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Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Top 10 Tuesday (32)- Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2015


Hi thanks for stopping by!!! And welcome to my Top 10 Tuesday post! 

Thanks to the lovely ladies at The Broke And The Bookish for creating this weekly meme!

Here's this week's topic.

June 16: Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2015


These aren't in any particular order but all of these have been fantastic books! Click on the book cover to be taken to the book's goodreads page


1. 


2. 


3. 


4. 


5. 


6.


7. 


8.


9. 


10. 





So this is my list. What about you? What have been your favorite books of 2015 so far?

And come back next week for my My Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read!


Hugs,
Jaime

Friday, June 26, 2015

M9B Friday Reveal - Into the Dark by Caroline Patti

M9B-Friday-Reveal Banner

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!
This week, we are revealing the cover AND Chapter One of
Into The Dark by Caroline Patti!
Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!


IntoTheDark_eCover1800x2700
A girl’s sweet sixteen party is supposed to be among the most memorable events of her life. But on the night of hers, Mercy Clare wakes in the waiting room of a hospital with no memory of how she got there. To make matters worse, she’s wearing something she’d never be caught dead in: her best friend Lyla’s clothes.

Mercy’s nightmare is just beginning. The doctor arrives to tell her that it’s she who lies in the hospital bed waiting to die. A trip to the bathroom confirms Mercy’s fears, as Lyla’s face stares back at her and Lyla’s curvy figure pokes through her tight clothes.

But finding out what’s really going on won’t be easy. Because if Mercy wants her body back, it might just cost her Lyla’s life.

add to goodreads

Title: Into the Dark
Publication date: August 18, 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Caroline Patti

Amazon | iBooks | Google PlayKobo

Chapter-by-Chapter-header---Excerpt

Chapter One
Mercy
A TV, bolted high on the wall, buzzes in the background, the faint sound of the local news reporter’s voice robotically reciting the events of the evening. “One dead and another in critical condition … ”
The waiting room is empty of people. Plastic chairs line the walls. Magazines are strewn about. How did I get here?
The news reporter continues to speak. “What appears to be a suicide occurred tonight in the alley behind local watering hole, Wally’s Pub. Closed for a private party, owner Kate McCrimons had no comment on tonight’s event. Relatives of the victim, high school teacher Matteo Andreas, were not available for comment.”
It’s all coming back to me now. The party. The alley. Seeing Mr. Andreas with the gun in his mouth. Oh God.
“Hey, you’re awake.” Jay stands before me holding two coffee cups.
“Did you bring me here?” I rub my temples with the palm of my hand. My head is pounding.
“You don’t remember?” Jay’s eyes narrow and tiny creases indent his furrowed brow. He doesn’t look at all like his normal goofy self. His brown eyes are concerned and focused intently on me.
I close my eyes and hold my head in my hands. “I feel sick.”
“Kate is on her way,” Jay continues. He sits down next to me and sets the cups on the table. “Just a warning, she’s pretty freaked out.”
Tiny waves of nausea roll in my stomach. My mouth is dry and parched. “I’m gonna throw up.”
“Shit.” Jay jumps from the chair. I can hear him scrambling around the room. The noise is making me feel worse.
Something bangs into my legs. I open my eyes just a little to see a garbage can. Jay sits back down next to me and holds my hair back as the contents of my stomach empty. My stomach clenches as I grip the sides of the can. I hate throwing up. I hate the convulsions, the acid taste that fills my mouth, and the way a single strand of spittle dangles from my lip like I’m a drooling dog. Luckily, this is happening in front of Jay so it’s only moderately mortifying. Having known him all my life, he’s seen all sides of me: the good, the bad, and the worse.
“Here.” Jay slips a napkin into my hands. He rubs my back lightly. “Should I get a doctor?”
Jay kisses the top of my head and I flinch. My head snaps up too quickly and I stare at him while the room around me sways. “What are you doing?” I have to close my eyes again as another wave of sick crashes over me.
He takes his hands off me. “What?”
“Why’d you kiss me?” I peer at him sideways.
“I’m sorry.” He says it like a question, and then he looks at me like I’m nuts. “I was just trying to make you feel better, Ly.”
“Okay, but … ”
He called me Ly. As in Lyla. My best friend Lyla. “Why are you calling me Ly?” My pounding head cannot take this conversation.
“That’s what I always call you.” Jay shakes his head. His mop of curls swishes along his forehead. He brushes it out of his eyes by raking his hands through his hair. “How much did you drink tonight?”
I’m not quite sure.
The smell of my own sick is singeing my nostrils so even though it makes the room spin, I raise my head to look at him. A few strands of long, dark hair fall across my face. Hesitantly, I reach up and pull a clump around so I can see it better. My eyes cross as I stare at the nearly black hair. What the hell? Frantically, I pick at it, like an addict with a fixation.
“Lyla, what are you doing?” Jay asks.
I drop the pieces of hair and smooth them back. “Nothing.”
“You’re acting really weird.”
I’m acting weird? He’s the one who keeps calling me Lyla for God’s sake!
“Here you guys are!” Lyla’s older sister, Kate, speaks with an exasperated tone. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. There’s like sixty waiting rooms in this place.” She takes one look at the garbage in front of me and exhales, annoyed. Being a bar owner means Kate has plenty of experience with vomit.
“You okay?”
Slowly, I nod as I slide the can away from me with my feet. She sits in a chair just across from us. “I brought you some clothes.” She holds out a brown paper bag to me and waits for me take it.
“Don’t give me any grief about what I picked. I was in a hurry.” Kate’s appearance is frazzled. Deep brown curls spill forth from the messy bun of hair piled on top of her head. Her feet jiggle up and down. Kate always fidgets when she’s nervous.
In the bag I find Lyla’s “Crazy for Cupcakes” tee, a pair of jeans, and some flip-flops. Why did Kate bring me Lyla’s clothes?
“Do we know anything?” Kate asks.
“No,” Jay tells her. “We’re still waiting for the doctor.”
“Is Eric here yet?” Kate asks about my dad.
“Not yet,” Jay answers.
My dad is on his way. Relief sinks in knowing that in a few minutes I’ll be able to hug him and he’ll make everything okay again.
“You want some coffee?” Jay reaches for the cup and holds it out to Kate. He gestures toward me as he says, “I got it for Ly, but I don’t think she wants it.”
I do not. I hate coffee.
“Sure.” Kate takes the cup and sips slowly. She gives me a reproachful look when she says, “You drink too much coffee as it is.”
I start to protest, to tell them both that it’s Lyla, not me, who insists on stopping every morning at Peet’s, but Kate quickly adds, “Well, go change. This isn’t exactly the place for heels and cleavage.”
Cleavage? I look down and see what she means. I’m busting out of the seams! This isn’t my dress. This is Lyla’s dress. I would never wear a dress like this. For one thing, it’s pink. And it looks like dip-dyed ace bandages wrapped around my body. I hold the bag close to my chest hoping to conceal my heaving flesh. Wait. I don’t have heaving flesh. And I don’t have raven hair. Something is very, very wrong.
“Okay.” As I stand to go, I teeter on Lyla’s five-inch stilettos. Jay catches my elbow and steadies me.
“You need some help?” he offers.
“I got it.” I think. I cannot get away from them fast enough.
Not only do I feel like I’m going to vomit again, but I also feel like I’m having a mental breakdown. My hair is a different color. My breasts are like cantaloupes. I’m not wearing my own clothes. I swallow hard to push down the panic and a touch of bile.
Kate eyes me suspiciously. “Do you want me to come with you, just in case? You don’t look so good.”
“I’ll be fine,” I say, hoping to reassure both her and myself. I don’t have much confidence that I can walk far in Lyla’s shoes. For a split second I think about going barefoot, but decide against it. Luckily, it turns out the bathroom is just across the hall.
Lyla’s dress clings to me like Saran Wrap. I must look like Bambi learning to walk as I concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other. The carpet of the waiting room isn’t that treacherous, but the slick, overly polished hallway isn’t as forgiving. My left ankle rolls and I stumble just as I reached the bathroom door. Damn!
The bathroom is dark. I flip the wall switch and the light flickers, groans, and burns nearly out, casting a ghoulish yellow glow of light over the room. “Great.”
I grope my way toward the sink. It is then that my eyes adjust to the dark, and for the first time I see my reflection. Only it isn’t my face peering back at me. It’s Lyla’s, my best friend since the third grade. Leaning in closer, I stare, mouth agape, into the mirror. Her blue eyes are rimmed with multiple coats of black eyeliner. The red of her lipstick is faded, leaving her lips with only a hint of berry stain. My hands explore, skimming the sides of her cheek, hoping, praying that at any second the illusion will shatter. Despite my desperate hopes, the reflection never morphs from Lyla’s into mine.
I rack my brain trying to piece together everything that happened tonight. It’s my birthday I suddenly remember. We were having a party at Kate’s bar. A party I didn’t want. Lyla had talked Gage into being my date. Well, more like forced. But we were having a good time. He’s really nice. I went outside; I remember that part. And my teacher was there, that letch Mr. Andreas, and he grabbed me. He kept saying all this weird stuff to me and I tried to get away and that’s when Gage came out and started yelling at him. Mr. Andreas had a gun. And he … and he …
I remember the sound of the gun going off, and the brief second of relief I felt when I realized he hadn’t shot Gage. But then I saw all the blood. There was so much blood.
I stagger backward knocking into the stall door. It swings open and I drop to my knees over the toilet. I heave and heave, but nothing comes up. I curl into a sitting position. My fingers knot into my hair.
When I finally stand up, I expect—okay hope—that everything will have returned to normal, that I’ll be me again, and that seeing Lyla was just some sort of weird post-traumatic stress thing. But when I look in the mirror, I don’t see me. I see her.
This isn’t possible. There’s no way. I must be dreaming.
That’s the only explanation. This is just a dream. A very strange, twisted dream.
But it isn’t a dream. I press my hand to the mirror. It’s solid. It’s real. This is really happening.
“Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!” I curse as the mother of all freak-outs rumbles inside me. What am I supposed to do now?

About-the-Author
Caroline-Patti-225x300
Caroline T Patti is the author of The World Spins Madly On and Too Late To Apologize. When she’s not writing, she’s a school librarian, mother of two, wife, avid reader and Green Bay Packer fan. You can chat with her on Twitter:@carepatti or find her on Facebook.
Connect with the Author: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads
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Thursday, June 25, 2015

Blog Tour- A BOOK OF SPIRITS AND THIEVES by Morgan Rhodes A Would You Rather Feature and a Giveaway!


I am so excited to be hosting a spot on the  A BOOK OF SPIRITS AND THIEVES blog tour! I adore Morgan and this book and I have an would you rather interview with Morgan to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway to win a hardcover of the book!

Haven't heard of A BOOK OF SPIRITS AND THIEVES? Check it out!


Title: A BOOK OF SPIRITS AND THIEVES
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Release Date: June 23, 2015 
Hardcover: 358 pages
Publisher: Razorbill
ISBN: 978-1595147592
New York Times bestselling author Morgan Rhodes takes readers into exhilarating new high-fantasy territory with A BOOK OF SPIRITS AND THIEVES. Written in alternating perspectives that shift between modern-day Toronto and the ancient kingdoms of Mytica, Rhodes masterfully weaves the dark, magical world of her Falling Kingdoms series into an epic contemporary saga that will leave you breathless. 

Modern-day Toronto: A heavy leather-bound book written in an unrecognizable language is delivered to the Speckled Muse, the antique bookshop owned by Crystal and Becca Hatcher’s mother. When Becca opens it, she’s sent into a coma, leaving Crys behind to uncover a series of terrifying secrets.

Ancient Mytica: A merciless goddess hunts for the elusive treasure that will make her ruler not only of Mytica, but of all the unseen worlds that lay beyond it.

Modern-day Toronto: Rich and aimless Farrell Grayson finally has the chance to prove himself when the mysterious leader of a powerful secret society invites him into his fold.

Ancient Mytica: Maddox Corso has always been different, but never remarkable. Everything changes the day he meets a pretty, unfamiliar girl from a faraway land, only to realize that he’s the only one who can see her.

Fate has brought these young people together, but ancient magic threatens to rip them apart. 


Now on to the interview I have responses for a few too! 



Would you rather live in the real world or Mytica?
The real world. (There are no iPhones or modern-day plumbing in Mytica.)

LOL I could live without the plumbing if it meant I got to spend time with Magnus ;) ;)

Would you rather be Cleonia, Crystal, or Lucia if you had to pick one of your heroines from both series?
Lucia, since she’s the only one who can do magic.

Agreed!

Would you rather be with Magnus or Maddox?
I adore Maddox, my adorable little ghostbuster… but my heart belongs to Magnus.

Yep! Mine too!

Would you rather have the ability to fly or teleport?
Teleport.

Oh heck yes! I would teleport everywhere!

Would you rather have the ability to read minds or to heal?
Heal.

Would you rather change the past or be able to see into the future?
Change the past.

Would you rather be able to visit 100 years in the past or 100 years in the future?
100 years in the future.

Would you rather be super strong or super fast?
Super strong.

Would you rather read one awesome book for the rest of your life or a hundred mediocre books?
A hundred mediocre books. An awesome book probably wouldn’t stay awesome if you’ve read it a thousand times.

Would you rather eat sweet or salty foods?
Sweet.

Would you rather have a dragon or be a dragon?
Have a dragon. (Although the litterbox would be a major chore.)

I dunno it's be cool if you could be a dragon as long as you were a shifter.

Would you rather get up early or stay up late?
Stay up late. NOT a morning person.

Night owl here too.

Would you rather speak every language in the world or play every instrument?
Speak every language.

Would you rather always have the same song stuck in your head or always have the same dream at night?
Same dream – IF it’s a good one.

Would you rather live in space or under the sea?
In space.

Would you rather take a vacation on an exotic island or in a romantic city?
Exotic island.

Would you rather live without a telephone or a television?
Telephone.  I can’t live without my Netflix and CW.

HA agreed! I need my TV!

Would you rather live in the city or the country?
City.

Would you rather live by the ocean or by the mountains?
By the ocean.

Would you rather be stuck in a house with someone you hate or be stuck in a house alone?
Stuck in a house alone. I am a writer, so I’m totally fine with that! ;)










About Morgan:
photo credit Shanon Fujioka


Morgan Rhodes is the New York Times bestselling author of the FALLING KINGDOMS series. As a child, she always wanted to be a princess—the kind that knows how to wield a sharp sword to help save both kingdoms and princes from fire-breathing dragons and dark wizards. Instead, she became a writer, which is just as good and much less dangerous. Along with writing, Morgan enjoys photography, travel, and reality TV, and is an extremely picky yet voracious reader of all kinds of books.

LEARN MORE
Follow Morgan Rhodes on TwitterTumblr, and Instagram
Find the Falling Kingdoms series on Facebook
#FallingKingdomsSeries






Giveaway Details:


1 winner will receive a finished copy of A BOOK OF SPIRITS AND THIEVES. US Only.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Check out the Tour Schedule!


22-Jun
review
23-Jun
interview
24-Jun
review
Two Chicks on Books
25-Jun
Would You Rather
26-Jun
book playlist
29-Jun
guest post
30-Jun
giveaway
1-Jul
interview
2-Jul
review
3-Jul
Top 10 Favorite YA boyfriends
6-Jul
review
7-Jul
interview
8-Jul
guest post
9-Jul
Interview
10-Jul
review







Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Dying To Read (110)- THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE by Heidi Heilig


Hey y’all thanks for stopping by to see my Dying to Read post and of course as always I have to give credit to the lovely Jill over at Breaking the Spine for the Waiting on Wednesday Meme!


I just recently found out about this one and it sounds awesome! I can't wait to read this!!



Title: THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE
Author: Heidi Heilig
Release Date: February 16, 2016
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pages: 464
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | iBooks
Heidi Heilig’s debut teen fantasy sweeps from modern-day New York City to nineteenth-century Hawaii to places of myth and legend. Sixteen-year-old Nix has sailed across the globe and through centuries aboard her time-traveling father’s ship. But when he gambles with her very existence, it all may be about to end. The Girl from Everywhere, the first of two books, will dazzle readers of Sabaa Tahir, Rae Carson, and Rachel Hartman.

Nix’s life began in Honolulu in 1868. Since then she has traveled to mythic Scandinavia, a land from the tales of One Thousand and One Nights, modern-day New York City, and many more places both real and imagined. As long as he has a map, Nix’s father can sail his ship, The Temptation, to any place, any time. But now he’s uncovered the one map he’s always sought—1868 Honolulu, before Nix’s mother died in childbirth. Nix’s life—her entire existence—is at stake. No one knows what will happen if her father changes the past. It could erase Nix’s future, her dreams, her adventures . . . her connection with the charming Persian thief, Kash, who’s been part of their crew for two years. If Nix helps her father reunite with the love of his life, it will cost her her own.

In The Girl from Everywhere, Heidi Heilig blends fantasy, history, and a modern sensibility with witty, fast-paced dialogue, breathless adventure, and enchanting romance. 

So what do you think? Will you be adding this to your pile? What are you dying to read this week?

Friday, June 19, 2015

Blog Tour- TANGLED WEBS by Lee Bross an Interview and a Giveaway!


I am so excited to be hosting a spot on the TANGLED WEBS blog tour! I have an interview with Lee to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway to win a hardcover of the book!

Haven't heard of TANGLED WEBS? Check it out!



Title: TANGLED WEBS
Author: Lee Bross
Pub. Date: June 23, 2015
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 323
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
London, 1725. Everybody has a secret. Lady A will keep yours—for a price. This sumptuous, scandalous YA novel is wickedly addictive.

Lady A is the most notorious blackmailer in the city. With just a mask and a gown to disguise her, she sweeps into lavish balls and exclusive events collecting the most valuable currency in 1725 London—secrets.

But leading a double life isn't easy. By day Lady A is just a sixteen-year-old girl named Arista who lives in fear of her abusive master, Bones, and passes herself off as a boy to move safely through the squalor of London's slums. When Bones attempts to dispose of his pawn forever, Arista is rescued by the last person she expects: Jonathan Wild, the infamous Thief Taker General who moves seamlessly between the city's criminal underworld and its most elite upper circles. Arista partners with Wild on her own terms in the hopes of saving enough money to buy passage out of London.

Everything changes when she meets Graeden Sinclair, the son of a wealthy merchant. Grae has traveled the world, has seen the exotic lands Arista has longed to escape to her whole life, and he loves Arista for who she is—not for what she can do for him. Being with Grae gives something Arista something precious that she swore off long ago: hope. He has promised to help Arista escape the life of crime that has claimed her since she was a child. But can you ever truly escape the past?



Now on to the interview! 


Hi Lee! First I want to say welcome to Two Chicks on Books! I am looking forward to TANGLED WEBS and I know my readers are as well and am so happy that you could stop by for a visit!

For the readers: can you tell us a little bit about TANGLED WEBS and the                 characters?

TANGLED WEBS is about a teenage girl, Arista, who was pulled from an orphanage at a very young age to steal for this horrid man named Bones. She is later groomed to act like a Lady so that she can move among the aristocracy collecting secrets that the rich have traded for information. She hates her life and is determined to find a way out. When the chance arises, she takes it, but there are prices to pay and she has to fight for everything that she needs to be free.

What about the sequel? Do we have a title yet? I have a tentative title; 

DECEPTIVE TRUTH. And like WEBS, the title hints at the main theme of the book!

     Were any of the characters in the book inspired by people from your real life?

     Not really, but Arista was 100% inspired by a character on Person of Interest. There was one episode where we were introduced to a “fixer” and I remember thinking what a great spin it would be to have her be a teenage girl. Settling her into the 18th century just sort of happened!

Who was your favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?

My favorite character was definitely Arista. She was complex and yet, had a very good idea of what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go after it. I like that she wasn’t so jaded that she could not open herself up to love too. My least favorite was Bones. I hated having to make him do horrible things to Arista.

What is your favorite passage/scene in TANGLED WEBS?

Wow, that’s a tough one. If I did have to choose, I would say it’s toward the end, when Arista goes to visit an old friend. (I can’t say more so I don’t spoil anything!) That scene made me cry every time I read it!

    What kind of research did you have to do for the story?

    I have a binder full of old London street maps, printouts of clothing and I bought this enormous book titled ‘London's Sinful Secret: The Bawdy History and Very Public Passions of London's Georgian Age’ to really get a feel for how people lived back then. And let me tell you, they really liked their vices!

What are you reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?

I recently finished A Court of Thorns and Roses and it was so fantastic! Right now I am dying to read The Cage by Megan Sheperd, but I am holding out until I get this newest WIP done. I can’t read and write at the same time!

Who is your ultimate Book Boyfriend?

I don’t know as I have a specific one, but I really love the ones who are confident and sexy and take charge, but aren’t arrogant asses. If they start acting like a jerk, they’re off the list!

What inspired you to write YA?

I started writing years ago doing adult and then I had this crazy idea (a vegetarian vampire to be specific) that I could not make work as adult. It occurred to me that she was a teenager, so I read Meg Cabot’s Mediator series and sat down and wrote that book (it was awful for the record!) But, I found my voice and I loved writing YA, so I kept at it and the next book I wrote got me my first agent. That never sold but I kept writing, and the next book was what got me my second agent. I’ve been writing YA ever since!

Lightening Round Questions

Twitter or Facebook? Twitter

Favorite Superhero? Thor ;)

Favorite TV show? Veronica Mars

Sweet or Salty? Salty!

Any Phobias? The dark. Snakes.

Song you can’t get enough of right now? FIX YOU by Coldplay

Fall Movie you’re most looking forward to? Age of Ultron when it comes to On Demand!



Thanks so much Lee for answering my questions! 








About Lee:

Lee writes YA for Delacorte as @laniebross and for Hyperion as @lee_bross. She also writes NA under L.E. Bross. Repped by Mandy Hubbard.







Where you can fine Lee:







Giveaway Details:


10 winners will receive a finished copy of TANGLED WEBS. US Only.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Check out the Tour Schedule!


Week One:
6/15/2015- The Bibliophile ChroniclesInterview
6/16/2015- Addicted ReadersReview
6/17/2015- FiktshunGuest Post
6/18/2015- Please Feed The BookwormReview
6/19/2015- Two Chicks on BooksInterview 

Week Two:
6/22/2015- Jump Into BooksReview
6/23/2015- Library of a Book WitchGuest Post
6/24/2015- She Dreams in FictionReview
6/25/2015- Reading with ABCInterview
6/26/2015- BookCrushinGuest Post







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