September 14, 2020

Mayan Folklore / Guest Post / Bubba and Squirt's Mayan Adventure by Sherry Ellis


Join me today for author Sherry Ellis’ MC Book Tour for her latest release, BUBBA AND SQUIRT’S MAYAN ADVENTURE. 

This is a delightful juvenile fiction story that readers of all ages will enjoy. I had the pleasure of editing this story for DLP and highly recommend it for all kids, parents/guardians, grandparents, and teachers.

◊ Genre: Juvenile Fiction
◊ Publisher: Dancing Lemur Press
Release Date: Sept. 7, 2020
◊ Print & eBooks
◊ Paperback: 96 pages
◊ ISBN-10: 1939844703
◊ ISBN-13: 978-1939844705


An ancient Mayan civilization!     

That's what Bubba and Squirt find when they travel through the mysterious vortex for another wild adventure. There they meet archeologists who are unearthing priceless artifacts.

But someone is stealing them. And an encounter with the Tate Duende awakens magic within Bubba. Throw in the mysterious Alux and a new discovery and things get sticky.

Will Bubba and Squirt solve the mystery, or will they be stuck forever in the jungles of Belize?


Bubba and Squirt available at 
AMAZON US   *   APPLE BOOKS   *   DANCING LEMUR PRESS   *   BARNES & NOBLE  *  BAM   *   KOBO


GUEST POST by Sherry Ellis

Mayan Folklore 

 Characters of Mayan Folklore

The ancient Mayan culture is rich with mythology and folklore. These stories are part of the oral tradition that village people passed down through the generations. Most stories were created to entertain, but many also served the purpose of deterring people from doing dangerous or immoral things.  In Bubba and Squirt’s Mayan Adventure, Bubba and Squirt encounter two popular characters:  The alux (ah-loosh) and Tate Duende (Tah-tay Du-en-day).

The Alux

The alux is a gnome-like character who resembles a miniature traditionally dressed Mayan man. If a farmer wanted protection for his crops and family, he went to the high priest of the village with a food offering. In exchange, the high priest created a clay statue of the alux. The process was quite involved and included mixing the clay with fluids and skins of animals so that the alux would have the finest traits of those animals. A little blood from the farmer was also added to ensure loyalty.  If the alux was well-cared for by being given shelter, corn, and tortillas, it would bring favorable weather and protect the farmer’s crops. Anyone who mistreated it would experience sickness and bad dreams. It also punished anyone who was lazy, neglectful of their duties, or caused harm to the owner’s family or possessions.

When not guarding its owner’s property, the alux could be a rather mischievous character, playing in the forest, hiding in caves, and befriending animals to convince them not to harm its owner’s belongings.

The alux in the story is the one who helps Bubba find the Mayan treasure.

The Tate Duende

The Tate Duende is the Mayan guardian of the forest. “Tate” means “grandfather” and “duende” is Spanish for “goblin.” That’s exactly what he looks like — an old goblin. He’s about three feet tall, has a long, bushy beard, and a troll-like face. He’s pictured wearing a red, wide-brimmed hat and animal-skin clothes.  Other notable features are that his feet point backwards, and his thumbs are missing.

He is said to be kind by nature but cruel to anyone who is a danger to the forest. If anyone dares to take too much from the forest or harm any of the wildlife there, they will most likely lose their own thumbs and be banished to a place far away. Don’t mess with the Tate Duende!

The Tate Duende is the character who awakens magic within Bubba. 



Meet the Author

Sherry Ellis is an award-winning author and professional musician who plays and teaches the violin, viola, and piano. 

When she is not writing or engaged in musical activities, she can be found doing household chores, hiking, or exploring the world. Ellis and her family live in Atlanta, Georgia.

For more information on Sherry and her writing, connect with her on: Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads * Blog * Website * Amazon Author Page




GIVEAWAY

The author is sponsoring a tour-wide giveaway. She is giving away ten (10) autographed print copies of the book open to all. Be sure to enter below on the Rafflecopter widget. If the widget doesn’t appear, click HERE to enter the giveaway. The giveaway ends at midnight on Oct. 17th.



a Rafflecopter giveaway




You can also follow Sherry’s tour for more information and chances to enter by visiting the following sites:

Monday, Sept. 14 - Write With Fey - Guest Post
Alex J. Cavanaugh - Guest Post

Tuesday, Sept. 15 - Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews - Interview
Wednesday, Sept. 16 - The Story of a Writer - Review
Thursday, Sept. 17 - Book Reviews by Pat Garcia - Review
Friday, Sept. 18 - Booked Solid with Virginia C - Feature
Rockin' Book Reviews - Review & Top Ten List

Monday, Sept. 21 - Just Jemi - Review & Interview
Anna del C. Dye Official Page - Excerpt
Tuesday, Sept. 22 - Baroness' Book Trove - Review

Saturday, Sept. 26 - Storeybook Reviews - Excerpt
Monday, Sept. 28 - Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog - Guest Post
Joylene Nowell Butler - Excerpt
Journaling Woman - Feature
Wednesday, Sept. 30 - Nesie's Place - Excerpt

Friday, Oct. 2 - Thoughts in Progress - Review
Monday, Oct. 5 - The Sexy Nerd "Revue" - Excerpt
Wednesday, Oct. 7 - Willow Writes and Reads - Review
Friday, Oct. 9 - Celticlady's Reviews - Excerpt
Monday, Oct. 12 - Literary Rambles - Interview
Wednesday, Oct. 14 - Writer's Gambit - Feature & Top 10 List


Thanks for stopping by today. Do you enjoy all different types of genres and age-related stories? I know I do. :D


23 comments:

  1. I love the fact that while BUBBA AND SQUIRT'S MAYAN ADVENTURE is in the juvenile genre to help teach youngsters, it's also a fascinating story for adults.

    Chrys, thanks for being a part of Sherry's tour and sharing this with your readers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome, Mason! I love to help out and have a soft spot for middle grade books. <3

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  2. I loved all the folklore characters in the book.

    Thank you for featuring Sherry and her book today.

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    1. Of course, I love to help the authors I edit for. <3

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  3. No thumbs and backwards feet? Quite the character.

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    1. That's exactly what I thought! That's why he had to be in my book. :)

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  4. This is a book for all ages. I'll probably give my copy to the young ones in the family to enjoy.

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  5. Those are some interesting creatures. I'm glad they made their way into the story.

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  6. Good luck to Sherry on her book. Have been a follower for quite a time.


    Yvonne.

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  7. Thank you for having me as a guest and participating in my blog tour! I hope people enjoy reading about some of the characters from Mayan folklore.

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  8. The mythology behind the story sounds so interesting. Congrats on your new book, Sherry!

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  9. Congratulations on Sherry's new book and wow, you edited it, that's wonderful! The Mayan world is so unique and was spread over so much of Central America (I've been to Mayan sites in Honduras, Guatemala and the Yucatan of Mexico.

    www.thepulpitandthepen.com

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    1. Hi, Jeff! I've been to a few Mayan ruins in Mexico, too. Not to Honduras or Guatemala. Those would be interesting to see.

      Chrys is a great editor!

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  10. This sounds like an amazing and imaginative read, Chrys. Congratulations, Sherry!

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  11. Hi Chrys and Sherry - it sounds a great adventure for Bubba and Squirt - a fun book I would think ... and I hope successful. Take care - Hilary

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  12. Sounds like a great story, fun for the kids and a cool dive into another culture.

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