‘The Luck of the Maya’ by TW Brazeau

Author T. W. Brazeau has just released an improved and updated version of his book, ‘The Luck of the Maya’, originally published last year. Carlos Montoya (aka Sam Stockman, etc.), one of the two the protagonists of the book bears some vague resemblance to T. W. (Ted) Brazeau, the author of the novel, but there are decided differences. For one thing, Ted still has his feet, both of them, and intends to keep them. For another, according to Ted: “Carlos is much braver than I am, and smarter. Cuter, too. And he gets hard things done without all this procrastinating.” Ted’s wife Alicia fits in even more smoothly. Not only is she the template for Lucy, the second protagonist, but that’s her, in person, on the cover. The two protagonists don’t always exactly agree on just what has been happening, but their accounts do dovetail, and they compliment one another nicely. Besides starring as the cover girl, Alicia also appears in selected illustrations inside the book. “Lucy’s not me at all. I would never do those things,” she insists. “Well, maybe the kissing and stuff, but I don’t know karate and I can’t climb trees. Don’t even want to. I am a pretty good shot, though,” she admits, “and I do drive fast.” Alicia-as-Lucy and the other illustrations are all from photographs taken by the author, mostly during various visits to México and Central America. The strange looking pickup truck was Ted’s and was photographed in Texas. “I still miss that truck,” he says nostalgically. “I’ll have to admit, though, my van runs better. And has floorboards, which is a big plus, at least when it’s raining.” With the book’s descriptions of the walks through the jungle it’s not hard to visualize being there, with the colorful vegetation, the animal cries, the Mayan ruins, plus the worry about where the bad guys are. And they are bad. Macalusa would rather shoot someone than not, and the grotesque and aggressive hillbillies that take over from him with their antique weapons are arguably worse. ‘The Luck of the Maya’ settles in for rides on shrimp boats, treks through the jungles and deserts of México, dodging the dangers of Houston and Austin, joining the struggles against mobsters and hillbillies, and facing the risks of Lucy’s driving. T. W. Brazeau will shortly have available a novelette titled ‘The Amazon and the Dead’. It takes place in the year 1542 and is based on the historical account of the first trip down the Amazon River by Europeans, along with the story of the impact on the local inhabitants. In addition, he is currently working on a science fiction tale involving a time machine and ancient gold. It promises to be a fun story. “All I can guarantee is that it’s been great fun to write,” he says. “And unpredictable. Even I don’t know what’s going to happen next.” Ted is an avid reader of all types of material, and switches among English, Spanish and Portuguese titles. “Except Romances,” he says. “Alicia covers that department. Also, I don’t read accounting texts any more. In any language.” Ted has enjoyed a lifelong interest in Latin America, especially in the tropical region of Southern México and Central America. He has lived and worked in Nicaragua, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, México and Spain. At present, he and Alicia reside in Dripping Springs, Texas, just outside of Austin. ‘The Luck of the Maya’ is currently published only in e-book format by eBookIt.com, and is available through a number of popular online retailers, including Amazon and BN.com. Source: PRWEB