First Lines...

"Everyone has a secret life. Perhaps yours is merely a gossamer web of thoughts and fantasies woven in the hidden furrows of your mind. Or furtive deeds performed on the sly or betrayals large and small that, if revealed, would change how you are perceived."

Dracula in Love by Karen Essex

(coming August 2010)

This is Victorian Vampire Wonderful!

Memoir Mondays... Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose by Tony Hsieh

Delivering Happiness:

A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose

by Tony Hsieh

I saw an interesting segment on one of the major television networks a few Sunday mornings ago... it was about the online retailer Zappos.com, the guy who started the company, Tony Hsieh, and his innovative ideas about making Zappos.com one of the best places to work. It seems like it's working too! It made Fortune magazines "best" list for 2009. Zappos.com is a huge online presence. It's the Amazon.com of shoes. But it's not just about shoes anymore. Zappos is clothing, sporting equipment, and even a baby shop... And now we can read about it in Tony Hsieh's book, Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose. Here's what the publisher has to say about the book...

Pay brand-new employees $2,000 to quit

Make customer service the responsibility of the entire company-not just a department

Focus on company culture as the #1 priority

Apply research from the science of happiness to running a business

Help employees grow-both personally and professionally

Seek to change the world

Oh, and make money too . . .

Sound crazy? It's all standard operating procedure at Zappos, the online retailer that's doing over $1 billion in gross merchandise sales annually. After debuting as the highest-ranking newcomer in Fortune magazine's annual "Best Companies to Work For" list in 2009, Zappos was acquired by Amazon in a deal valued at over $1.2 billion on the day of closing.

In DELIVERING HAPPINESS, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh shares the different lessons he has learned in business and life, from starting a worm farm to running a pizza business, through LinkExchange, Zappos, and more. Fast-paced and down-to-earth, DELIVERING HAPPINESS shows how a very different kind of corporate culture is a powerful model for achieving success-and how by concentrating on the happiness of those around you, you can dramatically increase your own.

Sounds like a rags to riches tale to me, and so interesting. But his message isn't just about profits, but about creating a happiness in the workforce and in ones own life. This is definitely on my TBR list!

The Sunday Salon..."Books with Buzz"

It's Sunday! Welcome to The Sunday Salon! Pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of joe and relax! The Sunday Salon is where hundreds of bloggers gather together virtually to chat about all the bookish things that happened this week.

One of the exciting things to happen this week in the "eReader world" was the price war between Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Borders. It started with Barnes & Noble lowering the price of The Nook (with Wi-Fi & 3G) to $199 from the original $259. Amazon almost immediately lowered the price of the Kindle to $189, which was originally $249. Sony then dropped their Sony Touch eReader to $199, down from $250 and then Borders jumped in by not lowering their price on the Kobo, but giving a $20 gift card along with doubling the Borders Bucks for any new Kobo purchased. You can read all about it in my June 22nd post, and I've also included links to all the eReaders mentioned. So, if you were thinking about an eReader, now seems the time to buy one!

Karin Slaughter fans were happy this week as her new book, Broken, was released. Bringing back her characters from Undone, Karin weaves mystery

& suspense together with murder to give us another thriller based in Georgia. Last August I read & reviewed Undone and really enjoyed it! It was the first Karin Slaughter book I had read and I am looking forward to reading more! Like to read this on your Kindle? This book is Kindle Ready! Janet Evanovich fans were happy too, as her 16th Stephanie Plum novel, Sizzling Sixteen, came out this week! If you are unfamiliar with the Stephanie Plum novels, they're kind of like chick-lit noir. Stephanie is a plucky girl working for her cousin Vinny as a bail bondswoman in New Jersey. She's got brains and lots of luck, she's funny and her life is filled with lighthearted adventures... and of course romance. If you want to start at the beginning of this series, One for The Money is it. Her Stephanie Plum novels are numbered "One for the Money", "Two for the Show", etc. For fun Janet Evanovich usually has a contest on her website to name her next book too.

There were a few books that I've had my eye on for a while that were released this week...

The Sisters from Hardscrabble Bay by Beverly Jensen... It's a tale of two sisters spanning 70 years as they live and love and travel from Canada to New England. It's gotten wonderful buzz. Unfortunately Beverly Jensen died before it was published. Here's what the publisher writes... In 1916, Idella and Avis Hillock are children living on the edge of a windy bluff in New Brunswick – a hardscrabble world of potato farms and lobster traps, rough men, hard work, and baffling beauty. In The Sisters from Hardscrabble Bay, we follow them, along with the ornery men in their lives, through tragedy and comedy, all the way to old age. Relationships between sisters can be difficult, loving, competitive. I look forward to seeing how the relationship between Idella and Avis develope over 70 years! BTW, This book is Kindle Ready!

The Lovers by Vendela Vida... Here's how Indie Bound described The Lovers, "a stunning novel about the love between husbands and wives, mothers and children. Twenty-eight years ago, Peter and Yvonne honeymooned in the beautiful coastal village of DatÇa, Turkey. Now Yvonne is a widow, her twin children grown. Hoping to immerse herself in memories of a happier time—as well as sand and sea—Yvonne returns to DatÇa. But her plans for a restorative week in Turkey are quickly complicated. Instead of comforting her, her memories begin to trouble her. Her vacation rental's landlord and his bold, intriguing wife—who share a curious marital arrangement—become constant uninvited visitors, in and out of the house. Overwhelmed by the past and unexpectedly dislocated by the environment, Yvonne clings to a newfound friendship with Ahmet, a local boy who makes his living as a shell collector. With Ahmet as her guide, Yvonne gains new insight into the lives of her own adult children, and she finally begins to enjoy the shimmering sea and relaxed pace of the Turkish coast. But a devastating accident upends her delicate peace and throws her life into chaos—and her sense of self into turmoil." I thought it would be interesting to see Yvonne's memories of her youth compared with the present as she tried to travel back in time. * BTW, This book is Kindle Ready!

Looking ahead to next week, James Patterson along with Maxine Paetro have a thriller coming out called Private. What's it about?... "Former CIA agent Jack Morgan is already deep into the investigation of a multi-million dollar NFL gambling scandal and the unsolved slayings of 18 schoolgirls when he learns of a horrific murder close to home: his best friend's wife, Jack's former lover, has been killed."

Tess Gerritsen, a favorite thrill writer of mine, has a new book coming out, Ice Cold, starring homicide detective Jane Rizzoli ( I just love her!) and medical examiner Maura Isles... "Boston medical examiner Maura Isles is in Wyoming for a conference. Impulsively, she joins an old friend and his daughter on a ski trip. When their vehicle breaks down, they’re stranded in the eerily named Kingdom Come, a small community whose residents appear to have vanished. Then Maura vanishes. The announcement of her death shocks homicide detective Jane Rizzoli, Maura’s close friend. Investigating Kingdom Come, Rizzoli uncovers dark secrets that may explain Maura’s disappearance." *BTW, Jane & Maura are coming to television! TNT will premier the television series this coming July. It's called Rizzoli & Isles, it will take place in Boston, and the pilot episode will be taken from Tess Gerritsen's book The Apprentice. If you want to start from the beginning with Jane Rizzoli, read The Surgeon first. *BTW, Ice Cold is Kindle Ready! And so are The Surgeon & The Apprentice!

As far as what I'm reading this week... I've got my nose in Into The Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea and am loving it! The story takes place in a small dusty Mexican town where all the men left to go north for work. The women in the village are wonderful, and when banditos threaten to take over the little town, 19 year-old Nayeli along with three of her friends, go in search of help. The writing is wonderful, and Urrea's descriptions of the surroundings is so vivid. *Psst...Look for a review and a GIVEAWAY for this soon!

And it's still June, and that means it's still audiobook month! On my iPod, I'm listening to Stuart Woods' Hot Mahogany, and it is fabulous! It's got that old time detective story feel to it, with Lawyer turned sleuth Stone Barrington, the theft of a piece of antique furniture, women falling for the hero, and a great side kick. Tony Roberts is the narrator and his voice is perfect for this crime noir! I'll be giving you the full scoop when I've finished.

AND, If you haven't yet, there's still a few days left to enter the GIVEAWAY for Knight of Passion by Margaret Mallory! Giveaway ends monday, June 28th at midnight!

What have you been reading?! Listening to any audiobooks lately? Share what books have caught your attention! I'd Love to know what you've found this week! In the meantime, I hope you found something that peaked your interest here!

Happy reading... Suzanne

First Lines...

"God is a slick God. Temple knows. She knows because of all the crackerjack miracles still to be seen on this ruined globe."

The Reapers Are The Angels by Alden Bell

(coming August 2010)

The Kindle Korner & eReader Price Wars...

Interested in a eReader? This may be the time to buy. Yesterday, there was a bit of a price war going on in the eReader market... First Barnes & Noble announced their Nook eReader with Wi-Fi & 3G would be priced at $199 (down from $259). And the Nook with Wi-Fi only price is $149. No sooner did Barnes & Noble make their announcement, then Amazon jumped on the band wagon. The Kindle 2, the latest generation model, with global 3G coverage is now priced at $189 (down from $249)! And of course the Kobo eReader, Borders new eReader offering, is priced at $149. With those eReaders, you still have more choices- The Sony Touch priced at $199 (down from $250), The Sony Pocket priced at $170, and coming soon the Aluratek Libre (7/20 from Borders) so far priced at $120. Here are the links to check out all these great bargains...

• Nook eReader with Wi-Fi & 3G($199) & Wi-Fi only($149)... Barnes & Noble
• Kindle 2 with Global 3G Coverage ($189).... Amazon
• Kobo eReader ($149)................................... Borders

*Update on the Kobo eReader! As of 6/22 until ? you should get a $20 gift card with your Kobo eReader purchase. Look for it when ordering.

• The Sony Touch eReader ($199)................. Sony
• The Sony Pocket eReader ($170)................ Sony
• The Aluratek Libre (coming 7/20 "$120"). Borders

While you are at the websites, you can find more information on what each of these eReaders offers. The Nook, Kobo, Sony & Aluratek eReaders are ePub friendly. ePub (electronic publication) seems to be the standard form for eBooks. Kindle does not support ePub, they have their own format supported by books you buy at the Amazon site.

Do I have a preference? I love my Kindle 2, but if I want to read books in the ePub format I needed another eReader. I bought a Sony Pocket eReader for that purpose, and have enjoyed using it. I decided I would try the Kobo eReader because it's design is similar to the Kindle2, and I really like the Kobo book site to buy eBooks. I just received my Kobo eReader in the mail on thursday (review coming soon...) and I really am liking it. There are some draw backs, such as speed ( it is SLOW when loading your books), but the feel is similar to the Kindle and it is light! Do you have an eReader yet?! Share what one you like and why!

*Oh and just a note here, if you are interested in buying the Sony Pocket eReader after looking into all the choices, you can buy the Sony eReaders from Borders, BUT the price reduction (for now) on the Sony Pocket eReader is only if you buy it directly from the Sony Store.

Muffins & Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life by Suzanne Beecher... A Review

Suzanne Beecher's Recipe Box is filled with

the Necessities of Life-

Stories to help keep her Grounded

and Recipes for Good Stuff to Eat...

She Shares some of that in Muffins & Mayhem...

A few words that immediately come to mind after reading Suzanne Beecher's memoir, Muffins & Mayhem: Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life are charming, inspiring. Suzanne welcomes you into her life, and with humor and a bit of melancholy at times, she shares her everyday triumphs, her fears & joys and those kinds of moments that we ALL can relate to! I laughed as I read about Suzanne's mother making her freeze the laundry before ironing when she was young (Suzanne does say this works),or when she tells us about her new found "critter friends" when she moves from Wisconsin to Florida, imagine flour weevils organizing a rescue mission or squirrel psychology (the stories are hilarious!). But then life isn't always rosy, and I cried as Suzanne tells us about her bitter sweet goodbye to her estranged father who was dying. She is inspiring as she shares with us her thoughts about life, and this is how she feeds our souls. But she also feeds our appetites as her memoir is filled literally with "Recipes for Life"!

Here's what the publisher has to say about Muffins & Mayhem... Suzanne Beecher’s happy, loving voice has brought more than 350,000 people to her online book club at DearReader.com, where her daily column offers her candid, thought-provoking reflections on life, inspiring countless readers to look at their "ordinary" lives in a new way. By turns funny and poignant, Suzanne is the reassuring friend across the kitchen table with a refreshing, jaunty attitude about life, even in the face of whatever difficulties it may bring. Suzanne has had her own share of troubles to overcome. Left home alone at an early age, she struggled with difficult and distant parents, dealt with heartbreak, became a hard-working single mom, and overcame two substance addictions and a physical impairment. But along the way, she found comfort in baking and sharing food with her friends and family. She learned to take the good with the bad, and her life is now inspiring proof that faith and persistence are the keys to success.

I had never read Suzanne's daily column at DearReader.com, but I had heard some buzz about her book, Muffins & Mayhem, and wanted to read it! A BIG Thank you goes to Ashley of Simon & Schuster, who sent me a copy of Muffins & Mayhem: Recipes for a Happy (if disorderfly) Life! I could relate to so many of Suzanne's "adventures", and her challenges tugged at my heart, but also gave me hope as I saw her persevere. Her writing is fresh, honest, as if you've known her all your life. You can read this book in one big sitting or you can nibble at it a little at a time, enjoying a story here and there... The book flows easily as you read, but the stories themselves can be enjoyed individually as well. And the recipes! Well, I am looking forward to making some of them! Especially Mrs. Creswick's Frosted Meat Loaf that Suzanne shares with us soon after we open the book, or the Lava Cake! Learn more about Suzanne, find her book club links, find a link to her daily column, and even get some of her recipes at DearReader.com. (Hey, here's the link to Mrs. Crestwicks Frosted Meatloaf!) You can learn more about her book at MuffinsandMayhem.com, and even read an EXCERPT there! Plus, you can create your own Cookbook of Memories. I enjoyed reading Muffins & Mayhem so much! If you enjoy reading inspiring stories, or just need a smile, you will enjoy reading Muffins & Mayhem too! It's like swapping stories across the kitchen table with your best friend, a coffee and well, a muffin!

*P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

The Sunday Salon... "Feeding your Soul" with a Great Cookbook!

Happy Father's Day! To all you men out there today, I hope your day is relaxing and the food is good! Grab a cup of joe and relax a bit with me, as we sit around and gab a bit about books!

It's been a while since we've chatted about FOOD, and I just love tooling around in the kitchen & I LOVE cooking, so I thought this week's Sunday Salon would be about feeding our souls with a good cookbook!

I've spotted some great cookbooks this week at my local bookstore, and I even received a cookbook in the mail to review this week, so here are a few books to "feed" the soul...

The Frankies Spuntino: Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual by Frank Falcinelli, Frank Castronovo and Peter Meehan... What I first noticed when I saw this book was a bright green wrap around what appeared to be a leather bound book with a distinctive message- "100 Recipes", and "Grandma never broke a sweat. Neither should you." It didn't look like a cookbook, and it wasn't in with the cookbooks. I just had to pick it up though and open it up. What I discovered was that "The Frankies" are friends and cooks, owning two restaurants (Frankies in Brooklyn & Manhattan) and that this cookbook is the "manual" for the food served in their very popular, authentic Italian eateries. This book is beautifully illustrated, is really informative ( from equipment,what to have on hand in your pantry to how to's), and the recipes are simple, easy to understand and they look delish! The Frankies share recipes such as Roasted Eggplant to Pork Braciola Marinara. There's a recipe for Sunday sauce, meatballs and even desserts. I've got this sitting on the counter waiting for me decide what to make first. I'll have a full review for this cookbook that doesn't look like a cookbook soon!

Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook (Revised & Updated) by Phyllis Pellman Good... I love my Slow Cooker! I go through these phases of using it like a demon to not using it for a while. But it's a cookbook like the Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook that reminds me what a great cooking tool my slow cooker (crock pot) is! This cookbook has 700 (yes I typed 7-0-0) Slow Cooker recipes! Recipes range from Dips, Chilli and Salsa to Barbecued Chicken wings and Casseroles! No need to heat up the whole house for a great meal! And Slow Cooker recipes are usually very easy to throw together without a fuss. I'll be cooking up something from this cookbook this week and have a full review of the cookbook too! Thanks to the publisher for sending this one along!

Recipes from an Italian Summer a collection put together by the Editors of Phaidon Press... A Beautiful FAT cookbook with warm weather recipes. The emphasis here is fresh, wonderful ingredients that are abundant in the summer. Fresh produce, fruits and berries, and herbs. 380 recipes for lighter, easy-to-follow summer dishes with big beautiful photographs. The cover caught my eye, and I love big cookbooks that almost seem like a meal in themselves, so this is one my wish list! *Update! Thanks to the publisher, we'll be cooking from this cookbook this next weekend!

What are YOU cooking up this sunday?! What are your favorite cookbooks?! Share them here, I'd love to hear about them! If you missed it, I have a review of Lidia Matticchio Bastianich's cookbook Lydia Cooks From The Heart of Italy, AND with permission of the publisher I have included her recipe for Baked Penne & Mushrooms, which my family devoured and yours should too! Plus here's the Review of I Know How to Cook by Ginette Mathiot and her recipe for Navarrais Chicken, which is an easy chicken recipe in a tomato sauce. Stop by tomorrow for Memoir Monday, because I have a review of a memoir filled with great recipes!

The week in review...

Review of Knight of Passion by Margaret Mallory, a great historical romance I just loved. If you haven't all ready, enter the GIVEAWAY for 1 of 5 copies! Giveaway ends June 28th.

Review of the Kid-friendly, Adult enjoyable Alison Dare graphic novels by J. Torres & J. Bone, as part of the Alison Dare Blog Tour hosted by Tundra Books. You can enter to win an Alison Dare prize package by taking Alison on her own adventure! Get all the details on my post, plus take a peek at what adventure I found Alison Dare climbing to!

The Kobo eReader has landed in homes around the US this week! One landed in mine too! This week I'll let you know what I think of this new eReader- the good, the bad & the ugly! So far, I'm liking it! I don't think it's going to "kill the Kindle", (why are industry people always looking for that eReader that will "kill the Kindle"?) But it's seems to be a great "bare bones" eReader at a great price. More on that this week...

And I know it's Father's Day, but don't forget the women today... there's still time to enter the GIVEAWAY for the unabridged audiobook of Put Your Crown On by Queen Latifah. That giveaway ends June 26th.

Hope you've found something to whet your appetite this week! In the meantime... Happy reading!

Alison Dare Blog Tour

She's Your Favorite Adventurer... or at least She Will Be!

Alison Dare: Indiana Jones meets Lara Croft in fabulous, graphic adventures. Alison Dare is not your typical twelve-year-old. She's the daughter of an archaeologist & adventurer and the masked hero known as the Blue Scarab. To top it off, she's also the niece of an international super-spy; it's no surprise that a craving for danger is in her blood! Unfortunately, her parents have locked her away at the prestigious St. Joan's Academy for Girls, hoping that this would lead to a more "normal" life for their daughter. But despite all the strict rules at the school, Alison and her best pals - Wendy and Dot - somehow manage to find themselves involved in adventures that rival those of Alison's globetrotting, planet-saving relatives. Whether it's magic genies, super-powered bank robbers, or a dastardly baron bent on world domination, Alison Dare delivers the best thrills since Indiana Jones and more action than Lara Croft!

Alison Dare is feisty, fun and full of adventure! These graphic novels, Alison Dare The Heart of the Maiden & Alison Dare Little Miss Adventures, follow Alison as she turns boredom into amazing adventures. She fights angry mummies, perilous sandstorms and other unscrupulous villains! It's kid friendly, and adult enjoyable! Alison Dare should appeal to a wide variety of readers, from pre-teens to adults! The artwork is great! (Reminds me of the Archie comics I use to read as a young girl) And the story lines are so much fun with a good dose of suspense thrown in! There is plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor that the adults will love, such as when the Blue Scarab fights the evil "King" Memphis, who looks a little like another King from Memphis, and who proclaims "I'm all shook up and quivering in my blue-suede sandals"! Alison Dare's adventures seem to turn into "misadventures" for the most part, like when she unleashes a plague of locusts by accident, but she has two of her best side kicks with her, her BFF's, her best friends Wendy and Dot, who help her save the day so they can all be normal 12 year olds again in the end.

The Alison Dare graphic novels are published by Tundra Books, and are written by J.Torres, a Shuster Award-winning, Eisner Award-nominated writer, AND illustrated by J.Bone, an Eisner Award-nominated illustrator. Alison Dare was nominated for the Eisner Award in the Best Title for a Younger Audience category too! I love Alison Dare! These graphic novels are great! They are about 100 pages each, filled with more than one adventure that flow together nicely, and It's also nice to see a little girl power!

*But her adventures don't stop there! Tundra Books is asking for YOUR help in sending Alison Dare on more adventures! If you go to Tundra Books, you will see a couple of images of Alison Dare. What Tundra Books would like is for you to print out the images of Alison Dare, cut them out and then take her on an adventure! Photograph Alison in front of a famous landmark, exotic location, or in the face of danger! Send your photo of Alison Dare with a caption to tundra@mcclelland.com before June 30th, 2010 to be entered to win a special Alison Dare prize package! There will be 3 lucky winners! Go to Tundra Books for all the details and examples of photos! I Double-Dog Dare You!... And in the meantime, I caught Alison Dare on an adventure here in Connecticut...

Alison Dare spots something as she walks through the forest of contemplation...

she quietly sneaks up...

It's none other than the Giant Evil Matted Hare!

She now knows she must scale the Cliffs of Lettuce to get to him...

Aha! She has surprised him! She is ready though for... ADVENTURE!

I want to thank Sylvia of Tundra Books for inviting me along for the Alison Dare Blog Tour! And sending me the Alison Dare graphic novels to review! Alison Dare sure has spunk and I like that in a girl! I hope she goes on many more adventures because I want to tag along!

First Lines...

"The scream that pierced the dull yellow November sky was preternaturally high-pitched. Its sounds carried effortlessly, echoing through a neighborhood of Queen Anne Victorians into the barren woods beyond, fading only as it descended toward the Hudson River. Those who heard the sound mistook it for that of an animal - perhaps the call of a screech owl, maybe the shrill cry of a loon. No one believed it to be human."

....In The Shadow of Gotham by Stefanie Pintoff

Alison Dare Double Dog Dares YOU to Stop by Chick with Books June 18th!

Alison Dare Double-Dog Dares YOU to Stop by
Chick with Books June 18th!

Alison Dare is coming to Chick with Books! She’s an adventurous girl, she’s 12 and she has 2 graphic novels with her adventures published by Tundra Books already! Book Tour & Review on June 18th! Stop by and catch Alison doing something adventurous!

Knight of Passion by Margaret Mallory... Blog Tour, Review & GIVEAWAY!

And the Winners are... Debbie, Bailey, Jenna, Cheryl and Stephenia! Congrats to all the winners! Thanks for joining in on all the fun by entering, tweeting and blogging! Will let you know who that last person is as soon as I hear from HER!

HOW CAN THIS PASSIONATE KNIGHT...

Renowned beauty Lady Linnet is torn between two desires: revenge on those who destroyed her family or marriage to her childhood sweetheart Sir James Rayburn. One fateful night, she makes a misguided choice: she sacrifices Jamie's love for a chance at vengeance.

TRUST A BEAUTY WITH A PAST?

Jamie Rayburn returns to England in search of a virtuous wife-only to find the lovely Linnet as bewitching as ever. Their reckless affair ignites anew, even hotter than before, although Jamie vows to never again trust her with his heart. Then just as Linnet begins to make amends, she's tempted by one last opportunity to settle old scores. But a final retribution could cost her Jamie's love - this time forever.

Today Margaret Mallory's makes a stop at Chick with Books on her Virtual Blog Tour for Knight of Passion! Margaret Mallory NEVER disappoints me with her historical romances. Her writing is wonderful, her settings are beautiful and she always adds a bit of humor to make us smile. Knight of Passion is HOT, filled with enough sexual tension and passion to ignite the pages of your paperback, and delivers on the historical side too, as it's sprinkled with historical places, people and facts that create a well-rounded story (and it never loses its sizzle even with a bit of history thrown in!)

Knight of Passion is the third and final book in Margaret Mallory's All The King's Men Series. This is the story of Jamie Rayburn & Lady Linnet. Jamie is the son of Lady Catherine Rayburn & step son of William FitzAlan, whom we met in the first book of the series, Knight of Desire. Jamie was just a toddler in Knight of Desire, but we did meet him again in the second book of the series, Knight of Pleasure, a little older and getting his feet wet as a squire. Finally Margaret gives Jamie his own story! And it was worth waiting for!

I loved Knight of Passion! It has all the qualities I love in a historical romance... A hunky knight, with a true sense of honor! A feisty heroine, who has a mind of her own and can take care of herself, but is still vulnerable. A love story that is not bound by time or place, but is filled with the missteps and passions of what every romance is made up of. Plus a good bit of adventure! Margaret Mallory creates characters that almost leap from the pages, with backgrounds and personalities that we come to love & know so well. The romance between Jamie & Linnet grows from when they are teenagers, develops into something more meaningful and is quite believable. And not only does her historical research touch on the politics of the day, and the proper etiquette when dealing with a queen, but also we get to experience the beautiful dresses of the day (along with how hard it is to get back into them with only 2 hands...)! There are wonderful twists & turns to the plot that will have your reading late into the night along with a bit of the supernatural & superstitions here and there. Love romances? Love historical romances? I would recommend Knight of Passion by Margaret Mallory! (She is one of my favorite historical romance writers!) Here's a something about her...

Margaret Mallory started out as a Midwest girl. Except for two years in Africa, she grew up in small towns in northern Michigan, where her dad was a county extension agent. She received degrees from Michigan State University and the University of Michigan Law School, and then headed to Washington, DC to save the world. When that failed, she packed up and moved to the Pacific Northwest for no reason except that it was beautiful and far from her last jobs and boyfriends. She admits to having a vague notion of finding herself a park ranger with a dog. The man she met was not a park ranger, but he was willing to get the dog. Marriage and children soon followed. Margaret spent many rewarding—but rather wearing—years in jobs devoted to improving services for abused children and care for the elderly. Not long ago, she surprised (shocked?) her friends and family by abandoning her legal career—and steady job—to write novels. She is thrilled to spend her days writing stories of love and adventure, instead of going to endless meetings. After all, she has always loved romantic tales, heroic deeds, and happy endings. And, at long last, she can satisfy her passion for justice by punishing the bad and rewarding the worthy—in the pages of her novels.

Did you know THESE Fun Facts about Margaret Mallory?

1. My husband has yet to read one of my books out of fear he might laugh at the wrong parts and not be forgiven.

2. My nineteen-year-old son made me cut out the love scenes — literally, with scissors-so he could read my book “without being traumatized.”

3. A male friend advised me, “If you had a different cover and different title, men might read this book.”

4. My father-in-law STILL thinks it’s funny to say the models on the cover look just like my husband and me — ha,ha,ha,ha.

5. They all love my sexy covers — whether they admit it or not.

What would Margaret Mallory like readers to walk away with after reading her books?

"I want to sweep my readers away to another time and place. Women need pleasurable escape reading. I want my book to help them forget about the hassles of their day and to leave them with a warm and satisfying happy ending."

Learn more about the author and her books at Margaret Mallory's website. You can also read an excerpt of Knight of Passion while you're there!

Would you like a chance to get your own copy!? Courtesy of Hachette Book Group I have a GIVEAWAY for 5 copies of Knight of Passion! Here's how to enter...

To Enter this Giveaway...

*For one entry leave me a comment with your email address!

*Get an extra entry for following my blog! Just leave a comment letting me know you're a follower! ( Not a follower yet? No problem, sign up by clicking on the 'followers" button on the sidebar to the left! Just let me know you became a new follower!)

*Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (No PO boxes). The books will be shipped to the winners directly from the publisher. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on June 28th. I will randomly pick the winners the next day and email them! (please check your email.. winner must reply to me within 3 days! Thanks!) Good Luck!

*I want to thank Anna of Hachette Book Group for sending along a copy Knight of Passion to review!

KINDLE READERS! Want to Read the First Book in the Trilogy!? Knight of Desire is only $1.99 in the Kindle Store!