ATHENS, Ga., Nov. 10, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Take a tale from a 1,300-year-old Mayan inscription, add an exotic jungle setting, some warlords, heroes, heroines and ancient myth. What do you get? Blood and Jade, the historical novel by Sally Kohonoski.
In this captivating book, readers can experience the majestic, and often savage, world of the Classic Maya with a fast-paced adventure.
Kohonoski's protagonists are Lady Resplendent Quetzal and her son, Pacal. Their dynastic struggle takes place in the Classic Maya city of Palenque, its ruins today an international tourist site in Chiapas, Mexico.
An amateur Mayanist, Kohonoski's imagination was sparked during a hieroglyphics seminar at Cleveland State University. "We were translating a passage from the Temple of Inscriptions at Palenque, and there it was. A drama, right between those ancient lines: a mother fighting for her son's birthright, a little club-footed boy thrust into prophecy, and a kingdom savaged by vicious warfare."
Set in the seventh century A.D., Blood and Jade illuminates an era when jungle kingdoms flourished, when Maya lords became conquest-hungry and foreigners threatened ancient borders. The Maya world was on the brink of change.
"I'm a wannabe archaeologist and have always loved historical fiction," Kohonoski says. "So, I wrote what I wanted to read: a book where you step into the exotic world of the Classic Maya."
The novel is about Lady Quetzal, sole surviving princess of her royal house. Exiled from all she loves, hunted by enemies, she must protect her son and unborn child and, at the same time, seek allies for her besieged kinsmen. Blood and Jade also tells the story of nine-year-old Pacal, whose adventures take readers on a perilous journey through ancient Maya places.
Research for Blood and Jade took Kohonoski from modern libraries to Classic Maya sites in the rainforests of Tabasco and Chiapas, including a camping expedition into the remote jungle-laden ruins of Yaxchilan.
Kohonoski lives in Athens, GA, where she is at work on her next novel. Blood and Jade is available at xlibris.com/BloodandJade.html, BarnesandNoble.com, Amazon.com, Borders.com, and at local book stores.
Blood and Jade -- A Saga of the Maya
by Sally Kohonoski
Trade Paperback; $24.99; 499 pages; 1-4010-2689-3; 978-1-4010-2689-9
Cloth Hardback; $34.99; 499 pages; 1-4010-2690-7; 978-1-4010-2690-5
To request a complimentary paperback review copy, contact the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 472. Tearsheets may be sent by regular or electronic mail to Marketing Services. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (610) 915-0294 or call (888) 795-4274 x.876.