FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
Oct. 10, 2024  

**Debut Novel 'The Forgotten Code' Explores Lost Mayan Artifact**  

*Dr. Elena Vasquez draws on archaeological research for her first book, published by HarperCollins.*  

NEW YORK -- Dr. Elena Vasquez released her debut novel "The Forgotten Code" on Tuesday through HarperCollins, blending historical fiction with details from her fieldwork in Guatemala. The book follows an archaeologist unraveling a 1,000-year-old Mayan cipher tied to a real undiscovered artifact. Vasquez, a professor at Columbia University, spent five years researching the story.  

The 320-page novel incorporates Vasquez's firsthand notes from Mayan ruins, including references to a cipher stone she examined in 2022. It has initial print run of 50,000 copies and distribution through major retailers including Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Early reviews from Publishers Weekly note its "meticulous historical detail."  

"Our digs revealed patterns in Mayan script that no one had decoded before, and that's the spark for this story," Vasquez said. "It's not just fiction—it's a window into what might still be buried out there."  

The book is available in hardcover for $28.99 and ebook for $14.99 at booksellers nationwide. Vasquez will appear at the Miami Book Fair on Nov. 15.  

###  
ABOUT DR. ELENA VASQUEZ: Dr. Elena Vasquez is an archaeologist and adjunct professor at Columbia University specializing in Mesoamerican studies. She has led excavations in Guatemala and Mexico for 15 years. "The Forgotten Code" is her first novel.  

MEDIA CONTACT:  
Zara Thompson  
zara@crimsonleafmarketing.com  
(212) 555-0198