I am so thrilled that my Civil War romance, Confederate Rose, has taken 2nd place in the historical category of the 2010 New England Reader's Choice Bean Pot Contest.
New York Times Bestselling Author
You're invited over to the Author Roast and Toast where we're entertaining my Fellow Wild Rose Press 'Faery Rose' line romance author, Emma Lai.. Come and join us for an Author feature with a difference, as we discuss her book 'His Ship Her Fantasy' and find out more about this talented fantasy author and her books.
I just got a wonderful review from Ivy at Long and Short Reviews for my latest release, A Penny for Your Thoughts, and I couldn't wait to share it with you!
4.5 Books from Long and Short Reviews!
If you’ve never spent time on the Gulf Coast, I’m sorry for you. After reading Bess McBride’s A Penny For Your Thoughts, I feel sorry for myself -- because I’m ready to head back! A frequent admirer of Ms. McBride’s themes, I couldn’t wait to snatch up this new release set off of Alabama’s beaches. I was more than pleasantly surprised by this romantic suspense novel. A Penny For Your Thoughts is a clever piece of work.
The pacing is so fantastic in this suspense novel that the hiccups along the way come off as minor--several occasions where events unraveled too conveniently were a bit distracting for me. That being said, the psychological storyline and work in this story, even to the point of tying the title in so cleverly (I love a good double entendre!), is near flawless to read. Three cheers for an author who can write a whodunit and throw in so many red herrings you feel like you’re swimming in a school of them. I couldn’t make my up mind who was out to get poor Penny, and when it was revealed I was mad at myself for not figuring it out!
I also loved every moment the story took me to the beach. I could just feel the sugary sand beneath my feet, see the one-legged little sandpiper, and who doesn’t want to watch the sun slip below the horizon in a fiery ball just one more time? Every scene, from the tranquil to the climatic, is vivid in sensory detail and draws you in.
There is a wonderful growth in Ms. McBride’s books as she continues to publish her original romances. Besides adventuresome plotlines, she writes with taste, and deserves a nod for classy romance stories that don’t lack in power or sensuality. A Penny For Your Thoughts is the best romantic suspense I have read of late. A lover of any romance subgenre will not go wrong with this story. It is super enjoyable.
For the rest of the review: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2010/03/penny-for-your-thoughts-by-bess-mcbride.html
ANTE UP!
Keefe Ridge's bronc-busting days are nearly over. Despite that and the fact that he is slowly making his dream business venture a reality, Wayback's wildest cowboy doesn't see any reason to settle down. He is even willing to bet that marriage isn't in the cards at all for him.
Agent Calli Morlani came to Wayback on a mission: to bring Stella Ridge back to Hollywood. When Stella refuses, she dares Calli to take in some local color and see what Wayback has to offer. Whether that includes Stella's devastatingly charming brother becomes irrevelant once Calli finds herself in bed with him - in more ways than one…
Will it take a tough city girl to make the Wayback playboy finally fall long and hard? Or will Keefe give Calli a reason to stay? Place your bet!
Excerpt:
“Are you a gift from God or do they make all the men like you around here?”
“What’re you talking about?” he asked with a chuckle, threading his fingers through hers and pulling her close, navel to navel.
“You ride a horse like a Trojan warrior,” she pointed out. “You happen to look like one, too, minus the hat and boots. You’re ninety-nine-point-nine-nine percent charm. And you also happen to be a fabulous dancer.” She tilted her head curiously. “All that’s missing is ‘Great Kisser.’”
He lowered his lips. They brushed hers as he murmured, “Got that covered.”
Her eyes drifted to a close while he lingered a breath away, teasing her. That fresh smell of his wrapped her close and warm. “Of course, you do.” Her lips parted under his to accept the full depth of his smoldering kiss. The hands she’d twined at the nape of his neck fell limp on his collar. Her head bowed back into his cupped palm as his tongue danced over hers in firm, languid strokes.
Heart pattering, breath stalling, she hardly noticed the hum that escaped her throat. His hand was trekking down her back, long fingers inciting the skin underneath the zipper of her dress.
The song ended, but she didn’t break away from him when applause sounded around them and people began to nudge past them on and off the dance floor. His hands gripped her hips as the kiss intensified.
Good God.
BET IT ON MY HEART (c) Amber Leigh WilliamsRead the complete Ridge saga: Book I, Blackest Heart (1st Place More Than Magic Novella), is available now for just $3.00! Also now available in The Way Back Home paperback anthology - Three Cowboys -n- One! Book II, Bluest Heart, is available now for just $3.75.
Get your copy of Book III, Bet It On My Heart, and be the first to read Keefe and Calli's story for $4.00! Learn more at The Cozy Page...
Praise for this trilogy:
"Super-charged and dynamic. I could not put this book down. It was mesmerizing to read. I truly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it to everyone."
- The Romance Studio
“…touching, contemporary story… a very touching relationship. I was especially drawn to Judd whose silence and actions spoke volumes. I felt that Judd’s quiet nature was a brilliant choice by the author as it made him even more intriguing and demonstrated the author’s ability to convey emotion and the story through actions and other characters. Blackest Heart is a wonderful story with characters that will touch the heart and I for one am glad I got the chance to read it."
- Long & Short Reviews
“Ms Williams has a good writing style; polished and confident, and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future. Definitely recommended.”
- Writers & Readers of Distinctive Fiction
"Stella Ridge discovers that home sweet home and the arms of a strong, quiet cowboy are just what she needs to get her life and heart going again in Amber Leigh Williams’s fantastic Wayback tale- Blackest Heart. With a wonderful cast of supporting characters, including Stella’s adorable brothers, Stella and Judd will warm your heart and make you believe in the wonder of sweet homecomings."
- Marguerite Arotin, author of One Enchanted Summer and Return of the Prodigal Daughter
"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
The reviews are slowly trickling in for Sleeping With Skeletons. So far I've had a 'Best Book' review at LASR, and SWS was also voted 'Best Book of the Week' there. I was given a 'You Gotta Read' review at You Gotta Read. Both of those are the highest ratings those sites give. Romantic Times Magazine even gave SWS a good review, which is like getting gold out of a coal mine. And now I have a Five Heart Review from The Romance Studio, which is their highest rating. Tastes differ, of course, and so I'm really thrilled by all these great reviews to date. Here's what The Romance Studio wrote about Sleeping With Skeletons: