Throwback Thursday Book Club Pick....

This week’s Throwback Thursday Book Club pick is a romantic suspense and a military romance all rolled into one....

Title: Hard to Hold

Author: Stephanie Tyler

Originally Published: 2009 (by Dell)

Back Cover Blurb: The special ops hero feared nothing—until he met a woman too hot to hold.…

Lieutenant Jake Hansen has survived some of the riskiest missions known to man. But now the wounded Navy SEAL faces his toughest job yet: smuggling Dr. Isabelle Markham out of Africa without triggering an international incident. Not easy to do when the gorgeous hostage happens to be a senator’s daughter—and about as easy to resist as an oasis in the desert.

If it weren’t for Jake, Isabelle would still be halfway across the world, where rebel forces left her for dead. The special ops warrior may have saved her life, but she doesn’t need him to protect her now. Tell that to the ruggedly handsome hunk in full battle fatigues who’s just been assigned as Isabelle’s personal bodyguard. Close quarters aside, Isabelle won’t let Jake anywhere near her heart—until danger throws them together again. And nothing in the jungles of wildest Africa could prepare them for a passion this wild. This crazy. This hot…

Why I Recommend It: Before I read this book, Nora Roberts was my only RS auto-buy author. I read this book so quickly, I instantly went out and bought the subsequent books in the trilogy. It’s not just the chiseled, bad-ass alphas that make these books must-reads – it’s the whole package. The heroine’s backstory is pretty heavy, but Tyler handles the effects of her past abuse and kidnapping with great care and responsibility. This combined with her voice and readability made me really respect Tyler as an author. Oh, and Jake just happens to be on my short list of all-time favorite alpha heroes!

Amazon Average Rating: 3.7 Stars (5 Stars for me!)

So far this season, we haven’t seen any flurries or snow on the ground here in our part of the South. My sympathies to those who have. We’ve had a few warm-ish days. Warm-ish, pre-spring days are good because you get the decent weather without the bugs—great chance to get the little ones outdoors without having to spray them down first. Check out this adorable woodland creature, snapped a few weeks ago….

Don’t forget to visit Roses of Prose tomorrow for this year's quick guide to Irish Gaelic for your Paddy’s Day….

Quick Update....

Just a quick update…. I’m happy to announce that my Harlequin editor and I have finished edits on His Rebel Heart, Adrian’s story! I haven’t yet seen a cover, but I’m hoping to before my Superromance debut’s birthday next month. Fingers crossed! The book is due on shelves in July 2015 – but you can go ahead and put it on your To-Read list on Goodreads. To see the new inspiration board for the book on Pinterest, click here….

Also, to those of you who are waiting for prize packages from last month’s Valentine’s Day Book Bundle Giveaway, your bundles should be in the mail soon. I’m currently waiting for shipping boxes after a couple of weeks off due to cold and flu season finally hitting our house. I'll post a note here when they do ship so you can be on the look-out....

Tune in tomorrow for Throwback Thursday Book Club! Friday, I’ll be blogging at Roses of Prose!

Throwback Thursday Book Club Pick....

Welcome to our second Throwback Thursday Book Club! Today’s selection is for those who love historical romance, particularly those of the Regency variety….

 

Title: Wicked Little Game

Author: Christine Wells

Genre: Historical Romance (Regency)

Originally Published: 2009 (from Berkley Sensation)

Back Cover Blurb: The Marquis of Vane hungers for Lady Sarah from afar as she braves a disastrous marriage. That is until Sarah's husband makes him an indecent offer: one night with Sarah for ten thousand pounds. Passions explode and lead to a deadly twist of fate that could spell a lifetime of regret-or love.

Why I Recommend It: While this title is unfortunately hard to find these days, I must admit that I came across it years ago by accident. It also led to my obsession with Regency romance. In fact, all I read for a period of almost two years was Regency romance. Also…this book desperately made me want to write a Regency romance novel, a feat I’m still trying to conjure to this day…. If you’re looking for a bit of an unconventional or a modern Regency, this book’s for you!

Amazon Average Rating: 4 Stars (It’s on my keeper shelf; definitely 5/5 in my book!)

 

This wintry weather is making me long for spring…and, I’ll admit it, even summer—because summer reminds me of lake days like these. Last month, my husband, son, sister, and I met my father at our family lake house. The water was down about fifty feet from the seawall. My husband had the wonderful idea of encapsulating some of the sandy/grainy lake bottom in glass jars so that we could seal them and keep them forever. We wound up taking two bottles home to the coast to have with us even on days like today when summer and lake vacations seem very far away. It also serves to remind me of days like the one on which this photo was taken at a place fondly referred to by our family as “Three Pines,” a teensy weensy island in the middle of the lake where we picnicked as kids. It no longer has three pine trees, as the name would entail. I think most of the island has been lost to erosion. There's hardly room to tie up your boat and camp anymore. But two summers ago, we returned to Three Pines by boat to take a host of nostalgic pictures. My sister and I even went so far as to recreate a sentimental pose from our early childhood. Whenever I need a little dose of sunshine to brighten my winter days, I go back to this album. Mm, yes. I can just feel the lake sand squishing between my toes….

 

Warm thoughts to you and yours, Cozies -- and, as always, happy reading!

 

 

Winner Announcement....

Happy Valentine’s Day! Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Valentine’s Day Book Bundle Giveaway! Now it’s time to announce the winners….

The following names were chosen by the True Random Number Generator at Random.org….

 

Grand Prize Winner: Mindy

1st Runner Up: Julie

2nd Runner Up: Mary Preston

 

Congratulations, ladies! Please send a confirmation email with your name and shipping address to amber@amberleighwilliams.com. Also, if you are the grand prize winner please specify which book bundle you would like to receive….

I hope everyone has a special holiday weekend! Happy President’s Day to my American followers and a Happy Family Day to my Canadian friends! Thanks again for a great Valentine’s Day contest this year!

Throwback Thursday....

I’ve been saying for a week or two now that Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday of the year. There’s a reason for this beyond the fact that I write romance novels for a living. I’ve always loved Valentine’s Day. Nothing was better growing up than decorating my own little white paper bag so classmates could drop their valentines inside. Even as I matured into adolescence, the awkwardness of youth couldn’t thwart my enthusiasm whenever Valentine’s Day rolled around. You never knew when a secret admirer would reveal himself. In the latter years of high school, I looked forward to the first class of the day when carnations would be delivered to those who had real valentines, hoping it would be my year….

It wasn’t until I graduated that I found my true valentine. He was well worth waiting for. And when our first Valentine’s Day together rolled around eight months into our relationship and he got down on one knee and proposed, it’s safe to say that he redeemed my lifelong love of February 14th and everything that comes with it…

So here’s to St. Valentine, Cupid, my beloved husband, and everybody else who makes Valentine’s Day worth waiting for every year!

 

(The Valentine's Day Book Bundle Giveaway is still open for entries, but only until midnight EST tomorrow. Get your entry in, if you haven't already by scrolling down to the giveaway post for rules and more details....)

Valentine's Day Book Bundle Giveaway....

Laissez les bon temps rouler to everybody celebrating Mardi Gras along the coast! We missed our favorite parade last night. Our minion’s back teeth are cutting through and it makes for some difficult evenings. However, the Mardi Gras spirit is very much alive everywhere we go around these parts. Here’s to Fat Tuesday….

I promised the year’s first book bundle giveaway this month and I’m here to deliver! In honor of my favorite holiday, Valentine’s Day, I’ve got some exciting prize packages lined up. PLEASE READ ALL THE RULES AND OTHER DETAILS THAT FOLLOW SO YOU DON'T MISS OUT ON ANYTHING....

On Valentine’s Day next Saturday, I will be drawing three names – a grand prize winner, the first runner-up and a second runner-up. The grand prize winner will have their choice of one of three great book bundles—one contemporary, one paranormal, and one historical (pictured and listed by title and author below). The first runner-up will then be able to choose one of the remaining two bundles and the second runner-up will receive the final bundle. Each bundle contains eight books. Here they are broken down by title and author….  

 

 

CONTEMPORARY BUNDLE

Quentins by Maeve Binchy (mass market paperback)

Crown Jewel by Fern Michaels (large print hardcover)

Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts (hardcover)

Genuine Lies by Nora Roberts (mass market paperback)

High Noon by Nora Roberts (hardcover)

Winner Takes All by Nora Roberts (mass market paperback)

H.R.H. by Danielle Steel (mass market paperback)

Fireworks by Elizabeth White (trade paperback)

 

HISTORICAL BUNDLE

The Viscount’s Scandalous Return by Anne Ashley (mass market paperback)Castles by Julie Garwood (mass market paperback)

Mr. Darcy’s Diary by Amanda Grange (trade paperback)

The Substitute Bride by Elizabeth Lane (mass market paperback)

Rhett Butler’s People by Donald McCaig (hardcover)

Poison by Sara Poole (trade paperback)

The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn (mass market paperback)

The Border Vixen by Bertrice Small (trade paperback)

 

PARANORMAL/URBAN FANTASY BUNDLE

Witch Fire by Anya Bast (mass market paperback)

Atlantis Rising by Alyssa Day (mass market paperback)

Immortal Danger by Cynthia Eden (trade paperback)

Game Over by Taylor Keating (mass market paperback)

Phantom in the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon with Dianna Love (mass market paperback)

Lover Avenged by J.R. Ward (hardcover)

Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward (mass market paperback)

Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward (hardcover)

 

Okay, now for the RULES! Remember to read all the following very carefully. If you have any questions, feel free to ask....

1.     To enter, you must comment to this blog post before the end of Friday, February 13th (midnight EST), naming your favorite romance novel or love-themed book and why you love it. (This is your chance to recommend Valentine’s-Day-themed reads to fellow readers!)

2.   For additional entries, you have the option of adding any or all of the following. PLEASE NOTE IF YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO USE ANY OF THESE THREE OPTIONS WHILE COMMENTING TO THIS POST:

          +2 entries counted for tweeting this contest (must link back to @ALeighWilliams)

          +2 entries counted for posting this contest to Facebook (must link back to @amberleighwilliams)

          +5 entries counted for joining my official mailing list using the pink button on the sidebar of this blog

Some additional rules….

1.     By entering this contest and commenting to this blog, you automatically verify that you are 18 years or older.

2.   If entering, be sure to check back on Saturday morning, February 14th to see if your name is drawn.

3.   The grand prize winner, first runner-up, and second runner-up will all be chosen by the Random Number Generator at Random.org.

That’s all for now, folks! Remember, it’s important to check back in on Valentine’s Day to see if you are one of the three lucky winners. Bonne chance!

Blog Hoppin'....

Just a quick note on my whereabouts on this busy Friday! Today I’m in two places at once. First, I’m at the official blog of the Harlequin Superromance imprint, Super Authors, talking about wild and crazy cooking disasters and how they’re influencing my next novel....

Second, I’m having a grand ol’ time at my monthly stop by Roses of Prose. This one’s really special – I’m revealing a “slice of life” from some characters who might be familiar to you. It’s Cole and Briar’s wedding day (from A Place With Briar). Come by for a peek at the festivities and read up on this “after-HEA” snippet….

Oh, and sneak back to The Cozy Page on Sunday for that Mardi Gras recap (if the weather holds for the parades; here’s hoping!) and details on my first book bundle giveaway of the year!