Maria Elena Garza

The Sheer Curtain Maria Elena Garza

This short novel is dedicated to my wonderful family: my children, Cathy, Fernando, Phillip; my grandchildren Jozette, Alaena, Phoenix; and my husband, Max.

The novel is especially written for an audience of young readers or adults who choose to have a child's imagination.

It was such fun for me to develop the characters and scenes of this mystery. It all starts with a woman's silhouette that appears on the third-floor window of this old Victorian mansion. No one in the town of Sneila has ever seen her except when she stands behind the sheer curtain.

The children of the town look forward to Halloween every year. The children together walk down the dirt road to the mansion that sits at the edge of town behind enormously tall trees and a black iron fence. Every Halloween, the children know that, in front of the mansion outside the gate, there will be a mysterious white cauldron filled with magic candies for each child. The candies are in baggies with each child's name written on the front of the baggie. How does she know every child's name? Where does this candy come from? The children agree that the candy is very different, like it's out of this world. These are only two of the mysteries that exist in the town of Sneila.

Much mystery lives in the town of Sneila. The number of people in this town never changes. When one person dies, another is born. People who die are not buried. The number 8 appears throughout the town. Sometimes you have to add two digits to find the 8. The infinity symbol appears throughout the novel.

Magic turtles surface and communicate with the two main characters, Samantha and Victoria. Flickering lights, hidden doors, basement, baskets, spaceships, magic turtles, mysterious bubbles, candles, and fairies create a magical kingdom.

Wrinkles and gray hair are witnesses to times past.

The surprise ending is sure to give you goose bumps!

Other books from the author include the following:
Sleepy Tears Laughing Tears
Sleepy Tears Miss You Tears
God's Love is Real (poetry book)
Friends and Angels (poetry book)
The Secret Meeting of the Sworceracs