BET IT ON MY HEART Audio Debut!

It's here! The final addition to the Wayback Ridge audio collection, Bet It On My Heart! Get it today at AudioLark for just $2.49 before it goes back to its regular $7.99 listing tomorrow....

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!

To hear an excerpt read by narrator Betsy Navilier, click here....

What People Are Saying About Bet It On My Heart...

Night Owl Romance: Keefe and Calli are two people definitely so opposite from each yet the same in so many ways. They may see from different sides of the world but Wayback has a way of bringing to soul mates together. Amber Leigh did a beautiful job in bringing other characters to life like Stella and Keefe’s brothers. This was definitely a great story and can’t wait for more from this talented author.

Long & Short Reviews: Fantastic writing, sizzling dialogue, and an unforgettable story make Bet It On My Heart a must read. Be sure to pencil this title onto your TBR list for some quality time in the reading chair. I can’t wait for more in this series, as well as anything from the library of Ms. Williams, who has become one of my must read authors. She wrings every single emotion possible from your heart, only to put the pieces back together again with a shiny red bow. It’s an emotional journey that leaves one heck of an impression, which is what every fantastic romance should strive for.

Fallen Angel Reviews: Tempers flare but hearts win out in Bet It on My Heart. Amber Leigh Williams does a fantastic job mixing former characters into this current storyline. They are all loveable and frustrating just like real family members. I enjoyed the chemistry and sexual tension between Calli and Keefe. This is an HEA read you can bet on.

Visit AudioLark to purchase the complete Ridge family saga in audio today, starting with 1st Place Novella Blackest Heart and its antipicated sequel, Bluest Heart!

And if you missed yesterday's exclusive excerpt from Bet It On My Heart at Chatting with Anna Kathryn, be sure to click on over and check it out...

Contest - Your Recipe Could be Published

To help promote my December 2010 release A GIFT BEYOND ALL MEASURE, I’m going to do a FREE companion cookbook. Tessa Jones is a cook for a ranch, so there’s a lot of cooking going on in the story. My publisher is putting two recipes with the book, but I still have a lot of food mentioned and wanted to do something different for promotion.

Here’s where the contest comes in: I’m going to put five contest recipes into the cookbook, along with bios on the winners, including website links.

To enter, send up to three recipes (sent separately) to Happyendings2007@aol.com by midnight September 30th. The recipes can be any category: appetizers, salads, soups, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, breads, cookies….whatever. I’ll have a panel of family and friends look over the recipes and vote on their top choices. The five with the most votes will go into the cookbook.

The cookbook itself will be a PDF and will available for free via my website and however else I can figure out to get it out there.

Here’s a chance to get your favorite recipe and your name out there.

Anna Kathryn Lanier


http://www.aklanier.com/
http://annakathrynlanier.blogspot.com/
Where Tumbleweeds Hang Their Hats

Driving with Pink Fuzzy Slippers on!

It's my turn as part of the Class of '85 reunion authors to blog at the Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers today! I'm talking about my new release, Corvette Confessions, and that one person you may have left behind in high school.

Please (yes, I'm not opposed to begging) come over and visit today and let me know if there was one boy in your high school past that might have been the one that got away!

http://www.pinkfuzzyslipperwriters.blogspot.com/

Digital Products Affecting All Torstar Businesses (from TheStar.com)

Digital products affecting all Torstar businesses - thestar.com

Just more proof that the waves haven't finished being felt around the industry with regard to the digital revolution. Phew!

The Brat.avi

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!)

Check out the Corvette at WRP!!

Available now!

Class of '85 Series

Have you ever been in the right place at the wrong time?

Dumped at the senior spring dance, AJ, who’d always been more into softball and shop class than cheerleading and pep squad, escaped the crowd to mope in the Corvette on loan to the class for the semester. When Greg Roberts unexpectedly joined her, his attempts to cheer her worked—too well. She might have even confessed her love that night if Greg’s longtime girlfriend hadn’t come looking for him.

Twenty-five hard years later, forced to come to the reunion by her best friend, AJ escapes back to her favorite class, only to find the exact Corvette—a little worn and faded—sitting right where she’d left it. Fond memories turn into reality when Greg shows up at her driver’s side window again—and déjà vu takes on a whole new meaning.

Available now at The Wild Rose Press.

And the reviews are already coming in!

5 DIAMOND REVIEW from Gemstone Reviews!!

"Stacy Dawn weaves a great story...I enjoyed this book and would definately recommend it to all."
Read full review here: http://www.gemstonereviews.com/site_page.aspx?pageid=43

4 Tea Cups from Happily Ever After Reviews!

Ms. Dawn's characters are delightful and well grounded as the story unfolds in the front seat of the corvette, which is as much a character and personality in it's own right. I loved the description of the memories being kept in the box, which is gradually prised open as the conversation moves over the last twenty-five years. Written in the first person from AJ's pov, we still get as much emotion from Greg from his actions and expressions, as we do from AJ. A quick read, it is a powerful a story as some longer ones.
~Happily Every After Reviews
http://hea-reviews.blogspot.com/2010/09/review-corvette-confessions-by-stacy.html

EXCERPT:

“Ma’am, I’m going to need to see your driver’s license and registration, please.”

Twenty-five years sucked me back through a narrow tunnel and my heart pounded along with the thunder of sudden time-travel beating against my eardrums.

The light lowered to reveal honey-brown eyes crinkled in amusement. The overlap of youth and maturity flickered back and forth until my eyes came to focus on a handsome face, the grace of silver kissing the edges of thick, sandy-blonde hair.

I fumbled for the volume dial without taking my eyes from him. “G-Greg?”

A chuckle came from the wide smile. “Sorry, A.J., I couldn’t resist.”

“It’s A…J…” I trailed off from the automatic correction when I realized he’d gotten my name right. He remembered? And remembered more than just the way he surprised me last time, too.

Through the windshield, I watch him shut off and set down the Trouble light. I quickly tamed my mussed up hair and snagged my purse back from the passenger seat as I followed his progress around the hood of the Corvette. I don’t think I actually pulled in a breath until his weight in the bucket seat shifted the vehicle and kicked my lungs back into survival mode.

Long seconds went by as he contemplated me with those twinkling eyes.

“Don’t know about you,” he finally said, “but I’m having a bit of déjà vu here.”

You have no idea.


Available now at The Wild Rose Press.

Don't Look Back Out Today!

YEARS ago, I had a dream about Jack Bauer. Terrorists were coming and we needed Jack and he wanted no part of it. (Who could blame him?) In my dream, a kick-butt heroine kidnapped him and convinced him he was needed.

Then I woke up. And for a couple of years I tried to work that dream into a story. I don’t remember where I came up with the idea for Africa, except that it seemed dark and mysterious. Two movies provided me with my character backstories: Clive Owen’s Beyond Borders, about a doctor who ended up providing intelligence (among other things) to the CIA while working in dangerous parts of the world, and Bruce Willis’s Tears of the Sun, where an Army Ranger (I think) tries to rescue a village from warlords in Africa. I gave my heroine Clive’s backstory, with a lot more motivation, and Del has Bruce’s, with a less cheery ending.

Instead of Jack Bauer, I used Gerard Delaney, circa Reign of Fire, as the model for Del, and Evangeline Lilly (Kate from LOST) as the model for Liv.

This book took a long time to come together, and was inspired by many different things, but I’m very pleased with the final result.

If you write, where does your inspiration come from? If you’re a reader, do you like hearing about how inspiration strikes?

I'm having a contest on my Facebook Fan Page--come play!

BLACKEST HEART Audio Debut!

Today at AudioLark the first book in the Wayback Ridge Trilogy, Blackest Heart (1st Place More Than Magic Novella) debuts in audio book....

America’s Sweetheart, Stella Ridge has been away from Wayback for fifteen years paving her way to the top of the acting business. When a car accident leaves her physically and emotionally scarred, the only place she wants to go is home to Texas and her family’s ranch.

The changes that have taken place since her departure are enough to rock her world again. She uncovers a buried tragedy, struggles with the penetrating stares and questions from townsfolk, and comes up against an intriguing and unexpected spark with the silent cowboy and champion bull rider, Judd Black. Their wounded souls draw them together and Stella begins to realize that only in him can she find the solace she sought by leaving the bright lights of Hollywood.

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

What People Are Saying About Blackest Heart....

This story is absolute perfection! From the beautiful setting to the well thought out plot to one of the sexiest heroes I've had the pleasure to read in a long time. I loved everything about this story. My only complaint is that it was too short...I wanted it to go on and on! And I'll never be able to hear that silly phrase "I tapped that" without laughing myself sick. Sexy, funny, and wonderfully heartwarming, Blackest Heart is a definite keeper. And the best part? There's two more stories in this incredible series featuring Stella's yummy brothers!! - Donna Marie Rogers, author of Meant To Be and Golden Opportunity

I’m not a great Western/ cowboy fan myself but this story went a long way towards converting me. 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

In this touching contemporary story, when a young actress returns home following a car accident that has left her scarred she finds healing and love in the arms of a quiet cowboy… 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 and Short Reviews

The tensions and conflicts with others made the couple seem even more real. The sensuality was 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

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

At AudioLark, forget about paying over $20 for an audio book. Blackest Heart is available for just $7.99! Get your copy here!

(And don't forget to look for Books II (Bluest Heart) and III (Bet It On My Heart) from the Wayback Ridge Trilogy in audio later this month!)

Contest

Isn't this a beautiful cover!

FOR MERCY'S SAKE is available for early release at The Wild Rose Press and Amazon.com. To celebrate, I'm having a contest! Send an e-mail to author@carolaspradling.com and you'll be entered to win an autographed copy. At 5:00 on Sept.12, I'll draw the winning name at random. Good Luck!


Here's a taste of what's inside:

Loud shouts and screams arose in the distance, and several people ran with buckets to nearby horse troughs. White-gray smoke seeped from under his office door, and Daniel and Anna raced to the building. Once there, he reached for the knob then jerked his hand away. Padding his palm with his coat, he pushed it open. Heat scorched the air and thick clouds billowed around him as he raced inside. “Seth!”

“Where is he?” Anna followed him. Coughing and squinting, she made out Daniel's hazy shadow slapping at the blaze as he tried to push past the smoke. A table skidded to the side as he shoved it from his path. Papers sitting atop the boxes Seth had brought from the back ignited as sparks spit from the ceiling. Daniel's image vanished into a black roll of soot and smoke. Tears momentarily blinded her. She blinked to see angry flames licking the backroom door.

“Seth!” she cried. Irate flares thrashed through crevices above her. The walls crackled and popped, and she strained to hear her husband's voice.

“Daniel!” A voice shouted from the chaos.

“Seth? Where are you?” he yelled, standing a mere foot from a blazing bookcase. Ashen pages fluttered upward, attacking his head and shoulders.

“In here.” Seth's voice rasped against the roar of the inferno. The solid wood vibrated as something collided against it, yet the bolt held firm. Metal pinged against the hinge to free its hold, but Seth's desperate grunts faded. Frantic coughing and gasping ended as glass shattered.

“Seth!” Anna screamed.

“Anna, get out of here,” Daniel shouted.

He glanced around. An overturned table ignited, and he ran to it. Kicking at the leg, it fell to one side. Minimally equipped, he rammed the broken leg against the secured bolt.

White plumes wafted upward between the floor planks. The small shoots darkened and grew.

“Anna! Leave! Now!”

A fireball bounced from his head to his shoulder, yet he continued to pound the lock.

“Daniel!” Anna shouted. “The ceiling's collapsing!”

It started with a tremble and the roof crumbled in sections. Live towers of heat and flames streaked sideways. The center of the roof exploded as he shoved her toward the door.

“Seth!” She threw herself against Daniel's shoulder.

He pushed her backward, unrelenting until he forced her outside. She stumbled and he fell with her, his weight pinned her to the ground. Over his head, flames screeched the last of their war cry as the walls and the roof crumbled in behind them.

CarolASpradling.com