Knight of Desire (All the King’s Men)
by Margaret Mallory
Mass Market Paperback
List Price: $6.99
Published in 2009
ISBN-10: 0-446-55339-5

Knight of Passion is a wonderful historical romance. Lady Linnet is not your typical heroine. She takes control of her fate and take it where she wanted it to go. If she happens to break some hearts along the way, then it’s just casualty of war. Jamie Rayburn’s heart is one of those she broke. Unfortunately for Jamie, he genuinely loves her.

Lady Linnet might come off as callous sometimes, but she cares. She’s a strong lady for her times. When her father arranges a marriage for her to a loathsome man, she took care that it never happens. Now, she has another chance with Jamie. But it looks like she might mess that up, too.

I have a great time reading this book. I took it everywhere with me…especially to waiting rooms at the pool, karate class and other kid’s activities.

Listen to an Excerpt
Check out the Five Fun Facts

Giveaway:

Thanks to Hachette Books and Anna, there will be up to 5 winners for this book. Contest open US and Canada only. No PO Boxes, please.

Answer this question below and fill up this form. I will pick a winner from the comments left below, and mailing address to match from the form.

What is type of heroine do you find interesting? What kind makes me gnash your teeth and chew the books to pieces?

Winners will be choosen on July 1. Good luck, and have fun!

Tags: Margaret Mallory

Watch out for this tour and giveaway of Margaret Mallory’s Knight of Passion. It’s happening on June 14 right here in this blog. So, mark your calendars, or  watch out for the feed. While waiting, you can listen to the excerpt here, or watch the video below.

About the book:

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.

Tags: Margaret Mallory

Please welcome our guest blogger today, Libby Malin, author of  My Own Personal Soap Opera.

The Serious Business of Writing Comedy

Ever since the launch of my latest humorous women’s fiction book, My Own Personal Soap Opera, I’ve been blogging at various sites, usually on the theme of how to write comedy. Most of the time, I’ve taken a tongue-in-cheek approach to my topic, even penning a “scholarly essay” about the subject, based on my extensive studies as a graduate student at the University of Gussberry-on-Hornsplatt, or UGH as we commonly called it.

I didn’t attend UGH, of course. Nor have I ever studied how to write the comedic novel. A number of people have commented on these posts, however, who are struggling with how to write comedy and looking for some how-to tips.

My main message in my posts, hidden beneath my humor, has been: do what comes naturally. If it’s funny to you, chances are it might be funny for someone else. Writing comedy, in other words, is really no different than writing anything. Readers’ tastes are subjective. What enthralls one might leave another cold. The same is true with humor. What gets me giggling might not be what hits another’s funny bone. Therefore, as a writer of comedy, I can only strive to write the funniest things that make me laugh, hoping they’ll bring smiles or chuckles to others, too.

That said, comedy writers face a significant challenge. A big part of triggering a laugh is the element of surprise. The unexpected pratfall, the unanticipated quip, the out-of-the-blue silly pun in an otherwise serious situation. But once you put your “surprise” bit of humor on paper, it’s lost its ability to surprise you, the writer. Editing then becomes difficult. You end up constantly asking yourself: was this really funny when I wrote it or was I just in a silly mood?

Writers of serious stories don’t face that challenge so much. They can revisit their manuscripts, editing and revising and reshaping to their heart’s content without this “funny surprise” problem. When you consider that an author might have to reread her manuscript a half dozen times or more before it goes to print, you can see how the glow of a humorous situation or wordplay might start to dim over time. Judging the effectiveness of the humor in a manuscript becomes a tough task indeed.

The only solution I have come up with is to have people whose honesty and opinion I trust read manuscripts for me. I ask them not only if they laughed or smiled, but what specifically triggered those reactions. If I’m particularly proud of some funny moments they don’t mention, I ask their reactions to those.

Critique partners play an important role in any writer’s life, but are absolutely critical in the life o of the writer of humorous fiction. I strongly recommend that approach to anyone who writes humor.

Thanks for having me as a guest – I’d be happy to answer questions for you in the comments as best I can!

MY OWN PERSONAL SOAP OPERA BY LIBBY MALIN—IN STORES APRIL 2010

Is life stranger than fiction, or vice versa?

Frankie McNally has found the perfect solution for life’s perplexing problems: as head writer for the daytime soap Lust for Life, she works them out on the air!
Meanwhile, Frankie’s being courted simultaneously by the dashing older man sent in to save the show’s sagging ratings and by the soap’s totally hot leading man. And just when Frankie thinks the plot couldn’t get more complicated, a jewel thief starts copying the show’s storyline-a development that could send the show’s ratings soaring, if it doesn’t get Frankie arrested first…

In her signature blending of the hilarious with the poignant, Libby Malin’s latest light-hearted novel combines the best of life and of fiction into an entertaining and incredibly satisfying read.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Libby Malin is published in women’s fiction, including the books Fire Me, My Own Personal Soap Opera and Loves Me, Loves Me Not. Writing as Libby Sternberg, she is also an Edgar nominated YA mystery writer. As Libby Sternberg, she has an adult historical mystery offered exclusively on Kindle called Death Is the Cool Night. Her first print adult historical, Sloane Hall (inspired by Jane Eyre and set in old Hollywood), will be released in September.

Libby has worked in public relations, as an education reform advocate, and was a member of the Vermont Commission on Women. She is the proud mother of three children and lives with her wonderful husband in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. For more information please visit www.LibbysBooks.com or her blog,  www.LibbysBooks.blogspot.com. You can drop her a note at Libby_Malin@hotmail.com if you’d like to be put on her email list. Also, you can friend her on Facebook at Libby Malin Sternberg.

Giveaway:
There will be two (2) winners for this title. Thanks to Danielle at Sourcebooks.
US and Canada addresses only. No PO Boxes please.
Leave a comment or a question for Libby Malin to win. Send your mailing address here at the same time.  Please put in the Subject/URL line: Libby Malin’s Book
On April 23, I’ll send the winner’s address to the publisher for your book.

Tags: Libby Malin

From the author’s site:

There was one thing I asked for: since this story had always been an extra for me, and was meant to be released with the Guide, I wanted to be able to offer it to my fans for free. You all have bought a ton of my books, and I wanted to give you this story as a gift. My publisher was awesome and embraced this idea. We still wanted to also produce a physical book with a cool cover (see below) that you can add to your set if you like, but starting at noon on June 7th until July 5th, it will also be available online at www.breetanner.com

Read the official press release here.

I hope that it can be downloaded so I can read it in an eBook reader.

Tags: Stephine Meyer

NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children
by Po Bronson, Ashley Merryman
Hardcover, 352 Pages
Published 2009 by Twelve
List Price: $24.99
Published in 2009
ISBN-10: 0-446-50412-2

My Take:
This is the single most significant book I have read on child parenting. It’s a revolutionary way of thinking, or re-thinking, depending on how you look at it. I want the best theories for my kids, and it’s a shock to find out that some of the common theories might be a hindrance instead of a help.

There’s this idea of self-esteem being the most important part of a child’s upbringing. That is good, but how one nurtures this is a fine line. I did not think that heaping praise on a child can sometimes be detrimental to their progress. But some studies shows that the wrong kind of praise (“smarts” versus “efforts”) can affect how a child takes control of their failure or success.

This book is a must read, not just for parents, but for educators and any other disciplines dealing with a child’s welfare. If I had a nanny, I would want her to read the salient points of this book. I want my children’s teacher to read this book. More important than Dr. Spock’s book on child parenting, this book should be the bible on children and the way we should nurture them.

Thanks to Anna of Hachette Book Groups, you can have a chance to win 1 of the 5 books or 3 audio CD books below. Please indicate in your comments which one you’d like to win.

The Giveaway:
Contest open to US and Canada. No PO Boxes please.
Contest ends September 30.
Winners will be announced within a week after deadline. Please make sure to subscribe to this blog’s feed to find out if you’re a winner. Please contact me within 1 week of posting the winners, or I get to pick another winner.

+1: Blog or link to this contest on your sidebar.
+1: (for each link) Tweet, stumble, or facebook this contest. Make sure to leave me link where I can find it.
+2 (unlimited): What are some of the parenting theories have you heard? You can discuss anything from the bible, to your own beliefs and even myths. Discussions of these theories counts.

About the Book:
In a world of modern, involved, caring parents, why are so many kids aggressive and cruel? Where is intelligence hidden in the brain, and why does that matter? Why do cross-racial friendships decrease in schools that are more integrated? If 98% of kids think lying is morally wrong, then why do 98% of kids lie? What’s the single most important thing that helps infants learn language?
NurtureShock is a groundbreaking collaboration between award-winning science journalists Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. They argue that when it comes to children, we’ve mistaken good intentions for good ideas. With impeccable storytelling and razor-sharp analysis, they demonstrate that many of modern society’s strategies for nurturing children are in fact backfiring–because key twists in the science have been overlooked.
Nothing like a parenting manual, the authors’ work is an insightful exploration of themes and issues that transcend children’s (and adults’) lives.

About the authors: (from Hachette site)
Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman’s New York Magazine articles on the science of parenting won the magazine journalism award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a Clarion Award. Their articles for Time Magazine have won the award for outstanding journalism from the Council on Contemporary Families. Prior to collaborating, Bronson authored five books, including the #1 New York Times bestseller What Should I Do With My Life? Merryman’s journalism has appeared in The Washington Post and The National Catholic Reporter.

Bronson lives in San Francisco, with his wife and two children. Merryman lives in Los Angeles, where she runs a church-based tutoring program for inner-city children.

Tags: Ashley Merryman, Po Bronson