-AUTHOR | GHOSTWRITER -
MONICA LASARRE
Jasper Penzey Series
Jasper Penzey has never known his mother and his father never wants to speak of her. At the ripe age of 9 years old, on the eve of his and his father's move from Louisiana to Santorini, Greece, precocious Jasper discovers an amulet and a note from his mom. So begins Jasper's journey. As he explores new lands and cultures, he cleverly makes observations about the lifestyles of those different from his own and by traipsing through new lands with his father, he is pulled into mysteries which will change the course of history and pull him deeper into the mystery which affects him the most: what happened to his mother and where is she now?
The Ruby Brooch of Atlantis (Book 1)
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Jasper joins his history professor father in Santorini, Greece and is quickly pulled into the journey of a lifetime into island life, complete with a traipse through history and a search for the location of the lost city of Atlantis.
At his side throughout his search is his new friend Cally. Together they learn that dodging men who are following you can be scary; that ice cream is a perfect pawn for negotiating with those who stand in your way; and how to trust in the help of friends and family. Jasper discovers how heart-wrenching it can be to leave behind the only home you’ve known and how to make friends in a new place where everything seems foreign. He also learns that the love of a mother can come from unlikely sources, a blessedly welcome fact for a boy who is grievously missing his own.
The Curse of the Shaman's Stones
(Book 2) -- available July 1, 2015
For nine years Jasper Penzey has wondered if he has a mother. Fresh from the discovery that she exists in the adventure of The Ruby Brooch of Atlantis, Jasper follows his father from sunny Greexe to the palm-lined beaches of Panama. A cryptic message from his mother leaves him anticipating finding her there, but he soon learns his investigative skills will be used in other ways.
A curse has left the waters of the legendary Panama Canal blood-red, Jasper's mysterious tutor will stop at nothing to follow his every move, and a new friend seems poised to sabotage his quest to get to the bottom of the curse of the shaman's stones. When the superstition of the Panamanian people threatens to keep Jasper from being able to solve a riddle left to him by his mother, Jasper rises to the challenge with all of his skills engaged - tenacity, book smarts, and quick thinking - in a race to the finish. Fueled by compassion, respect for diversity, and a keen mind, Jasper may be able to lift Panama's curse of the shaman's stones, but will he find his mother when the mystery is solved? Available through Barnes and Noble and Amazon, among many other fine book stores.