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Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Release Day Blitz- THE HUMMINGBIRD HEART by A.G. Howard With An Excerpt & Giveaway!



I am so excited that THE HUMMINGBIRD HEART by A.G. Howard is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author A.G. Howard, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a 5 AMAZING Prizes courtesy of A.G. and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.



About The Book:

Title: THE HUMMINGBIRD HEART
Author: A.G. Howard
Pub. Date: August 15, 2017
Publisher: Golden Orb Press
Pages: 339
Formats: Paperback, eBook

Set 19 years after The Architect of Song:

Shortly after escaping a circus tragedy, young Italian orphan, Willow Antoniette, seeks refuge at The Manor of Diversions—a holiday resort in England born of a ghost story. For eleven years, she’s raised alongside the children of the resort’s owners: Julian, his twin brother, Nick, and their younger sister Emilia. Now that Willow is of marriable age, she's determined to escape finishing school along with everyone's efforts to make her a proper lady. The only man she wants to spend her life with is Julian, after all. Yet how can she tell him, when he thinks of her as nothing but a friend?

As a machinist and engineer, Julian Thornton prefers a governable life. He can't allow his ever-deepening attraction for Willow to distract from his amusement park plans to lure a younger, wealthier clientele to their family's resort. In hopes to escape Willow and find investors, Julian sets off on a transatlantic ocean liner headed for the St. Louis World’s Fair, unaware Willow has secretly stowed away on the same ship.

A tiny, mute orphan named Newton and a pair of haunted Italian shoes bring Willow and Julian face to face on deck. Forced to work together to solve the mystery of Newton and his vindictive, ghostly companion, Julian and Willow can no longer fight their untapped passions. However, time to admit their true feelings is running out, for the ghost and her murderer have enlisted them as unsuspecting pawns in a karmic game of cat-and-mouse that could cost all of them their lives.


Grab book 1!

Title: THE ARCHITECT OF SONG
Author: A.G. Howard
Pub. Date: August 15, 2016
Publisher: Golden Orb Press
Pages: 425
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Find it: AmazonGoodreads

A lady imprisoned by deafness, an architect imprisoned by his past, and a ghost imprisoned within the petals of a flower - intertwine in this love story that transcends life and death.

For most of her life, nineteen-year-old Juliet Emerline has subsisted – isolated by deafness – making hats in the solitude of her home. Now, she’s at risk to lose her sanctuary to Lord Nicolas Thornton, a twenty-seven-year-old mysterious and eccentric architect with designs on her humble estate. When she secretly witnesses him raging beside a grave, Juliet investigates, finding the name “Hawk” on the headstone and an unusual flower at the base. The moment Juliet touches the petals, a young English nobleman appears in ghostly form, singing a song only her deaf ears can hear. The ghost remembers nothing of his identity or death, other than the one name that haunts his afterlife: Thornton.

To avenge her ghostly companion and save her estate, Juliet pushes aside her fear of society and travels to Lord Thornton’s secluded holiday resort, posing as a hat maker in one of his boutiques. There, she finds herself questioning who to trust: the architect of flesh and bones who can relate to her through romantic gestures, heartfelt notes, and sensual touches … or the specter who serenades her with beautiful songs and ardent words, touching her mind and soul like no other man ever can. As sinister truths behind Lord Thornton’s interest in her estate and his tie to Hawk come to light, Juliet is lured into a web of secrets. But it’s too late for escape, and the tragic love taking seed in her heart will alter her silent world forever.

International and NYT bestselling author, A.G. Howard, brings her darkly magical and visual/visceral storytelling to Victorian England. The Architect of Song is the first installment in her lush and romantic Haunted Hearts Legacy series, a four book gothic saga following the generations of one family as - haunted by both literal and figurative ghosts - they search for self-acceptance, love, and happiness.

New Adult: Recommended for ages 17+.


Excerpt:

In the dream, Willow was a child again. With each barefooted step around the stacks of baggage in steerage, she found them taking on new shapes: pyramids of clowns, bears, horses and feathered performers, all balanced atop one another. She was back at the circus, albeit a much hazier and dimmer rendition than she remembered. She skipped along the center ring, excited to be home at last. Grit and discarded trash snagged between her little toes. A spotlight clicked on to illuminate a trunk. From within came a thumping sound, and girlish giggles.

“Tildey!” Willow cried out, racing across the distance to find her doll, her pigtails slapping her face and neck upon each bounding step. The creak of abandoned trapezes swung overhead, cutting intermittently through a thick cloud of fog. Yet it wasn’t fog. It was tobacco—a stench that seeped into her leotard, her tights, her very pores, until she could taste it coating her tongue like bile.

The spotlight shifted from the trunk to a trapeze just above her where a shape took form in the light: a graceful silhouette in a shimmery leotard and glistening tutu.

“Mama?” Willow whispered in the dream, forgetting Tildey for the chance to see her mother perform once more.

The trapeze vanished into thin air but the aerialist continued a controlled descent toward her, held in place by harnesses attached to the center pole. A face came into view, painted white like a clown, with bloody eyes and a hollow of a mouth—stretched wide on a perpetual scream. Willow yelped and squeezed her lashes shut, willing away the creature … for it was not Mama.

When she opened them again, the freakish performer exploded into a flock of hummingbirds made of ink. They skittered around Willow, buzzing wings scraping her skin and hair, imprinting tattoos everywhere they touched. She screamed and stumbled backwards, bumping into the trunk which was somehow right behind her. A tinkly, off-key lullaby drifted from inside the giant box. The lid shook and shuddered, as if something wanted out.

Whimpering, Willow tried to back away, but her feet grew heavy. She looked down and ballet shoes, covered in steel spikes, swallowed them up. The empty harness that had held the ghastly aerialist slithered toward her like a snake, coiling itself around her legs and arms to hold her in place.

On the final haunting strains of music, the trunk’s lid popped open, and out from the midst rose a hunched old man, holding Nadia’s haunted shoes upside down. Blood and water gushed out of them—a stench of copper and stagnancy—and the man laughed with a voice that gnawed into her bones like a thousand snarling wolves.


About A.G. Howard: 


A.G. Howard was inspired to write SPLINTERED while working at a school library. She always wondered what would've happened had the subtle creepiness of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland taken center stage, and she hopes her darker and funkier tribute to Carroll will inspire readers to seek out the stories that won her heart as a child.

When she's not writing, A.G.'s pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.







Giveaway Details: All International
(1) Grand prize: Signed set of The Architect of Song & The Hummingbird Heart PB
(1) First Place prize: Signed The Hummingbird Heart PB
(1) Second Place prize: Signed The Hummingbird Heart poster
(3) Third – Fifth Place prizes: Signed The Architect of Song & The Hummingbird Heart swag pack sets










Ends on August 22nd at Midnight EST!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour- THE HEARTS WE SOLD by Emily Lloyd-Jones A Playlist & Giveaway!


Hey everyone! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for THE HEARTS WE SOLD by Emily Lloyd-Jones! 

I have Emily's book playlist to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway below!


Haven't heard of THE HEARTS WE SOLD? Check it out!



Title: THE HEARTS WE SOLD 
Author: Emily Lloyd-Jones
Pub. Date: August 8, 2017
Publisher:  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 400
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Find it: AmazonB&NiBooksTBDGoodreads
When Dee Moreno makes a deal with a demon—her heart in exchange for an escape from a disastrous home life—she finds the trade may have been more than she bargained for. And becoming “heartless” is only the beginning. What lies ahead is a nightmare far bigger, far more monstrous than anything she could have ever imagined.

With reality turned on its head, Dee has only a group of other deal-making teens to keep her grounded, including the charming but secretive James Lancer. And as something grows between them amid an otherworldy ordeal, Dee begins to wonder: Can she give someone her heart when it’s no longer hers to give?

In THE HEARTS WE SOLD, author Lloyd-Jones returns with a complex, thought-provoking Faustian tale for the modern age that will capture your heart. With horror elements and fantasy elements set in a recognizable, semirealistic world, THE HEARTS WE SOLD is a great fit for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black. The book also
features a diverse breadth of topics, ranging from sexuality, transgender transitions, race, and familial abuse.

“Readers will devour this romantic, Faustian fable. A dark fantasy brimming with passion and peril.” -Kirkus Reviews

Now on to the playlist!

Playlist for The Hearts We Sold
         
One of my favorite things to do is create playlists. I can spend hours puttering around in iTunes and it counts as writing? Right? Right?

Well, even if it’s technically not writing, it’s still part of my process. Music helps me get into the mindset of certain settings or characters. I’ve been known to put the same song on repeat for hours while working on a single sceneI think my record was 240 times on a single song. It’s probably a good thing I don’t have roommates.

When I began sketching out the plot for THE HEARTS WE SOLD, I admit my first impulse was to fill the playlist with songs like “Heartless” or “Heartbreak Hotel.” What if I could create an entire playlist with nothing but songs with “heart” in the title, I thought gleefully. But I ended up restraining myself to only two.

The songs in this particular book’s playlist contain many of my personal favorites. I wanted the songs to celebrate life, while at the same time, acknowledge how difficult growing up can be. It’s a playlist about transition, which I think is one of the main themes of the book.

So, without further ado, here is the playlist for THE HEARTS WE SOLD! I hope you enjoy both the music and the book!

“Pumpin Blood” NONONO
“Alive” Sia
“Gold” Sir Sly
“W.D.Y.W.F.M.?” The Neighbourhood
“Colors, pt. II” Halsey
“Youth” White Apple Tree
“Run” Daughter
“Tonight You’re Perfect” New Politics
“Anna Sun” WALK THE MOON
“Heart Out” The 1975
“Love” American Authors
“Beating Heart” Ellie Goulding

“Wonderful Life” Hurts


About Emily:
Emily Lloyd-Jones grew up on a vineyard in rural Oregon, where she played in evergreen forests and learned to fear sheep. After graduating from Western Oregon University with an English degree, she enrolled in the publishing program at Rosemont College just outside of Philadelphia. She currently resides in Northern California, working in a bookstore by day and writing by night. Illusive is her debut novel.


Giveaway Details:


3 winners will receive a finished copy of THE HEARTS WE SOLD, US Only.


a Rafflecopter giveaway




Tour Schedule:
Week One:
8/7/2017- Owl Always Be ReadingExcerpt
8/8/2017- When Books Defy GravityReview
8/9/2017- YA Books CentralInterview
8/10/2017- Take Me Away To A Great ReadReview
8/11/2017- Angelic Book ReviewsInterview

Week Two:
8/14/2017- The Layaway DragonReview
8/15/2017- Two Chicks on BooksGuest Post
8/16/2017- Book BriefsReview
8/17/2017- Adventures of a Book JunkieInterview
8/18/2017- Stories & SweetiesReview


Friday, August 11, 2017

Blog Tour- CRYSTAL BLADE by Kathryn Purdie An Interview & Giveaway!


Hey everyone! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for CRYSTAL BLADE by Kathryn Purdie! I freaking love this series and can't wait for book 3!

I have an interview with Kathryn to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway below!


Haven't heard of CRYSTAL BLADE? Check it out!



Title: CRYSTAL BLADE
Author: Kathryn Purdie
Pub. Date: August 15, 2017
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 368
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Find it: AmazonB&NiBooksTBDGoodreads
The peace is unsustainable.

Sonya and Anton may have brought about a revolution, but can they protect their homeland—and their love—with so many forces threatening to tear them apart?

The empire has fallen, Valko faces trial, and Sonya is finally free from her fate as Sovereign Auraseer. But Sonya's expanding abilities are just as unstable as the new government of Riaznin—and her relationship with Anton. Not only can she feel the emotions of others but, unlike other Auraseers, she's learned to make others feel her emotions as well. And Sonya isn't immune to dark temptations.

Now, as Sonya fights to contain her own darkness, she senses a new evil lurking in the shadows of the palace. Someone from Sonya's past has returned. And that someone won't be satisfied until Sonya pays for the mistakes she's made.

Now on to the interview!

Hey Kathryn!! First I want to say welcome back to Two Chicks on Books I’m glad you could stop by for a chat! CRYSTAL BLADE was freaking AWESOME and I can’t wait for everyone to read it!
Thanks for hosting me! I’m so happy you loved CRYSTAL BLADE!
So Book 3? Any news on that front? Like a title maybe?
I can’t share the title yet, but I have finished the first draft. It’s very different from the other two books, and a big chunk of the story takes place in a completely new setting with a new castle. I loved writing this conclusion to Sonya’s story!
Were any of the characters in the book inspired by people from your real life?
No, I’ve honestly never based a character off of a real-life person, but I do steal lots of traits, quirks, phrases, mannerisms, etc. from people I know in order to make my characters more authentic.
Who was your favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?
Valko was my favorite to write in CRYSTAL BLADE! He did this one bizarre thing to try to claim ownership over Sonya that was so surprising and fun to add in. I love to hate him! Anton, although I swoon over him, was the hardest to write in this book. I had to do a lot of revising to get his journey right. I’m very happy with how he turned out--and where he’ll go in book three!
What is your favorite passage/scene in CRYSTAL BLADE?
There are two scenes in CRYSTAL BLADE where Valko goes on trial for his crimes as a tyrannical emperor, and Sonya is called to testify as a judge of his character with her ability as an empath and from her experiences with him in BURNING GLASS, and she really does a 180 in each of those scenes, especially the second scene. It was so exciting to write the build-up to those moments and then execute them.
What kind of research did you have to do for the story?
I researched a lot about Roma and nomadic people, since they are much more on the page in this book compared to BURNING GLASS. Sonya’s best friend, Tosya, is Roma (“Romska” in my book), and Sonya was raised by the nomads, so I wanted to make sure I was both sensitive and authentic when writing about a very marginalized people like the Roma.
Who is your ultimate book boyfriend?
The Darkling in SHADOW AND BONE. I love him, I hate him, I feel bad for him. Leigh Bardugo is brilliant. That is all. Swoon!
What inspired you to write YA?
There was no YA category in bookstores when I was growing up, and I went through a long spell as an adult reader where I was super disillusioned with fiction. Then YA popped up out of nowhere, and I found myself devouring books and being so in love with reading again. I just connect to writing about teenagers so much more. I still feel seventeen at heart, and I love writing about firsts--first love, first loss, first experience with death, etc. Teenagers also feel things so much bigger than adults do, and I love that extra drama when I read and write.

Lightning Round Questions

What are you reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?
BEFORE SHE IGNITES by Jodi Meadows. LOVE! I’m totally invested in Mira and her journey.
RISE OF FIRE by Sophie Jordan is next on my TBR list. I finally read REIGN OF SHADOWS (book one) this year, and I love it so much! It’s like Rapunzel meets THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH. I can’t wait to see what happens in the sequel.
What Hogwarts House would the Sorting Hat place you in?
Hufflepuff. I’m a total softy at heart.
Twitter or Facebook?
Facebook! Twitter can be overwhelming for me if I’m on too long.
Favorite Superhero?
Wonder Woman! She’s so empowering.
Favorite TV show?
TURN. It’s about a spy ring during the Revolutionary War. So awesome!
Sweet or Salty?
Both. Bring on the kettle corn!
Any Phobias?
Crickets. They jump. Hard to catch. Still trying to forget the nights I woke up as a child and found crickets on my bedspread. Oh, the horror!
Song you can’t get enough of right now?
“Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man
2017 movie you’re most looking forward to?
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. It has an awesome cast, and I love a good mystery!
Thanks so much Kathryn for answering my questions! I can’t wait for everyone to read CRYSTAL BLADE!

You’re welcome! Thanks again for having me and for all your fun questions!

About Kathryn:
My love of storytelling began as a young girl when my dad told me, in his own words, the story of To Kill a Mockingbird while we listened to the film score together. Enchanted, I began my own attempts at storytelling, which usually led to home video productions featuring my younger sister as the nerd or maid, while I reserved the role of the glamorous movie star or princess.

In high school, I focused on acting and won first place in monologues at a prestigious statewide Shakespearean competition. When I wasn’t on the stage, I spent my time composing sappy poetry and completing at least ten pages in my journal every night. My author dad edited my school papers and taught me the art of writing. I went on to study acting in college and at The Oxford School of Drama in England. (All that character analysis transferred nicely to writing!)

The writing bug bit me when I was in recovery from donating a kidney to my older brother. I found my old stash of short stories, and the inspiration for my first novel struck. I’ve been writing ever since.

A lover of art in all forms, I also enjoy singing and playing the guitar. My husband is equally artistic. We keep busy raising three rambunctious and creative children.

I am represented by Josh Adams of Adams Literary.


Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a signed finished copy of CRYSTAL BLADE, US Only.

5 winners will receive a signed ARC of CRYSTAL BLADE, US Only.


a Rafflecopter giveaway




Tour Schedule:
Week One:
8/7/2017- Mundie MomsInterview
8/8/2017- YA and WineReview
8/9/2017- The Fearless ReaderGuest Post
8/10/2017- The Book NutReview
8/11/2017- Two Chicks on Books- Interview

Week Two:
8/14/2017- Seeing Double In NeverlandReview
8/15/2017- Arctic BooksGuest Post
8/16/2017- Ex LibrisReview
8/17/2017- YA Books Central- Interview
8/18/2017- A Perfection Called BooksReview

Go back to where it all began! Grab the first book in the series!


Tuesday, August 8, 2017

RELEASE WEEK BLITZ- THE EPIC CRUSH OF GENIE LO by F.C. Yee With an Excerpt & Giveaway



I am so excited that THE EPIC CRUSH OF GENIE LO by F.C. Yee is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author F.C. Yee, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for 5 finished copies of the book and a bookmark courtesy of Pique and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.



About The Book:

Title: THE EPIC CRUSH OF GENIE LO
Author: F.C. Yee
Pub. Date: August 8, 2017
Publisher: Amulet Books
Pages: 336
Formats: Hardcover, eBook

The struggle to get into a top-tier college consumes sixteen-year-old Genie Lo's every waking thought. But when her sleepy Bay Area town comes under siege from hell-spawn straight out of Chinese folklore, her priorities are suddenly and forcefully rearranged.

Her only guide to the demonic chaos breaking out around her is Quentin Sun, a beguiling, maddening new transfer student from overseas. Quentin assures Genie she is strong enough to fight these monsters, for she unknowingly harbors an inner power that can level the very gates of Heaven.

Genie will have to dig deep within herself to summon the otherworldly strength that Quentin keeps talking about. But as she does, she finds the secret of her true nature is entwined with his, in a way she could never have imagined…

Excerpt:
“GREETINGS,” HE SAID, HIS ACCENT THICK BUT HIS VOICE LOUD and clear. “I have arrived.”

Now, I’d done my best to describe this guy to the police. They pressed me hard for details, as apparently this wasn’t the first group mugging in recent weeks.

But I’d let Officers Davis and Rodriguez down. Nice eyes and a winning smile weren’t much to go by. I was too frazzled to notice anything before, which meant this was my first decent look at the boy without the influence of adrenaline.

So a couple of things.

One: He was short. Like, really short for a guy. I felt bad that my brain went there first, but he wasn’t even as tall as Mrs. Nanda.

Two: He was totally okay, physically. I didn’t see how anyone could be up and about after that beating, but here he was, unbruised and unblemished. I felt relieved and disturbed at the same time to see there wasn’t a scratch on him.

And his mint condition just made Point Three even more obvious.

He was . . . yeesh.

Nothing good could come of our new classmate being that handsome. It was destructive. Twisted. Weaponized. He had the cheekbones and sharp jawline of a pop star, but his thick eyebrows and wild, unkempt hair lent him an air of natural ruggedness that some pampered singer could never achieve in a million years of makeup.

“Argh, my ovaries,” Yunie mumbled. She wasn’t alone, judging by the soft intakes of breath coming from around the room.

“Arrived from where?” said Mrs. Nanda.

Quentin looked at her in amusement. “China?”

“Yes, but where in, though?” said Mrs. Nanda, trying her best to convey that she was sensitive to the regional differences. Fujianese, Taishanese, Beijingren—she’d taught them all.

He just shrugged. “The stones,” he said.

“You mean the mountains, sweetie?” said Rachel Li, batting her eyelashes at him from the front row.

“No! I don’t misspeak.”

The class giggled at his English. But none of it was incorrect, technically speaking.

“Tell us a little about yourself,” Mrs. Nanda said.

Quentin puffed out his chest. The white button-down shirt and black pants of our school’s uniform for boys made most of them look like limo drivers. But on him, the cheap stitching just made it clearer that he was extremely well-muscled underneath.

“I am the greatest of my kind,” he said. “In this world I have no equal. I am known to thousands in faraway lands, and everyone I meet can’t help but declare me king!”

There was a moment of silence and sputtering before guffaws broke out.

“Well . . . um . . . we are all high achievers here at SF Prep,” said

Mrs. Nanda as politely as she could. “I’m sure you’ll fit right in?”

Quentin surveyed the cramped beige classroom with a cool squint. To him, the other twenty-two laughing students were merely peons on whom his important message had been lost.

“Enough wasting of time,” he snapped. “I came to these petty halls only to reclaim what is mine.”

Before anyone could stop him, he hopped onto Rachel’s desk and stepped over her to the next one, like she wasn’t even there.

“Hey! Quentin!” Mrs. Nanda said, frantically waving her hands. “Get down now!”

The new student ignored her, stalking down the column of desks. Toward mine.

Everyone in his way leaned to the side to avoid getting kicked. They were all too flabbergasted to do anything but serve as his counterweights.

He stopped on my desk and crouched down, looking me in the eye. His gaze pinned me to my seat.
I couldn’t turn away. He was so close our noses were almost touching. He smelled like wine and peaches.

“You!” he said.

“What?” I squeaked.

Quentin gave me a grin that was utterly feral. He tilted his head as if to whisper, but spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

“You belong to me”

About F.C:


F. C. Yee grew up in New Jersey and went to school in New England, but has called the San Francisco Bay Area home ever since he beat a friend at a board game and shouted “That’s how we do it in NorCal, baby!” Outside of writing, he practices capoeira, a Brazilian form of martial arts, and has a day job mostly involving spreadsheets.

                       



Giveaway Details:

5 winners will receive Genie Lo prize packs—complete with a finished copy of the book and a special Genie Lo horoscope (that doubles as a bookmark!), US Only.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
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