The F.I.G. Mysteries

The F.I.G. Mysteries

by Barbara Casey

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Mystery

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

THE F.I.G. MYSTERIES

Dara Roux, abandoned when she was 7 years old by her mother.  Exceptionally gifted in foreign languages. Orphan.

Mackenzie Yarborough, no record of her parents or where she was born. Exceptionally gifted in math and problem-solving. Orphan.

Jennifer Torres, both parents killed in an automobile accident when she was 16. Exceptionally gifted in music and art.  Orphan.

THE CADENCE OF GYPSIES: Book 1

Known as the F.I.G.s (Females of Intellectual Genius), three high-spirited 17 year olds with intelligent quotients in the genius range, accompany their teacher and mentor, Carolina Lovel, to Frascati, Italy, a few weeks before they are to graduate from Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women.  Carolina’s purpose in planning the trip is to remove her unusually gifted, creative students from the Wood Rose campus located in Raleigh, North Carolina, so they can’t cause any more problems (“expressions of creativity”) for the headmaster, faculty, and other students – which they do with regularity. Carolina also wants to visit the Villa Mondragone where the Voynich Manuscript, the most mysterious document in the world, was first discovered and attempt to find out how it is related to a paper written in the same script she received on her 18th birthday when she was told that she was adopted.

THE WISH RIDER: Book 2

When Carolina and the F.I.G.s return to Wood Rose, Dara decides that she wants to try to locate her birth mother when she learns that she might be living in New York City. Carolina, Mackenzie, and Jennifer accompany her and their search leads them to a secret dangerous shadow world hidden deep beneath Grand Central, constructed in what Mackinzie identifies as chevroned magic squares—N X N matrixes in which every row, column, and diagonal add up to the same number—and cloaked in the discordant B flat minor key music that only Jennifer can hear. 

THE CLOCK FLOWER: Book 3

The three FIGs—Females of Intellectual Genius—graduate from Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women after returning from New York City where Dara learned why her mother abandoned her all those years ago, and they are now attending universities where they can further their special talents. This means they will be separated from each other and from Carolina, their much-loved mentor and teacher who is “one of them,” for the first time in their young lives. They vow to try living apart for one semester, in the so-called real world that doesn’t include the orphanage; but if things don’t work out, they will come up with another plan—a plan where they can be together once again. Dara is invited through Yale University to take part in an exciting archeological project in China. Jennifer, once again visualizing black and white images and the unusual sounds of another cadence that seem to be connected to Mackenzie, is engrossed in creating her next symphony at Juilliard. Mackenzie, because of her genius at problem-solving, is personally chosen by a US Senator to get involved in a mysterious, secret research project involving immortality that is being conducted in a small village in China—not too far from where Dara is involved with the archeological site. Once there, however, she finds herself facing a terrifying death from the blood-dripping teeth of an ancient evil dragon. Her best friends, the FIGs and Carolina, rely on their own unique genius and special talents to save her as she discovers the truth of her birth parents.

THE NIGHTJAR’S PROMISE: Book 4

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. 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.

In their 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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt from The Clock Flower

The dig site was amazing. Archeologists had dug down through seventeen civilizations, and there were still more to discover. Dara was especially interested in what they had found regarding the written language. She conversed in various dialects with the people she was introduced to both at the dig site and in the building where the research was being conducted, easily translating for Carolina, Jennifer, and Mackenzie. For lunch, Dr. Wu had arranged for them to eat at a traditional Chinese restaurant within walking distance of the dig site where they were served authentic Chinese food. “I hope they don’t serve dog meat,” whispered Dara to Mackenzie and Jennifer causing the four of them to giggle since Carolina overheard and had been thinking the same thing.

Afterwards, Li Lee took them to Yellow Sea Laboratories. When they drove up to the front of the building, several men and women—the scientists who worked there—were lined up, waiting to formally greet them. The first person to step forward to extend his greeting was Dong Jianjun Zhiqiang—Jian, the Senator’s assistant; the second, Old Dragon. As soon as she was introduced, she politely bowed and then issued an invitation to them: “I would like for you to come for tea in my home after you have toured the facilities.” Ling accepted on behalf of all of them.

It was interesting to tour the facilities and see the scientists at work, but no one appreciated it more than Mackenzie. To know that she was a part of something so important had given her the confidence that had always been lacking. It took her outside of herself and gave her a different focus on things other than what she perceived to be her own shortcomings. “This is Nianzu, Su Wing’s son,” explained Ling when they stopped at his work station. Carolina couldn’t help but notice him staring at the pin Mackenzie was wearing. “And this is Fu Wang, one of our senior scientists,” introducing the man seated at the next work station. The man immediately pulled the sleeve of his lab coat down to cover the birthmark on his arm, but not before Carolina had seen it. It was similar to what she had been seeing in her nightmares. The elongated head with a snout that resembled a boar, the five claws—a pig dragon she had learned it was called. Instinctively, she moved closer to Mackenzie as though trying to shield her. Dar

a saw it as well, for beneath the birthmark was the ancient symbol for “Dragon King Ruler.”

“Where’s Jennifer?” Dara asked, sensing the fear in Carolina. When they couldn’t locate her in any of the offices, they expanded their search to outside. It was there where they found her, sitting on some steps. Lost in her own world of musical notes and unaware that she had caused a disturbance, she was once again writing the faint notes of the banhu on eight-stave paper.

Since it was getting late in the afternoon, Ling suggested they go to Old Dragon’s for tea, then return home. It had been a long day—interesting, but tiring. They could start fresh after a good night’s sleep. Old Dragon was waiting for them when they arrived and led them into a sitting room where they could be comfortable and visit while Kim disappeared into the kitchen to prepare the tea to serve. “Kim is Su Wing’s daughter,” Ling explained, “and the sister of Nianzu, the young scientist you met earlier.”

“Such a nice family,” murmured Carolina, struggling to put into place the family connections and the head-pounding warnings that were breaking her concentration and filling her heart with fear.

“Carolina? Are you all right?” But Dara knew she wasn’t—something was wrong. Jennifer sensed it as well for she heard the banhu playing, only this time it was loud and harsh and discordant. Only Mackenzie seemed to be unaware as she listened to Ling and Old Dragon talk about their childhood.

Coming from the kitchen, Kim carried a beautiful service of yellow porcelain tea cups and saucers on a large tray. Carolina’s eyes were drawn to the tiny hand-painted dragons that decorated the rim of each cup and saucer. Kim offered the tea first to Mackenzie, then Dara and Jennifer, and then to Carolina. Carolina watched thinking that something wasn’t right, everything was blurred and conversation was incoherent and disjointed; but yet they were in a foreign country, or maybe she had eaten too much at lunch, or she was probably still tired from the long trip. Family connections—warnings—danger. The beautiful yellow cups and saucers—the tea—

“MILK WITCH!”

The words exploded inside her head, and because she had the blood of the choovihni from the beginning of all time running through her veins, she knew. Just as she knew that she and the FIGs had to run toward the big red box when they were being chased in the subterranean hell under the Grand Central Terminal. And just as she knew that her mother was trying to save her from that gypsy boy’s curse. She knew.

Over and over again, she heard the words screeched, vibrating through her whole body and filling her soul, blocking out all other sounds. Her head ached in excruciating pain, draining all of her thoughts and senses, and taking away her ability to move. Everything around her went black except for one vision: the pig dragon. As the five claws of the yellow fire-eating dragon reached toward Mackenzie, Carolina screamed and with all of the strength she had, she reached out and slapped the tea cup out of Mackenzie’s hands, causing the cup and saucer to fly across the room and the tea to spill everywhere.

“Carolina?” Frightened, Mackenzie looked at her wide-eyed trying to understand what was happening, not knowing what to do, as Kim suddenly snatched the dandelion pin off Mackenzie’s blouse and ran from the room.

Dara immediately rushed over to Carolina, prepared to do whatever was necessary to protect her and the other FIGs. Jennifer, trembling with fists clenched, also moved next to Carolina poised for battle, for she knew that Carolina had just saved Mackenzie’s life. She had heard the final notes of the banhu. She now knew its purpose: she knew the question, and she knew the answer. At last, the yayue was complete.

In the midst of all the confusion, Larry and Grai came rushing in through the back door holding Kim firmly by the arm and pushing her in front of them. “I think this woman was trying to steal Mackenzie’s pin,” Larry said, holding the delicate porcelain flower in his hand. Off in the distance they could hear the loud persistent wail of clanging alarms as the local police rapidly approached.

Old Dragon protectively put her arm around Ling as she stood, neither of the women understanding what was happening; only that something terrible had just taken place. As the painful pounding in Carolina’s head gradually disappeared along with the words “milk witch,” and the horrible vision of the dragon slowly faded from Carolina’s thoughts, she wrapped her arms around Mackenzie sobbing. They had come so close to losing her.

~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

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 three cats who adopted her, Homer, Reese and Earl Gray – Reese’s best friend.

http://www.barbaracaseyauthor.com

http://www.barbaracaseyagency.com

Amazon Author Page with Buy Links:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js