A Thank You & Spring Happenings!

I have to give a shout-out to my guest authors (and heroines!) of the 20 Questions Event here at The Cozy Page for fourteen fabulous days of interviews and excerpts! Thank you also to readers and participants! There are a couple of unclaimed prizes so if you did enter any contests, please be sure to check to see if you won.

Today I'm over at Vintage Vonnie talking historical romance!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day! February is my favorite month of the year and Valentine's Day is probably my favorite holiday, doubly special because it marks the occasion (six years ago) when the hub asked me to marry him. And I've always loved the spirit of the day as well as the story of St. Valentine. Yesterday it warmed up here on the Coast and reminded me that spring (however reluctantly) is on the horizon!

A couple of things on that note. I will be participating in Crystal Rain-Love's Fool for Romance Contest, leading up to April Fool's Day. I've decided to donate a Starbucks gift card. For me, coffee and romance go well together. In March I'll be blogging at Sky Purrington's Celts & More Event, which will include a special deleted scene from Bet It On My Heart that I've never revealed before.

A few non-writing related events coming up on the radar. Valentine's is over so I now get to look forward to the Oscars. Who else gets into the Oscars buzz? I love setting aside the evening for watching. This year I'll be hosting my first Oscars party, complete with dressing up, hors d'oeuvres, champagne/sparkling cider and, just for fun, some good ol' fashioned winning moment reactions! I'll be rooting for The King's Speech and Colin Firth to win Best Picture as well as Best Actor... Team Darcy!




At the end of March, I'll be running out to buy Tangled on DVD just in time for another special occasion the following month. As everyone knows, there is to be a royal wedding in April. Since I wasn't around for Diana's, I'm eager to view Prince William and Kate Middleton's nuptials. My sister and I have arranged for some princely-related fun. The night before will call for a Disney Princess marathon - always a treat and a throwback to some early inspiration! The morning of will consist of our tea-and-tiara party as we hopefully catch some live footage. Who else will be glued to their televisions on April 29th?

Late spring also marks an even more special occasion, in my view. The hub and I will be celebrating our five-year wedding anniversary, hopefully at our family's lake house in north Alabama! I'm challenging myself to complete my fourth paranormal romance as well as my Regency romance WIP before then to make the getaway all the more relaxing. When we're not sunning and boating, I'll be happy to have J.R. Ward's latest Black Dagger Brotherhood book, Lover Unleashed, in my lap!

Cozies, what are you most looking forward to this spring season? (Note: The contest for yesterday's 20 Questions interview with Taryn Kincaid's heroine is still up for grabs. Don't miss out on the last Valentine's Day prize here at Cozy! The winner will be chosen late Thursday evening so check back in!)

Winner of Elaine Cantrell's Giveaway!

It's time to announce to the winner of Elaine Cantrell's February 11th giveaway for her romantic suspense novel, Return Engagement! The winner chosen by the True Random Number Generator at Random.org is...

Commenter #2 - Karen Michelle Nutt

Congrats, Karen! Please send a confirmation email to amber@amberleighwilliams.com to receive your prize! Thank you again to Elaine for sitting down with Tink for an awesome interview!

The party may be over, Cozies, but there's still time to win our Valentine's Day prize - a copy of Taryn Kincaid's Healing Hearts, which launches from Carina Press at the end of the month. Click here to enter before Thursday; February 17th!

20 Questions with...Emma from HEALING HEARTS + Giveaway

Happy Valentine's Day! To wrap up our 20 Questions Valentine's Event here at The Cozy Page, today we're playing host to Carina Press author Taryn Kincaid and the heroine of her February 28th release, Healing Hearts...

As a girl, Emma Whiteside asked Adam Caldwell, Viscount Riverton, to wait for her to be of marriageable age. Now, twelve years later, Emma hates Adam as much as she once loved him, holding the former army major responsible for the death of her brother on the battlefield.

Adam already blames himself for the loss of the men under his command. But the fiery young woman Emma's become sparks his arousal, as well as emotions Adam thought long dead. The passion between them makes him want to reclaim the man he was before the war.

Though she tries to hold on to her hatred, Emma's longing for Adam is undeniable, especially after the two share a smoldering kiss. Still, Adam is certain no woman would want a man so damaged. Can Emma prove him wrong?

Our Cozy correspondent, Tink, sat down with Emma over the weekend for our last 20 Questions interview. Here's 20 Questions with Emma Whiteside! Take it away, Tink....

Tink: Are you the first one on the dance floor or not so much?
Emma: Oh, la! Once upon a time, I loved to watch the elegant ladies in their gowns and imagine myself in the arms of a handsome man. One handsome man, in particular. But sometimes we must cast aside our childish dreams, to capture those worth saving and holding. The love of my life would spin and whirl me around ballrooms throughout London if I let him, but I know he pays the price for such frivolous exercise when his wounded leg nags him. I never want to give him pain. Never. So I don't let him. These days I prefer to sit by his side in the garden, under the moon, just the two of us, my head upon his broad shoulder. Utterly content. Dreaming our dreams.

Tink: Do you prefer to spend the night at the theatre or at a bike show?
Emma: I am not quite certain what a bike show is, but when Adam & I travel to London we love to indulge in a night at the theatre. I love the words, the costumes, the sights and sounds, the champagne, even the scents. But most of all, I love sitting beside Riverton and allowing him to steal kisses and take outrageous liberties in the dark!

Tink: Do you give relationship advice or think it's a bad idea?
Emma: My name may be Emma, but I am not THAT Emma. I hope I am not so silly as Jane Austen's miss. Although...

Tink: Describe the ideal hero -- rough and tumble highlander, titled gentleman of the ton, modern-day bad boy or supernatural anti-hero.
Emma: In a word: Adam. In a phrase, Adam Caldwell, Viscount Riverton. His character: Loyal, heroic, stoic, possessive and protective. I love that in a man. Throw in steamy kisses that can turn a girl's -- my -- knees to water and a sure, knowing touch...and I am lost. Utterly, blissfully lost.

Tink: Would you rather tell someone you loved them or show it?
Emma: Most definitely show. Eyes, lips, the stroke of a hand, the hitch of a breath. Actions speak volumes, loudest of all...even when they are whispers.

Tink: Travel to the past or into the future.
Emma: I dare say I am most suited to the Regency period in which I live, 1812. But it might be a great lark to learn to Twitter and Facebook, instead of having to make the rounds of all those tedious teas and calling upon dragons who gossip behind their fans. What fun!

Tink: Bubble bath or hot shower?
Emma: Is it wicked that I love to watch Adam at his hip bath, soaping his back for him as if I were his valet or batman, trailing my hands along his slick, muscled flesh? Ah, I blush just thinking of it now. This will be our little secret.

Tink: Flats or high heels?
Emma: I wear slippers and walking boots.

Tink: Flowers or chocolates?
Emma: I love to start the day with a cup of chocolate. And end it in a moonlit garden in my love’s strong arms.

Tink: G-rated or unrated?
Emma: I am not exactly sure what you mean here. But my hero is a sure, capable, very generous lover. Who can reduce me to a jelly with the stroke of a fingertip or the sultry spark of desire in his eyes.

Tink: Alpha or beta?
Emma: Unlike my twin brother, Michael, I never had the benefit of a formal, classical education, although I read…oh. You are talking about Adam again? Alpha. But he shows me – and only me – his vulnerable side. (Just between us, I think he secretly enjoys when I twist him around my little finger. )

Tink: Would you make the first move or wait it out?
Emma: I did propose to the man when I was an unruly little miss, all of eight years old, and he was but a youth of seventeen. But twelve years later, the shoe was on the other foot. Somewhat. I did mention that he is an alpha? And that I can nevertheless twist him around my pinky?

Tink: Favorite love song?
Emma: I’m not sure that I have a favorite love song. But I am taken by the poetry of that scandalous Lord Byron. “She walks in beauty like the night…” Oh. Yes.

Tink: For Valentine’s would you rather go out or stay in?
Emma: My dear. I do not wish to be rude. But that is a henwitted question. I did mention being reduced to a jelly by my hero, did I not?

Tink: Karaoke: yes or no?
Emma: I do not carry much these days due to my delicate condition. Possessive, protective alpha, you know.

Tink: Describe your most romantic moment?
Emma: Taryn Kincaid described those in Healing Hearts. (And I would blush to repeat some of that here. But…Adam is the sweetest man. And a collector of handkerchiefs.)

Tink: Boxers, briefs…or kilts?
Emma: I should probably not share this improper bit of on dit…but I much prefer nothing to come between us.

Tink: What is your idea of a dream date?
Emma: 1812 was a very good date for me. Quite horrid in the beginning. But, oh, lah, did it end well!

Tink: Valentine’s Day watch: sappy love story, romantic comedy, action flick?
Emma: I am always partial to a wonderful love story.

Tink: And, most importantly – do you like your man clean shaven or with a five o’clock shadow?
Emma: My dear. I love him anyway I can have him. At any hour of the day or night. But…have you seen Adam’s picture on the cover of Healing Hearts? I positively swoon every time I see it!

Emma, thanks for answering all of Tink's intrusive questions! Readers, you can read more of Emma and Adam's story on February 28th at Carina Press! Now for a sneak peek into Healing Hearts....

The wind blew off the sea, moaning and wild, buffeting the man pacing the cliffs.

Hidden by a wall of rock, Emma Whiteside shielded her eyes against the bite of salt spray and continued to watch him, as she did every dawn.

Today, she thought. Today she would approach him at last. Confront him. Give him the royal tongue-lashing he deserved. She had nothing left to lose, after all. And she might not have the opportunity tomorrow. Or ever again.

The things I will say to you, Riverton, will peel the skin from your bones and lay you lower than anything Napoleon's Grande Armée had to offer.

A small voice nagged Emma from within, the advice reasonable considering her current dire circumstances. Better to seek the man's aid than chide him. But she snapped her mind closed against the unwanted counsel. The viscount was the last man on earth she'd ever ask for help.

Grief chilled her, numbed her heart, deadened the tender feelings she'd once had for him. Only her need for vengeance broke through her frozen emotions now. She longed to set Riverton in his place, however little effect her words might have on a man so impervious to remorse.

But once again Emma could neither confront him nor beseech him. The evidence of his stiff-necked pride—and her own—continued to hold her back with as much force as if an unseen hand pressed down upon her shoulder. She glared in the man's direction, as if it were his hand oppressing her.

Fierce gusts punished him, impeding his tortured progress. Pain twisted his handsome features but he confronted the gale without flinching. A tiny chip splintered off from the ice sheath encasing Emma's heart.

Damn him.

How do you bear it, Riverton? Are you made of stone?

She knew he was not. She saw the agony against which he fought, the stalwart way he pushed himself onward, despite the uneven gait that hampered his progress.

A cold blast of wind whistled past, ripping the hood of Emma's cloak aside, whipping her hair against her neck. The frigid current stung her eyes, wringing reluctant tears. She blinked the moisture away and rubbed the damp trail from her cheeks.

No tears, she instructed herself. Not for him. Never for him.

Riverton wore no coat or cravat. His linen flapped about him, white shirttails torn from his trousers—an unlikely flag of surrender when he refused to give quarter.

Did you stand so against the French?

Emma could think of no oath dark enough to curse a man so remarkably stoic. She envisioned him in her mind's eye, saber raised, hastening up and down the lines, shouting at his men to hold: Major Adam Caldwell, Viscount Riverton, at his most courageous.

She shuddered, conjuring the brutal attack that haunted her grimmest moments, the scene clouded by smoke and thunder, blurred by the limits of her grief and imagination. The battle where her twin had fallen, belly pierced by an enemy bayonet.

Michael admired you so, Riverton. I will never stop blaming you. 'Tis time you knew it.

Anger burned within her breast, bright as her love for the viscount once had.

And yet...her gaze swept him again, lingering on the trousers that molded his muscular thighs, the loose shirt that emphasized the breadth of his shoulders. 'Twas but the vicious wind that stole her breath, she told herself.


***GIVEAWAY DETAILS: Good news, readers! Taryn has generously offered a giveaway for today! By commenting to this post before midnight EST, Thursday; February 17th, you will have a chance to win a copy of Healing Hearts! (Chances of winning depend on the number of entries. You must be 18 years or older to enter. One winner will be chosen by the True Random Number Generator at Random.org and announced the morning after contest closing. Please check back in to see if you have won.)

Winner of Gwyneth Greer's Giveaway!

The giveaway for Gwyneth Greer's novel, The Showboat Affair, and an engraved, flip-top mirror from Thursday, February 10th is now closed! The winner, chosen by the True Random Number Generator at Random.org is...

Commenter #5 - marybelle

Congrats, marybelle! Please send a confirmation email to amber@amberleighwilliams.com with your physical address as well as your paperback or ebook preference for your copy of The Showboat Affair.

Readers, even though the 20 Questions Event is coming to a close, there are still prizes to be won. February 14th is the last day to enter Elaine Cantrell's giveaway for romantic suspense Return Engagement. And today our last 2o Questions guest, Taryn Kincaid, is giving away a copy of her upcoming Carina Press release, Healing Hearts! Don't miss out!

Winner of Laura Breck's Giveaway!

Sorry for the delay in posting today, Cozies - busy Saturday! I enjoyed an awesome pre-Valentine's brunch with members of my family at a local restaurant and the weather was finally nice enough to sit on the deck. Hope the weather's warming up wherever you are - and if not, sending you warm thoughts from the coast!

Now for another winner announcement - this one for romance author Laura Breck's Tuesday, February 8th giveaway for a copy of her debut novel, Secret Vegas Lives. The winner chosen the True Random Number Generator at Random.org is....

Commenter #1 - StacieDM

Congrats, Stacie! To receive your prize, please send a confirmation email to amber@amberleighwilliams.com!

Readers, even though our 20 Questions Event here at The Cozy Page is coming to a close, there are still plenty of chances to win between npw and Valentine's Day! You have until late tomorrow evening to enter Gwyneth Greer's February 10th contest for a paperback or ebook (winner's choice) edition of yet-to-be released romance The Showboat Affair as well as an engraved mirror! There's also still time to win a copy of Elaine Cantrell's romantic suspense novel, Return Engagement, from her February 11th Valentine's contest! Don't miss out on these and more chances to win prizes and read more great excerpts over the next couple of days!

20 Questions with...Lilith from KISSING PHOENIX

We're coming to the exciting, final stretch of the 20 Questions Valentine's Event! Today we welcome the heroine of Shona Husk's Kissing Phoenix, coming soon from Ellora's Cave....

When Lilith fell into lust with musician Aidan she never expected it to last. And she was right. Her doctor has given her months to live, and telling Aidan is the hardest thing she's ever done.

Aidan has been keeping his own secret. He is Vampire...but he can't turn Lilith and save her. The solution he proposes is illegal and dangerous and breaks every rule set up to protect non-humans from humans. He doesn't care. He will do anything to save the woman he loves.

Discovering the kiss of a Vampire and reveling in the erotic thrill, Lilith realizes her feelings are deeper than lust. But is giving up her humanity worth it?

Lilith was kind enough to sit down with our Cozy correspondent, Tink, earlier this week! Here's 20 Questions with Lilith St. Jack! Take it away, Tink....

Tink: Are you the first one on the dance floor or not so much?
Lilith: Maybe not the first because then everyone would be looking at me, but certainly not the last.

Tink: Do you prefer to spend the night at the theatre or at a bike show?
Lilith: Can I cheat and say rock concert?

Tink: Do you give relationship advice or think it’s a bad idea?
Lilith: Bad idea. I fell in love with a Vampire and didn’t even realize what he was.

Tink: Describe the ideal hero – rough and tumble highlander, titled gentleman of the ton, modern-day bad boy, or supernatural anti-hero?
Lilith: I think I have to say supernatural anti-hero since Aidan didn’t have a title back in the day.

Tink: Would you rather tell someone you love them or show it?
Lilith: Show it.

Tink: Travel to the past or into the future?
Lilith: The future, definitely the future.

Tink: Bubble bath or hot shower?
Lilith: Bath. I love being in water.

Tink: Flats or high heels?
Lilith: Flats. I’m a vet and I spend a lot of time on my feet.

Tink: Flowers or chocolate?
Lilith: Chocolate...was this a trick question?

Tink: G-rated or unrated?
Lilith: Unrated.

Tink: Alpha or beta?
Lilith: Alpha.

Tink: Would you make the first move or wait it out?
Lilith: I’d make the first move. Life is too short to sit around waiting.

Tink: Favorite love song?
Lilith: Anything Aidan writes.

Tink: For Valentine’s would you rather go out or stay in?
Lilith: Stay in. We spend too much time either apart or surrounded by other people.

Tink: Karaoke: yes or no?
Lilith: No. I have no musical talent, that’s Aidan’s department.

Tink: Describe your most romantic moment.
Lilith: The first time Aidan asked me out; I think he was expecting me to say no but I was already eyeing him up. We went to dinner and had so much fun he stayed for breakfast.

Tink: Boxers, briefs…or kilts?
Lilith: Briefs

Tink: What is your idea of a dream date?
Lilith: Something quiet with just the two us.

Tink: Valentine’s Day watch: sappy love story, romantic comedy or forgo all of the above and go with the action flick?
Lilith: Um, if I wanted to see anything romantic I’d be going by myself. So, action flick.

Tink: And, most importantly – do you like your man clean shaven or with a five o’clock shadow?
Lilith: Are we going out or staying in? I don’t mind either way.

Thank you, Lilith, for answering Tink's instrusive questions! Readers, if you'd like to learn more about Lilith and her book, Kissing Phoenix, visit author Shona Husk's website!

Blessed with a lively imagination, Shona Husk spent most of her childhood making up stories. As an adult she discovered romance novels and she hasn't looked back. Always fascinated by dark fairy tales and the paranormal, it's not uncommon to get to know spirits, vampires, were-creatures and demigods through her books. In her free time Shona likes to keep fit and get creative in the kitchen...Toblerone brownies anyone? When she relaxes with a glass of wine at the end of the week she likes to lose herself in a good book.

Thanks to Shona, here is a sneak peak into Kissing Phoenix....


“You don’t get to raise my hopes before telling me what you’re hiding.” And she was sure he was hiding something. The past couple of days he’d been somewhere else even when he was with her. That had been fine. She hadn’t been in the mood to talk anyway. She’d had her own secret to keep. It had taken her days to think of a way to tell him and even now it wasn’t going how she’d expected.

Aidan closed his eyes as if the words he was trying to find were written on his eyelids. He sighed and forced them out. “I’m Vampire.”

Lilith forced a laugh and stepped back. “You’re not a Vampire.” She crossed her arms. “I’ve seen you walk in daylight.”

“Daylight generally isn’t a problem.” His lips revealed elongated teeth as he spoke.

Long, delicately pointed outer incisors. Not shaped like an animal’s canines, for tearing into flesh.

No, these teeth were something else entirely, but no less dangerous. Trapped between wanting to run and frozen with fascination, her blood pounded in her ears. The room became tiny and airless. Aidan had fangs just like a Vampire should.

He closed the distance between them. Smooth, constant motion, lord of his domain. He moved like a predator. She’d never noticed his grace before. Now all she could do was watch as he took her hand, turned it over and ran a finger over the pale blue vein. Then he kissed the inside of her wrist like he was savoring the taste of her skin. Heat flowed from his touch and the pressure of his teeth and rose deep within her, awakening a part of her that had been dormant. Desire raced unrestrained through her blood and sparked every nerve. One touch and she was his. She waited for his fangs to pierce her flesh. Caught in a moment that shouldn’t be, her breath became trapped high in her throat.

Aidan’s gaze locked on hers as his tongue glided over the vein. Then he released her without biting. She gasped as if she’d glimpsed heaven and had it stolen. Her body trembled and ached.

Her blood was too hot to be contained within her flesh.

What had he done to her?

Her shaking hand found its way to her neck. Her pulse bounced hard beneath her fingertips.

Every touch, every lick of her neck had been for one reason. He wanted to bite her. Except she’d put money down he’d never actually bitten her.

Because Vampires don’t exist. Get a grip.

She was hallucinating. She’d entered a daydream while waiting for Aidan to come home, but the cooling curry in the air smelt real. The kiss had been very real, searing her skin. Aidan’s teeth looked very, very real. Her eyes narrowed. She was going to kill him if the teeth were fake. She’d be dead before it got to trial.

“Prove it, Dracula. Are the teeth real?”

She watched his incisors return to a more usual human shape and then lengthen again into needle sharp points. She shivered, her skin was like ice, but her heart raced at the sight. Fear and lust entwined to smother all remaining doubt. He wasn’t playing.

Aidan flicked his tongue over a tooth. “Real.”

Her mind skittered over the alien terrain. If he could walk in daylight, were all Vampire stories false? “Don’t Vampires drink blood?”

He nodded and the light caught his hair, turning brown to red. “When we can get it,” he said too casually.

She stepped back, feeling like a rabbit in a lion’s cage. Could he hear her pulse? The tremor in each breath? Her calves hit the sofa. If she ran, she’d never reach the door.


Tune in tomorrow for more from the final stretch of the 20 Questions Valentine's Event!

20 Questions with...Lisa Lipkind Leibow

Today we continue our 20 Questions countdown to Valentine's Day with women's fiction author, Lisa Lipkind Leibow, whose debut novel, Double Out and Back, is now available from Red Rose Publishing....

Not every woman who rides the fertility treatment roller coaster winds up like Octomom! Who will find friends, family, and fertility?

Three women-s lives are intricately intertwined, as Amelia Schwartz and Summer Curtis struggle with the complex dynamics of intrafamily embryo adoption, and Chandy Markum strives to make her patients- dreams a reality.

After more than a decade, of mourning her parents- deaths, anal-retentive Amelia Schwartz decides to take control of her life, pursuing single motherhood via embryo adoption. While her fertility doctor, Chandy, is preoccupied with the destruction of the cosmopolitan Cape Town of her youth and her first love in apartheid-torn South Africa, believing all is lost, her niece, a young, married, overachieving attorney Summer Curtis, juggles zealous career ambitions, demanding bosses, and friction with her husband over family and fertility issues. They must confront the painful reality that, no matter what technology humans devise to manipulate reproduction, prolong life, and construct family units, they have not yet mastered control over their beginnings and endings. Thrown all into this is one story that can make or break. Are you up to it?

Lisa Lipkind Leibow is an author of smart women’s fiction. Her novel Double Out and Back (Red Rose Publishing) takes the reader on the roller-coaster ride of infertility treatments as seen through the eyes of three women. Originally working as a lawyer, Lisa decided to trade the billable hour lifestyle for fiction writing. Winner of Pitchapalooza D.C. and an Honorable Mention in John Gardiner Award for Best Character Description, Lisa’s work has also appeared in Pisgah Review, Sanskrit Literary Arts Magazine, and Diverse Voices Quarterly. She lives and writes in Northern Virginia with her husband, three sons, two clumber spaniels, and two red-eared sliders. You can learn more about Lisa and her writing at http://www.llleibow.com/.


Our Cozy correspondent, Tink, sat down with Lisa earlier this week for an interview. Here's 20 Questions with Lisa Lipkind Leibow! Take it away, Tink....

Tink: Are you the first one on the dance floor or not so much?
Lisa: Not the first – but not the last, either!

Tink: Do you prefer to spend the night at the theatre or at a bike show?
Lisa: Definitely the theater. I have season tickets to the Kennedy Center and to Shakespeare Theater. I love story telling on the stage as much as story telling on the page.

Tink: Do you give relationship advice or think it’s a bad idea?
Lisa: I never give unsolicited advice. However, if a friend asks for help I’m there!

Tink: Describe the ideal hero – rough and tumble highlander, titled gentleman of the ton, modern-day bad boy, or supernatural anti-hero?
Lisa: This question reminds me of two things: 1. An essay I once wrote about Mammy Yokem from Li’l Abner being my hero. I touted her as the first real women’s libber for taking charge of her life. 2. The father/daughter dance at my wedding. I can still hear the song lyrics “Did you ever know you were my hero…” from Wind Beneath My Wings. My Dad is my hero, for sure!

Tink: Would you rather tell someone you love them or show it?
Lisa: I think the two go hand in hand. However, I never miss a chance to say, “I love you” to those I care about.

Tink: Travel to the past or into the future?
Lisa: I have to choose? I love historical fiction but I’m a dreamer. … Hmmm… Perhaps the ability to time travel in either direction is my ideal.

Tink: Bubble bath or hot shower?
Lisa: Bubble Bath.

Tink: Flats or high heels?
Lisa: High heels – I’m actually the perfect weight for someone two inches taller than me. Heels help!

Tink: Flowers or chocolate?
Lisa: Chocolate… It’s why I need to wear heels.

Tink: G-rated or unrated?
Lisa: Somewhere in between. I’m an everything in moderation kind of woman.

Tink: Alpha or beta?
Lisa: In real life? Beta. In my fictive dream? Alpha.

Tink: Would you make the first move or wait it out?
Lisa: Make the first move.

Tink: Favorite love song?
Lisa: I must be in a sarcastic mood, because as soon as I read that question the song, "I'm Not Going to Write You a Love Song" by Sara Bareilles popped into my head. But then I got serious and started singing "Your Body's a Wonderland" by John Maher – I love that song.

Tink: For Valentine’s would you rather go out or stay in?
Lisa: Go out.

Tink: Karaoke: yes or no?
Lisa: Karaoke wannabe. Unfortunately, the last time I tried karaoke was at the Silken Sands Writers Conference. I requested a song and when I got up there a completely different song started playing – "Time Warp" from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It was CRAZY! I felt a Ashley Simpson on SNL! – so embarrassing).

Tink: Describe your most romantic moment.
Lisa: After I graduated from college, I was backpacking through Europe with my cousin. When she had an anxiety attack, I put her on a plane home and was left all alone. My boyfriend surprised me by joining my in Paris, where I shifted my planned “youth hostel” trip to a “Bed & Breakfast” trip. – We had such a wonderful time, I married that guy!

Tink: Boxers, briefs…or kilts?
Lisa: Boxer-briefs on my guy – but I don’t wear any of those types myself!

Tink: What is your idea of a dream date?
Lisa: A dream date with my husband is a gourmet dinner at a country inn, then an overnight with breakfast in the morning.

Tink: Valentine’s Day watch: sappy love story, romantic comedy or forgo all of the above and go with the action flick?
Lisa: Romantic Comedy. I love to laugh.

Tink: And, most importantly – do you like your man clean shaven or with a five o’clock shadow?
Lisa: Clean Shaven.

Thank you, Lisa, for answering all of Tink's instrusive questions! And now, readers, for you, an excerpt from Double Out and Back....


"I'm ready!" Summer sprinted from the bathroom, where she had just rinsed her mouth with her favorite cinnamon-flavored mouthwash and inserted her diaphragm. It was probably overkill, since she also wore a birth control patch, but she refused to take any chances.

Summer sped through the condo, running through rooms all lined up in a row, from the tiny antiquated bathroom through the eat-in kitchen with her grandmother's old Formica table and vinyl chairs, then past Jeremy's hideous bachelor sofa that dominated the living room. Some people called the condo a railroad flat while others called it shotgun-style. She liked the former description better; it sounded less violent. Although, she supposed, she would have a greater chance of dodging a bullet racing through her home than she would of escaping a train barreling through it.

Summer dashed past the entrance of the small study alcove off the living room and into the bedroom where Jeremy waited. She pounced on the finest mattress and linens – her and Jeremy's sole splurge.

Eagerly, she wrapped her arms and legs around Jeremy. She expected him to return her playfulness, but tonight he pulled away from their tight embrace and held her at arm's length, his hands on her shoulders. His hair, so black it looked blue, always captivated Summer. His eyes, equally alluring in their darkness, were solemn.

"We have to talk," he said.

"Now? What is it?" she asked.

Summer untangled herself from him and pulled up the patchwork quilt. Jeremy swallowed hard, but still he said nothing.

Summer said, "Tell me. It can't be that bad." She combed his dark bangs with her fingers.

He cleared his throat.

"Jeremy, tell me. You're making me nervous," she said.

"Okay," he said, "here goes." He cleared his throat again, and then said, "Summer, I've never told you that," his speech accelerated, "I'm adopted."

"What?" she asked.

"I'm adopted," he repeated. "That's why I want us to have a baby so badly."

She released a chuckle, feeling a great sense of relief. "That's your big secret? Oh, Jeremy, you had me scared out of my mind." She moved closer to him. "I was thinking, some horrible disease, or you used to be a woman," she said and then laughed, adding, "I guess I wonder, though, why you didn't tell me before."

Jeremy's face looked pale and tense. His normally sonorous voice became tinny. "I remember when I was five years old. Two neighbors from down the street, both mothers of big families. Between them they had nine children. They gossiped on the playground at my school while I was bouncing up and down on a seesaw with my friend. Maybe they didn't know I was there, but I heard them clear as anything. They were talking about a local couple planning to adopt a baby and one said, 'I would rather be childless than to adopt someone else's problem.' Problem! Can you believe it? I was only five, but I knew I was adopted. From that day on, I vowed never to tell anyone. It's none of their business."

Summer pressed her hand against Jeremy's shoulder, guiding him to rest on the bed again. He didn't budge. She kissed him and asked, "Adopted?"

"Yes," he confirmed.

"So you're telling me now? As foreplay?" she asked, laughing aloud.

Then he relaxed into a smile and said, "I know it may not seem like such a big deal, but it is to me. I really want to have a baby so I can know someone who is part of me. I want my children to feel certain they're wanted. Plus, I've never had the experience of knowing someone biologically related to me. You need to be sure, too." He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. "I have no idea what's in my genes. Hell, someday our kids could look like…like the jolly green giant – nothing like either one of us. You would wonder, right?" Jeremy retreated.

"That doesn't matter to me." Summer scooted closer to him. She contemplated how seriously Jeremy took this. How could he worry about this when having a child was years away? Summer felt positive she would be concerned about giving birth to a healthy baby when the time came, and not how much the baby looked like her or Jeremy.

Jeremy's confession brought them closer together. He shared with her what he believed to be his deepest, most intimate secret. Jeremy smiled, revealing clean, white teeth. The top two front teeth overlapped just enough to make him look real, not like an airbrushed GQ type. Summer's freckled nose rested against Jeremy's nose. When she looked into his eyes from that vantage point, she spied his heavy, neat eyebrows. His chin felt smooth against her chin.

Jeremy smiled. "The thought of you having my baby just thrills me. We could have a son or daughter with your gorgeous eyes, silky hair, and my golf swing; or with your long legs, my black hair and flair for logic. It's phenomenal no matter how I imagine it. Plus, whoever our baby is, that little boy or girl will be the first person biologically related to me I'll ever meet. It'll be great." He looked unsure for a moment. "Don't you think?"


Tune in tomorrow, Cozies, for more 20 Questions fun, excerpts, and giveaways!

Winner of Ella Vines's Giveaway!

We'll take a brief pause from our 20 Questions Event to announce the winner of February 4th's guest author, Ella Vines's, giveaway for her upcoming paranormal romance, Her Dark Fairy! And the winner, chosen by the True Random Number Generator at Random.org is...

Commenter #4: lee.farm

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

Readers, there are still plenty of chances to win between now and Valentine's Day! Today's guest, Laura Breck, is giving away a copy of her debut romance! Stay tuned for more 20 Questions and giveaways leading up to Valentine's Day!

20 Questions with...Gina from BRIDLED HEART

Welcome to Day 7 of our countdown to Valentine's here at The Cozy Page! Today we welcome the heroine of author Paty Jager's new western romance release, Bridled Heart - Gina Montgomery. Bridled Heart is now available from The Wild Rose Press....

A specialized placement schedule and self-imposed vow of celibacy keeps ER nurse, Gina Montgomery, from getting too close to anyone. Music is her only solace and release from a past laced with abuse. But when that music draws the attention of a handsome bareback rider, her chosen solitary life—not to mention her vow—gets tested to the limits.

Holt Reynolds let his younger sister down when she needed him most. With the similarities to his sister far too evident in Gina, he can’t get the woman out of his head, or her poignant music out of his heart. But how can he find a way to free her bridled heart before the past resurfaces to destroy their one chance at happiness?

Earlier this week Gina sat down with our Cozy correspondent, Tink, for an interview. Here's 20 Questions with Gina Montgomery! Take it away, Tink....

Tink: Are you the first one on the dance floor or not so much?
Gina: No. I haven't danced with a man since I took a vow of celibacy.

Tink: Do you prefer to spend the night at the theatre or at a bike show?
Gina: The theatre by myself. I prefer to do everything alone. That way I don't make attachments that require me to divulge anything about my past.

Tink: Do you give relationship advice or think it’s a bad idea?
Gina: I don't give relationship advice because I have no prior experience to use for reference.

Tink: Describe the ideal hero – rough and tumble highlander, titled gentleman of the ton, modern-day bad boy, or supernatural anti-hero?
Gina: If I were interested in romance or a man in my life he would be quiet and gentle and trustworthy.

Tink: Would you rather tell someone you love them or show it?
Gina: I don’t' believe in love. My father was supposed to love me and he ruined my life.

Tink: Travel to the past or into the future?
Gina: If I could travel to the past I would have my mother choosing a better husband.

Tink: Bubble bath or hot shower?
Gina: After the hours I spend on my feet in the ER, I prefer a nice long, hot soak in a tub.

Tink: Flats or high heels?
Gina: Flats. I'm on my feet a lot with my work and I usually work back to back shifts. It keeps me from being lonely when I'm not working.

Tink: Flowers or chocolate?
Gina: Flowers. I enjoy the colors and the new beginnings they represent.

Tink: G-rated or unrated?
Gina: G-rated.

Tink: Alpha or beta?
Gina: Beta males. They are less likely to boss me around and remind me of my father.

Tink: Would you make the first move or wait it out?
Gina: I never make the first move and ice over when someone does. I don't want a relationship.

Tink: Favorite love song?
Gina: I can't help falling in love with you. When I meet Holt he is so kind, patient, and trustworthy, I can't keep him at a distance.

Tink: For Valentine’s would you rather go out or stay in?
Gina: I always stay in or work. I don’t' like to watch couples in love. It reminds me of what I can't have.

Tink: Karaoke: yes or no?
Gina: Definitely not. But if you sit me in front of a piano I'll play classical music.

Tink: Describe your most romantic moment.
Gina: I've not had a romantic moment. I went from abuse by my father, to a high school slut, to vowing to never fall in love.

Tink: Boxers, briefs…or kilts?
Gina: Boxers., They cover up more.

Tink: What is your idea of a dream date?
Gina: If I were to dream about a date, we would talk all evening and hold hands. Maybe a kiss on the cheek but nothing more. I want a man to want me for me and not just use my body.

Tink: Valentine’s Day watch: sappy love story, romantic comedy or forgo all of the above and go with the action flick?
Gina: Romantic comedy. Movies are my way of filling my life with what I can't have.

Tink: And, most importantly – do you like your man clean shaven or with a five o’clock shadow?
Gina: Clean shaven.

Thank you, Gina, for answering all of Tink's intrusive questions! Readers, if you'd like to find out more about Gina and her book, visit Paty Jager's website and The Wild Rose Press to purchase Bridled Heart today!

Wife, mother, grandmother, and the one who cleans pens and delivers the hay; award winning author Paty Jager and her husband currently farm 350 acres when not dashing around visiting their children and grandchildren. She not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

She's held officer positions and been a member of RWA for thirteen years. Other groups she belongs to are EPIC, COWG, and several online RWA chapters. Wild Rose Press has published eight of her books with one more to release in May 2011. Paty's contemporary western, Perfectly Good Nanny, won the 2008 EPPIE for Best Contemporary Romance. She teaches workshops at RWA conferences and monthly meetings, to other writer groups, and online writing workshops.

And now for an excerpt from Bridled Heart....


“Why do you help with this event?” He laced his fingers together resting his hands on the table in front of him. His coffee-colored gaze held admiration.

She dropped her gaze and picked at her napkin. His interest was flattering, and he hadn’t attended the event just to inflate his image. If that had been his agenda, he would have stayed to be photographed with the person who purchased his art. She peered into his smiling face. He waited so patiently for her to answer. By this time most men would have given up on her and moved on to someone else. She searched his eyes. He seemed genuinely interested.

She took a deep breath and hoped she wasn’t going to regret divulging more. “I see so many children in the ER rooms who…” she turned her head and chewed on her cuticle. When they arrived needing her care, she put aside her emotions and did the job, but afterward, she always broke down. How could a parent do that to a child? She knew how it felt to grow up feeling different.

He placed a hand over the one on the table. “It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me. I can see their plight affects you.” He squeezed her hand. “I could tell when you were playing the piano your heart is filled with sorrow.”

She stared into his eyes. The sincerity of his words and the acceptance of her pain, even though he thought it was all for others made her want to weep. She hadn’t had anyone care about her in so long, she didn’t know how to act.

Jerking her hand out from under his, she stood. “I have to go.”

“Wait.” He snagged her hand as she grabbed her coat from the back of her chair. “Do you have a phone number?”

He held her firm but gentle. Warmth spiraled up her arm and settled in her chest. Why didn’t she feel frightened or invaded by this man? She shook her head. She didn’t want to see him again. If she did, it would be hard to remain faithful to her vow. He’d started to seep into the empty cracks created over the years.


Readers, tune in tomorrow for more 20 Questions with guest authors and heroines as well as more excerpts, fun stuff, and surprises!

20 Questions with...Hannah from PARTIOT SECRETS

Today we continue our 20 Questions Valentine's Event with a special guest: Hannah Corbett, the heroine of Jerri Hines's historical novel, Patriot Secrets - which is available now from Wild Child Publishing....

It’s a dangerous game you set to play, Miss Corbett. One that can have far worse than deadly consequences!

In the midst of the struggle for America ’s bid for Independence , Hannah Corbett makes a fateful decision, descending into a world of deceit. Spurred by revenge, she heads to New York , setting in motion a dangerous game for which there is no return. Searching desperately for the man who betrayed her family, she faces the cold and brutal reality of the life of a spy. Caught in a web of lies, living with betrayal, she is trapped. She has nowhere to turn except to a man it would be treasonous to love, setting duty and desire at war . Her heart is ripped apart when she must choose between the man who risks his career and life to protect her and the only thing that has remained constant in her life…her belief in her cause.

Hannah sat down with our Cozy correspondent, Tink - who traveled expressly to the late 1700's to meet the Patriot Secrets heroine - earlier in the week for a round an interview. Here's 20 Questions with Hannah Corbett! Take it away, Tink....

Tink: Are you the first one on the dance floor or not so much?
Hannah: Dancing without question! Nothing is as romantic as swirling around on the ballroom floor with the orchestra playing so beautifully. It is as though you are the only ones in the room.

Tink: Do you prefer to spend the night at the theatre or at a bike show?
Hannah: Theatre! I love to dress up in a beautiful gown with my hair upswept and jewelry glittering in the candlelight. And there is never man as handsome as when he has dressed for a night at the theatre.

Tink: Do you give relationship advice or think it’s a bad idea?
Hannah: I have never had any trouble giving advice. I have a quite romantic view of the world.

Tink: Describe the ideal hero – rough and tumble highlander, titled gentleman of the ton, modern-day bad boy, or supernatural anti-hero?
Hannah: My ideal hero is a gentleman. Tall and handsome, he would be well educated and from a good family. Brave and true, he would hold to noble virtues and would defend me to the end.

Tink: Would you rather tell someone you love them or show it?
Hannah: Oh, I know I should be proper and say tell them, but it’s so much more fun to show them. Don’t you think?

Tink: Travel to the past or into the future?
Hannah: Since I live in the past, I would have to say into the future.

Tink: Bubble bath or hot shower?
Hannah: Either sounds interesting.

Tink: Flats or high heels?
Hannah: Flats, I suppose.

Tink: Flowers or chocolate?
Hannah: Do I have to choose?

Tink: G-rated or unrated?
Hannah: It wouldn’t be proper to say anything but G-rated.

Tink: Alpha or beta?
Hannah: Is this where I pick an alpha male? Who wouldn’t choose a confident, smart male? I need a man who can stop me from making foolish mistakes! Oh…and protect me!

Tink: Would you make the first move or wait it out?
Hannah: That’s a hard question. I would have to say I’m not shy, but I don’t think I could make the first move. I could definitely encourage the first move, though.

Tink: Favorite love song?
Hannah: Oh! That’s hard especially from the time period I’m from- 1770’s. Don’t think I would consider Yankee Doodle a love song.

Tink: For Valentine’s would you rather go out or stay in?
Hannah: Stay in. Most definitely stay in.

Tink: Karaoke: yes or no?
Hannah: Karaoke?

Tink: Describe your most romantic moment.
Hannah: The one I will always hold dear is the first time he told me he loved me. The sun was setting as we sat in a garden Of course, I was spying upon the British and his being a British officer did present a few problems…such as he was arresting me at the time.

Tink: Boxers, briefs…or kilts?
Hannah: Don’t think I’m allowed to talk of such things.

Tink: What is your idea of a dream date?
Hannah: I love to sit out side under the stars in the middle of the garden. He would be sitting on the bench beside me and we have snuck away from prying eyes.
Tink: Valentine’s Day watch: sappy love story, romantic comedy or forgo all of the above and go with the action flick?
Hannah: I love to read a sappy love story. I have lived the action.

Tink: And, most importantly – do you like your man clean shaven or with a five o’clock shadow?
Hannah: I much prefer a man to be clean shaven. I do so hate the stubble, except I find I don’t care at times, especially when I haven’t seen him for a while. You know how hard it is to find time when you’re in the middle of espionage.

Thank you, Hannah, for answering all of Tink's intrusive questions! Readers, if you'd like to find out more about Hannah and her story, visit author Jerri Hines's website at http://www.jerrihines.com/.

Jerri Hines is just a little Southern girl who loves stories. Growing up she always had a dream to write. Stories always brewed in her head. She loves to read almost as much as she loves to write. She worked in the hospital setting for well over twenty years, but ten years ago she began following her dream of writing with the encouragement of her husband. Her first book was an autobiography on her father, They Called Him Coach. Dream Walker, a paranormal suspense book, was published in 2008 by Wild Child Publishing. Patriot Secrets is the first of her historical romance/suspense books in her American Revolution series.

And now for an excerpt from Patriot Secrets....


Upon the entrance into the house, Mrs. Hayes met her aunt who quickly ushered her away. It would not be long before her aunt was sick. Hannah turned and to her dismay she was standing alone with Marcus.

He shook the fallen snow off his coat. He opened the door into the drawing room. A small fire kept sparked for the family’s return. He turned to the houseboy. “Add a few logs.”

Hannah watched the boy take off upon the order. “Make yourself comfortable, Marcus,” she said matter of fact. She hadn’t the energy to deal with him. “I find that I am tired and have to retire. I am sorry I can’t entertain you. Now if you will excuse me. Thank you for seeing us back.”

The houseboy ran by with a couple of logs. Hastily laying the logs on the sparking embers, he fanned the flames. With a look from Marcus, he exited with a bow. Marcus strolled over the counter and poured himself a glass of Madeira .

“It doesn’t matter to me if you want to retire. I find I have an issue to talk with you about. If you want to do so in your bedroom, you will find it wouldn’t bother me in the least, I assure you.” He took a sip and with a twist of his lips upward dared her to do so.

She unhooked her cloak and laid it upon the back of the chair. Marcus, with his glass in hand casually walked to the window. He glanced out the curtains. The snow still fell, blurring the scene without. He tossed the curtains back. He seemed satisfied with the present situation.

Anger built within Hannah.

“I doubt we will see anyone in the near future,” he said. He placed his glass down upon the table and stepped toward Hannah.

She retreat a step, but tripped on the leg of the chair. In a swift movement he caught her before she fell. Looking up into his eyes, his lips came down upon hers. She fought back, tried to push him away even as his mouth crashed hard on hers.

“Are you really ready to play this game, Hannah?”

“I don’t know of what you speak,” she forced out the words. “Let me go! My grandfather!”

“Do you think I care what your grandfather thinks?” he questioned. “There is something between us, Hannah. I know you feel it too whether you admit it or not.”

His hand gently touched her face, bringing her face up to his again. He kissed her. He kissed her cheeks, her neck. A sensation vibrated through her.

“Please, Marcus, no,” she whispered. He broke from the embrace, staring into her eyes.

“Oh, my Hannah! I have been back for a couple of days,” his fingers edged to the back of her neck, touching her in the most intimidate of fashion. “I don’t think you listened to me well upon my leave the last time. Oh, for once listen. I have thought long and hard about your situation. There is only one possible conclusion on why you came to New York . Someone has convinced you that you can play the game, or maybe, knowing you, you came upon it yourself.”

Hannah’s anger spurted forth. “Arrogance! A game? I don’t consider my life a game.”

“Hannah, I watched you tonight. Gannon appeared on the scene and the whole of your body shook. You have to know,” he cupped her face with his eyes gazing straight into hers. “Tell me you don’t know.”

“What if I do know? What of it? Why wouldn’t I have a right to feel thus?” she vehemently responded. “Because I live within these boundaries, I can’t hear news from beyond. Others do.”

“Others don’t live with your grandfather who has attempted to withhold news from you. Don’t even try, Hannah. I know you too well. If you didn’t want to live within those walls, you would well have gone. If it didn’t suit your needs.”

She tried to wiggle free. “Let go of me. I wish to go to my room. Leave me alone.”

“It has gone further than that now, Hannah,” His tone changed. “I had time to think while I was gone. Thinking of what you were doing. Don’t think I don’t admire your bold attempt. I know of no other who would have attempted to such, but to accomplish acquiring information!”

She took a breath and glared at him. “And, pray, what do you think I accomplished?”

“Why you would have come here after the raid? Revenge. The only link I’m sure came from your uncle’s appearance. Looking back, it would seem logical to you. Why anyone would have let you attempt such an operation is questionable to me to say the least,” he said, releasing his hold.

“But with Gannon’s appearance here in New York . He’s screaming for your arrest, you know, Hannah.”

“Why?” She drew back. A fear came over her. “What have I done?”

“Nothing Gannon can prove at the moment. He says you are a spy within our social ranks. Gathering information. Of course, General Howe feels it’s preposterous, not from a young woman.”

“What do you think?” she asked in almost a whisper.

“Do you really want to know?” he responded. “Do you want to know I had already gone to the General with concerns about you?”

She said nothing but turned. She started back away from him. His arm took hold. “Don’t run from me, Hannah. I have found an acceptable solution. Taking you from harming yourself and from your grandfather’s house. And of course, more damage that you have probably already inflicted.”

“You have no proof of any of these speculations. Let go of me,” she said stoically. “If you felt that way you probably would have had me watched. What have you found? Nothing, because I’ve done nothing. I appreciate your admiration of work I wish I could take credit for.”

He studied her for a moment. An amused expression appeared upon his face. He dragged her back within his arms. “You’re right, but I do feel my solution is for the better of all.”

“What do you speak?” she whispered for his hold upon was so tight she could barely breath.

“I’ll set you up. I’m to go back to England in the early summer. I’ll take you with me,” he said simply.

As if she had been slapped, she drew back, “And you think I would accept that?”

“I don’t believe many would refuse such an offer, Hannah.”

“I have a fiancé.”

“And I hear he’s to marry another,” he said bluntly. “It’s not up for discussion.”

This time he took her prisoner with his arms around her waist. She protested hardly until his hands moved from her waist over her body. She uttered a small, terrified moan. His hold loosened. He took his hand to her face. “Hannah, don’t fear me. I’m not going to harm you.”

“You talk nonsense. So you look at me as someone you want to bed. Then go off leaving me alone. In your thoughts only when you grow older to your friends. I remember the war. I had this girl. Pray, what was her name?” She tried to turn, but he wouldn’t let go of her.

“It wouldn’t be such, Hannah, for I wouldn’t let you go,” Marcus said. He touched her neck. She shivered.

She shook her head. “Stop. I don’t know why I allowed this conversation to go such.”

“Because you feel it, too.” His mouth came down upon hers again. Her lips parted to receive him.

He pressed her backwards, hands caressing her shoulders. Her fingers slid to the back of his head as she responded to his touch. She returned his kiss. A need arose in her, drowning every thought but one.

“Come with me now. Leave this house,” he whispered. He kissed her neck.

Reality of the mission slowly crept back within her. Her hand pulled to her mouth. “I can’t. I can’t.”

Stumbling backwards to the door, her hand turned the handle of the door, opened it and ran. She didn’t stop until she was well within her room.


Readers, tune in tomorrow for more 20 Questions, excerpts, and goodies during our countdown to Valentine's Day!

Winner of Eve Knight's Giveaway!

Hi Cozies! The 20 Questions event is going fabulously - thank you to both guest authors and readers! The giveaway for Eve Knight's February 2nd romantic goodies basket ended at midnight last night and the winner has been chosen by the True Random Number Generator at Random.org....

Commenter #1 - JoAnn

Congrats, JoAnn! Please send a confirmation email to amber@amberleighwilliams.com with your mailing address to receive your prize!

There are still plenty of chances to win between now and Valentine's Day! Today is the last chance to enter to win the giveaway for Linda Morris's Montana Belle. Also still open for entry is Ella Vines's giveaway for Her Dark Fairy. And keep checking in throughout the next two weeks for more contests and chances to win!


***Apologies for the delay in comments. The blog is, indeed, under moderation. Your comments will appear usually within an hour. For giveaways, I will of course take this into consideration and your entry will be counted even if it doesn't appear until after midnight. Thank you for your patience!

20 Questions with...Lalah from DARKNESS RISING

Our countdown to Valentine's Day continues today with Phoenix Files series author Alexandra Kane and the heroine from Book I, Darkness Rising, Lalah Norris....

City council secretary Lalah Norris is propelled into the center of a scandal. Born of two African American parents with the panthera trait, Lalah's a no-nonsense woman who, when she finds out about the money laundering ways of the city's assistant manager Dell Christopher, will risk her job to see him pay for his crimes. Little does she know, the loss of her job will be the least of her worries.

When she refuses to be intimidated by Dell's thug, she's kidnapped and locked away. Rescue comes in the form of a mysterious Chinese man, Junjie Yu, but Lalah finds herself being taken against her will for a second time. When the night is over, she's forced to join PHOENIX, a covert organization that assists law enforcement on the Federal, state and local level through the use of shifters, sorcerers, and all manner of 'gifted individuals.'

But which will prove more dangerous, her new role in PHOENIX, or her attraction to Junjie?

Our Cozy correspondent, Tink, sat down with our guest earlier this week for 20 Questions with Lalah Norris! Take it away, Tink....

Tink: Are you the first one on the dance floor or not so much?
Lalah: I don't have time for night clubs. Especially not now that I have two jobs.

Tink: Do you prefer to spend the night at the theatre or at a bike show?
Lalah: If I had to choose, I would say the theatre. Better chance of learning something there.

Tink: Do you give relationship advice or think it’s a bad idea?
Lalah: I'm not really in a position to give advice on that, it could lead to a break up!

Tink: Describe the ideal hero – rough and tumble highlander, titled gentleman of the ton, modern-day bad boy, or supernatural anti-hero?
Lalah: I hate to admit it, but J is the perfect hero. He's dark, dangerous, and touch, but still caring and gentle with me. I never thought I'd be attracted to an Asian man, but what's a girl to do when a man's got it all?

Tink: Would you rather tell someone you love them or show it?
Lalah: I'd rather show it. Words are easy but gestures are truer.

Tink: Travel to the past or into the future?
Lalah: I'd travel to the past, if only to slap some folks who really needed it.

Tink: Bubble bath or hot shower?
Lalah: Definitely the shower. I have too many things to do to be lounging in a tub.

Tink: Flats or high heels?
Lalah: Heels. I never sacrifice fashion for practicality.

Tink: Flowers or chocolate?
Lalah: Chocolate. Flowers wilt and then I gotta throw 'em out.

Tink: G-rated or unrated?
Lalah: Unrated. Just don't tell my brother, he's way too protective.

Tink: Alpha or beta?
Lalah: Beta. I don't know why but J's brooding and the way he wears those shades all the time, even at night, is somehow attractive to me.

Tink: Would you make the first move or wait it out?
Lalah: I've always waited it out. But now, with J...

Tink: Favorite love song?
Lalah: "For the Cool in You" - Babyface.

Tink: For Valentine’s would you rather go out or stay in?
Lalah: I'd rather stay in and enjoy some amorous activities.

Tink: Karaoke: yes or no?
Lalah: No way would I embarrass myself! I can't sing a note.

Tink: Describe your most romantic moment.
Lalah: Probably my first kiss with J. If only those feelings had lasted a little longer.

Tink: Boxers, briefs…or kilts?
Lalah: Commando! Just kidding. Boxers, because briefs seem so ...constraining.

Tink: What is your idea of a dream date?
Lalah: Action movies on DVD, popcorn and sodas, and a man who can protect me from the bad guys onscreen.

Tink: Valentine’s Day watch: sappy love story, romantic comedy or forgo all of the above and go with the action flick?
Lalah: I reiterate: action all the way!

Tink: And, most importantly – do you like your man clean shaven or with a five o’clock shadow?
Lalah: The five o'clock shadow is a little endearing. I'd like to think he was too busy thinking about me to remember to shave.

Thank you, Lalah, for answering Tink's instrusive questions! And now for an excerpt from Lalah's story, Darkness Rising....

Lalah awoke in a pool of cold, sticky blood. Her clothes clung to her like a slimy second skin, the metallic scent invading her nostrils. Corbin, Dell Christopher's thug, lay a few feet away from her, unmoving. His body was covered with claw marks, and a particularly large one traversed his chest beneath the jagged, ripped halves of his dress shirt. I must have shifted.

Her head throbbed, and she cursed. If Corbin woke up, he would demand to know how she, a petite black woman, had suddenly been replaced by a ferocious panther. It wasn't a conversation she wanted to have.

I'm not a killer. But if I'm here when he wakes up, what choice will I have?

Sitting up slowly, she reeled from the crushing pain in her temple. The morning sunlight was streaming through the kitchen window, casting a very clear light on the grisly scene. Her cloudy mind, however, shrouded the events of last night from her memory. She stood, walking slowly around him, and crossed the kitchen to the foyer. As she passed her grandmother’s antique mirror, she saw her reflection and was shocked at the sight. Her thick mane of wavy black hair was a tangled mess. Small splatters of dried blood were on her cheeks, and there was a large purple bruise on her forehead. Touching it, she winced. That must be why I can’t remember.

This was short term memory loss, because she was fully aware of who she was... Lalah Norris, secretary to city councilwoman Gloria Phillips. She scheduled meetings, took phone calls, and pushed paper for the citizens of Fayetteville, North Carolina. Working in City Hall made her privy to the the conversations of other city officials as they passed her desk. Okay, she was eavesdropping, but with her super- panther hearing she really couldn't help it. That was how she knew that Dell Christopher, the assistant city manager, had his hand in the cookie jar. He was involved in several schemes, all of which involved stealing funds from the city's taxpayers.

From Lalah's conversations with the other assistants working in City Hall, she found out that his corrupt ways were common knowledge among the 'underlings', as they called themselves. None of them, however, was willing to risk their job by blowing the whistle on Dell. Now it looked like the politician was resorting to intimidation to keep his dirt swept under the rug.

She jogged down the carpeted hallway to her bedroom. I've gotta get my stuff and get the hell out of here. Her heavy breathing filled the silence around her as she stuffed a few tee shirts and underwear into a large purse. Her mind was jumbled with frantic thoughts of how this situation would play out. What if the neighbors had heard a noise? If somebody called the cops, Lalah knew she'd be in trouble. Wild animal attacks in North Carolina were rare...what would she say to them? No doubt they'd throw my black behind in jail like Mama throwing catfish in the deep fryer. No, she wasn't waiting around here. None of the scenarios she could think of ended well for her.

Lalah was startled by a slow, creaking sound coming from the front of the house. Afraid that someone would discover Corbin, she jogged down the steps and dashed into the kitchen. To her horror, he was gone. Only the pool of blood remained on the ecru linoleum in the place where he had been. Scanning the floor, Lalah noticed a few bloody footprints leading to the garage. She produced a heavy metal rolling pin from her tool drawer and slowly followed them out the side door. She descended the three stairs into the darkened garage, the rolling pin poised in swinging position.

A hand shot out and grabbed her ankle, pulling her down.

Her head hit the concrete floor and everything was consumed by blackness.

Readers, to find out more about Lalah, J, and the Phoenix Files, visit Alexandra Kane's website!

A military spouse and mother of two, Alexandra Kane leads a sometimes hectic, always interesting life. Whether watching her husband jump from a perfectly good airplane, chasing the children, or penning her next tale, adventure is never far away. She's been writing since middle school and can't imagine life without it.

Stay tuned tomorrow for more 20 Questions!

20 Questions with...Linda Morris + Giveaway

The countdown to Valentine's continues today with Day 3 of The Cozy Page's 20 Questions Valentine's Event and western romance author, Linda Morris!

Linda has been making up stories for years. She's excited to finally get the opportunity to get paid for it. When not writing romance, she can be found at her day job as a freelance editor/writer of technical books. Her loves include Jane Austen, Mexican food, jazz, and old movies. She lives in central Indiana with her husband and young son. Her debut novel, Montana Belle, is now available from The Wild Rose Press:

Sent to Boston for a proper education after her mother's death, Augusta Springer loves her cultured life there, helping the headmistress and planning a teaching career. But when her brother dies unexpectedly, she is summoned home by her headstrong father and ordered to marry the only man for whom she has ever cared— Joshua Bradley.

Joshua has planned for years to win Augusta's heart. Building a life to share with her has been his ultimate goal, but she has learned to despise ranch life and all that goes with it. Can he persuade this independent woman to stay and share the dreams he has for both of them?

Our Cozy correspondent, Tink, sat down with our guest earlier this week for 20 Questions with Linda Morris! Take it away, Tink....

Tink: Are you the first one on the dance floor or not so much?
Linda: Dance floor? What is this thing you call a "dance floor"? I'm afraid I don't understand this strange terminology.

Tink: Do you prefer to spend the night at the theatre or at a bike show?
Linda: Unless you're referring to the kind of bike without a motor, I'll go with the theater.

Tink: Do you give relationship advice or think it’s a bad idea?
Linda: I give relationship advice when I'm asked for it, but it's still a bad idea sometimes.

Tink: Describe the ideal hero – rough and tumble highlander, titled gentleman of the ton, modern-day bad boy, or supernatural anti-hero?
Linda: Is "all of the above" an option? I don't like to choose.

Tink: Would you rather tell someone you love them or show it?
Linda: Both, but I think showing it is more meaningful.

Tink: Travel to the past or into the future?
Linda: Past. It would give me a chance to find out some things about history I've always wanted to know.

Tink: Bubble bath or hot shower?
Linda: Bubble bath!

Tink: Flats or high heels?
Linda: Flats.

Tink: Flowers or chocolate?
Linda: Chocolate, especially if it's Lindt.

Tink: G-rated or unrated?
Linda: Both have their place in life. If it weren't for the unrated moments, we wouldn't have kids and need G-rated ones!

Tink: Alpha or beta?
Linda: Alpha in books, beta in real life.

Tink: Would you make the first move or wait it out?
Linda: I've been married for 12 years, so it's been a long time since I've made any moves. My memories of single life and anecdotes from my single friends, however, tell me that making a first move is not usually that successful for a woman. It's not fair, and I wish it wasn't so, but I reluctantly think it's true.

Tink: Favorite love song?
Linda: "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel

Tink: For Valentine’s would you rather go out or stay in?
Linda: Out. Nothing more romantic than eating a delicious meal alone with no kids present and then not having to do the dishes.

Tink: Karaoke: yes or no?
Linda: Hell, no!

Tink: Describe your most romantic moment.
Linda: I would go with one of the every day gestures more than a grand romantic moment. When I was expecting my son, I developed gestational diabetes and had to follow a strict diet. Any carbs for breakfast in particular caused my blood sugar to skyrocket, so my husband got up every day for six weeks and made me bacon and eggs for breakfast. He's a keeper.

Tink: Boxers, briefs…or kilts?
Linda: Boxers, always.

Tink: What is your idea of a dream date?
Linda: I think I described it above with the "go out or stay in" question!

Tink: Valentine’s Day watch: sappy love story, romantic comedy or forgo all of the above and go with the action flick?
Linda: I'll always go with a love story, sappy, dramatic, funny, or whatever!

Tink: And, most importantly – do you like your man clean shaven or with a five o’clock shadow?
Linda: I enjoy my husband's occasional experiments with facial hair, but mostly, I like the clean shaven look. It's easier on my skin, too.

Thank you, Linda, for answering Tink's instrusive questions! Readers, if you'd like to know more about Linda, Montana Belle, and her upcoming titles, visit her website!

And now for an excerpt from Montana Belle....


“I drink I might be ever so slightly...thunk,” Augusta confided, laboring to pronounce every word correctly, and then giggled when she realized her mistake. She struggled to regain a serious mien. Miss Levon denounced giggling as unladylike.

Joshua reached to pull her wineglass away from her. “You’ve had enough,” he said, his gaze warm. “We have a long ride back in the dark, so you’d better keep your head. Of course, you’re welcome to spend the night here, if you like.” He made the outrageous offer calmly, as if it were quite unexceptionable.

Augusta, well aware of the impropriety of his offer, fixed him with a stare. “I am an adult, and not totally inex-, inexper-...I have drunk spirits before,” she corrected herself finally, with careful enunciation. She reached to pull her glass back, and her hand brushed against his on the stem. His palm, warm and roughened, sent a thrill of awareness up her arm—for a businessman, he still spent a good deal of time outdoors. His hand bore the marks of sun, wind, and leather.

“A regular tippler, are you?” he asked with a smile, his eyes lingering for a moment on the daring décolletage of her gown, and she felt a surge of warmth through her body that had nothing to do with alcohol. She tried to pull the glass toward her, but somehow found her hand caught in his.

“Miss Levon believes that young girls should experience all of the social graces,” she said faintly, awed by the gleam of his dark eyes. He wanted her. She could not doubt it. Shockingly, she wanted him very much in return.



***GIVEAWAY DETAILS: Good news, readers! Linda has generously offered a giveaway for today! By commenting to this post before midnight EST, Sunday; February 6th, you will have a chance to win a copy of Montana Belle! (Chances of winning depend on the number of entries. You must be 18 years or older to enter. One winner will be chosen by the True Random Number Generator at Random.org and announced the morning after contest closing. Please check back in to see if you have won.)