MAMA GRACIELA’S SECRET REVIEW

MAMA GRACIELA’S SECRET

by Mayra Calvani

 

I enjoyed Mayra Calvani’s latest picture book, “Mama Graciela’s Secret,” illustrated colorfully by Sheila Fein It’s a pleasing book on many levels. At first I thought the secret in the book was Mama Graciela’s special recipe for bacalaitos fritos. But soon realized the book was about another passion of Mama’s; her love for the many cats attracted to her restaurant for her famous bacalaitos fritos. Then the book became more important and personal to me. 

As a cat and dog lover, I was quite concerned about Mama’s many, many cats. Children will enjoy the story moving from everyday, normal life to super, exaggerated storytelling. How will Mama Graciela handle the problem of oh so many—too many—cats? The solution given in the end of the book is perfect, satisfying, and inspirational. Highly recommended for ages 5 to 7.

Information on author Mayra Calvani is at 
www.MayrasSecretBookcase.com. 

Reviewed by:

Penelope Anne Cole

SLO Night Writers Golden Quill Non-Fiction Finalist 2017

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

My Grandma and Me Coloring Book

New:  My Grandma’s Pink House
Web/Blogs:  http://www.penelopeannecole.com/

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