The Freedman and the Pharoah's Staff (spotlight and review, giveaway, Goddess Fish Tours)

                                     

The Freedman and the Pharoah's Staff

  by Lane Heymont

 BLURB:

Jeb, a former slave, rescues his brother-in-law Crispus from the Ku Klux Klan, only to be drawn into a world of Creole Voodoo, racism, time travel, and redemption.

Verdiss, the leader of the Ku Klux Klan has gained possession of the Pharaoh's Staff, a magical artifact from ancient Egypt and concocted a diabolical plan far more insidious than himself.

In the end, Jeb and Crispus must stop an entire people from eradication and each find redemption for their own past sins.

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Excerpt:

Verdiss ran his fingers over the cauldron’s lips, still amazed at what he’d discovered there. He’d been studying the Oera Linda Book, a Frisian manuscript discussing the mythologies, histories, and religions of long lost civilizations. The most prominent was Thule, a land ruled by a blond, blue-eyed race far superior to mankind. Scholars placed it near Norway. The Geist Führer’s voice had called Verdiss to the grove of grim, leaning trees. He spoke of leading the world back to the glorious age when Thule dominated the world. The Geist Führer promised Verdiss those of tainted blood would be eradicated. There’d be peace among the worthy.

“Geist Führer.” Verdiss waved his bulbous hands over the boiling water, pulling the magic from his very will. He hated performing these accursed rites, but they were a necessity. “I seek your counsel.” The wind picked up, his robes rustling. An unnatural wind. Power tingled in the air. The charge grew hotter as Verdiss came closer to contact.

“Dear Verdiss…” came the unholy voice, seething from within the cauldron.


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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Lane earned a BA in Liberal Arts with a focus on literature and history. He also holds a double minor in psychology and business. He is a literary assistant with The Seymour Agency, and also has several short stories. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association, Historical Novel Society, and International Thriller Writers.





Links:

Amazon buy link
B&N
Sunbury Press, Inc.

Website
Twitter  ( https://twitter.com/LaneHeymont )
Facebook


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GIVEAWAY:

Lane will be awarding a coffee mug with a quote from the book (US/Canada only) to a randomly drawn commenter at each stop, plus a Grand Prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.  Please leave a valid e-mail address and comment on a traditional superstition in your family.


Additional entries available by following the tour:



October 25: Unabridged Andra
November 1: The Crafty Cauldron
November 15: The Most Happy Reader
November 29: Elle Hill
December 6: Sun Mountain Reviews

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My Review:


3.5 out of 5 stars

“The Freedman and the Pharoah’s Staff” is a historical novel with paranormal elements that focuses on a violent era following the Civil War as the U.S. is still equilibrating after its major upheaval.  Despite the significant progress being made, discrimination and inequality are still rampant six years after the War Between the States, particularly in the South.  Jebediah Johnson still suffers from horrific memories and physical damage incurred from the past but he is inexorably drawn by his brother-in-law, Crispus, into a chilling struggle that will require that he fight the Ku Klux Klan and the arcane elements involved in voodooism as well as a threat from the future that relies upon a powerful artifact from the past.  A wide swath of torture and murder accompanies the artifact’s journey to New York and all of the progress that the country has made may very well be obliterated if a handful of determined men have their way.

This story was an intriguing blend of history and fiction and is a thought-provoking read but is a little too filled with violence and sadistic torture for me.  It conjures up the worst of mankind with its descriptions of practitioners of the dark arts and their macabre tools such as zombies and an eight-foot-long rattlesnake and combines that with a time-traveler who has been sent by a Germanic tyrant from the future who has his own agenda that temporarily dovetails with the KKK’s plans.  The overwhelming aura of hatred and sadism portrayed throughout the story overshadows the remarkable details that reflect the author’s research into a depressing era of our country’s history.  It would be nice to have a little more depth to the characters as I never quite got a good sense of their motivations other than a desire for revenge or atonement but this is definitely an eventful story.  A very dark but creative read probably best appreciated by those who enjoy horror stories.