Heidi-ho! It’s another Sunday, and another stash. We hope everyone’s having an awesome Valentine’s Day, whether you’re out doing romantic crap, enjoying your time with friends, or happily on your own!

(We are loving these dorky Valentine’s Day Cards – and so want to share you with you, dear readers.) Now, down to business!

Lisa McMann’s Gone Winners:

We have TEN lucky winners to announce! Drumroll please…

Flash Giveaway: The Valentine’s Day Edition Winners:

And the winners are:

Congratulations to the winners! You know the drill. Send an email to contact AT the book smugglers DOT com with your snail mail address, and we will get your winnings out to you as soon as possible. Thanks to everyone that participated!

Around the Interwebs and Other News:

This week, we were interviewed over by author Sam Sykes, debut novelist of the forthcoming Tome of the Undergates. He asked us about book standards, covers, and – most interestingly – about what women expect out of their reading. You can check out our answers over HERE.

Jessica, the ridiculously intelligent and eloquent woman behind Racy Romance Reviews has a great article up right now: “Feminist Critique of Romance: Ur Doin It Wrong.” Jessica takes a look at Rochelle Hurst’s “THE BARRISTER’S BEDMATE: Harlequin Mills & Boon and the Bridget Jones Debate” (Australian Feminist Studies, Vol. 24, No. 62, December 2009) and has some very interesting findings. In addition to misattributed and out-of-context quotes, Ms. Hurst’s fundamental analysis, argument and logic are shockingly flawed. Make sure to check it out, if you haven’t already.

Also, it’s been all over the place, but we have to reiterate because we are just that. damn. excited. The title and cover of the third and final volume of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games series has been officially revealed! Feast your eyes on this gorgeous beauty:

According to Scholastic’s On our Minds blog and an interview with Scholastic’s VP Editorial Director, David Levithan, we can expect the following of Mockingjay:

I am not, under any circumstances, allowed to divulge the contents of the third Hunger Games book. Nada. Nothing. Not a peep. I can, however, share with you five things that will not be appearing in the new book:

- Panem is not shaken up when District 9 is nominated for a best picture Oscar.

- At no point does President Snow utter the line, “This is Snowmageddon, baby.”

- Despite internet rumors to the contrary, it is not revealed that Cinna has been secretly designing outfits for a Capitol operative known as “Lady GaGa.”

- All rumors of a crossover appearance by Geronimo Stilton are false.

- In a tough editorial call, we decided not to have Katniss win the Hunger Games…only to be interrupted by Kanye West.

Ok, so that’s not very helpful. But holy crap, it’s the third book in the series! Mockingjay comes out on August 24th – guess we’ll just have to wait until then.

Also:

That is all.

Finally, in TVlandia news, we Smugglers have an announcement to make. Ahem. Episode 2 of the Sixth and Final Season of LOST – “What Kate Does” – totally, unconscionably SUCKED. Who cares about Kate any more? She’s gorgeous and we love Evangeline Lilly, but good god is Kate the most ridiculously stupid character ever. Also, no more mystical Japanese dude. Please. Only fifteen episodes to go (if you count the two-part finale is as two separate episodes). Let’s get back on the ball, writers. Please.

(Next week, “The Substitute” is a Locke-centric epi. We are pleased. Bring it!)

This Week on The Book Smugglers:

On Monday, Thea kicks off the week with a review of Jen Nadol’s debut young adult speculative fiction novel, The Mark. Later in the day we interview Jen Nadol about her new book, her influences, and her favorite authors and titles.

Tuesday, it’s time for another Alert Nerd Mega-Crossover-Linkup-Bonanza! We posted about it briefly before, but Tuesday is the official day for our very own “True Geek Confessions,” in which we reveal our deepest, darkest, geekiest secrets. Everyone can participate – all you need do is post your own Geek Confessional on Tuesday, and add your link to the Alert Nerd list. You can read all about the official event HERE. Later in the day, Thea reviews Rachel Caine’s newest, the second book in her Outcast Season spinoff series (in the Weather Warden universe) Unknown.

Wednesday is another huge day – it’s our official stop on the Harper Teen 28 Days of Winter Escapes Blog Tour & Book-a-Day Giveaway! We will have a joint review of Delia Ephron’s The Girl With the Mermaid Hair, and also an exclusive Q&A with the author. Make sure to stop by the official Winter Escapes website on Wednesday too, for a chance to win The Girl With the Mermaid Hair and an iTouch.

Thursday, Ana gives her review of Blood of the Demon, Diana Rowland’s highly anticipated sequel to last year’s Urban Fantasy novel Mark of the Demon.

Finally, on Friday we close out the week with Ana’s review of historical romance novel In For A Penny by Rose Lerner. Plus, we’ll have Rose over later in the day to talk about her Inspirations & Influences!

It’s another suicidal hectic week here – we hope you enjoy it!

Hey, hey, hey folks! It’s time for another, really spiffy Flash Giveaway! This time, it’s the luuuuuuuuurve edition.

Today, we have a few prize packages up for grabs – three basic prize packages, and then ONE truly awesome Grand Prize!

In Batch 1: Historical Romance

This batch includes:
- Revenge Wears Rubies by Renee Bernard
- In Bed With the Duke by Christina Dodd
- Ladies Prefer Rogues anthology
- Promise Me Tonight by Sara Lindsey
- Most Eagerly Yours by Allison Chase
- The Irish Duke by Virginia Henley

In Batch 2: Contemporary Romance

This batch includes:
- Knock Me for a Loop by Heidi Betts
- Some Like it Kilted by Allie Mackay
- Mad, Bad and Blonde by Cathie Linz
- Divorced, Desperate and Decieved by Christie Craig
- Blonde with a Wand by Vicki Lewis Thompson
- Chick with a Charm by Vicki Lewis Thompson
- Johnny Be Good by Paige Toon

In Batch 3: Paranormal Romance

This batch includes:
- Warrior Ascended by Addison Fox
- Succubi Like it Hot by Jill Myles
- Naked Dragon by Annette Blair
- Dark Desires After Dusk by Kresley Cole
- Atlantis Redeemed by Alyssa Day
- Time for Eternity by Susan Squires

AND THE GRAND PRIZE:

As part of the marketing push behind the thirtieth book in J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts)’s “In Death” series, the good folks at Penguin have put together a truly AWESOME promotional package for the release of Fantasy In Death.

Bart Minnock, founder of the computer-gaming giant U-Play, enters his private playroom, and eagerly can’t wait to lose himself in an imaginary world, to play the role of a sword-wielding warrior king, in his company’s latest top-secret project, Fantastical.

The next morning, he is found in the same locked room, in a pool of blood, his head separated from his body. It is the most puzzling case Eve Dallas has ever faced, and it is not a game. . . .

NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas is having as much trouble figuring out how Bart Minnock was murdered as who did the murdering. The victim’s girlfriend seems sincerely grief-stricken, and his quirky-but-brilliant partners at U-Play appear equally shocked. No one seemed to have a prob lem with the enthusiastic, high-spirited millionaire. Of course, success can attract jealousy, and gaming, like any business, has its fierce rivalries and dirty tricks-as Eve’s husband, Roarke, one of U- Play’s competitors, knows well. But Minnock was not naive, and quite capable of fighting back in the real world as well as the virtual one.

Eve and her team are about to enter the next level of police work, in a world where fantasy is the ultimate seduction-and the price of defeat is death. . . .

You may or may not have seen others (such as KB of Babbling About Books, and More! and the folks over at Dear Author) that have been posting about these wicked cool packages – and, with full permission from the publicity group at Penguin, we’ve decided to give put our own package up for grabs.

As the Grand Prize in our Valentine’s Day Giveaway, we are offering up a copy of Fantasy In Death and the wicked cool Evidence Bag that contains Vengeance in Death, a departmental memo from Eve, and a little token of evidence from the Vengeance in Death case.

You can find more about Fantasy In Death and all of the great evidence bags put together by the publisher at the official In Death website, HERE.

THE RULES:

In order to enter the contest, we have a few simple rules.

To enter the competition, you must leave a comment after this post, letting us know in order of preference which of the three prize packages you want (for example: 1. Historical Romance; 2. Paranormal Romance; 3. Contemporary Romance).

If you want to enter yourself in the GRAND PRIZE drawing (for Fantasy in Death and the Evidence Bag containing goodies and Vengeance in Death), in your comment make sure to tell us which In Death book is your favorite! (If you do not wish to be considered in the giveaway for the other prize packages, make sure to state that in your comment too) If you do not say which In Death book is your favorite, you will NOT be eligible to win the Grand Prize.

And this is an important one! ONLY ONE COMMENT PER PERSON. Any duplicate comments, clarification comments, multiple comments will be automatically disqualified.

The competition is open to residents of the United States and Canada ONLY.

Those are the rules! Make sure you adhere to them, or you might lose your chance at a truly awesome giveaway. The contest will run until Saturday February 13th at 11:59PM. Good luck!

And Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Welcome to Smugglivus – Day 32!

Hey, it’s the New Year! Woohoo! Happy freakin’ New Year!

And in light of the fact it’s 2010, we are offering, you guessed it, another Flash Giveaway*. The New Year Edition. Up for grabs we have a mixed bag of genres. Only ONE batch this time:

You know the drill! The contest is open to mailing addresses in the UNITED STATES ONLY, and will run until Saturday January 2 at 11:59 PM (PST). In order to enter, simply leave a comment here. ONE comment per person, please! Multiple or duplicate comments will be disqualified. Good luck!

And from us Book Smugglers to you…

*Ok, so we couldn’t find a Flash New Year picture, so technically this is the Savage She Hulk New Year Giveaway. So sue us! Just don’t make us angry. You wouldn’t like us when we’re angry…

Another week of Smugglivus has come and gone, and now we are down to our FINAL WEEK of the celebration! (Well, sort of…)

First, a few announcements.

Giveaway Winners:

Three of our giveaways have now closed, and we’ve got a bunch of very lucky winners to announce!

First up is the ARC giveaway courtesy of Little, Brown (US). The THREE lucky winners of all the ARCs (13 Treasures, Sisters Red, Ship Breaker, Guardian of the Dead, and Prophecy of the Sisters: Guardian of the Gate) are:

Next, we have the TWO winners of Sarah Rees Brennan’s silver charm giveaway. And the lucky winners are:

Finally, we have the THREE winners of our Big Ol’ Christmas Flash Giveaway! And the books go to…

Congratulations to all the winners! You know the drill. Send us an email (contact AT thebooksmugglers DOT com) with your snail mail addresses, and we will get your goodies out to you as soon as possible.

Thanks so much again to all that participated, and if you didn’t win, remember that our Adrian Phoenix giveaway (two sets of autographed copies of all the books in her Maker’s Song series) are still up for grabs! So have at it!

This Week on Smugglivus:

Later on today, we continue full-steam ahead with guest bloggers Kristi, The Story Siren and Lenore of Presenting Lenore.

On Monday, our guest bloggers are Liz and Mark of My Favorite Books, Gav of NextRead, and Carolyn Crane of The Thrillionth Page.

Tuesday, we have Amy of My Friend Amy and the wonderful Harry of Temple Library Reviews for guest bloggers. Later in the day, Thea will also review gritty, fun Urban Fantasy novel Deadtown by Nancy Holzner.

On Wednesday, we have Nancy Holzner over for an interview! Following that, we’ll have Alert Nerd’s Sarah and Jeff over for their guest blog posts, closing out the guest blogger portion of Smugglivus!

Which means Thursday gets really fun – because on New Year’s Eve, we Book Smugglers finally give you our very own BEST OF 2009 Lists! Who will make the cut? We know you’re holding your breath and counting the days until the grand reveal…

On Friday, we take a little break (celebrating New Year’s, you know), and offer up another Big Ol’ Flash Giveaway – The New Year’s Edition.

Saturday, we give our Best of the Rest 2009 – favorite TV Shows, Movies and moments from the past year.

So make sure to stay tuned! This week is gonna be a doozy!

~ Your friendly neighborhood Book Smugglers

Welcome to Smugglivus – Day 25!

As it’s officially Christmas, we’ve decided that it’s only natural for us to bust out our very own Santa Bags, and host a Big Freakin’ Flash Giveaway – The Christmas Edition.

Today we are giving away THREE Batches of books to THREE lucky winners. And here are the categories….

Batch 1: The Christmas Theme

Batch 2: The Highlander/Warrior Giveaway

Batch 3: The Historical Romance Giveaway

Giveaway Instructions:

This time, since there are three batches in play, we’re asking everyone to do something a little bit different. You enter the contest simply by leaving a comment at the end of this post – but in your comment, please list IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE all three batches (for example, “1. Historical Romance 2. Highlander/Warrior 3. Christmas Theme”). We will randomly select THREE winners – the first winner will get their first preference, the second their highest available preference, the third their highest available preference.

The contest is open to mailing addresses in the US only and will run until Saturday, December 26 at 11:59 PM (PST). One entry per person, please! Duplicate or multiple entries will be disqualified.

Good luck, and Happy Holidays!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! In celebration of the holidays, we’ve got a cornucopia of books on the table – TWO giveaway batches for two lucky readers.

This weekend’s offerings are Paranormal Romance!

Batch 1:

And in Batch 2:

The contest is open to everyone in the US or Canada. In order to enter for either batch, leave a comment here (one comment per person please – your comment will automatically enter you for BOTH batches! Multiple and/or duplicate comments will be disqualified). The contest will be open until 11:59 PM (PST) tonight, November 28th. GOOD LUCK!

What better way to celebrate the end (or almost, we still have two more posts today!) of our Halloween Week than to have a Flash Giveaway?

We have two batches to giveaway, each to one lucky winner.

Batch 1: courtesy of Gollancz has Hater by David Moody and a hardcover of A Touch of Dead, an anthology of Sookie Stackhouse stories, by Charlaine Harris

Batch 2: courtesy of Ace and Jove has Dark Road Rising by P.N.Elrod and the Never After anthology.

To enter, leave a comment telling us which batch you prefer. Contest is open to residents of the US, Canada and UK and will run till 11:59pm (Pacific) TONIGHT. GO!

Howdy folks, and HAPPY LONG WEEKEND SATURDAY!

To celebrate, we decided to throw together another of our Flash Giveaways – so named because you only have 24 hours to enter! Today’s offerings…

BATCH 1: Contemporary Romance (Click to enlarge all thumbnail images)

BATCH 2: Romantic Suspense

The contest is open to everyone in the US or Canada. In order to enter for either batch, leave a comment here (one comment per person please – your comment will automatically enter you for BOTH batches). The contest will be open until 11:59 PM (PST) tonight, September 5th. GOOD LUCK!

The end is here (boo) for our Young Adult Appreciation Month and we go out with a bang! Or rather with one of our …

FLASH GIVEAWAY:

You know the score, a Flash giveaway is a contest that runs for 24 hours only. This time around we have two YA batches to giveaway to two lucky winners (one batch each):

Batch one:

Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
Marked by PC Cast
Tithe by Holy Black (signed by the author)

Batch two:

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
You are SO Undead to Me by Stacey Jay
Libyrinth by Pearl North

To win one of the batches, leave a comment saying which one you prefer. Contest is open to everyone and runs till the end of the day today (ie Saturday 22nd, 11:59PM Pacific). Winners will be announced in our Sunday stash. GO!

Another Saturday, another giveaway!

The contest is now closed!

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