With this, her second novel, Key of Cortes, L. Sparklingwater has once again created a riveting and totally engrossing narrative. This time the locale is Mexico, on the eve of the date, according to the Mayan Calendar, when the world would come to an end. The world does not come to an end, of course, but the drama leading up to this moment is quickly replaced by a more compelling one, when Laura, the story’s protagonist, finds herself in the possession of an ancient key that will unlock a vast treasure over five hundred years old. The problem for Laura is staying alive long enough to locate the treasure. A lot of other people want that key, and some of them will stop at nothing to get it. But the novel is more than just a thrilling chase. The narrative totally envelops the reader in the colorful local culture and customs and the rich spiritual inheritance of Mesoamerica.

-Tom Hyman, author of Seven Days to Petrograd

The world was supposed to end on December 21, 2012. The Mayan Calendar, an ancient system for tracking the paths of the stars, inexplicably ran out on that precise date. The world might not have ended – but not all was well in Mexico on December 22nd. Long before her adventures in You May Have the Universe, Laura Alexander was on the scene and, as she would soon discover, trouble had a way of finding her.

A twist of fate puts Laura at the center of a hotly contested treasure hunt and the target of government agents, organized crime, and agents from the Vatican. Danger and betrayal become commonplace for the plucky, attractive cub reporter. Could the key she is protecting really be the fabled Key of Cortes, the secret to unlocking a mystery door to a hidden trove of unimaginable wealth?

About the Author

L. Sparklingwater is a pen name. The lifetime educator, poet, and novelist knows that national and international security depend upon the good will in personal and political relations as well as in literary, musical, artistic, and social media communication. She currently resides in a suburb of Dallas, Texas. She is also the author of You May Have the Universe.