And the Winners Are....

I've been slacking, but I finally have picked some winners!

Our Titus & Atreus Swag Winner....

 Bethie said... Oh this sounds intersting. Please count me in. I follow.

And for our Kresley Cole, Pleasure of a Dark Prince (Immortals After Dark) ....

Chosen by Random.org out of 542 entries.

#67 Ferishia
#430 Ivy @ Book Reader Times
#447 Jamie - Book Junkie
#486 Jennifer Lilley
#542 HAEWON LEE
#265 Ruby E
#349 Rosie Carlo
#419 Patti
#226 Barbara Elness (the email was returned, please email me your address)
#427 elizabeth

Phew The End!48 hours to respond - ding ding ding...

Hourglass by Claudia Gray - Giveaway Alert!

Hourglass (Evernight Novels #3) by Claudia Gray


ARC review copy provided by Harper Collins.

PJV's QUICKIE POV: I thought Evernight (links take you to reviews) was a good YA book.  Stargazer and OK follow-up, but Hourglass...blew both books away.  Never before has a third in a series entertained and delighted like this book did? A third?? Can you believe it? This book had it all, tragic love, fights for their lives, a hint at a triangle, some life or death decisions, a little hanky-panky and an ending that had me throwing the book across the room than running over to it to reread and than cursing that I would have to wait like forever for the fourth book, Afterlife, to come out. Word on the street is that there will also be a Balthazar book, but hints at 2011 releases have me pulling out my hair.

Review:  I can't review this without SPOILERS for Evernight & Stargazer so go and read those books before you read this. Bianca after being lied to by her parents, attacked by ghosts and survived a Black Cross raid is now living amongst the enemy - but she is with Lucas, her soulmate.  They aren't given much time together though as she is forced to bunk under nasty conditions, and train as a Black Cross agent - learning how to fight and kill her own kind.  All the while she is desperate to spend as much time with Lucas, sneak away to get a little "blood" snack, and remain perfectly and 100% human ot the Black Cross people.

The third Evernight book is stuffed full of suspense and heart ache. Lucas and Bianca are literally stranded in a world that they never chose to be a part of.  Lucas was raised to hunt and kill vampires, Bianca was raised to some day become a vampire herself. They were never given choices, they were never even given another option, their life was fated before they were even born. Bianca's was filled with lies and half-truths, Lucas' was filled with misconceptions and bigotry.  They are forced to remain in Lucas' world until they can finally save up enough money to escape...but what other options does a 17 and 19 year old have, especially with no education and no money?

The Romeo and Juliet connotations continue throughout this book...all the way until the end, and what a shocker that was! Oh I'm still reeling from that bomb that Ms. Gray threw at me. Thanks! Now I will go insane with wonder. Love those cliffhangers.

Recommendations: Recommended that you read Evernight and Stargazer before reading Hourglass. You don't have to but it forms the foundation of the relationship between Bianca and Lucas and Balthazar quite well.  These book push the mature teen envelope, this is a maturing teen couple...there are sexual scenes in it. Nothing descriptive at all, I would give this to my teen. Fans of vamps, UF and YA paranormals read this series.

There are 5 Copies of Hourglass to be won at Blog with Bite.  Click on the image below to be taken to the contest post!

You guys have probably already partaken of this particular youtube.com tidbit, it has been circulating on a few blogs (I stole it from Tynga - mwah), but here you go again, for Vamp Week.

Vampire Week - Erik Night - House of Night Series

In celebration of the release of Hourglass the third book in the Evernight Series. Two of my BWB buddies (Tina @ TinasBookReviews & Emily @ What Book is That?) and I have decided to do a vamp week and feature some of the hottest vamps on screen and on page.  If you are not familiar with the Evernight Series, you can start with my Evernight review. We are also giving away FIVE (5) copies of Hourglass (Evernight Novels) at Blog with Bite. So stop over there and enter!

PJV's Vampire Hottie for Today is another Erik, Erik Night.

 Erik Night is introduced in the first House of Night book, Marked. He is introduced in a rather compromising setting, as his ex-girlfriend, Aphrodite tries unsuccessfully to woo him back with a bit of oral happiness. This is where Zoe and Erik first lock eyes, Zoe flees and Erik, luckily gets a second chance. Or unluckily if you think of all the men that flock around Zoe... c'mere Erik, once a cheater always a cheater, you don't need Zoe. :)
The first time Zoe sees Erik, as Aphrodite is kneeling before him:
"And then something truly bizarre happened.  I could feel his touch through our eyes.  I couldn't look away from him." Excerpt from Betrayed, House of Night Book 2

The auditorium exploded as Erik strode, smiling, onto the stage.  I could hardly breathe. How could I have forgotten how utterl gorgeous he is? Tall - taller than Cole even - he had black hair that did that adorable Superman curl thing, and eyes so brilliant blue they were like staring into the summer sky.  Like the otehr performers, he was dressed all in black, with the firth former insignia of Nyx's golden chariot pulling a trail of stars over his left breast as teh only break in the dark color scheme.  And let me tell you, he made black look good.
He walked to center stage, stopped, smiled directly (and obviously) into my eyes, and winked at me. He was so damn hot I thought I would die.  Then he bowed his head and when he raised it he wasn't eighteen-year-old Erik Night, vampyre fledgling, firth former at the House of Night, anymore. Somehow, right in front of our eyes, he had become a Moorish warrior who was trying to explain to a room full of doubters how a Venetian princess had fallen in love with him, and he with her.

Waiting on Wednesday: Vampire Week Special Edition

This weeks Waiting on Wednesday is inspired by vampire week.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly Meme started by Breaking the Spine. It is a feature that  spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. I chose this book because I love this series, and just take a look at the hottie below...

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Dead in the Family: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood) by Charlaine Harris
Releases May 4 2010

Amazon.com blurb

After enduring torture and the loss of loved ones during the brief but deadly Faery War, Sookie Stackhouse is hurt and she's angry. Just about the only bright spot in her life is the love she thinks she feels for vampire Eric Northman. But he's under scrutiny by the new Vampire King because of their relationship. And as the political implications of the Shifters coming out are beginning to be felt, Sookie's connection to the Shreveport pack draws her into the debate. Worst of all, though the door to Faery has been closed, there are still some Fae on the human side-and one of them is angry at Sookie. Very, very angry...

Currently Reading: