Hi
lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Nancy Fraser and her new
book, “Eye of the Pharaoh”! For other
stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner
above or any of the images in this post.
Be sure
to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $20 Amazon or Barnes &
Noble Gift Card. Also, come back daily
to interact with Nancy and to increase your chances of winning!
Thanks
for stopping by! Wishing you lots of
luck in this exciting giveaway!
Eye of the Pharaoh
by Nancy Fraser
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GENRE:
Time Travel/Paranormal
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BLURB:
Publicist Teri Hunter has her hands full promoting Professor
Joshua Cain and his new non-fiction book, The Pharaoh’s Mummy. She’s not even
sure it’s possible to turn this absent-minded, modern-day, Indiana Jones into a
best-selling author.
Dr. Cain’s PhDs in archeology and art history have prepared
him for almost anything on the lecture circuit and among ancient ruins. He’s
just not sure about a book tour...or the sexy publicist sent to monitor his
every professional move.
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EXCERPT ONE:
Wake
up. Kick ass. Repeat.
Teri
Hunter mouthed the motivational phrase she’d chosen for her personal mantra as
she stepped across the threshold into the dark and musty storeroom.
A
dim light shone from a glass-enclosed workroom in the far corner. Taking a tentative
step forward, she faltered when the floorboards creaked beneath her feet.
Something fast and furry brushed against her ankle. A shiver ran down her back,
yet she fought the urge to retreat.
Do
one thing every day that scares you.
This
was obviously today’s obstacle. Were it not for her professional commitments
and intricately organized schedule, she’d have no doubt bolted for the door and
returned to the safety and illumination of the main building.
‘Sorry,
but the storage area doesn’t have overhead lighting. Preservation of the
antiquities. You understand.’ The dean’s words echoed in her head. What little
outside light there was had become nearly non-existent due to an impending
thunderstorm.
Drawing
a deep breath, she took a second step and then a third, winding her way past a
half-dozen crates, some open, some not. To her left she heard a rustling of
paper; to her right the distinct sound of footsteps.
Her
apprehension grew, the hair on her forearms stood at attention. She’d barely
made it halfway across the room before bumping into something large and solid.
Reaching out, she laid her hand against the oversized object. Slowly, she
raised her head and came face to face with the painted mask of an Egyptian
noble. The chipped finish gave the death mask a deranged look.
“You
come here often, big boy?” A nervous giggle followed her softly-worded, albeit
silly, question and she pressed her fingertips to her lips to stifle an
outright laugh before lowering her hand to her side.
Go
big! Home is boring.
Silently
she cursed her habit of dredging up poster-worthy quotes to mask her fears.
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GUEST POST:
Interview with Dr. Joshua
Cain
Dr.
Joshua Cain, Professor of Archaeology and Art History, Princeton, University is
our guest today. Just in time for Halloween, Dr. Cain has agreed to share with
us his love for all things unusual. Welcome, Dr. Cain.
Thank
you for the invitation. Because I can’t resist the temptation to educate, I
thought I’d start with a bit of history about the holiday itself.
Samhain
(pronounced sow-in) is an ancient Celtic festival dating back some two-thousand
years. Originally, the tradition involved donning costumes and lighting
bonfires to ward off evil spirits. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III
designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints and martyrs; the holiday,
All Saints’ Day, incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening
before was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween
evolved into a community-based event characterized by child-friendly activities
such as trick-or-treating. In a number of countries around the world, as the
days grow shorter and the nights get colder, people continue to usher in the
winter season with gatherings, costumes and sweet treats. This community/child
variation is what we enjoy today.
My love of strange occurrences or as my
Publicist Teri Hunter puts it ... creepy stuff... doesn’t exist solely at
Halloween. I like to study things close up, get in with the people who make the
history. As an example, Teri wanted to stay in a fancy hotel when we arrived at
our first tour stop in New Orleans. Instead, I chose a place with character.
Teri
stared in amazement at the well-worn guest home Dr. Cain had chosen for their
stay. In her mind’s eye, she could see the grand entranceway of the Marriott on
Canal Street, feel the pampered luxury of the hotel spa. Instead, she got this
. . . an early nineteenth-century home in obvious need of repair. Collingwood,
apparently, had history. Of what, she wasn’t certain. From the road, it looked
like something torn from the pages of a horror novel.
“This
is where we’re staying?” she asked, unable to hide her disappointment.
“You’re
welcome to go elsewhere, if you’d like. Personally, I prefer a room with some
character.”
She
choked back an outright laugh. “It’s certainly got character. As a matter of
fact, Freddie Kruger comes to mind.”
One of my favorite pastimes is
exploring old cemeteries; the older the better. I’m especially fond of the
cemeteries in New Orleans. Their history and connection to the practice of
voodoo is fascinating, as are the stories surrounding the people buried there.
The
storm lashed heavily against the top glass pane, thunder shook the building. A
moment later, lightning lit up the sky, illuminating the grounds behind the old
home.
As
he expected, she turned from the window to face him. “Your room overlooks a
cemetery.”
“Yes,
it does.”
“And
this is your usual room?” she confirmed, her tone filled with a mixture of
surprise and disbelief.
“I
find the old cemeteries of New Orleans fascinating. It might not be ancient
Egyptian history, but its history all the same.”
“Creepy
history, maybe.”
He
weaved around the desk and antique settee until he stood at her side. The moon
had slid from behind the dark clouds and sat like a spotlight in the sky.
“There,
see that?’ he said, pointing off in the distance. Teri turned in the direction
he pointed, following his line of sight. “It’s the crypt of one of the first
voodoo priestesses to be buried here in the French Quarter.”
“Like
I said, creepy.”
As an archaeologist, I have an infinity for more than just
the artifacts I find. I also appreciate the culture of the people I’m
studying. Sometimes that culture includes an ancient curse.
“That’s
where the story gets interesting,” he told her. “Or, as you might say, creepy.”
“Creepier
than a graveyard outside your bedroom window?”
“Yes,
even creepier.” Scrolling down the computer screen, he began recounting the
unusual events surrounding the stone. “Apparently, Akhenaten, also known as
Amenhotep IV, had heard of the Eye and wanted the unusual stone for his wife,
Queen Nefertiti, so he sent a group of three high priests and three soldiers in
search of Tuthmosis III’s burial site. The priests and soldiers found what they
were looking for, but while on their way back to Akhenaten’s temple, one by
one, four of them were killed off in the most mysterious ways.”
“Mysterious,
how?” she asked.
“The
first soldier was found with a stake through his heart, the second his throat
slit. The first priest to die had his arms ripped off, the second priest lost
his head. Pretty soon, the only two left were the high priest who was actually
carrying the jewel and the last soldier believed to be the captain of the
Pharaoh’s guards.”
As
with all curses, there’s an element of the unknown. What, if anything, will
happen should you decide to pursue more information about the curse? Or,
perhaps, the whereabouts of the mysterious stone?
“Where
are we?” she whispered.
“I’m
not sure. I think we should follow this wall until we can find a way out.”
Too
frightened to disagree, Teri tightened her grasp on Josh’s hand and moved when
he moved. Within a few hundred feet, they came to a narrow opening. Josh
stepped through, pulling her behind him. The passageway narrowed even more as
they made their way forward.
“I
can’t see a thing,” she said. “Talk about being caught between a rock and a
hard place.”
“If
you thought things were creepy before, I’d venture they’re a whole lot stranger
now,” Josh said, doing his best she suspected to lessen her fear with humor.
“There’s
some light,” she said, pointing ahead.
“I
see it.”
Josh
stopped just a few short of the end of the passageway, the light now bright
enough to see where they were going. They ventured another twenty feet or so.
Then, taking a firmer grip on her hand, he stepped out from between the rocks
and onto a bed of sand, drawing her to his side.
“Where
are we?” she asked.
Rather
than respond, Josh grasped her shoulders and turned her around. She blinked
once, twice, certain she’d fallen asleep and landed in the middle of some
bizarre dream that included Josh and stone walls and sand.
“Well,
for one thing we’re in Egypt. And those, Miss Hunter,” he said, pointing toward
the horizon, “are the Great Pyramids of Giza.”
I
share a good portion of my knowledge about ancient Egypt in author Nancy
Fraser’s newest book, Eye of the Pharaoh, including curses
and even proper tomb excavation. If you’d like to know more about my infinity
for the strange and creepy, I’d suggest you check out her book. Oh, and then
there are the love scenes. Not creepy in the least, but definitely steamy!
Thank
you so much for being our guest today, Dr. Cain.
It was my pleasure.
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AUTHOR BIO:
Like most authors, Nancy Fraser began writing at an early
age, usually on the walls and with crayons or, heaven forbid, permanent
markers. Her love of writing often made her the English teacher’s pet, which,
of course, resulted in a whole lot of teasing. Still, it was worth it.
Published in multiple genres, Nancy currently writes for
four publishers. She has published twenty-two books in both full-length and
novella format. Nancy will release her 25th book in early 2017. She is
currently working on a Valentine’s Day novella, her next Rock and Roll novella,
and a story about a racy Scot titled “Kilty Pleasures”.
When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her
five wonderful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when
time permits. Nancy lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace
and colorful people.
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CONNECT WITH NANCY:
Website:
Blog:
Twitter:
Facebook:
Goodreads:
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BOOK BUY LINKS:
Amazon:
Barnes and Noble:
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
Nancy Fraser will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.
Nancy Fraser will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.
**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a
purchase made I may receive a small commission to help support this blog. This does not cost you anything, it just
helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**
This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and
Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions. Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not
Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are
solely responsible for the giveaway prize.
Thank you so much for hosting this leg of my tour. I look forward to checking back later for reader comments.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to reading this one :)
ReplyDelete