Evolution of a YA Series: Koolura and the Mayans (Part 3)

The Legend of Koolura book 1 in the Koolura Series was written to motivate a sixth-grade girl to read. (Click on the link to read part one.) The idea for Book 2, Koolura and the Mystery at Camp Saddleback came to me while visiting the Santa Ynez Mountains and Lake Cachuma.(Click on the link to read part two.) I was inspired to write book 3, Koolura and the Mayans during a visit to Oaxaca, Mexico for Cousin Adam’s wedding. While in the Mexican resort town, we were told to visit Monte Alban, a pre-Columbian archeological site six miles west of Oaxaca City. While wandering around the site, I was surprised to see pyramids. I then thought, what if Koolura and her friend Leila came here and found a device that transported them back to the time of the Mayans? That’s all I needed. I thought of a unique time travel scenario, aliens from a distant star, and alien conquest that would destroy history as we know it. Could Koolura defeat these people and save history?

This third novel in the Koolura Series was previously published by Solstice Publishing using the following book cover:

When its contract ran out, the publisher declined to renew. I was surprised because the book won a few literary awards including First Place Gold Winner of the 2018 eLit Awards Juvenile Young Adult Fiction and Second Place in the Reader’s Favorite Award Contest. Here is what Red City Review had to say in its 4-star review:

Koolura and the Mayans is the third entry in author Michael Thal’s young adult series about a girl named Koolura with mystical powers. Koolura and her friend Leila are on vacation in Mexico City, where Koolura’s father is getting re-married, when the girls unwittingly stumble upon a derelict relic in an old Mayan tomb that whisks them thousands of years into the past. There’s just one problem: she doesn’t know how to get back! Now, stranded in history with her best friend, Koolura must hide her abilities from an alien race known as the Aquari, who have subjugated the native population for nefarious reasons. This Mayan mishap could end up costing Koolura much more than a few extra days in Mexico!

A unique hybrid of science fiction, folklore, and pure fantasy, Koolura and the Mayans is a fun romp through time and space. Readers do not have to have read the first two books in the series in order to keep pace with the plot, but if you enjoy Thal’s tale here, take comfort in knowing there are two more books about Koolura to devour. As with any story this brief, readers might find themselves wishing there was a bit more meat to occupy their appetites, especially during one short journey which finds Koolura jetting off to an unknown planet in search of a device that could help the Aquari leave Earth. Still, it must be said that Koolura is a charming and unpredictable protagonist. The result is that readers will simply have no idea where the story will take them next—and that feeling is utterly magical.

With its great reviews and winning awards, Koolura and the Mayans deserved to be out there for readers. I decided to self-publish the series and hired a gifted artist to design and illustrate the new covers. 

Here’s is April Klein’s cover for Koolura and the Mayans:

The novel is about Koolura and Leila visiting Oaxaca, Mexico for Koolura’s dad’s wedding. The girls take a side trip to Monte Alban, an archeological site where they are mysteriously transported back in time to the Mayan era.  Koolura and Leila are imprisoned, used as a sacrificial lamb to a Mayan god, become food fodder for a monstrous snake, and chased by alien teens bent on exploiting Koolura’s gifts. During their thrilling exploits the girls wonder if the Aquarians are planning to take over Earth? And can they stop them in time?

Koolura and the Mayans is now available in print and as a Kindle e-book. After reading the novel, please leave a short review on Amazon. 

About the Illustrator

April Klein is a digital 2D artist and visual storyteller specializing in fantastical, semi-realistic illustrations. She is passionate about designing unique characters, items, and environments. She also enjoys painting realistic representations of plants, animals, and people. Her digital illustrations are often highly-detailed, realistically accurate, and colorful, and they emit a “storybook” aesthetic which is admired among authors and game-makers. 

Portfolio: https://www.behance.net/apridian