Fridays with Fred: Passed Out

Hey, folks!  Sorry this post is so late.  I honestly couldn't find Fred. He was passed out asleep. And most of the time when he's snoozing, he doesn't want to be bothered. The poor pooch is really getting up there in dog years so he sleeps more than most. Anyway, I snapped this shot of him after I finally found him. And yes...he's snoring too. Unbelievable!


Enjoy your weekend. :0)

Can you see the ZZZs?

If you'd like to see more of Fred, try here.  Also, check out Schatze over at Mary's (BookHounds.) She's the best!


Mina B.

Easter Hop Winner & Book Review: Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games is Book 1 in Suzanne Collins's riveting YA trilogy and for me, an explosive read.  Collins swept me away instantly with her spellbinding, authentic tale. I truly haven't read a YA book this phenomenal in awhile. (FYI:  The winner of my Eggstraveganza Hop is mentioned at the end of this post)

The Hunger Games begins in a fantastic, grim world, featuring a nation called Panem, formerly known as North America - or what's left of it.  The futuristic country is divided into Districts and each sector is assigned to various occupations. For example, District 12 is the mining district and District 11 farming/agriculture and so forth (you get the picture.) Most of the districts are poor but a few are affluent. Under the tight-fisted and menacing regime of Panem, people barely survive let alone live. The government holds a deadly grip on the Panem countrymen to discourage any District uprisings.

One method they use to control their people is through the Hunger Games. Each year a District must draw two names from their resident pool to participate in the games. The Hunger Games is the ultimate game of survival where young adults are sent into an arena set with elaborate earthlike/manmade conditions and where they fight to the death. The last person standing – or better yet alive – is the victor. Oh...and did I mention this barbaric sport is all caught on camera?  Oh yeah!

Katniss Everdeen is our heroine and I have one thing to say about her: Katniss KICKS ASS!!! She’s probably my favorite YA hero period! Katniss lives in District 12 (the mining district), specifically in the Seam, the poorest area in the District. Her father died in the mines and since then, she’s been tasked with sourcing/hunting for food for herself, and her mom and sister, Prim.

Katniss only comprehends one thing….survival. She lived a poor and abject life, starving most days and using all her resourcefulness to find food. She’s barely living, but at least she has her guy friend Gale. He’s taught her everything she knows about hunting. And it’s a good thing too. Because once Prim’s name is drawn for the games, sixteen year old Katniss volunteers for her little sister. And from that moment on, her life was never the same.

The Hunger Games was so brilliantly paced it was literally unputdownable. I was enthralled from the beginning and then once Katniss hit the Capitol for the games, the story took off like wildfire. My mind raced through the pages, sucking in every nuance and every twist in this spectacular tale. I won’t say anymore about it other than it’s a MUST read. Stop. Drop. And Read it…Now. Like Katniss…this book’s on fire!

On my Killometer scale, The Hunger Games a 5. What’s that? That’s when a book is so flipp’n good that I add it to my treasured book collection.

Until next time….can’t wait to read it again!

Mina B.

And the winner for My Hoppy Eggstravaganza Giveaway is …

Congratulations to Sarahthehobbit the winner of My Easter Hop and the recipient of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and a $10 Starbucks GC. The Winner will be notified by email and will have no more than 72 hours to respond before another winner is drawn. Winners are selected by the reputable Random.org.


A special thanks to everyone who participated! I love doing these hops because I get to meet new friends and say hi to old ones too! I’ll probably do another contest soon. Maybe even with book Catching Fire so be sure and check back or sign up to receive my email notifications.

Fridays with Fred: The Finer Things

Today’s Fridays with Fred is about one of Fred’s vices…wine drinking.  He’s a lush really.  Anytime I pour myself a glass, he’s right there begging for taste.  And of course I oblige. It’s not like he gets sloshed.  Just a few licks and Fred’s as happy as he can be.  What can I say?  He’s a JRT that appreciates the finer things in life. Such a snob.

Anyway, enjoy your Easter!

*sniffs bouquet*

If you'd like to see more of Fred, try here.    Also, be sure and visit Schatze over at Mary's (BookHounds.)  She's the best!


Mina B.

My Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop

Okay, folks.  Its book hop time, specifically…my Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop!  I love these flipp’n hops and so does the Free Shit Fairy.  Don’t you?  I took a poll on my FB page and asked my fans to choose the book for this hop. And the winner is…Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

Ohhhhh SNAP!  Yeah, I know.  It's a killer read so I’m pretty pumped too!  Anyway, I’ve wanted to review this series for awhile and now I plan on doing so.  Which reminds me…be sure and check back during the hop to read my review on HG.  For those who aren’t familiar with the bestselling Hunger Games, read the first chapter here.

My Eggstravaganza Giveaway

Alright so let’s get down to business. Thanks to the Free Shit Fairy, I also have a $10 GIFT CARD from Starbucks to toss into the mix. And so let’s recap shall we? For my Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop giveaway - one (1) LUCKY winner will win one (1) copy of the YA book, Hunger Games plus one (1) $10 Starbucks Gift Card! That's a retail value of $20 which is pretty cool, huh? Let’s all say it in unison… *cue in communal voices* “Thank you FREE SHIT FAIRY.”

De nada!

The Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop runs from 12:01 AM on Wednesday, April 20th to 11:59 PM on Monday, April 25th, midnight.


And now…here’s how to enter.

To enter…
You MUST be a follower of my blog and MUST fill out this entry form. (And yes, I do check GCF)


Extra entries…
+2 For Becoming my Fan/Like on Facebook/MinaBurrows
+2 NEW/OLD Followers on Twitter @MinaBurrows
+1 if you Retweet this (limit 1 retweet)

That’s basically it. The contest runs from 12:01 AM on Tuesday, April 20th to 11:59 PM on Monday, April 25th. Contest is for US residents only. Want to see who else is participating? Take a look at the links below and hop on by.

Mina B.

(Note: The Winner will be notified by email and will have no more than 72 hours to respond before another winner is drawn. Winners are selected by the reputable Random.org.)

Fridays with Fred: Out for a Walk

It's Friday, folks!  Welcome to Fridays with Fred.  The other day I took Fred out for a brief walk.  He's really getting to old for some things, but walking...he never outgrows.  That and car rides of course.  Anyway, I took this shot when we went to pick up my son from school.  My son was elated to have his buddy pick him up.  And Fred was over the moon too!  Check out his tongue.  We barely walked a half of a mile.  He's all drama at times. 

Hope you enjoy your weekend.

If you'd like to see more of Fred, try here. Also, remember to stop by and visit Schatze over at Mary's (BookHounds.) We love her!

Until next time...

Mina B.

Book Review: Gail Carriger's Soulless

I finally finished Soulless by Gail Carriger.  It’s the first in the Parasol Protectorate series and I truly enjoyed it. I’ve had this one on my list for some time – see my Top Steampunk List I created last year.

Since I’m already a lover of historical romance novels, I was immediately intrigued at reading a book that combines mystical beings with historical romance. This book was kind of a no brainer for me. Anyway, the first thing I have to say is; I love Gail’s writing style. I read a lot, okay. And every now and then I come across a writer where I go WOW. And that just for starters.

Soulless begins with our heroine, Alexia Tarabotti; a soulless spinster who while enjoying her treacle tart is attacked by a ravenous vampire. The exchange was too hilarious for words and as a reader; I became an instant fan of Miss Tarabotti. If you know anything about historical romances or history for that matter – there are an abundant amount of social rules. If a Lady is too smart for her good and reads excessively for heaven’s sake, she’s a bluestocking. And if she’s not married by a certain age, she’s a spinster. Alexia is both of those and much, much more.

As the oldest of three other girls, she’s the odd stepsister/daughter and frankly the outcast of the three. Her mother and step father constantly belittle her looks and intelligence as do her siblings. Naturally with all Alexia’s unbecoming attributes, she’s a target.  But when she’s attacked by that vampire and kills him outright with her parasol, an investigation is launched. Lord Maccon – a werewolf and an upstanding member of society – is sent to investigate.

Alexia and Lord Maccon are equally drawn to one another which vexes them both exceedingly. As the two begin to unravel the mystery of missing/killed vampires and werewolves, a romance unfolds between the two of them. I won’t tell you what happens – you’ll you have to read and find out if Alexia is destined to remain on the shelf or marry the werewolf.

Once the investigation started that was truly when the book kick-started for me. I found the mystical world with the vampire hives and were packs intriguing. With all the paranormal beings though, I have to admit I was surprised to see all the humans involved in the plot. It wasn’t a bad thing, I just didn’t expect it. And those homunculus simulacrum were way creepy on my crepometer. *shivers*

Overall, I liked this book. It was a fun, lighthearted read. So if you like paranormal romance plus maybe you’re a historical romance fan – this book is definitely for you! On my kilometer, Gail Carriger’s Soulless is a 3.75 for me.

Until next time…before you leave the house remember….bring your parasol!

Mina B.

Sun Sentinel BOB Awards & Fridays with Fred

Hey, Minions! I’ve been nominated for the Sun Sentinel BOB Awards – The Best of Blog Awards.  I was elated beyond words about this nomination because well…it’s the Sun Sentinel and for us Floridians…that’s HUGE!

I remember last year, a friend of mine referred me to the competition and I recall being impressed.  For those interested, take a look at last year’s BOB winners. This year the BOB Awards stormed in, featuring some amazing bloggers. I spent some time perusing the various blogs and felt in awe.  What I love best about these awards is it celebrates bloggers in the blogoshpere, recognizing them for their relentless efforts in enriching the lives of others. If you get a chance take a look at some spectacular bloggers in the South Florida area.

And now, let’s get down to the crux of why I’m posting this. Simply put….I need votes! And I need yours TODAY!  I’ve already been nominated – that’s only part of the battle.  Now I need votes. Voting ends on 4/11/11 at 10:00 am.

I’m under two categories: Defies Categorization & Pop Culture

Mina Burrows - books for paranormal & mystic minds

To vote for me click my name link above.  After that, all you have to do is sign in and vote for me!  It’s that easy. I know everyone is super busy if you could spare 5 minutes….please vote for me!  And even better…tell a friend.

Look…even Fred’s got his nose in the computer. That sly dog! He was far too engrossed in his task that he missed me snapping this shot. It’s not surprising though. I mean he is my biggest fan!

If you'd like to see more of Fred, try here.  Also, please stop by and visit Schatze over at Mary's (BookHounds.)


Mina B.

And the Winner of Rachel Caine's Bite Club is...

Congratulations to Stacy (Urban Fantasy Investigations) the winner of Rachel Caine's ARC copy of Bite Club!  The Winner will be notified by email and will have no more than 72 hours to respond before another winner is drawn. Winners are selected by the reputable Random.org.

If you didn't get a chance to see my review of this killer read, please do - Bite Club Review.  Special thanks to everyone that participated and especially the ones that helped spread the word.  And before I forget, I can’t thank Rachel Caine enough for sending me a copy of Bite Club.  I was super psyched to be one of the recipients and beyond elated when I knew I was able to give it away to one of you.   

Like I said before, if you haven’t had a chance to read the Morganville vampire series, you really don’t know what you’re missing.  Next time you’re looking for a new series, don’t think – just run and submerge yourself into the Podunk, menacing, vamp-running town of Morganville.

Thanks again for participating.

Mina B.

Blogging Women’s April 2011 “Featured Blogs”

Great News!  I just found out I’ve been selected as one of Blogging Women’s April 2011 “Featured Blogs.”  Isn’t that awesome?  I’m so excited, I can’t stand it.  Why?  Well, for starters…I’m a woman and then of course I blog but…its waaaaay more than that.

For those that don’t know, Blogging Women is a free directory of blogs written by women. Manually edited and organized by category, Blogging Women aims to offer a comprehensive collection of the best spam free women's blogs online.  That’s what their blog says, but seriously folks - it’s even bigger than that.  Blogging Women has been around since 2008 and probably before most people began commenting on blogs.  Okay, now I know that’s an exaggeration but still…I think you get my point.

What I love most about this blog – besides the directory – is it promotes women.  So many times we sit in the confines of our homes, blogging relentlessly about a myriad of topics and sadly some of us are never recognized for our efforts.  Blogging Women takes the extra step to not only list a particular women-owned blog, but they actually take the time to connect with each of the owners.  It’s quite a large undertaking when you think about how many blogs they interact with.  I, for one, am in awe.

A little unknown fact about me is in my former life, I used to do a ton of marketing to women.  As someone that is fairly seasoned at it, I can tell you this…getting to the heart of women is not an easy task, yet Blogging Women seems to do it effortlessly.  I love this directory and am extremely proud to be highlighted this month.

If you have a blog and are a woman, then by all means, submit your blog.  If you are savvy enough, then you’ll not only comprehend the tangible marketing value of this, but also the understand the intangible value of associating yourself with an esteemed group of women bloggers!

Until next time…don't think, just submit.

Mina B.

Fridays with Fred: Hannibal Fred

I know.  I know.  I couldn't resist.  Have a great weekend. 

"A mailman once tried to test me.
I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.
Ft Ft Ft!"

If you'd like to see more of Fred, try here and here. Also, please stop by and visit Schatze over at Mary's (BookHounds.) We love her!


Also, Sunday is the last day to enter to win a signed ARC copy of Rachel Caine's latest, Bite Club! Contest ends April 3rd, eod.  Hurry.  Tell your friends.

Until next time...

Mina B.