And The Winners Are...

Winner Wednesdays 

**Congratulations to our Six Giveaway Winners**

Great news! We’ve reached our goal of 100 followers and it’s time for us to announce the winners of our very first contest! We’re so excited to give these great books out to six of our new followers and friends! Just in case you forgot, the lucky winners get one of the following books:

   We feel so fortunate to have gotten our hands on these books, and even more delighted to be able to give them away to our new followers and friends!  Let’s take a quick stroll through our list before we announce the winners, and have a look at the treasures we have to offer. There are three books that fall into the YA genre, the first of which we got a signed copy of; the recently released hit, The Scorpio Races. This dystopian-esque novel is by best-selling author Maggie Stiefvater, who is widely known for her book Shiver of the series, The Wolves of Mercy Falls. The Scorpio Races is set on the fictional island of Thisby, where, young men are drawn to the barren beaches of the Scorpio Sea each November to compete in a brutal race astride capaill uisce, or rather flesh- eating water horse beasts from Celtic mythology. It's a dangerous race, with some riders dying before the finish line, and never before in its history has there been a female rider...that is, until Puck Connolly comes along. The book has been so hot off the press that, as rumor has it, Warner Brothers has already swooped up the movie rights. Second on our list we have another hot dystopian novel The Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by National Book Award finalist (2009), author Laini Taylor. This September release has already managed to make Amazon’s Top 10 list of Editor Picks for 2011, as well as Publisher’s Weekly Best Books of 2011.  Although it hasn’t been picked up for a movie yet, it’s likely to be this book’s fortune (rumor has it that it’s been the big buzz at MTV studios). The Daughter of Smoke and Bone is about an art student, with electric blue hair, who hangs out with half-human, half-animal creatures while studying in Prague.  This hot new tale is sure to be exciting as the main character finds herself at the center of an otherworldly, supernatural war. The third book we’re giving away is an autographed copy of If I Die, by Rachel Vincent. This is the fifth book of the Soul Screamers Series, which I should have known when I got in line to get it at BEA (except I didn’t). My first clue, that I was standing in line for a middle-of-a-series book release, should have been all the shoving these (hmm hmm- let’s say) “very aggressive” lady fans were doing to each other, because they apparently just “had-to-have” it. So, despite my nature, I held my ground, just so I could get this book and turn around to give it away haha. No, in all seriousness, this should be a great read (no- really… it BETTER be). This story is about a girl names Kaylee, who can sense when someone near her is about to die. She finds herself having to fight against the netherworld- a terrifying, hidden world full of reapers, hellions, and countless other mythical monsters, who are out to possess her- body and soul. And finally- our last YA giveaway is (the-not-to-be-overlooked) book Crusade. This little treasure is by the bestselling authors of Wicked, Debbie Viguie and Nancy Holder (our copy is signed by Holder). I had the privilege of reading this vampire/dystopian novel last year and would recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting story that is full of action from beginning to end. Here’s the catch: the vampires are the bad guys in this story… well most of them anyway. But it’s at least a refreshing take on the all the dystopian and other vampire novels out there. Hey- why not mix the two, right!? Anyway, the story takes place in a world where vampires are living out in the open (think True Blood), yet they are also ‘open’ in their violence, darkness and desire to take over the world. In order to save the human race, several schools have been developed to train young people how to fight the vampires. In Crusade our heroine finds herself training in Spain at the “Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones”. It’s entertaining to say the least… and a really exciting read.

   The final two books on our giveaway list are in the tween, or middle-grade (MG), genre. I can’t help but naming the first with a smile; Aliens on Vacation. We have a hardback, signed copy of this cute little book (I just love the title but mostly it has such a fun cover). Leave it to Disney (Hyperion) to publish such a creative concept, but maybe I shouldn't say little, as it’s already been translated into 9 different languages. The story, by Clete Barrett Smith, is the first book of The Intergalactic Bed & Breakfast Series. It’s about a boy named Scrub who goes to work at his grandma’s bed & breakfast in Washington State. You probably guessed it by now… but it’s actually a bed-and-breakfast run for aliens. What makes it even more exciting is that the movie rights have already been bought up by The Unwanteds, was because its art work and title intrigued me so much! At the time I had not noticed that it was by the best-selling author of Wake, Lisa McMann. (I’m only a little [whole-lot] jealous about giving this book away not keeping it and reading it myself). So it was inevitable, after all the wonderful reviews I’ve read about this gripping story, that this book would make its way into my Amazon shopping cart. It’s being acclaimed, over and over again, as the MG version of Hunger Games. This tween dystopian story takes place in a time, where young kids get categorized into three different groups; the intelligent, who are wanted, the strong, who are necessary, and the creative, who are unwanted (and thus subsequently banished).So thanks for reading, and a special thanks to everyone who participated in our first giveaway! We believe all of these books will make great treats to the lucky home that finds them. So now it’s time to congratulate our very first Wednesday Winners!  

** CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS**

The Unwanteds, by Lisa McMann; ARC, Paperback: Michael/Bookshelf Reviewer

Crusade, by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie; Autographed Paperback (signed by N. Holder): Julie Witt

Aliens on Vacation, by Clete Barrett Smith; Autographed Hardback: Christie - The Fiction Enthusiast

Daughter of Smoke & Bone, by Laini Taylor; ARC, Paperback: April Harvell

The Scorpio Races, by Maggie Stiefvater; Autographed, ARC, Paperback: Tiffany Drew

If I Die, Rachel Vincent; Autographed, ARC, Paperback: The Happy Booker

If you’ve already had the privilege to read any of the above mentioned books, WE WOULD LOVE to hear your thoughts or comments! Thanks for participating and stay tuned for our next giveaway, coming soon!