The Travels of Pacha Riley: Legend of the Inkas

Pacha Riley's family is being threatened, and they must leave Perú and head to
safety in America to live with their Uncle Jamie and Aunt Nina. For one who prefers
anonymity, the thought of being the skinny weird kid with the funny name in a new country is
not appealing. One night, there is another sudden attack, and twelve-year-old Pacha and nine-
year-old little sister Lucy must escape through the window...without Mami and Papi.
 
Pacha begins to realize that there is more going on than protests over the sacred sun disk
his archaeologist parents discovered at Machu Picchu. By the time he and Lucy arrive in
America, he has more doubts and questions than hope. But Pacha is aided in his quest by his
Traveller—animal spirit guide—and his Uncle Jamie. Their father's younger brother,
Uncle Jamie is nothing like his buttoned-up sibling; he's a jokester, an adventurer...and a
sorcerer?
 
Uncle Jamie takes Pacha into his confidence and reveals a secret: Travellers can take
their humans to visit past lifetimes. He also shares his suspicions about Tomás de la Vela,
a Peruvian art gallery owner, who may or not be connected to the attacks on the Rileys. While
amazed to learn his uncle's secrets, Pacha does not share his own fears that Aunt Nina may also
be involved.
 
The stakes are raised when Lucy is kidnapped by de la Vela and Aunt Nina. Searching
for clues sparks a fire in Pacha, and he is able to overcome his insecurities and find the fight
inside himself. He Travels to his past lifetimes as an Incan emperor and untangles a centuries-
old tale of revenge to save both the sacred disk and his little sister.

A.L. Rodriguez had the idea for Pacha Riley in 2007 while on a flight home from Australia. "Home" is Pennsylvania, where Rodriguez works for a tech company, studies taekwondo, and dreams about visiting Stonehenge someday. The Travels of Pacha Riley was a finalist in the 2018 PNWA Literary Contest.