I've Been Interviewed....

Cozies – I wanted to let you know I’ve been interviewed by bestselling western and historical romance author Carol A. Spradling. You can read the interview as well as an excerpt from my western romance, Blackest Heart at her blog. Plus, get more details about A Place With Briar, my Harlequin Superromance novel coming soon.  

Speaking of A Place With Briar, an update on that front. I have finished line edits with my editor. Copy edits have also been completed and it looks like the book will now be going into production. Very exciting! Of course, you’ll be the first to know when the book has a cover and back cover blurb….

Happy Read-an-Ebook Week!

It’s that time of year again – Canada’s Read-an-Ebook Week! For all my readers, I encourage you to take some time for yourself this week and read an ebook. And for those who haven’t heard, they’re giving out free ones at The Roses of Prose. If your pocket book’s a little stretched this week, all you have to do is download A Holiday to Remember from our website or Smashwords….


Candy Wright didn’t become a high-powered Manhattan business executive by letting men walk all over her. She watched her mother work herself to death to give her daughter a better life and is determined to make her proud. If that means not risking her heart, not letting any man get too close, then so be it.

Mitch Johnson lives a simple life in rural Georgia. Holding his secrets close. Hiding from the life he left behind. The last thing he wants—or needs—is a woman to remind him of his past. When the two are thrown together in a freak snowstorm, sparks fly. Mitch is everything she’s worked to escape. Candy is a reminder of his painful past. But the attraction between them won’t be denied. Will love thaw their frozen hearts, or will secrets tear them apart? One thing is certain; it will be a holiday to remember…

For other ebooks, visit the BOOKS page of my website! (You can get each of the novellas in my western romance trilogy for under $3.00 at Amazon! Read the 5-Star trilogy reviews here....) Here’s wishing everyone a Happy Read-an-Ebook week! What e-titles are you reading this week?

Writing Update: Writing, Rewrites, or Revision....

Just thought I’d do a little writing update here at the ol’ blog….

First of all, I’m pleased to announce that my second contemporary romance is coming to the end of its major rewrite. Proof that I work better with a deadline. At the end of January, I decided that I wanted to start writing my next western romance trilogy on March 1^st. As I only have another 15,000 words to complete my rewrite, I’d say I’m right on schedule.

The muse and I so far have been working surprisingly well in 2012. Part of our dual New Year’s resolution…to work better together. Partly because of eye problems, I didn’t get near as much writing or reading done in 2011. In December, though, my eyeglass prescription was updated finally so now I have no excuse not to do either. Being able to see the words on the page definitely helps with the falling back in love with my two favorite things. I don’t know about you, Cozies – but I’m just not me unless I’m reading and writing daily. So far, so good!

This rewriting business has been tough. My five-part contemporary series needed a major facelift. I completed the first rewrite this past summer and I started on this one just before NaNo. I’ve come to think of rewriting as somewhat of a rut between writing and revision. Writing is a race – it’s a fast-paced fresh start with new and exciting material and territory I haven’t charted before. Revision is the kind of walking you do when sightseeing. Stoping and going and sometimes backtracking. Rewriting is a bit of a power-walk. Not quite as exciting as the full-out run-a-thon of fresh writing, but not as slow-paced as the walking/revision process. In fact, I don’t think revision has much of a pace at all and comes with a much bigger case of the winter doldrums than rewriting.

Also since these rewrites are part of a bigger series that takes place in my hometown here on the Gulf Coast, they have a colorful cast of recurring characters. When beginning the first rewrite, I was told that the first draft of secondary characters seemed too perfect. They didn’t have any problems of their own. They were just there to support the main characters. While that’s okay, even recommended, giving them problems of their own without outshining the main characters’ dilemmas can be a real tool when propelling your plot forward because it creates more outer conflict…and in the case of this particular cast of characters, some knee-slapping situations. I love the characters of this series! Maybe because I’ve learned a few great tips from some of my favorites authors. Two of my favorite paranormal series have one important thing in common: recurring characters who never stop growing. It’s one thing to give characters a HEA at the end of their book. But to keep those characters evolving over the course of the entire series along with everyone else makes them more believable and helps me, as a reader, connect to them more closely. We’ve all heard that “happy ever after” is just the beginning. It’s nice to see authors who take that to heart because, by acquiring more growth, they never grow stale. This is something I’ve taken into consideration during the writing of this series. In time, I hope it resonates for readers as much as it does for me.

5 Stars for BLACKEST HEART!

Fellow romance author and Roses of Prose blogette, Vonnie Davis, has given Blackest Heart 5 Stars on Amazon....

I love stories that showcase the power of love and the hope of a happier life as a couple than either had being single…. Ms. Williams weaves an engaging tale of two complex characters. The passion simmers and, at times, is hotter than a firecracker. Many supporting characters add to the story, but do not intrude--okay, so the older brother was a pain. I cheered when Stella popped him a shot, but then I'm a sucker for a strong heroine. I'm also a sucker for a cowboy with a swagger and a hat hiding part of his face. What a visual Williams describes for us. I can't wait to read more by this talented author.

Read the full review on Amazon. And a huge thank you to Vonnie for the wonderful review!

Readers, Blackest Heart is now available for Kindle readers for $1.50 along with its sequels, Bluest Heart ($2.25) and Bet it on my Heart ($2.50). Find the entire western romance trilogy here on Amazon. Audio book readers can also purchase Blackest Heart in audio now on Amazon here for just $2.95. There’s no telling how long these prices are going to last so don’t miss out!

New Character Q&A Feature!

While browsing through some old writing notes for my contemporary romance series, I discovered something interesting - character Q&A! To get to know the series' heroines better, I compiled a list of fun questions for each to answer that would give me more insight into their characters, something I could look back on while crafting their stories. Some great brain-clouds should be recycled so I took the exact same Q&A and applied it to the characters of my western romance trilogy, the Ridges of Wayback, TX - and boy, did it turn into a party!

The best part of all this is that if you are a member of my exclusive mailing list, you will get a front-row seat to the shenanigans! Starting next month, I'll be including one character Q&A session in each of my monthly reader newsletters. First up is the heroine of Blackest Heart, Stella Ridge! If you're a fan of western romance, the Ridges of Wayback, TX, or character interviews and you haven't yet subscribed to my mailing list, now's your chance! Click on the pink button on the sidebar here at Cozy! Sign-up only takes a few seconds....

This summer I'm thinking about heating things up at The Cozy Page by hosting a character competition. Authors will be able submit their own character's Q&A from their published or soon-to-be published titles to be voted on by the readers. The winning character will be featured in my newsletter and the author will receive an extra special prize! Check back in around mid-May for more contest details....

This month, I'm still planning to celebrate the royal wedding with a round of royalty-inspired articles on romance as well as a recap of the tiara tea party and Disney princess marathon my sister and I will be hosting on the big day! And while I'm on the subject, the awesome baby sis served as a Cozy correspondent at the rodeo last weekend and has agreed to do a recap for all of us, complete with pictures from the event. Stay tuned for that within the next week or so. In the meantime, I'm trying to think of a good correspondent alias for her.... Hm....

I've been a bit quiet on the blog lately. I apologize for that. The hub helped my mother move into her new house on the water in my hometown, which is where my contemporary series takes place. The spot on the water where she now resides is very near to where I imagined the heroine of the first book's bed-and-breakfast would be. Now as I go about recharging the muse for another round of contemporary rewrites for book two, I have the perfect place to go for inspiration! My writing sessions will now include gorgeous pics from the shore. I promise to post them here for everyone to see. (I'm also considering doing a similar inspiration feature for this year's anniversary trip to the family lakehouse in northern Alabama.)

The hub and I recently added a new sleigh bed to our home. Thanks to some redecorating, the office shelves he built for our anniversary last year will have a new home in my office. I know what you're thinking; this calls for a new office vidblog tour. The last one I did, I think, was in 2008 so I owe everyone an update....

All these exciting new features and more are coming your way soon! Stay up-to-date on everything here at Cozy, checking my website for updates, and by subscribing to my newsletter!

Winner of Linda Morris's Giveaway!

Hi Cozies! We interrupt our scheduled programming for another winner announcement! This is for February 3rd's guest author, Linda Morris's, western romance, Montana Belle. The winner chosen by the True Random Number Generator at Random.org is...

Commenter #3 - She

Congrats, She! Please send a confirmation email to amber@amberleighwilliams.com to receive your prize!

Readers, there are plenty more chances to win this week and next. Today is the last day to enter Ella Vines's giveaway for her upcoming paranormal romance, Her Dark Fairy!

One Day Sale: Audio Books!

Don't have your copy of the Wayback Ridge Trilogy! No problem! Today is the perfect opportunity to get the entire collection. For one day only, you can get Blackest Heart (1st Place Novella), Bluest Heart, and Bet It On My Heart (LASR Book of the Week) for just $3.49 at AudioLark!

And this week at The Roses of Prose, vote for our new Friday Rose!

Cowboy Lovin' Day 8: Carol Ericson

Today join me in welcoming Harlequin Intrigue author Carol Ericson! She writes great stories of romantic suspense, but her latest books surround the McClintock brothers - Ryder, Rafe, Rod, and I hear there's a half-brother coming soon as well! I read the first book in her McClintock saga, Circumstantial Memories, and can't wait to read the second, which launches this month...

It’s pretty clear we all love cowboys! Is it the steely gaze under a wide-brimmed cowboy hat? The tight jeans beneath the chaps? Or the true heart beating beneath the silver badge? The image of the cowboy is one of someone who is fiercely loyal, protective, independent, and honorable. But how did this image originate? I think it goes back to the time of America’s expansion West.

Manifest Destiny. Americans have always believed we had a duty to explore and expand. But just think about the first settlers who headed West, braving hostile Native American tribes, inclement weather, and the unknown. Think about the men who preceded these settlers—trappers, mountain men, miners. They had to be brave, independent, fearless, and strong.

When these men (and women) traveled West, in many cases there were no laws, no rules, no civilization. Sometimes a single sheriff or marshal was all that stood between settlers and bad people intent on taking their land or stealing their cattle. Sometimes not even a lawman was present. Without the rule of law governing them, cowboys became a law unto themselves. They had to live by a code of honor. They became the knights errant of their time and locale.

In the early 1900’s authors picked up on this image of the cowboy as knight errant. Writers such as Zane Grey (Riders of the Purple Sage), Louis L’Amour (Hondo), and Owen Wister (The Virginian) solidified the image of the heroic cowboy in the National psyche.

Soon after, Hollywood further romanticized the cowboy, producing such films as High Noon, Shane, Stagecoach, and The Searchers, making a star of John Wayne. Then we got the “Spaghetti Westerns,” the Italians’ take on the American cowboy—Sergio Leone’s films, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and A Fistful of Dollars, landed Clint Eastwood in the cowboy hall of fame! Eastwood is still my quintessential idea of a cowboy (and I met him once, but that’s another story!). Then Eastwood went on to make a couple of stellar Westerns himself – Pale Rider and Unforgiven.

Today we still love our cowboys. Western movies wax and wane in popularity, but in romance novels cowboys are always a favorite hero.

The heroes of my McClintock Brother series for Harlequin Intrigue are all cowboys from Colorado. This month, Rafe McClintock, The Sheriff of Silverhill, gets his story.

So who’s your favorite cowboy of all time?

Thank you, Carol, for the intriguing post! Readers, you have until midnight EST Tuesday, January 12th to enter. The winner will be announced the following Tuesday, January 19th! Chances of winning depend on the number of entries. You must be 18 years or older to enter.

Be sure to check in tomorrow for another great guest author. And today's the last day to enter Cindy Spencer Pape's giveaway (below)....