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.

ARC Review: Rachel Caine's Bite Club

Book 10 in Rachel Caine’s Morganville Vampire series, Bite Club, is set to release in early May.  An insane amount of fans are waiting patiently for the series latest installment.  I used to be one of those fans too, that is until I got my hands on an ARC copy.  Before I begin my review, I must give a GINORMOUS thanks to Rachel Caine and her team for providing me with an ARC copy of this coveted book, Bite Club.  I was beyond fortunate to read it earlier than most.

First off, if you are unfamiliar with the series, I’m listing a few of my previous Morganville reviews, specifically the last two, Book 8/Kiss of Death and Book 9/Ghost Town.  As always, I will do my best not to mention any spoilers, even though it's nearly impossible.

Something is always brewing in Morganville or Nowhere, Texas.  In Bite Club, Claire’s having an unusually ordinary day on campus until she witnesses her lab partner steal vials of vampire blood and then later finds him dead. The mystery starts there and then quickly unravels into chaos.

Bite Club delves wonderfully into Claire’s boyfriend, Shane Collins, and all his dark, misunderstood and repressed tendencies.  He’s a bit of ticking time bomb and woven brilliantly into the plot, Caine –who normally writes in third person – switched over and wrote first person, from Shanes’s perspective.  And it was awesome!  I know some people don’t like this.  But I did.  I loved getting a glimpse inside Shane’s head. On the surface, he comes off as a total slacker, but if you’re a fan, then you know he’s far more complex and smarter than that.  And reading his voice, you know he’s all heart.

In Bite Club, Shane’s thinks he’s found his calling when he signs up for martial arts classes.  While Shane hones his fighting skills, things in Morganville start to change including Shane.  Claire does her best to support him plus meet the demands of Amelie and Myrnin.  Amelie, whose constantly under the threat of vampires –possibly even humans– revolting against her, remains the ice queen when it comes to ruling Morganville.  And Myrnin gets in on the action which I found thoroughly entertaining.  There were so many laugh out loud moments in this book with Myrnin, especially since Frank Collins– Shane’s Dad –is now literally hard-wired to Myrnin’s mystical computer. I think Frank and Myrnin are the new dynamic duo, they were so hilarious.

Caine’s a genius at creating loveable characters, even when their menacing ones.  A genius! The plot has so many twists that guess what…even ol’ *bleep* is back.  I won’t tell you who, but I can tell you I nearly dropped the book.  Our young hero, Claire, is forever the driving force behind these perilous plots.  And in Bite Club, with all the dead bodies, exploding tempers, brutalizing fights and impending hostile take-overs, Claire’s got her work cut out for her. Again.

Bite Club was a 4.5 for me. I loved it and I have no doubt you will too.

Until next time…Morganville Vampires – the thrilling adventure continues.

Mina B.

And the winner of Kresley Cole's Dreams of a Dark Warrior is...

Congratulations to Cindy L. for winning a copy of Kresley Cole’s Dreams of a Dark Warrior.  The winner was selected by the reputable, Random.org.  Winners have at least 72 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.  That almost never happens but I have to say that.

A HUGE “thanks” to everyone who participated. I’m such a die-hard fan of paranormal romance/urban fantasy literature that it’s only natural that Kresley Cole’s on my Free Book roster.  She’s wickedly talented and if you haven’t had a chance to read her novels, please do.  She’s created an enticing mystical world with her Immortals  After Dark series that I promise you will not be disappointed.  On a side note, if you follow the series there is one thing I can’t wait for.  Nix’s story a.k.a. Nucking Futs Nix!  She’s a loop-d-loop Valkyrie that I would love to read more about.  Give me a shout in the comments if you read me!

Next up, tomorrow I’m posting a review of Rachel Caine’s Bite Club. I was blessed with an ARC copy of it and can’t wait to tell all me fans about the killer YA read.  Be sure and check back because I have a whopping surprise that you won’t want to miss.

Thanks again to everyone who participated.

Until next time…

Mina B.

Fridays with Fred & Book Blogger Hop

Good Morning! Happy Friday, everyone. Welcome to Fridays with Fred and Book Blogger Hop. Starting off with Book Blogger Hop, there’s an interested question that’s been asked. This week's question comes from Somer who blogs at A Bird's Eye Review.

"Do you read only one book at a time, or do you have several going at once?"

Interesting question. I read several. It’s just the way I do it.  For me it all depends on what little time I have to read what. Location. Location. Location. There are times when I’m out and about and I get a few lines in from an ebook on my iPhone- and in that case, I read whatever book is readily available.  Other times, at night for example, I take in a couple chapters of a book by my bedside. Everything depends on what I’m doing - when I'm doing it. And one more thing. There are times when I pick a book that just not resonating with me but I still want to finish it. It may take me longer but usually finish. Its rare for me to abandon books.


This week on my blog, I reviewed for Rachel Caine's Ghost Town. If you can...check it out. And BTW, I just finished reading an ARC copy of Bite Club. Jealous? You should be. Stop by over on Sunday for my review and surprise!  Want to know more? You'll have to come back!


And now…Fridays with Fred.


This shot below is of my prankster pooch and his crazy ways. Fred’s been busted below in the bathtub. I’ve seen evidence of him there i.e. paw prints peppered everywhere. I didn’t get it at first, because Fred hates taking a bath. Then I realized, he was thirsty. So I doubled up on his water supply, thinking that would help. Nope. His tracks continued to show up around in the tub, even when he knows he’s not supposed to. The little devil. Oh well. It just means more cleaning for me. In the scheme of things, if it makes him happy and its not hurting anybody…have at it, Fred.
 

Don't forget to check out Schatze over at Mary/Bookhounds. We just want to eat her up!


Until next time...
Mina B.