{"id":21621,"date":"2023-01-28T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-28T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/?p=21621"},"modified":"2023-01-27T20:51:36","modified_gmt":"2023-01-28T01:51:36","slug":"blog-tour-city-of-the-dead-by-james-ponti-excerpt-giveaway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/blog-tour-city-of-the-dead-by-james-ponti-excerpt-giveaway\/","title":{"rendered":"Blog Tour: City of the Dead by James Ponti (Excerpt + Giveaway!)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"ubb-blog-tour-banner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rockstarbooktours.com\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/City-of-the-Dead-Tour-Banner.png\" alt=\"Blog Tour: City of the Dead by James Ponti (Excerpt + Giveaway!)\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Happy Saturday and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for CITY OF THE DEAD by James Ponti! I&#8217;m so excited because today I have an excerpt of the book to share with you! This book is truly amazing and I&#8217;m so excited to for you to find out more about it, PLUS enter for a chance to win a print copy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/City-of-Series-Banner.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21625\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/City-of-Series-Banner.png 970w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/City-of-Series-Banner-300x186.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/City-of-Series-Banner-768x475.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"50\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21084\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers.png 850w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers-300x18.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers-768x45.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/City-of-the-Dead-Cover.png\" alt=\"Blog Tour: City of the Dead by James Ponti (Excerpt + Giveaway!)\" title=\"Blog Tour: City of the Dead by James Ponti (Excerpt + Giveaway!)\" class=\"ubb-cover-image alignleft\"><strong>City of the Dead<\/strong> by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/reviews\/authors\/james-ponti\/\">James Ponti<\/a> <br><strong>Series:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/reviews\/series\/city-spies\/\">City Spies #4<\/a> <br><strong>Published on<\/strong>  February 7, 2023 by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/reviews\/publishers\/aladdin\/\">Aladdin<\/a> <br><strong>Genres:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/reviews\/genres\/contemporary\/\">Contemporary<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/reviews\/genres\/middle-grade\/\">Middle Grade<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/reviews\/genres\/mystery\/\">Mystery<\/a> <br><strong>Pages:<\/strong> 400 <br><strong>Add to <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/61273111-city-of-the-dead\" target=\"_blank\">Goodreads<\/a> <br><strong>Author Links:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jamesponti.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Website<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JamesPonti\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Twitter<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/JamesPontiBooks\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Facebook<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/author\/show\/428662.James_Ponti\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Goodreads<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jamespontibooks\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Instagram<\/a> <br><blockquote class=\"ubb-synopsis\"><p><b>In this fourth installment in the <i>New York Times<\/i> bestselling series from Edgar Award winner James Ponti, the young group of spies go codebreaking in Cairo in another international adventure perfect for fans of <i>Spy School<\/i> and <i>Mrs. Smith\u2019s Spy School for Girls<\/i>.<\/b><br \/>\nCodename Kathmandu, better known as Kat, loves logic and order, has a favorite eight-digit number, and can spot a pattern from a mile away. So when a series of cyberattacks hits key locations in London while the spies are testing security for the British Museum, it\u2019s clear that Kat\u2019s skill for finding reason in what seems like randomness makes her the perfect candidate to lead the job.<br \/>\nAnd while the team follows the deciphered messages to Egypt and the ancient City of the Dead to discover who is behind the attacks and why, Kat soon realizes that there\u2019s another layer to the mystery.<br \/>\nWith more players, more clues, and involving higher levels of British Intelligence than ever before, this mission is one of the most complex that the group has faced to date. And it\u2019s also going to bring about a change to the City Spies\u2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n\t\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n\t\"@type\":\"Review\",\n\t\"datePublished\": \"2023-01-28T11:00:00+00:00\",\n\t\"description\": \"\\nHappy Saturday and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for CITY OF THE DEAD by James Ponti! I'm so excited because today I have an excerpt of the book to share with you! This book is truly amazi\",\n\t\"publisher\": {\n\t\t\"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t\t\"name\": \"Kait Plus Books\"\t},\n\t\"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\\\/books\\\/blog-tour-city-of-the-dead-by-james-ponti-excerpt-giveaway\\\/\",\n\t\"itemReviewed\": {\n\t\t\"@type\": \"Book\",\n\t\t\"name\": \"City of the Dead\",\n\t\t\"author\": {\n\t\t\t\"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t\t\t\"name\": \"James Ponti\",\n\t\t\t\"sameAs\": \"https:\\\/\\\/www.jamesponti.com\\\/\"\t\t},\n\t\t\"isbn\": \"1665911573\"\t},\n\t\"author\": {\n\t\t\"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t\t\"name\": \"Kaity\",\n\t\t\"sameAs\": \"https:\\\/\\\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\\\/books\\\/\"\t},\n\t\"reviewRating\": {\n\t\t\"@type\": \"Rating\",\n\t\t\"ratingValue\": false,\n\t\t\"bestRating\": \"5\"\n\t}\n}\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"50\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21084\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers.png 850w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers-300x18.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers-768x45.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Read-an-Excerpt-Winter-2022.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21153\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Read-an-Excerpt-Winter-2022.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Read-an-Excerpt-Winter-2022-300x59.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Read-an-Excerpt-Winter-2022-768x150.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h1 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"><strong>CHAPTER ONE<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">British Museum&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>LONDON, ENGLAND\u2014PRESENT DAY&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ON A SLATE GRAY NOVEMBER DAY, one hundred years after the discovery of Tutankhamen\u2019s tomb, a group of five young people converged in a part of London known as Bloomsbury. Like Howard Carter, they were looking to recover treasures of Egyptian antiquity. Except they weren\u2019t going to dig a tunnel in the desert, they were going to sneak through one in an abandoned section of the London Underground. And the artifacts they sought weren\u2019t concealed in some long-forgotten tomb, they were on display at one of the busiest museums in the world.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This was no excavation. It was a heist.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTesting comms, one, two, three,\u201d Kat said into the microphone hidden in the red remembrance poppy pinned to her lapel. \u201cCan everybody hear me?\u201d \u201cLoud and clear,\u201d said Paris.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPerfectly,\u201d answered Rio.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAll good on my end,\u201d Brooklyn replied.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was a pause as they waited for a final voice to check in.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSydney, are you not responding because you can\u2019t hear me?\u201d Kat asked. \u201cOr is it because you\u2019re still pouting?\u201d After a moment, Sydney replied, \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I was under the impression nobody cared what I had to say.\u201d \u201cSo, pouting,\u201d Paris commented.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m not pouting,\u201d Sydney said defensively. \u201cI\u2019m just . . . <em>disappointed<\/em>. All I asked was that we slide the break-in a couple hours so we could see the fireworks at Battersea Park. You know how much I love Bonfire Night. It\u2019s going to be huge and everyone\u2019s going to be there.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhich is exactly why <em>we\u2019re <\/em>going to be <em>here<\/em>,\u201d Kat said. \u201cThe police will be spread thin, and there are no celebrations scheduled for Bloomsbury. That means they\u2019ll be elsewhere, which dramatically improves the probability of us not getting caught.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kat was the alpha on this mission, which meant she had to come up with the plan to break into the British Museum. She\u2019d studied dozens of famous robberies and noticed that many took place on holidays or during special events, when police and security altered their normal patterns and were understaffed. She picked this date because of its connection to one of the most infamous figures in British history.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On November 5, 1605, a soldier-turned-radical named Guy Fawkes was captured before he could execute his plan to use thirty-six barrels of gunpowder to blow up Parliament. Ever since, Britons had marked the occasion with raucous public displays that included bon fires, burning effigies, and fireworks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Sydney, a born rebel who loved \u201cmaking things go boom,\u201d it was as if Bonfire Night had been created specifically with her in mind. And here she was in London, so close to some of the biggest celebrations in the country, yet she was going to miss out.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cJust tell me this,\u201d Kat said. \u201cAre you good to go with the mission? Or is this going to be a problem?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOf course, I\u2019m good,\u201d Sydney replied. \u201cI never let anything affect our work.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cExcellent,\u201d Kat said. \u201cAnd if it makes you feel better, I\u2019ll try to find something for you to blow up.\u201d \u201cI really appreciate it,\u201d Sydney said. \u201cThat means a lot.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rio cleared his throat and said, \u201cNow that we\u2019ve got everybody\u2019s feelings sorted, can we please get started?\u201d \u201cYeah,\u201d Brooklyn said, \u201cyou know we can\u2019t do anything until you give us the word.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the alpha, it was Kat\u2019s responsibility to say the good luck phrase that kicked off every operation. \u201cOkay then,\u201d she said, surveying the museum entrance from her vantage point in the Great Court. \u201cThis operation is hot. We are a go.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And just like that, the City Spies were in action. The five of them were an experimental team of agents, aged twelve to fifteen, who worked for MI6, British Secret Intelligence. They were called in for assignments in which adults would stand out but kids could blend in.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this instance, the job was to steal two items on display in a special exhibition called \u201cWonderful Things: One Hundred Years of Tutmania.\u201d They didn\u2019t know why they were stealing them; after all, spies weren\u2019t supposed to ask too many questions. All they\u2019d been told was that it was in the best interests of the British government for them to do so.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kat had never been the alpha for a mission this big, and she\u2019d prepared for it like she did most things, as though it were a series of complex math equations. She split the heist into two parts so they could, in her words, \u201cisolate the variables.\u201d The theft wouldn\u2019t happen until after the museum closed. But now, while it was still open, they had to set up things for later.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEveryone good with what they\u2019re supposed to do?\u201d she asked.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYes,\u201d Rio said with a groan. \u201cWe\u2019ve gone over it and over it and over it.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cGood,\u201d Kat said. \u201cRepetition leads to fluency, and fluency leads to confidence. It\u2019s a cornerstone of executing complicated mathematical processes.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cExcept this isn\u2019t math,\u201d Rio said. \u201cIt\u2019s a break-in.\u201d \u201cYou\u2019re so funny,\u201d Kat said. \u201c<em>Everything\u2019s <\/em>math. Now blend in and disappear. Do your best to stay invisible.\u201d \u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d Sydney replied. \u201cWe\u2019ll be ghosts.\u201d \u201cYeah,\u201d Rio added. \u201cMath ghosts.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With so many kids at the museum, they had no trouble blending in as they went to work on their specific assignments. Kat had even managed to get uniforms which matched those of schools visiting on field trips. This let them enter with large student groups which bypassed the normal security line.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re at the west stairs, and there are no surprises,\u201d Sydney informed the others.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She and Rio were double-checking the route they needed to take later that night. The team had plotted it using a virtual tour of the museum they found online. This let them carefully study every room and look for vulnerabilities. Now, they had to make sure that nothing had changed or been added in the time since the tour was filmed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s a CCTV camera on the ceiling,\u201d Rio said. \u201cAnd the entrance to the Egyptian gallery is protected by a roll-down gate that\u2019s operated by a keypad next to the doorway.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ll be able to control those once Brooklyn hacks their computer system,\u201d said Kat.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cGrab a photo of the keypad,\u201d Brooklyn said. \u201cMake sure it shows the name of the manufacturer so I can download an operator\u2019s manual.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cGot it,\u201d Sydney answered.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She motioned for Rio to stand near the pad so it would look like she was taking a picture of him and not the device.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSmile,\u201d she said, and he flashed a goofy grin. Next, they walked through the Egyptian sculpture gallery, where they noted and took pictures of three different security features. There were motion detectors along the wall, closed circuit television cameras on the ceiling, and sensors eighteen inches above the floor that were part of a laser trip-wire system.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They made special note of these locations because, unlike in the movies, there wouldn\u2019t be brightly colored beams of light they could dance around. The lasers would be nearly invisible and tripping any one of them would mean disaster for the mission.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As they mapped the location of two sensors near a giant statue of Rameses II, Rio noticed a security guard standing nearby. His nametag read officer hawk, although his droopy moustache and lumpy physique seemed more walrus than bird of prey.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTarget acquired,\u201d Rio said in a low voice to Sydney. \u201cWhy him?\u201d she asked.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTwo things,\u201d Rio answered. \u201cHe\u2019s friendly <em>and <\/em>he\u2019s awkward.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sydney gave him a curious look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSecurity guards are supposed to be standoffish to intimidate you,\u201d Rio said. \u201cBut notice how he smiles and makes eye contact with people. He wants to connect and be liked.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd awkward?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHis tie\u2019s crooked and his shirt\u2019s tucked in unevenly,\u201d Rio explained. \u201cNot only that, but his ID badge is clipped to his belt instead of his shirt pocket, which makes it easier to lift.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s scary how well you read people,\u201d Sydney said. \u201cI\u2019ve got skills,\u201d Rio said. \u201cNice of someone to notice for a change.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For years, Rio\u2019s ability to read people had been essential to his survival. He\u2019d lived on the streets of Rio de Janeiro and made money by performing magic for tourists on a sidewalk near Copacabana Beach. To do that, he had to know how to read an audience and be able to perform amazing sleight of hand maneuvers. He was about to do both to steal a security card they\u2019d need later.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The lift was a two-person job that they\u2019d done many times. Sydney\u2019s role was to be the diversion. \u201cExcuse me,\u201d she said, approaching the guard. \u201cDo you think you could take a picture of me with this statue in the background?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to regulations, the guard wasn\u2019t supposed to do anything except keep an eye on the gallery. However, like Rio said, he was friendly and had trouble saying no. \u201cOf course,\u201d he replied with a smile. \u201cLet\u2019s make it quick.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She handed him her phone and struck a pose. He snapped the shot and gave it back to her, but when she looked at the picture, she frowned.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cUgh,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, could you do it again. My eyes are closed, and it\u2019s backlit so you can\u2019t see my face.\u201d She directed him to move over a few feet, and as she became more difficult, the guard became more distracted. This was when Rio brushed past him and deftly slipped the badge off his belt. Next came the tricky part. Rio had to copy the badge and put it back before the guard noticed it was missing. If it was reported lost, the protocol was for that card to be deactivated, which would render it useless.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rio slid it into his pocket and pressed it against his phone, which had a built-in scanner and cloning app. After a few seconds, he heard a single beep that told him it was done. Then he moved back to them, where Sydney was unsatisfied with another picture and the guard\u2019s patience was running thin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rio nosed into their conversation. \u201cThe problem is the light from that window,\u201d he said pointing at the photo on Sydney\u2019s phone. \u201cYou need to be on the opposite side of the room.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The guard wanted no part of this. \u201cI\u2019m not moving to . . .\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhy don\u2019t I take it?\u201d Rio offered.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cGood idea,\u201d said the guard.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As he handed Sydney\u2019s phone back to her, Rio clipped the ID badge back to the guard\u2019s belt.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHere you go,\u201d said the guard.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThank you for your help,\u201d said Sydney.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They walked away, and once they were out of earshot, Rio whispered, \u201cfriendly and awkward, my two favorite traits.\u201d They crossed the room to take the picture with better lighting so as not to draw suspicion from the guard, and then they went directly to another gallery and found a door marked staff only. They waited until no one was around, and then Rio held up his phone next to the ID sensor. A light on the sensor turned from red to green and they heard the lock click open.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re all set with the security doors,\u201d Rio said proudly.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNice job,\u201d answered Kat.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"50\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21084\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers.png 850w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers-300x18.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers-768x45.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/About-the-Author-Winter-2022.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21106\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/About-the-Author-Winter-2022.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/About-the-Author-Winter-2022-300x59.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/About-the-Author-Winter-2022-768x150.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"ubb-about-author\"><h3>About James Ponti<\/h3><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/james-ponti-350x350.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignleft ubb-about-author-photo\"><p>JAMES PONTI (he\/him\/his) is the New York Times bestselling author of three middle grade book series: City Spies, about an unlikely squad of five kids from around the world who form an elite MI6 Spy Team; the Edgar Award\u2013winning Framed! series, about a pair of tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, DC; and the Dead City trilogy, about a secret society that polices the undead living beneath Manhattan. His books have appeared on more than fifteen different state award lists and he is the founder of a writers group known as the Renegades of Middle Grade. James is also an Emmy\u2013 nominated television writer and producer who has worked for many networks including Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS, History, and Spike TV, as well as NBC Sports. He lives with his family in Orlando, Florida. Find out more at JamesPonti.com.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ubb-author-links\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jamesponti.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Website<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JamesPonti\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Twitter<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/JamesPontiBooks\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Facebook<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/author\/show\/428662.James_Ponti\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Goodreads<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jamespontibooks\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Instagram<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"50\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21084\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers.png 850w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers-300x18.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers-768x45.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Follow-the-Blog-Tour-Winter-2022.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21107\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Follow-the-Blog-Tour-Winter-2022.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Follow-the-Blog-Tour-Winter-2022-300x59.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Follow-the-Blog-Tour-Winter-2022-768x150.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Week One<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>1\/23\/2023<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/mythicalbooks.blogspot.com\/\">Mythical Books<\/a><\/td><td>Excerpt\/IG Post<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1\/23\/2023<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jazzybookreviews.com\/\">A Dream Within A Dream<\/a><\/td><td>Excerpt&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1\/24\/2023<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yabookscentral.com\/ya-books-blog\/\">YA Books Central<\/a><\/td><td>Excerpt&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>1\/24\/2023<\/strong><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/kaitgoodwin.com\/books\"><strong>Kait Plus Books<\/strong><\/a><\/td><td><strong>Excerpt<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1\/25\/2023<\/td><td><a href=\"http:\/\/logcabinlibrary.blogspot.com\/\">Log Cabin Library&nbsp;<\/a><\/td><td>Excerpt&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1\/25\/2023<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/kimberlybartosch.wixsite.com\/blog\">Kim&#8221;s Book Reviews and Writing Aha&#8217;s&nbsp;<\/a><\/td><td>Review\/IG Post<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1\/26\/2023<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/cheriecolyer.blogspot.com\/\">Blog Write. Read. Live&nbsp;<\/a><\/td><td>Excerpt\/IG Post<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1\/26\/2023<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/blessedmommysc.blogspot.com\/\">Lifestyle of Me<\/a><\/td><td>Review&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1\/27\/2023<\/td><td><a href=\"http:\/\/yabooknerd.blogspot.com\/\">YA Book Nerd<\/a><\/td><td>Review\/IG Post<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1\/27\/2023<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/onemused\">onemused<\/a><\/td><td>IG Post<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Week Two<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td>1\/30\/2023<\/td><td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nerdophiles.com\/\">Nerdophiles<\/a><\/td><td>Review<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1\/30\/2023<\/td><td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.eyerollingdemigod.com\/\">Eye-Rolling Demigod&#8217;s Book Blog<\/a><\/td><td>Review\/IG Post<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1\/31\/2023<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@wanderingwitchreads\">Wanderingwitchreads<\/a><\/td><td>TikTok Review\/IG Post<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1\/31\/2023<\/td><td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.reviewthickandthin.com\/\">Review Thick And Thin<\/a><\/td><td>Review\/IG Post<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2\/1\/2023<\/td><td><a href=\"http:\/\/instagram.com\/christenkrumm\">@ChristenKrumm<\/a><\/td><td>IG Review<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2\/1\/2023<\/td><td><a href=\"http:\/\/am2cents.blogspot.com\/\">Two Points of Interest<\/a><\/td><td>Review<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2\/2\/2023<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/hollymbryan.tumblr.com\/\">Book-Keeping&nbsp;<\/a><\/td><td>Review\/IG Post<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2\/2\/2023<\/td><td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bookmama85\">@bookmama85<\/a><\/td><td>IG Review<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2\/3\/2023<\/td><td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.onemoreexclamation.com\/\">OneMoreExclamation<\/a><\/td><td>Review\/IG Post<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2\/3\/2023<\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/froggyreadteach\/\">@froggyreadteach<\/a><\/td><td>IG Review<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"50\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21084\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers.png 850w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers-300x18.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers-768x45.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Enter-the-Giveaway-Winter-2022.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21188\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Enter-the-Giveaway-Winter-2022.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Enter-the-Giveaway-Winter-2022-300x59.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Enter-the-Giveaway-Winter-2022-768x150.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rafflecopter.com\/rafl\/display\/e2389ba21607\/\" target=\"_blank\">Enter here for a chance to win a print copy of <em>CITY OF THE DEAD<\/em> by James Ponti!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>(US Only)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"50\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21084\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers.png 850w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers-300x18.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/December-2022-Dividers-768x45.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Questions-for-You-Winter-2022-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21113\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Questions-for-You-Winter-2022-2.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Questions-for-You-Winter-2022-2-300x59.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Questions-for-You-Winter-2022-2-768x150.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What do you think about <em>City of the Dead<\/em>? Have you added it to your tbr yet? Let me know in the comments and have a splendiferous day!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Winter-2022-Kait-Plus-Books-Signature-1024x512.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21090\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Winter-2022-Kait-Plus-Books-Signature-1024x512.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Winter-2022-Kait-Plus-Books-Signature-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Winter-2022-Kait-Plus-Books-Signature-768x384.png 768w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Winter-2022-Kait-Plus-Books-Signature.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Happy Saturday and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for CITY OF THE DEAD by James Ponti! I&#8217;m so excited because today I have an excerpt of the book to share with you! This book is truly amazing and I&#8217;m so excited to for you to find out more about it, PLUS enter for a chance to win a print copy!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21623,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[484,1001,27],"tags":[537,4519,2775,651,540,2776,4465,462,538],"reading-challenges":[],"class_list":["post-21621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-tours","category-excerpt","category-giveaways","tag-blog-tour","tag-city-of-the-dead","tag-city-spies","tag-excerpt","tag-giveaway","tag-james-ponti","tag-january-2023","tag-kait-plus-books","tag-rockstar-book-tours","book-author-james-ponti","book-series-city-spies","book-publisher-aladdin","book-genre-contemporary","book-genre-middle-grade","book-genre-mystery"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/City-of-the-Dead-Featured-Image.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21621","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21621"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21621\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21629,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21621\/revisions\/21629"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21621"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21621"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21621"},{"taxonomy":"reading-challenges","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reading-challenges?post=21621"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}