Please join me in welcoming the talented and stunning, Amber Leigh Williams to Under the Covers with Lynne. I’ll scoot over *pats mattress* I promise not to bite, well, unless you ask nicely.
First important question. Silk, satin, cotton, flannel. What is your sheet of choice and why?
ALW: Oh, definitely the flannel! I used to think silk but there is something hot about flannel. Doesn’t it just bring to mind sexy lumberjacks? No, just me? All right, but that’s my final answer ;)
LR: There’s something about flannel that invites you in to cuddle. So I see you’re a Saint’s fan based on the football jersey. Is that what you usually wear to bed?
ALW: Yes
LR: Calories don’t count at a slumber party. What snacks would you like?
ALW: No slumber party is complete without popcorn and twizzlers. That way you get the calories and the sugar rush all rolled into one.
LR: I love twizzlers! Bring on the calories and the sugar rush. Okay. Truth or dare?
ALW: Truth. Yes, I’m chicken and have nothing to hide
LR: Tell us something not very many people know.
ALW: Twizzlers aside, I’m not all that into sweets. Pass the Doritos!
LR: Doritos! You’d get alone fine at my house. What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?
ALW: I think I climbed onto the roof of my friend’s two-story house once. Hence, my fear of heights.
LR: Yeah, me and heights don’t see eye to eye either. ; ) Let’s get down to the nitty gritty. What would you consider a romantic date?
ALW: The most romantic date I’ve ever been on was the third date with my husband. We ate out at a really nice seafood restaurant and then sat on a moonlit beach for an hour talking and listening to the waves roll onshore. I think I could have told him anything in that setting. It’s no wonder that was the night we both brought up the big L.O.V.E.
LR: Ah, sounds lovely! If you could take a date anywhere in the world, where would it be?
ALW: Paris. On top of the Eiffel Tower. We’d have a table for two and would do nothing but drink wine and eat cheese all night. Cue the Parisian theme!
LR: What is the best pick-up line someone has ever tried on you? Did it work?
ALW: “How do you like your eggs in the morning?” It didn’t work, but it made me laugh!
LR: Well, gotta give him kudos for making you laugh! What is your favorite season?
ALW: Spring here on the Gulf Coast is absolutely beautiful, but autumn at the lakehouse is spectacular so it depends on where I am.
LR: If you could have any car, which would it be?
ALW: That would be one of the new Chevy Camaros in green. I’d call her Elphie (from Wicked).
LR: My boyfriend is a big Camaro fan! Who is your favorite actor?
ALW: I think Nathan Fillion is fabulous! I’m a fan of both Castle and Firefly. He’s also a sci-fi geek, which is a passion we share. You don’t get much hotter than Gerard Butler and Alan Rickman, though, in my opinion.
LR: Who is your favorite actress?
ALW: It’s a tie between Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan. They are both fantastic actresses who have done some great creative work at a young age. I think they’ve got really exciting careers ahead of them.
LR: What is a movie you could watch over and over?
ALW: The Holiday. Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz are adorable, Jude Law is hot, and I loved Jack Black’s turn as a romantic hero—unexpected and fresh. The whole movie is so charming and gives me a feel-good feeling.
LR: I love that movie! It's up there with Love Actually in my all-time favorites! What is your favorite alcoholic drink?
ALW: I love a good margarita!
LR: Great, I’ll queue up The Holiday and we’ll sip margaritas while you answer more questions. How would you describe your writing style?
ALW: All over the place? I wish I could be one of those people who say that there’s some rhyme or rhythm to how I work, but I would be lying. I’m somewhere in between plotter and pantser. I have very little in the way of organizational process. My muse thrives in chaos. Which is perhaps why I write so many different sub-genres….
LR: Tell us about your newest release.
ALW: I’m happy to announce that my western romance trilogy was chosen to be published as an audio book collection, which launched last month at AudioLark! These books are really special to me. They’ve been so well-received and the characters have stayed with me since I completed work on them. Blackest Heart was the 1st Place More Than Magic Novella in 2009 and features silent cowboy, Judd Black—whom I adore! The sequel, Bluest Heart, is the bestselling book in the trilogy to date and features the sexiest beta hero I’ve had the pleasure to write. Bet It On My Heart is the final installment, which I’m thrilled to say is the story of the quintessential cowboy, Keefe Ridge. Readers voted his book Book of the Week at LASR! All three are available now in ebook at The Wild Rose Press and in audio at AudioLark http://www.audiolark.com/books/tag/amber-leigh-williams/
LR: Congratulations! Do you have anything in the works?
ALW: A year or so ago, I decided to try my hand at the paranormal romance genre and had so much fun doing so that I decided to write a five-part series. The first book in that series has been contracted by a literary agent and we’re looking for a published home for it while I complete work on the final books in the saga. I’m working on a contemporary revision as well as a Regency historical and planning to start work on another western romance trilogy within the next year!
LR: Wow, you’re a busy woman. Who is your favorite character in your novels?
ALW: That would probably have to be Judd Black. The readers really embraced Judd and, as a mute protagonist, he was a challenge to write. His emotions and nuances had to be filtered through descriptive detail rather than dialogue. If ever there was a mute alpha, look no further. I’m so glad Blackest Heart was chosen for audio publication because it allowed me to spend even more time with him and his heroine, Stella!
LR: If you could have lunch with one writer, who would it be?
ALW: Wow, awesome question! I would love to sit down with Nora Roberts and talk about her process. It’s so organic. I also think J.R. Ward’s writing process is fascinating! I’d give anything to pick their creative minds!
LR: Two of my favorites too! What is your favorite part of being a romance writer?
ALW: I seem to get along much better with the people in my head rather than real people. I also have a really great excuse to comb the web for eye candy. I love my job as well. It’s such a pleasure and a privilege to be able to craft someone’s HEA.
LR: Least favorite?
ALW: I may love my job but it is that: a job. I put in the same amount of work as I did when I had a day job. I don’t mind that, but there are those who don’t think writers work as hard at home as they do outside the home everyday. Which just isn’t the case. Writing takes just as much of a work ethic and discipline as any other job and it’s unfortunate how many people don’t realize that.
LR: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
ALW: My family has a lakehouse in northern Alabama and it is probably the most tranquil and creative atmosphere in the world. My muse thrives in chaos, but I thrive in a soothing environment. I would really like to retire there one day.
LR: Where can we find you now?
Readers can learn more about my books and my writing journey at my website: http://www.amberleighwilliams.com./ I update my blog, The Cozy Page, weekly: http://amberleighwilliams.blogspot.com./ Readers can network with me on Twitter and Facebook!
And now here's a blurb from BLACKEST HEART:
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.
Excerpt: Here’s a hot one!
He needed a drink.
Pulling a glass down from the cabinet, he dropped a few chunks of ice into it then found the bottle of whiskey he kept in the liquor cabinet. The door shut behind him, but he didn’t look up. Safer not to look at her while he was working to tether the humming beast in his blood.
Her heels clacked across the wood floor. He smelled her a moment before she propped a hip against the counter next to him. He sipped his whiskey, careful not to look at her.
Stella reached for the whiskey bottle. Before he could get her a glass, she tipped it up to her mouth and drank it straight, glowing green eyes on his. He waited until she set the bottle down. When she raised her hand to wipe her mouth, he latched onto it, holding it away. Before he could tell himself it was crazy, before he could convince himself it wasn’t a smart move, his mouth was on hers, devouring her.
Her taste was devastating. Whiskey and champagne and the underlying thrill of Stella. He couldn’t believe he was doing it. Arm wrapped around her waist, he pulled her hard against him. His tongue scraped over hers, hands roaming over her long, slim back. A hum sounded deep in her throat. The boil in his loins turned to fire. The flames ignited his blood, turning reason to ash. He had only one clear thought.
She was his. Stella Ridge was his.
She melted into the kiss, letting it come like she’d expected it, wanted it, waited for it. He pushed her back against the counter, pressing his body against hers. Fingers dived into the taut knot on the back of her head, prying it apart until her hair spilled into his palm, free. Her arms wound around his neck, bringing him close, though he couldn’t get any closer. There wasn’t room for breath between them. His heart raged against hers, pumping like a mad machine.
He thought of taking her here in the kitchen. On the bar. On the floor. The closest flat surface. He opened his eyes to see hers. Her dreamy green irises were hooded, half-closed. Looking into their languid depths, he knew it couldn’t be that way. It would be hot. It would be fast. But he’d be damned if it was going to be nothing but a thoughtless romp on his kitchen counter.
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