A Murder On Jane Street Blog Tour

Print Length: 410 pages

Publisher: The Wild Harp & Company, Inc. (July 16, 2019)

Publication Date: July 16, 2019

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

Language: English

ASIN: B07QSC84TF

Praise for A MURDER ON JANE STREET

"Family ties tighten and bonds of affection grow stronger as a family is trapped between ruthless forces struggling for the highest stakes: control of a world to be subjected to unimaginable evil. As.parents, children and loved ones risk all to protect one another, events accelerate towards a conclusion that is in doubt until the last page is turned. A terrific read!" ―Richard Gid Powers author of The Mystery of the Trinity

"A MURDER ON JANE STREET is a gripping summer thriller filled with history, adventure, and an intriguing mystery. Cathy Cash Spellman will keep readers on the edge of their seat" ―Charles Brokaw, New York Times Bestselling author of The Atlantis Code

Cathy paints a picture with the most radiant phrasing and colorful words! I’m a fan of her books and have read every one of them, always wishing that she’ll write more! That hope was answered with A MURDER ON JANE STREET. This compelling gem of a mystery is also a history, a conspiracy, and a modern-day morality tale rolled into one. Yes there is a murder, deadly secrets and treachery, but at its heart, it’s also about family, friendship and having the courage to do the right thing in the face of nearly insurmountable odds. This brilliant author has created yet another home run! Her narrative, coupled with an edge-of-your-seat contemporary mystery thriller, have characters that warmed my heart and an unexpected ending that I absolutely LOVED! ―Adria de Haume, author of Cross Purpose

"Do NOT read this book unless you are willing to be seduced by a dozen incredibly keen people without whom the world as we know it might cease to exist." ―K.T. Maclay author of Beginners Guide to Death and Dying in Oaxaca

A brutal murder.

A heinous secret

A deadly conspiracy.

The brutal murder of the little old lady next door puts FitzHugh Donovan on the case. A retired New York City Police Chief, he knows a cover-up when he sees one and his Irish Cop conscience can’t let that happen.

                                  

Now, Fitz, his family and his quirky band of Bleecker Street Irregulars are ensnared in the bizarre secret the woman died to protect.

Is this a 75-year-old cold case turned hot again, or an unspeakable crime-in-progress that could alter the course of the world?

Fitz doesn’t yet know how high the stakes are, that failure isn’t an option, and that the little old lady was so much more than she appeared. But he’s trying to keep everyone alive long enough to find out.

Characters you’ll care about, dark shocking secrets, and disturbing similarities to today’s political scene, will keep you turning pages to an ending you won’t see coming. 

Guest Post: 

Ten Favorite Fantasy Worlds

·         Camelot

·         Narnia

·         The 7 kingdoms in Game of Thrones

·         Middle Earth and all the kingdoms in Tolkien

·         The world of the Fey (Seelie Court, of course!)

·         Nearly every castle I’ve ever encountered!  I’ve always wanted to live in one!

·         The Galaxies of Star Wars

Excerpt:

A MURDER ON JANE STREET
by Cathy Cash Spellman

From Mrs. W.’s Journal

My mother’s ancestral home was the Milewicz castle in Lower Silesia. It was an astonishing medieval fortress with a history burdened by centuries of the fortunes of war.

The area around the Jelenia Góra valley in particular had played host to kings, popes and princes for the better part of a thousand years, and it was there I learned to ski, to ride, to hunt with gun and bow, to dance and frolic, and to expect that life would provide me always with only that which is best. The world of privilege I inhabited defies conscience now—in my times of terrible hardship I have remembered such beauty and safety with both gratitude and anguish.

Nowhere in Germany would be safe for me if Manfred pursued me, so I chose to run toward Poland and the remembered safety of childhood. When one flees in terror for one’s life, young, alone and terribly afraid, decisions are more visceral than prudent.

It was winter. Snow covered the world, but I was immortal as only the young can be, and so on that night in 1944 when I escaped Manfred and rode off into a world of carnage I could barely comprehend, although terrified and in debilitating pain, I felt freer than I had since childhood. Little did I know that freedom requires a plan, friends, safe haven and preferably a world in which opposing armies are not marching toward each other and leaving scorched earth behind.

The reality of my escape was a litany of horrors. Stabbing pain from my fractured ribs made riding hard and breathing harder still. The weather made movement slow, and quickly exhausted my horse, who was malnourished within days. There was devastation all around us … food for humans, never mind an animal, could not be had for love nor money. The war had left nothing untouched, and the roads I’d intended to travel were blocked at every turn by police or soldiers. A journey that should have taken days stretched into weeks of pure, unadulterated horror. Terror ate at my gut as relentlessly as starvation.

Review:
I recently got back into reading mystery books this past year and I am so glad I did, otherwise I would have missed out on reading this book. I was hooked on this book from the start as I not only love mystery books but this one has a historical element added whic made me love it even more. But what I really enjoyed is the way Cathy writes her characters and the visual of the story. I fell like I know them and that I am actually there in this story. I can't wait to read more from this series and more from Cathy herself. I highly recommend this book to you if you love a good mystery and want to keep turning the page to find out who did it. 5/5 Bloody Fangs

You can purchase A Murder on Jane Street at the following Retailers:

  

Photo Credit: Dakota Cash

Multiple New York Times and International Bestsellers, a Paramount Movie, book sales in 22 countries, Cathy Cash Spellman writes stories about love, friendship, adventure, and history. Known for her big sprawling sagas and memorable characters, Cathy writes the kind of stories women like to lose themselves in, and then remember long after the book is done.

Her books range through several genres: contemporary, historical, mystery, mystic and romance. Several take place in two time-frames, both current and historical.

Bless the Child was a Paramount movie in 2000, starring Kim Basinger and Jimmy Smits, and Paint The Wind has been optioned for film and TV.

Cathy is an Astrologer, Martial Artist (Black Belt Goju Ryu Karate) and has expertise in Chinese Medicine, several alternative healing modalities and many metaphysical disciplines.

She has written for Self, Harper’s Bazaar, Town & Country, Mademoiselle, Cosmo, Penthouse, Mode, Kung Fu and many other magazines about women, health, empowerment, sexuality, spiritual philosophy and Astrology. She blogs for The Huffington Post and The New York Times.

        

WEEK ONE

JULY 15th MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW

JULY 16th TUESDAY BookHounds INTERVIEW

JULY 17th WEDNESDAY Casia's Corner EXCERPT

JULY 18th THURSDAY TTC Books and More GUEST POST

JULY 19th FRIDAY Movies, Shows, & Books EXCERPT 

WEEK TWO

JULY 22nd MONDAY On My Bookshelf REVIEW & INTERVIEW

JULY 22nd MONDAY Stephanie's Life of Determination REVIEW & GUEST POST

JULY 23rd TUESDAY J.R.'s Book Reviews REVIEW 

JULY 24th WEDNESDAY Book Referees REVIEW & GUEST POST

JULY 24th WEDNESDAY Two Points of Interest REVIEW

JULY 25th THURSDAY For the Love of Fictional Worlds REVIEW

JULY 26th FRIDAY Gwendalyn's Books REVIEW 

WEEK THREE

JULY 29th MONDAY Book Queen Reviews REVIEW 

JULY 29th MONDAY Sabrina's Paranormal Palace TENS LIST 

JULY 30th TUESDAY Wishful Endings FILL IN THE BLANKS

JULY 30th TUESDAY Crossroad Reviews REVIEW 

JULY 31st WEDNESDAY A Bookish Dream REVIEW

AUGUST 1st THURSDAY Insane About Books REVIEW

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Someday We Will Fly Nerd Blast

Grade Level: 7 - 9
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers (January 22, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0670014966
ISBN-13: 978-0670014965

Praise for SOMEDAY WE WILL FLY

★ "DeWoskin explores a rarely depicted topic. . .A beautifully nuanced exploration of culture and people." ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "An unusual portrait of what war does to families in general and children in particular . . . affirms the human need for art and beauty in hard times." ―Booklist, starred review

"A provocative exploration of what resilience means when you’re pushed to the edge." ―BCCB

“With pathos and a fine eye for historical detail, DeWoskin (Blind) relates the story of Shanghai’s Jewish refugees during WWII, when Shanghai was under Japanese occupation. DeWoskin captures the crushing destruction of war and occupation, the unfathomable resilience communities can muster through cross-cultural friendships and acts of kindness, and the power of the performing arts to foster hope in times of struggle and desperation.” —Publishers Weekly

"A provocative exploration of what resilience means when you’re pushed to the edge." —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

DeWoskin vividly captures this fraught time of dislocation and turmoil, and deftly connects the anguish of Jewish refugees and the agony of the Japanese occupation, elevating this beautiful novel into a clarion call for peace. —The National Book Review

“Rachel DeWoskin’s storytelling features an extraordinary combination of curiosity and kindness, on top of a belief that everyone can have an impact on the world they find themselves in. Someday We Will Fly is powerful, adventurous story of a teenager who confronts the brutal history with courage, love, and imagination. I could not put it down.” —Aleksandar Hemon, author of Nowhere Man and The Lazarus Project 

“An engrossing and beautifully-rendered plunge into less-known Holocaust history, featuring the plight of Jewish World War II refugees in Japanese-occupied Shanghai.” —Julie Berry, Printz Honor-winning author of The Passion of Dolssa

“Though I have written extensively about the Holocaust in novels, a picture book, poems, I had never before heard of the 23,000 Jews who fled to Shanghai for the duration of the war. Starvation, rough treatment by occupying Japanese troops, the teenagers turning to all kinds of difficult work (including gentlemen's clubs as dancers and prostitution) to make money for their devastated families. Rampant disease, and early deaths were their daily lot. In Someday We Will Fly Rachel DeWoskin has taken the horrors and turned them into a YA novel that is terrifically moving and full of a kind of poetry in motion that is both terrifying and uplifting in equal measure.” —Jane Yolen, author of Mapping the Bones, The Stone Angel, Devil’s Arithmetic, Briar Rose

Fleeing Poland 1941, Lillia and her circus preforming family become split: her mother is left behind while the family travels to the last city that will take Jewish refugees: Shanghai. This unique view into a forgotten part of history is told with candid, yet lovely prose. While some aspects of the story are embellished, the book holds true to history. A great companion to Salt to the Sea. —Readers Books

“Someday We Will Fly is an intense and immersive novel.” —TeenReads

OTHER HONORS
● Junior Library Guild selection
● Kirkus “Historical Fiction Gems” selection (January 2019)
● Bookish January 2019 Book Club Pick

Warsaw, Poland. The year is 1940 and Lillia is 15 when her mother, Alenka, disappears and her father flees with Lillia and her younger sister, Naomi, to Shanghai, one of the few places that will accept Jews without visas. There they struggle to make a life; they have no money, there is little work, no decent place to live, a culture that doesn't understand them. And always the worry about Alenka. How will she find them? Is she still alive?

Meanwhile Lillia is growing up, trying to care for Naomi, whose development is frighteningly slow, in part from malnourishment. Lillia finds an outlet for her artistic talent by making puppets, remembering the happy days in Warsaw when they were circus performers. She attends school sporadically, makes friends with Wei, a Chinese boy, and finds work as a performer at a "gentlemen's club" without her father's knowledge.

But meanwhile the conflict grows more intense as the Americans declare war and the Japanese force the Americans in Shanghai into camps. More bombing, more death. Can they survive, caught in the crossfire?

You can purchase Someday We Will Fly at the following Retailers:

 

Photo Content from Rachel DeWoskin

Rachel DeWoskin has spent much of her life in China, including childhood summers with her parents and brothers, excavating ancient Chinese musical and medical instruments for her dad’s research. Rachel lived in Bejing for most of her twenties, where she became the unlikely star of a Chinese soap opera called Foreign Babes in Bejing. She spent the last six summers in Shanghai, where she researched and wrote Someday We Will Fly.

Rachel lives in Chicago with her husband, playwright Zayd Dohrn, and their two daughters. She is on the fiction faculty of the University of Chicago and is an affiliated faculty member in Jewish studies and East Asian Studies.

        

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dragonslayer Blog Tour

Print Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Tor Books (July 2, 2019)
Publication Date: July 2, 2019
Sold by: Macmillan
Language: English
ASIN: B07CRFSDLS

Author of one of BuzzFeed 's Greatest Fantasy Books of 2013

Do you have what it takes to be a Dragonslayer? In this epic, adventure fantasy series, an unlikely hero, Guillot dal Villevauvais, must overcome his disgraced past as a failed member of the King’s guard and hunt down a ferocious beast thought long extinct. A dangerous quest, led by the swordsmanship of Gill, the magical powers of Solène, a barmaid nearly burned to the stake, and the goodness of Prince Bishop. From the critically acclaim fantasy author Duncan M. Hamilton, this fast-moving series is a must-read for fans of epic, sword-and-sorcery adventures.

In his magnificent, heroic, adventure fantasy, Dragonslayer, Duncan M. Hamilton debuts the first book in a fast-moving trilogy: a dangerous tale of lost magics, unlikely heroes, and reawakened dragons.

Once a member of the King's personal guard, Guillot dal Villevauvais spends most days drinking and mourning his wife and child. He’s astonished—and wary—when the Prince Bishop orders him to find and destroy a dragon. He and the Prince Bishop have never exactly been friends and Gill left the capital in disgrace five years ago. So why him? And, more importantly, how is there a dragon to fight when the beasts were hunted to extinction centuries ago by the ancient Chevaliers of the Silver Circle?

On the way to the capitol city, Gill rescues Solène, a young barmaid, who is about to be burned as a witch. He believes her innocent…but she soon proves that she has plenty of raw, untrained power, a problem in this land, where magic is forbidden. Yet the Prince Bishop believes magic will be the key to both destroying the dragon and replacingthe young, untried King he pretends to serve with a more pliable figurehead.
Between Gill’s rusty swordsmanship and Solene’s unstable magic, what could go wrong?

You can purchase Dragonslayer at the following Retailers:

        

Photo Credit: Jason Clarke

Duncan M. Hamilton is the Amazon best selling writer of fantasy novels and short stories, including The Wolf of the North and the Society of the Sword trilogy. He has Master’s Degrees in History and Law, and practised as a barrister before writing full time. Duncan is particularly interested in the Medieval and Renaissance periods, from which he draws inspiration for his stories.

He lives in Ireland, near the sea, and when not writing he enjoys sailing, scuba diving, windsurfing, cycling, and skiing.

His debut novel, ‘The Tattered Banner (Society of the Sword Volume 1)’ was featured on Buzzfeed’s 12 Greatest Fantasy Books Of The Year, 2013.

Duncan is a member of The Society of Authors, and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). He is represented by DongWon Song of Howard Morhaim Literary.

      

WEEK ONE

JULY 1st MONDAY BookHounds EXCERPT 

JULY 2nd TUESDAY Insane About Books REVIEW

JULY 3rd WEDNESDAY J.R.'s Book Reviews REVIEW
JULY 3rd WEDNESDAY Stephanie's Life of Determination REVIEW

JULY 4th THURSDAY Lauren's Bookshelf REVIEW

JULY 4th THURSDAY TTC Books and More EXCERPT

JULY 5th FRIDAY Crossroad Reviews REVIEW
JULY 5th FRIDAY Book Briefs REVIEW

WEEK TWO

JULY 8th MONDAY Nay's Pink Bookshelf REVIEW

JULY 9th TUESDAY Sabrina's Paranormal Palace REVIEW 

JULY 9th TUESDAY Rose's Book Corner EXCERPT

JULY 10th WEDNESDAY Two Points of Interest REVIEW

JULY 10th WEDNESDAY A Dream Within A Dream EXCERPT

JULY 11th THURSDAY Gwendalyn's Books REVIEW

JULY 12th FRIDAY Movies, Shows, & Books REVIEW

JULY 12th FRIDAY Port Jericho REVIEW

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Queen Of The Sea

Age Range: 10 - 14 years
Grade Level: 5 - 9
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Walker Books US (June 25, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1536204986
ISBN-13: 978-1536204988

Praise for QUEEN OF THE SEA

The art, reminiscent of Raina Telgemeier’s style, creates levity during perilous situations. The book is dense with dialogue, often feeling more like a work of prose than a graphic novel. As a result, this complex work will be more accessible to those familiar with graphic novels…Certain to charm sophisticated graphic novel devotees. —School Library Journal (starred review)

Meconis offers an atmospheric alternate history inspired by the childhood and succession of Queen Elizabeth I in this quietly ambitious graphic novel…Art in soft, earthy colors brings this singular story to life in styles ranging from simple line drawings to elaborately styled text illuminations. The island world is richly developed, both in its physical particulars and its close-knit community (fascinating digressions into topics such as convent time, hand gestures used at table, and chess and embroidery flesh out daily life), and Margaret proves herself an endearing heroine with a strong voice full of humor and wonder. Her perspective transforms a storm-wracked rock into a vibrant world of hidden treasures. —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Meconis’ humor and storytelling gifts here wed seamlessly with her evocative pen-and-ink and gouache illustrations, which are rendered in warm earth and sea tones and brim with movement, expressively capturing even Margaret’s interior monologues. With its compelling, complex characters and intrigue-laden plot, this will have readers hoping it’s only the first of many adventures for Meconis’ savvy heroine. —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Weaving faith, love, statecraft, and self-discovery into a tale of palace intrigue relocated to the halls of a convent on a remote island at sea, Dylan Meconis uses the trappings of the history we know to create a high-stakes adventure in an alternate past that feels so detailed and so familiar, you’ll find yourself wondering why you never read about it in school. This beautiful book swept me away from the first page.” —Kate Milford, author of the Greenglass House series

“Dylan Meconis is at the absolute top of her game. A gorgeously rendered, lovingly realized alternate history, full of personal revelations in the midst of political intrigue. A tale of growing up, and of understanding that the world is larger and stranger than it once seemed. (Plus it has a Terrible Recipe for Terrible Gruel.)” —Ben Hatke, author-illustrator of the Zita the Spacegirl series

“This is the book I was always trying to get my hands on in high school that never seemed to materialize. An adventure to lose yourself in, with an attention to historical detail to please the nerdiest among us. I fell easily and completely into this world and its characters, knowing I was safe in Dylan Meconis’s hands, and I’m really excited for more people to find out what I’ve known for a long time—that she is one of a kind.” —Kate Beaton, author-illustrator of Hark! A Vagrant

Cult graphic novelist Dylan Meconis offers a rich reimagining of history in this hybrid novel loosely based on the exile of Queen Elizabeth I by her sister, Queen Mary.

When her sister seizes the throne, Queen Eleanor of Albion is banished to a tiny island off the coast of her kingdom, where the nuns of the convent spend their days peacefully praying, sewing, and gardening. But the island is also home to Margaret, a mysterious young orphan girl whose life is upturned when the cold, regal stranger arrives. As Margaret grows closer to Eleanor, she grapples with the revelation of the island’s sinister true purpose as well as the truth of her own past. When Eleanor’s life is threatened, Margaret is faced with a perilous choice between helping Eleanor and protecting herself.

You can purchase Queen of the Sea at the following Retailers:

        

Photo Content from Dylan Meconis

I’ve been writing and illustrating my own stories since the first grade, and I’ve been making comic books since middle school (no, really! Seventh grade was a tough year for me socially, so I had a lot of time to draw). I started my first book-length comic (graphic novel) in high school.

Unlike a lot of people who become professional artists and authors, I didn’t go to art school or a creative writing program in college. Instead, I mostly studied history, literature, philosophy, and French in the College of Letters at Wesleyan University. This means I have a brain full of weird facts, old books, strange art, and the extremely useful ability to read The Tales of Canterbury in the original Middle English. Except for the Middle English bit, it’s all come in very handy for writing and drawing historical fiction and fantasy.

I first started to get paid for making comics when I was still in college, when my first graphic novel was published online. After college, I worked as a graphic designer and visual communications consultant (which means “person who helps teach adults complicated stuff in cool new ways using pictures”). I’ve worked with Fortune 500 companies, global charities, technology companies, libraries, and a lot of other interesting organizations. I’ve made illustrations, animations, information graphics and cool presentations, explaining everything from how microchips work to the ways that clean drinking water can help communities in the third world.

For the last ten years, though, I mostly work as a writer, comic book creator and illustrator! Sometimes I make books totally by myself, and sometimes I get to team up with other writers or artists. It can be lots of fun, but it can also be very hard work. Luckily, I never get tired of making new stories.

        

WEEK ONE

JUNE 24th MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW

JUNE 25th TUESDAY A Dream Within A Dream TENS LIST

JUNE 26th WEDNESDAY BookHounds YA REVIEW & INTERVIEW 
JUNE 26th WEDNESDAY Triquetra Reviews EXCERPT
JUNE 28th THURSDAY Cover2CoverBlog REVIEW

JUNE 27th THURSDAY Wishful Endings FILL IN THE BLANKS

JUNE 28th THURSDAY TTC Books and More TENS LIST

JUNE 29th FRIDAY Movies, Shows, & Books EXCERPT 

WEEK TWO

JULY 1st MONDAY Nay's Pink Bookshelf REVIEW
JULY 2nd TUESDAY Book Queen Reviews REVIEW 
JULY 3rd WEDNESDAY Sabrina's Paranormal Palace REVIEW

JULY 3rd WEDNESDAY Two Points of Interest REVIEW

JULY 4th THURSDAY Wonder Struck REVIEW

JULY 4th THURSDAY Such a Novel Idea REVIEW & PLAYLIST

JULY 5th FRIDAY Bri's Book Nook REVIEW

JULY 5th FRIDAY Crossroad Reviews REVIEW

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

a Rafflecopter giveaway
CurrentTours