A Thank You

Hi Cozies, I just had to take a moment and thank everyone who participated in yesterday's Fool for Romance post! The response was amazing and I'm so pleased I got to be a part of the FFR Contest festivities. The winner of the contest will be named by author Crystal-Rain Love on April 1st. If you commented yesterday here at Cozy, friended me on Facebook, tweeted me @ALeighWilliams, or sent me an email, you are officially a finalist, if you weren't already. There is still time to enter today at Victoria Gray's site and on March 31 - anyone who Likes Crystral-Rain Love on Facebook and posts "Enter Me To Win!" on her wall will also be entered before the drawing on Friday, the 1st! Don't miss out on some great prizes, including your very own Kindle! Prizes and participation links can be found here....

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!)

BLUEST HEART Audio Debut

Woot! Today the Ridges of Wayback, TX march further into the audio book universe with the debut of Book II, Bluest Heart, at AudioLark....

The Wayback bachelor is a dying breed, but that doesn’t stop Casey Ridge from wanting to settle down. For this cowboy anyone but Josie Brusky would be an easy wrangle. Unfortunately for him, the Blue Bug singer and owner of Josie’s Treasures doesn’t believe in commitment much less marriage.

Years ago, Josie lost her heart to Casey’s charm and dimpled smile. Since then she has done everything she knows to forget him. After all, she’s known as the local harlot and the daughter of the town’s biggest bigot. Casey could have any girl he wanted. Why would he saddle himself with her? In the wake of a shattering past, she refuses to give up her independence.

Hear an excerpt read by narrator Paige Holt here...

What People Are Saying About Bluest Heart...

Bluest Heart is a romance that inspires feel-good tingles in all the right places. Author Amber Leigh Williams has created a story with characters readers are bound to adore and remember. What a fantastic story! Ms. Williams managed to snare my heart and wretch every bit of emotion possible from it. tightly written and hits the emotions like a freight train. Cowboy fans will love Bluest Heart, and if they are anything like me, will make a direct trip to The Wild Rose Press to purchase the preceding story, Blackest Heart. Don’t miss out on this one, folks. You get romance, heartache, and a whole lot of making up for lost time. —Long & Short Reviews

I recently read Amber Leigh Williams's Bluest Heart and highly recommend it along with her previous novella in the Wayback series, Blackest Heart. - Crystal-Rain Love, author of Guardian Cowboy and Blood Curse

Good news - today only, Bluest Heart is available from AudioLark for just $2.49 as part of their Debut Tuesday special! After that, it'll return to its $7.99 cover price. Click here to take advantage of this offer at AudiLark or to purchase Book II in the Wayback Ridge Trilogy, Blackest Heart (1st Place Novella)!

(And stay tuned for Book III in the Ridge family saga, Bet It On My Heart, which launches in audio at AudioLark next week!)

Wayback, TX Spotlight

I have to say...this book launch is a little bittersweet. I'm so glad I finally can give readers the final chapter in the Ridge family saga. And the support from fans of the trilogy has been so wonderful and kind. Thank you so much!

Still, saying goodbye to this project, this town, these characters and their stories, has made me a bit of an emotional mess. I haven't felt this down since my mid-year breakdown over having to complete my second paranormal. I think it's doubly sad because the TWRP Wayback, TX series as a whole is coming to an end. I understand the decision to bring it to completion by the editors of the Yellow Rose (contemporary western) imprint. Wayback is, after all, a small town and can only get so crowded before it loses its small-town charm. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm not quite ready to say goodbye.

We still have several more wonderful stories in the series to look forward to by authors Linda-Carroll Brad, Stacey Dawn, and Betty Hanawa. And, like me, fans of Wayback can go back and enjoy all the other series titles. I wanted to take this time to introduce a few other Wayback releases from January and February....

Title: Obsessed by Wildfire

Author: Autumn Jordon

Released: January 10, 2010

Length: 115 pages

Rating: Hot

Price: $3.75

Isabelle Trinidad vows no man will ever rope her into the humdrum life of a housewife and take away her dreams of becoming the National Barrel Racing Champion, like her father did to her mother. Her mind is set, until a handsome Yankee comes to down and upsets everything she has believed.

Arson brings State Fire Marshal Warner Keyson to Wayback, but a wildfire of a woman stops him in his tracks. Intrigued by Isabelle’s fire, he contrives ways to keep her close during his investigation. What they create together is the blaze of a lifetime.

Buy Link

Title: Guardian Cowboy

Author: Crystal-Rain Love

Released: January 24, 2010

Length: 116 pages

Rating: Sensual

Price: $4.00

After a failed bodyguarding assignment, the last thing Presley West wants is to save a damsel in distress, but the spunky woman he finds standing on the side of the interstate in the pouring rain brings out his protective instincts.

Amber Barlow ran from the clutches of a demon, and into the arms of an angel. But the closer she gets to her guardian cowboy, the more her fear grows, because a southern gentleman like Presley could never want a woman with a past as soiled as hers.

Buy Link

Also on sale is the latest Wayback anthology...

Title: Finding Their Way Back

Authors: Stacy Dawn, Cindy Spencer Pape, & Roni Adams

Released: June 25, 2009

Length: 336 pages

Rating: Spicy

Price: $6.00 (also available in print for $14.99)

When Elizabeth O'Leary meets up with the cowboy she's been avoiding for over two years, she doesn't know whether to trust her heart or her head. One tells her Grey Wulfsen just might be The One, the other tells her it doesn’t matter because he'll never forgive her when he finds out what she took away with her on that one starlit night.

Free Wulfsen learned early on that rodeo relationships never last. After one wild weekend, the barrel racer finds herself married to bull rider Zane Malone. She’s all set to ask him for a divorce when she takes a fall—and finds out she’ll have more to remember him by than a ring. Now it’s up to Zane to convince her that love can last after the rodeo’s over.

Bull rider Dusty Wulfsen has been thrown to the ground by more bulls than he can remember, yet nothing caused as much pain as losing Carrie Montgomery. When she shows up in Wayback determined to have a second ride at his heart, he knows he'd be a fool to let her near him. But memories of those nights under a rodeo moon have him coming back for more.

Buy Now in Ebook and Paperback

You can get the complete Wayback Ridge trilogy for just $10.75!

Blackest Heart (Book I) - $3.00

Bluest Heart (Book II) - $3.75

Bet It On My Heart (Book III) - $4.00

If you want 1st Place Novella Blackest Heart for the shelf, The Way Back Home anthology is available in paperback featuring Delighting Miss Daisy (Abbey MacInnis), Return of the Prodigal Daughter (Marguerite Arotin) in addition to Blackest Heart! That's three cowboy -n- one, folks!

I don't think I ever formally congratulated The Wild Rose Press for being voted 2009 Best Publisher in the Preditors & Editors Readers Poll! So deserved! Any organization that comes up with a town "Where A Cowboy Falls In Love Every Eight Seconds" gets a high-five from me! Be sure to check out titles from all TWRP imprints. You'll definitely be getting your money's worth!

Book Dive #4: BLUEST HEART

Title: Bluest Heart
Genre: Contemporary Western Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Release Date: January 2010
Available In: Ebook



Series Note: This is another addition to TWRP's Wayback, TX continuation series. It is also Book II in the Wayback Ridge trilogy. More than a year after Blackest Heart's release, anticipated sequel Bluest Heart was launched. (Thankfully, readers won't have to wait as long for Book III!)

Heat Rating: This is the first time my published titles shifted from "spicy" to "hot." Probably because of some early "action" between the h/h. Book III, Bet It On My Heart, also received a "hot" label. (On TWRP's rating scale, stories that are more than "hot" are sold on their erotica site, The WILDER Rose Press.)



Original Title: I wanted to continue the "Heart" theme. The funny thing I discovered about these titles is that although the trilogy is centered around the Ridge family, Blackest Heart is named for hero, Judd Black, instead of Ridge daughter, heroine Stella. In turn, Bluest Heart is named for heroine Josie Brusky instead of hero Casey Ridge, one of Stella's lovable brothers. Originally, I wanted this book to be called "Heart of Stone" because of Josie's tough shell. But this title was already taken. I bounced ideas off of writing friends and approached my editor with "Heart So Blue." She came back with Bluest Heart. It's as fitting as Judd's Blackest Heart because though it may seem Josie as a "Heart of Stone", it's because of her rough past and her inability to put her trust in anyone's hands, even cowboy sweetheart Casey.


Why A Sequel? I didn't plan telling Casey and Keefe's stories. In truth, I didn't know if western romance was a genre I would want to explore. But I loved writing Blackest Heart and after a helpful push from a CP, who wanted secondary character Casey at least to find love, I took the trilogy plunge. Although the Wayback line is ending and there are no more Ridge family stories to tell, I know for certain that I will be venturing west again for another family saga. (I actually have two trilogies in the works - one contemporary, one paranormal - as well as a single-title historical western, a tie-in to stories written by some familiar faces around here: Marguerite Arotin and Abbey MacInnis.)



Cover Artist: Tamra Westberry



Awards: Nominated "Best Book of the Week" by LASR
_________________________________



Hero: Casey Ridge



Hero Occupation: Ridge Range ranch hand/cattle driver (second in line to inherit) and prize-winning rodeo calf-roper



Hero Description:

She smelled beer on him, too, but it didn’t overwhelm the scent of his subtle aftershave. The low-key aroma drove her crazy. Like a dog sniffing another in heat, she was immediately aroused. Worse, he was grinning at her. The dimple in his chin deepened and the laugh lines dipped into his cheeks. Her heart pattered eagerly. He’d let his hair grow out, like he used to. Needle straight, the hay-colored strands fingered his eyelids. His face and torso were the same tan hue. Honey-toned, she’d thought so long ago when she’d gotten a gander under his button-up shirt and faded Levi’s.

This Ridge boy’s single purpose was to drive her into lusty insanity. She could look all she wanted but to break down and touch him again…there would be no turning back from that.

Hero's Stunt Double: Gabriel Macht. A while back, there was a movie called American Outlaws, based on Jesse James' posse. Gabriel played James' (Colin Farrell) brother, Frank. It isn't hard to imagine this cutie as a cowboy hero after watching this western. Gabriel also has a "nice guy" quality that has followed him through his movie roles. (Anybody remember his turn as Mandy Moore's hero, Johnny, in Because I Said So? It's also not difficult to measure Gabriel up to Casey's working man physicality after seeing him masquerade as a superhero in The Spirit.)



Hero's Greatest Strength: Casey's a "good boy" but - like sister Stella - when it comes to wanting something, he works until he gets it. He's been waiting for Josie for a decade so needless to say he doesn't give up on anything. And he always gives one-hundred percent, no matter how long it takes.



Hero's Greatest Weakness: This one was hard. Casey isn't perfect, but he's so noble and lovable, it's hard to find a fault in him. Most of all, I think Josie is his weakness. She stretches his patience (and no wonder, after ten years of convincing). When it comes to family dynamics, he craves peace, which is why he usually winds up mediating between more drama-oriented siblings, Keefe and Stella.



Hero's Astrological Sign: Libra (This sign is: Charming with a great love of beauty and harmony.... Know how to appreciate the various pleasures of life, and they are naturally kind. Because they are even-tempered, they can be very social and diplomatic, and they are the most empathetic of all the signs... Everlasting search for balance... Loathe the conflicts in life... The ultimate team players, always functioning better when they are paired up.)
________________________

Heroine Name: Josie Brusky

Heroine Occupation: Honky-tonk singer, owner of Josie's Treasures - Wayback's gift shop, barrel racing rodeo competitor

Heroine Description:

Her curly, red hair spilled out of the back of the hat. He could just make out the flash of her whiskey-colored, bedroom eyes and the trademark mole at the base of her left cheek. The crowd loved her. So did the spotlight. She might not have had the strongest voice, but it was pretty enough. The song choice was perfect, plenty of attitude. That was Josie, all right.

Heroine Stunt Double: Rachel McAdams. Plenty of attitude as well as vulnerability, which fits Josie to a T.

Heroine's Greatest Strength: Her ability to adapt. Josie's led a hard life and yet she's managed to jump hurtle after hurtle. The thing I admire most about her is that she rises above rumors of her "bad girl" behavior. Small town gossips are the harshest and though it may hinder some aspects of her life, she's not afraid to be who she is. One of my favorite aspects of her relationship with Casey is that he is the one man she refuses to go to be with. She refuses to lead him on because he's the only one she cares deeply about. It's her acknowledgment that he deserves better.

Heroine's Greatest Weakness: Repels weakness. To her, Casey Ridge is a weakness because she has trouble resisting him. Though she has no doubt he's the one man she can trust with her heart, she's lived with barriers so long she doesn't know how to open herself to him completely. Although she rises above those who spurn her past life, she doubts her own worth, which is another reason she steers clear of Casey. To her, he's everything that is good while she is the opposite. Feels as if the only way she can be strong is by striving for independence.

Heroine's Astrological Sign: Pisces (This sign is: Able to adapt emotionally to any environment. Their symbol is a pair of fishes, one swimming above the other in the opposite direction. Likewise, they possess some duality in their personalities. On the one hand, they can be kind, compassionate, sensitive, and very understanding, but like to keep their true emotions under wraps, placing great focus on their inner journey. Pisceans are very easy-going and would rather wait for their problems to sort themselves out than face them.)

____________________________

What Sets This Book Apart: It's the good boy versus the bad girl, which offers entertainment for readers. The thing I didn't expect was the healing arc, the same from its prequel, Blackest Heart. It's also the inner journey of Josie discovering her own worth and breaking through her own armor to accept an honorable man in her life.

Favorite Scene: The first time Casey tells Josie he loves her. The scene is the third act dark moment of the plot and it is simultaneously heartbreaking and inevitable. When picking favorites, I'm all for the light-hearted moments (and when Casey turns on the charm, there are plenty of them) and usually steer clear of the sadder parts of the story. But something about both Casey and Josie in this scene latched onto my heart.

Blurb:

The Wayback bachelor is a dying breed, but that doesn't stop Casey Ridge from wanting to settle down. For this cowboy anyone but Josie Brusky would be an easy wrangle. Unfortunately for him, the Blue Bug singer and owner of Josie's Treasures doesn't believe in commitment much less marriage.
Years ago, Josie lost her heart to Casey's charm and dimpled smile. Since then she has done everything she knows to forget him. After all, she’s known as the local harlot and the daughter of the town’s biggest bigot. Casey could have any girl he wanted. Why would he saddle himself with her? In the wake of a shattering past, she refuses to give up her independence.
Casey digs down deep to win her over, but does he have what it takes to win Wayback's bluest heart?

What People Are Saying:

Bluest Heart is a romance that inspires feel-good tingles in all the right places. Author Amber Leigh Williams has created a story with characters readers are bound to adore and remember. What a fantastic story! Ms. Williams managed to snare my heart and wretch every bit of emotion possible from it. Tightly written and hits the emotions like a freight train. Cowboy fans will love Bluest Heart, and if they are anything like me, will make a direct trip to The Wild Rose Press to purchase the preceding story, Blackest Heart. Don’t miss out on this one, folks. You get romance, heartache, and a whole lot of making up for lost time.- Long & Short Reviews

I recently read Amber Leigh Williams's Bluest Heart and highly recommend it along with her previous novella in the Wayback series, Blackest Heart.
- Author Crystal-Rain Love

What People Are Saying About BLUEST HEART

So Cowboy Lovin' over, but I've got fun planned for the coming weeks. We've already started to countdown to Bet It On My Heart's March 3rd release. A book video is in the works so be on the lookout for that. Plus, the week of Valentine's Day I will be celebrating at fellow Wayback author, Autumn Jordon's site, AJ's Notes, with Casey and Josie from Bluest Heart. As soon as the story goes live, I'll let everyone here at The Cozy Page know!

While on the subject of Bluest Heart, I received my first reviews for Bluest Heart. Here's what people are saying about Casey and Josie's love story:

A+ on Bluest Heart. Love stories where the "bad girl" isn't 1/2 as bad as narrow-minded townfolk. Can't wait for Keefe's story!
~ Author Crystal-Rain Love

Bluest Heart is a romance that inspires feel-good tingles in all the right places. Author Amber Leigh Williams has created a story with characters readers are bound to adore and remember. What a fantastic story! Ms. Williams managed to snare my heart and wretch every bit of emotion possible from it. tightly written and hits the emotions like a freight train. Cowboy fans will love Bluest Heart, and if they are anything like me, will make a direct trip to The Wild Rose Press to purchase the preceding story, Blackest Heart. Don’t miss out on this one, folks. You get romance, heartache, and a whole lot of making up for lost time.
- Fern (Long & Short Reviews)

Get your copy of the Blues today! Catch up on the 5-star, award-winning prequel, Blackest Heart, at The Wild Rose Press. If you prefer paperbacks for the shelf, Blackest Heart is featured in The Way Back Home anthology! Plus, the final book in the Wayback Ridge saga - Bet It On My Heart - is coming your way on March 3, 2010! If you didn't catch the exclusive first look last week, you can find it here on The Cozy Page!

And don't forget that the polls are now open for Best Book of 2009! Vote for Forever Amore!

Cowboy Lovin' Day 18: Crystal-Rain Love

Today I welcome another fellow Wayback, TX series author whose Guardian Cowboy novella I can't wait to read....

"Creating A Cowboy"

I’ve always loved cowboys, especially the ones found among the pages of romance novels. Give me a Joan Johnston or Linda Warren book and I’m in my own little nirvana. However, despite my love for the genre I never thought I could write one. What did I really know about cowboys?

But then I came across the Wayback, Texas series and it drew me in so much I was compelled to add a story to the collection. So what’s a girl do when her knowledge of cowboys comes down to “Damn, guys look good in Stetsons, tight jeans, and boots”?

I read, of course, submerging myself deeper in cowboy romance novels than I ever had before. I recalled every television show or movie I’d ever watched featuring cowboys, whether it be Bonanza or Elvis Presley’s Charro.

I went to the rodeo (and man, was I disappointed to see there wasn’t one single hawt cowboy there…but the marines there were pretty enticing. Just sayin’…) and consequently discovered I loved the sport.

I made a soundtrack to keep me focused while writing. Tim McGraw was a must, along with Travis Tritt and a little Reba.

Then I created my character. I gave him the rough yet tender nature of the cowboy found in romance novels combined with the skill and ferocity of the cowboys I’d seen in the rodeo. I threw in a little humor by giving him a wacky, Elvis-obsessed mother. To make him real, I gave him the task of overcoming a personal failure he struggled with every day… and then I gave him his perfect match: A strong-willed woman who could save him as he saved her.

Guardian Cowboy is my first foray into cowboy-themed romance and I can’t wait to share Wayback’s newest cowboy with you on February 24th!

After a failed bodyguarding assignment, the last thing Presley West wants is to save a damsel in distress, but the spunky woman he finds standing on the side of the interstate in the pouring rain brings out his protective instincts.

Amber Barlow ran from the clutches of a demon, and into the arms of an angel. But the closer she gets to her guardian cowboy, the more her fear grows, because a southern gentleman like Presley could never want a woman with a past as soiled as hers.

EXCERPT:

Amber narrowed her eyes on the man, unease coating her stomach with nausea. Had she been picked up by a psycho after all?

“Look, darlin'. You're pretty much ass-out in the rain, and at the wrong time of night to be out looking for someplace to stay. I have a spare room with some warm blankets, a hot shower you can use to clean up, and food if you're hungry.”

“And let me guess. Nobody can hear me if I scream?”

Presley laughed, a twinkle lighting his dark eyes. “My mother would hear you scream, and trust me, if I did anything to scare you like that she'd skin my hide long before you could get off a shot. Come on.” He removed his seatbelt and stepped out of the truck, slamming the door shut before running around to open hers.

He stood there at the side of the truck, one hand on the open door, his gaze on the gun pointed at his chest. His eyes warmed with compassion. “I don't know who spooked you, honey, but I promise I won't lay one finger on you.”

Amber breathed deep, trying to sort through the tangle of decisions crowding her mind.

Should she trust him and enter his home, or just shoot him and flee in his truck?

Thanks, Crystal-Rain! I'll definitely be first in line to get a copy of Guardian Cowboy when it launches.

Readers, stay tuned tomorrow for Week 2 giveaway winners and another cowboy round robin. Also you still have time to enter both Marguerite Arotin's giveaway for a Victoria Secret Gift Card and Anna Kathryn Lanier's giveaway for Salvation Bride and a TWRP Gift Card...