The Artemis Connection

by David Di Paolo, Diane Frossard (Illustrator)

Overview

She doesn't believe in ghosts. She doesn't believe in witches or curses or spells. The doctor doesn't believe in anything that science can't explain, but Diana Valleverde is about to learn that knowledge is an evolving proposition. Her research into brain function is uncovering secrets within the mind, but none like the one kept hidden from her since before she was born. When her brother, a curator at the university museum, gives her a family keepsake from their recently deceased grandmother, Diana begins a journey that will take her from Pennsylvania to Milan and the Italian Alps, to discover what lies hidden inside and what has caused her recent affliction by what she knows must be sleep paralysis attacks, a frightening condition in which she awakens, unable to move or cry out, with the overwhelming sense something unseen is suffocating her. There must be a medical explanation for these attacks. There must be . . . Right?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780990559634
Publisher:	SDP Publishing
Publication date:	11/14/2014
Pages:	284
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

A Pennsylvania native, physician, and lover of folk tales, David Di Paolo helped investigate the cross-cultural occurrence of sleep paralysis attacks while in medical school, a project inspired by the Old Hag myth of Newfoundland. He has specialty training in brain and spine imaging and has participated in research studies using MRI. He has written scripts for medical segments airing on the television evening news, contributed fitness articles to the Tyler Morning Telegraph, and authored a wellness blog for BSCENE.com. This is his first novel.

Diane Ditzler Frossard has been painting and drawing since childhood. She has a passion for plein-air painting, striving to convey the essence of life's tranquil moments and to create a respite from the turmoil of the world. In her art, she tends to portray the beauty in ordinary subjects-both portraits and landscapes, with special emphasis on the light on the subject. Her daughter served as the inspiration for the cover art. Diane's website is http://dianefrossard.com

Editorial Reviews

"...The absorbing fantasy mystery is replete with plot twists, an ancient curse, Italian folklore, Native American Folklore and includes eye-opening brain science. The novel is totally unique illustrating the superb writing skills of the author."

—Reviewed in "The Mindquest Review Of Books," February,2016 by Lightword Publishing

"... Di Paolo deftly weaves the various plot threads together, creating an enjoyable, well-crafted mystery that whisks the reader from Philadelphia to Milan to a small village in the Italian mountains, all while exploring both Italian and Native American folklore. The fantasy elements, which are subtly teased out until the end, may occur a bit abruptly for some readers’ tastes—and the idea of magical Native Americans is well-trodden—the journey makes for a fun read. Diana’s a compelling main character who strikes just the right balance between Mulder and Scully.

An imaginative fantasy that has fun weaving together folklore, medicine, and ancient curses, providing a fresh twist on a classic formula."

—Kirkus Reviews, September, 2015

"For the full review, please click on the link below:"

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/david-di-paolo/the-artemis-connection/

From the Publisher

2015-09-15
In Di Paolo's debut fantasy, a family secret and a mysterious curse lead a skeptic on a whirlwind journey into Italy to discover the real truth. Dr. Diana Valleverde is a woman of science, but her deep-seated convictions are about to be challenged. Her brother Marco, a curator at the University of Philadelphia Museum of Archaeology, is working on an exhibit about the long-lost Mi'Ki'Passa Native American tribe, whose surviving members are only now stepping into the public eye. He's convinced the museum is haunted. Diana doesn't believe in hauntings, but her mind starts to change when she meets Hannah, a Mi'Ki'Passa med student with unexplainable abilities. When Diana travels to Italy for a conference and brings along a mysterious box that belonged to her late grandmother, all hell breaks loose. She begins having episodes of sleep paralysis involving menacing hallucinations, she discovers that a curse was put on her as a child, and a stranger threatens her brother's life unless Diana turns over the box. Soon after finding herself back in the Italian village where she was born, she's surprised to discover that her medical degree may have more to do with all of this than she thought. Although there are a lot of story elements to take in, Di Paolo deftly weaves the various plot threads together, creating an enjoyable, well-crafted mystery that whisks the reader from Philadelphia to Milan to a small village in the Italian mountains, all while exploring both Italian and Native American folklore. The fantasy elements, which are subtly teased out until the end, may occur a bit abruptly for some readers' tastes—and the idea of magical Native Americans is well-trodden—the journey makes for a fun read. Diana's a compelling main character who strikes just the right balance between Mulder and Scully. An imaginative fantasy that has fun weaving together folklore, medicine, and ancient curses, providing a fresh twist on a classic formula.

Kirkus Reviews