Synopsis of THE SMOKING MIRROR

Carolina and Juan Ángel “Johnny” Garza are twins living in a small Texas town on the US-Mexican border. Shortly after their 12th birthday, their mother disappears. Their father—Dr. Oscar Garza, a professor of history—is convinced she left him; the twins suspect foul play of some sort. This suspicion is made…

Continue reading

Mesoamerican Day Signs

The post below is mainly intended for students reading my Garza Twins series, but the information may be useful for others as well. Most societies in pre-Columbian Mexico (Aztec, Maya, Mixtec, etc.) used a complex system to keep track of dates. Basically there were two overlapping calendars in this system: a 365-day…

Continue reading