Outside of the health benefits and the satisfaction having a piece of chocolate brings, one chocolate company is having a beneficial impact on endangered species. Madécasse, a Brooklyn based company, works directly with the farmers in Madagascar — home of the mouse lemur. The mouse lemur population has been decreasing in Madagascar due to deforestation. Madécasse is helping farmers by planting more cacao trees. The farmers don’t mind the critters in the trees because they help distribute the seeds and keep the insect population down.

The second book in the Guardian Angel Animal Series, A CinderElla Tail, features a baby mouse lemur named Ella. In the story, Ella must help Allison resolve her family issues because Allison’s dad has remarried and she now has to put up with the terrible twins whose mission is to make Allison’s life miserable. The story will have plenty of Timmy and his lovable Golden Lion Tamarin, Rin, because Timmy and Rin want to help as many people as they can.

Who could resist a chance to help a cute little animal like the mouse lemur? Especially when you can do it by eating chocolate.

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And the surprise was this FABULOUS cover for the chapter book series I’ve been working on with creator Luke Matthews and co-author Olivia Claire. The illustrations were done by Marie Beschorner who absolutely knocks me out with her fantastic talent.

A while back, I had worked on the draft for the second book in the Timmy and the Golden Lion Tamarin chapter book series called A CinderElla Tail. While it still needs a little polishing, we are happy with the way the story developed. The scene Marie captured for the cover is when Allison meets Ella, her guardian angel animal for the first time. I couldn’t be happier with it. And yes, I have been sitting and staring at it with shiny eyes.

And here is the back. While we don’t yet have the wording finalized, I wanted to share because it is so pretty. What is A CinderElla Tail about? Here is the premise:

Timmy’s best friend Allison needs a miracle. After her mom dies in a terrible accident that she blames herself for, Allison’s dad remarries and now she must live with a mean stepmother named Victoria and two equally mean and spoiled step-sisters, Savannah and Bethany. Feeling left out and alone, Allison confides her unhappiness in her friend Timmy. Soon, an answered prayer brings a miracle into Allison’s life in the form of a tiny and delightful Madame Berthe’s Mouse Lemur that appears in the house one night. Allison names the Mouse Lemur, which only she can see, Ella, after her favorite Disney story, “Cinderella,” and soon Ella is helping Allison cope with living in a house that feels cold and unwelcoming. Before long, Ella even helps the girl find a way to confront her new step-family and learn that sometimes fear is all that stands in the way of an open heart.

And now, I’m going to sit here and stare at the beautiful cover a little longer.

To keep up with what is going on with the Timmy and the Golden Lion Tamarin series, visit: www.timmyandrin.com

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