Fridays with Fred and Book Blogger Hop

Okay, so it’s that time again: Fridays with Fred and Book Blogger Hop. I'm combining the two again so I hope you don't mind.  :0)

This week's question comes from Mia who blogs at Girl About Books:

"Who's your all-time favorite book villain?"

Great question.  For me there are honestly too many to count.  So I broke it down into two villains the seriously scared the living shit out of me when I read these books.  I honestly don’t think I could pick them up again if I wanted to.  First is Stephen King’s It.  I’ve never looked at clowns the same since.  He’s a monster and a villain and he’s masterfully embedded in my brain thanks to King.  Who’s with me on that one?  Yeah, I thought so.  Next would have to be Dean Koontz’s Intensity.  If you haven’t read that book you’re missing a heart palpitating/thrilling read.  The villain - Edgler Forman Vess – was another one that scared the *@#&** out of me! Whew!  Those two are enough!

As for Fred, he wanted me to shoot him in his favorite places; the kitchen – specifically his nook. He just finished eating in this pix, so don’t feel bad for him. And he’s an Oliver Twist fan too! Aw, Fred…with all the food, treats and scraps you get off the floor, you hardly need more. Anyway, we thought we’d share with you. Enjoy your weekend!

Be sure & check out Schatze over at Mary/Bookhouds.  Fred really adores her.

Last but not least.  Enter to win my Free Book Contest of Kresley Cole's latest book, Dreams of a Dark Warrior!  Contest runs until March 17th, eod! 

Until next time...

Mina B.

Free Book Contest: Kresley Cole's Dreams of a Dark Warrior

I’m a bit behind schedule these days with…everything.  I’m about three posts behind so I need to catch up.  Sorry about that. Life happens, ya know?  Anyway, before another day gets away from me, I promised a FREE Book Contest with Kresley Cole and now I’m here to deliver. 

For those that aren’t familiar, Cole’s bestselling Immortals After Dark series is truly one of the best out there.  She’s an incredible writer with a knack for storytelling.  I’ve read several of her books and I promise they’re unbelievably good. I have two of her previous books that I’ve reviewed: A Hunger Like No Other and Kiss of the Demon King.  Since then I’ve read Dark Needs at Night's Edge and also Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night.  All a very good. 'Nuff said.

And so thanks to my Free Sh** Fairy...today’s FREE Book Contest is for her latest book, Dreams of a Dark Warrior. Yessss!  I have one (1) copy of the book that I’m giving away for FREE.   Yippee!  The contest starts today, March 3rd and runs until March 17th, end of day.

Want to enter?  Yeah, I bet you do.

To enter

You MUST be a follower of my blog AND leave a comment below.

Contestants must submit their name and GC in order to officially entered.

(Note: Must be 18 or older to enter.  This contest is open to US only.)


Extra entries
+3 NEW/OLD Followers on Twitter @MinaBurrows
+1 Retweet this (limited to one RT)
+2 Like me on Facebook/Mina Burrows


Until next time...contest ends March 17th, eod. Enter to win today!

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 & Book Blogger Hop

I’m combining today's post with Fridays with Fred and Book Blogger Hop. I’ve been so busy lately that I figured what the hey.

Today’s Fridays with Fred is another shot of Fred as a puppy – kind of like this one.  But this is one of my fav shots of Fredster.  If you can see, he even has a doll sweater on.  Those were several years ago but this pix was so darn cute, I couldn’t help myself.  Enjoy!

Before I forget, please take moment to check out Schatze over at Mary/Bookhouds. She’s just so adorable I can’t stand it.

And now onto my Book Blogger Hop

This week's question comes from Jen B. who blogs at I Read Banned Books:

"Do you ever wish you would have named your blog something different?"

Excellent question!  My answer….absolutely not!

First off, I’m not changing my name.  Enough said.  And as far as the tag, “books for paranormal & mystic minds" - that’s exactly what you get when you're on my blog.  If you look at my header image – the woman with the worn book and creepy face - that’s how I feel when I write/read paranormal, horror, and mystical books. It sucks me in and takes me away like magic. That’s why I chose image and the tag. This blog and my writings are dedicated to the creepy side of things and that’s precisely how it will remain.

Next question…

Thanks for stopping by. If you missed one of my earlier reviews, check out Beautiful Creatures posted earlier this week.

Until next time...have a great weekend.


Mina B.

Book Review: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's Beautiful Creatures

Today I’m finally getting a chance to post my review for Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl’s  Beautiful Creatures.  Whew!  It’s about time too.  Okay, where to start?  How about the back cover?

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations.  But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met.  When Lena moves in the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Overall I liked this book, but I did think it was a bit long and drawn out.  It left me with more questions than answers which can be good and bad when you’re reading a new series.  Ethan Wate tells the story through his perspective, which I enjoyed since it was rich with his southern drawl.  I loved the intricate details of Gatlin and how the authors delved into the Deep South’s undying love for the Confederate Army.  The beginning was like reading a southern melody about Gatlin’s coming and goings – or lack thereof.  What I loved most about this story was in the small backward town of Gatlin.  Nothing’s really quite what it seemed.  On the surface its M.U.N.D.A.N.E. but once the story peels back its dull layers, a mystical intriguing, possibly Goth-like world exist. That...was really cool – authentic even.

Here are a few spoilers, folks.  Even though the story revolves around a romance between Ethan and Lena, it plunges into a southern and creepy underworld with Seerers, Incubus, Castors/Witches, Holy-Rollers, Ghosts, Talisman, insane Mortals, mystical Librarians etc… I really liked Ethan – probably more than I cared for Lena.  With his Mom recently dead and a delusional Father - he appeared to me to have less of a family than Lena.  Ethan and Lena obviously were connected throughout the entire book – which I thought was endearing, especially for a YA novel.  But some of the storyline – like I mentioned earlier - left me with more questions than answers.  Without saying too much, Lena and Ethan are from different worlds and that leaves their relationship doomed.  One character I couldn’t get enough of was Uncle Macon.  He oozed darkness and wore his sophistication and arrogance like one of his fine, expensive outfits.  He was extremely protective of Lena and I couldn’t get enough of him (and possibly Boo Radley too.)

Being from the South, I appreciated this mystical, original, southern YA tale.  It was like sitting down to one of my family’s country style meals; some parts were to die for while others were just plain okay – but overall…very satisfying.  Beautiful Creatures was a 3.5 for me.

Until next time…try something dark, magical and sweet, Beautiful Creatures.

Mina B.

Fridays with Fred: Going Gray

I didn’t realize Fred was going gray or white on his face until about a year or two ago.  He’s still handsome to me, but I can’t help but reflect on these old pictures and get sad.  Take a look below and see what I mean.  In fact, if you look at some of my earlier FwF posts, you'll see even more gray/white.  Time sure does fly and Fred’s kind of looking like an old man.  And sometimes he’s grumpy like one too…but we’ll get to that subject another time.  To me, he’s still good looking, but now more in a distinguished sort of way.  It’s definitely an evolution of some kind.  Anyway, I thought I’d share this with you because he’s definitely changed.
Enjoy your weekend.

Be sure and check out Schatze over at Mary's from BookHounds. 
 
Until next time...I wonder if his spots will go next?
 
Mina B.

And the winner of my Love Hop is...

The winner of my Follower Love Giveaway Hop is… Elisquared!  Congratulations, E!  That’s awesome.  The winner was chosen through the established and reputable Random.org.

A whopping THANKS to everyone who participated.  Doing book blog hops are a ton of fun.  An unbelievable amount of new visitors hopped by; some stayed and became followers, others just stopped by.  The beauty of these hops are everybody usually has fun and someone always wins.  And next time...it could be you.

Coming up, I’ve got a ton of items on my hit list this month.  Right now I’m still editing my YA novel and hope to have that wrapped up soon.  Between that and work – oh and that little HUGE thing called a family – I’ve been insanely busy.  But never fear.  This is not a chore by any means.  I love my blog. I’ve said a billion times before…I love to read and I especially love to write.  What's made it all worthwhile are my followers and my commenter’s.  So if I haven’t said it enough…THANK YOU.

Now, as far as reading, I have several books on my list, including the ones under my “Dying To Read” section and other’s under my “Creepy Classic” section.  On my DTR section, I’ll be reviewing Beautiful Creatures – sometime this week.  So look for it and be sure and comment.  I’m also dying to know what you guys think.  As for this month’s Creepy Classic, I’m reading/reviewing JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit.  Ooooh I can’t wait that one.  Hey, that reminds me….do you have a creepy classic lit book that you’d recommend?  I love recommendations!  Comment on my post, and I’ll be sure and put it on the list. 

And last but not least, I’m sure I’ll be doing another Free Book contest.  I’ve gotta get with the “Free Sh**” fairy and see what she’s got brewing…like maybe even Kresley Cole.  We’ll see and so will you. Stay tuned.

Thanks again to everyone for playing.

Until next time…

Mina B.

Fridays with Fred: Patience

Today’s Friday’s with Fred isn’t just about Fred’s mad skills as a JRT.  I know what you guys probably think – that Fred’s somewhat tortured into doing ridiculous tricks.  Well, I’m here to tell you that is entirely false.  Let me assure you that my dog Fred LOVES to do these tricks.  First of all, he gets treats.  And second, he spends quality time with me. :0)

But that’s not what this post is about today.  No, this post is all about patience.  Fred appears to have this virtue down, right?  Yeah, I’d say he’s pretty darn good at it.  Anyway, after taking this shot, I got to thinking how much little patience I have when it comes to certain things.  And when I see Fred and how perfect his stance and resolve is as he listens for my command “wait”, I wonder…why can’t I be more like that?  It’s an art and clearly Fred has mastered it.  Well, I can tell you I won’t be walking around with a bone on my nose, but I will be reflecting back on this moment often to summon patience for the things worth waiting for.  Patience is another lesson my best friend Fred’s taught me.  What would I do without him?

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

The Best!

If you miss last week’s Fridays with Fred – you have to check it out.  Also, check out Schatze's over at Mary's from BookHounds.   We love her!


Until next time…

Mina B.