What goes around truly comes
around in the lives of four young
people, inexplicably drawn to each
other. Together, they learn about
karma, friendship and the birth of a
Nation.
Young Gabriella Sanchez is the daughter of a single mother living in New York City. Painfully shy and awkward Gabriella resigns to be forever invisible until the day she meets Gilberto Padilla. Everything changes when The two become inseparable.
With Gilberto leaving on a trip to Puerto Rico for the summer, neither could bear the thought of being apart.
After thoughtful consideration, Gilberto’s parents made it possible for Gabriella and her mother to join them.
While vacationing, a mysterious incident changes life as Gabriella knows it. A supernatural chain of events sends the young girl on an adventure to uncover past life secrets still haunting present day life. Can she correct the sins of the past or will she be doomed to history repeating itself?
Excerpt
When Gabby got home, Rosa and Manuel were sitting in the living room watching a movie. She wanted to give the couple their space so she headed to her room for a while. On New Year’s Eve, the four friends took a picture just after midnight. Gilberto printed a copy for everyone to remember the occasion. Gabby thought the best spot for the photo was right above her bed. She couldn’t wait until she found the perfect frame so she decided to secure it with thumb tacks for the time being.
Gabby gathered four tacks for each corner of the photo. She positioned it exactly where she wanted and reached for the first tack. The photo slipped from between her finger and the wall, falling behind the headboard of her bed. Gabby let out a sigh of frustration, knowing that it would be a tedious task retrieving the photo.
The solid wood bed was much too heavy to try to maneuver on her own. The best course of action would be to move the small end table instead. Gabby slid the table a few inches so that she could get in closer and grab the photo. As Gabby reached for the photo, something strange caught her eye.
On the backside of the headboard was a strange engraving. She ran her fingers across the new discovery, and instantly received a massive electrical charge to her hand and up her arm. She was caught off guard by the sensation, which sent her tumbling back, hitting her head on the end table. Gabby sat, momentarily in a fog, before the visions started.
The first image was that of Carolina’s painting with the Indian man and shield. The next was of the totem and, once again, the last was of the cave etching. The images continued to flash, alternating between the three, until Gabby blacked out.
She woke up to find that she was no longer in her bedroom. Gabby was being pushed into a dark cave by the Indian man. Again, he spoke a language that was so beautiful, but it was neither Spanish nor English. Yet, Gabby understood it perfectly. He urged her to stay vigilant while remaining in the cave away from the danger looming outside. Before running off, the Indian man handed Gabby a mid-sized medicine bag containing a heavy object.
Gabby was bewildered and frightened after the hasty exit of the Indian. She lacked the knowledge of what she was hiding from, or why she was now in possession of the medicine bag and its contents. Curiosity took hold, imploring Gabby to reach into the bag; it was too dark to see what she held in her hands.
She crept in the darkness until there was a hint of light up ahead. She could hear the voices of men shouting warnings as they went running by. Gabby knew enough not to venture out into the chaos. Taking advantage of the light, she examined the contents of the bag. She held in her hand a tablet of some sort.
Gabby didn’t quite comprehend the carvings etched in the stone; they all just seemed like a random group of pictures and lines. The images began to fade as it appeared the cave was spinning slowly until it took on a new form. Gabby was now in a caney, a rectangular hut in the center of a village.
There was an eerie familiarity as Gabby looked around. On the floor was a sort of calumet most likely used to inhale powerful hallucinogens during elaborate rituals. Gabby picked up the tube-like object to examine it.
Again, images swirled around causing a dizzying effect. Gabby was in the same caney, only now, there were people sitting on little stools hunched over. Taking a closer look, Gabby saw that she was sitting among the small group of hunching people. She closed her eyes and instantaneously took on the experience.
Elders were gathered around, attempting to get messages through from what seemed like a whole other dimension. One woman, nearly a hundred years old sat off by herself, eyes closed. She mumbled the same words over and over. Gabby debated whether she should get in closer, but the woman spoke her name.
The name she spoke was not Gabby or even Gabriella but, somehow, she knew the woman was addressing her. Gabby was hesitant to walk over to the old woman, stopping just inches of where she was seated. In the blink of an eye, the woman reached out and grabbed Gabby by the forearm with cat-like reflexes.
For an old woman, her grip was firm and unwavering, Gabby thought. So much so, that Gabby was brought to her knees by the sheer might of her clutch. With the woman’s free hand, she placed two fingers on Gabby’s eyelids.
A hazy image of a man being held against his will slowly became visible. Gabby instinctively wanted to reach out to the man as he bared the face of the one she loved. It was no use; she was paralyzed beneath the old woman’s touch.
Failing to take action mattered very little, for as soon as the image appeared, another replaced it. A ceremony in which Gabby was the honored participant now played out before her eyes. A blessing ritual involving water could only signify a baptismal. But why was it occurring in that place in time, Gabby wondered.
In another split-second, Gabby caught view of a fair skinned woman clumsily staggering through the very cave in which she hid the engraved stone tablet. Gabby became anxious when the woman discovered its secret location. The woman fled the cave with the tablet concealed beneath her clothing. The old woman spoke once more.
I was given the privilege of reading Enchanted Island as part of an invite-only preview event.
Early in Enchanted Island, we see the world through the eyes of a young,
inner-city girl, of Puerto Rican descent. No matter what the reader's
background, however, many will find themselves able to relate to young
Gabriella's life; the wanting of more than she has, and the social awkwardness that comes, not only from her lack of money, but from just being young. More than that, readers can relate to her sense that she is destined for more than life as it is.
Her grateful attitude to any kindness makes her a fierce friend, and she soon becomes acquainted with two children in her school-- Gilberto, a young man of similar background, and Molly, a member of the elite class. Together, the threesome navigates their way through school life, and embark on a journey to Gabby's ancestral home in Puerto Rico.
While there, they meet a fourth, Juan, to complete their group. Following an
accident, Ms. Torres takes us on a supernatural journey, in which the four youngsters understand their purpose in each others lives, and fight to right the wrongs of the past, not only for their sakes, but for the world at large.
May Torres brings a supernatural adventure to live, in a concise and clear-cut way. Her informal writing style is very direct, and unpretentious, letting the reader know exactly where they stand at all time, a wise choice, given her intended reader.
She uses words her readers can, not only understand, but likely use in their everyday life. Teens and adults alike will enjoy the quest through time and history, exploring past lives and the philosophy of karma.
My favorite aspect of the book, however, has to be the character development. The reader feels as though they know the characters, and understand their motivation. That makes it easy for every reader to picture themselves in the given situations, and have a real connection with the book. It was a pleasure to
read this, and I look forward to more supernatural trips with Ms. Torres.
Fifth Book of the Southern Swallow Series. Nan Ya and his crew take a final adventure into a mythical Chinese universe and become entangled in court intrigue.
Available Now! Rated 5 ***** by readers and listeners.
Sweet Revenge is a powerful and romantic saga of th mid 1800's, recalling pirates and those trying to rid the seas of such vermin. Shawn, a debonair captain, gets caught up in
