Book Buzz & Giveaway: Dracula: The Wild and Wanton Edition by Lucy Hartbury

Lucy Hartbury (a.k.a. Lucy Oliver)  released Dracula: The Wild and Wanton Edition, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 last fall and today I'm featuring Vol. 1.  Woot.  If there's one thing I already love about it, it's the fact that it's a spin-off of the classic, Dracula.  With NBC's Dracula season coming to a close, Lucy's take on the wild, wanton side of Dracula, should be a great alternative for those classically/wantonly inclined.  Take a look at the synopsis below:

Solicitor Jonathon Harker is lucky to escape with his life after he is duped into visiting Dracula’s castle. But while recovering from his ordeal, he doesn't realize that his enemy is travelling to England, where his young wife-to-be and her friend, Lucy, reside. When Lucy is struck down by an unknown illness that takes a sinister turn, her friend and doctor, John Seward, is forced to call in his old teacher, Van Helsing, to solve the mystery. Van Helsing's horrifying conclusions throw them all into a desperate battle against one of man’s most cunning and terrifying foes: Count Dracula.

Always a spicy novel, this version includes scenes that Victorian prudery stopped Bram Stoker from writing himself. Have you ever wondered what really happened in the castle between Jonathon Harker and Dracula’s women? Or about the doomed relationship between Arthur and Lucy? Here is the famous horror classic revealed in all its sensual glory.

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Now that sounds hot, huh?  Cue in the visual of Keanu Reeves as Jonathon Harker bitten and enthralled by the Dracula's vampire harem.  Remember that?  Oh yeah.  Well, nothing gets book minions more exited than a giveaway.  And my Free Sh** Fairy threatened negotiated with Lucy to graciously donate one e-book of Dracula: The Wild and Wanton Edition, Vol. 1 to one (1) lucky winner.  Love that Fairy!  And Lucy too, of course.

To enter, please fill out the information below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for entering!  If you don't want to wait, get your copy of Dracula: The Wild and Wanton Edition, Vol. 1 here.  Oh, and you can Lucy at the following online hot spots.   

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Enjoy!

Mina B.  

NBC’s Dracula: Have you been bitten?

NBC’s Dracula featuring Jonathan Rhys Meyers premiered on last Friday night.   Did you get a chance to see it?  Since I’m such a huge fan of Bram Stoker’s classic, Dracula, I had to watch it.  My thoughts?  Truthfully…I’m on the fence.  Check out a sneak peak below:

Warning:  Spoilers are mentioned.  Read at your own risk.

NBC's Dracula was entertaining but completely different from the original story.  If you want a brief overview of the classic lit novel, see my review here.  The NBC version of Dracula is definitely unique because he's more of a vigilante and not necessarily a soulless bloodsucking monster (not yet anyway).  Interesting huh?  In the late 1800’s Dracula is awakened and reinvents himself as a wealthy American industrialist named Alexander Grayson.  He’s sworn vengeance against a secret group of ruthless business and political leaders called The Order of the Dragon.  This group did unspeakable things to Dracula hundreds of years ago, and he demands revenge.

Some of the original characters are present in this tale, including Mina, Jonathan, Lucy and even Van Helsing but the story has of course deviated.  Since this is a series, NBC must create plots that will entice viewership beyond the original tale.  And so how will Dracula extract revenge from his adversaries?  In short, Dracula wants to launch "wireless electricity technology" to the world and put the Order of the Dragon out of business.  I said it was a different story line, didn't I?    

Was it entertaining?  I suppose.  Will it be enough for me to watch an entire season or two?  I hope so, but I’m not sure.  Did you see the premier?  What were your thoughts?  If not click here to watch episode 1!  

Mina B.

Fridays with Fred

Hey, everybody. I’m starting a new blog segment called Fridays with Fred.

What’s that? It’s kind of self explanatory, but just in case…I have a furry friend and his name is Fred. Thus, the segment's name, Fridays with Fred. Mary at Book Hounds gave me this idea with her killer segment called phoDOGraphy. Check her site out when you get a chance.

Anyway, Fred's my main man and has been for well over a decade. As you can see, he’s an avid reader too (haha). My husband had fun with creating this. I hope you enjoy.

About Fred
Fred is a Jack Russell Terrier and my best friend. His favorites are running, jumping, doing tricks for treats and tasting my wine. Yes, he likes wine. What can I say? He has a taste for the finer things. Fred’s an expert snuggler and loves to burrow himself under the covers. He hates firecrackers but loves our mailman.

My life wouldn’t be the same without Fred. Being a writer is a lonely existence and I’m thankful everyday that I have him. He’s patient when I’m frustrated. He’s supportive when I’m down. He’s literally the best friend a human could possibly ever have.

And did I mention Fred had friends? Well, he does and tons of them too. Every now and then I’ll feature a special friend along with Fred. Feel free to send me your pet pictures and brief statements so that I may blog about your precious pet.

Fred’s Friend and Mine – Wasabi the Great!

Wasabi was a male Beta fish and a beloved pet of one of my best friends, LB. Wasabi was a happy, loving fish who – no lie – had more spunk and dedication than most humans. His favorite things were doing flips and jumps, meeting new people, swimming circles through his bamboo roots, attending business meetings with LB and eating gourmet fish food. Unfortunately, he passed last month which is why we are forever immortalizing him with this post. Don’t be dismayed though, because Wasabi the Great still lives on in our hearts. RIP Wasabi. We will miss you.

Until next time...enjoy your pets and read while you're at it.

Mina B.

A Creepy Classic Review: Bram Stoker's Dracula

My Creepy Classic for this month is none other than Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Whew…what a read! I can honestly say with the upmost certainty that this was the best classic I’ve read so far.

The only puzzling notion I have is: Do I love it because it’s a thrilling read or Do I love it because it’s Dracula. Would I love a tale such as this if it were written present day? I’m certain I’d love it no matter what, but I can’t help but wonder. The truth is so much of what we know today in modern paranormal tales comes from Stoker original genius. I wonder what Stoker would say if he could see all the sensationalism today about creatures of the night? He’d probably get a kick out of it no doubt.

What’s so masterful about his book is how it’s written. With the journal writings, letters, phonograph recordings etc…, Stoker’s clever depiction of each character is sheer brilliance. He so ingeniously captured his characters like he was flawlessly fluent in their native tone, switching effortlessly from character to character all in sync with the novel. I was amazed. For me, this was the original tale that put the proverbial “Vampire” stake in the unholy ground. Stoker’s preternatural imagination delves far beyond the holy water, garlic and creature of the night aspect. He weaves in werewolves, bats, mist, fog, children among other things and…let’s not forget, Van Helsing.

I won't say what Dracula’s about because…unless you've been under a rock for the last 150+ years, you already know the gist of the story. However, don't let Hollywood fool you. Read the book. It's OH so much better.

The only downside was – and I can’t believe I’m revealing this – in many parts it comes off a bit long winded. But, I feel that is because lately I’ve been spoon fed the cookie-cutter books that are out there with quick and to the point plots. Trying to shove Stoker’s Dracula into that literary box would be a travesty and thus would dismiss the art of this timeless classic.


It’s been sometime since I’ve read this novel and it was an absolute pleasure to rediscover it. I so loved it and will forever be part of my Classic Collection. What’s that? It's my treasured book collection; one of the few I will always turn to for inspiration and read over and over again.


On the Mina Burrows KilloMeter, I give Bram Stoker’s Dracula a 5.

Until next time...for heaven's sake...read a Creepy Classic!

Mina B.

A Bloody Book List – 75 Vampire Books You Must Read

NPR (National Public Radio) aired a special segment aired on All Things Considered on Vampires, and then turned around a published a follow up article, For Love Of Do-Good Vampires: A Bloody Book List. What a great segment, an excellent read and killer book list.

One aspect of the article I found most interesting were the time periods analyzed when a particular vampire novel or movie was written/released. For example, when Bram Stoker’s tale was first written, “England had some of the largest ports in the world”. Could it be that the public interest soared for Stoker’s tale because of fear? With the influx of people, trade and diseases coming into the ports from foreign lands, the concept of “Dracula” was possibly more believable to the masses. Other public interest crept in during the Great Depression, when Bela Lugosi launched his own personal depiction of the great, Count Dracula. The NPR article also highlights other famous vampire novels, pairing them with certain decades that I found beyond interesting, like Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire. This article was such a delight to read that if you like the mysterious as much as I do…I highly recommend reading or listening to the piece.


And now for the most exciting detail of the article, the Bloody Killer Vampire Book List. The article's author, Margot Adler, actually read 75 vampire books. I think she may be my new hero. Of course, I’ve read several of these books but all 75, I doubt it. But have faith…I will get there and will bring you along the way.


See below the list I plan on reviewing and or reading in the 2010 year.


Margot Adler's Vampire Book List

• 1-4. The Twilight Saga, by Stephenie Meyer
• 5-13.The Sookie Stackhouse Novels, by Charlaine Harris
• 14-15. A Touch Of Dead, by Charlaine Harris
• 16-18. The Hunger, The Last Vampire, Lilith's Dream, by Whitley Strieber
• 19. Let The Right One In, by John Ajvide Lindqvist
• 20. Sucks To Be Me, by Kimberly Pauley
• 21. Suck It Up, by Brian Meehl
• 22-25. The Vampire Diaries, by L.J. Smith
• 26-29. Blue Bloods, by Melissa de la Cruz
• 22-25. House Of Night, by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
• 36-39. The Vampire Academy, by Richelle Mead
• 40. Undead And Unwed, by MaryJanice Davidson
• 41-50. Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, by Laurell K. Hamilton
• 51-55. Blood Ties, by Tanya Huff
• 56-58. The Smoke Trilogy, by Tanya Huff
• 59. Interview With The Vampire, by Anne Rice
• 60. Dracula, by Bram Stoker
• 61-62. Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story; Suck: A Love Story, by Christopher Moore
• 63-64. The Society Of S; The Year Of Disappearances, by Susan Hubbard
• 65. Hotel Transylvania, by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
• 66. The Vampire Tapestry, by Suzy McKee Charnas
• 67. The Delicate Dependency, A Novel Of The Vampire Life, by Michael Talbot
• 68.Those Who Hunt The Night, by Barbara Hambly
• 69-71. Red Moon Rising, Malachi's Moon; Craven Moon, by Billie Sue Mosiman
• 72. Eternally Yours, by Stephen Juers
• 73. Fledgling, by Octavia Butler
• 74. The Dead Travel Fast, by Eric Nuzum
• 75. The Vampire Archives, by Otto Penzler, Neil Gaiman, and Kim Newman

I have no doubt that most of these, if not all, are great but I look forward to adding a few more to this list. Stay tuned and most of all…keep reading.

Mina B.

Richelle Mead’s Valentine’s Day Card Contest

For those of you who haven’t heard, Richelle Mead, author of the best selling YA series, The Vampire Academy, is hosting a contest for Valentine’s Day. Why am I excited? Because it’s Richelle Mead…hello! Besides, it sounded like so much fun, I couldn’t resist. Now, the sample her friend and fellow author, Michelle Rowen created was pretty hilarious, so I decided to take a stab at it.

Here are three cards I’ve created…in the barbaric program, Paint. Can you believe it? Yes. Despite my husband efforts to unknowingly sabotage my design skills (pulling off all the art programs on my computer like Photoshop, Illustrator etc…), I was still able to show off some meager abilities with what he left me with...Paint (of all things). Oh, well… se'la'vie! Maybe I’ll win. I hope so!

And here are my masterpieces.

Enjoy and be sure to comment!

Besos,

Mina!

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