Would Eva Longoria be a good casting for the character of Marina in any movie based on Serpentauria: Ark of Extinction?

The book (and series) contains a strong message of empowerment for young people–especially young girls. It also has a compelling message of inclusiveness for all races and creeds and equal opportunities for them. From this article… Hope for a Brighter Future for Latinas… it sounds like Eva wants to promote this same message.

Available for Order Now

About the Book

With the recent Amazon posted review this title now has 23 five-star reviews and one 4-star review. We are so very proud of Donna McAleer and her book. To quote from one of the reviews:

I believe good books influence your opinions or views, excellent books change your views. …I thought this book was so eye opening and inspiring I bought copies for my daughter and niece in the hope that they will read it and be as inspired as I was reading it.

Read all the Amazon Reviews

312 pages

ISBN: 978-1937592004 (hardcover)

ISBN: 978-1-937592-07-3 (paperback)

eBook (Amazon Kindle version)

AVAILABLE FOR ORDER NOW

See what early readers of the review copy (of all ages) have to say!

 “Mirabella, the 13-year old hero of this exciting series, is a modern day combination of Joan of Arc, Marco Polo and a dash of Harry Potter.”

Comments from early readers (review copies):

“…definitely the next best seller among magical books and myths for children and young adults” 

“…the story was quite simply enthralling” (59-year old)

“…an eerie theme that scared me a bit…” (19-year old)

“How his mother treated him made me feel sorry for him” (19-year old)

“Every twist and turn reveals a secret, a lie and a clue to the code that must be cracked…” (writer, creative producer)

“I feel a deep connection with Mirabella. It’s as if I am this character” (16-year old)

“The mysterious princess cries tears of white pearls. I wish I could know more about her story.” (8-year old)

“When I read this book I can feel what Mirabella feels” (12-year old)

“This book gave me goose bumps…” (19-year old)

“The secrets of the past with an equally dangerous present are captivating and very hypnotic.” (21-year old)

“It made me laugh, cry, feel hurt, feel happy and frightened” (24-year old)

“I love books that create magic for the reader…” (25-year old)

Witnessing a ghoulish, twilight ritual at a boarding school would be terrifying for any 13 year-old girl and so it was for Mirabella.

Fear grows strongest in those that feel most alone. Since leaving New York City and coming to Delphion Grey, a very old school in England, she feels desperately on her own. After seeing the ritual from her attic window, Mirabella begins to hear things as well; strange sounds and voices coming from underneath the floorboards in her bedroom and in the library.

Suffering detentions for one offence or another, she spends hours writing lines or essays as punishment in the school’s old library, a vast, desolate place, filled with thousands of old books no one reads and a place no one visits voluntarily. When the voices lead her to the discovery of a concealed place of exquisite beauty, Mirabella sees a painting of a beautiful princess with a luminous teardrop in her eye, glowing like a small pearl. The next morning Mirabella awakes to find the pearl teardrop around her neck and soon realizes its powers are changing her.

The awarding of the pearl begins an awakening that releases things held secret for centuries at the school and other ancient places throughout the world. With this stirring, the mysterious owner of the school orders the burning of every book in the library, “…out with the past to make room for the future” the students are told but the real reason is far more sinister. Mirabella learns one of the voices in the library comes from a beautiful old book; its cover so worn the title is no longer legible and with most of its pages missing, it doesn’t have much of a story within. Mirabella saves him from the fire, and pledges to help find out what his real story is.

Dark agents attempt to stop her from learning more of the secrets and to end the search for the First Key. She embarks on an amazing journey, which takes her through the streets of London, to the city’s underground world of secrets, ghost stations, witches and fallen angels.

More reader feedback:

Mirabella and the Pearl of Chulothe is definitely the next best seller among magical books and myths for children and young adults. It’s a very mysterious and enchanting read which I can really envisage as a movie for all the family to enjoy. What an intriguing and exciting book with all its secrets and messages to figure out!   This is certainly a book which keeps one on tenterhooks. I can’t wait for Book Two.

It’s original, captivating and just magic in your hands!

–Lynne Stuart

More reader comments about Mirabella and the Pearl of Chulothe (we’ll paste the entire email to the author here):

From: Devon Buchanon
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:26:31 -0400
Subject: Mirabella and the Pearl of Chulothe
To: Laila Bellucci

Dear Laila,

Thank you so much for allowing me to read the proof review copy of your new book Mirabella.

As you may recall from my initial conversation with you I’m a bit of a slow and thorough reader with a tendency to read factual or historical books rather than fiction.

So it was with a little caution that I picked up your novel and began the journey. Now what I have to tell you is that I found myself racing through the chapters at an astonishing speed. This was partly due to the fact that the *font is larger than you would normally find in an adult book which is of course perfect for encouraging any young person to read but also because the story was quite simply enthralling.

I was surprised to find myself travelling through the books incredible landscape as related by Mirabella with such excitement. I absolutely loved the story and it took me back to my own school days and it reminded me of the thrill I used to feel when a good book, with a gripping story came into my possession. I would be simply unable to put it down and that’s what happened this time!

It was brilliant to have a story told through a young girls eyes and that in itself was very refreshing indeed. I suspect you may have tapped into a very good if not lucrative market with that aspect alone. It’s usually the boys who are the heroes of such fables and therefore your heroine might just prove to be the much needed contradiction to that preconception and make it a big hit out there.

I loved the character of Biggy, the talking book because this is exactly what your book was doing to me, talking to me. In fact I’m now looking at the book on my desk and I swear it moved ha ha !!!

I’m looking forward to the follow up… don’t make us wait too long

Devon Buchanon (59-year old)

*Publisher’s Note: (from Dennis Lowery) At this writing I’m 51 years old and at that age, and with what I do as a vocation, my eyes get very tired. As a publisher I decided I would not go the route of conventional wisdom and make the fonts in our books smaller so it would cut down on page count. I choose to publish books the way that I wish others would. A larger font makes it more enjoyable for the reader and easier on our eyes. Before you want to beat me up about the potential for using more paper, please read this: “Green Thinking”… is the right thinking…” That tells you more about how environmentally conscious we are and our production and book manufacturing facility is.

A second set of comments from a reader of Mirabella and the Pearl of Chulothe:

I really enjoyed reading Mirabella and the Pearl of Chulothe. I was intrigued by the opening chapter. I can’t wait to see where the rest of the tale goes. It was really descriptive and kept me on the edge of my seat. The words set an eerie theme that scared me a bit. It made me want to read more. I did find I had to read it over twice to understand it properly and when I understood it I was really captured. I want to read more!

–Niketa (19 year-old)

More reader comments about Mirabella and the Pearl of Chulothe:

I found the opening chapter really gave me an image of how Edgar felt and what his personality was. It made me sense that he may have been seen as really weird and creepy by others and this affected his esteem. I believe his mother was the one who drove him to be so curious and nasty. Reading about how his mother treated him made me feel sorry for him, and made me curious about how he looked compared to his brother. This intrigued me and made me want to read more. I want to learn more about Edgar as I feel that I really connected to his story and to him.

–Niketa Hayward (19 year-old)

More reader comments about Mirabella and the Pearl of Chulothe:

His (Edgar’s) Dark Materials meets The Picture of Dorian Gray

A lush, mysterious journey into the worlds that surround us, full of magical characters, where every twist and turn  reveals a secret, a lie and a clue to the code that must be cracked; told with a light touch, a dark heart and a sense of humour!

–Ingrid Stellmacher, former journalist, now writer and creative producer

More review copy reader comments about Mirabella and the Pearl of Chulothe:

Mirabella to me is not just any ordinary book. It’s a world that is now alive within my mind. It helps me escape and relate to the difficulties I suffer at school. The meanness she experiences in her fictional universe is a reality for many.  I feel a deep connection with Mirabella. It’s as if I am this character. The Tunnel of Lights, in the book, is a significant part for me, as in my hardships I also embark on this extraordinary journey in search of light and beauty.

– NB (16-year old)