Join us for this tour from May 4 to May 22, 2020!
Book Details:
Book Title: The Nightjar's Promise (Book 4 of The F.I.G. Mysteries) by Barbara Casey
Category: YA Fiction (Ages 13-17), 130 pages
Genre: Mystery, Fantasy
Publisher: Gauthier Publications (Hungry Goat Press)
Release date: April, 2020
Content Rating: PG. There are some themes that deal with the
Jewish Holocaust and some frightening scenes appropriate for young adult
and adult readers.
Book Description:
Jennifer Torres, one of the three FIGs (Females of Intellectual Genius)
who is a genius in both music and art, is the last to leave the closed
rehearsal for her upcoming performance over Thanksgiving break at
Carnegie Hall when she hears something in the darkened Hall. Recognizing
the tilt of the woman’s head and the slight limp of the man as they
hurry out an exit door, she realizes it is her parents who were
supposedly killed in a terrible car accident when she was 15 years old.
Devastated and feeling betrayed, she sends a text to Carolina and the
other two FIGs—THURGOOD. It is the code word they all agreed to use if
ever one of them got into trouble or something happened that was too
difficult to handle. They would all meet back at Carolina’s bungalow at
Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women to figure it out.
As soon as they receive the text, because of their genius, Dara starts
thinking of words in ancient Hebrew, German, and Yiddish, while
Mackenzie’s visions of unique math formulae keep bringing up the date
October 11, 1943. That is the date during World War II when the
Nazis—the Kunstschutz—looted the paintings of targeted wealthy Jewish
families and hid them away under Hitler’s orders. And as Carolina waits
for the FIGs to return to Wood Rose, she hears warnings from Lyuba, her
gypsy mother, to watch for the nightjar, the ancient name for the
whip-poor-will.
As they search for “The Nightjar’s Promise” and the truth surrounding
it, Carolina and the FIGs come face to face with evil that threatens to
destroy not only their genius, but their very lives.
Buy the Book:
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Amazon.com ~ Add to Goodreads
Coming Soon to Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Bookstores Everywhere!
Author Interview
In
The Nightjar’s Promise you introduce
historical information about the Nazi plunder of art and priceless antiquities
during World War II. What made you want to write about that?
The Nightjar’s Promise is the fourth and final book in The F.I.G. Mysteries series, and it
focuses on Jennifer Torres, one of the F.I.G.s. Unlike the other two F.I.G.s –
Dara and Mackenzie - who were very young when they were placed in Wood Rose
Orphanage and Academy for Young Women, Jennifer was placed in the Wood Rose
Orphanage as a young teenager after her parents were killed in a car accident.
Her genius is art and music. Dara and Mackenzie had a need and determination to
uncover the truth about their biological parents. But Jennifer knows what
happened to her parents. Or does she? I have always been interested in history,
and there is still much to be discovered in that dark period when the Nazis
looted so much from their victims. I just thought it would be interesting to
connect Jennifer’s genius in art and music to that period in time.
In
your book, Jennifer is a talented musician as well as an artist. Did you ever
play a musical instrument or paint?
I have always loved classical music, and even though I majored in
English and history in college, I minored in both music and art. And I have
dabbled in playing the piano and painting in oils from an early age. When I am
writing, I always have classical music playing in the background. So writing
about Jennifer’s talent was easy for me.
In
The F.I.G. Mysteries, you have four very different main characters – the three
F.I.G.s (Females of Intellectual Genius) and their teacher, Carolina. How hard
was it for you to connect these characters in each of the four books?
Actually, it wasn’t that difficult. Even though they are all so
different, that difference is what connects them. Because each of the F.I.G.s
is a genius with exceptional abilities, they don’t fit in with the other
orphans. Their genius is what draws the together, and Carolina understands that
and is able to support them because she is also an orphan. Of course, they are
easily bored and constantly get into trouble, but Carolina is always there for
them. It is Carolina’s Gypsy background that solidifies the connection between
all of them; and it is their genius that protects them in a world that is
difficult for them because of their uniqueness.
Will
you be continuing the series?
Strangely enough, it never started out to be a series. I wrote The Cadence of Gypsies as a stand-alone
novel for young/new adults. My publisher loved it so much, she asked me if I
would develop a series from it. It made sense because The Cadence of Gypsies introduces Carolina and the three F.I.G.s,
and the next three books focuses on each of the F.I.G.s. I have watched these
girls mature into brilliant young women who can contribute their genius to
society. I have also seen the mayhem they have left in their wake in The Wish Rider and The Clock Flower. But it is The
Nightjar’s Promise that brings resolution to each of their stories.
Are
there any other characters in The F.I.G. Mysteries that you especially like?
It would be Ms. Alcott, the elderly benefactor of Wood Rose
Orphanage and Academy for Young Women. She is spunky, outspoken, and capable of
boxing the ears of the headmaster at Wood Rose. And she loves the F.I.G.s
because of the turmoil they bring to the campus. She feels it is their presence
and “acts of creativity” that keep Wood Rose alive and vibrant.
Another character I am particularly fond of is the headmaster’s
long-time secretary, Mrs. Ball. She is a fixture of Wood Rose, having worked
there from the time it first opened its doors. She is strict, stern, and has no
patience with Headmaster Thurgood Harcourt because of his stuffy attitude and
boring ties. And even though she disapproves of the mischief the F.I.G.s get
into and the disruption it causes, she has a soft spot for these three extraordinarily
gifted girls. There are many times she breaks the rules in order to help them,
and I love her for that.
Thank you so much for inviting me to visit
with you. I wish you and your bloggers my very best. ~Barbara
Meet the Author:
Originally from Carrollton, Illinois, author/agent/publisher Barbara
Casey attended the University of North Carolina, N.C. State University,
and N.C. Wesleyan College where she received a BA degree, summa cum
laude, with a double major in English and history. In 1978 she left her
position as Director of Public Relations and Vice President of
Development at North Carolina Wesleyan College to write full time and
develop her own manuscript evaluation and editorial service. In 1995 she
established the Barbara Casey Agency and since that time has
represented authors from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and
Japan. In 2014, she became a partner with Strategic Media Books, an
independent nonfiction publisher of true crime, where she oversees
acquisitions, day-to-day operations, and book production.
Ms. Casey has written over a dozen award-winning books of fiction and
nonfiction for both young adults and adults. The awards include the
National Association of University Women Literary Award, the Sir Walter
Raleigh Literary Award, the Independent Publisher Book Award, the Dana
Award for Outstanding Novel, the IP Best Book for Regional Fiction,
among others. Two of her nonfiction books have been optioned for major
films, one of which is under contract.
Her award-winning articles, short stories, and poetry for adults have
appeared in both national and international publications including the
North Carolina Christian Advocate Magazine, The New East Magazine, the
Raleigh (N.C.) News and Observer, the Rocky Mount (N.C.) Sunday
Telegram, Dog Fancy, ByLine, The Christian Record, Skirt! Magazine, and
True Story. A thirty-minute television special which Ms. Casey wrote and
coordinated was broadcast on WRAL, Channel 5, in Raleigh, North
Carolina. She also received special recognition for her editorial work
on the English translations of Albanian children’s stories. Her
award-winning science fiction short stories for adults are featured in
The Cosmic Unicorn and CrossTime science fiction anthologies. Ms.
Casey's essays and other works appear in The Chrysalis Reader, the
international literary journal of the Swedenborg Foundation, 221
One-Minute Monologues from Literature (Smith and Kraus Publishers), and A
Cup of Comfort (Adams Media Corporation).
Ms. Casey is a former director of BookFest of the Palm Beaches, Florida,
where she served as guest author and panelist. She has served as judge
for the Pathfinder Literary Awards in Palm Beach and Martin Counties,
Florida, and was the Florida Regional Advisor for the Society of
Children's Book Writers and Illustrators from 1991 through 2003. In 2018
Ms. Casey received the prestigious Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime
Achievement Award and Top Professional Award for her extensive
experience and notable accomplishments in the field of publishing and
other areas. She makes her home on the top of a mountain in northwest
Georgia with her husband and three cats who adopted her, Homer, Reese,
and Earl Gray - Reese’s best friend.
Tour Schedule:
May 4 – Working Mommy Journal – book review / giveaway
May 5 – She Just Loves Books – book review / giveaway
May 6 – Splashes of Joy – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 6 - Rockin' Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
May 7 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
May 8 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
May 11 – Bookworm for Kids – book review / giveaway
May 12 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review / giveaway
May 12 - La libreria di Beppe - book spoltight / guest post / giveaway
May 13 - Bound 4 Escape – book review
May 13 – StoreyBook Reviews – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
May 14 – Peaceful Pastime – book review
May 15 – The avid reader – book review / giveaway
May 18 – Karma Readz – book review / giveaway
May 18 - Merlot Et Mots – book review / guest post / giveaway
May 19 - mowgli with a book – book review
May 19 - Lamon Reviews - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 20 – Books and Zebras – book review / giveaway
May 21 – Permanently_booked – book review
May 22 – Books for Books – book review
Enter the Giveaway:
Thank you so much for hosting me and for your interview. I wish you and your bloggers all my best. ~Barbara
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome! :)
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