Fridays with Fred: Rough Week

Well, minions...Fred and I have had one heck of a week.  The word insanity doesn't even describe the four day workweek that felt more like ten.  Fred's feeling it too.  Poor buddy.  Anyway, it's not much of a post, but hey...at least we made it, right?


Have a good weekend.

Interested in viewing another pix of Fred, click here.  Don't forget about Schatze over at Bookhounds.  Love her!!!

Mina B.

Back to Books Giveaway Winner

Congrats to Pabkins; the lucky winner of the Back to Books Giveaway Hop and recipient of Richelle Mead’s Bloodlines.  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.

For those of you that haven’t had a chance to read this bewitching YA tale, check out my review or better yet, read the first four chapters here. 

A HUGE round of applause for everyone who participated and commented etc..., plus a GINORMOUS thanks to Kathy from I'm a Reader Not a Writer.  Oh, and last but not least, my Fr** Sh** Fairy! 

Cheers!
Mina B.

Book Review: Richelle Mead's Bloodlines

Bloodlines, Book 1 in Richelle Mead’s spinoff series, is a spectacular addition to the bewitching YA Vampire Academy series . From the beginning, I was drawn to the VA series and for me, Bloodlines, was like a continuation of a gripping story in an unforgettable fantasy world.

Early on, I read a bunch of reviews, and many readers tried to compare Vampire Academy to Bloodlines. Even more so, they attempted to compare the two main characters – which, in my opinion, can’t be done. If you haven’t read the Vampire Academy series, I implore you to do so. I can’t fathom how anyone would attempt to read Bloodlines without reading its predecessors. I think it’s safe to say that this is not a standalone novel. In order to appreciate the series, you must read them all! 

 

Bloodlines is its own unique tale, written from the perspective of an Alchemist or better yet, a human. Sydney Sage is a hard-nosed, street-wise young woman, maneuvering her way through a seemly dark world. Alchemists are a league of humans whose sole purpose is to protect humankind from the underminings and danger associated with the supernatural, i.e. Moroi, Dhampirs and of course, the Strigoi. These beings are unholy at best according to Alchemist teachings.

Being a staunch Alchemist, we first meet Sydney in Blood Promise; the pinnacle of emotional YA rollercoaster tales, I assure you (my review.) In Blood Promise, Sydney came across as stiff and reserved, but even back then, you knew there was more beneath the surface. That same attitude, plus much more was the foundation of Bloodlines. I was utterly captivated with Sydney’s determined spirit, despite all odds stacked against her. 

 

After Last Sacrifice, Sydney’s loyalty is called into question because she helped Rose Hathaway. She was barely forgiven and then quickly reassigned to assist another Moroi or vampire, Jill, the illegitimate daughter of Eric Dragomir and also the half-sister of Queen Vasilisa. Based on Moroi law, in order for Queen Lissa to retain her crown, there must be two living members of the Dragomir family. With many rumblings and threats at court, Jill’s safety is threatened and the decision is made to hide her. Because of the lives and repercussions at stake, the Alchemists agree to assist with hiding and intergrating Jill into a normal human life and ultimately assign Sydney to the task.  

Going undercover as Jill’s sister, Sydney and Jill end up being roommates, attending a boarding school in Palm Springs. There's an assortment of colorful characters along with for the ride too which made the book that much more delicious. Personally, I couldn’t get enough of Adrian. Thank God he’s in this series. As Sydney and Jill muddle their way through high school, Sydney begins investigating magic tattoos and a string of murder victims, including human, moroi and dhamphir.

For me, I loved delving into the perspective of an Alchemist and discovering however black or white their rules are towards the supernatural, Sydney lives in a perpetual state of gray. The fear Sydney had of the unnatural albeit magic, vampires, damphires and all the above -  felt real to me.   Her fear permeated so richly in this tale, I couldn’t get enough of it.  Bloodlines was so well done, it was an easy 4.5 for me.

Mina B.

Fridays with Fred: Drill Sergeant

Happy Fridays with Fred, everyone!  Fred’s playing drill sergeant here, attempting to wake one of my rug rats.  He’s not exactly like Nana from Peter Pan, but I gotta give him props for his effort. Love that about him.
 
Hope you have a great weekend.

"Yes, Drill Sergeant!"

Interested in viewing another pix of Fred, click here.  And remember to check out Schatze over at Bookhouds.  

FYI: I'm giving away a copy of Bloodlines by Richelle Mead.  Click here for details.

Mina B.

Back to the Books Giveaway Hop

Hey, minions! Cue in holiday music..."It’s the most wonderful time of the year" blog hop, better known as the Back to the Books Giveaway Hop” (Pause for happy dance!) 

Now that we have that out of our system...once again, over 300 blogs are participating for a full week of BTS book giveaways. Wow! That’s huge, huh? Thank the gods too, cuz my Free Sh** Fairy had to work HARD to get this latest giveaway.

Since last year, fans of the beloved Vampire Academy series drank their last fill of the delicious YA vampire series and were sadly wandering aimlessly, searching for other YA tales that would measure up.  Let’s not kid ourselves, there's a ton of great YA books out there – but this series is on its own planet. Yes, it’s clearly that good because it's out of this world.  

Best selling author, Richelle Mead, as you know, recently launched her Vampire Academy spin-off series called, Bloodlines. Trust me, its sooooo goooooood! But if you need more convincing, see this EW post where it exclusively features the first four chapters.
 
And since my Free Sh** fairy has some serious connections, we now have a copy to give away to one lucky winner (pause for shrieks of joy.)
 
I know. I know. It’s hard to stay calm with news like that. Breathe. Again. Once more. Good. Now...want to know you can win?  Stupid question.

#123

Okay. Let me clarify again: One (1) lucky winner will win one (1) copy of Richelle Mead’s Bloodlines, Book 1 in the Vampire Academy spin-off series. 

The Back to the Books Giveaway Hop runs from 12:01 AM on Sept. 1st on through Sept. 7th, midnight – so you’ll have plenty of time to enter! Yahoo!
 
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 Subscribing via email to my blog
+1 if you Retweet this on Twitter (limit 1 retweet)
 
Again, the giveaway runs from 12:01 AM on Sept. 1st on thru Sept. 7th, midnight. Contest is for US residents only. Want to see who else is participating? Visit I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and check out all the links 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.)

Creepy Classic: Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher

This month’s creepy classic is Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher and it's astoundingly freaky.  Poe is one of my favorite authors, which is no surprise, since practically everyone with dark sensibilities loves him.  For those that don’t know, I posted a review of three of his classic creepy tales last November here. 

The cliché of “a friend in need is a friend indeed” comes to mind when I read this classic.  The unnamed narrator describes Roderick Usher as his childhood friend and ventures to visit him after receiving a distressing letter.  The beginning sets to tone of this popular tale.  As the visitor rides towards the withering estate, he eyes the dilapidated and eerie surroundings and the reader instantly feels the creeping sensation of despair permeating from the Usher house.  When he finally sees his friend, Usher, it’s no surprise that his disposition mirrors the image of its master’s home; all frail and deteriorating. 

Upon visiting Usher, he learns just how sick he is – not just physically but mentally.  Naturally, the creepy classic has a sinister doctor who’s completely useless.  Usher ails from serious mental issues, which affect how he treats others, including his sister, Lady Madeline, who’s sick too.  Despite his visit and the many days spent comforting Usher, the narrator witnesses Usher unravel. 

Only the wealthy would sit idle day after day in a bizarre state of nothingness until the inevitable doom arrives.  God forbid the narrator suggests a different doctor for his sickly friend.  But he doesn't and so he witnesses his friend’s sister die and agrees to bury her with Usher.  Creepy, indeed, but intriguing, nonetheless.  The vivid descriptions and build up alone was what captivating me throughout this tale.  My favorite part is right before Usher’s destruction, at the climax, when the narrator reads Usher a classical story.  While he reads various verses in the tale, spine-chilling clamorings happen simultaneously.  Usher starts ramblings incoherently, and admits he's buried his sister alive.  And then, of course, once Lady Madeline comes back from the dead, all hell breaks loose.

In the end, I was frustrated when the tale ended too abruptly - just when it was getting really good.  Obviously I wanted more.  Alas, that will ever be.  If you get a chance to read this brilliantly written tale, please do.  You won’t be disappointed.  I picked my up a manybooks.net - you should too.


Mina B. 

Writer Platform-Building Campaign

Rachael Harrie is hosting a cool campaign for writers to help build their online platform.   I love this concept but not just for the platform-building, but for the networking with other writers.

Most of the people that signed up are writers/bloggers looking for a way to connect and support each other in their endeavors.   Rachel references this campaign as a “pay it forward” concept which is awesome.   It’s not easy coordinating these types of online efforts so my hat’s off to her.  While I muddle my way through this campaign, I wanted to take a brief moment to inform my followers, in case they want to join in on the fun.   It’s not terribly complex, but in order to sign up, you need to read Rachel’s post on how to get started.   Click here for more details.  Sign up deadline is 8/31/2001. 

There’s lots of planned activities, and I hope to have the time to join in on all the fun.   Either way, I’m sure I’ll learn a thing or two.  Questions?  Comment below and I’ll see if I can help or find the answers on Rachel’s blog.

Happy Campaigning!

Mina B.