all this fear they still reached out to help someone else. We do know such tales have a basis in fact. This makes this story, this lovely romance, all the more moving.... There are so many scenes worth noting, that I fear this would become novel in its discussion. Suffice to say this features everything From dogfights to intimacy, love to desperation.... Williams has a particularly poetic turn of phrase andhasbrought the romantic back to romance. The wonderful visuals her words create and pace of the story give this an overall aura that is heartwarming. Our sympathies are engaged at once, and if feels as if we have stepped back in time and see these events first hand. I must give this a best book, as the rating sheet goes no higher. Mark this a must-read.
I can't thank Snapdragon or LASR enough for the honor of a Best Book rating. I'm incredibly humbled that LASR puts me on par with other Best Book rating recipients like Lisa Kleypas, Hank Phillipi Ryan, and fellow TWRP author Hywela Lyn. To read the full review, visit LASR.
Forever Amore is now available from Black Lyon Publishing in paperback and ebook. The Kindle version can also be downloaded now from Amazon.com.
I thought I'd celebrate by posting an excerpt. Here's the first meeting between Charles and Lucille:
"What …” She paused, trying to catch her breath. “What are you doing here?” “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She didn’t think she could stand another round of emotional battering. “I was selfish. I wanted the escape of you. I wanted to know what it would be like to lay with a man I want to be with.”
“Not that,” he said, turning her face up to his. “Why didn’t you tell me it was arranged? Why didn’t you say you never wanted him?”
“After the way you looked at me after—” Tears burned the backs of her eyes, remembering. “I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t breathe.”
“How can you be going along with this?” he demanded. “Your father… You have to talk to your father. Can’t he see that you’re miserable?”
“It doesn’t matter,” she cried. “They’re sending me away to Switzerland so I won’t cause anymore controversy when the Gestapo arrives.”
The muscles in his jaw jumped as they hardened in fury. “They’re shipping you away because of me.”
The door to the kitchen swung open. Lucille pulled him farther into the pantry to the back wall stacked from high ceiling to stone floor with a well-stocked wine rack.
“You can’t be seen here,” she whispered, gripping his lapel. “As soon as she leaves again, you must go back to the cottage.”
“I’ll talk to your father myself if I have to,” he hissed.
“Charles, I forbid you,” she said, voice trembling now. “You won’t accomplish anything, and he’ll send you away tonight.”
Lovely surprise in my inbox tonight from Coffee Time Romance - a 4-cup review from reviewer Maura:
"This is a wonderfully written story of a forbidden love during wartime. The two main characters are extremely well developed and sympathetic and I felt so much sympathy for their plight. The setting of Italy during World War II is an exciting one filled with political intrigue and danger from all sides. The author has brought the era to life and filled it with some memorable characters. The villain DiMarco in particular jumps off the page. The descriptions of the Renaldi’s lives during wartime are quite detailed, from their personal lives to their social lives. Fear makes some members less than honorable and brings out the best in others, even family can turn against one. Lucille’s trials and tribulations and her love for Charles will keep the reader riveted from the first page to the last one."
Thank you to Maura and CTR! I particularly like the line "Their romance is dangerous and forbidden, but love does not always follow the rules." For the full review, visit CTR here!
As many of you know, I traveled with author Cynthia Eden to Baton Rouge on Oct 3rd to attend the HeartLa's Annual Romance Readers Luncheon as a guest author. I enjoyed what speakers Kelley St. John and Cynthia had to say about reading romance and the importance of connecting with readers and was so glad I got to share the event with my mother who drove all the way from Alabama to be my luncheon buddy :) I met several other authors, signed copies of Forever Amoreand The Way Back Home, and most importantly talked to readers! Thought I'd share some photos from the event. Enjoy!
At my table at Drusilla Seafood. I enjoyed chatting with the enthusiastic ladies at my table. The pasta was divine!
Signing books - Maya Banks, me, Chere Coen, and Allison Kent. So glad I got to share the table with such distinguished ladies!
I must thank my mom for helping me look so lady- and business-like for this occassion. Where would I be without her? :)
I'm a big believer in Happy Endings. Well, duh. I'm a romance writer! Happy endings are a MUST in romance! While on writing break between the completion of my 2nd paranormal and November's NaNoWriMo, I'm catching up on my TBR pile as well as all those movies I didn't get to see over the spring and summer...as well as a few more that have slipped through the cracks over the years. And an alarming trend has started to fan my ire. With reading, this isn't a problem because I know my copy of J.R. Ward's Covetor Nora Roberts' Black Hillsis absolutely, positively going to have a happy ending. But with movies? It's a real gamble. This is a major reason I rarely go to the movie theater anymore. Unless it's Harry Potter or the latest Jane Austen adaptation. I can't stand walking away from my $8 with nothing but a half-eaten bag of too-salty popcorn and major disappointment.
It all started with The Break Up. Yes, I KNOW it was called The Break Up. That's why there's a break up in the end. But I had some hope that Vince and Jenn would work things out in the end. If I'd written the frigging script, you can be darn sure they would've found some kind of compromise. Preferrably without the strippers and concert-ditching. Come on! It was supposed to be a romantic comedy. So why did I cry? And not in a good way.
Then there was Atonement. Oy vey. Keira Knightley was not only coming off Pirates with Johnny and Orlando but Pride & Prejudice with MacFayden, too, to be paired with Mr. Tumnus a.k.a. Mr. LeFroy a.k.athe dreamy Mr. McAvoy!!! All this boils down to Amber's supreme anticipation. I expected a sweeping, odds-defying, somewhat wrenching World War II romance. It's certainly possible - I WROTE ONE! Well, the most wrenching thing about this film was the fact that the story actually makes you believe for a time that they do in fact have a happy ending. Only - record scratching (literally) - nope! The narrator made it up to salve her own guilt. They didn't just not get their HEA. They both DIED. Horribly! I had to watch the entire Cap'n Jack collection and down half a bottle of wine just to feel better!!!
At the HeartLA Readers Luncheon this past weekend, author Cynthia Eden listed her reasons for reading romance. And yep, that guarenteed HEA came in first with much nodding and applauding of agreeance from everyone present. So I beseech moviemakers out there to take a leaf out of the billion-dollar romance industry. If you're going to make millions off your latest film, make your audience walk away feeling a bit better about the world. You can be dang sure that no happy ending equals no moolah out of my wallet for you. Who's with me? Whadaya say, readers? Seen any bad endings onscreen lately that made you want to take your $8 back? And this lady could definitely use a couple of guarenteed HEA's on her must-see list. Any recommendations?
*Since it's October, we're celebrating at The Roses of Prose this week with...National Popcorn Month! Didn't know about this one, did ya? No worries - I added a little Halloween-y treat: an exclusive excerpt from my paranormal Urban Secrets. To see how it fits into the whole Popcorn Month thing, read it here!
September isn't over yet, people! There's still a chance to win an autographed copy of Forever Amore's gorgeous cover by commenting at every stop on my virtual book tour. The full up-to-the-minute list can be viewed on the left sidebar. (Also check out future guest interviews coming to The Cozy Page! Are you a published author with an upcoming release? Email me at amber@amberleighwilliams.com and you can be added!) In the meantime, I'm playing around with one of my early manuscripts and hoping to submit it to Harlequin Superromance line by December. After completing my 2nd paranormal, I'm taking a break before beginning my next WIP until NaNo starts November 1. Only another month and a half? Jeepers, I'm getting cold feet already!
I thought I'd bring this next subject here to my blog. I've always been a bit...shall we say, absentminded? It has more to do with being so mentally entrenched in my stories and thoughts than what my family cheekily likes to call my "blonde moments." (I was only legally blonde for the first five years of my life, but after some very bright highlights in my high school years, I will never live this phrase down.) I even had one such moment interrupt my first vid-blog (below). The missing slipper in the filing cabinet - that's just typical moi! On top of that, in the last week I've had some real doozies. My husband came home from work several hours after I had a sandwich for lunch and discovered peanut butter in the fridge and the jelly jar in the dry pantry. Now this is just silly, because I'd been going back and forth from my office to the fridge all day, chugging soda with my revision.
And the nuttiness struck again today! I was babysitting my parents' dog, Murphy, while they were out of town and decided to take a shower after running around outside and getting sweaty. There was a bottle of oatmeal shampoo and another of Head-and-Shoulders in their spare bathroom. I opted for the oatmeal, tempted by the special "SUPER-MOISTURIZING" label. So I'm washing my hair and the shampoo just isn't working. I go back for another gob. Nope, not working either. Finally, I pick up the bottle to make sure there aren't any special oatmeal instructions and the word PET catches my eye. With a gasp, I look at the front of the bottle and, indeed, in tiny letters under the logo, there were the tell-tale words "For Dogs."
While I'm waiting for my hair to fall out, I thought I'd give you all a few laughs at my expense. Writers, sound off! Ever been so lost in the story in your head that you did something utterly half-brained? Feel free to make me feel better about myself and tell us ALL about it :)
*Thinking about a story while doing other things helps a lot, though. Today Murphy and I were watching TV and his paws got a-hold of the controller and switched to Spongebob. I was pondering whether or not to add a hurricane to my revision. And voila - the Pineapple Fever episode started playing, in which Spongebob, Patrick, and Squidward ride out a terrible Bikini Bottom storm! I immediately stopped procrastinating and went back to work! Thanks, Spongebob!
