Beth Williamson’s Blog

I have to say that I am always excited to get a new book cover, especially when Scott Carpenter is doing them. Here’s my new cover for The Tribute, book 6 of the Malloy family series:

Isn’t it gorgeous? I think he totally nailed the characters on this one too. There’s Brett, the intense quiet brother in the shadows with a lasso… (wish I had a cowboy smilie).

Then there’s Alex, the heroine - a thirty-year-old unwed doctor who is still as sexy as she ever was. She’s in the light, and he’s the darkness.

I love it!! I’m posting yon blurb again for y’all. The release date is March 27.

Can a man who lives in the shadows and a woman who lives in the light find a place to belong together?

Book Six of the Malloy family series

Brett Malloy has always been considered a loner, a man apart from the Malloy clan. Quiet, reserved and intense, Brett hides from the world on his new ranch with only an ex-gunslinger and a runaway boy for company. When circumstances put him flat on his back, his childhood crush, Doctor Alexandra Brighton arrives to nurse him back to health.

Alex has always loved Brett despite the fact that a more difficult man couldn’t be found on the face of the earth. A woman who firmly believes everyone should live life to the fullest, Alex takes Brett’s quiet surliness as a mission. She’s going to teach him what it means to live, and how to find love and passion in the most unexpected places.

When rancher King Dawson claims Alex as his own, Brett has to choose between the darkness of his shadows and the light of Alex’s love.

Oh, I might get on my soap box here… look out, the wordsmith/word nerd is in town!

As a writer and reader, I love words. Interesting, new, unique, whatever, they all fascinate me. I also love to hear people speak, the cadence, the inflection, the enunciation - all of it. It comes through in my writing too - my characters will say “gonna” or “I aim to”, or “She’s fixin’ to” and things like that. It’s part of being human, part of culture and history.

So what’s my rant about? Why it’s spelling errors on signs. If I see a sign anywhere (building, car, window, etc.) it had better be spelled right. Lately I’ve noticed a rash of bad spelling and it annoys my inner word nerd.

For example… there’s a church I pass by every day on my way home. I believe it’s a Baptist church (there’s lots of those down here) and each week, they change the sign outside to catch people’s attention. It’s one of those signs that you put big plastic letters on. Without fail, at least once a month, there’s a spelling error. From a church! Unfortunately it’s not the only church I’ve seen with this spelling problems either.

Driving to work last week I saw this large pick-up truck with a cap that had a painstakingly perfect sign on the back (those stick-on letters that you buy at Home Depot) for a home improvement business. The word improvement was spell “IMPROVMENT”. Sigh…

Here’s another one. At a gas station in Georgia a sign in block letters made on someone’s computer… “PLAY GEORGIA LOTTREY HELP EDUCATION”. *slaps forehead*

I’m not asking for perfection here people, but can people check the dictionary? Or go into their favorite word processing program and do a spell check at least?

Now for me (and my poor kids) I’m also a stickler for proper grammar from my children. Don’t say “ain’t got no” in my house. Yes, I know, dork. I don’t impose that on anyone else but if you’re going to advertise (face it that’s what signs are for) check your spelling!!

Rant over. I just had to let that one out. Anyone else have a weird, wacky rant?

On His Knees got its first review, and it’s a good ‘un. Five Blue Ribbons from Romance Junkies! Woohoo!!

Here’s a snippet of what Natasha, the reviewer, has to say.

“ON HIS KNEES took me on an emotional ride. Highly intense, infinitely provocative, and extremely eye opening, I read it cover to cover in one sitting… ON HIS KNEES, by Beth Williamson, shows her versatility as an author to the nth power. I first began to read Ms. Williamson as a writer of western historical romances and with each release, I stand in awe at her ability to make me feel, want, and need with each of her characters. I can’t wait to see what she releases next!”

You can read the whole thing here.

Oh yeah, doing the happy dance!

Okay so I work in a corporate office with a nice ladies restroom. Clean, well-maintained and even has fancy faucets. I don’t expect to see a tiny spider in the toilet as I’m flushing it. It could have crawled on me!!!

Spiders! My worse enemy in the creepy, crawly world. *shudder* I absolutely freak out when there’s a spider on me…

There was the time that I picked up my son at elementary school, parked under a tree with the windows down a few inches. It was a beautiful day. When I was at a stoplight waiting to turn back onto the main road, what crawls up my leg? Oh you guessed it, a spider! Gah!! I freaked out, my foot came off the brake. I’m yelling and batting at my leg. My son, who at the time I think was around 8, is trying to figure out what’s going on. The next thing I know, BUMP. My car bumped into the lady’s car in front of me.

*slaps forehead*

Fortunately no damage and an understanding woman. I am such a wus when it comes to spiders. Funny thing is we have a huge spider in the back of the house (screened in porch) who weaves these three foot webs, then takes them apart every couple of days. For some unknown reason, I haven’t insisted she be killed - did I mention we named her Charlotte? Perhaps that’s why I haven’t insisted she be eliminated - she hasn’t tried to get INTO the house.

Spiders in the house, nope, nope, nope. I don’t want ANY bugs in my house. Totally squicks me out. I got rid of the huge four foot black snake under my porch, but a tiny spider? I freak out.

Anybody else out there have something like spiders that squick them out? Anyone? Don’t tell me I’m alone and dorky.

Lots of happenings in the next month… today’s pleasure is twofold. First, my fellow Writers Across Time and I are going to be at Joyfully Reviewed Yahoo loop chatting. Here’s the line-up:

12:00 -2:00 - Melissa Schroeder, Phyllis Campbell
2:00 - 4:00 - Beth Williamson, Meg Allison
4:00 - 6:00 - Vicki Gaia
6:00 - 8:00 - Leslie Dicken, Denise Patrick, Anne Whitfield
8:00 - 9:00 - Anne, Ingela Hyatt

I’m also going to be pop in to join Treva Harte from Loose Id at the Cobblestone Press Historical Workshop around lunch time. Hope to see y’all sometime today!

I do have some delicious new bookmarks to give away!!!