Lost Jade of the Maya by Marjorie Bicknell Johnson - Review

Lost Jade of the Maya

by Marjorie Bicknell Johnson

“Lost Jade of the Maya” is the second young adult novel in Marjorie Bicknell Johnson’s series. The first is “Jaguar Princess: The Last Maya Princess.” This second book continues the story of Chanlajun Pesh:  Archaelogist, Professor, Shaman, young wife, and new mother of Yash. In this sequel, Pesh, as she calls herself, is in search of the source of her green jade jaguar talisman, B’lam. Pesh fears she is a fallen Shaman and needs to find where her jade jaguar talisman came from for redemption. Where are the ancient, secret, hidden jade mines of the Maya?

Along with her Geologist-Pilot husband Kedar, Pesh’s search for lost Jade mines takes her from the Yucatan Mayan ruins that she studies each season into the jungles of Guatamala. Pesh and Dr. Burt, plus her daughter Yash, meet the Andersons who live in Guatemala and process jade into fine pieces. Pesh and Yash also assist a Maya shaman healing children in a Guatamalan jungle village. They have to deal with drug lords, blackmail, mysticism, curses, kidnapping, and more. There is so much non-stop excitement and adventure in Ms. Johnson’s novels that it would be too much to describe in this review. Suffice it to say, there’s never a dull moment.

Ms. Johnson knows how to build suspense and carries you along on Pesh’s wide-ranging adventures. The author also provides detailed descriptions of the setting and the characters to totally bring you into Pesh’s world. As an experienced pilot, Ms. Johnson’s aviation scenes are realistic as are her jungle scenes, since she thoroughly researched the area and the Maya culture and history in writing her books. This series has adventure, romance, intrigue/mystery, mysticism, history, edge-of-your-seat excitement, and satisfying endings. Ms. Johnson’s books are the type of books that you hurry to finish but then want more and ask when is the next book in the series coming out?

Highly recommended for young adult and up readers.

Information on Marjorie Bicknell Johnson is at:  http://mbicknelljohnson.com/Marjorie_Bicknell_Johnson/Home.html

If you got the books out of order, please quickly read 

“Jaguar Princess: The Last Maya Shaman.”

Reviewed by:

Penelope Anne Cole

Tri-Valley Writers Conference 2017 Prose Award

San Mateo County Fair Short Story Award 2017

Award Winning Author of Magical Matthew, Magical Mea,
Magical Mea Goes to School, Magical Max and Magical Mickey, and

Magical Max and Magical Mickey’s Big Surprise

In and Out, All ‘Round About – Opposite Friends

What’s for Dinner? and ¿Qué vamos a comer?:

For Halloween: Ten Little Tricksters and Diez pequeños bromistas

New:  My Grandma and Me Coloring Book

Coming Soon:  My Grandma’s Pink House
Web/Blogs:  http://www.penelopeannecole.com/
FREE Skype Author School Visits 

Maybe This Time A Second Chance Romance by Susan B. James Review

Maybe This Time

A Second Chance Romance

By Susan B. James

 

I read Ms. Susan B. James first time travel romance, “Time and Forever,” and enjoyed it immensely. I was looking forward to her second novel, “Maybe This Time,” and it did not disappoint. It has the same quirky time travel question:  Can we change the future by changing the past? In this second story, ”Maybe This Time,” it isn’t a question of finding a lost love, or a lost opportunity, but of rekindling love relationships, putting right what went wrong, and trying to make it last through the years.

The main character, Jennifer Knight, is an actress (echoing Ms. James’ acting career) who has moved on from a failed first marriage, or has she? Her beloved 19 year old niece Kat takes Jennifer on a time travel adventure to the past. There Jennifer re-connects with her first love, computer geek Lance Davies, and discovers that their feelings are still strong. Both want to reclaim their happily ever after, but there are some huge problems, like 9/11, which they must somehow survive. Jennifer’s computer genius brother Jeremy and Kat also have some time travel-romance issues to sort through. Can the two computer geniuses solve the time dilemmas and put everything to rights to save their collective futures? Grab the book and find out. It is a race against time – a fast-paced, exciting, and fully satisfying time travel romance novel. Highly recommended.

Totally hooked, I eagerly await the next installment in Ms. James Second Chance, time travel romance series. I have a few romances that I’d love to go back in time and give myself a second chance to “fix” and set them right. Where is a time portal when you need it?    

Information on author Susan B. James is at http://susanbjames.blogspot.com/

 

And on her Amazon page, which includes her children’s books written by Susan J. Berger:  https://tinyurl.com/ydho8z5q

 

Reviewed by:

Penelope Anne Cole

Award Winning Author of Magical Matthew, Magical Mea,
Magical Mea Goes to School, Magical Max and Magical Mickey, and

Magical Max and Magical Mickey’s Big Surprise

In and Out, All ‘Round About – Opposite Friends

What’s for Dinner? and ¿Qué vamos a comer?:

For Halloween: Ten Little Tricksters and Diez pequeños bromistas

New:  My Grandma and Me Coloring Book

Coming Soon:  My Grandma’s Pink House

Jaguar Princess: The Last Maya Shaman Review

Jaguar Princess: The Last Maya Shaman

by Marjorie Bicknell Johnson

 “Jaguar Princess: The Last Maya Shaman,” by Marjorie Bicknell Johnson, is a fast-paced, richly layered, coming of age novel. The title was intriguing. How was Chanla Pex a Jaguar Princess and a Maya Shaman? I’d thought the Maya were an extinct civilization—it hadn't occurred to me thatthere must be descendents, even royal descendents.

As the story unfolds we learn that Chanla Pex is not only descended from Maya royalty, but also is training with her grandmother to be a Shaman. The story takes place in the jungles and cities of Yucatan, in the Mojave Desert mining country, in Texas, and in Spain. So you know you are in for a wild ride.

Ms. Johnson relies on her experience as a pilot for realistic flying scenes. She has thoroughly researched archeology, gem mining, the Yucatan, and Mayan civilization and Spanish history for this story. The addition of all these facts made it both an interesting and educational story. I appreciate the facts that are woven into the story. When Ms. Johnson describes archeology, the jungle, the cave scenes, or desert mining, you are right there with her. When she’s flying, you can feel it. When Chanla Pex is in dangerous situations, you root for her to use everything in her arsenal:  her mystical powers, her knowledge, and strong will to survive to accomplish her goals. She overcomes every obstacle in her way to becoming an archeologist. She experiences both the loss and gain of family and the love of a life partner as she matures and makes her place in the world.

I highly recommend this book to young adults and adults. I’ve read Ms. Johnson’s “Lost Jade of the Maya,” which continues Chanla Pesh’s story, and will review that next.

Information on Marjorie Bicknell Johnson is at

 http://mbicknelljohnson.com/Marjorie_Bicknell_Johnson/Home.html

Other books by Ms. Johnson are:

Personal Note:  

I met Marjorie Bicknell Johnson at the South Bay Writers Club of the California Writers Club. Marjorie is the outgoing editor of South Bay Writers club newsletter, Writer's Talk. She's published several of my short stories and poems in the newsletter. Over the past few years we've become good friends. I read Jaguar Princess: The Last Maya Shaman and then Lost Jade of the Maya. I have thoroughly enjoyed both books and look forward to reading Bird Watcher.

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Reviewed by:

Penelope Anne Cole

Tri-Valley Writers Conference 2017 Prose Award

San Mateo County Fair Short Story Award2017

Author of The Magical Series:  Magical Matthew, Magical Mea,

Magical Mea Goes to School, Magial Max and Magical Mickey, and

Magical Max and Magical Mickey’s Big Surprise

Ten Little Tricksters and Diez pequeños bromistas

What’s for Dinner? and ¿Qué vamos a comer?

In and Out, All ‘Round About - Opposite Friends

Grandma and Me Coloring book

Coming Soon:  My Grandma’s Pink House